Planet ISKCON

Children Taste the Nectar of Harinam.
Vrindavanlila Devi Dasi: This was the 11th day of Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra devotees. Their next and also the eleventh village (the eleventh bead of the garland of 108 villages) was Kandibanda. All these days their primary audience had been the youth, farmers and women, but this village proved to be a different one. In this village they were in for a surprise as the primary attendees happened to be the children and the youth- young village! It was a small hamlet with very less population and less water facility. The austere life of Yatra devotees had made each one of them very surrendered and equipoised to the external changes.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/AUmlcs

The Forest Of Talavan (8 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Talavan is one of the12 major forests of Vrindavan. Nestled in the paddy fields of Talavan is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Balarama, who killed the ass-demon Denakasura there. We enjoyed a wonderful day at Talavan having long kirtans and recounting the numerous pastimes that took place in that transcendental abode.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/w2Z8g3

November 16. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Were there some questions we should have asked Prabhupada but didn’t? Were some questions taboo? Were there some questions he didn’t like to answer? Were there some questions he couldn’t answer? What was his general attitude towards answering questions – was he very open, or limited? In general, I think we can safely say that Prabhupada was very open and willing to discuss almost any subject from the Krishna conscious point of view. He might point out an impertinent or illogical question, but he would answer it anyway. He considered questions that did not relate to the points he raised in his lecture as improper. Questions after the lecture should be asked to clear up doubt. So many topics can be discussed in questions, but Prabhupada chose one area of the philosophy to discuss in his lectures and he preferred the questions to be relevant to that. Even if someone asked something off the topic though, Prabhupada would answer it.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490

Shelter toured so frequently and played so constantly that Hare Krishna’s had become as common as stage dives at hardcore shows, especially in the North East. But besides taking the temple to the kids, we were taking kids to the temple.

In downtown Philly, a devotee named Hariyāśva had a vegetarian restaurant named Govinda’s. It was on the ground floor of a muti-story building, the fourth floor of which served as a temple room for kīrtan and Krishna conscious gatherings. Hariyāśva was happy to give us that space up there on Wednesday nights, where we would cook multi-course vegetarian feasts in it’s apartment-sized kitchen for a few dozen hardcore kids who would pack in wall-to-wall week after week for months. The similarities between traditional khol-karatāla kīrtan and the familiar hardcore mosh pit became evident on those sweaty and blissful Wednesday nights. Older but eternally jovial, Hariyāśva himself would often join us and gracefully leap around the kīrtan with a huge, effulgent smile, reminding me of a prancing black horse and erasing the border between “hardcore kid” and “non-hardcore kid.” So many people were jumping up and down in that small fourth-story room that the floor literally began to act like a trampoline, and the pictures and mūrti figures of Krishna started falling off the shelves!

Outside the city, the temple on Allen’s lane was also bustling with an influx of new full-time residents moving in from all parts of the country, eager to become a part of the Krishna Consciousness movement swirling thrillingly like a new hurricane around Shelter and, especially, Ray. Antonio Valladerez, Norman Brannon, Glen Karma, Dan Davis… these were just a few of the names bringing new life into a temple that had been practically deserted just a month or two before.

But things weren’t easy between me and Ray, and the tension between us became clear by the refreshing fragrance of its sudden absence when he went to spend several weeks in Vṛndāvana India. Obviously, Ray was the kingpin of all this spiritual revolution, the central hinge – the main reason all of this Krishna conscious stuff was happening at all. Maybe I was jealous of that, wishing I was #1 instead of #2? Maybe it was just the artistic tension that arose from my definite dislike and incompatibility with the musical direction Ray had steered Shelter towards? Maybe it was simply a personality clash – him being a classic extrovert and me a classic introvert?

I guess it was all of these, and probably more. Nonetheless, he and I always shared, and I think always will share, a deep and very real love for one another; a mutual admiration, respect, and, perhaps most importantly, a mutual willingness to forgive one another. He and I were becoming brothers not just because we soon became students of the same guru; we were brothers in a much more common sense: we fought all the time – but we loved each other.

Brotherhood aside, the tension was becoming too much. If Ray said left, I said right. And if I said left, he’d say right. In my eyes, he seemed so extroverted and superficial about sharing Krishna consciousness, as if our ultimate goal was to make the whole world move into a temple, shave up, wear robes, and eat a lot of burfi sweets. In his eyes I probably seemed like the incurable, stubborn pessimist, an ideologically elitist wannabe-bookworm, a self-made know-it-all. Truth is, both of us were ridiculously young and flawed, spiritually even more than physically – it’s no wonder both of our strong-willed ego’s couldn’t fit in the same band and live in the same building.

One day, a little bit after Ray returned from India with the name Raghunātha (something else to be jealous of), Bhakta Tony came into to the bunk-bed room and called me across the hall into the Equal Vision Records office. “Guṇagrahi Swāmī is on the phone. He wants to talk to you.”

Everyone just happened to be there, even a cool devotee from the Cro-Mags scene, named Kaustubha.

I picked up the phone, confused why all eyes were on me.

“I had a dream,” the Swāmī said.

A dream?

“In my dream,” he continued, “There were two Krishna conscious hardcore bands.”

Oh, now everything made sense! I was getting kicked out of Shelter.

“Why don’t you come down to D.C.,” he concluded “and start a second band?”

It seems like Ray and the devotees made an effort to be gentle about kicking me out – but it wasn’t really necessary at all. I didn’t need a swami’s dream to sell me on the idea of getting out of Shelter and doing my own thing!

Back in my room, I took out my guitar, sat on the floor, and in all of fifteen minutes wrote Holyname – the first song for the first album of my new band.

Excerpt from an early draft of
Train Wrecks and Transcendence: A Collision of Hardcore and Hare Krishna

by Vraja Kishor
www.vrajakishor.com

Tagged: krishnacore, shelter

“Good fortune to all who have assembled here,” he said. “All of you good people, please listen to me. I will speak because we must disclose our own understandings of dharma when we are in the company of saintly and thoughtful people.

“I will speak of my dharma, my duty. You have employed me to wield the scepter and rule the people, so my duty is to protect all of you, and give you employment befitting your various talents and stations. By carefully fulfilling this duty, I will attain the goal that spiritualists glorify. Fulfilling our duty is what makes our fate bright and all our wishes come true, for it satisfies the overseer of fate. A king who only taxes the people but does not employ them in fulfilling their duties not only loses his own fortune, he gains a share of their misfortune. So, my dear citizens, for your own sake and for my sake – out of affection for me, as an offering to my afterlife – please do your duties without jealousy and envy of one another, with your thoughts aiming towards transcendence. All of you please have sympathy for me. All the pure ancestrals, gods, and sages agree that, in the afterlife the results of our deeds are shared equally by the performer, director, and supporters.”

---

Very interesting points in this section:

• We shouldn’t be in a rush to open our mouths and impose our views and opinions on others, but it is our duty to disclose our understandings of things when we are in the company of those who are fit to correct any mistakes or confirm where we are on the right track.
• Deep humility is evident in King Pṛthu:
  • He speaks of being “employed” by the citizens, and he speaks of his duties towards them
  • He describes himself and his final emancipation as being dependent on their sympathy and mercy
• The way to achieve our desires is not to chase our desires, but to make them chase us. We generate good karma by fulfilling our responsibilities dutifully – and this causes good things to come to us.
• The results of a deed are shared by several people:
• • The person who actually does it
  • The person who inspired / ordered it.
  • The people who helped it get done

The King, Pṛthu, is saying “I will get a share of whatever deeds you do, because you are my citizens and I am in charge of you. So please be merciful to me, think of my well being as well as your own, and do your duties without jealousy and envy of one another.”

I think it is very important that he describes the right way to do duties as anasūya – without jealousy of envy of what other people are doing, or what other people have.

In the next section he will explain how apparently worldly duties give spiritual results.

 From Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.21 ~ 26
Translated for volume for of Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive

by Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

• it

Tagged: Dharma, duty, prithu, prthu

Jananivas das S.B.6.16.41 – Nov 5th 2015

Questions and Answers Part 1

Written by Nandan

 

Arrival in the Holy Dhama

Kartik month in Vrindavan was truly something to behold! Even if one hadn’t been there, most devotees would have heard the stories and recollections of what a place Vrindavan can be during this sacred month.

And Sri Sri Krsna Balaram temple seemed to be right in the middle of it all. The epicentre of all the buzz. The Banki Bihari temple and Sri Sri Radha Raman temple came a close second and third in terms of vibrancy, energy and being super hives of spiritual activity.

Suffice to say, amongst all the faithful pilgrims coming to imbibe the spiritual potency of the holy dhams, an assorted mix of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s disciples were also there. They also had the added pleasure of knowing that Maharaj would be coming to Vrindavan for Kartik very soon. They didn’t need to wait too long… On Wednesday, 28^th October at 7.45 pm, Maharaj finally arrived in Vrindavan to an eager reception of happy disciples and well-wishers who all welcomed him with a nice harinam outside the temple guesthouse.

Considering Vrindavan is generally as dry as a brick kiln, on that day it was absolutely pouring! We are talking monsoon levels. Maybe Vrinda Devi herself was happy to welcome one of her sons back. Either that or Lord Indra was desiring to instigate a second enactment of the Govardhan Lila!! Maharaj personally was happy about all the rain. He had just arrived from Mumbai which was very hot and Vraj is always so dry, a bit of water could only be a good thing.

Maharaj was accompanied by young Nimai Prabhu (personal servant and aspiring lawyer from Germany) and Vishvambhar Caitanya Prabhu, one of Maharaj’s stalwart disciples from Radhadesh, Belgium (now based at the Manor, England).

They were all coming from the Wada Ecovillage and Maharaj was recovering from a severe bout of shingles. To be fair, Maharaj still wasn’t fully out of the woods. He confided that his nerves were still weak in the legs and the day before he had to drink litres of water as part of his check-up.

Nonetheless he was in good spirits. In a little while, Maharaj was settled in his room. Well furbished and clean, he sat on a couch while his disciples surrounding him on the floor. Soon the German jokes started coming out thick and fast. Bear in mind, most of the disciples present were of German origin.

Other disciples also started streaming in, including the wonderfully vivacious Gita Govinda Mataji, a spirited lawyer from Holland. Maharaj then mentioned to Mataji how young Nimai wanted to be a lawyer and then made a joke about a lawyer on a ship who jumped in with the sharks and didn’t get bitten. Why? The sharks gave him “professional courtesy”!! Everyone cracked up.

Looking at the soft cushions and bed in his room, Maharaj started joking about the ‘kasipu’ in his room (referring to the meaning of bed in Hiranyakashipu’s name) and how opulent it was. This was followed by a few more witty comments on the renunciation of a modern day vaishnava. He then mentioned how he had never technically owned a house, even as a householder!

By this time, one of Maharaj’s senior disciples named Adi Keshava Prabhu bought in some piping hot ginger tea. Sipping the tea, Maharaj’s mood became more contemplative. He started talking about all the recent work being done with the Vrindavan temple as well as instructing young Nimai in setting up his Giriraj deity. Maharaj also stated how Vrindavan in Kartik is the ‘real Vrindavan’. After exchanging a few more words with the various devotees, Maharaj ended the day by saying, “Tomorrow is my day to settle and rest.”

Thursday and Friday, Maharaj took it easy with some well-earned rest. However, for Maharaj resting is never a 100% rest. Someone with his personality and energy can’t stay dormant for long, so on both these days Maharaj did get stuck into some high octane evening kirtans in the temple room.

Friday evening at 7pm, Maharaj started off by singing the evening Damodarastakam prayers. The setting was perfect, everything was in its element – the temple, the devotees, Maharaj and the whole of Vrindavan herself.

It was a balmy Indian evening. The temple was packed and heaving to the limit. Sparkling candles were everywhere like sparkling stars in the night sky. There was a beautiful emerald-green canopy which was engulfing the three main altar areas and then spilling out into the walls and corners of the temple interior. There were also garlands decked out everywhere, all-in-all the whole temple was a multitude of colours. The crystal chandeliers in the ceiling were dimly lit and the combination of light against the dark gave a beautiful orange glow to the whole area.

It would have been boiling inside but thankfully the fans were giving a nice gentle breeze and there was the fresh air coming from the open air courtyard section. Devotees of various colours and backgrounds were slowly moving around offering candles to the deities; resembling an ocean of circumambulating cows of different hues and shades.

Maharaj was seated near the front section of the temple near the altars, surrounded by disciples and expert kirtaneers and musicians. Just behind him to the right was the famous shelter giving Tamala tree of the temple courtyard and surrounding the sides of the courtyard were these exquisite Rajasthani arches. Above the delicately lit courtyard, looming in the black sky was the magnificent Vedic style tower of Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi.

In the midst of this sublime setting, Maharaj was singing the prayers so gracefully with his deep, silky voice.  The overall effect was really stunning. The prayers were sung in a slow, sombre mood and then Maharaj effortlessly raised the groove for the ensuing kirtan that would carry on into the starry Vrindavan night.

One of the devotees present for the kirtan that night was Gurudas Prabhu, a monk from England. The following is his recollection of Maharaj’s kirtan that night:

Wow Govinda! Wow Krsna Murari! I will never forget that night as long as I live! It was an explosive, rhythmic, crazy but incredibly melodious kirtan of stratospheric levels. The kirtan seemed to contain a range of rasas that went from sweet to chivalrous, interspersed with some parental lullaby style singing for Sri Krsna as well. Maharaj really seemed to be at home in this environment. If the kirtan could be described in terms of colours, it would have been a range of colours with each colour exhibiting full splendour.

Some of the men were dancing like cowherd boys, as if in a parade following Krsna. Others were musically marching as if like soldiers marching to an anthem, complete with the smashing of wompers and kartals. And then there were those who were individually bopping away.

The women were going round in graceful, circular movements and doing elegant ‘Gopi style’ dancing.

The temple room felt like it was going through a transcendental earthquake; full of musical tremors. Personally, I felt my heart melting but also splashing due to the eruptions of divine molten lava coming from Maharaj’s volcanic sound vibrations. And I knew then that my material conditionings were being thrown out of orbit.

It was a truly epic, life changing experience. After Maharaj wrapped up his kirtan, the famous kirtaneer Madhava Prabhu came on to continue the kirtan. For me, Maharaj’s kirtan became more internal, as it continued well into my sleep! 

HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaj ki Jai!!

 

Lokanath Swami is elaborating about the ISKCON Outreach programs (22 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Sometimes it is very risky to give great philosophical instructions to ordinary people, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for the benefit of the fallen souls of Kali-yuga, has given us a very nice instrument, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.10.18 Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/82ft2f

Harinama in Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Haridasa Thakura was born in a Mohammedan family. From the very beginning of his life he was never trained in the karma-kanda system, but because he was always chanting the holy name of the Lord,...

Our Love and Prayers For The People of Paris.
Radhanath Swami: Terrorism is born of false ego. Strife and friction are caused when we understand only the letter of the religious law but ignore the spirit behind it. Unity and brotherhood of mankind can happen when we transcend the external differences and focus on the spiritual essence of all great traditions.
The essence of every religion is sincerity in cleansing our own hearts, and cultivating humility by honouring every living entity as a child of God. We must educate the youth about these universal principles which teach us to love God and love every
living being as a child of God. – Radhanath Swami

Tel Aviv, Israel, come with us to chant Hare Krishna :) (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The liberated sage Kardama Muni could see Garuda carrying the Lord on the way to Vaikuntha and hear the flapping of his wings vibrating the sound of Hare K...

Maha Harinama Sankirtan Lifts London (Album with photos)
David: There was a subdued atmosphere in London on Saturday night, with fewer people on the streets and a visible police presence after the events in Paris the previous evening.
The devotees were out as usual though, in fact with an even larger sankirtan party than normal as we celebrated ahead of Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day the following day.
One lady stopped me, mentioned the diversity of our group, and
commented about the positivity and happiness we were generating. She contrasted it to the mood of the previous two days and said they should put a clip of us on TV. There were tears in her eyes; clearly she had been touched by the devotees and (unbeknown to her) the power of the maha mantra.
Sri Harinama Sankirtan Yajna Ki Jaya! Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya! Nitai Gaura Premanande! Hari Haribol!
Find them here: http://goo.gl/jpM37s

By Urmila Devi Dasi

Krishna speaks all languages and accepts prayers in any one of them. Still, Sanskrit, which is the language of His own abode and the planets of the demigods in this universe, is especially suitable for understanding and glorifying Him. So, when we started a gurukula, we first looked for a Sanskrit teacher. Over many years, we had several teachers who used varying methods, achieving mixed results. I suppose we included Sanskrit in the gurukula simply because Prabhupada told us it was compulsory (letter Gopala Krsna 76-06-24). Then we couldn’t find a teacher. Reluctantly, with great doubt as to possible success, I surrendered to Krishna’s clear demand: to learn some Sanskrit and teach it myself.

Bringing the Holy Names to schools.
By Acarya Dasa (assisted by Jayabhadra Dasi)
The ‘All India Padayatra’ travels to many different parts of the country and on their journey they also try to visit schools. The aim of visiting schools is to give the children the transcendental taste of the holy names. During the month of October the padayatra party visited as many schools and colleges as they could.
One school we visited was in Venkatampalli located in the district of Anatapur. Akhiladhara Prabhu gave a special class to the school children –he explained the importance of chanting the holy names and how beneficial it is for children to do so. After the class we had kirtana with all the children, who danced and thoroughly enjoyed the transcendental happiness that comes when chanting. Our padayatris asked the students if they were enjoying themselves and many responded by saying that they had never had so much fun at school before and that they really enjoyed the chanting. We were happy to play a part in introducing the holy names to these children and to see them dancing blissfully. Soon after we served prasadam to all the children. Everyday around India, the ISKCON Food For Life program distributes prasadam to almost 1000 children, all of whom get the mercy of the Lord as a result. We were glad to add our humble contribution to this program started by Srila Prabhupada in Mayapur. More photos: http://goo.gl/pBwFAa

Vrindavan: Srila Prabhupada Abhishek on His Disappearance Day - 2015 (40 min video)
“The devotee is also dying, and the nondevotee, sinful man, is also dying. What is the difference?” So there is much difference. The example is given: just like a cat catching a rat in his mouth and at the same time carrying his cubs in the mouth. Superficially, we can see that the same mouth is being used, but one is feeling comfortable being carried by the mother, and another is feeling the death knell. Similarly, at the time of death, the devotee’s feeling that they are being transferred to Vaikuntha, whereas the ordinary sinful man is feeling that the Yamaraja, the dutas, the constables of Yamaraja are dragging him to the hellish condition of life. So one should not conclude simply by seeing that he is dying.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/UX8t0T

Go Puja and Govardhana Puja in Almvik! (7 min video)
ISKCON Stockholm
ISKCON Stockholm 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, t...

By Gaurangi Devi Dasi

The Padayatra Worldwide Ministry headed by Lokanath Swami started to work on its offering of 50 padayatras on Gaura Purnima 2014. To this day 22 padayatras have taken place, 8 are planned and 20 remain to be done by all of you. We are inviting all the devotees worldwide to participate in this glorification of ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada. This goal of 50 padayatras is very feasible, as padayatra is basically a low-cost project of variable duration that can be carried out in many different styles - a one man venture like Bhaktimarga Swami in Canada; a weekend padayatra as an outing for the congregation around your city or your farm; a summer padayatra; an annual walk or a continental or trans-continental walk. Padayatra can be done in different ways, according to the geography of your country, your available time, resources and manpower: with or without a bullock cart, with a horse to pull the cart, or just as an extended harinama.

By Lokanath Swami

In 2008 Sankirtana Dasa was not new to padayatra. He had first heard of padayatra in 1987. After ending his career as a book distributor in Europe that year, where he found the mood no longer suited him, he traveled to India. He was introduced to padayatra in Vrindavana in1987 when he attended an information session led by Bhadra Dasa, who was recruiting devotees to join the walk from Vrindavana to Dwaraka. It was then Sankirtana realized that padayatra was just what he’d been looking for. He went on to walk for almost a year in India, doing book distribution all along the way. “People are much less defensive there, and they reciprocated with us more than they did in the West,” he said. “In India you’re not a sect member but a genuine representative of a tradition. You have every reason to feel your value. In India you even take pride in being Srila Prabhupada’s representative, whereas in Europe you always have to fight that sect image they put on you.”

Russia: Five Week Padayatra November 4, 2015 – From July 10th to August 25th 2015 a group of devotees from 8 different cities walked from Rostov-on-don to Anapa. – Among the participants were 3 temple devotees , 23 members of the congregation (10 grhastas, 12 grhastis, 3 brahmacaris and 3 teen-agers). Every day local devotees joined the party, bringing the total up to 50. – Padayatris did 1 public festival and 5 home programs. – They visited 6 cities: Rostov, Taganrog, Stavropol, Essentuki, Krasnodar and Anapa. – They chanted the maha-mantra for around 63 hours, held 3 kirtan melas and 3 sankirtana educational courses. – 4 new devotee joined – Book distributed by 3-6 devotees: 819 small and 1 maha big
Photos and videos: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/Eq3o/FNE3McMWg

The post Srila Prabhupada had faith that moved mountains appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Vaishnavanghri Sevaka das: Two historical statements about the transcendental literature of Lord Krishna have created a divine atmosphere to reclaim the fallen souls of Kaliyuga around the world.

By Padmapani das

Words can't describe the devastation that we all felt. Hearts broke and tears flowed everywhere. The universe was in sorrow. The pure devotee of Lord Krishna had left the planet. We had lost our master, our protector and our ever well-wisher. Suddenly the universe became cold and dark, and all hope instantly fled from our lives. How could we go on without Prabhupada? It was inconceivable. I remember that I could barely speak a word for the next three days. It was the same for most of us there in the temple. We never imagined that such a time would come. Prabhupada was everything to us and we thought that he would always be here. Of course the spiritual master is present wherever his instructions are followed, but most of us had not anticipated the day when Prabhupada's personal presence would no longer be available.

Lecture Podcast

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The post Appreciating Prabhupada’s resourcefulness and sharing his legacy – Prabhupada Disappearance day class appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Written by Nimai

From Sydney, Kadamba Kanana Swami travelled to Mumbai and arrived at Chowpatty Temple in the evening of 17 October. Even though Maharaj was recovering from the flu still he gave Bhagavatam class the next morning. The following day, he was supposed to speak again but a brahmacari mistakenly announced that Prabhupada will give the morning lecture so Maharaj refused to do so.

After two days, the next destination was the Wada Ecovillage which is the Chowpatty Temple’s farm. Maharaj had many meetings to attend there. However, for the first few days, he was “free”. Using jet lag as his reason, Maharaj stuck to his motto “early to bed, early to rise” and on some days rose before 1 am to chant! On the second day at the farm, Maharaj gave a Bhagavatam class in the Temple which is roughly about then minutes walking distance from the cottages.

Then Maharaj started preparing for the meetings and was quite busy with office work. There were about seventy-five GBCs on the farm for these meetings.

The temperature rose to 37 degrees Celsius during the day but Maharaj could not go for a swim in the pool because of his health condition. However, he “escaped” two days early from the meetings to go to the Juhu Temple where he went for many walks on the beach, just like how Prabhupada used to do! Recordings from Mumbai will follow. On 28 October, Maharaj travelled to Vrindavan.

By Giriraj Swami

A few days before he was to leave us, Srila Prabhupada expressed a desire to travel by bullock cart to different holy places in India. His Holiness Lokanath Swami had been traveling by bullock cart to different places of pilgrimage, and Srila Prabhupada was very enlivened when Lokanath Swami reported to him in Vrndavana. And Prabhupada said that he too would like to go on pilgrimage in a bullock cart. He asked Lokanath Swami to arrange it, and Lokanath Swami was very enthusiastic, having been encouraged by Prabhupada in such a direct way. He immediately went to organize the bullock cart and make all the arrangements. Govardhana-puja was to take place in a couple of days, and Prabhupada said that he would begin his pilgrimage by traveling on a bullock cart to Govardhana Hill to celebrate Govardhana-puja with the Vraja-vasis. At that time, Srila Prabhupada was bedridden and, one could say, emaciated. He was unable to eat; he was able only to sip a little liquid. So he was very gaunt and weak, with almost no energy. He would just lie on his bed, and sometimes, with great difficulty, speak softly, often so faintly that only those very close to him could hear his words. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day
→ Dandavats"

By Radhanath Swami

We Celebrate Both, Appearance & Disappearance: On the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada taught us how to observe this day of the disappearance of the Guru. He explained that there is no difference between appearance and disappearance on the spiritual level. Because, for such divine realized souls who are in contact with the eternal soul, there coming and going into this world are both only for the benefit of those who love them. Of course, on the appearance there is usually a great celebration and on the disappearance there is the celebration of tears – a celebration in the mood of separation. Appearance means unity, meeting, coming together and disappearance means the pains of separation. Krishna sometimes is known as Madan Mohan. One definition of this Madan means meeting and Mohan means separation. So Krishna teaches us to love Him through meeting with us and then through casting us into the realm of separation. Continue reading "The disappearance of HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
→ Dandavats"

November 15. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
It is significant that Prabhupada referred to his work as a “Movement.” This doesn’t refer to political agitation with lobbying or marches on the Capital; it refers to the dancing in kirtan in the streets, and in the movement of gathering numbers of disciples all over the world to create a favorable eddy against the current of Kali-yuga disasters. Prabhupada’s movement is like the dance of a young cowherd boy upon the many, many hoods of the poisonous serpent. Prabhupada is still engaged in his movement, still dancing for you and me, and waiting for us to join the dance. To hold back during this dance means to miss the whole purpose of human existence. Prabhupada is gesturing, “Get up and dance. Just surrender to Krishna. Do as I am doing. Do the ‘Swami Step’ back to the spiritual world with me.” Let us take courage in Prabhupada’s words: “If You have brought me here to dance, then please make me dance as You like.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490

The post Daily Darshan – November 15th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The post Daily Darshan – November 15th, 2015 – Mangal Arati appeared first on Mayapur.com.

8.11.2015_H.H.Bhakti Prabhupada Vrata Damodara Swami_SB -06.02.32

“Make Me Dance” Part 2

"Our process is for manufacturing sincere souls. How is it possible?
Simply by your kindly following the rules and regulative principles and chanting the Holy Names offenselessly. This program is given by Lord Caitanya specifically to change the hearts of the fallen souls of this Kali Yuga for picking up their spiritual life."

Letter to Vrndavana Candra
12 July, 1970

Lakhs of Pilgrims throng Braj for Govardhan Puja.
Over one lakh pilgrims thronged the ghats in Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh on Friday and took a dip in Yamuna river on the occasion of Bhai Dooj, officials said. Thousands of brothers and sisters congregated at the Vishram Ghat in Mathura for the special bath meant to appease the Hindu god of death, Yam Raj. Priest Yamuna Das Chaubey said the river is believed to be the sister of Yam Raj, and brothers and sisters should take a dip together on the day. “Only in Mathura, you have a temple of brother and sister,” he said. The Yamuna ghats in Vrindavan and Mathura were swept clean and barricades put up to regulate crowds. “Over one lakh pilgrims, including many NRIs, reached the ghats on Friday,” an official said. A shopkeeper near the Dwarkadheesh Temple said all hotels near the ghats were packed with devotees.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/MUL7DU

Over the years I’ve found that sometimes that best way to understand the word’s of Srila Prabhupada is to have a practical experience that brings the simplicity of Krishna Consciousness home; making you appreciate the wealth of knowledge and the ability to put things into place.

So here goes.

Two days after my previous months visit to the Manor I was asked to put up a shower curtain & rail as they had knocked it down and were unable to put it back up themselves. Not a problem; however I had removed my shoes (this being one of a few client’s who upon entering their home I remove my shoes). Standing up on the bath to put the shower rail up I took a rather nasty tumble, yes socks and baths don’t go well.

It didn’t take long before the bruising came out and the whole left leg became an interesting shade and somewhat uncomfortable; it would be easy to feel down and despondent; however I was reminded of the words from Srila Prabhupada “if we cut our finger then the devotee understands that their karma should have been they lost the finger and see the cut as Krishna’s mercy.

Reflecting on the fall it should have been a lot worse, indeed it was definitely Sri Krishna’s mercy as without a shadow of a doubt several bone’s should have been broken. Looking at the bruising I could see how even though their was some adversity when you look at it in the light of the teaching’s from Srila Prabhupada the temporary nature and realization that thing’s could have been much worse makes the whole event appear much more trivial, indeed a great positive out of what could have been very negative.

I’m also reminded that Srila Prabhupada always reminded us of the need to put devotional life first, it’s easy to be sidetracked given how much material nature has to offer. So the other week I had an unexpected day off, the following day I was due to take my monthly trip to the temple so what to do?

As the opportunity was their to go early I decided best to take this up and enjoy an extra day with some amazing devotees; their was as always plenty to do along with the opportunity for association and also seeing the latest production by the Bhaktivadanta Players which was amazing.

On my return I was informed that several cars had been written off it happened on the night I had decided to visit the temple; if I hadn’t gone guess were my car would have been Yes right in the path.

Putting service first and taking the opportunity to have some amazing devotional service was indeed a wise move; reminding me that I should never dismiss or refuse the opportunity when it comes.

I was also reminded that Sri Krishna provides us with our needs not necessarily our wants and that humbleness means were happy with this simplicity; the car which I rely on is not the greatest but it meets the need and thankfully passed the MOT so all being well will be able to continue to whisk me from Wales to the temple in London each month.

But most of all it made me grateful for the knowledge Srila Prabhupada has given us all, it answers and solves the many problems and difficulties we face in material life; even though it may take many many years and lots of different experiences before we realize it.

Message from the french devotees: Hare Krishna dear Friends
Thank you so much for your concern for the devotees in Paris. We are situated in some distance out of the city, so all the temple devotees are safe. This is another reminder to become serious....

Govardhan Puja 2015 - ISKCON Mayapur (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Vedic scriptures say: “Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuma for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the brahmanas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Krishna.” (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 3.79 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/zV8sAf

The devotees perform Sankirtana Yajna in Paris, France.
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali-santarana Upanishad, where it is said: “After searching through al the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krishna.” (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 3.40 Purport)