Planet ISKCON

Are you completely satisfied and happy with your life? If your honest answer is no, the Krishna Institute may be able to help you.

The Krishna Institute (KI) launches its service to the Vaishnava Community on May 21, 2016, at ISKCON of Alachua with Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Dasa. The inaugural event is the two-day interactive Dharma Workshop: Discover Your Mission in Life.

Recognizing the significant contribution the KI will make to Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the USA, the International Coordinating Committee for ISKCON’s 50^th Anniversary Celebrations has scheduled KI’s inauguration as a National Event.

Offered in a newly developed retreat facility surrounded by nature’s beauty in a secluded area of the temple property, the Dharma Workshop will benefit attendees of all ages regardless of how many years they have been ISKCON members. Even a senior devotee can “get a new lease on life” or a renewed and revitalized outlook, as well as potentially discover a deeply satisfying “second career (service)” by participating in this workshop and accessing the wealth of knowledge and realization coming in our Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

To know more of what to expect, please visit our website for details and take a minute to read testimonials from participants in the Dharma Workshop offered by Sacinandana Swami at the Bhaktivedanta Manor in February of 2015. This workshop was the ripened fruit of Maharaja’s fourteen years of research into the best way to discover one’s mission in life.

After the Dharma Workshop the Krishna Institute (KI) will offer many other workshops, along with retreats, seminars, and courses, that will systematically equip each participant with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to fulfill their unique mission. On May 23 Madhava Dasa and Radhika-devi Dasi will offer The Qualities and Mood of a Kirtaniya: Realizations from Six Years of Kirtan with Aindra Prabhu, and from May 24 to 26 Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Dasa will lead The Holy Name Retreat.

Both events will offer deeply satisfying experiences and are included in Kirtan – From Your Heart to the World (May 23 to June 27), a traveling kirtan experience that will go from Alachua via the Youth Ministry bus to the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, NY Ratha-yatra, and New Vrindavan’s Kulimela and 24-hour Kirtan (both events are open for all, not just for those on the bus tour).

Based upon the association and facilitation of devotees such as Amala Harinama Dasa, Bada Haridas Dasa, BB Govinda Swami, Bhakti Charu Swami, Gauravani Dasa, Giriraja Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Madhava Dasa, Manorama Dasa, Nadia Mani-devi Dasi, Radhanatha Swami, Sacinandana Swami, and Vaisesika Dasa, Kirtan – From Your Heart to the World will inspire chanting from the heart and provide the skills and mood to share the pure name with the world.

Here’s our schedule subsequent to these initial offerings:

July 2 – 4 | Temple Worship Workshop, with Jayananda Dasa and Raghunatha Dasa

September 18 | Start of a two-year Bhakti-sastri Course. Workshops (English & Spanish) will be held just before the Sunday program. Part-time English-medium facilitators include Dhruva Maharaja Dasa, Hari Parayana Dasa, Janmastami Dasa, Nagaraja Dasa, Nanda-devi Dasi, Nitai-lila-devi Dasi, Prana Govinda Dasa, Rucira-devi Dasi, Sukhada-devi Dasi, and Svaha-devi Dasi. Part-time Spanish-medium facilitators include Bhakti Prabhupada-vrata Damodara Swami, Nanda-devi Dasi, and Krisodari-devi Dasi.

November 4 – 6 | ISKCON Leadership and Management Workshop, with Anuttama Dasa and Tamohara Dasa

November 20 | Start of the Grihastha Training Workshops (twelve 3-hour sessions one Sunday a month for a year), with Tamohara Dasa and Mantrini-devi Dasi

KI’s educational offerings evoke the mood of Srila Prabhupada’s Seven Purposes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness when he incorporated ISKCON fifty years ago. ISKCON temples that have imbibed Prabhupada’s mood of education and training have become vibrant success stories, with many full-time devotees and enthusiastic congregations to inspire Vaishnavas for generations to come.

With this vision the GBC has asked our team to launch the Krishna Institute. We pray that our efforts will spark steady growth in Srila Prabhupada’s movement nationwide.

Please go to our website for more information, or feel free to write us at contact us if you have any questions.

Hare Krishna!

Retreat at Ballarat, Session 2

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“But If the Disciple is In Ignorance …”

Retreat at Ballarat, Session 1

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By Amala Prema devi dasi

The Bhakti Tree in Newcastle, NSW, Australia, the hub of loving exchanges, delicious food and transcendental sound vibrations celebrated its 1st anniversary and ISKCON’s 50th year anniversary on Friday, 18th of March. World-renowned international kirtaniya, His Grace Madhava Naidoo led the evening. More than 150 people attended the evening and enjoyed delicious prasadam. The Bhakti Tree has become a steadily growing community center, which gathered all its well-wishers, community members, volunteers, kirtan and yoga enthusiasts under the same roof on this special evening. The Bhakti Tree hosts, His Grace Abhay Charan dasa and Her Grace Jayanti devi dasi certainly made everyone feel welcomed and cared for as many expressed their heartfelt thanks to them for nurturing the seed of the Bhakti Tree and turning it into a peaceful space for all.

His Grace Madhava Prabhu relentlessly and humbly represents the cult of bhakti as introduced by our ISKCON founder-acarya His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada 50 years ago, all around the world. As Madhava Prabhu epitomized the kirtan mood in the evening, we have been fortunate to experience kirtan which is not an artistic performance but a sincere call to the Divine energy by which we try to open our hearts more and more to bring in real love into our lives, and share it with others. Madhava Prabhu eased us into chanting of several mantras ending with the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. He got the Bhakti Tree all ears and as the crowd imbibed the transcendental sound vibration of the holy names, the kirtan built up into a mood of ecstasy where everyone participated enthusiastically in dancing, clapping and chanting their hearts out.

The Bhakti Tree, the city arm for New Gokula Farm and Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda temple, Millfield, in the Hunter Valley operates as a Café/Restaurant serving vegetarian lunches Tuesdays through to Saturdays between 11:30am and 2pm, and is also an attractive destination teaching spiritual traditions and culture. It holds two main weekly programmes; yoga class followed by prasadam on Wednesday evenings at 6pm, and kirtan followed by prasadam on Friday evenings again at 6pm. The Bhakti Tree serves about 700 lunches a week at the University of Newcastle on a recommended donation basis. The Bhakti Tree is actively spreading the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu through chanting, dancing and feasting.

Please cherish some of the photos from the evening, and feel inspired to take the opportunity to come and meet all the wonderful people at the Bhakti Tree if you are in this area. You may visit The Bhakti Tree Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/thebhaktitree for more photos from the evening, and join their page if you have not done so yet, in order to stay informed about all the upcoming events and updates at the Bhakti Tree.

your servant,

Amala Prema devi dasi

March 28. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: “But If the Disciple is In Ignorance …”
Prabhupada is speaking on the qualifications of a spiritual master and a disciple:
Suppose you accept the wrong person as a spiritual master and he guides you wrongly. Then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make one’s life perfect. That is the relationship between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility, both for the disciple and the spiritual master. … Yes?
Student: But if the disciple is in ignorance before …
Prabhupada: Yes. (Prabhupada acknowledges a serious question. It is for answering questions like this – from “disciples in ignorance” – that he has left retirement in India and come to America.)
Student: … how does he know which master to choose? – Because he doesn’t have the knowledge to make a wise decision.
Prabhupada: Yes. So, the first thing is that one should be searching after a spiritual master, just as you search after some school, you must at least have some preliminary knowledge of what a school is. You can’t search for a school and go to a cloth shop. If you are so ignorant that you do not know what is a school and what is a cloth shop, then it is very difficult for you. You must know, at least, what a school is. So that knowledge is like this:
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

Gaur Purnima lecture at ISKCON Canberra
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Interfaith program at Queensland College of Art
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In ISKCON and many other modern attempts to implement Krishna bhakti, one of the biggest mistakes classically made is to focus primarily on anartha-nivṛtti rather than artha-pravṛtti – trying to annihilate “bad” things rather than on proliferating “good” things. This approach is doomed. Removing the bad (a) is too difficult, and (b) does not necessarily bring in anything good. But bringing in the good (a) is much more pleasant, and (b) automatically gets rid of the bad. This is why there is no need for any karma (religion), prayaścitta (pennance), etc for a bhakta – the bhakti itself is the most powerful purifier. 

This is a point Rūpa Goswāmī repeatedly makes explicit in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu. It is also a main point Krishna makes several times, often with very strong language, in Bhagavad Gītā. Śrīla Prabhupāda himself, ISKCON’s founder, taught it as simply as possible by explaining that a child cannot be stopped from mischief, but if you give the child something non-mischievous to enjoy, he or she will easily and naturally stop their misbehavior. 

I don’t know why we couldn’t embrace this. Perhaps because we are more interested in criticism, and criticism goes with negativity and annihilation? Anyhow, for whatever reason, a hopeless tug of war with genitalia very often becomes more of a focus than Śrī Krishna nāma, rūpa, guṇa and līlā – and everything in that sanga becomes strange, negative, distasteful, perverted and sad. This can all change simply by paying far more attention to the beauty and wonder of Krishna’s name, form, qualities and pastimes, and not paying so much explicit attention to the very insignificant affairs of sticks and cavities.

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

QUESTION: In his purport on the 10th Mantra of Īśopaniṣad, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes that everything is related to the Supreme Brahman or Kṛṣṇa, and thus everything belongs to Him only.” So, can I go rob a bank or be a drug dealer with the consciousness that I will use it for Krsna – like, I will build temples, print books, take care of devotees etc.? 

Prabhupada refers here to the 1st mantra in the book, the īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ mantra, which says, “Everything belongs to a master, and all of us should only take what is set aside for us.” 

The second part is quite important. It’s not, “Everything belongs to Krishna, so I can take whatever I want so long as I somehow describe it or think of it as being for his sake.” The second part — tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam — forbids this, by saying “Everything belongs to a master, we should only take what is allotted to us, and should never try to take what is allotted to others.”

Even if you want to serve that master, Krishna, you have to do it with what has been allotted to you.

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

The resurrection of Jesus is the Christian religious belief that, after being put to death, Jesus rose again from the dead. It is the central tenet of Christian Theology and part of the Nicene Creed: “On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.”

Srila Prabhupada said: “Yes, just look at Jesus Christ—crucified. What was his fault? He was simply teaching God consciousness. Of course, he was not killed. Nobody can kill the Lord’s pure devotee.”

“Such a great personality, the son of God. He wanted to deliver God consciousness. And in return, he was crucified. We don’t take Jesus Christ as insignificant. We give him all honour. He is a pure representative of God. “

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 December 2014, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture 6.1.50)

Question: You have said that we are on our own and it is up to us to go back home, back to Godhead. What are we supposed to do?

Take devotional service very serious. Take it very serious! That is what we are supposed to do. Really, all I can say is: Be serious about serious things.

We can have lots of fun. Everyone wants some fun – so we can joke, we can play, we can feast and so on, but let’s be serious about serious things! Serious about chanting sixteen rounds, serious about following four regulative principles, serious about reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, serious about devotional service, serious about our ashram. Let’s be serious about serious things and then we will find that gradually we have become very focused and that we have become very serious about going back to Godhead.

Gaura Purnima festival in Barnaul, Russia, 26/03/16 (Album with 589 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Two Lords, Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, They have appeared just to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. They are more kind than Krishna. Krishna, He is also very kind. He comes to deliver. But Krishna demands that first of all surrender. Caitanya Mahaprabhu even does not demand surrender. He is so kind (voice choking) So take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and be happy. Thank you very much. (weeping). Atlanta, February 28, 1975.
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New Service in the Community of Raman Reti, Iskcon Alachua.
Mukhya Devi dasi: Daily Check-in by Phone for Those Living Alone.
We are starting a new program for anyone living alone who would like a daily check in by phone. Bhaktin Julia, who has been a member of our community for the last seven years, will be making the calls. She will call you each morning between 8 am and 10 am, and see how you are, if you have any needs today or this week. It will be a brief check in and she can refer you on if you do have particular needs. Please call or email the Temple office to get on the phone list.

Harinama in Vrindavana (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord. The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare. This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.9.6 Purport)
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By Madhava Smullen

It’s hard to beat Festival of Inspiration for sheer variety.

This year’s ISKCON 50 special edition of the Appalachian spiritual retreat in New Vrindaban, West Virginia will overflow with the best Krishna consciousness has to offer: seminars, kirtans, entertainment, and the tastiest prasadam this side of the spiritual world.

Hundreds of devotees from all over the East Coast of the United States and Canada are expected to pour in for the May 6^th to 8^th weekend.

Each day of the festival will begin with an extended themed Srimad Bhagavatam class. Author Yogesvara Das will speak about his new biography of Srila Prabhupada for a mainstream audience, entitled “Swami in a Strange Land.” And the class on Sunday – Mother’s Day – will focus on the importance of honoring mothers in the Vaishnava tradition.

The centerpiece of the seminars, meanwhile, will be two special panel discussions to commemorate ISKCON’s 50^th Anniversary.

“In the first, entitled ‘ISKCON 50 Years Ago,’ early Prabhupada disciples like Malati Devi, Shyamasundar Prabhu, and Yogesvara Prabhu will talk about their struggles and victories in expanding the movement, and how Prabhupada encouraged and enthused everyone,” says organizer Vrindavan Das. “They’ll be joined by Sally Agarwal, who sponsored Prabhupada when he first arrived in the U.S.”

The second panel, ISKCON’s Future in North America, will be facilitated by Gainesville Krishna House Director Kalakanatha Das and feature Varshana Swami, Vaisesika Das, educator Urmila Dasi, and more. They’ll discuss how to learn from the mistakes of the past to improve the future, how to care for the needs of current devotees, and how to reach out to more new people.

And that’s just the beginning. New Vrindaban’s own Sankirtan Das will present his Powerpoint on Prabhupada coming to America, which has been very well-received in colleges. He’ll also facilitate an open discussion on developing strategies for presenting Prabhupada to the public.

Urmila Dasi will offer practical and clear instructions for overcoming obstacles in spiritual life, setting our “compass” to the right direction, and finding the ultimate spiritual attainment.

Kalakantha Das, who has spoken out in favor of women gurus in ISKCON, will talk about the role of women in the society, and about Krishna conscious marriage.

Veteran book distributor Vaisesika Das is likely to speak about his new book, Our Family Business, in which he shares key principles and techniques of book distribution.

And ISKCON pioneer Shyamasundara Das will tell amazing stories from his upcoming book Chasing Rhinos with the Swami about ISKCON’s early days in San Francisco and London, as well as about his travels in India and Russia with Prabhupada.

As usual, parents will be able to attend these and the many other seminars on offer while their children have fun at a supervised kids’ camp with face painting, clowns and more.

At mealtimes, devotees will sit at picnic tables on the sunny lawn and socialize as they tuck into a tasty blend of Eastern and Western prasadam. There’ll be lots of healthy options such as salad and soup, as well as traditional Indian dishes and comfort food like macaroni; while many of the dairy dishes will be made with the milk of protected New Vrindaban cows.

In the evenings, everyone will focus on singing the Lord’s praises. Friday will see the continuation of a bhajan program that became an instant hit when it was introduced last year.

“Devotees rarely get to sing bhajans, because at most kirtan festivals they only chant the Hare Krishna mantra,” says Vrindavan. “So they’ll appreciate the chance to sing traditional songs of the Vaishnava Acharyas with some of the best bhajan singers in ISKCON like Agnideva Prabhu, Havi Prabhu and Ekendra Prabhu.”

Participants will get to immerse themselves in the Maha-mantra too, however, with a Nama-Yajna on Saturday evening.

The grande finale will follow on Sunday, with the hugely popular Transcendental Entertainment show at midday. Ekendra Das will lampoon both ISKCON and material life through song as his comedic alter ego Yama Niyama Das Brahmachari, Bhaktimarga Swami and his team will bring one of their epic dramas, and more top performers are yet to be announced.

After the show, a traditional Sunday Feast of rice, dahl, subjis, pakoras, chutney, puris, sweet rice, and gulabjamuns will be served. Devotees will return to their homes satisfied, relaxed, and yes, inspired.

“This year’s festival is a great way to celebrate ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary, with so many excellent speakers covering the achievements of the last 50 years and motivating us about what we can do in the next 50,” says Vrindavan.

“It’s also a wonderful opportunity for participants to get inspired in Krishna consciousness and then return to their communities and enthuse others in devotional service.”

To register, please visit http://www.festivalofinspiration.net/registration/

FOI 2016 Poster

From Beijing to Belgium, from Bulgaria to Buenos Aires, from Canada to Karnataka, from Nairobi to Naperville, from Istanbul to England, From Delhi to Gaborone, to Slovenia, to Switzerland, to Ecuador, to Romania, Poland, etc., four dozen leaders assembled in the Govardhan Ecovillage outside of Mumbai, learning for thirteen days at the GBC College for […]

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Artha Forum (the non-profit initiative for bringing ancient wisdom to modern business) held its third event in Bangalore on Friday 18th March 2016 at the Taj Vivanta Hotel, M.G. Road. The event was attended by over 100 invited guests, including many members of the event partner, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce – Karnataka Chapter. The […]

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“Arjuna, his eyes blazing in anger like two red balls of copper, dexterously arrested the son of Gautami (Ashvatthama) and bound him with ropes like an animal. After binding Ashvatthama, Arjuna wanted to take him to the military camp. The Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, looking on with His lotus eyes, spoke to Arjuna in an angry mood. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.33-34) Both Arjuna and Krishna are described here as being very angry. The only difference was that Arjuna’s eyes became like balls of red copper, but the Lord’s eyes remained cool and are hence described as “lotus like.” Thus there is a vast difference between our anger and the one possessed by God. The Lord is Transcendence, and thus He is absolute in any stage. His anger is not like the anger of a conditioned living being within the modes of qualitative material nature. Because He is absolute, both His anger and pleasure are the same. Continue reading "Anger Management
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A small video on my thought’s on showing compassion and love in order to develop and increase devotion.

How we shouldn’t be surprised of fall down, but understand that we are all under the conditioning of material nature; but each should be given a chance in developing and given the same opportunity Srila Prabhupada gave his disciples.

And to ask that vital question, why didn’t Srila Prabhupada follow through with some of the thing’s he spoke about before going ahead with implementing what he didn’t

The first point is that Krishna says that He is under the control of His devotees. The story of Maharaja Ambarisha, the emperor of the entire world, is a good illustration of this. Maharaja Ambarisha was a celebrated pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. He considered all material opulence transitory and always engaged his senses and mind in the loving transcendental services of the Lord. Continue reading "Krishna Controlled By Pure Devotees
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Launch of Monks in Manhattan—the Novel.
Rupa-vilasa dasa: Jnanagamya Dasa (John J. Partin) is/was my oldest friend. He was an artist and writer of immense creativity, enthusiasm, and talent. Monks in Manhattan started out as a screenplay and went through a number of incarnations as such. In the final year or two before his departure, he turned the screenplay into an entertaining novel about a somewhat fanatical devotee who falls in love with an heiress. This extraordinary novel is filled with humor, romance, and philosophy. Jnanagamya would not object (if he were still with us) to my saying that this book is bizarre, preachy, original, funny, and strange. It is, by turns, unusual, hysterical, wonderful, and highly entertaining. Very few novels have been produced by contemporary members of the Hare Krishna devotee community, and certainly none with the ambition, scope, humor, and philosophical depth of this one. Only he would even consider writing what is essentially a Krishna conscious romantic comedy. It is being brought out as an e-novel, available through Amazon.com. Please purchase a copy at the very reasonable price of $2.99 and be entertained and enlightened by a devotee sold out to Srila Prabhupada. This was the final effort by the eccentric and kind artist/designer/builder/writer before he passed away in Mayapura, India, on February 17, 2015. He is sorely missed by all who loved him and whose lives were touched by him.
(Jnanagamya Prabhu’s birth, April 2, 1947)
Read more: http://monksinmanhattan.com/

By Baldev das

On 12th March 2016, ISKCON Chowpatty staged its annual Rathyatra on the famous grounds of Shivaji Park at Dadar. This Rathyatra has been one of the highlights of ISKCON chowpatty’s Preaching outreach. Along with Rathyatra this year, a special event was also launched. The launching of the entire Srimad Bhagavatam in Marathi language.

A team of dedicated devotees consisting of Bhagawan pr, Shyamananda pr, Rohinikumar pr, Raghupati pr, Rajgopal pr & others had been working hard tirelessly for 12 long years to translate Srila Prabhupada’s entire Srimad Bhagavatam in the local Marathi Language. The Wait was now over for all Marathi readers and the hard work of the translators bore fruit when the Bhaktivedanta Book trust team got all the books printed beautifully in time for the ocassion. And what else could be an apt setting for its launch – Dadar’s Shivaji Park ground. Besides being a venue for gatherings of freedom fighters, Shivaji Park is the focal point of pride for Marathi people. It was here that on 12th march 2016, HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja launched the Marathi Srimad bhagavatam set overlooking a crowd of tens of thousands in the massive pandal.

After the launch, H.H Radhanath swami decided to sign all the sets for all those who agreed to buy them on the very day. There was huge Queue to buy the set as many were eagerly awaiting for this priceless gift of Srila Prabhupada being now received through the hands of Radhanath swami. Final count was 180 Bhagavatam sets distributed on that day. This is first time in the history of Marathi literature that this Mahapurana is available with devotional purports in the local Marathi language. 

One week later on 19th march, Marathi SB set was again launched in Pune at the ISKCON Nigdi centre, by the hands of HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami Maharaja.

Harinama ana Gaura Purnima celebration in Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is the easiest process of meditation in this age. As soon as one chants the Hare Krishna mantra, he sees the forms of Krishna, Rama and Their energies, and that is the perfect stage of trance. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.53 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/GmCl17

Sacred Sound Kirtan Retreat (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Video coverage of the blissful Sacred Sound Kirtan Retreat at New Govardhan in Australia. Devotees came from all over the country to chant and dance together in one of ISKCON’s largest communities nestled in the beautiful green rolling hills of New South Wales.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/P52ZLw

Every year I make my personal finances public. Attached is an accounting of my finances for 2015.

Jayadvaita Swami 2015 financial report

The post My personal finances, 2015 appeared first on Jayadvaita Swami.

Bharat’s Cultural Conquest: New Short Film on Srila Prabhupada (7 min video)
- New FULL HD film on Srila Prabhupada
- Launch on Pune Youth Festival 2016 in front of 20000 Youth.
- Film by ISKCON Pune, in Association with Hare Krishna Media
- Film made by Hare Krishna Media
- English Language
- 7 Mins.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/1xq9vr

March 27. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: One is Free to Regard His Talks As He Likes.
Although his audience may be momentarily enamored by what appears to be a description of Indian social customs, a careful listener can grasp the greater context of Prabhupada’s speech: everyone must accept a spiritual master. It’s a heavy topic for a casual audience. What is the need of taking a spiritual master? Isn’t this just for India? But he says, “Everyone should have a spiritual master.” What is a spiritual master, anyway? Maybe he means that accepting a spiritual master is just another cultural item from Hinduism, like the sacred thread, or the part in a woman’s hair, or the widow’s dress. The audience can easily regard the discussion as a kind of cultural exposition, just as one comfortably watches a film about the living habits of people in a foreign land, although one has no intention of adapting those habits as one’s own. The Swami is wearing one of those threads on his body, but that’s for Hindus, and it doesn’t mean that Americans should wear them. But these Hindu beliefs are interesting.
Actually, Prabhupada has no motive but to present the Absolute Truth as he has heard it in disciplic succession. But if anyone in that railroad car-shaped room were to ask himself, “Should I surrender to a spiritual master?” he would be confronted by the existential presence of a genuine guru. One is free to regard his talk as one likes.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

One is Free to Regard His Talks As He Likes

Harinama in Philippines (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One is understood to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he considers himself a servant of the holy name and in this spirit distributes the holy name to the world. (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.16 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/PSMVRR

By GBC College Staff

From Beijing to Belgium, from Bulgaria to Buenos Aires, from Canada to Karnataka, from Nairobi to Naperville, from Istanbul to England, From Delhi to Gaborone, to Slovenia, to Switzerland, to Ecuador, to Romania, Poland, etc., four dozen leaders assembled in the Govardhan Ecovillage outside of Mumbai, learning for thirteen days at the GBC College for Leadership Development how to serve as Zonal Supervisors.

Among the teachers were three GBC members and three more disciples of Srila Prabhupada:

Radhanatha Maharaja, also the host of the program as the local GBC, spoke about the importance of sadhana for leaders and about the mood of chanting japa not just for oneself but for being able to serve one’s constituency and humanity at large.

Bhakti Charu Maharaja gave two lessons, one on the importance of having an institution to spread the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and another highlighting four crucial maxims delineating the four pillars of the movement.

Devamrita Maharaja explored the sensitive and intriguing topic of dealing with the apparently ever-increasing degree of diversity in ISKCON, revealing how to ultimately tame and transcend the centrifugal forces channeling them towards common goals.

Gopal Bhatta Prabhu taught about strategic planning; about marketing Krsna consciousness – which included a section on branding – about ISKCON’s presence online and best practices among devotees’ websites. He also explained how religious movements have to deal with the gradual loss of the original intent, context and instructions as generations of leaders succeed each other.
 
Garuda Prabhu (Dr. Graham M. Schweig, professor of philosophy and religious studies at Christopher Newport University in the US), spoke about the importance of relations for leaders.

Praharana Devi spoke about the dangers and the little-known realities of pastoral abuse; she also introduced ISKCON Connection, the GBC initiative to connect Srila Prabhupada’s overall international family through ongoing communication and formal general membership.

Rupanuga Prabhu, President of the GBC College and a management professor from America, taught project management that Srila Prabhupäda had endorsed for projects, such as the construction of Juhu Temple, to be done “as professionally and as quickly as possible,”—SP Lilamrita, Vol 6, Chapter 48. He also taught time management, an essential skill for busy leaders and managers.

Gauranga Prabhu, a 2015 graduate of the GBC College and the President of Govardhan Ecovillage, explained the historical and cultural roots of learning from experts and the implementation of the principle in contemporary devotional projects.

The Global Minister for Deity Worship, Nrisimha Kavaca Prabhu, arrived with Jayananda Prabhu – Deity Worship Minister for the US – and introduced the fundamental standards of arcana as well as the relevant ISKCON laws in connection with installing Deities.
Brajamohan Prabhu presented Situational Leadership – the art of dealing with devotees at various levels of readiness – and also provided guidelines on how to execute the plans we make. These are just a couple of the themes he teaches in his professional life to corporate audiences.

Kaunteya Prabhu, Co-Minister of the ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry, spoke about leaders as cultural engineers and on the importance of understanding and harmonizing the interactions among the various ISKCON “ecosystems”: the guru-disciple relation, the organizational needs and dynamics, and the social dimension; the private areas of family, personal economy, etc.

The sweet glance of youthful Sri Sri Radha-Vrindavana Vihari, the idyllic frame of the Vrindavana forest replica – with the seven main temples and the flowing Yamuna – the professional and helpful mood of everyone in the Ecovillage, the natural amenities and the rural setting provided the ideal atmosphere for the training in an environment that is living testimony of inspired leadership. This was the beginning of the one-year course which includes two residential sessions (the next in September-October), a dozen or so online courses and the Action Learning Project, the practical assignment each student will have to complete putting into practice the learning in the classroom.

We look forward to continuously serving these outstanding Vaisnavas as they manage to include the demands of advanced leadership education in their already busy devotional service.

Poems share what we feel
during a particular time
or mood of the day
from a breeze on our face.
We can label it
as good or harsh,
bitter cold or stimulating,
scented or a repelling stench.
We give wings to our experience
using word pictures to communicate
the magic of connecting to
the possibilities of the spirit.
We can invest life in our words
the nuances and flavors of being
what’s ordinarily inexpressible
incredible beyond reason.

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Gaura Purnima Festival has been very busy and ecstatic this year.

It all started with the festival inauguration March 5th and blissfully went on until Gaura Purnima day.

Let’s not forget Jaganath Misra’s feast on 24th and 25th of March which provided a sumptuous feast for thousands of devotees and pilgrims who left completely satisfied.

For almost one month, Sri Mayapur Dham was flooded, but this time not by Mother Ganga but by Thousands and Thousands of spirit souls hoping to get some Mercy from the Lord.

Ratha Yatra, Boat festival, Kirtan Mela, Mini Market, Huge International presentation displaying devotional activities done by devotees in their own country around the world, stage performances, daily feasts, and of course Parikrama and Lord Gauranga’s Abhishek.

There was so much to do, it was a daily dilemma to choose which activities to attend every day. We also had most ecstatic Siva Ratri celebrated at in our ISKCON Rajapur Jaganath temple, elephant procession, Daily evening Kirtan , amazing inspiring lectures by our beloved gurus and so much more. It seemed like a year of spiritual activities were compressed in one month! Mayapur is most definitely the most beautiful and inspiring place in the world.

Hare Krsna
Thank you Srila Prabhupada

For more photos: http://www.mayapur.com/2016/gaura-purnima-festival-2016/

Evening Program on Holi : 24-03-2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: To the sincere devotee, this ocean of maya is easily crossed by the cool breeze of Krishna’s Grace. This is our business, to submit to Krishna’s desire to have us back with Him in the eternal sky of Krishna Loka. Letter to Syamasundara, November 24, 1968.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/yxxzSz

“Sexual addiction? What’s that supposed to mean?” “Just as alcoholics don’t have control over their desire for alcohol, sex addicts don’t have control over their sex drive. Drug addicts, for instance, are not necessarily evil or criminal but are in the grip of a habit that makes them act irrationally and sometimes even illegally. So with sex addicts.” “What’s the point of calling it an addiction? That they shouldn’t be held responsible because they are addicted?” “No, being addicted doesn’t mean the addict can’t be held accountable for his or her actions. Alcoholics who assault someone in a drunken stupor are punished, but they are also helped to treat their addiction. Why can’t the same thing be done for those who are not bad people but who do something bad due to lust? Sexual addiction needs to be treated, not neglected by the simplistic division of people into heroes and villains. Sexual addiction can afflict even common people who otherwise lead normal, responsible lives. Sex addicts may be addicted to many distorted forms of sexual expression like stalking, voyeurism, or stripping, but they are most commonly addicted to pornography. Continue reading "Is Sex An Addiction
→ Dandavats"

Gaura Purnima Festival 2016 in Iskcon Kiev, Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Because you have given your life to Krishna, you are already perfect. But it is just like the ocean, if you are swimming in it you may swim forever and not reach the shore. Similarly, there is no limit to the perfection of Krishna Consciousness. Letter to Abhirama, November 19, 1971.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/UUqJhN