Websites from the ISKCON Universe
This track produced and performed by George Harrison and featuring The London Radha Krishna Temple rose to number 16 in the UK singles record chart in 1970, and has become a timeless classic played daily in thousands of temples worldwide to greet the deities of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna in the morning.
Hare Krishna! How to Celebrate Janmashtami
Where Vaishnava temples exist, festivities begin before dawn and extend all day until midnight, the exact moment of the anniversary of Krishna’s appearance. Events include kirtan, singing the Lord’s name along with other devotees; and japa, private, more intimate prayer. Some devotees cook a feast of over one hundred dishes, while others perform drama and dance. Some clothe and decorate the deity of Krishna while others string enormous flower garlands and other decorations for the temple. Incense burns, scriptures are read, and all but the young and the infirm fast all day. The deities are also bathed with a variety of auspicious liquids in a kind of ablution ceremony called abhisheka. Sometimes taking over two hours, this is performed with great pomp.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=13031
Hare Krishna! Sri Krishna Janmastami
Gour Govinda Swami: The Bhagavata says, to hear this transcendental lila-kahani of Bhagavan Krsna is all-auspicious. If you hear with full faith and concentrated attention, all of the material contamination in your heart will be purified. No other means is there. For this reason Bhagavan Sri Krsna descends here, though Bhagavan Krsna has His eternal abode in the spiritual sky, known as sac-cid-anandamaya-dhama, a dhama that is sanmaya, cinmaya, and anandamaya – full of eternality, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. He is always there, engaged, completely absorbed in transcendental lila, especially in rasa-lila He enjoys and relishes the mellow. Why will He come to this material world which is not His dhama, abode? It is completely opposite to that transcendental sac-cid-anandamaya-dhama. This material world is asat-, acit-, and nirananda-maya—it is temporary, full of ignorance and misery. Why will He come here? What business does He have coming here?
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11849
Preparing Our Conciousness For Janmasthami-Radhanath Swami Maharaj Sunday Feast ISKCON Chowpatty
Hare Krishna! Observing Janmastami
The observance of Janmastami is accepted as a regulative principle in three ways: 1) the Supreme Lord becomes pleased when one observes it; 2) there are special sastric injunctions requiring its observance; and 3) it is a fault to not observe it. For the pleasure of Lord Vishnu, even great kings like Prahlad Maharaja faithfully observed the vow of Janmastami, which is very dear to Krishna. It is the duty of everyone to celebrate Janmastami every year, on the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the moon in the month of Sravana, when it is joined by the Rohini-naksatra, for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, who carries a cakra in his hand. Eating on Janmastami is equivalent to eating the flesh of a vulture, a crow, a hawk, or a human being. If one eats on Janmastami they get the reaction of eating all the sins of the three worlds.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=7537
"I want to take this opportunity to offer my deepest respects and gratitude to Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, who 50 years ago made the arduous journey from India to the United States to share Krishna with the Western world. Without him, I and millions of others would never had known about the all-attractive, supremely-lovable Lord Krishna," Tulsi Gabbard says.
US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Offers Appreciation to Srila Prabhupada in Her 2015 Janmastami Message
Listen and/or download freely 12 tracks of the beautifully narrated and musically arranged Krishna stories.
These are Iskcon’s “Golden Avatar” Krishna stories by Krishna Kanti Prabhu (recorded during the 70ties)
Here: https://goo.gl/3TLenB
A small yet growing crew of dedicated devotees have been doing Harinama Sankirtana in downtown Vancouver, Canada, for over 200 days in a row now, chanting the Holy Names of God for two hours every week day after work and for three hours on weekends.
Everything is produced in time, stays in time and perishes in time. But there is a place and there are beings, completely beyond the influence of time. Everything is eternal there. No one ever dies or grows old. Time is not divided into past, present or future.
Climate change is a “pressing” global challenge and the poor people are ‘most adversely’ affected by it.
Hare Krishna! Assumptions…
Vraj Vihari dasa: Our minds are constantly making assumptions. We assume things about ourselves, about others, about our environment. With the help of Vraj Vihari dasa and instructions from the Bhagavad-gita, we’ll explore the assumption phenomena, and how to examine our assumptions and decide which ones to keep, which to be wary of.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19575
ISKCON of Washington, DC area
Looking forward to hosting Congressman Van Hollen, delegates Aruna Miller and Kumar Barve at the Janmastami celebrations tomorrow night.
This Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna, eternally engage in loving pastimes. These loving pastimes are enacted on the spiritual platform, which is free from the contamination of material inebrieties. The ocean of bliss, emanating from these loving pastimes, expands continuously. Every moment is a festival or a party that never ends.
Hare Krishna! Sharing Faith
Saunaka Rsi Das: The word conversion can bring images of determined zealots haranguing a fallen soul to turn to God or images of profound change, deep truth, joy, and connection. In the Vaishnava tradition it includes a personal spiritual journey, a sharing of experience and realization, and, in modern times, institutional allegiance. As attitudes in the world change towards ‘organized religion’ and wanting to be ‘spiritual, but not religious’, we explore the Bhakti practice and ways of thinking about conversion, change, and transformation, and how they may apply in a modern context.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19570
Yamuna Devi recalls Prabhupada
Yamuna: The first time that I assisted Srila Prabhupada in the kitchen was in New York on the occasion of my sister’s wedding. Srila Prabhupada cooked in his apartment in a small galley kitchen with counters on both sides. He gave me the singular task of making a very difficult preparation called aloo kachori. It’s one of the most complex pastries to cook properly because it has to cook for a long time without becoming greasy, which is almost impossible. For nearly eight hours I made aloo kachoris while Srila Prabhupada single-handedly cooked a fourteen-course wedding feast in his small kitchen. In the course of cooking for that feast, I made many mistakes. It was my very first day, and the first mistake I made was to wear a short skirt and a little T-shirt. Sitting crossed-legged I said, “Swamiji, may I have a cigarette?” He popped his head out of the corner and said, “Go wash your hands.” I washed my hands. Then he explained the four prohibitions in Krishna consciousness: no meat eating, no gambling, no illicit sex life, and no intoxicants. A short time later I said, “Swamiji, may I have a glass of water?” He said, “Go wash your hands.” Then he explained that the first and foremost principle in cooking was to engage our senses in the service of the Lord. He said that we should cook for Krishna with love and devotion and not think about our senses, our tongue, our sense of smell or our belly, because we were cooking for Krishna’s pleasure. A short time later I said, “Swamiji, it’s very hot in here.” I was fighting perspiration. “Go wash your hands.” In this way he introduced me to the simplest, most rudimentary principle of external cleanliness. He also explained a simple touch of internal cleanliness and said, “We can serve Krishna through the art of cooking when we are externally and internally clean.”
ISKCON Communications Director Anuttama Das and Bhumi Project Director Gopal-Lila Das presented a proposal for a new ISKCON Environmental Initiative at the North American GBC meetings in Chicago this August. The proposal was unanimously accepted, and if successful will see ISKCON temples reducing waste, and increasing renewable energy use.
Hare Krishna! Prasadam via Amazon!
Svavasa Dasa (Temple President): A wonderful thing just happened. Tadit and I had a meeting with a rep from Amazon.com. They are launching a new program for their Prime Amazon customers in So. Cal. for take out food. We were picked as one of their vendors for take out within a three mile radius of the temple. This is really a big step up for us since they are a premier company for delivery goods as I’m sure you know. They will take our menu put it on the Amazon site and give their customers an app and then the customer sends us their order through the special app, we put it together and Amazon sends their delivery man to pick it up and deliver it to the customer. Amazon will supply us a Kindle reader hooked up next to our register were the order will come in from a customer.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19567
We hope that you are all geared up to celebrate the most auspicious Sri Krishna Janmastami tomorrow. This also means that you still have 1 more day to sponsor Sri Krishna Janmashtami services at Mayapur. Apart from gaining immense spiritual benefit, all our donors will receive Sri Radha Madhava Mahaprasada of dry fruits, Tulasi leaves and […]
The post Hurry up Dear Devotees!! appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Cows on the “Mooove” - videos from the recent translocation of some happy cows.
In the first group of cows to travel from ISCOWP West Virginia to ISCOWP Florida were Abhay, Akshobhya, Padmaganda and Meenakshi. Their trip is described in the first video. Indraneela and Lila were the second group to go and their story is told in the second video. We are trying to move each cow with their best friend or friends.
Watch them here: http://goo.gl/m7qTx8
Harinama by the Krishna devotees cheers up Muslim refugee children in Hungary (3 min video)
We are not Muslims, Hindus, Jews or Christians. We are not Afghans, Syrians, Germans or Hungarians. We are all migrants on our journeys, seeking love, peace and happiness. – A short film about the power of an act of humanity recorded at the Budapest Railway Station, in the flashpoint of the refugee crisis in Hungary.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/0NDhHs
Krishna Balarama Rath Yatra in Queens, New York (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali-santarana Upanishad, where it is said: “After searching through al the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krishna.” (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 3.40 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/3ZWsLm
Hare Krishna! The nature of a Mahatma
Gaura Govinda Swami: “The Western world means countries where the people are gross materialists, who have no Krsna consciousness, no God-consciousness at all. Therefore, who is able to spread Krsna consciousness among them? It is completely impossible, unless, krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana, one is empowered by Krsna’s sakti and becomes krsna-sakti-pusta-parikara. That is guru-tattva. One who is sad-guru, sri-guru, a pure Vaisnava, sadhu mahajana is krsna-sakti-pusta-parikara. He is Krsna’s eternal associate. He is nourished by krsna-sakti. Without krsna-sakti no one can spread Krsna consciousness alone, by his own strength. It is impossible. Therefore, there is definitely no doubt that Srila Prabhupada was empowered by Krsna, empowered by Mahaprabhu. He had received the full mercy of Krsna, Mahaprabhu and the previous acaryas — Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, and all other sadhu-mahajanas, who gave him full power.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19563
Hare Krishna! Bus party experience
Recently we commenced monthly book distribution venture by our temple bus in the interiors of Maharashtra, India. It is really an exhilarating experience to realize Srila Prabhupada’s statement in Srimad Bhagavatam: It is the duty of a mendicant to experience all varieties of God’s creation by traveling through all forests, hills, towns, villages, etc., 1) to gain faith in God and 2) strength of mind as well as 3) to enlighten the inhabitants with the message of God. SB1.6.13
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19557
The post Daily Darshan – September 4th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Balaram Jayanti Class – HG Parividha Dasa – 29.08.2015
Please join us!
blessed and renowned Pṛthu became very angry at Indra, and took up his bow and arrows.
The priests say him rise in a terrible rage to swiftly destroy the Thunder-Wielder, “Oh king of broad intellect!” they protested, “it is declared that if you injure any creature now, your sacrifice will be ruined!”
Pṛthu glanced ferociously at the sky, towards Indra.
“We will stop him” the priests said, “and we will do it in a sacrificial manner. We will invoke that lord of storms who wants to destroy your success.”
“How will you do that?” Pṛthu would want to know.
“With mantas of summoning!”
“They are powerful enough to summon the king of paradise?” Pṛthu would ask.
“Their powers are insurmountable! They will invoke him instantly and irresistibly. He is already powerless, because he opposes you, and we are all-powerful because we serve you.”
“What will you do with him once you invoke him?” Pṛthu would wonder.
“We will make him the final horse, and give him to the sacrificial fire.”
Before Pṛthu could even reply, the furious priests prepared to incant the mantras, taking butter-oil ladles into their hands. But self-born Brahmā interrupted, ordering them to stop.
“You must not try to kill Indra!” Brahmā declared. “You will fail – for he is an essential part of the sacrifices manifest by the All-Attractive. Should sacrifice be employed to destroy sacrifice? If you did kill him, what would happen to all the gods for whom he is the essential king?”
There was silence.
Brahmā continued, “O Priests! By disrupting the King’s religious ceremony in the disguise of a religious person, Indra has opened the door to terrible religious hypocrisy and exploitation. Now just see the first result: you want to kill him by a religious ceremony!”
The Priests put down the ladles in shock.
Brahmā turned to Pṛthu and said, “Broad minded king! Your fame is already spread everywhere. So what if you have performed one less that one hundred rituals? What is the difference? You know that religion is actually meant for spiritual liberation, so why should you be so intent on finishing your hundredth mundane religious sacrifice? What will you really gain if you succeed?”
Pṛthu’s anger disappeared.
“Indra is a king just like you,” Brahmā continued, “and both of you are parts of He Who Is Glorified in Topmost Poetry. So why should you be angry at him? What should anyone be angry at either of you? I wish good fortune to both of you!”
Pṛthu looked at the final sacrifice half-completed. Brahmā encouraged him, “Your soul is very soft and kind, O Emperor. Don’t worry yourself by dwelling on this last sacrifice. What is done is done. The mind of one who dwells on what destiny seems to steal is lost in the blinding darkness of anger.
“Give up this ceremony! Of all the gods, Indra is the most tenacious and impossible to thwart. He has already created such a mess by using religious symbols to accomplish irreligious aims. Seeing how Indra ruined your ceremony by stealing the horse, everyone is now tempted to exploit religious symbols for their own interests.
“You have come into this world to help bring the people into moral harmony. After Vena practically destroyed morality, you arose from a part of his body, as a manifestation of Viṣṇu’s expansion. Fulfill your mission, which is the mission shared by all of us who help create the world. Don’t think about destroying Indra, think about destroying the religious hypocrisy he has invited by so wantonly exploiting religious symbolism.”
The king accepted the guidance of the world’s guru, Brahmā. He compassionately forgave Indra and made peace with him.
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:
We are not Muslims, Hindus, Jews or Christians. We are not Afghans, Syrians, Germans or Hungarians. We are all migrants on our journeys, seeking love, peace and happiness. -- A short film about the power of an act of humanity.
Created by: Janos Kapcsos, Laszlo Tas Balogh, Gandharvika Prema, Krisztina Danka.
www.karunaproductions.com