Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Ratha Yatras in Maharastra (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The first result of chanting the maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, is that dirt is cleared from the consciousness, or the mirror of the mind, and then at once the blazing fire of material existence is over. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.26.61 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/5cvqNC
Parikrama 2016.
The post Ramesvara Prabhu speaks about book distribution (Part 2) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
ISKCON Pakistan: Sri Adwaita Acharya Appearance Day 14 Feb ‘16 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krsna and the sound vibration “Krsna” are nondifferent, so if one loudly vibrates Hare Krsna, he will be able to think of Krishna immediately. This process of chanting is the best process of self-realization in this age; therefore, Lord Caitanya preached it so nicely for the benefit of all humanity. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.24.35 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/b6vaan
Harinama in Moscow (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended five items of devotional service, namely to serve the devotees of the Lord, to chant Hare Krishna, to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, to worship the Deity of the Lord and to live in a place of pilgramage. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.19.38 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ZZSt44
KK Bindu #369, “The Ornament of Equivocal Phrase” part 2, plus more …
The latest issue of Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu e-magazine was just released.
This issue includes: * PREACHERS NOT BUILDERS – An excerpt from a letter by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. * HOPE FOR DEGRADED DEVOTEES – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada speaks of the importance of helping devotees who have had problems following the principles. * NAMA-TATTVA: BACK FROM THE DEAD – A verse from the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana. * SRILA PRABHUPADA’S BOOK DISTRIBUTION – Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja speaks about the importance of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. * THE ORNAMENT OF EQUIVOCAL PHRASES - PART 2 – A collection of first-time translations done especially for this issue of Bindu on the subject of vakrokti, or crooked talks that have indirect or unintended meanings. It can be downloaded here: https://archive.org/details/bindu369
Srila Prabhupada involved in a car accident.
Pusta Krishna das: This photograph was taken in Mauritius in 1975, just after Srila Prabhupada’s South African tour. The President of Mauritius sent a Citroen car and a driver to bring him to visit, but Srila Prabhupada, hearing about a recent decision by the government to support chicken slaughter houses, he decided to merely take a ride and then return to the place where we were all staying.
On getting into the auto, I requested Srila Prabhupad to sit on the left in the back seat because it was safer. He complied. We drove for about a half an hour and stopped at a site overlooking the ocean with an inscribed plaque about a historic event that took place there.
When we went back to the car, Srila Prabhupada said, “that side is safer”, the one which I suggested previously. I was sitting next to the government driver (British style, drives on the left side of the road), with the driver on the right, and me on the left, Srila Prabhupada directly behind me, and Brahmananda Maharaj beside Srila Prabhupada on the right back seat.
We were driving through the sugar cane fields on a two lane road, curving to the left. To my horror, a VW beetle car was coming directly at us head on. It was only visible for about two seconds since the sugar cane fields blocked the wider view. Neither car had any opportunity to slow down. I had been chanting Sri Krishna Chaitanya in my mind when this occurred, but I was horrified that this was taking place with Srila Prabhupada in the vehicle. The two cars came together at full speed, with combined speed about 80 miles per hour. I placed my hands before me to brace on the dashboard, and at impact my head went into the windshield on the forehead and my elbow struck the windshield as well. As I looked to my right I saw the government driver with blood coming from his head as his head went into the windshield leaving the impression of his head in the windshield. As I continued to look right and back over my shoulder, I saw Brahmananda with his left arm around Srila Prabhupada’s shoulder and the look of terror in Brahmananda’s face. Srila Prabhupada remained completely silent and grave. He had been sitting cross-legged in the back seat with his cane between his knees. At the time of the accident, his face, especially his lower lip struck the back of the seat I was sitting in. Fortunately, these are well-padded cars. He developed a blood blister in his thumb and as I recall, some swelling in his lip, with no other injuries amazingly. The female passenger of the VW went through the window and out of the car. The government driver of our car with bloodied head got out to attend to the injured in the VW.
I got out of the car and went to Srila Prabhupada seated behind me. He had multiple pieces of broken glass around his feet, which I removed so that he would not be cut. I asked him if he was alright. He remained completely silent, detached and very grave, as much as I had ever experienced of him.
Brahmananda got out to try to flag a car down to take us back to our bungalow. We remained at the accident site for about 15 minutes. A car stopped and took the three of us, but in the wrong direction. We drove for about 15 minutes and then they turned around and took us back past the accident site, and then back to the bungalow.
When we arrived, Harikesa was there. Srila Prabhupad made up a mixture or poultice to apply to any painful areas we might have. He personally applied it to my forehead and elbow (which I thought might be fractured, but it wasn’t). We had a kirtan at Srila Prabhupada’s request which I led, then Srila Prabhupada asked to hear something from the Chaitanya Charitamrita. Harikesa opened the book and it opened spontaneously to the Disappearance of Haridas Thakur, which he read for some time.
The next morning Srila Prabhupad, Brahmananda Maharaj and myself took a walk on the beach outside the bungalow. Srila Prabhupad never mentioned the accident. He did ask us where we thought he should go to next, since there was some program arranged for Nairobi, Kenya. I suggested that he might be shook up from the car accident and perhaps he might like to return to Bombay to rest. Srila Prabhupada said, “we shall go to preach in Nairobi. I knew at that time that I could not second guess His Divine Grace. This all took place before any temple had been established in Mauritius which came about later, and I believe that Srila Prabhupada made a second trip to Mauritius later. He had flown to Mauritius prior to entering South Africa, and again after leaving South Africa.
Apparently, because Brahmananda could not enter South Africa, I performed the duties of Srila Prabhupad’s secretary during his two-week tour. He liked me and he liked my style as his secretary. In February of 1976 when I arrived in Mayapur with a Mercedes we purchased him in Stuttgart, Germany (at his request), Srila Prabhupad personally asked me to be his permanent secretary. I, like some others before me, lasted until July 1976 throughout his last world tour. Indeed, I have many fond memories and also some regrets. All is in Krishna’s Hands. No further questions about that.
Hoping that you will forgive the detail of this true episode in our lives at that time. Hare Krishna. Pusta Krishna das
By Sri Gauranga Das
On Sunday 14th February 2016, ISKCON Nairobi held its first ever Gita Champions League prize giving ceremony. The Chairman of Hindu Council of Kenya Mr. Nitin Malde graced the occasion and enlivened the audience with his inspiring address. The National Secretary of Hindu Council of Kenya Mr. Kamal Gupta, His Holiness Bhakti Vasudeva Swami a travelling sannyasi, senior members of ISKCON Nairobi – Madhava Das and Rukma Das and Mrs. Mahida headmistress of Nairobi South Nursery, Primary and Seconday School also graced the occasion.
The Gita Champions League (GCL) is a competition based on the teachings of the ancient book of knowledge, the Bhagavad Gita. This contest was a fun, inspiring and motivating way to help everyone to absorb themselves in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, enrich and refocus their life in the right manner.
GCL was a written test primarily targeting students from Class 5 to 8. The test was limited to the first three chapters of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is written by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder Acharya of ISKCON.
GCL was first organized by ISKCON in India and it was run in Nairobi on a pilot basis. It attracted registrations from over 6 prominent schools in Nairobi without much publicity. There were a total of 14 overall prize winners and the winners expressed their appreciation and joy for having access to this universal knowledge which will help them improve their lives as well as society. Organizers were pleasantly surprised to find that apart from the students their whole families were involved in studying the Gita. Twenty two other participants received prizes for their excellent performance. In addition all participants received a certificate of participation and T-shirts.
Photos can be found here: http://1drv.ms/1R6lhlr
Sunanda das: In November, 2015 the Sadaputa Digital Channel was launched on Youtube to provide the insightful and inspirational lectures of Sadaputa Dasa, Srila Prabhupada’s scientist disciple often dubbed as ‘the transcendental genius’. Within one year the number of subscribers reached 1,000 with several hundred thousand views and minutes of watching time.
As of the second week of February, 2016 the channel has reached some remarkable figures showing a great interest in the subjects and content of his lectures.
Views – Over 100,000
Minutes Watched – Over 200 million
Subscribers – Over 1200
The Sadaputa Archives is now in the process of transcribing its collection of over 100 lectures in order to produce a multi-volume publication with accompanying CD’s. Currently unavailable books by Sadaputa are also planned for reprinting and distribution.
To listen to Sadaputa’s lectures go to:
www.youtube.com/user/SadaputaChannel
www.facebook.com/sadaputachannel
To assist with transcribing services contact Sunanda das at: spchannel108@gmail.com
March Sundays 5pm will be about Mindfulness. See the poster for more information.
The post Mindful March 2016! appeared first on The Loft Yoga Lounge Auckland.
By Anya Kultyshkina
Kerala is the most materially educated state in India. Almost all local people know English. That is why even those devotees who do not know the local languages of India can go there and preach Krsna consciousness.
There is a need to bring Krsna consciousness to this area, because although the people are materially educated, spiritual knowledge is lacking. Because of contact with Europeans, first with Vasco Da Gama in the 15thcentury and later with the British dominion, many Christian churches were established there and I met Christians at every step.
It was almost impossible to make them aware of what kind of heavy sin they were committing by killing animals for their food. They consider that God created animals for their enjoyment and their churches fully endorse such philosophy. But even among the Christian people, I met some who were quite intelligent and open to dialogue. They were interested in Bhagavad Gita As It Is and they even were taking the books. There were also artists–young creative people such as musicians, architects, painters–kind of seekers interested in spiritual life.
With great joy I shared Krsna consciousness with them. Because they were attracted, I invited them to the Sunday program the devotees were organizing in a house nearby. Joshi, a musician I had met in the street, came to the Sunday program with his friend Abhilash. Abhilash is also a musician and has his own recording studio. He began to come regularly to the devotees’ house and started to chant the holy name. Nobody saw Joshi again. Many times I knocked on the doors of Hindu families and I was always warmly welcomed with kind gestures and friendly glances. First, according to their tradition, they would offer a seat, and then water, sometimes light food such as fruit, and then they were ready to hear about Krsna consciousness.
Once I came into the house of one family and found the family members fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness. I stayed about two hours with them, talking about the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. It was a nice spiritual reciprocation. They had their own sadhana: waking up before sunrise, taking bath, and then going to the Bala-Krsna temple located nearby. One week after our first meeting, I again met the head of the family, Venu Gopal prabhu, in the downtown market. The first thing he told me was, “Krsna wanted us to meet again.” I invited him and his wonderful family for the Sunday program. Once I came into a jewelry shop with the intention of offering the books.
The owner of the shop was there. He told me he already had the Bhagavad-gita and the book Krsna and that he liked ISKCON. I gave him two Back to Godhead magazines and one small book. He was very inspired and decided to give me one beautiful necklace for Srinathji Krsna, the deity worshiped by devotees in whose house I was staying. The last day, right before my departure from Kerala, I was walking in the area where I had been living for one month and found that every person I was passing by was loudly saying “Hare Krsna!” upon seeing me. I could hear only the name of Krsna everywhere. Such is the mercy of Lord Chaitanya!
By Sundar Nitai das, Nityananda das and Bhakta Rohit (Fiji Islands)
Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds neither impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage.
Meet Associate Professor of Linguistics, Dr Paul Alban Geraghty of the University of the South Pacific, who has recently translated HARE KRISHNA Maha mantra and its explanation in the native Fijian language.
With a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Hawaii, Paul is fluent in Fijian, both standard and many non-standard varieties, French and German and has working knowledge of Fiji Hindi, Spanish, Russian, Irish, Samoan, Rotuman, and Tongan.
Originally from Rugby, England, Paul has been in Fiji for 40 years and for his services to the Fiji Islands he has been a recipient of national honours that include the Fiji Civil Service Medal, Fiji Independence Commemoration Medal, and Officer of the Order of Fiji for services to the Fijian language, for which Paul was the youngest person ever to receive this honour.
Amongst other honours Paul has been Listed in “20th Century Fiji: people who shaped the nation.” Paul is one of only twenty living persons so honoured, the criteria being “a leader who has had a long term impact within his field of endeavour, embodied an ideal that has been important to the nation, left a legacy for future generations, and shaped the consciousness of the nation in significant ways.”
Having innumerable Fijian publications behind him, Paul has held various high level consultancy and senior management roles in Fijian language and culture institutes. Currently he teaches linguistics and advanced level Fijian language in the University.
When we approached Paul in his office two weeks earlier to present our humble request for translation of one of Srila Prabhupada’s books, we were anxious and excited, but Paul’s genuine warm personality drove the anxiety away. Our excitement remained. Paul advised us to send our work to him and we sent him the Maha mantra and its explanation.
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since the Lord is the absolute whole, there is no difference between His holy name and His transcendental form. Thus by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can directly associate with the Supreme Lord by sound vibration. The Lord further predicted that the chanting of His names will spread in all towns and villages of world.
Paul, voluntarily, has greatly assisted in bringing the mercy of the holy name to the native Fijians. The Maha mantra with its explanation will now be printed as stickers for public distribution.
Anything done on account of the Lord is a permanent asset and accumulates in the form of unseen piety for gradual promotion to the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord. These undetected pious activities will one day result in full-fledged devotional service by the grace of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, any pious act done on account of the Supreme Lord is also recommended for those who are not pure devotees.
Although adorned with innumerable credentials in the academic world and in the field of research and publications and with prestigious recognitions from the governments and numerous institutions, Paul maintains valuable assets of austerity, piety, devotion and celibacy. Paul is a non-smoker and non-drinker. Although unmarried, he raised a deaf Fijian boy and that as a consequence led to his interest in the problems of deaf Fijian children. Paul’s main interest otherwise is in music and he has composed many devotional hymns and co-authored the standard Fijian Catholic hymn-book. At 65, he is in excellent health and absence from work through ill-health throughout his working life has been less than one day a year. Paul has not missed a day at work, or failed to deliver a scheduled class or lecture since arriving at the University in 2001.
For his devotional service in translating the Maha-mantra and its explanation, we presented Paul a ‘Hare Krishna – Vinaka Vaka Levu (Thank you very much)’ cake, some samosas, Sri Sri Radha Golokabihari diety garlands and Srila Prabhupada’s books namely Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Science of Self Realization and Dharma – The Transcendence, as prasadam (Lord’s mercy), which he joyfully accepted.
We are hopeful that Paul will accept our friendship and relish Srila Prabhupada’s books from an independent perspective as he professes Catholicism, and if Lord Krishna desires, may become compassionate to our desires of having books of Srila Prabhupada’s translated in the Fijian language.
For this, we seek the causeless mercy of Vaishavas’ (devotees) worldwide to keep Paul, who is a highly learned good-hearted gentleman, in their prayers to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
All glories to Paul
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Photo one has Bhurijana Prabhu (founder of the VIHE) and Deena Bandhu Prabhu doing abhiseka of a Govardhana Sila at the Bhumi Puja. Second shows Raghava Pandit dasa (in saffron—in charge of construction), Krishna Ksetra Maharaja, and Prasanta Dasi (VIHE Director)
Bhumi Puja for the VIHE Govardhana Retreat Centre – and Construction Begins
The Govardhana Retreat has been going on since 2000 – the first with only thirty students under the trees surrounding Giriraja (we still remember having to crawl under a barbed wire fence to get to our spot!), the most recent with almost a thousand students, now at a rented ashram.
As the number of students has grown, so too has our desire to serve this ever-expanding community of devotees by building our own centre at Govardhana, along with our awareness that we needed our own place to house and host the devotees, and to give them a quiet place to actually retreat from the busy-ness of their lives.
For us, the bhumi-puja was a monumental event, like a first mango flower finally blossoming on a tree planted twelve long years earlier. We have been patient. We originally procured land near Govardhana Hill in 2004, and added three more small pieces over the next eight years. Finally, two years ago, we added a large two-and-a-half-bigha plot, making the final size of the plot for the Centre five acres. Finally, we had enough land to allow our centre to be uncramped, unbuilt-up, and to possess the natural and simple ambiance we desired.
Then, after another year spent acquiring legal approval from the local council (MVDA), we were ready to build. Interestingly and perhaps even mystically, that approval arrived suddenly while three hundred devotees were chanting Krishna’s holy names in a colorful pandal at Govardhana during an unseasonal rainstorm during the 2015 Holy Name Retreat. And now, on February 3, 2016, at an auspicious moment, two hundred meters from Govardhana Hill, we performed the bhumi-puja and the initial construction of the VIHE Govardhana Retreat Centre officially started.
Sweet that moment was. It reminded me of the sweetness that descends during the Govardhana retreats when all the devotees present are absorbed in hearing and chanting about Krsna. That sweetness, I take it, results from Giriraja Govardhana’s pleasure, for Krsna is being glorified in the association of devotees in Vrndavana.
And that is the essence of our endeavour to construct a retreat centre in this holy land. We wish to make this offering to Srila Prabhupada: May his followers, both individually and in groups, retreat at least for some time from the lands where maya’s influence dominates, and approach the shelter of Giriraja Govardhana to gain deep nourishment by practicing absorbed hearing and chanting about Krsna in Vraja.
As Çréla Prabhupäda said in his purport to Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.21.17: “Only by drinking the nectar of chanting and hearing the pastimes of the Lord can one forget the intoxication of material existence.” And in a 1972 lecture in Vrindavana: “So we must be inquisitive. We must be very eager. That eagerness should be aroused: ““Where kåñëa-kathä is being taught, let me go there, let me hear.””
We pray that within the protected and serene atmosphere of the Govardhana Retreat Centre, devotees will experience Krsna’s potent presence through hearing and chanting His glories amplified by Giriraja Govardhana’s soothing shelter.
The bhumi-puja was highlighted by the presence of many kind-hearted sannyasis and other senior disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada. (We also received the distant, recorded well-wishes from a number of others.) Their words highlighted their own hopes for the quick and successful completion of the Centre. We pray that you add your prayers to theirs.
For further information about the VIHE Govardhana Retreat Centre, the Govardhana Retreats, and to see photos of the bhumi-puja, please visit our website: http://www.govardhancenter.com
Your servants,
Sacinandana Swami
Bhurijana dasa
February 17. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: “Those Were Happy Days”
Srila Prabhupada would often be silent for long periods and then suddenly ask something that was on his mind. I remember once he suddenly asked, “Where in the world can I go where there will be no visitors and I can simply be alone to write my books?” Of all these exchanges, which I witnessed, this one reminds me of the times when our spiritual master was all alone in New York. He has said that those were happy days. One reason was because Prabhupada depended on Krishna entirely without having to depend on many disciples. In the later years, until he came to Second Avenue and saved us, it was not certain whether many Westerners could actually become practicing devotees. Srila Prabhupada’s discovery of this, on behalf of Lord Caitanya, produced happiness for him and for us. He was such a realistic missionary though, he never basked in that happiness or exaggerated it with praises of his own accomplishment. As soon as he knew that Westerners could take to Krishna consciousness, Prabhupada immediately took that good news and went further and further with it, all around the world. In his persistent desire to have time alone to write, we get an indication of what Prabhupada meant when he said, “Those were happy days.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srila Rupa Goswami’s Nectar of Instruction.
“Like Srila Prabhupada said, ‘We have to become conscious before we become Krishna conscious.’ We should not talk about others without reason. In other words there should be some sort of filtering process between what goes on in our mind and what comes out of our mouth—at least in the beginning. After Krishna had gone to Mathura, Uddhava went to meet the Gopis in Vrindavan and the Gopis had so many complaints about Krishna—of course it was on the platform of highest love. But they had so many complaints. Not only about this incarnation but about other incarnations as well. When Uddhava asked, ‘If He is so bad, why do you talk about Him? ‘The Gopis answered, ‘If Krishna can live without us, we can live without Him. But, we cannot live without talking about Him. So, when our minds are so filled with Krishna that the only thing that can come out of our mouth is Krishna, then we don’t need to worry about filtering. But, when we have different things in our mind we should be conscious before wen speak.”
Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 09.12.01-06 – Every Name Of Bhagavatam Is Significant by Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami on 2011-02-01 at ISKCON Chowpatty
Focus on Prabhupada the Individual
The post Daily Darshan : February 17th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
“Среди этих разнообразных путей: неблагодать земли устраняется благодаря стопам,
неблагоприятные направления устраняются взглядами,
а неблагодать с небес – руками Вишну-бхакт, танцующих в блаженстве”.
[ Хари-бхакти-виласа 8.288 ]
“О Махадев! Скажу тебе… воистину,
святое имя Кришны – самое мистичное из всех.
Знай точно: оно вернет и мертвого обратно к жизни”.
[ Шрила Санатана Госвами, “Шри Хари-бхакти-виласа” 11.501,
цитируется по “Вишну-дхармоттаре” ]
_____________
“O Mahadeva! I am telling you the truth!
The holy name of Krishna is most confidential.
Know for certain that this holy name can bring a dead man back to life.”
Gita verse-by-verse study Podcast
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post Gita 09.25 – Different paths lead to different goals appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview)
The scriptures speak about ahankara which means material attachment or false ego. False ego implies identification with the body where we think, ‘I am this body and all the things in the world are mine – I and mine!’ This is the bodily conception of life – aham mameti. This is false ego but there is also purified ego. Purified ego means to know that we are the eternal servants of Krsna and this is the ego which is desirable. This ego leads to eternal life where we eternally remember that we are the servants of Krsna. Then we become blissful and happy to be with blissful Krsna. Then life is ecstatic at every moment and every step is a dance and every word is a song!
Harinama in Pantai 66 (Double Six Beach), Australia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord’s holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.63 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Fbp1qh
By Karuna Dharini Devi Dasi The Mayavadi sannyasis asked, “You belong to our Sankara-sampradaya and live in our village, Benares. Why then do You not associate with us? . . . You look as brilliant as if You were Narayana Himself. Will You kindly explain why You have adopted the behavior of lower-class people?” Mayavadis address each other as “Narayana” because they think they are all going to become Narayan a or merge into the energy of Narayana when they reach perfection. Seeing Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s gorgeous effulgence, they were astonished. Perhaps He had achieved their desired goal. They could not appreciate that the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana was in front of them. Lord Caitanya replied, “My spiritual master considered Me a fool. He told Me I am not qualified to study. He said to just chant Hare Krishna, which is the essence of the Vedas. He told me that simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.” Continue reading "Mahaprabhu’s Victory – Over the Mayavadis at Benares
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By Caitanya Carana Dasa Material desires are like parasites because they almost always subvert, even sabotage, our best interests. When they divert us from our goals, they are the sources of distraction, as explained above. And when they themselves become our goals, their effect is even more deleterious: they become sources of frustration and even devastation. This is the surprising and challenging assertion of the Bhagavad-gita (5.22), which states that the intelligent stay away from material pleasures the goals of material desires because they recognize that such pleasures lead not to happiness but to misery. We can make our intelligence fit to realize the truth of this Gita verse by using as a contemplation tool the acronym FIT (Futile, Insubstantial, Temporary), which encompasses the three kinds of possible results when we seek material pleasures: Continue reading "Parasites of the Mind
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By Urmila Devi Dasi "You've broken your probation three times," the stern judge said. He leaned forward on the desk and glared at the man in shackles and bright orange prison clothes. "You've had to go to a drug-rehabilitation program. Each time you start the program, but then you leave. Do you know the penalty for breaking probation?" The young accused with muscular arms and a nearly shaved head stood straight like a soldier and said nothing. He almost succeeded in appearing repentant. At least the judge might have thought so. "Fifteen years," the words came heavily and slowly. "Fifteen years. Back in prison for fifteen years." There was a long pause. "Do you want to go back to prison for fifteen years?" "No, your honor. I just hated that treatment program I was sentenced to. I'd like a chance at another kind of program. Please. One last chance. If it's the program I'm asking for, I'll definitely stick with it and kick this cocaine for good." The court reporter held her fingers above the keys. No one moved. Continue reading "Is Krsna Our Master or Our Servant?
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Ekachakra Dham Birth Place of Lord Nityananda (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: These four principles: Always think of Krishna, become Krishna’s devotee, worship Krishna and offer your respect, obeisances to Krishna. That’s all. This is Krishna consciousness. Hyderabad, November 17, 1972.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/PMrNKp
Parikrama 2016. https://flic.kr/s/aHskuJ3vkn
The post Scenes to and at Srivasa-angana appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
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Yatra to Gollapalem Village.
Gollapalem is a small hamlet surrounded by green fields all around. People are mostly from Yadava community and there are around 60-70 houses in the village. Though the village is small, almost every house has cows and bulls. The main occupation is agriculture and salt production. January 14, 2016 being sankranthi festival, everyone was busy decorating their houses with festoons and big colorful rangolis in the courtyard. Everywhere there was pounding of rice in traditional mortar to prepare fresh sweets for the festival. The Yatra bus reached the village in the morning hours at 7:30. As soon as we arrived in the village, children crowded us and later a group of nearly 30 young men assembled to volunteer in the proceedings. The program started with the procession of taking Sri Jagannath-Baldev-Subhadra mai in the chariot; almost all the men in the village joined the procession. Though the village was small the procession went on for three hours stopping at almost every house as the people made various offerings to Lord Jagannath. At the end of the procession we received not less than 50 kgs of different vegetables. Later villagers assembled in a newly built Sri Rama temple. Go puja was performed in solemnity. It was followed by lectures on the Holy Name and mother cow. We could not show visual presentation because it was day time. Young men asked questions related to differences between many faiths. The village head offered to build an ashram and a temple for Lord Krishna if we were prepared to take up preaching there.
Parikrama 2016.
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First Universalist Unitarian Church - Antariksh Das (Hare Krishna movement) 15/22 ‘Sri Siksastakam’ (2 min video)
SIKSASTAKAM VERSE 3
trnad api sunicena
taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
“One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree who gives due honour to others without desiring honour for himself is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/aKX7mp
First University Hostel Program In East Africa (Album with photos)
By Srila Prabhupada’s Mercy, the Hare Krishna Training centre was opened in Nairobi and in 10 months has made 30 devotees. The centre serves as a residential facility for students studying various courses. Our twice weekly program holds 150 students from the local community.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/D0XxYz
How one devotee was saved.
Ramesvara dasa ACBSP: I had just turned 19 and was a student at Reed College. Sriman Locana Prabhu was the temple president of the Portland Yatra and would lead the devotees everyday on Harer Nama Sankirtan chanting all over the City. Krsna led me to him by the sound of those Kartals and I started joining his Kirtan party 3-4 days per week. His preaching and the transcendental knowledge he imparted in answering my questions culminated in my falling in prostrated obeisances on the City street, crying while holding his lotus feet, sobbingly murmuring “You’ve save me, you’ve saved me”! I moved into the temple after quitting college that very evening. As loud as I can boardcast - LOCANA PRABHU SAVED ME and made me a devotee - I am his eternal loving friend and adoring servant, Ramesvara dasa. (In the photo Locana Prabhu with Srila Prabhupada)
February 16. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Focus on Prabhupada the Individual.
We sometimes spend so much time going on with our regular duties that we forget about Prabhupada. We don’t think of him enough to actually stop and focus on Prabhupada as a person. The person who was here is beneficial. We have to become still enough, quiet enough, to be able to remember him.
We tend to be almost arrogant about the fact that we are living now, as if that gives us a superior vision of Prabhupada, as if he is among the dead and we are among the living. Actually, we have a feeble hold on this life. In this tiny amount of space and time, we will each disappear.
The consciousness we command and the space we live in – why do we think this is more important than where Prabhupada is? Is it because we think our world is manifest and Prabhupada’s world is unmanifest? Prabhupada’s world is not unmanifest. Prabhupada is with Krishna in Goloka. That world is the only really manifest world. We may not see him in the material world, but that is because we are so insignificant in relation to Krishna. Prabhupada is in the real world, and we are in the kingdom of death.
Our attitude should be that “Prabhupada has gone to participate in his intimate relationship with Krishna and I have been left behind.” He came here and developed a relationship with us, gave us adequate instructions and we vowed to follow him, but ultimately he left us stumbling behind. We are trying to figure out the meaning of his books, how to act, how to get along with one another. Sometimes we make serious mistakes. But we are also calling to him, running after him, “Prabhupada! Prabhupada!” This is our actual position. Therefore, don’t be complacent. Visit his room and try to taste a little of our own deaths, then feel the need to catch up to him, the need to perfect ourselves.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5
ISKCON50 Holy Name Series: HG Agnideva dasa – Part 2 – 04.02.2016
“Those Were Happy Days”
Sri Rupa Goswami advises us how to think of Krishna (Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.2.294)
kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya preṣṭhaṁ nija-samīhitam
tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā
Kṛṣṇaṁ smaran is the first injunction: “think of Krishna.” Next, janam cāsya: “In thinking of Krishna, also think of his people.”
It’s phrased this way because kṛṣṇa-smarana is ubiquitous to all bhakti-sādhana (viz. “smartavya-satatam-viṣṇoḥ…”) but the hallmark of rāgānugā-sādhana is that we don’t just think of Krishna, we think of him with “his people.”
Which “people”? Preṣṭham: the people who are in love with him.
And, even more specific, nija-samīhitam: the people who are in love with him in the same way that we want to be in love with him.
When telling us to think of Krishna Sri Rupa advises us that kīrtan/kathā is essential. We will think more of Krishna the more we hear about him. So he says, tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau, “Discuss everything about those two, with great delight.”
Who are “those two”? Krishna and his preṣṭha-jana (his beloved) whose type of affection you desire. This implies that there would be one special nija-jana in particular who would perfectly epitomize the love for Krishna you desire. For example, Krishna and Radha. Or Krishna and Yasoda.
And the final line? Kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā: “By doing this, may you always reside in Vraja [with them].” Here Rūpa Goswāmī advises us not to think of Krishna and his beloved as a museum piece, or a subject of study. Rather we must think of ourselves as having an active role in the affairs of Krishna and his beloved. We must think of Krishna in a way that causes us to “live with” Krishna.
Sri Rupa Goswami’s instructions are as deep and satisfying as the ocean of nectar itself.
Vraja Kishor
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Gita verse-by-verse study Podcast
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