Hare Krishna! WSN July 2015 – World Sankirtan Newsletter In…
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Hare Krishna! WSN July 2015 - World Sankirtan Newsletter
In July, the biggest increase percentage-wise in the Large Temple category was Bhaktivedanta Manor’s score, an increase of 222%. It’s nice to note the Manor’s steady increase. I’m sure that Srila Prabhupada is pleased with the Manor devotees. The Manor was the last place he visited in the West, and many European devotees went there at that time to get his association and give him their good results in book distribution. Another surprise is that the No. 1 temple in the world is in the Small Temple category, which may be a first. Rupanuga Vedic College in Kansas is No. 1, with 31,046 book points: a 242% increase. This demonstrates that where there is teamwork, amazing things are accomplished. The RVC has seven books distributors traveling all over the USA. During the summers they do the WARP concert tours together, driving and distributing long hours. Very focused book distributors.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19443

How can we avoid comparing ourselves with others while living in a comparing culture?
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How can we avoid moroseness caused by repeatedly falling for sense gratification?
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How can we serve according to our nature within an institutional setup?
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Appreciating Bhagavatam as rasa shastra
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Srimad Bhagavatam class at Radha Vrindavanchandra temple, Pune

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Hare Krishna! The Prime Minister of East Timor receives Bhagavad…
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Hare Krishna! The Prime Minister of East Timor receives Bhagavad Gita As It Is
On Ekadasi day, August 26, 2015 Trata-dasa (Dr. Tri Astawa) from Bali, Indondesia, an ISKCON devotee/ disciple of His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, met with the Prime Minister of East Timor, Dr.Rui Maria de Araujo in Jakarta, Indonesia and presented him with the Bhagavad Gita As It Is in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian). The occasion was a reunion of medical doctors who worked at a hospital in Dili, East Timor. Trata-dasa and the now Prime Minister worked together at the hospital.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19432

The Origin of Cities
→ The Enquirer

Seeing her fulfilling everyone’s desires with her milk, Emperor Pṛthu fell in love with the Earth Goddess. But since he had taken her milk, she seemed like a mother to him, and it felt wrong to express his love in a romantic way. Even then, since he had threatened to punish her, it also felt wrong to love her like a mother. Finally, he realized that she was like his daughter, and he expressed this love to her with great affection.

Remembering that she had asked him to make her surface more level for the sake of agriculture, the Emperor stuck the mountaintops with arrows. They crumbled, and the earth became much more level.

The All-Attractive Son of Vena then turned his fatherly attention to the practical welfare of his people, who lived in a disorganized fashion, scattered here and there. He gave them places to live, organized into cooperative units: small villages, larger towns with markets, and large cities with bustling commercial centers. He also made fortresses with barracks to house the soldiers and protect farmers and animals in the pastures. And he built mining villages near the mountains, where miners dug for gold, silver, and other metals.

Previous to Pṛthu, planning of towns, villages and so on was unheard of. People simply lived wherever they liked, without fear. But after the calamities initiated by Vena, Pṛthu introduced these social structures to help people protect one another.

– Excerpt from an early draft of Part 4 of
Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive
A translation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam’s fourth canto
[4.18.28- 32]
By Vraja Kishor [VrajaKishor.com]

Tagged: agriculture, cities, earth goddess, prithu, social organization

Beloved
→ Seed of Devotion

(To know more about this Duet, click here. We have switched and now I am writing first, Rukmini doing art in response.)

Art and Words Duet: Day 7
Beloved

For years upon years
I searched for The One
I cried many tears
and on the years spun

I looked inside
and looked out there
was tempted to hide
but honed my prayer

When I discovered my Lord
He filled the hole in my heart
I let down my guard
for my heart had become whole 

I became calm and content
spending long days alone
I watched the sun rise and set
Peace covering my soul

Now I didn't even want to get married
For my life was going fine
But of course that was when the Lord carried
me to His beloved
and mine. 



Hare Krishna Festival Tour Gets Irish Feet Dancing
→ ISKCON News

The Hare Krishna Festival tour that drew many Irish people to Krishna consciousness in the 1990s returned to the Emerald Isle this summer, and once again got Irish feet dancing. Between 1990 and 1995, the late inspirational preacher and Prabhupada disciple Tribhuvanath Das toured Irish cities with his festivals based on Prabhupada’s model from the early days of ISKCON.

Birthday Bash! Sri Krishna Janmastami – September 4-5, 2015
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

From Friday, September 4th to Saturday, September 5th, the Hare Krishna Temple will be celebrating the biggest birthday party of the year, Lord Krishna's appearance day - Sri Krishna Janmastami!

Festivities will be filled with kirtan, bhajans, discourses and more! On Saturday, the highlight of the evening is the countdown to midnight! The momentum builds as the abhisheka (bathing ceremony) is performed and the Temple is filled with wonderful rocking kirtan, at the stroke of midnight, the Deity doors will open and their Lordships Sr Sri
Radha Ksira-Chora Gopinatha will be revealed in a stunning flower outfit! It is truly a festival NOT to be missed!

On Saturday, September 5th, free indoor parking will be available for festival attendees, located on Pears Avenue, a 2-3 minute walk from the temple.


Friday, September 4, 2015:

  • 3:00pm to 9:00pm - 6-Hour Kirtan


Saturday, September 5, 2015 (subject to change):
  • 6:00pm - 6:30pm - Kirtan (Arati)
  • 6:30pm - 6:45pm - Welcome & Announcements
  • 6:45pm - 7:15pm - Class "Become Fearless by Understanding the Bhagavad-Gita" 
  • 7:15pm - 7:30pm - Verse Recitation by Children
  • 7:30pm - 8:00pm - Drama by Krishna Fun School Children
  • 8:00pm - 8:30pm - Kirtan (Arati)
  • 8:30pm - 9:00pm - Class "Srila Prabhupada's Relevance - 50 years Later"
  • 9:00pm - 9:30pm - Presentation
  • 9:30pm - 10:15pm - Donor Abhisheka
  • 10:15pm - 11:00pm - Drama by HH Bhaktimarga Swami
  • 11:00pm - 12:00pm - Abhisheka
  • 12:00am - 12:45am - Special Darshan and Midnight Arati
  • 12:45am - Vegetarian Feast (Prasadam) 

Sponsorship Opportunities:
  • Maha Abhishek: $401 - A rare opportunity to personally bathe Sri Sri Radha Krishna with auspicious liquids (water from seven holy rivers as well as panchamrita - a mixture of ghee, yogurt, milk, honey and sugar). Sponsors will get to take home their decorative Kalasha (pot) and puja thali (worship plate).
  • Feast Sponsorship:
    • Gold $1500
    • Silver $1000
    • Bronze $500 (10 spots available)
  • Festival Flowers: 
    • Gold: $1500
    • Silver $1000
  • Festival Deity Garlands: $750
  • Deity Dress: $1500 each altar; all thee altars: $4500
  • Platinum Festival Sponsorship: $10008 (complete festival)
  • Midnight Arati: $108
  • Mangal Arati: $51
  • Decorations/Flowers: $500
  • Cake: $500
  • Gopal Swing & Decorations: $ 1008
  • Srila Prabhupada Appearance Day Feast:
    • Morning $501
    • Evening $501
    • Cake $200

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact donate@torontokrishna.com

The schedules for both days will be posted soon!


Hare Krishna! ISKCON Leadership Sanga 2016 The vision of the ILS…
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Hare Krishna! ISKCON Leadership Sanga 2016
The vision of the ILS is to allow leaders to share their service with their peers and with the members of the GBC – an opportunity for association, vision, inspiration, and education in the holy dhama of Mayapur. The ILS 2016 will feature at least 13 venues presenting 80–100 seminars in all areas of the GBC strategic plan with emphasis on: outreach the “marketing” and communication of Krishna consciousness devotee care online strategies leadership skills best practices in many areas of temple/project/community development strategic planning and project development Special topics for ISKCON Leaders
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19423

Hare Krishna! Bhakti Sangam festival in Ukraine -…
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Hare Krishna! Bhakti Sangam festival in Ukraine - video
Indradyumna Swami: The annual Bhakti Sangam Festival is surely the most amazing event on this planet, with so many Maharajas and preachers sharing their realizations in seminars, and the evenings are spent in most sublime kirtans. Last year’s Bhakti Sangam festival in Ukraine was cancelled due to the political situation in the country. So this year’s festival is especially important to the many devotees in the country. They are relishing each other’s association, spending the time chanting, dancing and hearing spiritual discourses by senior devotees. In a country with political instability, fighting on the eastern front and an economic crisis, Ukrainian devotees are taking shelter of Krsna’s holy names at the Bhakti Sangam Festival in the countryside near Shatsk.
Watch it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19417

Cairns Rathayatra
→ Ramai Swami

imageimageimage

Once again, the Cairns devotees were able to organise Lord Jagannatha’s Rathayatra in the Cairns festival parade.

The Rathayatra cart, built by Yamala Arjuna,  was brought up from the Gold Coast.
There were over 100 floats in the parade, but Lord Jagannatha reigned Supreme as He blissfully rode in His cart down the Cairns Esplanade.
imageimage

Being Held
→ Seed of Devotion

Art & Words Duet: Day 6
Being Held
(To know more about this Duet, click here.)

On Friday mornings I bathe, offer puja, and dress Chota ("Little") Radha Murlidhara. After I had set up all the tables and materials for worship, I stepped on the altar to carry the deities to the table. I picked up Murlidhar with my right hand and placed Him in the palm of my left hand.

As I carried Him, I was suddenly wonderstruck. God is the biggest of the big, the Lord of the Universe. God is the smallest of the small, present in every atom. And yet somehow He has made Himself just the right size to fit into the palm of my hand. My dear Radha Murlidhara, may I always be held in the palm of YOUR hands and let me love You and worship You always.

Art by Rukmini Poddar




Lord Balarama’s Appearance Day—Mercy and Beauty
Giriraj Swami

Today iKrsna and Balarama with cowherd boys and cowss Balarama Purnima. “One cannot attain the supreme platform of self-realization without being sufficiently favored by Balarama. One must have the spiritual strength which is infused by Balarama, or Sankarsana. Balarama, or Sankarsana, is the source of spiritual power, or the original spiritual master. Therefore Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is also the incarnation of Balarama, is the original spiritual master. And the spiritual master is the representative of Balarama . . . The spiritual master is the manifestation of the mercy of Krsna.” (Krsna, Chapter 2)

sri-gopya ucuh
aksanvatam phalam idam na param vidamah
sakhyah pasun avivesayator vayasyaih
vaktram vrajesa-sutayor anuvenu-justam
yair va nipitam anurakta-kataksa-moksam

“The cowherd girls said: ‘O friends, those eyes that see the beautiful faces of the sons of Maharaja Nanda are certainly fortunate. As these two sons enter the forest, surrounded by Their friends, driving the cows before Them, They hold Their flutes to Their mouths and glance lovingly upon the residents of Vrndavana. For those who have eyes, we think there is no greater object of vision.’ ” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.21.7)

We pray for Lord Balarama’s mercy.

Hare Krishna.

—Giriraj Swami

Balaram Jayanti – How Balaram helps Krishna remember Vrindavan outside Vrindavan
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Balaram Jayanti Lecture at ISKCON, Pune
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