Planet ISKCON

Update on Mukunda Goswami’s Recovery.
Mukunda Goswami is making a slow but steady recovery from the surgeries. While in ICU he was looked after 24/7 by a team of doctors and nurses to make sure that his vital functions were properly restored. Their particular concern was Maharaja’s lungs (risk of a pneumonia) from extended confinement to bed due to the hip fracture as well as possible clotting. Therefore the day after the hip surgery physiotherapists started gently but forcefully encouraging Maharaja to sit up and then to put weight on his legs and walk with the support of a frame. This was (and still is) very painful and difficult for Maharaja, but is paramount for his recovery.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/KBZfbm

Bhakti level - the new video game for brahmacaries :-) (1 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/p1SFBT

The traveling Sankirtan party reaches the remote lake Titicaca, Peru(Album with photos)
Situated in the heart of the Andes Mountains, almost 4,000 metres high up in the clouds, we facilitated the mercy of Lord Caitanya to reach the far off people of the floating islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/cscSPW

Rasanath is a former management consultant and investment banker who became a monk. Rasanath shares his incredible journey from his life as an "external achievement machine", to one rich in spiritual introspection, integrity, and true connectivity.

Rugby personality Marc Ellis spends 3 days at the Hare Krishna Temple in Riverhead, Auckland, New Zealand.

On November 2nd, Mukunda Goswami was shifted from ICU to back to the  Coronary Care Unit, where his operating cardio surgeon, orthopaedic surgeon and medical team daily check on him.  Mukunda Maharaja’s medical condition is improving, although he still is in a lot of pain, aggravated by the need to sit up in a chair for his lungs rather than lie down in bed.

The post Celebrating the appearance eve of Radha-kunda appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Bhakta Gabor asks why its disrespectful to show your feet to someone or sit in class with your feet sticking out appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Narrotama Kirtan Utsava 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The post Daily Darshan – November 4th, 2014 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Hare Krishna! When Science leads to God
If you think strongly enough, you will be forced by science to believe in God: Lord Kelvin There is a perfect brain behind all the natural physical laws: Albert Einstein This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being…This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all, and on account of His dominion He is to be called Lord God, Universal Ruler: Newton God is the supreme cause of all causes. He is the designer, maintainer and destroyer. It is because of Him that the sun shines, crops grow, water flows, rains pour and we survive.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=21155

Hare Krishna! ToVP Networking at the WTM, London!
Seven years before the ToVP opens and much interest is found at the World’s biggest travel/tourism fair. Little doubt then that by the time Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Sri Pancatattva and Lord Nrsimhadeva move to their new glorious temple, we will have one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions to manage!
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=21152

Fremantle Rathayatra (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: Fremantle is a suburb just south of Perth the capital of Western Australia. Every year the Council organises the Fremantle Parade, which comprises about 100 floats and marching bands.
The devotees were invited to participate about 5 years ago and entered with Lord Jagannatha’s Ratha Cart.
This year, the beautiful deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi rode through the streets to the accompaniment of kirtan from around two hundred devotees.
Find them here: http://goo.gl/yJEZxm

 

---

The Czech Summer Camp took place from 01-06 July. A detailed description of the event can be found by clicking here.

Below are the recordings courtesy of Antardvip Das. You may listen online by hitting the ‘play’ button. To download, right-click on a title and save-target-as.

 

 

Lectures

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_03July2015_CC_Antya_7.1

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_03July2015_SB_1.2.15

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_04July2015_Srila_Prabhupada_Katha

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_05July2015_SB_1.2.17

 

Kirtans

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_03July2015_Harinam_in_Jindrichuv_Hradec

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_03July2015_Short_kirtan_before_lecture

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_04July2015_Mangala_arati

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_04July2015_Nrsimhadev_prayers

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_04July2015_Short_kirtan_before_lecture

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_05July2015_Gurupuja_and_wild_kirtan

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_05July2015_Kirtan_after_initiation

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_05July2015_Kirtan_at_wedding

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_05July2015_Mangala_arati

KKS_CZ_SummerCamp_05July2015_Nrsimhadev_prayers

 

 

 

Iskcon Australia: Harinama at Byron Bay - 01 November 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One who hears the transcendental sound vibration of the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krishna, also improves in health. We have actually seen that many brahmacaris and grhastas connected with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness have improved in health, and a luster has come to their faces. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.21.45-47 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/rm7Fqw

November 4. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
It is especially important for disciples not to try to second-guess their guru. I remember in the beginning days at 26 Second Avenue, devotees sometimes wondered, when does Prabhupada actually talk to Krishna? Maybe he does it in his sleep. For awhile, there was even speculation whether Prabhupada was even actually Krishna Himself. The disciple can only understand things rightly when they are explained by the acarya according to sastra and sadhu. It is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, “Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I know him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord.” (CC Adi 1.44)
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490

Further Intimate Understanding of Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krishna! Intention in tension?
“Stones and sticks will break my bones, but words will never harm me.” This saying urges us to become thick-skinned and not let people’s harsh words hurt us. It is an expression of a conscious intention, a rallying call to steel oneself against painful words, whose power to injure is conveyed in another aphorism: “Words hurt more than swords.” The dynamics underlying these two paradoxical sayings can be understood from a pastime in the Ramayana. When Rama was living in the forest with his wife Sita and his younger brother Lakshmana, they became the target of a conspiracy by the demon king Ravana who wanted to abduct Sita. He instructed one of his demon associates, a shapeshifting wizard named Maricha, to assume the form of a spellbindingly beautiful deer. It danced and pranced near Rama’s forest cottage, captivating the tenderhearted Sita.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=21141

TOVP update (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: Winter has finally approached Mayapur,
the month of Kartika has begun and works are continuing.
The TOVP steadily rises.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/7KEA4d

Winter has finally arrived Mayapur.

Along with the change of seasons the month of Kartika has begun, bringing the blessings and mercy of Lord Damodar. Work on the TOVP steadily continues, bringing newer and newer developments and progress towards its completion by 2022.

[See image gallery at tovp.org]

The post Scenic Winter Views of the TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Fremantle is a suburb just south of Perth. Every year the Council organises the Fremantle Parade, which comprises about 100 floats and marching bands.

 

Even Halloween can be engaged in Lord Krsna’s service. At TKG Academy we celebrated the Fall Festival with the students dressed as characters from our devotional scriptures. The costumes included some of the Lord’s main incarnations, such as Lord Nrsimhadeva, Lord Vamanadeva, Lord Ramacandra along with His wife Sita, Their devotee Jatayu and Ahalya, Lord Parasurama and Kurma Avatar. There were other manifestations such as The Universal Form and Mohini Murti and some demigods, like Agni and Lord Siva. Lord Krsna’s personal weapon, the Sudarsana Cakra was present. We also had Lord Krsna Himself, in His original form as a cowherd boy in the village of Vrndavana, along with His mother Yasoda, His most beloved Srimati Radharani, other gopis and cowherd boys and the river Yamuna. We had some characters from the Mahabharata, such as Bhismadeva and Yudhisthira. The goddess Kali appeared in her very ferocious form and the most recent and merciful incarnation of Lord Nityananda joined as well. Everywhere you looked you were reminded of Krsna and His various pastimes. In fact, the students enacted those pastimes, according to the particular personality they were dressed as, thus further immersing our minds in remembrance of the Lord and absorbing our consciousness in Him.

Photos courtesy of Bhismadeva Prabhu. To view the full album please follow the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/37681717@N02/albums/72157660620754185

It is only the exceptional mercy of Lord Caitanya and His representative, Srila Prabhupada, that we can be all delivered and go back home, back to Godhead.

Radhanath Swami Attends United Nations Church Center Service.
On September 24th, 2015, Radhanath Swami was invited to a special service at the United Nations Church Center in New York City. This event was to mark the involvement of faith leaders in helping to realise the goals of the United Nations and World Bank over the next 15 years. The new set of 15-year goals for the UN are known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A total of 18 goals, they aim to address global issues ranging from gender equality, education, and climate change. Separately, over the next 15 years the World Bank aims to eliminate extreme poverty in the world. The intimate gathering at the UN Church Center brought together UN and World Bank officials, the heads of large non-profit organisations, and international religious leaders. During the event people spoke about the challenges the world faces, the commendable actions of the UN and World Bank to help address these, and the importance of working with religious communities.
Read more: http://goo.gl/5wgwT3

Madan Mohan Temple (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Photo gems of our visit to Madan Mohan temple in Vrindavan and the samadhi of Srila Sanatan Goswami. A day we will never forget.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/q32wNm

Hare Krishna! Yatra into the Villages and the Self.
In the spirit of serving their beloved guru and his guru His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the small team of devotees comprising Gour Gopal prabhu, Jananivasprabhu, Ram Lakshman prabhu, Rupanuga prabhu, Sripati prabhu, Siddha Balram prabhu, Toshan Krishna prabhu, (names in alphabetical order) moved on to the next village named Mallareddygudem (October 27). This had unique problem. There was no water facility, even drinking water was sparse and one had to make all kinds of ingenuous ways to face this problem, beginning from the basic requirements of cleanliness to cooking bhoga for the Lordships. It had become even more pronounced in the humid climate of the village.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=21130

One time Srila Prabhupada described prasadam as Lord Caitanya’s ‘secret weapon.’ When properly cooked with love and devotion, prasadam has an amazing ability to purify the heart and awaken love for Krsna. On our festival tour in Poland this summer we focused on preparing first-class foodstuffs for our guests who purchased them from our restaurant [...]

Photo gems of our visit to Madan Mohan temple in Vrindavan and the samadhi of Srila Sanatan Goswami. A day we will never forget.

The post The lessons we all have to learn from Bahula devi – truthfulness and trustworthiness appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post The entire Srimad Bhagavatam Class 6.16.39 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! Krishna is mine and I am His.
By Urmila Devi Dasi. PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada: If one is actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot have any enemies. Since his only engagement is to induce others to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, or God, how can he have enemies? If one advocates the Hindu religion, the Muslim religion, the Christian religion, this religion or that religion, there will be conflicts. History shows that the followers of religious systems without a clear conception of God have fought with one another. There are many instances of this in human history, but systems of religion that do not concentrate upon service to the Supreme are temporary and cannot last for long because they are full of envy.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=21124

https://flic.kr/s/aHskoxawuC

The post Radha Damodara on Radhakunda prakata appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, April 2010) 

It takes some practice and willpower to just detach the mind from the senses. It can be done when one has no faith in sense gratification. Like one of my favourite statements is, “A declaration of no faith in sex!” I like that because sexual desire is ringing at our doorbell from time-to-time, and it is back again. Just when you thought that it was all over, there it is again – sexual agitation.

I read about a cat in America. The owners tried to get rid of this cat and drove all the way from the Northern State to California. They left the cat in California and the cat walked back home! Quite impressive and sexual desire is no less potent and no matter where you leave it, it will always re-emerge, again and again and again.

But if we have no faith in sex then it becomes much easier to say, “Here you are and there is an opportunity, I know, but it is not going to make me happy. Therefore, why invest so much energy into this particular activity.”