Planet ISKCON

Hare Krishna! ISKCON UK – October newsletter
Devotees gathered at Temples across the UK to offer deep thanks and gratitude to the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, marking 50 years since he arrived in the USA. Fifty years ago on 17th September 1965, Srila Prabhupada arrived at Boston Harbour with his message of devotion to Krishna. He was alone and unannounced, and from very simple beginnings he established an international movement of tens of thousands of devotees and palatial temples all over the world. His message was simple, chant and be happy.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20351

Devotees started working in the new farm “Goloka” that they purchased near Morkovice-Slížany, a town in the Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/A6pGfT

Dear Jagannath bhaktas, We are pleased to announce addition of services to our Jagannath online seva page. New services include one month’s ghee, honey or incense, balya bhoga, Mahaprabhu and Simantini Devi Bhoga, one day flowers/ garland or even special pujas. Jay Jagannath Baladev Subhadra Maharani ki jay!!

The post Jagannath Online Seva Update appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The post Remembering Mr. Göncz Árpád, ex-president of Hungary and well-wisher of our movement, who just left this world appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! ISKCON 50: ISKCON is now 50 – What next? (Videos)
Bhakti Caru Swami, Romapada Swami, Gunagrahi Swami, Bhaktimarga Swami, Vaisesika Dasa, Rambhoru Devi Dasi, Radha Devi Dasi and other devotees discuss about the meaning of the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s Iskcon and what should be the priorities for the future. Better relations among the devotees, less big temples and more devotee care, unity in diversity, less bureaucracy and more preaching, book distribution and Harinamas were some of the subjects proposed in a recent meeting for the beginning of ISKCON50 events at Iskcon Houston
Watch them here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20348

Preaching at the Mahendradatta University, Bali (Album with photos)
His Holiness Ramai Swami gives a Bhagavad-Gita class at the University of Mahendradatta, Depasar, Bali on the 9th of October 2015.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/PShl5w

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2014, Mayapur, India, Siksastakam Seminar: Verses 1&2, Part 1)

Currently, our chanting may not be so complete, in the sense that it is free from any form of anartha or aparadha, and done in a full transcendental knowledge. But all chanting will help in purifying the dust from the heart to different degrees. Ceto-darpana-marjanam (Siksastakam 1).  We begin our chanting as a process of purification. Therefore, our first motive in chanting is for purification and this should be our approach: we do everything for purification.

Someone said to me, ‘I have no taste for chanting, so I gave up chanting. I cannot do it anymore – I have done it for years and I just had no taste for it and therefore I just can’t do it anymore!’  So what do you say to someone like that, especially after they have chanted for many, many years? I was thinking of what to say and after some thinking, I said, ‘Look, for you it is too late, as you have chanted for too long! You are a devotee and there is nothing you can do about it; whether you chant or not, you are going to be a devotee. But there are two options for you: either you are going to be a happy devotee or you are going to be an unhappy devotee. And if you don’t chant, you are going to be an unhappy devotee. But if you chant, you can be a happy devotee!’

So we chant for purification; it is not about, ‘I have no taste!’  So much talk is there about taste, a higher taste, and that is good because we want to get there, to chant with a higher taste, but at the same time, chanting with a higher taste is quite “high”. Maybe sometimes we are chanting with some higher taste but to chant with a higher taste all the time is “high”. Therefore, for most of us, we go back to that platform of looking for purification, again and again that should be there – looking for mercy and purification. Look for more purification and if anything more comes – some moments of higher taste – that is a bonus, that is extra, but that is not what should drive us, ‘Oh, I am chanting and still no higher taste!’

Maybe not, maybe not in this life, maybe the next life! Maybe not in the next life, but maybe the life after that, or maybe after a hundred lives, the higher taste will come. So, chant for purification because the mercy is so great, the gift that comes is so great, that is worthy of all efforts.

Hare Krishna! The Sun Behind the Rainbow
Durban’s Sri Sri Radha-Radhanatha Temple of Understanding has shed its light for thirty years as if untouched by time. I perceive it as a gigantic golden lotus opening its petals on a dazzling pond, or a celestial aircraft that has descended and landed on an ordinary spot. The temple’s architectural perfection intrigues me with its fusion of traditional and modern design. Towering above the shimmering octagonal roof, gold-leaf-edged domes display tilaka-shaped windows that delight the eye and the soul. Austrian architect Rajarama Dasa conceived the design, which follows principles of the Vedic shilpa-shastra. The building’s very layout is meant to teach spiritual truths – and to suggest stories of courage, determination, and hope.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20343

Hare Krishna from Mongolia! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: We are indebted to Ananta Vrindavan dasa for his amazing photography and excellent videos covering our travels here in Mongolia this past month. As our adventure winds down and we start heading back to the capital, Ulaan Bataar, we share a few more of his photos taken this last week on the road.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ZlT0vR

Hare Krishna! TOVP: GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) Molds Approved
The TOVP management team went on site and gave approval for the production of GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) molds to begin. At the moment we are focusing on 4 different areas where the GRC molds will be used; the 24 Kalash brackets, the Chatri ribs, the 7 meters utility floor columns, and main base cornice of the Kalash brackets. The management, art team and Sadbhuja prabhu have given full consent, and are very satisfied with the mold making and its progress. Once finished, GRC will be poured into the molds to create the desired pieces. The high quality GRC we are using isn’t available in any commercial market; it can only be produced in-house. In the photos, Savya Sachi prabhu and his team are making the polyurethane molds to produce the Kalash bracket molds. Polyurethane combines the best properties of rubber and plastic, without the weaknesses inherent in plasticized vinyl films.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20338

The post Daily Darshan – October 10th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 8/16/2015

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes Simple Living, Cow Protection, Engaging Oxen, Local Agriculture, and above all, Loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Directors: Anuttama, Bhima, Chaitanya Mangala, Madhava Gosh and Ranaka

Participating Advisors: Sri Tulasi Manjari, Radha-Krishna, Jaya Krsna

Participating Managers: Mukunda

Recording secretary: Jamuna Jivani

1. Village Council Update

The New Vrindaban Village Council Steering Committee made an informal request to the Joint Board members to engage a person (or couple) in a ministerial role to help reconnect the residents of the New Vrindaban community. The Steering Committee also proposed a budget to cover one year’s expenses related to this effort. There is a general mood of support and encouragement from the ECO-V Board and the board members are looking forward to hearing additional details from the Steering Committee.

2. Clarity of Relationship Between INV and ECO-V

Mukunda expressed a desire to clarify ECO-V’s relationship with ISKCON New Vrindaban. Chaitanya Mangala suggested that much of this will be worked out on the managerial level and that the relationship is dynamic and will continuously evolve, so our challenge is to find ways that the two organizations can best work together in mutually beneficial and supportive ways.

3. Mukunda’s Project Management Updates

Mukunda reported on the previous month’s projects:

• Prabhupada’s Palace Greenhouse: Improvements have been made, including the old plastic removed and new double layer of greenhouse plastic installed, the old air pump removed and new air pump installed, the old yellowed single-layer fiberglass end walls removed and replaced by clear double-wall polycarbonate panels, and the old inefficient propane heater replaced with new one.
• Palace Gardens: Vraja Dhama is working at the Palace Gardens and is training to be a Palace Manager.
• Teaching Garden: Radhanath (Raphael) has been taking care of the Deity Flower Garden, which is going well.
• Rose Garden: The garden crew is working with Paul Zimmerman to determine the best varieties of roses to grow for garlands.
• Temple Goshala: There is a broken fence in need of repair. Also, there are plans to install insulation and a bathroom. Mukunda would like to dedicate a couple days each month to the goshala’s maintenance.
• ECO-V Conference Room: Mukunda and Ray are renovating the space next to Ranaka’s office for a designated conference room.
• Trailer for Nitaicandra prabhu: Mukunda has made some needed repairs to a trailer near the G7G in order to make it ready for his arrival.

4. Nitaicandra as New ECO-V Staff Member

ECO-V has signed a contract with Nitaicandra. He comes to New Vrindaban after completing a 5 year engagement at the ISKCON Escondido Farm. Nitaicandra has a broad skill set, including gardening, cow care, carpentry and running equipment. He expects to arrive in New Vrindaban in early September. The ECO-V Board Members eagerly await his arrival.

5. Testing Water at Bahulaban

The water was tested at this site five years ago. As ECO-V previously committed, Mukunda will repeat the same tests to see if anything has changed.

6. Creating and Adopting a Simple Garbage Disposal Policy

Mukunda brought up the point that INV and ECO-V do not have a recycling program in place. Jaya Krsna requested a proposal for a recycling and disposal program, which Mukunda will work on.

"O Harinama, You destroy the many sufferings of those who take shelter of You. O Holy Name, You are the playful embodiment of intense spiritual bliss, a festival of happiness for Gokula. O perfect and complete Holy Name of Krishna, I offer pranam unto You time and again."

Sri Krsna Namastakam Verse 7

Over time Sally grew very fond of Prabhupada. “He was the most enjoyable man. I really felt like a sort of daughter to him.  Even in such a short time... He enjoyed everything. I liked him. I thought he was tremendous.”

[Reposted from March 3rd 2009]
What can I contribute to the family of the Earth, divided by gender,mentality, nationality, religion, or ethnic tradition?

By spiritual constitution we are all one--individuals of the same nature and family of God. We come into the material world and accept a false ego that tells us we are the material body, mind, intelligence and emotions, and that we should act for this selfish self interest. We believe we must compete with others for what we perceive as scare resources and facilities for survival and enjoyment.

At times we may feel like this: "How pitiful that although I believe in my and everyone's spiritual identity and also have experience of myself beyond the perishable body, I am still affected by the same selfishness."

read more

Little children love pretend-playing “doctor”. But what happens when a real doctor comes to your school?

Dr. Rajendra Chouhan had graciously agreed to meet with our Middle and Uppper Elementary classes, teaching them about the human body. Along with him he brought a special surprise: Ultrasound! Indeed, that was the highlight of his visit. If only we had the whole day to view everyone’s internal organs…  There was great excitement when a couple of students had their heart and liver displayed on the screen. We even got to see the blood vessels in action.

Dr. Chouhan’s is a familiar face to our community.  He is a Surgeon in Eurology from Madhya Pradesh, India.  He immigrated to the United States in 1982, where he trained in Eurology in Brooklyn.  In a few short years, he moved to Dallas/Fort Worth area where he set up his own clinic.  His Eurology Clinic in Arlington is where he repairs many patient’s kidney and bladder disorders every week. You’ll see Dr. Chouhan every Sunday in front of Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji during 8:00 PM Bhajans.  He has been attending temple programs for many years.  He has also supported TKG Academy generously.

Thank you, Dr. Chouhan for the lovely visit and the thrilling real-life experience!

Photoset not found

 

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Ravindra Svarupa prabhu spoke and Giriraj Swami sang during this program.

“Then there are Carbon atoms and they form complicated structures and at a certain level of complexity something else happens in the world and there are no longer just complex structures of matter but there is the experience of complex structures of matter. What is that? We know there is experience of structures of matter because we are talking about it—what we would call consciousness. It is a different ontological category. If you just have different levels of complex structures of matter then that is all there should be—so you have a problem with consciousness. And, people keep worrying about it. Some try to get rid of it. To me the Bhagavad-gita account is very convincing because there are two different energies of Krishna that flow together and from which the world arises—the external potency and the tatasta (jiva) sakti. People can’t deal with this consciousness. It is an anomaly but it is fascinating.”

—Ravindra Svarupa dasa

Talk by Ravindra Svarupa dasa
Kirtan by Giriraj Swami

There is hardly anything as nice as going out to explore nature and its wonders. In Mid September, the Preschool and Lower Elementary classes went on a field trip to the Dallas Arboretum and the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. There they learned about solar energy, wind, water, parts of flowers, and hoards of other fascinating things. View the pictures to get a glimpse into their blissful escapade.

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The post How can we practically redirect our emotions towards Krishna? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post When Nectar of Devotion is the lawbook for ISKCON, why is it not stressed enough? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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Talk at ISKCON, Seattle
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Talk at Oregon State University
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The post How does Krishna take away the karma of his devotees? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

It is no secret that Bhagavad Gita is spoken by numerous speakers in various settings all over the world. Today, anyone who is little qualified in Sanskrit and English language thinks himself qualified to speak or translate the Gita. However,this is not how it is supposed to be as per the norms set by Krishna in the Gita. Just as it is appropriate for a doctor who practices medicine to speak about medical science, or a physicist who is active in his field to speak about the universal laws, similarly it is only appropriate for a follower of Krishna who practices Bhagavad Gita everyday to speak about Krishna.

Within Bhagavad Gita, Krishna clearly delineates repeatedly in different chapters the core characteristics (qualities) one has to have to live his or her daily life, based upon which one is qualified intuitively to speak, interpret and translate the Bhagavad Gita. Otherwise the Bhagavad Gita remains a mystery. In chapter four, text 3, Krishna clearly mentions this very point. If the speaker himself is not fitting Krishna's standard of living and hence not privy to the meaning of the Gita, then how can he enlighten the audience?

So the key to all this is that by simply reading a book called Bhagavad Gita, one cannot learn about its mysteries. One has to accept this knowledge from a person who possess certain key qualities as mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. They are;

• A person interested in the Gita must learn it by approaching a spiritual teacher in parampara who is fixed upon the truth as defined in the Bhagavad Gita (4.2, 4.34)
• He must practice control of mind towards worldly activities and duties (4.19 - 24, 18.54, 2.44)
• No hankering and lamenting
• No attachment to bhoga (sense-enjoyment) and aiswarya (material opulence) pertinent to worldly activities such as eating, sleeping, sex, fearing, profit, adoration, distinction etc
• Equanimity of mind towards duties related to parenting, job, country, community etc
• He must practice dedication of one's work or the essence of one’s work to Krishna either as duty or in devotion (3.9, 3.30)
• He must practice devotion and surrender to Krishna with mind attached to Him taking full shelter of Him in all circumstances (7.1, 18.55, 18.65, 18.66)

The TOVP management team went on site and gave approval for the production of GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) molds to begin. At the moment we are focusing on 4 different areas where the GRC molds will be used; the 24 Kalash brackets, the Chatri ribs, the 7 meters utility floor columns, and main base cornice of the Kalash brackets.

The management, art team and Sadbhuja prabhu have given full consent, and are very satisfied with the mold making and its progress. Once finished, GRC will be poured into the molds to create the desired pieces. The high quality GRC we are using isn’t available in any commercial market; it can only be produced in-house.

In the photos, Savya Sachi prabhu and his team are making the polyurethane molds to produce the Kalash bracket molds. Polyurethane combines the best properties of rubber and plastic, without the weaknesses inherent in plasticized vinyl films. Because it contains no plasticizers, it is not subject to the brittleness and other problems caused when they leach to the surface. Urethane is easy to work with, and is readily modified to suit a particular application. Urethane compounds possess a combination of properties which are not available in any other thermoplastic material, offering significant design flexibility. Polyurethane molds can also be used over and over, thus producing hundreds of cast GRC items.

[See image gallery at tovp.org]

The post GRC Molds Approved appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

ISKCON Auckland New Zealand distributes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/SLJqqt

Chanting with Harinama Ruci and the Harinama Ashram on the ‘L’ Train in Brooklyn (3 min video)
Krishna-kripa Das: Here’s a video from one of the best New York subway harinamas I have ever participated in. It was inspiring to see so many commuters willing to take part. Thanks to the Harinama Ruci world harinama sankirtana party for coming to New York City and inspiring us at the Harinama Ashram and blessing the City.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/tbmlVV

The post Gadai dasa asks whether we should decorate our bodies with Radha-kunda tilak appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! Sankirtana Musings Or Praise Among Friends
Satyaraja Dasa: And, so, I am back to revering Sankirtana, as I did in my youth. Today, I think of Sankirtana as an extension of Krishna’s pastime of “taxing the Gopis.” First expressed in Chandidasa’s Sri Krishna-kirtana and then in Rupa Gosvami’s Dana-keli-kaumudi, this story tells of when Srimati Radharani and Her girlfriends were carrying dairy products along a country path. Suddenly, Krishna appears out of nowhere and, pretending to be a revenue official, demands a “tax” for allowing the girls to pass. First He merely wants to tax them for their dairy goods, but then He decides to tax them for their beauty as well. This scenario will conjure up a line that is familiar to the Sankirtana devotee—“the citation line”—wherein the devotee acts like he is giving a person a citation ticket for any number of reasons, not least for looking “too beautiful.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=330

Hare Krishna! Choosing To Forgive
Mahatma Das: The sastras are full of stories of forgiveness: Ambarisa forgiving Durvasa, Parikshit forgiving Sringi, Narada Muni forgiving Daksa, Prahlada forgiving Hiranyakasipu, Haridas Thakura forgiving the guards who beat him, Nityananada forgiving Jagai and Madhai, Parasarama forgiving those who stole his family’s kamadhenu cow. Srila Prabhupada forgave anyone who came to him to serve Krsna. And of course Krsna forgives all of us no matter how sinful or blasphemous we were. Sastra implores us to forgive. The Srimad Bhagavatam lists forgiveness as one of the qualities of civilized human beings. And Srila Prabhupada asks us to be forgiving so we can cooperate to spread the movement. Yet despite the examples of devotees demonstrating incredible acts of forgiveness, despite the sastra telling us to accept suffering as a token reaction of our karma, despite Prabhupada’s plea for us to forgive, and despite the cleansing it can do to our hearts, forgiving is difficult for many of us. Devotees often say, “I was so deeply hurt that I just don’t know how I can forgive.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=314