Planet ISKCON

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."

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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 know whether our emotions are spiritual or sahajiyaic? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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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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The post Do those who die fighting against Krishna attain the spiritual world earlier than those who fight for him? 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

Vrindavan Temples Parikrama (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Relish these pics of our parikrama of some of Vrindavan Temples yesterday evening. We had a final sweet Braja Kirtan in Sri Sri Radha Vamsi Gopal Mandir where Srila Prabhupada stayed before Radha Damodar!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ciU3dr

The Walking Monk Retraces Prabhupada’s Journey
Bhaktimarga Swami has become famous as “The Walking Monk” from his treks on foot four times across his native Canada, as well as across Ireland, Israel, Fiji, Mauritius, Guyana and Trinidad. On each walk, he shares his message of reconnecting to a simple, natural, and God-conscious life with the media and locals along the way. The Swami’s current walk, however, may mean the most to him on a personal level. Dubbed “Walking for our Teachers,” its theme is to honor all teachers in a broad sense—but in a more specific sense, Bhaktimarga’s own guru. “Personally, we’re walking to honor ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya Srila Prabhupada, who was at the cutting edge of animal rights, vegetarianism, going back to the land, and of course spiritual enlightenment,” he says. “People know the Hare Krishnas, but they don’t know about the person behind it all. So I feel it’s our mandate now to let people know who Prabhupada was.”
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/vtfBjR

The post Daily Darshan – October 9th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Hare Krishna! The Best Birthday Present!
Vijaya dasa: This is about how the biggest book distributor in the USA, Bhakta Jaya Khush, came to Krsna consciousness. At his tenth birthday party, someone gave him as a present: Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is. At the time he thought, “Who has the nerve to give me a book for my birthday?” Ten years later, he’s a music producer traveling around with a famous musician. This musician is quoting the Bhagavad Gita to Jay Khush, who’s shocked that a famous African-American is quoting the book of his religion to him (he was born a Hindu) and knows it better than him. That made him curious, so when he went home after a tour he decided to read it, and he found out that the present he received was the best present he ever received. He started visiting the Radha-Raman Temple, an hour away from the Los Angeles temple. Every morning he would go to mangal-arati for six months.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20329

Iskcon Of New Jersey Bhumi Puja And Groundbreaking Video (7 min video)
The new temple building will be modern and functional and will be accented with elements of classical Vedic architecture. The following are the key components of the planned temple: • Vedic Temple Architecture • Spacious Darshan Hall (3,500 sqft) • Educational Facilities • Community Hall and Auditorium • Commercial Kitchen • Library • Vedic Books and Gifts Boutique • Ashram • Parking for 140+ vehicles • Beautiful Landscaping • Organic Garden
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/yW0ISe

05.10.2015 H.G.Kesi Damana Prabhu_SB-06.01.56

Ratha-yatra Jogjakarta 2015 (Album with photos)
Some snaps taken from the Ratha-yatra held on the 7th of October 2015 at Jogjakarta, Central Java, Indonesia.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/c6asl4

By October 9^th, Prabhupada was scheduled in his routine of residing at the YMCA and visiting the apartment of his sponsors, Gopal and Sally Agarwal in Butler, Pennsylvania. Every morning he would rise early at the Y and write on his Srimad-Bhagavatam translations and purports. 

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

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Rasa Rasika dasa