Websites from the ISKCON Universe
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Traveling and preaching in Mongolia (6 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: We’re on the road again, taking the holy names of Krsna to as many towns and villages as we can during our 3,500-kilometer journey through the remote areas of Mongolia. There’s a special satisfaction pioneering Krsna consciousness in a place where people have never seen devotees before, or heard of Lord Caitanya. Yesterday in Darhan people immediately crowded around us as we began Hari Nama, eager to hear our message and buy books. Some of them followed us back to a hall where we had a two-hour program. Step by step we are conquering the hearts of the people of this beautiful country.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/3IJGDu
Hare Krishna! Interview with Bhakti Rasamrita Swami – Pandava Sena Alumni
A special interactive interview with HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami. This session was a discussion on the modern application of Krishna Consciousness and took the format of an interview by Nanda Parkinson (Chat Show Host). We also had 30 minutes for QnA from the audience
Watch it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20123
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 September 2015, Durban, South Africa, Kirtan at NJP)
Kirtan means that we have to listen. Just like in chanting japa, in kirtan there is also inattentive chanting. Inattentive chanting means that we sing something else than what the leader is singing and that is what you are doing. Of course, it is very beautiful what you are singing but it is something else. So let us try again. There are some varieties in the tune, it is not just staying the same all the time which means that you have to really listen each time and not go on automatic pilot. There is no automatic pilot in kirtan.
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Hare Krishna! Former Premier among 15,000 other guests at Australia’s Albert Park Iskcon Temple
The devotees thanked the former premier for helping in getting 500 K grant for Albert Park Temple’s “Kitchen Project” In his speech, Mr Baillieu thanked the Victorian Indian and Hindu community for their overall contribution to Victoria and Australia. During the informal chit-chat about the upcoming kitchen project, Mr Baillieu’s cooking skills came under discussion. ISKCON devotes said they would love to see Mr Baillieu’s cooking skills at the upcoming kitchen, and the former premier said he would be more than happy to oblige.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20119
Radhastami Bhajans Iskcon London
Answer Podcast:
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Sunday Feast Lecture at New Ramana Rati, Alachua.
Lecture Podcast:
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The following devotees spoke in appreciation of Giriraj Swami: Gaudachandra dasa, Aditi dasi, Purusottama Ksetra dasa, Revati dasi, Sri Vallabha dasa, Madhava, Balarama dasa, Tulsi Manjari devi dasi, Sukumari dasi, Bhaktin Andrea, Bhakta Jared, Swarup Damodar dasa, Bhakta Rob, Rajani Priya devi dasi, Abhay, Radha Radhanatha devi dasi, Kandarpa Manjari devi dasi, Kunti devi dasi, Radha Priya dasi.
“We were in Houston and you were speaking on the Bhagavad-gita at a house program. You were talking about impersonalists and how they think that Krishna is ultimately formless and that everything is Maya. You were saying how different people give impersonal commentaries of the Bhagavad-gita. I was impressed by how you were speaking in such a gentle, calm way yet the message was so heavy. I was amazed how you could be so sweet and so heavy at the same time. And, sometimes I get that from you as well.”
—Balarama dasa
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Devotees Appreciations
Address by Giriraj Swami
How to Live like Hanuman
He is always ready to serve: Hanuman sits next to Lord Rama with one knee on the ground ready to spring into action. Love is not just an emotion nor a noun…it’s a verb. Love means service. When Hanuman found Rama he dedicated his life to helping Him find Sita. Connect with God, find a person who inspires you in bhakti and offer service. Lots of it. Like Hanuman.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/Qr1bSk
Hare Krishna! How to Navigate the Challenge of Kali-yuga (audio)
Vraja Vihari Das: The Vedas say we live in “Kali-yuga”, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Written thousands of years ago, these writings describe in much detail the ills of society today. They also describe the panacea for living a virtuous and spiritual life despite the challenges of this age.
Listen to it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20116
Hare Krishna! What is the matter with the world
Srila Prabhupada: The animal part of a human being necessarily require food to eat, shelter to live in, protection from fear and gratification of senses. These four principles of life are common both to the man and the animals. A time is nearing when there will be no wheat-paddy in the field and no politician will be able to make a quick supply of bread. The food problem is already acute. The atheistic civilization is to be troubled more and more with the progress of materialism. We have such foretellings in the pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The more the people are turning to the atheistic, the more things of disturbing elements do appear before us. And that is the thing which matters at present. This is a wrong type of civilization.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=6057
A Second Channel (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Following the success of our recent interview on national television here in Mongolia, another prominent channel, Soyongegeeeruulegch.tv, contacted us and proposed to record 5 separate, 45 minute shows with me. The next day I was in their studios for a marathon recording, changing my chaddar each session for some diversity. I spoke on a variety of Krsna conscious subjects, a few of which appear in this short video. When all was done, I asked the director of the station how many people would see the recordings. She replied, “We will broadcast one each day next week both in the morning and evening. So I suppose around 2 million people will hear from you.” Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/3gxY0F
Sivarama Swami on the European Migrant Crisis
Over the past few weeks, in the midst of Europe largest political and humanitarian crisis since World War 2, the Hungarian Society for Krishna Consciousness have been actively involved in helping migrants and refugees stuck at the railways stations or crossing through the country. Devotees have distributed about 5,000 plates of hot meal, and 1.5 tons of fruits and other food items, while maintaining their usual program of feeding 2,000 marginalized Hungarians every day.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/tJsE4e
Question: What is the best thing to do to cure our scars and in particular how to cure bad relationships with devotees?
Kadamba Kanana Swami: One of my favorite stories that my mother used to tell me is about two princesses and one, when she would open her mouth, roses would come out and when the other one would open hers – frogs! Now, in our case, since we are vaisnavas we are trying for roses but every once in a while there is an inadvertent frog that just jumps out of your mouth and then what do you do!? Then you think, ‘I should not have said that!’ But you cannot swallow the frog – it is against the regulative principles! So once it is out there, it bounces around in all its ugliness and people may even put it on the internet or quote it in a vyasa-puja offering as some sort of funny pastime! Yes, it happens and we try to avoid these things, but it may still happen even when we try to avoid it. Then what do you do? Keep on trying to avoid and just get engaged in positive, glorifying Krsna, serving Krsna and doing all these things connected with devotional service. Then all the anarthas will just automatically be purified in the process of bhakti yoga – all the scars gone!
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/QC9fvX
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 April 2015, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa Puja Morning Lecture, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 24.124)
Question: What is the best thing to do to cure our scars and in particular how to cure bad relationships with devotees?
By having good relationships with devotees! Focus on the positive, do not focus on scars. Sometimes we read about the anarthas and so on, but we should not spend our whole spiritual life just meditating on overcoming anarthas. Certainly, anarthas are an element in our philosophy and one should understand the nature of these anarthas, reading about it for example in Madhurya Kadambini where Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur gives really nice explanation about the anarthas. The point is that we do take note of anarthas and on how to overcome them, but the essence is – let us just focus on the positive! Avoid the negative activities as much as you can and meanwhile where it is still difficult, then we try to just get absorbed in devotional service and that will purify us.
One of my favorite stories that my mother used to tell me is about two princesses and one, when she would open her mouth, roses would come out and when the other one would open hers – frogs! Now, in our case, since we are vaisnavas we are trying for roses but every once in a while there is an inadvertent frog that just jumps out of your mouth and then what do you do!? Then you think, ‘I should not have said that!’ But you cannot swallow the frog – it is against the regulative principles! So once it is out there, it bounces around in all its ugliness and people may even put it on the internet or quote it in a vyasa-puja offering as some sort of funny pastime! Yes, it happens and we try to avoid these things, but it may still happen even when we try to avoid it. Then what do you do? Keep on trying to avoid and just get engaged in positive, glorifying Krsna, serving Krsna and doing all these things connected with devotional service. Then all the anarthas will just automatically be purified in the process of bhakti yoga – all the scars gone!
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With the European public completely divided over how to treat refugees poring in from war-torn countries, whether Europeans should welcome them or be afraid of them, likewise, being at the epicenter of the crisis, Hungarian devotees have also expressed their concerns about the issue. Sivarama Swami addresses some of these concerns.
India’s Ancient and Great Maritime History
This shows how ancient Vedic culture was able to reach many areas of the globe. We should first take into account that ancient India, which was centered around the Indus Valley years ago, and was already well developed before 3200 BCE, stretched from Afghanistan to the Indian Ocean and points farther east and north, the largest empire in the world at the time. But its influence spread much farther than that. During its peak developments, it had organized cities, multistory brick buildings, vast irrigation networks, sewer systems, the most advanced metalwork in the world, and a maritime trade network that incorporated the use of compasses, planked ships, and trained navigators that reached parts of western Asia, Mesopotamia, Africa, and other ports far beyond their borders. 1 So they were certainly capable of ocean-going trips that could have reached even to the Americas.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20110
Hare Krishna! Canada Rugby World Cup team visit ISKCON Leicester
The Canada Rugby World Cup Team attended the ISKCON Leicester Kirtan Fest this Sunday 27th September. The Canadian Team, who are in the UK for the World Cup tournament, were walking through Leicester’s City Centre, when they heard the sound of kirtan coming from the magnificent temple. Ananda Monet was leading a beautiful kirtan, and they were warmly welcomed by Leicester’s Bhakta Ash. Still in their red training tops, the rugby stars enquired about the festival, the significance of the Hare Krishna mahamantra, and about the ISKCON Centre in Leicester. In his usual, friendly way, Ash asked them to read and chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra, which they did so happily. The Canadian Team then met some devotees, and spoke to young 8-year old devotee who also plays rugby in Leicester.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20107
Hare Krishna! WSN August 2015 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following results of book distribution for the month of August 2015 from the whole planet. World Totals, Monthly Congregation and Weekend Warriors, Monthly Continents, Monthly Top Ten Temples by Size, Monthly Top Ten Temples by Continent, Monthly Top Teams and Individuals, Monthly All Countries, Monthly All Temples, Monthly All Prabhupada Disciples, Cumulative Top Ten Countries, Cumulative Top Ten Temples, Cumulative Top 50 Individuals Worldwide
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20105
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SB 07 05 04 By HG Jananivas Prabhu at ISKCON Juhu on 11 Sep 2015
“O Kesava! You assumed the form of Vamana to trick the great demon Bali Maharaja by Your steps, and to purify all living entities by the water that emanated from the nails of Your lotus feet. All glories unto You, Lord of the universe.”
Lord Vamana’s appearance was observed at Jagannatha Gauranga temple in Bali with abhiseka, kirtan, recital and wonderful feast.
