January 7th, 2016.

The post Cardiff kirtana evening: Introduction appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Devotees often find themselves immersed in conflict with other devotees and thus see their development come to a halt. This has certainly happened to me. By the mercy of Hari-Guru-Vaisnava, this is changing and I am slowly progressing in my spiritual life. I simply try to focus on chanting the holy name and on not committing offenses against any living entities, especially against devotees. I will share with you some excerpts from three books that have profoundly changed my life. I take the opportunity to beg for forgiveness from those Vaisnavas that I have offended by thought, word or deed. I have done this privately with several devotees, but in case I forgot about past disagreements and offenses, please also kindly forgive me. Continue reading "Qualification and advancement based on Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s teachings
→ Dandavats"

The Sacred Grounds (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we went on pilgrimage to Varsana, where Srimati Radharani lived as a young girl. We walked through the sacred grounds, chanted the holy names and prayed for mercy at every step. The people and sites of that transcendental abode touched our hearts and left us hankering to live there forever in service to the Divine Couple.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/H6RjR2

Russian ISKCON 50 Focuses on Prabhupada Connection.
Devotees in Moscow are focusing on staying connected to Srila Prabhupada and his vision as they celebrate ISKCON’s 50th and look toward the next 50 years.
They began their 2016 as they mean to go on, with the second annual “Our Prabhupada” festival. The first, in December 2014, saw Suresvara Das speaking about Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya.
At this year’s festival from January 15th to 20th at the ISKCON Moscow temple, hundreds of devotees learned about Srila Prabhupada as a person from Hari Sauri Das, who personally served him for sixteen months.
Hari Sauri gave his famous Living Bhagavatam seminar, discussing Prabhupada’s approach to different aspects of devotional service and life such as chanting, prasadam, cleanliness, health, and management. He showed how Srila Prabhupada applied the philosophy of Krishna consciousness in myriad practical ways, within a modern context.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/mZgWnq

Spiritual United Nations festival in Mayapur.
Great preaching opportunity for international devotee visitors & residents has come up on the occasion of 50th anniversary of ISKCON. We gladly invite international devotees to take part in preaching to Mayapur visitors during Gaura Purnima festival in Spiritual Nations Festival Arena. • Festival is organized by ISKCON Mayapur. Each country will have its own booth where the representative devotees will be presenting preaching activities in their home country through the medium of photos, videos, fliers, books, question & answer sessions and possible home-country particulars (ideas welcome). • United Spiritual Nations festival will be held 18 – 24 March in festival arena behind the temple 10am – 9pm each day. • Devotees, or their spokesman, who will represent their country in Spiritual United Nations festival are required to contact Kasya Das (kasyadas@gmail.com, Ph: 9609122104) in nearest possible time.

Speaker: HH Devamrita Swami
Venue: Mayapur Candradoya Mandir
Date: 03 March 2016

tasmin kute ’hite naste
 krtta-mule vanas-patau
vitapa iva susyanti
 visnu-prana divaukasah (SB 7.1.9)

Translation:
“When the root of a tree is cut and the tree falls down, its branches and twigs automatically dry up. Similarly, when I have killed this diplomatic Visnu, the demigods, for whom Lord Visnu is the life and soul, will lose the source of their life and wither away.”

tavad yata bhuvam yuyam
 brahma-ksatra-samedhitam
sudayadhvam tapo-yajña-
 svadhyaya-vrata-daninah (SB 7.1.10)

Translation
“While I am engaged in the business of killing Lord Visnu, go down to the planet earth, which is flourishing due to brahminical culture and a ksatriya government. These people engage in austerity, sacrifice, Vedic study, regulative vows, and charity. Destroy all the people thus engaged!”

Life is all about making plans. The demons have their plans, the devotees have their plans. At the end of Bhagavad Gita Krishna famously asks,

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (Bg 18.66)

Abandoning all varieties of dhama can also be paraphrased as abandoning all plan making and accept Krishna’s plan. Material existence is all about an idea, a plan that conditioned souls have in their mind. They see opportunity, they see possibilities and therefore they make plans. When Krishna says, abandon all varieties of religion, this includes a request for us to shut down our plan making factory. (laughs) And that feels tough to us often. Shut down our plan making factory and accept Krishna’s plan.

Hiranyakasipu is setting a plan into action. His demoniac associates will humbly take Hiranyakasipu’s order of devastation upon their heads and proceed to execute it. What is the root of this plan? Yudhisthira Maharaja enquired from Narada Muni, ‘Why such enmity between Hiranyakasipu and his own son Prahlada? Whats the cause of this?’ Narada Muni is explaining that because Visnu killed Hiranyakasipu’s brother Hiranyaksa, therefore by Prahlada’s siding with Visnu, he became such an enemy to his own father, that his father wanted to kill him.

So at the root of this situation we have extreme envy and this envy will be more developed in the present chapter the verses. Hiranyakasipu had a vision for peace for himself. He is enraged that Visnu has killed his brother. He is vowing that I will personally kill Visnu and destroy the spiritual world. He is staring up into the sky as if he can see Vaikuntha. He is vowing I am going to finish off Vaikuntha. What is his peace formula? When I cut off the head of Visnu, and the blood of Visnu starts to run, this will please my brother and I shall also be pleased, I will be pacified.

Our dilemma in material existence is that we always think that by our fulfilling material desires we will be pacified. We have this notion in our mind and it seems quite clear at times. All I have to do is seek my own happiness, seek my own pleasure and then I will be peaceful. Those who don’t get in the way of my seeking my own happiness, they are friends, even lovers. Those who interfere or impede my quest for happiness, they are known as enemies. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that actually love in the material world means, look you don’t interfere with my sense gratification, I love you! (laughs) You are a supporter of my sense gratification, I love you. This is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s statement. (laughs)

Hiranyakasipu not only had a plan for his achieving peace but he also had a plan how to destroy the earth. This is his version of watering the tree at the root and all the branches blossom. You know that verse in the Fourth Canto, we often quote, by giving the food to the stomach the whole body becomes energised. By watering the tree at the root all the branches blossom. Similarly by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead everything is taken care of.

Hiranyakasipu had his own version of that. Uproot, pull out the root and then the tree is finished. His main focus, his main strategy was on killing Visnu. At the same time however he had a secondary strategy and he is employing his demoniac associates to do the secondary strategy, which is go to earth and destroy all principles of spiritually progressive civilisation, especially brahminical culture and genuine ksatriya government. He particularly fingered those two components.

What Hiranyakasipu is trying to do is destroy the traditional basis of human happiness. His strategy will go even to the extent of environmental terrorism. His associates are going to burn cities, farms, kill brahmanas, kill cows. The devastation was so great that even the demigods came to earth invisibly to see what is this calamity and what are we gong to do! We spoke about how Hiranyakasipu’s main plan is he himself would kill Visnu but he also as we said had a secondary plan. By destroying brahminical culture he felt the demigods would be weakened. And by the demigods being weakened automatically there will be a domino effect and that would also get back at Visnu. So he had a main plan and he had a secondary plan.

Amidst all this mayhem and we shouldn’t take this mayhem as something outlandish that well at least human beings today aren’t this bad! Just consider, there is one particular nation in this world, I wont mention its name, although I happen to have taken birth there (laughs), it has proposed that for the upliftment of peace and the stability of the world, over the course of the next thirty years, 1 trillion dollars should be spent upgrading the nuclear arsenal, 1 trillion dollars! All for the sake of peace! Srila Prabhupada explains in Bhagavad Gita that this is demoniac. He declares straightforwardly these weapons are not for peace. We have to think twice about that because perhaps we have been brainwashed, the nuclear weapons are there to maintain world peace. Therefore the governments have to spend on this. Srila Prabhupada assures us they are not meant for peace! They are actually the result of envy against living entities. I live you die! and there is some strange perverse envious satisfaction in having the ability to annihilate other creatures. Envy has a different meaning in the sastra besides just one on one enviousness which is bad enough – You are rising up! I cant tolerate that! Your rise, whether its material or spiritual, we’ve got to do something to cut you down!

Yes that is envy but there’s also the envy manifesting on a broad scale. So Srila Prabhupada instructs us in Srimad Bhagavatam that the demoniac governments actually are waging envy on a mass scale by making life practically impossible for spiritual development. In Bhagavad Gita Krishna speaks about those envious of the Supersoul within so much so they torture their own bodies. You have to really think about this to catch the perversion.

We can perhaps see this more clearly in Kamsa’s response, once he took shelter of his demoniac advisers. You know that after Kamsa in the prison cell saw Durgadevi, he begged forgiveness so pathetically from Vasudeva and Devaki -Look destiny! I am not actually the killer! Its destiny that brings everyone their fate! And Vasudeva and Devaki they actually forgave him for killing so many of their babies! Sincerely they forgave him! At the same time we must remember they are ksatriya’s. So they are thinking, – Yes we wholeheartedly forgive you but guess what! The eighth child, its already been born! (laughs) You are dead man! We forgive you! At the same time they genuinely 100% forgave him. Its hard for us to understand how both these streaks can be accommodated.

So Kamsa left them and reported to his advisers. We heard yesterday in the class by HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami, how Ravana had his advisers and he could give advise, about taking advise. So Kamsa also had his advisers and he presented the whole situation to them, what happened the day before. His advisers knew exactly what to do. It is plan making time. It is time for strategic planning – All right Kamsa, here is what we see as the situation. The demigods are always afraid of you, we all know that. You’ve smashed the demigods before and indeed in other sastra’s you have accounts of Kamsa defeating, at least temporarily, the demigods. The demigods, if they just hear you pull your bow string, they are afraid. They cant face you in battle, they run away. Even though they are defeated, by cowardice you dont attack them. You are so righteous! You follow the principles of battle – when the foe is afraid, when the foe has dropped the weapon, you are not supposed to attack such an incompetent foe – and you follow those guidelines, Kamsa! (laughs) But now is not the time for dharma! Now is not the time for religious principles! In fact Kamsa, because you’ve followed religious principles and not killing the demigods when they were afraid, therefore we have the situation we have today, in which the demigods have increased in their strength.

Therefore the conclusion, the siddhanta is obvious. This is not the time for dharma. Now is the time to just unleash massive destruction. How does this destruction begin? First we obviously have to kill all children born around the ten past days. But that strategy is not completely effective. Why? Because you are dealing with Visnu. What is Visnu’s situation! He is hidden in everyone’s heart. You know the famous analysis. We don’t have to worry about Shiva, he is out in the forest. We don’t have to worry about Brahma, he is performing severe austerities and penances. We actually don’t have to worry ordinarily about Visnu because He is buried in the hearts of everyone and cant get out. But we do want to kill Him! The problem in killing Visnu is, His hiding in the heart. So therefore we have to adopt another tactic.

What is another tactic! We kill the children, then we kill all the cows because the cows provide ghee for yajna and yajna’s are what brahmanas do. So we lill the cows, and we also then persecute saintly persons, persecute the brahmanas. Because they are responsible for the progressive elements of a spiritually focussed civilisation. By getting rid of the cows, the brahmanas and all that brahmanas stand for, Vedic knowledge, austerity, penances, by getting rid of all that, then you’ve got Visnu. Because Visnu is all bound up with all this good stuff! (laughs)

So their strategy was a bit different from Hiranyakasipu’s. Remember Hiranyakasipu’s strategy was I am going to kill Visnu directly. Meanwhile demons you go destroy brahmana, ksatriya culture on the earth. And thats kind of a secondary strategy. But Kamsa’s advisers, their strategy was – You cant get your hands on Visnu, He is too slippery, He is hidden in the hearts! We have got to have a policy of attacking Him from another direction. When we finish off brahmana culture, the demigods are finished! And because all these are components of Visnu’s body, then Visnu will be dead! (laughs)

Now we are thinking, these guys are quite extreme. Fortunately in the world today we have moderation, we have balance, we have equipoise. Actually there hasn’t been wholesale slaughter for what 70 years now. Therefore certainly humanity has become progressive. 70 years ago also 50 million people died in a war. It hasn’t happened yet. How great we are!

But just consider this. There are 16000 nuclear weapons in the world. 94% of them are in the hands of the Americans and Russians, all governments of course that we can trust! (laughs) 100 and growing are in Pakistan and about a 100 are in India. In 10 years the number three nuclear power in the world will be a very trusted government – it will be Pakistan! So you might say, alright, if there is a nuclear exchange between Pakistan and India, it wont affect the rest of the world. Its just a local regional affair! No! Scientists have pointed out that if there are just 100 nuclear missiles launched, India launches 50, Pakistan launches 50, that is enough to bring about a climate change that recorded history has never seen. Whats a hundred when there are 16000 of such weapons. Yet somehow or other the human beings they have a sense of peace, advancement, modernity. Then when we hear about Kamsa and Hiranyakasipu, we say. ‘Oh! How extreme! How grotesque!’

Such maha demons have their plans. Actually everyone has a plan, how to enjoy, how to exploit the material world. The latest conception for materially progressive human beings is something called ‘sustainable happiness’ That means instead of the kind of endeavours of happiness that cause such obvious destruction, instead of that, you try for happiness that doesn’t negatively affect other people, the environment or the coming generations. Young persons today, their future is going to be in a world that hasn’t been recorded in the annals of history – rising sea levels, disappearing species, fresh water supplies becoming scarce.

The material conception of sustainable happiness is that its not enough just to be materially happy in your own way, take into account other people, take into the environment, take into account even other species of life, understand interdependence. But that interdependence never goes as far as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In fact often it doesn’t go to even other species. Yet this is considered progressive. Whenever you make an endeavour for happiness, think how is this affecting other people, how is this affecting the environment, its a step in the right direction but the point of Srimad Bhagavatam is that as long as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not in the equation your efforts are futile.

This may seem a bit severe. Whats wrong with acting for progress even though such endeavours are disconnected. Can it be that such endeavours are illustrious and dignified on their own even though we admit they have no connection to the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

Lets go at this issue from another angle, atma-tattva because later in this chapter Hiranyakasipu is going to give his lamenting associates, they are lamenting over the death of Hiranyaksa, he is going to give them profound knowledge of atma-tattva, we are not the body, we are spirit soul but he leaves it right there. He doesn’t go any further. This presentation can be compared to mayavada philosophy which proclaims we all are spirit soul but thats it, it doesn’t go any further. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains that the soul has no other propensity except to connect to the Supreme Soul. Once you talk about the soul, you must talk about the Supreme Soul. Material life means that that only propensity of the soul becomes dormant. Dormant and the energy of the soul comes out in a perverted way although the soul itself if never contaminated.

Disconnection from Krishna is the problem. We cant just erase that, or push it to the side. How can there be sustainable happiness, how can there be genuine human progress when there is total disconnection from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have our plans and Krishna has His plans. Everyone is making plans. There are demoniac plans, there are lila plans. Sometimes in Krishna’s pastimes the lila sakti, His pastime energy arranges things to such an extent that even Krishna is wondering – Whats going on! (laughs)

We are not against plans. But as bhakti yogis we always want to be aligned with Krishna’s plan. Thats Krishna’s message to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita -You shut down your plan making factory. You take My master plan! Dont worry about any reactions! I will take care of all that!

One morning, actually the day before, Krishna decided no breakfast at home, lets have a picnic in the forest! The acharyas point out He made that plan the day before and the next morning He activated it by blowing on His bugle in such an inconceivably beautiful way. Hearing the sound of Krishna’s bugle countless cowherd boys amassed with countless calves. And they all headed to the forest. This was Krishna’s plan. Balarama wanted to come but Rohini actually forcibly kept Him at home for purificatory rituals.

Sporting in the forest they came upon what would turn out to be Aghasura. The cowherd boys discussed amongst themselves, they consulted with each other, they took the advise of senior cowherd boys – What is this here? This looks like a natural scenic spot in Vrindavana meant for our pleasure. Others said – No! No! Some tried to run – This is a fierce snake with the bottom of his mouth on the ground, the top of his mouth high in the sky! They had a discussion. They assured the cowherd boys who were trying to run away – No! No! No! Lets come back and discuss! What was the conclusion? Actually it is a big snake and he wants to swallow us! What fun! (laughs) They looked over and they saw Krishna! They saw Krishna’s beautiful face and they knew exactly what to do! March right into the mouth of Aghasura because Krishna is here! How can any harm come to us! Krishna has already killed so many demons! Krishna will take care of us!

And this is a way to have a pleasure pastime. Another pastime, if there is danger Krishna will save us! So lets enjoy with Krishna! They marched into Aghasura’s mouth clapping their hands, cheering loudly, showing we are courageous! (laughs) We have no fear! They even brought their calves along with them. By clapping hands the calves were moved along even though the calves were frightened! But still the boys were so enthusiastic, lets go! lets go! into the mouth! come on! (laughs)

So Krishna is watching all this. He wants to stop it. Thats His plan! He knows whats going on! But He is momentarily stunned! What to do here? The boys are inside, the calves are inside the mouth of Aghasura. How do I kill Aghasura and at the same time protect the boys and calves? This is Krishna’s ecstasy in problem solving. If He is om purnam, perfect and complete, He also has to relish the joy of solving problems. So His pastime energy arranges that – Krishna, here is a problem and for your enjoyment don’t come up with a solution right away! (laughs) This is the Supreme Enjoyer! This is perfect and complete enjoyment!

So momentarily Krishna is stymied what to do. Can you say that Krishna, His will was thwarted, satya sankalpa sakti, whatever He wants He gets, but He couldn’t stop the cowherd boys. Whats going on here? Krishna was trumped, His will was superseded by the cowherd boys desire to have pastimes because Krishna is conquered by His devotees. So Krishna’s plan was superseded by His foremost plan that He is always coming under the control of the pure love of His devotees.

Everyone makes plans. We need to look at what our plan is, how does it harmonise, our personal life’s plan, how does it harmonise with Krishna’s pleasure.

The non devotees have their plan. They meet, they strategise. I have heard, I have explained before maybe some years ago here in Mayapur, I have heard from world planners both in the academic world, part of think tanks managing the future of the world, I have heard it from political leaders who will admit, yes there is world syndicate for trying to push things a certain way. They had even told me, if you are smart enough to figure this out, become one of us. (laughs) Otherwise just enjoy your television, enjoy your sports and dont worry about it! (laughs) Many of them have explained to me, these are academics from Harvard and Yale that look, we used to be idealistic, we used to think that such syndicates were very unhealthy, unwholesome for the future of the world. But this is the way it works! What can we do! And again, if you are actually smart enough to figure out whats going on, then just become one of the controllers because someone has to be in control.

So everyone is making their plans. The demons are making their plans, the devotees are making their plans. Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Nityananda, ‘Sripada, holy man, I have got a plan for You! Dont come to Jagannath Puri every year. I need someone to spread Krishna bhakti in Bengal. Except for You there is no one else who can do this task! You can do something even I cant do! You’ve already demonstrated that by not only saving the lives of Jagai and Madhai but You initiated their spiritual advancement! You, Nityananda Prabhu, can spread Krishna bhakti far and wide to everyone!’

And what was Nityananda’s response to this plan? ‘I am the body, You are the life! Both the body and the life are important. But of the two the life is most important! I will do whatever Your inconceivable sakti arranges for Me to do! I’ll follow Your plan!’

Similarly at the end of Bhagavad Gita Arjuna says to Krishna, I’ll follow Your plan. My illusion is gone, nasto mohah smrtir labdha, karisye vacanam tava (Bg 18.73). I’ll accept Your plan.

The ultimate solution to a devotees dilemma of what, how to best please Krishna, what is the best way to serve Krishna, the ultimate solution is the guidance of the Lord in the heart. Hiranyakasipu was enraged that Visnu had given up His role of equanimity as Paramatma. He accepted that there is Paramatma, he accepted that Visnu is equal to all living entities including the demons but something happened. So remember Kamsa’s advisers problem was, as they saw it, the Lord is hidden in the heart. Hiranyakasipu’s problem, as he saw it, was that the Lord in the heart has become greedy for puja and therefore He has become inequitable, He has become unbalanced.

And what is the proof of His lack of justice, even though generally He is equal? The proof is what you see right before you, He has become affected by the demigods just because they offer puja and then what do you see? He took the form of animal, need I say anything more! He is obviously under the influence of the material energy. Not only did He take the form of an animal but He took the form of a boar, the most lowest of creatures! It is obvious He is no longer fit to be Paramatma! (laughs)

Plan making is the essence of human life. What are the plans for? If we do not have a plan how to go deeper in our spiritual life, which is ongoing process of our life time career, to increase our bhakti, if we dont have such a plan, we can be sure that the material energy, those who are under its influence, their plans will be wearing us down. There is no plateau in this world. This world is dynamic! The spiritual energy can uplift us and material energy can bring us down. Therefore as individuals, individual devotees, if we are going to be able to survive the ravages of demoniac plan making, if we are going to avoid feeling secure, peaceful, and stable in such a world, our only protection is to take shelter of Krishna’s plan and in our individual life try to continuously increase our spiritual potency.

Our goal is that we can hear from Krishna what to do next, how to serve Him best. Srila Prabhupada would plainly declare when asked, how do you make decisions? He would say, Krishna tells me! Krishna tell me directly!

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ (Bg 10.10)

Once we capture Krishna’s attention due to our service, Krishna promises, I will give you customised instructions! This is the solution to our dilemma of how to be spiritual in the material world, how to decide what gives Krishna the most pleasure, what gives Krishna the less pleasure.

We must make plans but our plan is to surrender to Krishna’s plan. We want to shut down our plan making factory and we are begging Krishna – We want to accept Your plan!

Thank you very much! Hare Krishna!

Devotee: (audio inaudible)

Maharaja: We don’t want to engage Krishna in our service therefore we take all necessary precautions as far as possible. Only then we are entitled to depend on Krishna. But we have to use whatever intelligence we have, how to respond to situations in such a way that Krishna’s purposes can be achieved.

The cowherd boys, they are another level! (laughs) They know what they are doing! They are giving Krishna pleasure! There is no trace of selfishness when the cowherds they say – We’re just going to march into that mouth! We are going to have a good time! They are thinking Krishna is going to enjoy this! If we one day can approach that standard of purity how wonderful our life will be!

Thank you very much! Hare Krishna!

The post Daily Darshan : march 3rd, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Devotees Chant, Serve Prasad at UK Anti-Nuclear Rally.
Around fifteen ISKCON devotees brought the sound of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the taste of sanctified vegetarian food to a huge anti-nuclear march in London on February 27th. It was Britain’s biggest anti-nuclear march in a generation. Thousands of campaigners gathered from all over the world to protest the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons program, estimated to cost £41 billion. The money, they said, should be spent on education and the National Health Service instead. “Books not Bombs,” read some placards, a sentiment ISKCON devotees could certainly get behind. The march made its way from Marble Arch in Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, where protestors including Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/BdUK8s

Sri Mayapur International School - Annual 24 hour kirtan February 26th 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Child-worship is more important than Deity-worship. If you cannot spend time with your child, then stop the duties of pujari. These children are given to us by Krishna. They are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused. Letter to Arundhati, July 30, 1972.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ZssFWj

Harinama in a cold Moscow, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A devotee always thinks of the Lord continuously. While chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, the words Krishna and Hare immediately remind him of all the Lord’s activities. Since his entire life is engaged n the service of the Lord, a devotee cannot forget the Lord at any time. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.1.6 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/VniZdm

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What is going on behind-the-scenes in Mayapur’s kitchen? (Album with photos)
In our latest photo-journalism piece blogger Manoj, an Indian living in Australia, shares a highlight of his recent trip to ISKCON’s headquarters in holy Mayapur, India. There, he caught a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how the hard-working temple cooks prepare food for thousands of devotees every day!
Find them here: http://goo.gl/p4HArX

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Radhanath Swami S.B.5.18.9 – Feb 26th 2016

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Every year at the time of the Mayapur Gaura Purnima festival, the GBCs from all over the world come to meet.

There are many proposals of various kinds put to the GBC body and discussions go over a couple of weeks.

Empowered in Kirtana

I think the main ideas of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindu (without technicalities) are:

1) What is love?

2) How can you “practice” love?

3) How do you practice love? 

4) What are the inspirations to practice love? 

5) How is love experienced?

1) What is love? 

Love is an expression of affection.

Affection is the desire to make someone happy and prosperous.

Pure love is when that expression has no ulterior motive and is given top priority.

Topmost pure love is when that pure love finds the topmost beloved, Krishna – who is the root of all other beloved things.

2) How can you “practice” love?

Love can’t be manufactured. Nothing you do can “create” it, but you can do things to make your heart much more receptive to it, more capable of being an agent of it.

This is done by emulating the expressions of love. By emulating something, it gradually becomes more than an emulation. We gradually get a feel for it. It becomes a feeling, not just an action.

Our emulation has to gradually acquire more and more emotional content, more and more sincerity – that makes the heart fully receptive to love, and inspires the Goddess of Love, Sri Radha, to bless our hearts with her own presence.

3) How do you practice love? 

You should have a guide, someone who understands and exemplifies love.

You should respect everyone and everything, lovingly.

You should live in a place nearby or connected with the beloved – like Vṛndāvana. Or you should make the place you live into a place connected with the beloved.

You should practice having a personal relationship with the beloved – by keeping an image of him and treating him like a person whom you can interact with, feeding him, etc.

You should become close with others who also love the beloved.

You should hear about the beloved in great detail – by studying Śrīmad Bhāgavatam very deeply and the explanations of it given by great lovers of Krishna.

You should sing about the beloved. Especially, you should sing the name of the beloved. 

4) What are the inspirations to practice love?

The inspiration to practice love may be your understanding that love is the most perfect law, the ultimate religion, the essence of all that is good. Additionally, the specific inspiration to practice love for Krishna is to understand that Krishna is the most perfect beloved, for he is the original person (the most fully qualified), and is the root of all other beloved things including one’s own self.

Another inspiration may be the beauty of love itself. When we become attracted to the specific beauty of love for Krishna, our inspiration to practice it becomes very passionate, and all of our practices become focused by the specifics of that inspiration.

5) How is love experienced?

The practice of love gradually purifies the practitioner from all things antithetical to it. Then it enters the purified core of your being like a divine Queen rising to her gentle and opulent throne. There it expands and consumes your entire being eternally in the thrilling bliss of an ecstatic divine love affair.

The foundation of this ecstasy is the type of affectionate relationship you have with the beloved, Krishna. It may merely be a lack of any selfishness, or it may be a desire to actively serve him, or it may admit no boundaries to how it strives for doing so – taking on a friendly character. It may even take a protective flavor, like the affection of a parent for a child. It may even escalate to the pinnacle of all affectionate relationship – the absolute intimacy, protection, service, and selflessness found in unabashed romantic passion.

The ecstasy of this divine relationship can be tasted when it is stimulated by the beloved or by things connected to the beloved, and then expressed in thoughtful and reflexive ways, and adorned with various thrilling emotions.

The experience of the ecstasy of divine love is the supreme happiness, and therefore is the soul’s supreme aspiration, the ultimate goal of life. It fulfills our every want and need through its selfless absorption in the beloved, Sri Krishna.

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

Around fifteen ISKCON devotees brought the sound of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the taste of sanctified vegetarian food to a huge anti-nuclear march in London on February 27^th. Thousands of campaigners gathered from all over the world to protest the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons program. The money, they said, should be spent on education and the National Health Service instead.

Russian devotees began their 2016 with the second annual “Our Prabhupada” festival. The first, in December 2014, saw Suresvara Das speaking about Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya. At this year’s festival from January 15^th to 20^th hundreds of devotees learned about Srila Prabhupada as a person from Hari Sauri Das, who personally served him for sixteen months.

I found the drive from LA to ISV, in Mountain View, CA, a scenic one once I was out of the city. About half the way there as I approached the top of a mountainous ridge at 4,000 feet, I was greeted by what I took as an auspicious sign for my current travel and talk the following day. Ahead of me was a rain storm with the beginning of a rainbow to my right. As I progressed, it became larger and larger, finally creating an arch from one side of the highway to the other, like some banner heralding a festival on a city street. My camera was handy and when I posted the picture on Facebook, some of my friends thought that if they didn’t know me, they would have assumed someone Photoshopped it. But no, it was the real thing, and from what I have heard, not a frequent sight. It was the first one I’ve ever seen, and it stayed with me for about 10 minutes or so.

I gradually descended into the San Joaquin, or central valley of California, which grows much of our Nation’s food. Crops and various fruit trees were on both sides of the road often stretching as far as I could see. As I was taking in the scene I remembered that the last time I was in the San Joaquin valley was 46 years earlier. A few devotees and I were on our way to be initiated by Shrila Prabhupada in Los Angeles. At the time I was staying at the San Jose temple, which was near San Jose State University. I rode with Chitsukhananda Prabhu along with some other devotees. His car was an old, brightly colored and exotically decorated station wagon that Prabhupada had called a “hippie car.” About half way there, the car broke down in the middle of the same valley I was now in, and we had to take a bus to LA.

At the time I didn’t really think much about it, whereas now, I would be wondering what the symbolism was, breaking down on my way to be initiated by my future guru, Shrila Prabhupada. Now I might consider that overcoming obstacles and staying the course no matter what was part of the message I could garner from the experience, but at that time, I wasn’t that observant or curious. My simple, accepting nature served me during my early years, and helped me focus on my service without being distracted, or criticizing others.

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2^nd March 2016, Mayapur, India

By Romapada Das

The concluding day of the ILS started with a presentation on the position of Srila Prabhupada by Akrura Das.

“Srila Prabhupada is our Founder Acharya, and the pre-eminent siksha guru for all disciples of ISKCON for all times to come,” he said. “Pre-eminent means one who is very distinguished and surpasses all others. All gurus in ISKCON derive their teachings from Prabhupada. The Foundational document released by the Srila Prabhupada Position Committee broadens our collective understanding and appreciation of Prabhupada’s unique position and role in ISKCON.”

Bhaktivaibhava Swami encouraged temples to ensure that Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa puja celebrations were celebrated with the importance they deserved. “I believe that we can significantly improve the way by which we celebrate Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa puja,” he explained. “You can visit our website www.founderacharya.com to download a Vyasa Puja pack that has resources and best practices for celebrating Prabhupada’s appearance day. It contains high resolution pictures, Vyasa Puja books, quotations and posters.”

While introducing an initiative called ‘Sabda’, Gauranga Das from ISKCON Chowpathy and Govardhan Eco Village described several training courses designed to ‘lead ISKCON with tradition and intelligence’. The courses covered various areas such as temple development and administration, knowledge management, devotee care and database management under the aegis of the GBC College of Management.

“Our dream is that through the GBC College we can create courses for leaders at every level,” he said. “We would like to inculcate best practices by making devotees aware, acquire knowledge and attain expertise.”

Rasamandala Das, Director of ISKCON Educational Services, made a presentation on devotee care at the plenary session. Earlier, he had delivered several seminars on devotee care, many of which had proved highly popular with the international audience. He felt that the ILS offered a chance to air new ideas, become innovative and deal with things as they were happening.

“We need to be able to relate shastra to real life experiences of devotees,” he said. “In a sense it is about getting real.”

Several devotees walked up to Rasamandala after his sessions on devotee care and told him they felt grateful someone was actually talking about such an important topic.

“This is very relevant to ourselves,” he concluded. “And we do need to talk about it more. The vision for our devotee care initiative is to ensure that every devotee is spiritually happy, materially well-situated, and positively identifies ISKCON as a caring society.”

Jagat Udharana Nitai Das who leads several youth outreach programmes in Coimbatore feels excited about the broader view he has gained after attending the ILS.

“It was fantastic to see so many leaders under one tent,” he commented. “I learnt so much in the last eight days that I don’t know where to begin. We learnt how to engage volunteers, about the importance of Srila Prabhupada’s position, marketing, engaging with communities and so much more. I was grateful to learn about the three attributes of a good leader: that they have impeccable and visible sadhana; they always associate with happier devotees; and they actively empower other devotees.”

Jagat Udharana wants to bring many more emerging leaders from his city to the next ILS.

“Our new leaders need to learn about the ‘real’ ISKCON and have the same upbeat experience I had,” he said.

The President of the Kanpur temple, Prema Harinama Das appreciated the association of devotees and the feeling of ‘togetherness’ he had experienced at the ILS.

“This was a powerful event and an excellent opportunity for learning and sharing,” he explained. “Many devotees informed me that this was the first time they had been able to observe a single area of service from different angles and perceptions.”

The ILS had a special youth meeting every day, attended by 25 young people from around the world.

“We had a few of us delivering a seminar called ‘Youth in Action’, and met every day afterwards at 5.00 pm for a special youth meeting with senior devotees,” explained Kishan Paun, Vice President of the Pandava Sena, ISKCON UK’s youth group. “One of the most memorable moments for us was a special boat ride on the river Ganges for the 25 members of the Youth ILS in the company of Mother Shruti Rupa Devi Dasi. She told us different stories about Prabhupada on our 2-hour ride, which was highly appreciated by all of us.”

Krishna Kirtan Das, President of the Warsaw temple in Poland found that the ILS offered him an opportunity to rethink his approach and gain new skills.

“After listening to many senior vaishnavas, I’ll go back with a firm resolve to study Srila Prabhupada’s books more deeply,” he explained. “The seminars have helped us develop a holistic vision for preaching that can be relevant to modern times.”

At the concluding plenary session in the evening, Gopal Bhatta Das thanked several devotees who had contributed to the success of the ILS. He thanked Devakindandan Das, Regional Secretary for Western India for a donation of $18,000, and the TOVP team for their donation of $50,000. He also thanked several other devotees including Bhaktibhushan Swami, Rasakrida Das, Shruti Rupa Devi Dasi and the Education Committee for their donations ranging between $500 and $2000.

Gopal Bhatta Das presented the results of a survey on reading habits of devotees. Around 259 people had responded, and they had been in the movement for an average span of 19 years. The average normalised times they had read the Bhagava-gita was 4 times, while the average normalised times they had studied the first canto of the Bhagavatam was 1.96 times. They had studied the Chaitanya Charitamrita around 0.92 times.

“This is worrying. Srila Prabhupada has clearly instructed us to study his books very scrutinizingly,” said Gopal Bhatta Das. “The gift we have been given is the most fantastic one in the history of humankind. Let us not lose it one after another so that our generations are secure in the service of Gauranga.”

In the concluding plenary session, Badarinarayana Swami recollected his first meeting with Prabhupada in 1969. After narrating several stories about Prabhupada, he said, “We have the most important message in the world. But we should also have the best delivery system. Part of the idea of the ILS is to give all of you the tools to use in the most important mission of the world.”

While delivering the closing address of the ILS, Radhanatha Swami reminded everyone that Srila Prabhupada had wanted devotees and leaders of ISKCON to come together in Mayapur to truly establish the principles of unity in diversity.

“Maya is trying to kill us spiritually,” declared Radhanatha Swami. “None of us can survive on our own. Srila Prabhupada has given us the Vaishnava community of ISKCON for us to associate, and cultivate an attitude for gratitude. At the ILS, we have come together with all our diversity to focus on the unity all of us share.”

Radhanatha Swami stressed the importance of Mayapur as the holy place established by Prabhupada for all his disciples to come together.

“We have to chant together and dance together in a spirit of unity in diversity to overcome all the quarrels and challenges that Kali-yuga is certain to put on our plates,” he said. “We should not take differences seriously, but we should certainly take our unity seriously. Srila Prabhupada has spoken to us in many ways about the emergency and urgency of spreading Krishna consciousness. Let us take with us the blessings and grace of Prabhupada, let us share with each other, and let us empower each other to expand this movement.”

The ILS 2016 concluded with a four-hour kirtan festival in the evening led by many senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada.

While some delegates were getting ready to go back to their respective countries, many others were preparing for the Kirtan Mela and the Gaura Purnima festival that will follow.

“Being in Mayapur with so many wonderful vaishnavas and learning so many new skills at the ILS was like looking through a window into the spiritual world,” smiled Sachi-suta Das from Guyana. “Truly, every step was a dance, and every word was a song.”

THINK 50! Act 50!

Source: http://iskconnews.org/day-8- of-ils-unity-in-diversity, 5435/

The concluding day of the ILS started with a presentation on the position of Srila Prabhupada by Akrura Das. Bhaktivaibhava Swami encouraged temples to ensure that Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa puja celebrations were celebrated with the importance they deserved. Gauranga Das from ISKCON Chowpathy and Govardhan Eco Village described several training courses designed to ‘lead ISKCON with tradition and intelligence’. 

By Jai Nitai das

The day after Gaura Purnima, Thursday 24th March, ISKCON-London’s Radha-Krishna Temple, Govinda’s Restaurant and Radha’s Boutique will be closed to the public for at least three weeks while we undergo major refurbishment to all public areas.

Our hope is that we will be re-opened in time for Ramanavami Festival on the 15th April latest.

Please note that although closed in general to the public, some programmes such as courses, harinamas, and mentorship meetings may still take place. Please check with representatives in those areas for confirmation.

For more info or if you are interested in donating for the project please follow this link:

http://iskcon-london.org/65-news/headlines/959-beautifying-krishna-s-temple- project-update.html

Thank you and apologies for the temporary inconvenience for long-term convenience.

—–
“Beautifying Krishna’s Temple”: Project update

Hare Krishna,

We are delighted to let you know that to coincide with and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON, we are engaged in an exciting project of renewing and refurbishing Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara’s home and your temple.

At present, in the first phase of the project, we are in the process of an entire refurbish of the pujari area. From ceilings, to floors, to cookers and jewellery cupboards, the Pujari Department will be reincarnated like never before. This is a follow-up of the successful renewing of the altar in 2010. The Pujari Department has up to 80 devotees per week who come to render service and therefore we are working towards a high grade of finish that will last for many years to come.

Phase 2 of the refurbishment will commence the day after Gaura Purnima on the 24th of March on the public areas such as the Temple Room and Govinda’s Restaurant. Due to concerns with the Temple Room floor, we will be removing it and examining for any structural issues. We will then be laying a new floor, underfloor heating as well as redecorating the Temple Room. Also our other public areas such as the Reception, Radha’s Boutique and outside the Temple Room will be upgraded and redecorated. At Govinda’s, we will have major work done such as replacing the floor, forming a new stair well, moving the serving counter and other developments.

For this second phase, due to the extensive scope of the work, we are obliged to close the Temple for approximately three weeks. We apologise for this and beg your patience and prayers that we can complete the works on time. We know you will all be heart-broken to not be able to come and have Their Lordships darshan so we need your prayers to ensure we meet our deadlines.

On top of all that, we are also refurbishing our ashrams which includes putting in new sound proof windows, doing necessary works in the bathrooms, new furnishings etc. Exciting times!

If you would like to donate to any part of this project of “Beautifying Krishna’s Temple”, then please click on the following link: https://rldb.info/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=22. Alternatively, go to the “Donate Tab” and select “Donation campaigns –> Refurbishment Projects” to make your contribution.

Your servants,

Temple Renovation Team

Mayapur: Kirtan Evening with H.H Lokanath Swami (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one can control the tongue, then there is every possibility of controlling the other senses. The function of the tongue is to taste and to vibrate. Therefore, by systematic regulation, the tongue should always be engaged in tasting the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Krishna and chanting Hare Krishna. (Bhagavad-gita 13.8-12 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/VFWRka

Dharma is also said to be the force which maintains the universe. Where there is dharma there is harmony and balance individually, socially, and inter-galactically. So the path of dharma brings about the harmony and contentment that is also another aspect of what we are seeking. In this way, we want harmony inwardly, in our own consciousness, but we also cannot have individual peace unless there is harmony or cooperation socially, amongst the masses. So where there is no dharma, there is disharmony and a state of being that is out of balance. And socially it means that without dharma, there is a lack of cooperation, along with escalating quarrel and fighting. This often manifests as a lack of distribution of resources, whereas some parts of the world may experience abundance of water, food or fuel, yet other parts are starving. Or by dishonest manipulation of supply and demand some necessities become priced so high that they are out of reach for the poor. When we act against the law of dharma, we disrupt the very harmony and cooperation that we want. In other words, we create a life for ourselves in which there is stress, confusion, discontent, and frustration. And when we feel that way, that becomes our contribution to the general social condition. It is the exact opposite of what we wish to attain. Thus, to live a life outside of dharma means to work against ourselves. Continue reading "Sanatana-Dharma: Its Real Meaning
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Visiting the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The devotee’s life’s mission is to please Krishna, and he can sacrifice everything for Krishna’s satisfaction, just as Arjuna did in the Battle of Kuruksetra. The process is very simple: one can devote himself in his occupation and engage at the same time in chanting Hare Krishna. Such transcendental chanting attracts the devotee to the Personality of Godhead. (Bhagavad-gita 12.6-7 Purport)
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January 2nd, 2016.

The post Talk at kirtan evening in Dublin appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

An appreciation of the extraordinarily devoted life of Srila Prabhupada’s beloved disciple Yamuna Devi Dasi (1942–2011). Joan: Little did I know what kind of wedding it would be. All I knew was that they had received the names Mukunda and Janaki from a swami. When I saw the Swami he was sitting beside the window in his front room, bathed in sunlight, distributing prasada to the devotees who were sitting around him. Mukunda introduced me, and Swamiji offered me some prasada. Because I was a devotee of macrobiotics, this prasada was very unpalatable to me, yet this radiant and beautiful person was eager for me to take it. I took it, but in my mind I decided this would be the last time I would have lunch with the devotees. Continue reading "The Heart of a Vaishnava
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A lone Vaishnava mendicant.
Somehow my life trajectory led me to the life of a monk. As years progress, I realise that the renounced order is not just a dress, an identity, role, position, or life situation. It must mature into a deep internal conviction. Saffron signifies fire; the setting ablaze of all material concern. Saffron is not just a statement, but the opportunity and responsibility to embody genuine detachment. Not a dry, bitter, heartless or forced detachment, but a natural indifference coming from genuine spiritual inspiration. Without this higher taste, what is the real substance of one’s so-called renunciation? I’m falling short, and challenged to dig a little deeper.
In 1958, while residing as a lone, penniless mendicant in this remote town, Srila Prabhupada wrote a beautiful poem. “In this mood,” he said, “I am getting many realisations.”
Krishna has shown me the naked form of material nature,
By his strength it has all become tasteless to me today.
“I gradually take away all the wealth of those upon whom I am merciful.” How was I able to understand this mercy of the all-merciful? (Stanza 1)
Everyone has abandoned me, seeing me as penniless,
Wife, relatives, friends, brothers, everyone.
This is misery, but it gives me a laugh. I sit alone and laugh.
In this maya-samsara, whom do I really love? (Stanza 1)
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