Hare Krishna! Bhaktivedanta Manor eNewsletter, Sep 2015…
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Hare Krishna! Bhaktivedanta Manor eNewsletter, Sep 2015 edition
Please find below the September 2015 edition of the Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter, available for download. Main stories in this edition include: *Janmashtami Celebrations *Open Day *50 years on: Honouring our Founder Acarya *First ISKCON UK National Convention *ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations *The Mahabharart Tour (with the Bhaktivedanta Players)
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20476

Q&A by Mahaprabhu Chaitanya
→ Servant of the Servant

Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita - no argument there. Some 4500 years later, Krishna appeared as Lord Chaitanya to demonstrate how one should practice devotional service to Krishna. Once, in a conversation with His close associate Ramananda Raya, Lord Chaitanya reveals the ultimate purpose of human life.

Below is the Q&A between Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya.

Question by Lord Chaitanya: Please quote some verses from scripture about the ultimate goal of human life

Answer1 by Ramananda Raya: "By following one's qualities of work, every man can become perfect. By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through performing his own work." - BG 45-46

Reason for rejection by Lord Chaitanya: Lord Caitanya said that such a life is simply external, indicating that if a man has a material conception of life he cannot attain the highest perfection, even if he follows all the ritualistic regulations. Indirectly He asked Rāmānanda to describe something superior to such an external exhibition.

Answer2 by Ramananda Raya: It is better to give Kṛṣṇa the results of one's fruitive activities. He quoted "O son of Kuntī, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you sacrifice, whatever you give away, and whatever austerity you undergo to achieve some goal, everything should be dedicated to My service." - BG 9.27.

Reason for rejection by Lord Chaitanya: A worker’s identification with material existence cannot be changed without proper guidance. Such fruitive activity will continue one’s material existence. A worker is simply instructed here to offer the results of his work to the Supreme Lord, but there is no information given to enable one to get out of the material entanglement.

Answer3 by Ramananda Raya: “Give up all kinds of religiousness and just surrender unto Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I shall protect you from all sinful reactions, and you will have nothing to be aggrieved over.” - BG 18.66

Reason for rejection by Lord Chaitanya: Renunciation in itself is not sufficient. There must be positive engagement. Without positive engagement, the highest perfectional stage cannot be attained.

Answer4 by Ramananda Raya: “When by cultivation of knowledge a person realizes himself to be nondifferent from the Supreme Absolute Truth, he becomes joyful and is freed from all kinds of lamentation and material desires. At that time he perfects his Brahman realization by seeing everyone on the same spiritual level. Such Brahman realization can elevate one to the transcendental stage of devotional service.” - BG 18.54

Reason for rejection by Lord Chaitanya: Simply by renouncing material results in Brahman realization one does not realize the spiritual world and spiritual activities. Although there is no material contamination when one attains the stage of Brahman realization, in that stage one is still not perfectly pure because there is no positive engagement in spiritual activity. Because it is still on the mental plane, it is external.

Final answer by Ramananda Raya:“My dear Lord, one should give up monistic speculation and the cultivation of knowledge altogether. He should begin his spiritual life in devotional service by receiving information of Your activities from a realized devotee of the Lord. If one cultivates his spiritual life by adhering to these principles and keeping himself on the honest path in life, then although Your Lordship is never conquered, You become conquered by the devotee following such a process.” - SB 10.14.3

Reason for acceptance by Lord Chaitanya: In this age, because most people are fallen and because there is no time to elevate them by a gradual process, the best course, according to Lord Caitanya, is to let them remain in whatever condition they are in but to engage them in hearing of the activities of the Supreme Lord as those activities are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The transcendental messages of the scriptures should be heard from the lips of realized souls. In this way a person may continue to live in whatever condition he is in and still make spiritual progress. Thus one can surely advance and fully realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead (goal of human life).

Conclusion: There is a clear hierarchy from low to high - (1) discharging one’s duties in the varṇāśrama-dharma system (2) devotional service mixed with fruitive activity (3) renunciation (4) devotional service mixed with the culture of knowledge. All of the above has mixture on the material plane.

The final destiny for the soul, therefore according to Mahaprabhu Chaitanya, is to listen submissively from a pure devotee about Krishna and accordingly engage in favorable discharge of devotional service free from selfish motives.

Hare Krishna

Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati: “The human soul is a tiny part…
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Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati: “The human soul is a tiny part of the Divine spiritual essence functioning in the realm of the Absolute which is free from limitations but liable to be expelled from the spiritual world if it ever forgets its own littleness and abjures the guidance of Krishna. So long as it chooses to be guided by Krishna it is free from limitations or ignorance.” (Harmonist November 1928, The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya)
“The soul functions freely in the realm of the Absolute where it is conscious of its real relationship with Krishna. Its function is crippled, thwarted and distorted the moment it chooses to set up as master on its own account, that is to say wants to play the role of a male….This perverted activity is stopped on all sides by the resistance of the Absolute Truth. It falls out with everything as soon as it falls out with Krishna. In its attempt to enjoy everything it is punished by those very things which serve to lure them to deeper depths of ignorance by a delusive response to their frantic attempts after sensuous gratification. In the normal state those very objects help them in serving Sri Krishna. To sum up: the soul retains its natural condition as long as it serves the Absolute with all the resources of the principle of self-consciousness. But its will is free. It may not like to serve the Absolute. This is the abuse of its free choice in as much as it is an offense against the principle of pure reason which also is part and parcel of its eternal nature. In consequence of its choosing deliberately to act in opposition to the dictates of reason the delusion that it is an entity existing independently of Krishna takes firm possession of it. It now finds itself exiled from the realm of the Absolute and functioning in strict subordination to the delusive or material power of Sri Krishna. In this new world the fallen soul tries to please itself with the help of its reason on which it has deliberately put various limitations. Thus is evolved the principle of the false ego (Ahankara).” (The Harmonist vol. 26)

Hare Krishna! Sprouting Bhakti on Campus “Life doesn’t really…
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Hare Krishna! Sprouting Bhakti on Campus
“Life doesn’t really make sense, does it?” I ask. “The equation doesn’t balance. We are born. Soon it’s all about getting an education. We hunt for a job, create a family, and die. What is the point of it all? Shouldn’t we ask why?” Looking straight at me, Dreadlocks doesn’t flinch. “We are driven by the taste of happiness. It is what we want most, right? Yet even those who have all the things we want can’t shrug off the feeling of being unsatisfied. Is it surprising that happiness slips through our fingers? How can we be happy if we are not even sure who we are? It seems like you’re an African man and I’m and Indian woman. Yet don’t we feel the same pain?” He nods. His eyes show he has seen suffering.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20472

Hare Krishna! Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Rational Faith and…
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Hare Krishna! Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Rational Faith and Sustainable Happiness (Class in audio)
Kalakantha Das: Faith in Krishna leads to a blissful life, yet no intelligent person will find peace with blind faith and dogma. What is the rational basis for understanding and accepting the teachings of Krishna conscious texts?
Listen to it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20469

Mississippi Kirtan Mela Promotes Cow Protection This year’s Save…
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Mississippi Kirtan Mela Promotes Cow Protection
This year’s Save the Cow Kirtan Mela at ISKCON’s New Talavana farm in Mississippi drew around one thousand locals and devotees over the weekend of October 9th to 11th for a family-oriented festival centered around cow care. The event raised awareness of the cow’s plight in modern society, promoted cow protection, and raised funds for New Talavana’s own cow care program, which has protected cows throughout their natural life since 1976. It currently has a herd of sixty.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/qNSksY

12 things you didn’t know about Krishna Lunch Halava, the…
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12 things you didn’t know about Krishna Lunch
Halava, the semolina and fruit dessert served with Krishna Lunch, comes in an array of flavors limited only by the chefs’ imaginations. Past flavors have included pineapple upside-down cake, pumpkin pie and banana split. Krishna Lunch volunteers have served up to 1,200 people in a single day. That’s a lot of halava — 35 gallons, to be exact. Preparation of the meal begins at 5 a.m. Krishna Lunch has been served at UF continuously since 1971. For those who can’t make it to the Plaza, Krishna Lunch is now available by delivery in the Gainesville area.
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/7WYJkt

Hare Krishna! Remembering Tribhuvanatha Prabhu…
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Hare Krishna! Remembering Tribhuvanatha Prabhu (1952-2001)
Tribhuvanatha Prabhu passed away on October 16, 2001, at the age of 49. He was an important and beloved disciple of Srila Prabhupada who led by example. An important feature of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy is the association of devotees which he has so kindly provided for our spiritual advancement and friendship. One such notable devotee and servant of His Divine Grace is our dear godbrother, Sriman Tribhuvanatha Prabhu. A sankirtana leader extraordinaire, Tribhuvanatha was always focused on preaching the holy names of the Lord. He had strong faith in the potency of chanting Hare Krishna — especially in congregation. His enthusiastic kirtanas and harinama parties were legendary throughout the world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20462

Australia, October 2015: Part 1
→ KKSBlog


KKS_Melbourne_Oct2015Kadamba Kanana Swami has been touring Australia since 29 September. Here is the first batch of recordings courtesy of Nimai. Photos and more details of his activities will follow.

To download, right-click on a title and “save-link-as” or listen online by hitting the “play” button.

 

Melbourne

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KKS_AUS_MEL_01Oct2015_Youth_Bhakti_Vrksha_Lecture

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KKS_AUS_MEL_03Oct2015_Evening_Program_Kirtan

KKS_AUS_MEL_03Oct2015_Evening_Program_Short_Lecture

KKS_AUS_MEL_03Oct2015_Initiation_Lecture

KKS_AUS_MEL_03Oct2015_Kirtan

KKS_AUS_MEL_04Oct2015_SB_3.14.21

KKS_AUS_MEL_05Oct2015_SB_3.14.22

KKS_AUS_MEL_05Oct2015_Evening_Lecture

KKS_AUS_MEL_05Oct2015_Kirtan

 

Sydney

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KKS_AUS_SYD_08Oct2015_Kirtan

KKS_AUS_SYD_08Oct2015_Lecture

KKS_AUS_SYD_09Oct2015_SB_7.15.45

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KKS_AUS_SYD_10Oct2015_Kirtan

KKS_AUS_SYD_11Oct2015_Initiation_Lecture

KKS_AUS_SYD_11Oct2015_Kirtan

KKS_AUS_SYD_11Oct2015_Lecture

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Hari Kathā North East US Tour!
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Hari Kathā from Vraja Kishor   

Sunday, October 25th

The Ladies of Hastināpur 
ISKCON Towaco

Vraja narrates and explains Chapter Ten of Canto One, Bhāgavatam’s first extensive exposition of mādhurya-rasa, and a beautifully vivid explanation of Vedānta delivered through the excited, love-charged chatter of the capitol city’s young maidens.

Draws from Vraja’s narrative translation of Canto One, Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive.

Starts at 5:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Tuesday, October 27th

Karma & Freewill
The Bhakti Center, NYC

Is freewill at odds with fate, or are they two sides of the same karmic equation? Vraja will explain the cause of fate and the central spiritual importance of freewill.

Draws from Vraja’s book, The Beautifully Rational Philosophy of Astrology.

Starts at 6:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Wednesday, October 28th

Krishna’s Rāsa Līlā
Gopa Kishor’s Jagannātha Mandīr

Celebrating the Autumn Rāsa Līlā and the first day of Kārtika, Vraja will explain the beauty and profound philosophical relevance of Krishna’s midnight dances with the gopīs.

Draws from all of Vraja’s studies, especially Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

Starts at 6:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Friday, October 30th

Vedic Monsters
Palo Santo Wellness Boutique, Philadelphia

76bdbacbc0428a14e3a748690b4d9deeSince it’s the day before Halloween, Vraja will explain the Bhāgavatam’s conception of monsters and their place in  Brahmā’s creation, and will tell the monstrous tale of Rudra’s attack on Dakṣa.

Draws from Vraja’s narrative translations of the Second, Third and Fourth Canto’s. The Fourth Canto is not yet published, but the Second and Third – entitled Creating the Creator and Varāha, Vidura & Kapila – will be given to all attendees.

Starts at 7:30pm (www.PaloSantoWellnessBoutique.com)

Fee: $25


Sunday, November 1st

Kapila Enlightens His Mother
ISKCON of Central New Jersey

Vraja narrates and explains the key sections of chapters 25 ~ 33 from Canto Three, in which Kapila Deva enlightens his exalted mother Devahūti by clearly describing the origin, evolution, and composition of the universe and explaining the most effective means to attain liberation and enlightenment.

Draws from Vraja’s narrative translation of Canto Three, Varāha, Vidura, & Kapila.

Starts at 5:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Hari Kathā North East US Tour!
→ The Enquirer

Hari Kathā from Vraja Kishor   

Sunday, October 25th

The Ladies of Hastināpur 
ISKCON Towaco

Vraja narrates and explains Chapter Ten of Canto One, Bhāgavatam’s first extensive exposition of mādhurya-rasa, and a beautifully vivid explanation of Vedānta delivered through the excited, love-charged chatter of the capitol city’s young maidens.

Draws from Vraja’s narrative translation of Canto One, Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive.

Starts at 5:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Tuesday, October 27th

Karma & Freewill
The Bhakti Center, NYC

Is freewill at odds with fate, or are they two sides of the same karmic equation? Vraja will explain the cause of fate and the central spiritual importance of freewill.

Draws from Vraja’s book, The Beautifully Rational Philosophy of Astrology.

Starts at 6:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Wednesday, October 28th

Krishna’s Rāsa Līlā
Gopa Kishor’s Jagannātha Mandīr

Celebrating the Autumn Rāsa Līlā and the first day of Kārtika, Vraja will explain the beauty and profound philosophical relevance of Krishna’s midnight dances with the gopīs.

Draws from all of Vraja’s studies, especially Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

Starts at 6:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Friday, October 30th

Vedic Monsters
Palo Santo Wellness Boutique, Philadelphia

76bdbacbc0428a14e3a748690b4d9deeSince it’s the day before Halloween, Vraja will explain the Bhāgavatam’s conception of monsters and their place in  Brahmā’s creation, and will tell the monstrous tale of Rudra’s attack on Dakṣa.

Draws from Vraja’s narrative translations of the Second, Third and Fourth Canto’s. The Fourth Canto is not yet published, but the Second and Third – entitled Creating the Creator and Varāha, Vidura & Kapila – will be given to all attendees.

Starts at 7:30pm (www.PaloSantoWellnessBoutique.com)

Fee: $25


Sunday, November 1st

Kapila Enlightens His Mother
ISKCON of Central New Jersey

Vraja narrates and explains the key sections of chapters 25 ~ 33 from Canto Three, in which Kapila Deva enlightens his exalted mother Devahūti by clearly describing the origin, evolution, and composition of the universe and explaining the most effective means to attain liberation and enlightenment.

Draws from Vraja’s narrative translation of Canto Three, Varāha, Vidura, & Kapila.

Starts at 5:30pm with Kīrtan & festivities


Special Sunday – Q&A with Partha & Uttama Prabhus
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

As mentioned in an earlier post today, Partha das and Uttama devi dasi, an inspiring couple from Saranagati, B.C., are coming to visit our GTA Hare Krishna communities this weekend.  They will be conducting a special seminar at ISKCON Brampton and we are excited to announce that they will be facilitating the Sunday Feast at ISKCON Toronto.

The Sunday Feast discourse will take on a special format with a moderated "Questions & Answers" session with both of these experienced devotees.  The theme of the discussion will be "Building Strong, Happy Krishna Conscious Families".

As a moderated session, the audience will have the chance to write questions down on little cards which will be read to Partha and Uttama prabhus, who will then answer the questions based on their years of experience in Krsna consciousness, their years of service on the Grihastha Vision Team and their 40+ years of marriage!

This is where the fun part begins!  You can ask your questions here!  Using the form below, you can ask your questions about Krsna conscious family life.  Questions can be anonymous, so please feel free to ask any questions that may be in your heart.  Some areas and themes that you can consider:
  • Finding the Right Devotee Partner to Marry
  • Raising Children in Krsna Consciousness
  • How to Handle Non-Devotee Family Members
  • Balancing Material and Spiritual Needs with Your Spouse & Family
  • How to Deal with Practical Challenges: Arguments, Finances, etc.
  • Putting Krsna in the Centre of Your Relationship
All questions are welcome!  We anticipate getting a good number of questions and will also be asking devotees to submit questions during the class itself.  We will try our best to get through all the questions submitted.

Dhama Revealed as New Vrindaban Development Continues
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

kurussam sarovara

By Madhava Smullen

The 45th annual Janmastami festival at New Vrindaban in the USA this Labor Day Weekend saw more exciting progress made in revealing Lord Krishna’s holy dhama (abode) of Vrindavan there.

The West Virginia village was established in 1968 by ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada, who described it as “non-different from the original Vrindavan” and directed disciples that “the hilly portions may be named as Govardhana” and “If there are lakes, they can be renamed as Shyamakunda and Radhakunda.” He also requested the seven main temples of Vrindavan, India to be constructed in New Vrindaban.

Over the past four years the infrastructure of ISKCON New Vrindaban has seen tremendous improvements. Its Palace Lodge guesthouse, temple residential rooms and office wing have received full upgrades; the temple roof has been replaced; the snack bar has been transformed into a gorgeous full service Govinda’s restaurant; there’s a brand new children’s playground; and Prabhupada’s Palace is also undergoing major restoration work.

Now, a new phase has begun wherein even more of the ‘Vrindavan atmosphere’ Prabhupada envisioned is gradually being revealed. “I always had great hopes for New Vrindaban,” he wrote in 1972. “You may gradually bring that New Vrindaban property to its full potential by stages, and that will please me very much.”

On Friday September 4th, the day before Janmastami, the newly restored bas-relief forms of Jaya and Vijaya, the four-armed gatekeepers of the Lord’s Vaikuntha home, were re-installed on either side of the Sri Sri Radha Vrindabanchandra’s temple entrance with arati and joyous kirtan.

Sculpted by Prabhupada disciples Bhagavatananda and Soma and first unveiled in 1984, their original golden color had faded to such a dull gray that they were rarely noticed. But with the support of a kind donor and the efforts of Rupanuga and Lakshman Ishvara, their skin is now the rich dark blue of Vaikuntha residents, and their clubs, discs, conchshells and crowns are shining gold.

According to community president Jaya Krsna Das, they draw visitors’ attention to the temple, and their divine presence can be clearly felt.

ISKCON New Vrindaban Jaya & Vijaya Rededication 2 09-04-15 copy

On Janmastami day at 10:00am, 150 devotees and pilgrims gathered next to Jaya and Vijaya to head off on a guided Govardhana Parikrama tour – which is held every Saturday and Sunday at New Vrindaban.

On the way they passed an elephant prostrated in obeisance, made in 1986 by Soma and Devaprastha, and repainted last year with pure white tusks and golden tilak.

They stopped at at Kusum Sarovara, a peaceful sacred lake surrounded by ornate domed chattras which devotees also plan to restore.

Next, they paid their respects to the giant 40-foot tall Gaura Nitai originally sculpted by Soma Das and his crew in 1985. In the days leading up to Janmastami, Damodara Das had repainted Lord Chaitanya’s lotus flower base yellow and Nityananda Prabhu’s blue, and had also freshly repainted the bridge leading up to Them and the fencing around Them.

“We have future plans to completely repaint Gaura Nitai, and possibly erect a cover to protect Them from sun, rain and snow,” says Jaya Krsna.

Singing the Holy Name, the pilgrims then continued up the hill to Lalita Kund, Gopisvara Mahadeva – the protector of the dhama – and Radha Kund and Shyama Kund, where they sprinkled their heads with the sacred water. At each spot, longtime New Vrindaban resident Varsana Swami narrated the Lord’s divine pastimes enacted there.

Finally, the tour reached Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, the first of the seven temples Srila Prabhupada requested to be built at New Vrindaban. Currently under construction, its unique domed shape truly makes you feel you are in Vrindavan.

Over the course of the next year, a series of six new dioramas by artist Lakshmana Dasi depicting Lord Krishna’s pastimes will be installed along the parikrama path. Three of these, all ten feet wide and six feet high and containing both painted and 3D elements, were revealed in the temple on Janmastami day.

The first shows Krishna’s close associate Uddhava speaking about the Srimad-Bhagavatam to the Lord’s 16,108 queens at Kusum Sarovara, to console them after the Lord’s departure from this world. In the second, Lord Krishna appears to Madhavendra Puri in a dream the saint had while at Govardhan, directing him where to excavate a long abandoned Deity of Gopalnathji. Finally, the third diorama shows a sweet pastime in which Lord Krishna helps His divine consort Srimati Radharani down from a tree, with the transcendental ulterior motive of taking the dust from Her lotus feet.

NVjanmastamidioramas

“At 7:45 in the evening on Janmastami, we had all of them set up outside and illuminated, while Varsana Swami gave a wonderful talk on all the different lilas,” says Jaya Krsna.

Meanwhile Lakshmana Dasi is also working on dioramas of the cowherd boy Lauta Baba waiting on the Govardhan Parikrama path for Krishna’s return; Radharani and the gopis singing Haridev’s name to invoke Their Lord; and Lord Indra coronating Krishna as Govinda. Each diorama will include a signboard briefly explaining it, with future plans to also include an audio track that visitors will be able to listen to by pushing a button.

Next year there are plans for restoration work on the boat house that’s home to New Vrindaban’s famous Swan Boat. Every weekend in the summer, the Deities are carried in it across the lake, just as in the boat festival at Vrindavan Dhama’s Krishna Balarama Mandir.

And in 2018 – New Vrindaban’s 50th anniversary – devotees have plans to restore the original New Vrindaban farmhouse to reflect how it was while Prabhupada was present, including its temple and a small museum for Srila Prabhupada with pictures taken from his two visits to the house in 1969 and 1976.

After all, it’s his vision that the residents of New Vrindaban are always trying to serve. “We have started New Vrindaban in America and it must be finished in the American way,” he wrote in a letter in August 1970, the year of New Vrindaban’s first Janmastami festival. “In Vrindavan there are so many temples, they say 5,000, or in Vrindavan every home, every cottage, is a temple. As far as possible try to develop New Vrindaban on this standard.”

Janmastamicrowd

Gradually, the residents of New Vrindaban are striving towards this lofty goal, slowly excavating the dhama. And pilgrims are showing their appreciation. This year, 3,000 people visited New Vrindaban throughout Janmastami day, with 350 gathering for the midnight arati – twice the usual number.

“One devotee visiting from Mumbai told me ‘On Janmastami evening, the Vrindavan mood was really appearing in New Vrindaban,’” Jaya Krsna recalls. “That was the best feedback for me. It’s clear that the dhama is slowly revealing itself more and more, and I am very happy to see that.”

He concludes: “In 1975 Prabhupada wrote ‘I am always praying to Krishna that the New Vrindaban attempt will be more and more successful and ideal for your country.’ So Prabhupada, the pure devotee, prays to Krishna that New Vrindaban develops, and Krishna reciprocates. We are fortunate servants, trying to support Srila Prabhupada’s sincere desire.”

Welcoming Partha das & Uttama devi dasi this Sunday!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

This weekend, the Greater Toronto Area Hare Krishna community will be welcoming Partha das and Uttama devi dasi.  They will be facilitating a wonderful seminar on "Building Stronger Krishna Conscious Families" at ISKCON Brampton.  Our Toronto temple will be welcoming them for our Sunday Feast discourse on Sunday, October 18, 2015.

Both of these stalwart devotees are part of the Grihastha Vision Team (GVT), whose goal is to support, strengthen, educate and enliven the individuals, couples and families (grihasthas) who are or will be involved with the grihastha ashram (family life).

The GVT helps devotee spiritualize their marriages and make it an act of devotional service - bhakti yoga.  An important goal for the GVT is to help each person about to marry to receive premarital education. Mentoring is also useful for couples already married.

Partha das and Uttama devi dasi have been married since 1971. They are both certified mentors with Vaisnava Version 108 and Prepare and Enrich. They have facilitated seminars for the GVT all over the world, in South Africa, England, India, Ireland, Brazil, Guyana, Trinidad, the US and Canada. They live in Saranagati Village, BC Canada, where they offer premarital education via Skype.

We hope you can join us for this upcoming Sunday Feast wherein we will get a chance to hear from these two exemplary devotees!

Hare Krishna! Peace, Love and Hare Krishna Beatle drummer Ringo…
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Hare Krishna! Peace, Love and Hare Krishna
Beatle drummer Ringo Starr, age 75, is on tour in North America this month with his All-Starr Band. He recently played in Victoria, Canada (October 8, 2015), spreading his now familiar message of “peace and love” along with “Hare Krishna.” During his second song, “It Don’t Come Easy,” co-written with George Harrison and a big hit for Ringo in 1971, local concert goers confirm that Ringo enthusiastically shouted, “Hare Krishna” to his adoring audience. So wherever he goes on tour, Ringo is spreading the holy name of Krishna for the spiritual benefit of his many fans both young and old. “One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.14)
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20459

Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati: “We are expelled Adams…
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Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati: “We are expelled Adams and Eves from paradise…. Dislocated stars like us shooting from the ever-glowing infinite fountainhead of the Transcendence. The shooting stars are again retracted by the same fountainhead through the power of instructions and bliss…. this will carry them back to their original position to be dovetailed with the Absolute.” “Question: I cannot understand this world.
Answer: It is camp life. This world is not our original abode. It is meant for certain purposes. After that we are to proceed to our original home. This world is not a desirable place. It is not good to be enticed to stay here for a long time, forgetting our original abode. We stay there with Godhead. We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When we decide to lord it over the universe we are allowed these facilities for temporary purposes. They do not serve our eternal purposes. It would be better to seek for a place where we can find the real peace. Here we are always liable to be disturbed. By these disturbances Providence wants to teach us that world is not our eternal habitation, but that all real peace is to be found in Him. Being thus troubled we would naturally like to go back to the original place….. But the real truth is that we are to serve Godhead in the five different capacities. It is only when we deem it fit to come down to this world to lord it over other finite entities for our enjoyment that our real position happens to be forgot to some extent. This contingency arises when we want to deprive our Lord. That tendency was innate with us. It led us to prefer this temporal region by our own desire.”
(The Harmonist (Vol. XXXI, No.21) on the 27th of June, 1935.)
More info about “The Harmonist” here: http://goo.gl/G00PCK

Wolf in sheep’s clothing
→ The Vaishnava Voice

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I’ve been reading the news about the increasing violence in Jerusalem this week, and it seems to be surpassing much of what’s been happening for years. The wave of horrific daily stabbings is far more brutal than ever seen before, and the number of people being killed at bus stops by crazed car drivers far outstrips the former randomness of such crimes. Why the sudden escalation?

It’s almost as if the activities of the IS in Syria and Iraq, made well known by their warped publicity department, has made other Islamists in the region much more brutal. And Mahmoud Abbas raising the Palestinian flag in a garden near the UN, and his constant inflammatory rhetoric, no doubt fanned the flames.

It’s not my business to comment on politics, especially of those countries I’ve never visited. But it is my business – at least I make it my business – to comment on religion-related issues. The Middle East is a political phenomenon disguised as a religious issue. As in most cases of this kind, it is not that the most pious and religious people are involved in making the political decisions. More often, it is the angriest politicians that cloak themselves in religious rhetoric that rise to the top of the social heap.

The so-called religious flashpoint is the Temple Mount / Al Aqsa Mosque, supposedly the ‘third holiest place for Muslims.’ Even though the location of Mohammed’s ‘night journey’ is nowhere mentioned in the Koran, and even though it was probably an invention of Saladdin to bolster his reasons for invading Jerusalem; and even though it is most surely a legacy of the historical Islamic preference to build mosques over the most sacred places of other people’s religions (please see Bethlehem, Ayodhya, Mathura, and numerous other sites in India).

The Bhagavad-gita is a conversation about religion that was recorded before the beginning of Islam. It therefore has absolutely nothing to say about Islam. But it does have an interesting take on how a mental state can spread among people, inducing the masses to share an emotion that by themselves they may never have experienced. Socialised emotion, you might call it. The Gita explains that the enemy of all of us is lust, the intense desire to reach out with one of the senses and control a material object (or a person who has been objectified) and enjoy it. The concomitant emotions are greed and anger. Indeed, says the speaker of the Gita, Sri Krishna, those three emotions, lust greed and anger, are ‘the gates leading to hell.’

Anything that inflames lust, greed and anger is the antithesis of religion and the enemy of spiritual progress. Anger-inducing religion is thus the very opposite of factual religion – a wolf in lamb’s clothing – and is the enemy of spiritual progress.

I also read this and thought I’d share it you: http://www.wsj.com/articles/palestine-the-psychotic-stage-1444692875


Hare Krishna! Meeting with the District Magistrate of…
→ Dandavats.com



Hare Krishna! Meeting with the District Magistrate of Nadia
Ghanashyama prabhu, Dayanidhi prabhu and I had the good fortune to connect with the District Magistrate of Nadia, Sri Vijai Bharati on Tuesday the 13th of October, 2015 at his home, where we were reminded of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura who held the magistrate position, some 125 years ago. If a single word could encapsulate the evening, it would have to be inspirational. Ghanashyam prabhu had met Mr. Bharati about a month and a half earlier, and they enjoyed the comfort of speaking freely with each other as friends. They wanted to meet again, but as both of them were busy, the meeting had been delayed.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20456

Cape Town, September 2015: Recordings
→ KKSBlog

CPt (1)Kadamba Kanana Swami visited Cape Town from 22-28 September. Here are recordings which were captured by Bhakta Nimai (Germany). You may listen online by hitting the “play” button. To download, right-click and “save-target-as”.

 

 

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KKS_CPT_25Sept2015_HouseProgram_Kirtan

KKS_CPT_25Sept2015_HouseProgram_Lecture

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KKS_CPT_27Sept2015_Kirtan

 

Hare Krishna! Artha Forum: Silicon Valley Event with Radhanath…
→ Dandavats.com



Hare Krishna! Artha Forum: Silicon Valley Event with Radhanath Swami and Tulsi Gabbard
On September 26th, 2015 Radhanath Swami joined Democratic Congresswoman and Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Tulsi Gabbard for a discussion on “Leadership Sutras from the Bhagavad-gita”, organized by Artha Forum, a community dedicated to provide healthy work-life balance and business ethics based on spiritual principles. For Silicon Valley leaders, it was a unique combination of a spiritual and political leader coming together to discuss relevant issues. Over 50 tech entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders converged at the home of Silicon tech-entrepreneur Sushant and Namrata Patnaik in Saratoga, California.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20452

International Speaker – 25 & 30th Oct
→ The Loft Yoga Lounge Auckland

Free Spirit Festival on Sunday 25 October 2015 from 5pm. Join us for an exciting evening with Devamrita Swami. $5 includes kirtan, dinner and talk by Devamrita Swami. Also, an interesting talk on Bhakti Immersion: The Ultimate Enjoyer on Friday 30 October 2015 from 6pm. $8 includes dinner. As a world traveller & international author, Devamrita […]

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