How do we understand Prabhupada’s statement about Shankaracharyas conception of Krishnas form?
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When Krishna disapproves premature renunciation why did Prabhupada give sannyasa to his young disciples?
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The ego is higher than the intelligence – can it be controlled using the intelligence?
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Online Team Films Peoples’ First Time Chanting Hare Krishna
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Fortunate People, an organization that keeps in touch with those who receive Srila Prabhupada’s books on the street, has added an inspirational new feature to its Facebook page: videos of first timers chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Fortunate People was launched in May 2013 when Shaktyavesha Avatar Das, a London-based book distributor, saw a possible answer to a major problem in ISKCON book distribution – follow-up.

December 17. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily…
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December 17. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Prabhupada had a lot of ammunition. He had good reasoning power and good arguments. He had personal saintliness and a mystical connection with the Supreme. He had the ancient and great Vaisnava tradition behind him. He was from India and spoke of many acaryas who also accepted Krishna consciousness. He said that what he was preaching was the same thing that Christ and Buddha taught. So, if one went against him, he went against all the Vishnu incarnations, all the God-teachers and sages of renunciation and lovers of the Supreme. He frankly said that the truth is beyond our senses; we should accept it and be humble. Prabhupada said that what he was teaching would bring freedom from anxiety. This was wanted. Swamiji himself appeared to be free of anxiety and he was “fixed.” He said that anyone could do it just by chanting Hare Krishna.
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ISKCON Can Play A Part in Reducing Climate Change
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On December 12th world leaders and representatives of 195 countries agreed to to work together to limit average global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial temperatures. According to CNN, “Failure to set a cap could result in superdroughts, deadlier heat waves, mass extinctions of plants and animals, megafloods and rising seas that could wipe some island countries off the map.”

ISKCON Scarborough – Gita Jayanti – The appearance day celebration of Srimad Bhagavad Gita- Monday December 21st 2015
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Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!


We have two very auspicious events happening on the same day coming Monday- December 21st 2015.

- Advent of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita(Gita Jayanti)
- Moksada Ekadasi

One of the Vrata(vow) undertaken during Ekadasi is to read the Holy scriptures.


What can be more glorious on this Moksada Ekadasi than reading Bhagavad Gita on the very day that marks the 5152nd appearance day anniversary.

We at ISKCON Scarborough will be celebrating Gita Jayanti in a grand manner on Monday – December 21st 2015 by reading all the 700 English verses starting at 6.30 PM sharp!


Advent of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita(Gita Jayanti)

It was on this day 5152 years ago, that Sanjaya narrated to King Dhritarashtra the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra at the place now known as Jyotisha tirtha, and thus made the glorious teachings of the Lord available to the people of the world, for all time.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita shows a way to rise above the world of duality and the pairs of opposites, and to acquire eternal bliss and immortality. It is a gospel of action. It teaches the rigid performance of one's duty in society, and a life of active struggle, keeping the inner being untouched by outer surroundings, and renouncing the fruits of actions as offerings unto the Lord.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is a source of power and wisdom. It strengthens us when you are weak, and inspires us when you feel dejected and feeble. It teaches us how to resist unrighteousness and follow the path of virtue and righteousness.

The teachings of the Gita are broad, sublime and universal. They do not belong to any particular cult, sect, creed, age, place or country. They are meant for all. They are within the reach of all. The Gita has a message for the solace, peace, freedom, salvation and perfection of all human beings.

Anyone who gifts a Bhagavad-Gita to a deserving person on this day is bestowed profuse blessings by Lord Krsna


There will be a grand Ekadasi feast served after the whole recitation.

On the auspicious occasion, we welcome you, your family and friends to join us at ISKCON Scarborough to recite the entire Gita verses and to partake the unlimited blessing of Sri Sri Radha Gopi Vallabha



ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7

Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
www.iskconscarborough.com

Gita 07.22 – Krishna accomodates within the house of the Vedas even those who cant worship him
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Gita verse-by-verse study Podcast


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Positive Thinking 21 – Go DEEP – Desire Envision Endeavor Pray
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Bhagavatam study 10 – 1.3.1-8 – The Lord manifests as the Purusha and other avataras
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Saturday, December 12th, 2015
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Saturday, December 12th, 2015
Vancouver, British Columbia

Very Scary Ferry

I bid my farewells to my brother, Paul, as we puddle dodged along Elk Lake’s shoreline, close to Highway 17, en route to Schwartz Baywhere you catch the ferry for the mainland.

Yes, the ferry. It was, today, a very scary ferry as it was pulling out of the harbor. I preferred to remain on the lowest deck possible where traffic was parked. While seated in the car of Jaya Govinda, I could see the automobiles and vans shake around me due to gusts of wind. Waves were crashing at the ferry’s walls, and anybody that happened to be walking along the side of the deck was practically swept off their feet due to the swift gale. On the PA system it was announced at one point to all the passengers aboard the ferry, “Try to remain in your seats, and if you must move, then hold on to the handrails.” And the announcements went on, “In case of an emergency…”

Thoughts were definitely milling through my mind along the lines of: “What if this is the time that I am to leave my body, and it will come through drowning? Will I be mentally prepared? I better put it to practice now – HARE KRISHNA.”

Well, all went fine in the end. The two brahmachari monks that came to join me along with Jaya, were all survivors thanks to the responsible sailing of the ferry operators.

Thanks, guys!

I was keen to attend a program called, “Enchanted”. By good fortune and nothing else, we made it to our destination through an ongoing storm to the district of the infamous 'Main and Hastings', and to a warehouse by a dark alley door, inscribed on it, “KarmaTeachers”. There we did chant, dance, and some went into what seemed like a trance in the psychedelically lit room full of kirtan enthusiasts.

We went wild, but we felt safe.

Here’s a quote from Einstein, “A ship is always safe at shore, but that is not what it’s built for.”


May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Harinama around Sigatoka Temple, Fiji (Album with photos) Srila…
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Harinama around Sigatoka Temple, Fiji (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: No one in this life can chant the holy name of the Lord unless he has passed all lower stages, such as performing the Vedic ritualistic sacrifices, studying the Vedas and practicing good behavior like that of the Aryans. All this must first have been done. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.33.7 Purport)
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Friday, December 11th, 2015
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Friday, December 11th, 2015
Victoria, British Columbia

About That

My host, Adosha, took me on foot to Swan Lake to circle it. It’s more like the size of a pond, but it was pleasant to be by nature. A second stroll for the day was down a piece of the Trans Canada Trail, which is a foot path that is 17,000 km long. Here we allotted only 4 km at best. It was some panoramic scenery worth remembering. Just a little bit north of Victoria, we took to the trail where you find a former wooden trestle railway bridge. En route we saw some cute signage on someone’s adjoining property that read: ‘No trespassing. My dog’s got a gun, and he hasn’t taken his medication.’

This is cougar/bear/elk country. The type of place I consider a gorgeous chunk of Canadian landscape. It was actually my brother Paul and his good wife, Joyce, who brought me here to show me this incredible landscape. The scent of coniferous trees is a pervasive feature of the area. Outside of seeing a heron with his wide wing span, we saw no other aspect of wildlife, but that’s alright, who needs to tangle with a bear or a cougar right now?

There’s a program we needed to conduct tonight and it was held at Adosha’s place in the Victoriaarea. It had been a struggle to keep a continuous sangha going in Victoria for some time now. Perhaps we were given another chance to initiate a regular program for establishing a higher consciousness. I would say that our discussions were inspirational and they centered around the value of the human body, which at least I identified as having two purposes:


1) The human body is meant for walking.

2) It is meant for spirituality.


May the Source be with you!

9 km

 

Thursday, December 10th, 2015
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Thursday, December 10th, 2015
Toronto/Victoria

Tidbits from Two Coasts

While seated in Govinda’s dining room, I had with me at lunch, Mandala, and a guest from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Her name is Jan Peters. She’s a dear friend and is very helpful for lining up programs and speaking engagements in Canada’s far east coast. Our quaint meeting then was held with the intent to have a great meal, and secondly, to discuss the when, where, and how our next trip to St. John’s will look like.

When? Definitely, I’m set for a visit there in January however, which day is yet to be determined, and the purpose will be to establish, at least in practice, pilgrimage. The person behind the inauguration of the East Coast Trail is Robert, and he will be there to take a group of us on a mild-to-rugged walk. The theme will be to honor dear ones who have passed away. In any event, the notion of pilgrimage has some people interested, as opposed to just walking a trail for the sake of a workout. I’m very much anticipating this.

At 8 PM I flew off on a five hour journey to the far west coast, to Vancouver Island, to do much of the same; as usual, to attempt to raise the consciousness in a humble way. A program was planned at Adosha’s apartment. I arrived at the Victoria Airport late at night. As a favour for Adosha, Jed came to pick me up. Jed told me a little bit about his life’s challenges, and as a monk, you can expect this kind of thing coming from people, and it’s just fine. I asked him his last name, to which he responded, “Bachman”.

“Wait a minute, I know that Randy Bachman from The Guess Who rock bank has lived out here on the west coast for some time. Any relation?”

“Yeah, he’s my grandfather,” said Jed.

“Really?” And then we went on to talk about the small world in which we live, and how Randy was a no drugs, no alcohol type of rocker, and also how Randy and I had both been featured in the same documentary, ‘The Longest Road’, a National Film Board NFB production.

Anyways, good news from both coasts.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Harinama at Coolangatta (Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb…
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Harinama at Coolangatta (Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb of City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia) - 13 December 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.33.7 Purport)
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The Greatest Gift
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Upon realizing that this was George’s first contact with devotees, and that George had had been reading and chanting on his own for two years, it became obvious that Krishna had brought the devotees to meet George. 

Sri Alarnath Temple at Brahmagiri
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Avanti Brahmana Strory
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This is story of avanti Brahmana. Avanti is a place. This Brahmana he was a Businessman. A miser. greedy, angry man, all his family against him. He would spend any money but not give anything to anybody, so making more money. So gradually thief, and different time he lose money, lost everything, no friends, no properties. And he became really renounce by forest. He started to understand how every to much money and worrying about it is very bad. Because of wealth fifteen unwanted thing come. Thievery, violence, pride, lying, deception, lust, anger, feverishness, disagreement, hatred, distrust, conflict, attachment to women, gambling and intoxication. So he understood that the lord was pleased with him because he detached.

TKG Academy – Parent Volunteer Spotlight
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Krishna Priya grew up as a Hare Krsna devotee in the ISKCON New Vrindaban farm community in West Virginia. Her parents were initiated by Srila Prabhupada and are both very talented and artistic.

I first met Krishna Priya in 2003, while she was studying for her B.A. in English and later her M.Ed. in Secondary English Education at the University of Florida in Gainesville. We were roommates, sharing the old trailer at the Vaisnava Academy for Girls, from which she has graduated a few years prior. Krishna Priya was immersed in her studies and eventually became a very competent and successful teacher.

She went on to marry Navin Shyam Prabhu and together they moved to California, where she was a Fellow of the Institute on the Teaching of Composition and Literature at the University of California, Irvine. She has instructional experience in various contexts, including teaching Language Arts to middle school students at St. Norbert Parish School (a Catholic school in Anaheim, California) and teaching multiple subjects to upper elementary students at Bhaktivedanta Academy (a Hare Krishna Montessori school in Alachua, Florida).

We felt very fortunate when in the summer of 2014 Krishna Priya and her family, which then included her three and a half year old daughter Varada Lila, decided to move to Dallas. Krishna Priya, although pregnant at that time with her second daughter, Kairava Chandrika, immediately began sharing her great talent with us at TKG Academy. She frequented our Preschool class, teaching the young students about Deity Worship and the pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Most recently, she volunteered to teach Public Speaking to the Upper Elementary class. Leaving her young baby at home with her husband, every Tuesday she comes to teach the students the various aspects involving the skill of delivering a speech and making presentations. Krishna Priya brings her vast knowledge and experience, along with natural talent for teaching at an energetic, engaging pace. We are happy and grateful to have her volunteer at our school and look forward for a time when she can take up a more prominent role in our teaching staff.

Rasa Purnima, 2015
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Written by Rukmini dd

An earthquake hit Sri Dhama Mayapur on Wednesday, November 25th, lasting approximately 90 minutes with tremors for at least half an hour before. Some call it kirtan, but I beg to differ. It was an earthquake! After navigating through the Damodarastakam on the last day of Kartika in front Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Kadamba Kanana Swami launched into kirtan that shook the layers of our conditioning, split through the modes of nature and revealed a core of beauty found in the holy name. Fortunately, on a material level, the only thing that cracked was some of our voices, including Maharaj’s. Between cups of tea and lozenges, he kept the vibrations escalating. Devotees were flying across the temple room floor in spontaneous dance. Maharaj kept his fingers on the harmonium whilst fiercely pushing the mrdanga players beyond their limits with his eyes and maintaining the beat of the whompers with the nod of his head. After always hearing of him endlessly trying to escape management, I realized he manages the kirtan too. The devotion in each mantra was tangible. Many could not go to sleep that night.

rasa_purnima_2015Despite the late night, Maharaj strode to mangal arati like clockwork the next day, as he always does in the Holy Dhama. It was Rasa Purnima and Maharaj was due to speak from the Bhagavatam. He approached the subject with much reservation. In the action of taking that step first in our spiritual life, both our feet are in the material world. Then we lift one leg and try to place it on the spiritual platform but all our weight rests in the material world. Slowly we shift the weight onto the “spiritual leg” and finally when there is no weight on the “material leg” it rises above the material platform. He emphasized that one with two feet planted in the material world may only hear of the pastimes of the gopis and intellectually try to accept them but how would we ever truly understand them? He spoke of the purity of the gopis actions and how their incredible beauty was a reflection of their internal consciousness.

Later that day, we all gathered at the Vaishnava Academy to prepare for the Rasa Purima luncheon which was held in honour of all disciples of Srila Prabhupada on behalf of Srila Jayadvaita Swami. With his incredibly hectic schedule of meetings for the Mayapur Master Plan and simultaneously teaching the Nectar of Devotion course, Kadamba Kanana Swami left the organisation of the program in the capable hands of Ter Kadamba Prabhu, Tulasi Prabhu and Saci devi Mataji. It was a blissful flurry of activity transforming the rooftop into something out of the Caitanya Caritamrta. As each vaishnava entered, they were garlanded, offered sandalwood and coaxed to allow us to bathe their feet. It was heart-warming to see them appreciating and remembering Srila Prabhupada in each other’s company.  Over clay cups of tea and freshly clipped coconuts, many bonds were deepened.

Straight out of Bhakti Sastri class, Maharaj rushed to the luncheon. It was humbling to see him immediately accept a junior role in front of the guests and he focused on every detail in order to serve them properly. Banana leaves were laid out on the veranda in traditional style and soon prep after prep followed according to the Vedic science. As each guest, left Maharaj personally offered then a decorative clay plate of goodies and a donation. At the end, we rejoiced over all the maha-prasadam.

It was a rare, purifying and instructive festival. How long will these servants of Prabhupada walk the earth?  What’s more purifying that the water that has bathed of the feet of the vaisnavas? How important is it that we serve and maintain strong relationships of friendship between one another?

Wednesday, December 9th, 2015
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Wednesday, December 9th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Always Acting

An afternoon stroll was really more like a roll, and had Mandala and I moving through Bloor, Chinatown, Spadina, and U of T districts. Mandala was the one taking greater note of people’s response to seeing a monk (me) in a city that sees almost anything and everything.

In front of a church a man standing there did an exaggerated pranams (folding of hands) upon seeing us. Two guys were cycling along, and one says, “Hi Shaolin monk.” A kid about 6 walking with classmates opened his mouth as wide as Krishna when revealing the universal form, upon seeing me.

These were some responses that permitted Mandala and I to respond. This is the basic principle behind acting. Acting means reacting. Reacting never really stops. There’s always a drama.

Mandala and I were actually rushing to get back to a planned rehearsal at the ashram, a reaction to a tight time-frame. We got back only to find out that the rehearsal was cancelled. Somebody just couldn’t make it. That produced a reaction in us. So you see, everyone is either acting or reacting. Also, everyone has an audience, whether it be those intimately next to you, or just God in the heart, Paramatma, being there. There’s either the sun, moon, or both always witnessing you; if not, the gods of nature, the devatas. “The world is a stage,” Shakespeare informed us.

When I try to recruit someone for a part in a drama, sometimes the response to stage fright is, “I can’t act.” My answer is, “But you already are acting, everyone is always acting (reacting).”

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Tuesday, December 8th, 2015
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Tuesday, December 8th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

7:14

7:14. The figure popped up twice this morning. This is the verse from the Gita, and it appeared in my reading to the resident monks, quoted within a purport of Chapter 3. Then again when delivering the class based on Canto 9 of the book Bhagavatam, 7:14 showed up again in the verse’s explanation. “7:14 has something to say to our group,” I thought.

What does 7:14 say? Here’s the translation:

“This divine energy of mine consisting of the three modes of material nature is difficult to overcome, but those who have surrendered to Me can easily cross beyond it."

The energy referred to is the energy we are steeped into. It is nature. We use it. It gives us sustenance and happiness. It also kills us in the form of death. It entangles and implicates us in ways that we can find no ‘out’.

“It is hard to overcome,” states Krishna. However, the second part of the verse offers hope. “Through surrender, through transcending, you can overcome.” “It is difficult, but it is possible,” is what is implied. 7:14, then, is a verse that tells us to never give up.

I had spent several hours in the ashram office today planning and booking for the next 2 months of travel. Valuable time was also given to the rehearsing of our drama, “Krishna Is”, in preparation for our “Bhakti Mela” to be held on December 28th at a theatre in Brampton. After hours of expending time indoors I decided to go for real air and get some walking in. I admit it was difficult to get moving initially, but I was thinking about 7:14, about surrendering and getting beyond.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Monday, December 7th, 2015
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Monday, December 7th, 2015
Brampton, Ontario

Best Gift

December is a great month for gift giving. May I recommend a gift of a book – Bhagavad Gita As It Is by His Divine Grace, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It’s not just a book, but a classic dialogue, classic, meaning ‘for all times’. It is a communication between the soul and God, and how the soul feels weak at times and needs encouragement from God.

God (Krishna) speaks directly to the soul (Arjuna) about responsibility (dharma),and how eventually liberation (nirvana, moksha), or a freedom from ongoing troubles, can be achieved. Ultimately the message is about surrender. Surrender is equated to love. It refers to the ultimate sacrifice, to let go, let God.

The soul sacrifices because essentially it belongs to God whose disposition is the Supreme Soul. In fact, all souls belong to the One Supreme Soul. Once the souls reach that sublime destination, there is full satisfaction. It is hoped that all souls will reach this ultimate position, a position of devotional service. Service (seva) is what the soul’s function, in essence is; it is always joyfully executed.

That’s why the dialogue of the Gita is relevant and worth the time. It is the gift of wisdom.

May the Source be with you!

5 km