Planet ISKCON

A focus area. Kadamba Kanana Swami: In recent years, a lot of focus is there on individuality, on engaging according to one’s nature, in finding one’s natural place in Krsna consciousness. In the earlier years of this movement, a lot of emphasis was placed on sacrifice – sacrifice for the mission and one’s nature. Both elements are there where people are looking more for individual expression. We can also see more creative ways of engaging in devotional service, which opens up more avenues for more people to connect. So in that way, we established our movement in so many ways to society! That is fine and nice but the sacrificing spirit still remains very valuable. The spirit of simply putting one’s own idea aside for the higher interest! Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/C3pAS8

November 2. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
How to Meditate on Srila Prabhupada All the Time.
One psychologist was talking about the importance of noticing things: If you notice when you get angry, or you notice when you are acting, you can curb these tendencies. He recommended a simple technique of just paying attention to your own breathing and noting how your skin or eyes feel. In order to work deeply, the noticing should be kept very simple. It is not a matter of thinking of concepts, but the primitive act of noticing. When I read of this technique, I thought of applying it to my Prabhupada meditations. I think it’s something anyone can do.
For example, someone pronounces the word “Prabhupada.” You become alert. You don’t have to think about it. You can feel “Prabhupada’s name was just spoken.” On another occasion, say you are taking prasadam in the association of devotees, suddenly you notice that you are among devotees and the prasadam you are eating has been cooked in a particular way; that the child of the couple to your left has a Sanskrit name – everything has been taught to us by Prabhupada. You may feel this in an overall way, or you may notice particular details. It doesn’t require a verbal acknowledgement, but you want to feel the awareness of Prabhupada in everything you do.
This act of noticing is not intended as a substitute to the more discursive methods of glorifying Prabhupada with our intelligence and words, but it can supplement our present meditation. Sometimes we are tired of talking, or we realize that words will not be able to capture our experience. Perhaps we are with people who have no interest in Prabhupada, or we ourselves don’t feel inspired enough to speak. At times like this, this “awareness” technique can be fully utilized. We stop in the midst of outward activities, perhaps starting by becoming aware of our own breath, and then turn up the “awareness” volume until we perceive Prabhupada’s blessing and presence.
If we are fortunate to live in a society of devotees, then whether we “notice” or not, we are regularly being exposed to Prabhupada’s lectures, books, kirtanas and way of life. Even when we don’t actively remember him, we can be assured that our inner self is benefiting by exposure to Prabhupada. If an iron rod is placed in fire gradually it will become hotter and hotter, even if only by imperceptible degrees. Prabhupada used to give that example that a preoccupied airplane passenger may not notice when the plane takes off, but after awhile he will be surprised to see that he is thousands of feet above the Earth. Similarly, even if we sometimes fail to notice the benefit of living in Prabhupada’s shelter, eventually Prabhupada will bless us to become more aware.
The Scriptures inform us that the association of devotees gives the greatest benefit and is the only solace in this material world. More important than techniques meant to bring us into greater awareness of Prabhupada is to first situate ourselves solidly in the association of devotees. In this way our hearts and minds will automatically fill up with Krishna consciousness. But when we do become situated, we will want to develop our abilities to remember and love Prabhupada. We will want to fill our minds only with positive impressions of Prabhupada’s presence in our lives. This will not only help us come closer to Krishna, but will give us greater appreciation for Prabhupada’s other followers. It will help to eradicate envy from our hearts, which in turn will give us a stronger desire to absorb ourselves in Prabhupada consciousness.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490

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How to Meditate on Srila Prabhupada All the Time

These are Ananta Vrindavan’s spectacular photos of our parikrama into the heart of Mathura. We were in awe of the ancient temples and we eagerly sought the mercy of the many Deities worshipped throughout the city.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, May 2011, Radhadesh, Belgium, Lecture)

Our movement is growing and it is not only growing in numbers but it is also growing in complexity! In the earlier days of Srila Prabhupada establishing the preaching mission, this movement was more simple. The membership was more homogenous – people of a similar age group and all engaged in the same activity.

Now, there is much more diversity! Diversity in different members of this movement and also diversity in different kinds programs so we need a very broad movement! We need a movement which provides various ways for all kinds of people to engage in Krsna consciousness because Krsna consciousness is possible in any condition of life therefore it is meant for all kinds of people.There is not just a particular stereotyped way of practicing Krsna consciousness. So in one way, engaging ones nature is valuable!

In recent years, a lot of focus is there on individuality, on engaging according to ones nature, in finding ones natural place in Krsna consciousness. In the earlier years of this movement, a lot of emphasis was placed on sacrifice – sacrifice for the mission and ones nature. Both elements are there where people are looking more for individual expression. We can also see more creative ways of engaging in devotional service, which opens up more avenues for more people to connect. So in that way, we established our movement in so many ways to society! That is fine and nice but the sacrificing spirit still remains very valuable. The spirit of simply putting ones own idea aside for the higher interest!

Just like Srila Prabhupada emphasized book distribution and that emphasis will not go away no matter what we do. There was a time when book distribution was the emphasis of the Hare Krsna movement as a whole and there was only a small percentage who were not part of the book distribution focus but times have changed and book distribution had at one point become a peripheral program – a side program and it lessened as a mainstream focus.

Now in recent years, we see worldwide a resurgence of book distribution. There is an increase and the focus is also increasing, as statistics shows. So as they say, the pendulum swings – it swings from one side to the other but Srila Prabhupada’s desires remain valid. Whether our community takes different forms at different historical points in time, Prabhupada’s desires still remain as an exceptional source of blessings! We can get such blessings by simply trying to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s desires!

Therefore, again and again, that will come to the fore front, even if at times the focus shifts a little but remains within the boundaries of authorized vaisnava behaviour. If we miss the emphasizes which Srila Prabhupada gave or the points that he stressed, then we will dry up a little bit. So therefore our connection with Srila Prabhupada is extremely important and it must remain in the focus of our movement, then our movement will flourish!

Recently I gave a brief class for the residents of an ISKCON center, during their daily morning spiritual programme. The topic of my class was the nine stages of development in Bhakti-Yoga and how to make sure and steady progress towards the goal: Krishna Prema. When I received feedback about this class, I came to realize the significance of “generation gaps” between people who enter ISKCON at different eras.

As I see it, ISKCON has a few key eras:

1. The Newborn Era – Prabhupāda is directly accessible to the few dozen devotees who were newly forming around him. Chanting with him and learning from him is the main focus.
2. The Childhood Era (c.1970 ~ 73) – Prabhupāda establishes people to lead on his behalf, under his oversight. Kīrtan in the streets is the main focus.
3. The Era of Adolescence (’73 ~ ’77) – Society becomes huge. Aggressive book distribution becomes the focus.
4. Adult(eration) Era (’78 ~ ’86) – Prabhupāda departs, others take over the position of guru, primarily with disastrous outcomes. Making money becomes the focus.
5. Midlife Crisis (’87 ~ ’90) – Attempts at reform and self-improvement, amidst the aftermath of the previous era. Reconstruction is the focus.
6. The Era of Higher Education (’91 ~ ’98) – Emphasis begins to fall on thorough study of śāstra and deeper commitment to and understanding of sādhana. Spiritual and philosophical education becomes the focus.
7. The Era of Diversification (’99 ~ present) – Broader definitions of what it means to be a “devotee.” ISKCON itself starts to develop capacity for fostering diverse viewpoints, and splinters of ISKCON become plentiful and begin offering diverse attitudes and approaches to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism.

The first four have one strong, unifying characteristic that make them almost seem like four phases within a single era. That characteristic is the very firm and fervent belief that Krishna consciousness is primarily all about “surrendering to guru” and “pleasing guru” by doing “whatever guru asks of you.”

When almost all the gurus proved unreliable, it made us search for the flaw in our attitude towards them. Thus the later eras started to see śāstra as the ultimate authority, and came to view guru as the key figure whose merciful guidance and instruction helps us deeply and clearly understand śāstra, and the practices and precepts revealed therein.

When I gave my class on the 9 stages of progress in Bhakti Yoga, one person in attendance was a devotee from the older generation, who had been absent from ISKCON during the 5th, 6th, and 7th eras and had returned to an important role in the society in recent years – making him a particularly extreme example of “generation gap” since he is someone from the older generation who did not participate in the gradual evolution that lead to many of the contemporary outlooks.

I will take the opportunity to clarify a few doubts he expressed in my class.

I – “Just Surrender”

He felt that concentrating on one’s progress in Bhakti Yoga, and on ones spiritual practices, was antithetical to the mood of surrendering to guru. This is a false dichotomy because the bonafide guru primarily directs one to concentrate on your spiritual practices and make careful progress in Bhakti Yoga.

II – Kṛpa-Siddhi or “Self-Discovery”?

He felt that the results of bhakti come by the blessings of the guru, not by efforts to understand Gauḍīya philosophy and apply oneself carefully to Gauḍīya practices. This is also a false dichotomy because the “blessings of guru” literally are the philosophy they communicate to us, and the practices they reveal and direct us in. If this were not the case, why did all our Gauḍīya gurus, including Śrīla Prabhupāda, write so many books and put so much emphasis on kīrtan and fundamental spiritual practices like chanting a significant set number of “rounds” of mantra every day?

Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (Nectar of Devotion) reveals that kṛpā is always the key to success in Bhakti, but that we obtain kṛpā as a result of our efforts to appreciate and value it. In other words, we obtain mercy as a result of our practice (sādhana). To obtain perfection by mercy alone, neglecting philosophy and practice is, they say, exceedingly, exceedingly, exceedingly rare.

III – Sādhana is Rāgānugā. Book Distribution is Vaidhi.

This is completely wrong. Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu very clearly defines that there are two types of sādhana. Both of them follow the rules and regulations of the spiritual practices, but one of them (rāgānugā) does so out of a specific desire to attain a specific type of love for Krishna. “Services” (like managing a temple, or selling a book, etc) are mostly karma-miśra-bhakti-yoga, or, for advanced practitioners could be either vaidhi or rāgānugā sādhana, depending on their motivation and realization of the individual.

IV – “Many Gurus” is a Bogus Idea

Previously ISKCON defined the “guru” as the person who runs every aspect of your life. Now, ISKCON is beginning to understand that the guru is a person who reveals Krishna to you and gives you the opportunity to attain Him through Krishna prema. As such a guru may or may not be involved in many or a few details of your personal life.

With the previous idea of guru it would be very hard to understand how there could be many gurus. How could you follow many “ultimate masters” at the same time!?!? How could you have many husbands, so to speak!?!? But with the correct understanding of guru, it is easy to understand why śāstra describes that there are many gurus, some who are inspirations, some who start us off in the right direction, some who teach us different aspects of philosophy and practice, and one who grants us a mantra and tilak and official acceptance into a specific branch of the family of spiritual practitioners.

• Vraja Kishor
• http://www.vrajakishor.com

Tagged: ISKCON

Hare Krishna! “TWO” SHORT TO ROPE THE UNIVERSE
Chaitanya Charan Das : One of the important legends associated with Diwali is Damodara lila, a pastime in which mother Yashoda tried to tie Krishna with a rope. The rope turned out to be two fingers short. So she tied more rope, but, no matter how many ropes she tied together, the combined rope remained two fingers short. This pastime signifies that no matter how much we try, we will always fall short in our attempts to understand God with our intelligence. Modern science is finding the same about the universe too, which, the Vedic literatures state, is a product of God’s superintelligence. Centuries of cosmological research has increased scientific information, but not scientific understanding, because of “two” unexpected trends: 1. The more scientists know, the more they realize how little they know – Science “conquered” space – and realized how little it knew about space. To the uninformed, space missions proved human greatness. To the well informed, they showed human smallness. Space research reveals that there are more stars in the universe than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of earth, and our sun is just one of these cosmic grains.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1891

(An Excerpt from the book Mysteries of the Ancient Vedic Empire, by Stephen Knapp)

As we look over the various cultures and religions of the world, we may ask if all religious systems are divine. Though they seem to conflict with each other on various points, still there are many areas of truth in which they all agree. Or you could say that some of the same essential truths can be found within each of them. And by a careful comparison, we can trace the essence of that truth back to what was originally explained in the Vedas, the oldest of all written texts, and, more importantly, what was the most developed of all cultures and philosophies.

In this way, we can also trace these essential truths back from one religion to another, and how the Vedic culture influenced Zoroastrianism, which influenced Judaism, which influenced Christianity, which influenced Islam. However, each succeeding religion became more distant from the original spiritual teachings and understanding, until each one thought that, rather than offering truths and processes to be followed, they promoted the idea that they were also the only way, superior to all else. When, actually, they were becoming increasingly narrow in their views, and less able to give people true enlightenment by showing how to uplift their consciousness to perceive the spiritual dimension, but demanding merely blind faith to follow it or go to hell, or some other such thing. This strategy hardly offers any real improvement or social upliftment, other than offering what may be a few moral principles, but little of any genuine spiritual development. And this is the loss, and what becomes a complete misdirection of the actual purpose of a spiritual path.

One of the early religions that others are traced back to is Zoroastrianism. But even this can be traced further back to the Vedic culture and the Rig Veda. To help explain some of this, we will reference Suhotra Swami’s book Dimensions of Good and Evil, where he describes what he calls the “Zoroastrian Nexus.”

It starts with a person named Jarutha described in the Rig Veda in less than complimentary terms, wherein he is against the sage Vasistha. It is also said (RV 7.9.6) that Vasistha had later killed Jarutha, possibly with Agni, fire. In the Rig Veda (7.13.1) Agni is also called the demon (asura) slayer.

In the Vedic texts, Jarutha is also called Jarasabdha. The Bhavishya Purana (Chapters 139-140) describes the history of the Maga Jarasabdha. The word maga refers to a dynasty of priests whom Jarasabdha was a progenitor, born in the family line of vira aditya, the powerful Aditya, meaning the sun god. So worship of the sun was important in their line.

Mandala Seven of the Rig Veda talks about Vasistha’s devotion to Varuna. Varuna was a great god of the rivers and seas, and was also called Asura-maya in the Rig Veda. Asura-maya means lord of the demons, the non-Vedics, because Varuna had power over the demonic undersea creatures. (Asura comes from the Sanskrit asun-rati, meaning he who gives life or rejuvenates, and maya because he measured out the sky. The word asura later became connected with those who were against the Vedic standards.)

Vasistha was fathered by the demigods Varuna and Mitra. It seems that both Jarutha and Vasistha were priests of Varuna, but a rivalry broke out between the two. Because of this rivalry, Jarutha left the Vedic culture and preached something different. He did not accept the Vedic standards and began to promote a different view, which was not accepted by Varuna. Due to this disagreement, Varuna cursed Jarutha and rejected him from Brahminical culture. So Jarutha was expelled from the region of Bharatvarsha, and he went to Persia. There he was able to propagate his own religion and philosophy.

In the region of Persia, Jarutha became known as Zarathustra, and began what became known as Zoroastrianism, called after his other name Zoroaster, which is a Greek derivative from the name Zarathustra. But even historically it is known that his early teachings aroused great hostility towards him.

In ancient Iran, the hereditary priestly caste was called the Magi. So it appears that the lineage of Maga Jarasabdha (Jarutha, Zarathustra) began from Varuna, the chief of the solar deities. In the Zoroastrian Zend Avesta, the name of God is Ahura-mazda, which matches Varuna’s Vedic title of Asura-maya. So, Zarathustra changed what had been the Vedic view into a different philosophy. Ahura Mazda, which means Wise Lord, became the name of the Zoroastrian God.

Furthermore, the Vedic demigods are headed by Brihaspati, whose other name is Angirasa, from where we get the name of Angra Mainyu in Zoroastrianism, who is depicted as the devil or Satan. So the Satan of Zoroastrianism is the Vedic spiritual master of the demigods.

In this way, Jarutha took the side of the demons and, though accepting Varuna as the main god, he promoted the idea that the non-Vedics were superior in their position. Basically, his philosophy was a rejection of the Vedic view, and he refashioned it in his own way. So there were still many Vedic aspects that remained. Even the language in the Zend Avesta is very similar to Sanskrit, and contains much pre-Zoroastrian material that can be related to the Rig Veda.

Nonetheless, Jarutha/Zarathustra called the demons Ahuras, or the pious ones, opposite of the Vedic view of them being called asuras, the demons. He also called them the daivas, similar to the Sanskrit name devas for demigods. In this way, the whole philosophy of Zoroastrianism was to take the Vedic philosophy and turn it upside down. So in Zoroastrianism the power of darkness became the power of light because he agreed with the non-Vedic point of view.

The point is that now we had Angra Mainyu as the name of the devil and Ahura Mazda as the name of God in this new faith. This idea of a God and a counterpart known as the devil, who could threaten the plans of God and divert the good intentions of the pious, now appeared for the first time, and is what filtered down through other religions of that region, including Judaism, Christianity and then Islam. The basis of this whole idea was pure concoction. And this idea and lack of higher spiritual knowledge is what has negatively affected any of the philosophies that followed this premise. This was because Zoroaster had accepted one demigod in contrast to another, rather than accepting the purer form of Lord Vishnu or Krishna as the Supreme, who has no rival. However, even in the Vedic system there may be evil spirits, subtle beings who are misguided and malevolent, and who cause trouble, but they are not beings who can threaten the will of the Supreme Lord.

As Suhotra Swami explains further: “It is curious how Zoroastrianism amplified this dualism [of a devil against God]. In the Vedic version, Asura-maya, Varuna, lord of the waters, dwells in the depths of the cosmic Garbhodaka Ocean, far below the earth. Yama’s [Yamaraja, the lord of death] underworld heaven and hell are very near that ocean; in the matter of chastising the sinful, Yama and Varuna are closely allied. In the Zoroastrian version, Ahura-mazda (Varuna) is the lord of light who gave his servant Yima an underworld kingdom called Vara, a realm that, while dark to human eyes, is mystically illuminated. In the Vedic version, Mitra and Varuna are a pair of demigods who in ancient times served the Supreme Lord as a team by supervising the realms of light and darkness. In the Zoroastrian version, Varuna is the supreme lord. Mitra is his light. The mantle of darkness (evil) is worn by an unceasing enemy of Ahura-mazda named Angra Mainyu or Ahriman. It appears that Angra Mainyu is the Vedic Angirasa (Brihaspati), spiritual master of the devas and a great foe of Shukracharya, the spiritual master of the asuras. From Mahabharata 1.66.54-55 we learn that Varuna took the daughter of Shukracharya, named Varuni, as his first wife.

“In the Vedic version, the powers of light and darkness or good and evil are not ultimate. By taking them to be ultimate, and moreover by reversing them (portraying the asuras as good and the devas as evil), Zarathustra twisted the Supreme Lord’s purpose for the cosmos that is administered on His behalf by such agents as Varuna, Yama and Brihaspati. Zoroastrianism was a revolutionary departure from Vedic philosophy.” (Suhotra Swami, Dimensions of Good and Evil, pp. 120-121)

Professor Norman Cohn, who heads an influential school of thought among religious historians, feels that the teachings of Zarathustra are the source of the philosophy of the apocalypse, the end of times–the belief in a final war between God’s army of angels and the devil’s army of demons. It is this idea that has continued down through various religions today.

In Zoroastrianism, this apocalyptic war was expected to start with the appearance of a messiah or savior, named Saoshyant, who would prevail against the forces of evil, at which time the dead would be resurrected from their graves. Then there would be a great assembly which would be a final judgment of all souls, the wicked ones would be destroyed and the righteous would become immortal, and the kingdom of God would be established on earth, wherein the righteous would enjoy life forever. It was the first time this sort of idea was promoted.

This has paved the way for many believers who are waiting for the end of times, the end of days, and they see signs of its approach in every evil thing that happens around them, expecting that they will be delivered to eternity in a resurrected but purified material body on a new earth. All of this shows a lack of deeper spiritual understanding, which has also paved the way for what can be seen as a sense of religious superiority, the feeling that my religion is better than yours and is the only way to salvation in the eyes of God. And from this has spread humongous quarrels, torture, hatred, and war, from nothing more than what has been traced back to a product of someone’s imagination simply because he rejected the Vedic system.

This borrowing from one religion to another can be recognized in many other ways as well. So let us look at a few more. For example, the idea that Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden that we find in the Bible, and where they are tempted to eat of the forbidden fruit by Satan, is almost entirely taken from the Jewish scriptures. Also the description of angels, such as Gabriel, Michael, Azrael, and Israfil, who have particular positions and purposes as we find in the Jewish tradition, which took these from the Persians, was also borrowed by Mohammed, who was said to have been given what became the Islamic teachings from the angel Gabriel.

Another example is the bridge to heaven. This is called Al Sirat by Mohammed. This is said to go over the abyss of hell, and is said to be finer than a hair, and sharper than the edge of a sword. Being led by Mohammed, Muslims are supposed to easily cross over it, whereas the wicked will lose their footing and fall into hell beneath them. However, the Jews had previously spoken of the bridge of hell, which is also no wider than a thread. But going further back, both the Muslims and the Jews are equally indebted to the Zoroastrians who had taught that on the last day, all men will be forced to pass over such a bridge, in their language called Pul Chinavad. ¹

Even the concept of heaven and hell can be traced back to Zoroastrianism. Of course, there were also descriptions of both the heavenly and hellish planets in the Puranic texts. This was adopted by Zarathushtra and explained in the Gathas that heaven, or Garo-de-mana (Garotman in Persian), is where the angels sing hymns to God. This is described in the Yas xxxviii, 10; xxxiv, 2, which agrees with a similar description in Isaiah VI and Revelation of St. John.

Another example is the idea of paradise. In the Islamic faith, after crossing the Al Sirat, the faithful will reach paradise, which is situated in the seventh heaven. In this paradise, there are beautiful gardens, furnished with springs, fountains, and rivers, along with milk, honey, and trees with trunks of gold which produce the most delicious fruits. And more attractive than that are the 70 or so ravishingly beautiful girls called hur-ul-ayun on account of their big black eyes. However, most of this description is indebted to the Jews, for which, unfortunately, many of the Muslims have a great dislike. In the Jewish texts, such as Gemar Tanith, f. 25; Biracoth, f.34; Nidrash Sabboth, f. 37, all relate the future mansion of heaven as being a delicious garden in the seventh heaven. And the Midrash, Yalkut Shewini also describes it as having three gates with four rivers flowing with milk, wine, balsam, and honey. Anyone can see the similarities, one religion inheriting or borrowing from the other.

However, the Zoroastrians also described paradise in a similar manner. Paradise was called Bihisht and Minum which indicates crystal, where the righteous will enjoy all manner of delights, especially the company of huran-i-Bihisht or black-eyed nymphs of paradise, the care of whom is under the angel Zamiyad. So this seems to be the roots of the nymphs of paradise that was borrowed by later religions. Also, in one of the later writings of the Parsis (a group of Zoroastrians), the Nama Mihabad (40 & 41) describes that the lowest order of heaven is where the residents will enjoy all the delights of this world; nymphs, male and female slaves, meat and drink, clothing and bedding, articles of furniture, and other things too many to describe. ² Of course, this sounds like hardly anything spiritual, but merely a continuation of the comforts any materialist would dream of having. Surely an enticing picture for those who think they deserve it.

Even Satan or the principle of evil is often described as a serpent, first in the Zend Avesta in Zoroastrianism, which in turn gave this to Christianity, and then on to Islam. Thus, all these often depict the evil principle as a serpent. ³ The German philosopher Schopenhaur also recognized this, as he stated in his book Religion and Other Essays (p.III): “And this confirms the views which has been established on other grounds that Jehova is a transformation of Ormuzd [Ahura Mazda], and Satan of the Ahriman [Angra Mainyu] who must be taken in connection that Ormuzd himself is a transformation of Indra [the Vedic demigod of heaven].”

We must consider, in this example, that in the Vedic philosophy, heaven is still a part of the temporary material creation and is not a part of the spiritual world. Therefore, Indra is a demigod and not the Supreme Being of the spiritual domain, which is beyond and outside the material worlds.

Another idea was the resurrection of the body, which actually is not found in the Vedic principles, but started with the Zoroastrian doctrine. The whole idea that during the last judgment the body would be resurrected was then accepted by the Jews, who lent it further to the Christians, especially through the teachings of Paul who was previously a Jew anyway, and then it went to Islam. The seed of this idea can be found in the Zend Avesta where it states (Zamyad Yasht XIX, 89-90): “This splendour attaches itself to the hero (who is to rise out of the number) of prophets (called Saoshyant) and to his companions, in order to make life everlasting, undecaying, imperishable, imputriscible, incorruptible, for ever existing, for ever vigorous, full of power, (at the time) when the dead shall rise again, and imperishableness of life shall commence, making life lasting by itself (without further support). All the world will remain for eternity in a state of righteousness; the devil will disappear from all those places whence he used to attack the righteous man in order to kill (him), and all his brood and creatures will be doomed to destruction.”

Herein we can see the Vedic premise of the eternal nature of the soul within the body, which will continue after the death of the body, but it has been misinterpreted to be the idea that the body is what will rise again. That it will live without the influence of the illusory nature, which here is suggested as the freedom from the presence of the devil, the principle of evil or illusion. And once free in this way, the living being can reach his full potential, such as described here as being indestructible, vigorous, everlasting, etc. This is all but a misinterpretation of the Vedic spiritual concepts, but filtered through the idea that the body is still the permanent identity of the eternal soul. We could discuss this for a lengthy time, which I have already done in some of my other books, but here we will leave it at this.

Even the Islamic phrase from the Koran “La-Elah-illiullah” (there is no God but God) is nothing but a repeat of the Zoroastrian formula “Nest ezad Magar Yazdan.”

Also, as every chapter of the Koran (except the ninth) opens with the words “Bismillah uar Rahman er Rahim,” this merely corresponds to the same formula which begins the Zoroastrian books, namely “Banam Yazdan Bakhshish gar dadar,” both basically meaning “in the name of the most merciful God.” So one is not so unique from the other, though they do not realize this.

As the Vedic followers called themselves Aryas or Aryans, the Parsis also called themselves Aryas, as described in the Zend Avesta, in such places as, “To the glory of the Aryas,” (Sirozah I, 9); “We sacrifice unto the glory of the Aryas made by Mazda,” (Sirozah II, 9); “How shall the country of the Aryas grow fertile,” (VIII, Yast, 9); “Ahura Mazda said, If men sacrifice unto Vretreghna made by Ahura… never will a hostile horde enter the Aryan countries, nor any plague, nor leprosy, nor venomous plants, nor the chariot of a foe, nor the uplifted spear of a foe.” (Bahram Yast, 48)

The question should be: Is it not about time for the Muslims to realize how much of their doctrines, ideas and sayings were inherited from previous cultures and religions, like Judaism and also Zoroastrianism? It can hardly be called a new revelation or special message from God. Each religion professes that their God is merciful, kind and loving. Or that their prophet or savior is giving something new. But as we find by studying the Koran and the Old Testament of the Bible, the revengeful nature of the God of the Torah is very much the same as the threatening nature of Allah in the Koran, where there are certain passages that tell the followers to make war upon and slay the infidels. These are both far different than the love for your neighbor that was recommended by Jesus in the New Testament. ⁴

As explained by Ganga Prasad in his book The Fountain-Head of Religion: “As for Zoroastrianism, its theism is in no way inferior to that of either Judaism or Mohammedanism. ‘Ahurmazda’ says the Rev. L. H. Mills, ‘is one of the purest conceptions which had yet been produced, and–we might add–is undoubtedly the prototype of the God of the Koran as well as the God of the Bible… But however superior to the belief of his contemporaries, the theism of the Koran can hardly be said to be superior to that of Judaism. The claim of the Koran, therefore, to be an independent revelation of God, on the plea of teaching a better theism than Judaism and Zorastrianism, to which it can be traced, is untenable.’” ⁵ Plus, the conception of Ahura-mazda was but a carry-over from the basics of the Vedic understanding of God.

There are also many similarities between the parables of Buddhism and Christianity, and between the lives of Buddha and Christ. Both are said to have been miraculously born, at which time they were surrounded by great omens, with a star presiding over each, in which case for Buddha was the Pushya Nakshatra. Both were visited by wise men upon their birth, such as when the rishi Asita came to King Suddhodana to see the newborn Buddha, and wise men came to Jerusalem to worship Jesus, as explained in the book of Matthew. And as the evil spirit of Mara came to tempt Gautama before he became the Buddha, Satan also tempted Jesus. Furthermore, many of the teachings of Jesus in the area of compassion, mercy, kindness, and inward development were also the same as or similar to those of Buddha. We could go on with many more of these kinds of similarities, others of which I have described in my book Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global Existence.

Furthermore, just as in the Vedic traditions there was the spiritual river of the Ganges (considered to be descending from the spiritual Karana Ocean) or the Yamuna (considered spiritually purified because Lord Krishna played in it), and wherein devotees would take a dip to be spiritually purified, the Hebrews also accepted the Jordan River whose waters were used for the same purpose, especially for baptizing to be free from one’s past sins.

In regard to the similarities between Sanskrit and the language of the Zend Avesta, even Max Muller recognized this very clearly. He went on to explain in his Chips From a German Workshop (Volume I, pp. 82-3): “It is clear from his (Eugene Burnouf’s) works and from Bopp’s valuable remarks in his ‘Comparative Grammar’ that Zend in its Grammar and Dictionary is nearer to Sanskrit than any other Indo-European language; many Zend words can be retranslated into Sanskrit simply by changing the Zend letters into their corresponding forms in Sanskrit… It differs from Sanskrit principally in its sibilants, nasals and aspirates. The Sanskrit s, for instance, is represented by the Zend h… Where Sanskrit differs in words or grammatical peculiarities from the northern members of the Aryan family, it frequently coincides with Zend. The numerals are the same up to 100. The name thousand, however, sahasra, is peculiar to Sanskrit and does not occur in any of the Indo-European dialects except in Zend, where it becomes hazanra.” ⁶

Even the biblical rendition of the universal creation, as described in Genesis, was adopted from that given in the Parsi scriptures, which is but a summary of that given in the Vedic literature, which is practically the most elaborate version of the process of the universal creation found anywhere in any religious text.

One last example of similarities that we will look at is the premise for the next appearance of a savior, or a second coming, after which everyone will rise again to live in a world of peace and God consciousness, without evil, or when their tribe will triumph over their enemies. This gives any believer a great deal of faith and hope in the future that they will be saved or delivered, if they continue to follow that particular religion. However, the idea that God or His prophet will appear again is not new, but was first related in regard to the avataras of God in the Vedic tradition.

As Lord Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita (4.7): “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion–at that time I descend Myself.”

However, unlike other religions, Lord Krishna descends in regularly scheduled appearances for specific purposes. It is not that He will descend one last time and that is the end. That is incomplete information. But He will continue to appear in the material creation as the need arises, throughout the various time periods known as yugas. These avataras are fully described in the Puranas so we can understand when and how often They will appear. Therein we see that God regularly descends into the material worlds in His different forms at different times to give society the spiritual knowledge they need to know in order to attain the purpose of life.

The Vedic texts also describe the next appearance of God in the future, this time as Lord Kalki when He will appear at the end of Kali-yuga to bring in the next golden age known as Satya-yuga. Therein He will kill all the miscreant kings and rulers and relieve the world of this burden and bring back a time of peace, harmony, cooperation, and God-consciousness. And this schedule of avataras continues through Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga, and again into Kali-yuga, all of which continue to repeat as many as 1000 cycles, called a kalpa or day of Brahma. In any case, this is the basis of any religion’s idea for the next coming of God.

All of these various similarities would show that many of the world’s religions and their legends and traditions, and even their precepts are to a great extent derived from Vedic culture. They may not be directly the same, but it is easy to see upon careful study that Christianity owes much to Vedic Dharma. Or as Max Muller said in his book Chips From a German Workshop (Volume I, Introduction, p.11), “There has been no entirely new religion since the beginning of the world. If we once understand this clearly, the words of St. Augustine, which have seemed startling to many of his admirers, become perfectly clear and intelligible, when he says, ‘what is now called the Christian religion has existed among the ancients and was not absent from the beginning of the human race until Christ came in the flesh, from which time the true religion, which existed already, began to be called Christian.’” ⁷

In this way, we can understand that the earliest of spiritual knowledge, which can be accepted as that found in the most elaborate Vedic texts, has but filtered down through generations, and that each successive religion did little but adopt in its own way or interpretation of what was already there, and that the essential spiritual truths found in all religions are but inheritances of the more elaborate teachings found in the Vedic texts and traditions. Thus, Vedic Sanatana-Dharma is like the roots and trunk of the tree of the various religions, which are like the branches of the tree. Just as rivers ultimately meet at the sea with a common goal, in spite of coming from different areas and conditions, as if coming to their ultimate unity, similarly Vedic Dharma is like the parent authority and root of all other religions.

Unfortunately, the Parsi, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions do not discuss in depth such things as the law of karma and reincarnation, even though these are mentioned in places or hinted at, but hardly described or analyzed very deeply. They do not discuss the nature or size of the soul, the soul’s transcendence beyond the body, nor do they mention the idea of a Supersoul. Nor do they describe much about the nature of God, His characteristics, personality, how He looks, or His numerous pastimes, except in only the briefest of ways. It seems, therefore, that the higher spiritual knowledge actually becomes reduced in succeeding religions as the information is passed down over the following generations of religious traditions. In Judaism, Christianity and then Islam, the true depth of spiritual knowledge was increasingly forgotten. Even the detailed descriptions of God and His real loving nature, as found in the Vedic literature, has similarly deteriorated in passing from the Vedas and Puranas into the Zend Avesta, the Old Testament, Bible, and further down the line. Therefore, to get back to the heart of the matter, we must get back to the roots, where it all began, with the Vedic tradition.

The evidence provided in this chapter concludes that at a very remote time, long before the dawn of history, the forefathers of all Aryan nations, such as India, Persia, Afghanistan, and even most if not all of Europe, lived under the banner of one common religion. Their common name was Arya, which they gave to Aryavarta (ancient India, the land of the Aryans), as well as to Iran (Persia), and other countries. In this way, Sanskrit was the mother of all Aryan languages, just as the Vedic religion is the parent of all religions which prevailed in all branches of the Aryan family, and we can recognize the remnants of this in many parts of the world today, if only we are educated in understanding what is the real Vedic Aryan culture.

It is this Vedic culture that gave humanity the deepest level of spirituality that has descended and circulated around the world in the various ways and into the religions that followed. The previous chapters of this book should have clearly illustrated this point.

Furthermore, there are three distinctions between any of the bone fide religions today, and that is: 1) The area in the world in which the religion was taught, 2) the time in history in which it appeared, and 3) the capacity of the people to understand it. In this way, only so much spiritual knowledge could be given if the people of the area were not able to comprehend deep spiritual knowledge. Saint Tukaram also saw these distinctions when he said, “the teaching is as per the capacity of the taught.” Because of this, in some cases the knowledge is given in a straightforward manner, such as we see in the Vedic literature in which so many questions are asked, and so many deep answers are provided, with the means by which the student can actually realize and perceive the spiritual truths that are described. In other religions we see the use of parables and stories, in which the followers can only understand the preliminary principles, which often go no farther than establishing the moral ethics by which to live. They often do not hold much in the way of higher spiritual principles. This means that to understand deeper spiritual truths, the person must go elsewhere.

This is like the difference between an abridged dictionary and an unabridged dictionary. They both hold the same knowledge, but one is more complete than the other. The unabridged dictionary will contain hundreds or thousands more words than the abridged dictionary. This is the same difference between the religions. The Vedic texts will contain much more spiritual knowledge and information on understanding God or the Absolute Truth. So the more complete religion or spiritual path will give you the deeper means of understanding who you are and your relationship with God and all other beings. It will also provide you the process by which you can spiritualize your consciousness to the degree in which you can begin to directly perceive this higher reality. It is much more mature and developed, over and above those that are simplified and elementary. A most developed religion will also facilitate one’s becoming free from attachment, selfishness, violence, malice and hatred, by which a person can more easily focus on the spiritual nature of oneself and God, and the unity we all share with each other in that light. Whereas a religion that is incomplete and allows followers to hold on to these negative characteristics, especially violence, hatred toward others, emphasis on our differences, etc., will keep one bound up to this earthly plane of duality, which is the exact opposite purpose of any genuine spiritual process.

Vedic Dharma, on the other hand, is defined as that which leads to glory, peace, prosperity, and elevates society to liberation from this earthly existence. It is the understanding that this world is not our real home, never was and never will be. But it is also the portal through which, by living the right way, can propel us into the spiritual dimension, far away from this temporary earthly existence. This is why Vedic Dharma is meant to help all of society, and not divide society into those who are “saved” and those who are not. It teaches society to discard hatred toward one another and attain mental peace and internal contentment. This is actually meant to be the fundamental principle of all religions, which then encourages right conduct for attaining realization of the Eternal Truth, the reality of who and what you really are, and your relation to the Supreme Lord.

However, the attainment of moksha or liberation from material existence is unique in Vedic culture because most religions proclaim the ideal of merely reaching heaven, which is still considered part of the material creation. Yes, moksha also means rising above material suffering, ignorance, and the attainment of the Eternal Truth and bliss, right here and right now, in this life. It is not necessarily something that only can be attained after death. Whereas the non-Vedic religions often put emphasis on moral conduct, social behavior, ethics, etc., for reaching heaven in the next life, mainly with the idea of continuing the enjoyment of material facilities, yet give little emphasis on deeper spiritual philosophy. So in such religions there remains many philosophical questions for which there are limited answers. But it is up to the individual to choose which process he or she wants to accept in reaching a natural level of spiritual realization. That is why no Vedic or Hindu sect has tried to propagate or increase their followers through the use of the sword or by force, or through fear of torture, intimidation, or other such means. There is no history that shows the use of brutality for the propagation of Vedic culture. It is spread only through the purity of its teachings and the means by which people can use it for their own enlightenment. It is that means alone which is meant to attract people to investigate and then follow this spiritual way of life. It is meant to be a natural process, not forced.

This is why Dharmists, Hindus or devotees do not interfere in the religion of others and expect the same respect in return. This is also why anyone of any religion can easily live amongst those who follow Vedic Dharma.

Vedic culture contains a philosophy that goes back to a time beyond history, and has developed over millenniums. Even Sanskrit is considered to have descended from the Shabda-brahman, or the spiritual vibration that exists outside of the material creation, beyond time and space. Furthermore, we find that the insights given by the great rishis and sages are coming from a spiritually realized level of consciousness that is beyond mere faith or cultivated knowledge. Such insights and revelations come from a level of direct spiritual perception and experience, with the means and directions given to others so we can follow them to attain our own realizations.

The completeness of the Vedic spiritual philosophy can be seen with but a small analysis. This does not mean there are not great amounts of wisdom in all religions, but where else are you going to go to understand the roots of the knowledge of karma, or reincarnation, or the science of the nature or size and location of the soul, or the understanding of the Paramatma or Supersoul, and the means to unite with the Supreme? Where else are you going to find such detailed descriptions about God, or our relationship with God, or so many instructions given by God, or the means to acquire a direct connection with God? What other religion has such clear descriptions about the spiritual realm and how to reach that level of existence? We need to recognize the unique nature of the Vedic tradition and its philosophy.

Furthermore, the Vedic spiritual path offers the view that every creature is sacred. Spiritually we are all of the same quality. As explained in the Sri Ishopanishad: ishavasyam idam sarvam, yat kincha jagatyam jagat, which means that everything in this creation, both animate and inanimate, is part of the Lord’s energy, and that God’s energy is within all beings. Therefore, every creature has a spiritual significance. Plus, through the Vedic system of spiritual development, everyone can access that spiritual perception. It is not a matter of faith, but a process of realization. The Vedic process begins with faith, as all spiritual paths do, but if the path is practiced properly, it is expected to bring you to the level of having your own spiritual realizations and perception. And to do this there are so many means of assistance, such as the instructions from the Vedic texts, guidance from the realized gurus, and the association of other sadhus or devotees, all meant to help inspire and propel you forward to higher and higher levels of spiritual perception, realization and experience.

However, in Western religions, it is often presented that a follower can only attain such access through the approval of or connection with the church or religious institution. Without that, then you are finished, sometimes to eternal damnation, depending on the religion. In this way, the religion creates an air of exclusiveness, that the only way you can understand anything spiritual or have a connection with God is by accepting that particular church or denomination, or their specific savior or prophet. And, of course, the only people that are privileged to being “saved” are those who follow that same religion. Quite honestly, this is a very shallow level of understanding, like showing your allegiance to your religion by disliking, demeaning or even hating all others.

The Vedic or Dharmic approach to spiritual development is the antithesis of this. There is no restriction to spiritual knowledge, and all questions can be asked. The avenues of spiritual discovery are the guru (spiritual teacher), shastra (spiritual texts) and sadhus (other devotees or sages). This leads to the freedom of choice in the ways of understanding and ultimately experiencing the Divine. This is the real goal of human life. Everyone is coming from different backgrounds, and everyone has different lessons to learn. So personal investigations to find spiritual truth should be allowed and provided for everyone. It should not be controlled or limited by any certain religious persuasion.

This should especially be the case when we realize the premise of this chapter, that the essence and heart of all spiritual knowledge is descending from Vedic culture, Sanatana-Dharma, and that to get to the deepest level of spiritual understanding would be to take a deeper look at what it has to offer all of humanity, socially and individualistically, not only for peace, compassion, cooperation, harmony, etc., but to attain a closer link with the Divine. Nothing else offers a higher level of happiness, completeness or fulfillment, which is ultimately for what everyone is searching. This is the purpose of life.

CHAPTER NOTES

1. Prasad, Ganga, The Fountain-Head of Religion: A Comparative Study of the Principal Religions of the World and a Manifestation of Their Common Origin From the Vedas, The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, U.P., 1927, p.5.

2. Ibid., p.6.

3. Prasad, Ganga, The Fountain-Head of Religion: A Comparative Study of the Principal Religions of the World and a Manifestation of Their Common Origin From the Vedas, The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, U.P., 1927, p.59.

4. Ibid., pp.11-13.

5. Ibid., p.13.

6. Muller, Max, Chips From a German Workshop, Volume I, pp. 82-3.

7. Prasad, Ganga, The Fountain-Head of Religion: A Comparative Study of the Principal Religions of the World and a Manifestation of Their Common Origin From the Vedas, The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, U.P., 1927, p.26.

Iskcon Alachua. Community Unity: New Community Social Services Network
Recently we introduced to the community our plan of creating a co-op of devotees which are dedicated to helping those in need. This umbrella organization is committed to assisting those in need in getting the help they require, be it from a group, a resource or an individual. This plan is becoming a reality, rapidly coming together forming an even better vision than we had hoped for. There have been many new exciting developments for this program. We now have a name: Community Unity. As the name suggests we hope to help create a more united community and help those in need. We now have many of our team leader positions filled. Most exciting of all, Sacred Deeds has helped us to set up a Food Pantry through them. The pantry should be fully set up and ready to go in two weeks. We thank Sacred Deeds for assisting us in this way. We are looking to launch this program on the auspicious day of Govardhan Puja and ask the devotees for their prayers and assistance in making this a reality. This program is being started by devotees but the long-term vision includes helping others outside the community. Therefore, all varieties of devotees and FOLK (Friends of Lord Krsna) members can receive assistance and volunteer through this program once it begins. To volunteer or make any suggestions, contact Co-Director Ananda Vardhini devi dasi or Co-Director Pranaya Keli devi dasi at 386-222-2912 or Community4Unity@yahoo.com The social services network will engage everyone as volunteers and recipients of service without consideration of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, and ability, Those who volunteer to help others are not obligated to help everybody or every time they are called. All services are given lovingly. Those who receive help will volunteer to help others when they are able. This social services program is simply a networking system and all who participate do so voluntarily with no guarantees or warranties or insurance for those who serve or those who receive services. Pranaya Keli devi dasi reporting

Krishna Drawings from various devotee artists (Album with photos)

Narottama Das Disappearance Day at Braja Mohan Mandir (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: On Narottama Das Thakura’s Disappearance Day, we had a wonderful program of Narottama bhajans and katha at Radha Braja Mohan Mandir where one of the Deities he established in Keturi presides. Then a delicious feast at Braja Mohan’s Lotus Feet. Relish these picks of Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/r5RsZc

Into The Heart Of Mathura (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: These are Ananta Vrindavan’s spectacular photos of our parikrama into the heart of Mathura. We were in awe of the ancient temples and we eagerly sought the mercy of the many Deities worshipped throughout the city.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/udce7t

Why Have A Spiritual Teacher (5 min video)
Finding a spiritual teacher is serious business, but it’s not impossible. Every human being is supposed to have a spiritual master. It’s said that when the student is ready, Krishna gives a teacher, and then the teacher gives him Krishna.
To find a teacher, it helps to know what the qualifications of a teacher are. It also helps to know what the qualifications of a student are, since, if you’re not really interested in doing what it takes to pursue a path of spiritual knowledge, better to be honest and wait until you are before you seriously accept a guru.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/mS5EVj

Our Tiny Universe.
Danavir Goswami: From Vedic literature we find that our universe, compared to other universes, is relatively small. The Brahma in charge of this universe has only four heads, whereas Brahmas managing larger universes have proportionately more heads.
“Krsna said, ‘Your particular universe extends four billion miles; therefore it is the smallest of all the universes. Consequently you have only four heads.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 21.84)
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/aALNos

The post Initiation ceremony of Sikharini d.d. in Mayapura and singing Damodarastaka appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed)

[reposted from 9-26-2012]
None of us want to be sick, and yet we all experience the occasional cold, flu, or something more serious. Some persons, like my wife, who have a weak immune system, deal with a body that is prone to catch whatever bug is going around. Having such a delicate bodily instrument, if they don’t eat and sleep properly they become more susceptible to illness. Thus my wife is a much greater expert than me in understanding the benefits of sickness to her spiritual life and how the body can be a great teacher. Never the less, I have a few experiences that have helped me appreciate the value of illness. Having a background in Krishna consciousness and a trained philosophical eye and heart helps us see everything—even great reverses—in relationship to Krishna and bhakti. Illness can bring us to our knees in surrender and teach us the smallness of our existence (even Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakur glorified ill health for this very reason, and he underwent many bouts of sickness in his life). I was reminded of this after I ate something at Radhastami that didn’t agree with me, and have had the runs for the last 3 days. While not a pleasant experience on one level, I also practically experienced how sickness can be a helpful part of our spiritual journey.

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Hare Krishna! When Bad Chanting Becomes the Norm, You’re in Trouble
Mahatma Das: There is something I’ve noticed about my japa over the years: Bad habits don’t die easily. Prabhupada said chanting produces more chanting. But the question is what kind of “more chanting” does it produce? My experience is that bad chanting produces more bad chanting. And if the bad chanting goes on long enough, it pretty much becomes a habit. Then bad becomes the norm. Since bad chanting is not relishable, japa tends to take less of a priority in life. It becomes harder to finish rounds and they get put off till later. And sometimes later never comes. As bad chanting continues, one becomes weaker. And as one become weaker, it becomes more difficult to chant well. Of course, good chanting produces more good chanting. So if we turn things around and start chanting well, we can expect many wonderful things to happen in our lives. One of the greatest gifts anyone can give themselves is sixteen good rounds daily. By good rounds I mean the best possible rounds one can chant. But if old habits die hard, how does one turn things around? Here’s how I did it.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=4204

Vrindavan struggles to manage its solid waste!
Uttar Pradesh’s holy town of Vrindavan, where it is said Lord Krishna spent his childhood in ancient times, is faced with a major problem of disposing off its solid waste material.
Local activists today say the municipal body had failed to address the problem of disposing solid waste, despite the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directives.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/uvrGrH

It’s Kartik - all month! A gift from Mayapur.tv!
Download this wonderful high-quality picture of Sri Sri Radha Madhava for free - courtesy HG Saranga Thakur Prabhu
Download it here: http://goo.gl/Bf87kY

Halloween Harinam in West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, Los Angeles (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Even a faint light from the holy name of the Lord can eradicate all the reactions of sinful life. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 3.63)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/GJHXT0

Those were the days!
Kurma das: Monday, 17 July 1972
“Civil authorities in Melbourne followed Sydney’s lead by arresting the devotees, albeit it under slightly different circumstances. In Sydney, devotees would be spontaneously arrested for street chanting. In Melbourne, however, although the police disapproved of the chanting parties, devotees were mainly getting charged for selling Back to Godhead magazines on the street. The charging would result in court cases with fines being imposed against the devotees. The devotees, of course, would neither show up for the court case nor pay the fines. These cases would end with summonses, subsequent arrests and jail sentences.
Having received news of Srila Prabhupada’s advice to Caru, the devotees in Melbourne were now clear on what they should do. On 28 September 1972, The Age accurately and sympathetically summed up the recent events in an article headed "Hare Krishna Song Goes on in Prison”:

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November 1. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Externally his prospects were not good, but he was depending on the will of guru and Krishna. Even when he was at sea on the Jaladuta and had nothing at all and had just survived two heart attacks, he had optimistic views of his mission, as he had expressed in an intimate poem. “Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who is very dear to Lord Gauranga, the son of Mother Saci, is unparalleled in his service to the Supreme Lord Krishna. He is that great saintly spiritual master who bestows intense devotion to Krishna at different places throughout the world. “By his strong desire, the Holy Name of Lord Gauranga will spread throughout all the countries of the western world. In all the cities, towns and villages on earth, the oceans, seas, rivers and streams, everyone will chant the Holy Name of Krishna.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490

Hare Krishna! BBT India hosts Book Distribution Conference at Govardhan EcoVillage
BBT India organized a two-day conference on book distribution on 21st and 22nd October, 2015 at ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village, Wada. This was a pioneering attempt to help book distributors in West Indian Divisional Council (WIDC) become more organized and inspired for the upcoming Marathon. The event was inaugurated by HG Gauranga Prabhu (WIDC Chairman and ISKCON GBC Member) and HG Vaisesika Prabhu (ACBSP) with the blessings of HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, HH Lokanath Swami Maharaja, and HG Bhima Prabhu (ACBSP). Around 80 devotees, including temple presidents, BBT managers, Sankirtana leaders, regular book distributors, senior devotees, and representatives from 15 WIDC temples actively participated in the two-day event.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20997

The post Daily Darshan – November 1st, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The post Daily Darshan November 1st, 2015 – Mangal Arati appeared first on Mayapur.com.

So far, Prabhupada’s sole strategy had been to seek support from India.  It was a plan that would ultimately fail, but Krishna had not as yet revealed that to him or showed him an alternative.

A new “Second Generation Initiative” was launched in Alachua, Florida – the Western World’s largest ISKCON community – on Saturday October 17th, and is generating a lot of energy and excitement.

Although the words “second generation” often refer to those born into the Hare Krishna Movement, the initiative aims to help all 25 to 45-year-olds who attend Alachua’s New Raman Reti temple, regardless of how they came to Krishna consciousness, to find balance and inspiration in their lives. It also aims to facilitate succession.

via ISKCON News: New Alachua Initiative to Help Second Gen and Facilitate Succession.

Several ISKCON devotees contributed to the Parliament of the World’s Religions – the largest interfaith gathering in the world – this year, with kirtan, japa, and an introduction to the Bhakti philosophy. The first Parliament was held in 1893 and is recognized as the birth of formal interreligious dialogue worldwide. It wasn’t held again until one hundred years later in 1993, but has been held every five years since then.

Source: ISKCON News: Devotees Participate in Parliament of The World’s Religions

A Visit to Mathura (8 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: By the mercy of the Lord our second Kartika parikrama took us to the city of Mathura, where Lord Krsna appeared 5,000 years ago. In a beautiful and spacious temple we discussed the glories of Mathura as revealed in the Brhat Bhagvatamrita, by Srila Sanatana Goswami. After kirtan we wandered the ancient quarters of the city discovering many old temples. Devotees were particularly impressed with two large Deities of Lord Varaha, who have been worshipped since the dawn of creation.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/i6myOY

Fall Festival at TKG Academy (Album with photos)
“Dear Lord Jagannath, today I am dressed as…”
Every year the TKG Academy gurukula, of ISKCON Dallas, hosts a Fall Festival of devotional costumes, dramas, and kirtan. Long hours of preparation and enthusiasm by both the students and their parents and teachers, make for an amazing day glorification and fun.
All glories to their service! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2Qg5IC