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Maha Harinam in Mayapur by Russian devotees (6 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described as maha-vadanya, the most munificent of charitable persons, because He gives Krishna so easily that one can attain Krishna simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.3.38 Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/QpgXU8

Vraja-Katha in Mumbai (Album with 180 photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: In January 2016 we were invited to do Braja Katha at the newly opened Sri Sri Radha Giridhariji Mandir at Mira Rd. We also gave class one morning in ISKCON Chowpatty and visited the Kanheri Caves and the famous Elephanta Caves. Enjoy these pics of Arjun Bhattacharyya!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/D6QTHn

March 14. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Real Love for Srila Prabhupada.
If we are to love Prabhupada, we have to actually care about his interests as much as we care about our own. What does he want? He wants us to become Krishna conscious. He wants us to cooperate with his other disciples, to maintain his movement and expand it by preaching. Loving Srila Prabhupada means carrying out these aims, even at the expense of some of our more personal aims. There is room for us to develop our interests in serving him. But our own aims should not be separate from his expressed desires; they have to fall within the parameters of his teachings.
This is, at least, a working definition of love for Srila Prabhupada. One will be ready to forgo one’s own conveniences, to invest one’s own time, and even to risk one’s own security to promote the desires of Srila Prabhupada. Our love is not just a feeling, but feeling translated into action. Feelings are fickle. Sometimes they are deep, and at other times, they are distracted. It is the constant sacrifice for the sake of love that makes those feelings profound and steady.
It is impossible to love all the different people in our lives with equal intensity. The spiritual master has a special place, and he is given special love. Srila Prabhupada said, “To be everyone’s servant means that you are no one’s servant.” We give him more respect, more credence, more attention than anyone else we may have love for. And by loving Srila Prabhupada, Krishna consciousness gets distributed and the love is spread around to all living entities. That is the special quality of loving a pure devotee – the love gets spread around: people can eternally benefit just by our loving Srila Prabhupada.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

05.03.2016_H.G. Advaita Acarya Prabhu_BG 2.55

Real Love for Srila Prabhupada

In the build-up to the Ratha Yatra Festival in Durban which takes places from 25-28 March, Snana Yatra took place on 06 March. Kadamba Kanana Swami was the guest speaker at the event. Photos and a recording of the lecture are below.

KKS_SA_DBN_06March2016_SnanaYatra_Lecture

Visit Flickr to see the full album.

For the last few years during the Mayapur festival, there has been five days sets aside for devotees to participate in a kirtan mela.

As usual, the Panca Tattva temple area is packed out from morning to night with devotees participating in the chanting led by such luminaries as Lokanatha Maharaja, Niranjana Maharaja, Madhava prabhu and others.

THE BALANCE OF GIVING AND RECEIVING: Like breathing in life-giving air, and breathing out carbon dioxide that is needed by the trees and plants, we have to learn that while giving is more celebrated, it cannot exist without receiving--we can't have one without the other. The trees give what we need and we give what they require. Many people are focused on being active for others, often at the cost of their own well-being and health--they feel uncomfortable accepting praise or service from others even when they really need it.

If we aren't doing or being active we think we aren't living. This idea is like the air in our fast-paced modern society, and is often emphasized by religious leaders quoting scriptures. Devotees of Krishna and its institutional leaders also get caught up in this by measuring someone's worth by their visible service at a place of worship or in outreach. Some of us have learned the hard way that to be consistent givers, we need to be able to gauge our personal needs and attend to them, or we will often become resentful or burn out. It isn't just the giving that is important, but how we give, and the spirit behind it--that we are joyful givers who give in a way that is sustainable and takes into account our needs and stages of life.

Personally, throughout my life I have been more of a taker than a giver. Thus a big part of my present push to speak and write is my attempt to give to others what I consider most essential. As I write I have the pull of my necessity to chant and my family responsibilities, and my need to give to you through writing. My writing is both giving and receiving and yet I have to really make the time to write or it doesn't happen. Writing is self-expression and my attempt to encourage others. Speaking is more difficult for me, but is based on the same idea, that I have to do it for my fulfillment and peace of mind, as well as in the spirit of service to others. At the same time I have to fulfill other obligations to take care of my body and mind, and family responsibilities. Balance is required in every aspect of our lives.

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Amazing aerial views from the 3rd day of Navadvipa Parikrama (Album with photos)
Today’s pics from the Navadwip Mandala Parikrama. Hamsa Vahana, Naimisaranya, Pancaveni, Maha Harinam through the streets of Navadwip, Bhajan Kutir of Srila Jagannath dasa Babaji, Sri Dhamesvara Mahaprabhu (where His consort, Srimati Visnupriya Devi worshipped His Deity form.)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/IRhG1I

Iskcon Russia: From modelling and beauty pageantry stages to Krishna devotees, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We must be fixed up in our own rupa (form), svarupa, swarupa-siddhi. Svarupa-siddhi means to be engaged in the service of Lord. That is real mukti. Bombay, January 9, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/qcH0UA

Visiting the holy places of India (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “When one becomes Krishna conscious, he loves everyone. If you chant loudly Hare Krishna, even the ants and insect who is hearing, he’ll be delivered, because it is spiritual vibration.” Bombay, January 4, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/1s9LU5

By Nitya Kishora devi dasi

Parikrama first day plus adhivas in Yoga Pita

After 4 days of wonderful Sravana Utsava festival, blisfull and an amazing 5 days of Kirtan Mela, the devotees finally left the temple room and the boundaries of ISKCON Mayapur campus. For what? To make connections with the old Kalpa Vrikshas trees, the birds, the land, the dhamvasis, having prasada in a open air and sharing the holy name around in the most sacred land of Sri Navadvipa Dham.

Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama is an unique experience and the chance to get closer to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet. A great opportunity to serve and chant! Hari bol!

Despite of many sannyasis left Mayapur early this year we are having just the right people to give katha like the powerful Bhakti Dhira Damodara Maharaj, the steady Bhakti Vijana Vinas Narasimha, Rajendranandana prabhu, Pancharatna prabhu and others. HH Jayapataka Maharaja came, as he comes EVERY SINGLE YEAR, and gave an amazing speech at Nrisimha Palli. Pancharatna prabhu put a drama on Nrsimhadeva lila, and one devotee recited a very powerful prayer to the Lord Nrisimhadev. The devotees loved.

In the morning we crossed the Jalangi river very peacefully. Sulocana prabhu is doing an amazing service, he is always following vaishnava etiquette and take care of the kirtan very nicely, enganging those who are senior and qualified to lead kirtan.

In Parikrama if we can put Katha and Kirtan as the main activities it completely enhances the spiritual experience of the pilgrim devotees.

We visited Amgatha, Panchanatala, Nrsimhapally with its wonderful Mandakini lake and we ended in Hari Hara Ksetra with Hari Hara dev beautiful deity.

To see the photos: http://www.navadvipaparikrama.com/parikrama-first-day-plus-adhivas-in-yoga-pita/

Parikrama 2016 (day 2)

In a very nice and beautiful morning the devotees left the campsite at Hari Hara Ksetra and headed to Gauradaha.

Gauradaha is a very special place and the pastime which took place there is described by Jagadananda Pandita in his book Prema Vivarta. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu, Jagadananda Pandita and other associates of the Lord were peforming Harinama sankirtan in this place, where there is a lake. Daha means lake. In this lake a crocodile was living and it was delivered by Gauranga Mahaprabhu. The crocodile had been cursed by Durvasa Muni to live as a crocodile in that lake for 4 yugas. Anyone who hears this pastime becomes free from brahma-sapa, the curse of a Brahmana.

HH Jayapataka Swami joined International group also in Gaura daha, his speech made everybody chant the name of Gauranga many times and very loudly, we see in the face of the devotees that they were begging for Gauranga’s mercy.

HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Maharaja was explaining how it is important to chant japa without any distraction, he said “Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura affirmed that those who chant japa without full attention like talking, checking emails, having meetings, managing etc are influenced by pramada, or madness”. Maharaj said “We are known as the Hare Krsnas, because we chant Hare Krsna, but the day has 24 hours and how many hours are we supposed to chant? Only 2 hours and the rest of the time what do we do?”. The devotees were listening to him with full attention. We are very fortunate to have HH Bhakti Dhira Damodar Maharaj on Parikram because he always sets a very serious and deep mood for chanting in the devotees minds, and everybody becomes happy when he is present, everybody becomes powerful, with the mind under control.

After an ecstatic gurupuja and a delicious breakfast we continued walking towards Surabhi Kunja, the first namahatta in Bengal, inaugurated by “Koda Nitai” the magnanimous Nitai. We had drama, Katha, and bhajan sang by HG Sulocana prabhu, our kitan party leader.

Not so far from Surabhi Kunja is the house of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur and another ISKCON Jagannath Temple, very well taken care by Srila Prabhupada’s nephew Sankarshan prabhu.

To see the photos: http://www.navadvipaparikrama.com/parikrama-2016-day-2/

A new sannyasi for Iskcon: HH Bhakti Rasayana Sagara Swami!
Shaktyavesha Avatara Dasa: HG Utama Sloka Prabhu has just received a sannyasi initiation from HH Indradyumana Swami in the presence of numerous elevated Vaishnavas and guests. (And his new name is) HH Bhakti Rasayana Sagara Maharaja ki Jaya!
Thank you, dear Uttama Sloka, for guiding, helping and supporting over the years! Wish you complete success with your ‘Spiritual Untied Nations’ project and service to Srila Prabhupada!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ml0EZl

Dates: 12th and 13th March 2016

Venue: Shivaji Park Dadar

Program Highlights:

12th March 2016

3.00 pm : Maha Aarti

3.30 pm : Rath Yatra Begins

6.00 pm : Guiness Record

6.45 pm : GCL Awards

7.00 pm : Chhapan Bhoga offering to Lord

7.15 pm : Dusavatar Dance

7.30 pm : Lecture by HH Radhanath Swami

8.00 pm : Maha Prasad (Dinner Prasadam)

13th March 2016

8.00 am : Jagannath Darshan & Aarti

7.00 pm : Sandhya Aarti

7.15 pm : Dance & Drama

7.30 pm : Lecture

8.00 pm : Maha Prasad

Th Route of Yatra

Shivaji Park ——> Sena Bhavan —————> Plaza —————> Maruti Mandir ————> Portuguese Church —————> Gokhale Road ————> Khed Galli —————> Silver Apartment —————> Gokhale Road —————> Back to Shivaji Park

Krsna’s dedication to His friend Arjuna.
Aniruddha Dasa: We have a very mature crowd of devotees attending the Disciple Course in ISKCON Dwarka (Delhi) this weekend. It is a pleasure to teach.
I spoke on SB 1.15.17 this morning to an appreciative crowd of local devotees. The class was translated by Amogha Lila Prabhu.
A couple of things struck me in the purport and verse. Krsna’s dedication to His friend Arjuna, exemplified in His becoming His friend’s chariot driver. Arjuna’s humility in regretting he allowed Krsna to be his servant. Even though Arjuna is Krsna’s dearest friend he felt he had overstepped the mark in accepting service from the Lord. “…it was due to my lack of esteem for my Lord that I dared engage Him as my chariot driver, for He is worshiped and offered services by the best men to attain salvation.”
Krsna is perfect in all His dealings with His devotees and His pure devotees’ dealings with Him are not flawed. In his meditation on Krsna as the Supreme, Arjuna felt His familiarity lacked respect and proper recognition of Krsna’s position. It is exactly that intimate quality of friendship, devoid of awe and reverence, which is attractive to the devotees and which Krsna loves to reciprocate with His dearest friend.
The idea of service being the most attractive position is intriguing. Even Krsna, the Supreme Controller likes to serve. Everyone is a servant. No one, except Krsna, is fully independent. Ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya. Lord Krsna alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. CC Adi 5.142 Yet, the mood of service is also within Krsna. Yes, He is the Supreme Controller but He is also the Supreme Servant.
In that sense His dealings with His intimate devotees is so attractive because He gives up the position of Superior and becomes the servant of the servant.

In each of its twelve cantos, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the "flawless ripened fruit of all Vedic scriptures," tells of miracles and mysticism, of the esoteric and extraterrestrial. We hear a cow, bull, elephant, monkey, and bird speaking deep philosophy. We learn of the four-headed creator who sits atop a lotus flower, of a magnificent aerial mansion, and of a five-year-old who pushes down half the earth with his toe and makes demigods suffocate. We learn of people giving birth to tens of thousands of children, of people with a thousand heads or arms, of an ocean of milk that is churned by demigods and demons using a snake for a rope. We are also given detailed information about this extraordinary universe we live in. Continue reading "Naive Literalism
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India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, offers his homages to Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during a recent religious gathering. If only other world leaders could follow his example there would surely be peace and prosperity for all nations of the world!
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord inaugurated this system of mass sankirtana, and leaders of all countries can take advantage of this spiritual movement in order to keep the mass of people in a pure state of peace and friendship with one another. This is now the demand of the present human society all over the world.
Read more: http://goo.gl/x5TTdn

The post Daily Darshan: March 13th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

March 13. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Faith in Prabhupada’s Instructions.
Srila Prabhupada is the topmost acarya, the representative of Krishna capable of delivering all conditioned souls. His disciples and followers seek release from the material world through bhakti yoga, engagement in Krishna’s service. If we accept Prabhupada’s instructions with faith, we can become fully Krishna conscious and go back to Godhead.
Unfortunately, a disciple doesn’t always measure up to the guru’s demands due to a heavily conditioned nature, and this may lead to doubts in his relationship with his spiritual master. Prabhupada is not unreasonable in his requests; he wants us to be perfect, to render pure, unmotivated service to guru and Krishna. He knows that bhakti must be unconditional, and his duty is to train us to perform that unconditional service. Whatever doubts we may still have in Krishna consciousness should not be about Prabhupada’s spiritual calibre, or about his disposition toward us. We doubt only our ability to respond to him. In other words, we doubt ourselves. Srila Prabhupada once said that even if we have the most expert guru, we may still fail unless we help ourselves.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

07.03.2016_H.G. Prana Prabhu_SB 6.5.39

Faith in Prabhupada’s Instructions

Hare Krishna
After the positive feedback from my last small video, I thought another one sharing a remarkable client and his small wonderful act of devotion; and some personal thoughts on how amazing he is and what I and others can learn

I hope it inspires but also gives you pause for thought.

Yours Humbly

Presentation of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition at a meeting with graduates of the Master of Sretensky Theological Seminary in the temple of Krishna (Moscow) March 11, 2016 (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/SLNum2

Bir Krishna the calf loves coconut fudge, and Sita the teamstress knows it. Her pockets bulge with the sweet as she and Bir walk to the training ring. Today the calf will learn his first call: “Get up!” The earth is soft from the recent rain. Sita carries a lash and leads Bir with a rope tied to a blue halter. The calf bounds through a cluster of gnats, then slows as they come to the ring. What’s this? The gate opens, and Bir walks in to explore. He treads the edge and sniffs the white hardwood boards. The ring is twenty- four feet in diameter. Hoofprints stud the grass and mud, the signatures of oxen training. The calf’s eyes blink and widen at his new surroundings. Sita wants to reassure her charge. She strokes his head behind the ears. “Good boy, Bir.” Continue reading "Krishna’s Kind Solution: Train Calves, Don’t Eat Them!
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Navadwip Mandal Parikrama: Day two (Album with photos)
Holy paces visited: 1. Gauradaha. 2. Svananda Sukhada Kunja: Gaura Gadadhara Temple, residence and Samadhi of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. 3. Bhajan Kutir of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. 4. Samadhi Mandir of Krsna Dasa Babaji. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s dear servant) 5. Surabhi Kunja: Lord Indra came with Surabhi and worshiped Lord Caitanya to seek pardon for his offense (it happened in Dvapara Yuga). Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura started the head office of the Nama-hatta preaching program here. 6. ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Arogya Asrama with deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra and Sri Gaura Nitai.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2ecbey

The post Dear devotees, because of an absence of internet where I am for the next two weeks, podcasts may be sporadic. My apologies. appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Avoiding improper behavior while residing in a holy place.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has listed ten offenses against the holy dhama that we must carefully avoid in order to be fully benefitted from our visit to or residence in the holy dhama.
To disrespect one’s spiritual master who reveals the dhama to the disciple
To think that the holy dhama is temporary.
To commit violence towards any of the residents of the holy dhama or to any of the pilgrims who come there, or to think that they are ordinary people. Srila Prabhupada writes: “All the inhabitants of Vrindavana are Vaisnavas. They are all auspicious because somehow or other they always chant the holy name of Krishna” (C.C.Adi 5.232, purport).
To perform mundane activities while living in the holy dhama.
To utilize the dhama for personal economic development by commercializing deity worship and sankirtana in the holy dhama.
To think that the holy dhama belongs to a mundane country or province, such as Bengal; to think that the Lord’s dhama is equal to a place connected with some demigod, or to attempt to measure the area of the holy dhama.
To commit sinful acts while residing in the holy dhama
To consider Vrindavana-dhama as different from Navadvipa-dhama.
To blaspheme the sastras that assert the glorious position of the holy dhama.
To be faithless and think that the glories of the dhama are imaginary.
Srila Prabhupada explained that the results of all devotional activities performed in the holy dhama are magnified a thousand times. Therefore, one can make rapid advancement if one lives offenselessly in the holy dhama. But if we commit offenses, the results of those offenses are also magnified one thousand times. Therefore, one is advised to carefully avoid committing any offenses in the holy dhama.

Hare Krishna Festivals UK: Swindon Festival - 10th March 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: There is a need of a clue as to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause. Srimad-Bhagavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural presentation for the respiritualization of the entire human society. Delhi, December 15, 1962
Find them here: https://goo.gl/TtO718

Iskcon Congregational Preachers Awarded In Sri Dham Mayapur (4 min video)
“On February 29th we held the Congregational Awards of 2016, presenting medallions and certificates to over fifty devotees from around the world in recognition of their outstanding efforts in expanding and supporting their congregations. The ceremony took place at the main hall where all the attendees to the ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) had gathered during lunchtime. The medallions were beautifully engraved with Gaura Nitai as well as the Congregational Development Ministry’s logo, all according to the design made by H.H. Jayapataka Swami, co-Minister of CDM. The event was hosted by Kaunteya Prabhu, who is also a Congregational co-Minister, and he glorified the particular services that each of the winners have performed in the area of congregational development. He emphasized that this event was an offering to ISKCON’s 50th anniversary campaign in celebration of Srila Prabhupada establishment of our movement.”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/7nXvHi