Bhagavatam-daily 313 – 11.14.5-7 – Vedic variety reflects universal demography
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Bhagavatam-daily 312 – 11.14.4 – Sonic succession is more important than seminal succession
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Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine (Album with photos) Srila…
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Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If with the arrow of chanting the holy name of the Lord one pierces Lord Vishnu’s lotus feet, by dint of performing this heroic activity of devotional service on receives the benefit of returning home, back to Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.42 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/6SUcSQ

Balarama’s Appearance Day – This Saturday!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

Please come celebrate the appearance day of Lord Balarama (Balarama Jayanti) on Saturday, August 29, 2015! Lord Balarama is the older brother of Lord Krishna and symbolizes spiritual strength.

The festival will kick off with a special Monthly Sankirtan Festival (MSF) by taking our spiritual books and sharing with others on the streets of Toronto! Our enthusiastic team will leave at 1:00pm from the temple. Please join us for what will be a bright sankirtan outing!

The main festival at the temple will begin at 6:00pm with kirtan and arati and will be followed by an enlivening discourse given by our special guest, HG Narayani devi dasi. Then, we will continue with our annual tradition by having our Sixth Annual Balarama Bake Off  with a little twist this year. Stay tuned for this very sweet tradition!

Everyone during the festival will also be able to take part in the Jhulan Yatra Festival. A specially decorated swing will be arranged by the devotees for Sri Sri Radha and Krishna to sit and and accept the flower offerings from the devotees. Please join the festival and get a rare chance to personally swing their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna.

And remember, Balarama's Appearance day only begins the countdown to the BIGGEST Birthday Bash of the year as we celebrate Sri Krishna Janmastami on Saturday, September 5, 2015. Please mark your calendars and join us in creating a spiritually charged Krishna Conscious long-weekend. More information about what to expect will be coming your way soon!

San Francisco (northern California) Ratha Yatra 2015 (Album with…
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San Francisco (northern California) Ratha Yatra 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: When the living entity understands the target of his life, he takes the arrow of his purified life, and with the help of the bow – the transcendental chanting of pranava, or the Hare Krishna mantra – he throws himself toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.42 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/TYB6Pq

Bhagavatam-daily 311 – 11.14.3 – The knowledge beyond history manifests in history
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CC daily 209 – 7.50-53 – Serve according to capacity; don’t crave for services we cant do
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Chaitanya Charitamrita daily Podcast:


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Disappearance day of Srila Rupa Gosvami
Giriraj Swami

Srila_Rupa_Gosvami_writingToday is the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Gosvami, one of the most confidential servants of Lord Caitanya. Their intimate relationship is beautifully described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 19.120-121):

yah prag eva priya-guna-ganair gadha-baddho ‘pi mukto
  gehadhyasad rasa iva paro murta evapy amurtah
premalapair drdhatara-parisvanga-rangaih prayage
  tam sri-rupam samam anupamenanujagraha devah

“From the very beginning, Srila Rupa Gosvami was deeply attracted by the transcendental qualities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus he was permanently relieved from family life. Srila Rupa Gosvami and his younger brother, Vallabha, were blessed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Although the Lord was transcendentally situated in His transcendental eternal form, at Prayaga He told Rupa Gosvami about transcendental ecstatic love of Krsna. The Lord then embraced him very fondly and bestowed all His mercy upon him.”

priya-svarupe dayita-svarupe
  prema-svarupe sahajabhirupe
nijanurupe prabhur eka-rupe
  tatana rupe sva-vilasa-rupe

“Indeed, Srila Rupa Gosvami, whose dear friend was Svarupa Damodara, was the exact replica of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he was very, very dear to the Lord. Being the embodiment of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic love, Rupa Gosvami was naturally very beautiful. He very carefully followed the principles enunciated by the Lord, and he was a competent person to explain properly the pastimes of Lord Krsna. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expanded His mercy to Srila Rupa Gosvami just so he could render service by writing transcendental literatures.”

We pray to follow in Srila Rupa Gosvami’s footsteps.

Hare Krsna.

Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Giriraj Swami

A Glimpse into our Annual Summer Kids Camp!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

This year from August 4 - 7, 2015, we held our annual Summer Kids Camp! Lots of games and activities kept all the children engaged and squealing throughout the week. Please check out the slideshow below!

The Krishna FunSkool (Sunday evening weekly classes conducted at the temple) has a new session starting on Sunday, September 13 for children 4-12 years. For more information and registration, please contact kids@torontokrishna.com.


CC daily 208 – 7.46-49 – To lose a treasure we have just appreciated is devastating
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CC daily 207 – 7.42-45 – Appreciate the sweetness that underlies Vaishnava etiquette
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Just In Time
→ travelingmonk.com

Myself and Bada Haridas prabhu arrived in Shatsk, Ukraine just in time to attend the first evening kirtan with several thousand devotees at the Bhakti Sangam Festival. Over 6,000 devotees are eventually expected for the 7-day event. Havi prabhu, a senior Prabhupada disciple, led an amazing kirtan that had all the devotees chanting and dancing [...]

The Enigmatic Smile
→ Seed of Devotion

(To know more about this Duet, click here.)

Art by Rukmini Poddar


Art & Words Duet: Day 4
The Enigmatic Smile

"Mrs. Donahue, mother of Lalita, requested a chaplain."

I glanced at my clipboard. "Okay, I'll see her. When?"

"Now."

"Will do," I nodded and through the halls until I reached the cancer wing of the hospice.  

I had met with Mrs. Donahue before, and when I saw her in a waiting chair, she rose to her feet, tears in her eyes. "Samantha," she greeted me. "It's Lalita." 

"How is she?" 

"She's leaving. I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm being suffocated,"

"I hear that you're feeling overwhelmed with pain," I said, "Even your body is reacting,"

"Yes, yes. I need someone to be there with me with her. More family is arriving soon and I'm not sure how I'll handle this."

I placed a hand on her shoulder and then we walked in to the hospice room of her daughter. Lalita was propped up on a bed. She had insisted on not wearing any hospital-type garb and simply wore an old, well-loved tank top. She had requested that all the tubes be taken out of her nose and wrists, and so her breathing was labored and rattled.

But her face. Both her mother and I just stopped at the doorway, staring. Lalita's eyes were closed, and her mouth formed a smile that spread through her entire face and radiated from her body. She was whispering something.

Mrs. Donahue and I approached the teenager, wary. Was Lalita in her right mind? Had taking out the tubes affected her mental functions?

Lalita opened her eyes and looked at both of us. Her eyes shone, her gaze was straight and true and unblinking. "Thank you for being here, Chaplain Jones," she said softly.

"Thank you for allowing me to be here," I responded.

"Mother," Lalita turned to Mrs. Donahue and held out a hand. "Please chant with me,"

They clasped hands and began to chant what I knew to be Hare Krishna. At one point Lalita was too weak to continue to chant so her mother continued to softly chant the mantra and Lalita listened with that rapt smile, her face radiating a peace and joy I had never witnessed before. Lalita had once explained the meaning of the Hare Krishna mantra to me, that it was actually a personal invocation to God. I sat next to the mother in this vigil.

Other close family and friends began to show up. One young man began to sing Hare Krishna, and everyone responded. Call and response ensued, and I caught on enough to sing in the response (barely). The smile blossomed even more on Lalita's face. At one point she gestured for me to come close. I leaned in. She spoke softly: "This is the perfection of my life,"

Soon after, Lalita left us. 
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Get All Thoughts Out
→ Japa Group

"So be fully alert, opening of the mouth and tongue vibrating, the ears are hearing. Get out all the stumbling blocks. Clear the mind, get all thoughts out. Yato yato niscalati, tatah tatah - wherever the mind goes, from there you drag the mind and fix that on the Holy name."

Lokanatha Swami

Monday, August 24th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk


Monday, August 24th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Cannot Give Up

My trekking partner today has been mentally challenged for decades, perhaps since birth. Personally, he has found it difficult to make and keep friends largely due to the unpredictability in his behaviour. Having known him for some time, I felt I could offer him some service by allowing the chance for us to walk together. I thought it would be good for his condition.

We trekked up Bloor street to Christie, then to Dupont and back to the ashram. It got tiring for him at certain points. Overall, I think he did remarkably well in acting like a trouper. He was distracted at certain times, although the attempt to fix his ear to the mantra that he was chanting was sincere. In other words, we both were walking and chanting together. I admit to also being distracted while chanting with the aid of my japa mala(meditational beads). It is the natural course that the mind takes when attempting to harness it.

At one point he needed a break from walking. We spotted a park bench but the recent rainfall left the bench to be drenched. So I pulled out a newspaper from a newspaper stand and spread it out over the bench so that we could sit. We just wanted to keep our behinds dry.

My friend and I reached the ashram by 7 AM. We have a policy, however, that he is not permitted to be within the premises. Some of his impulsive behaviour in the past has complicated the situation for him. But I must hand it to him, it was honourable of him to take that hour to walk and chant with me. I cannot give up on people. After all, we are all struggling souls in this world. We need to provide support.


May the Source be with you!

10 km

Sunday, August 23rd, 2015
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Sunday, August 23rd, 2015
Point Pelee, Ontario

I Shared

Gaura, my godbrother, and I shared a message with our weekend beach crew on the birth of Krishna, how the stars and planets lined up in such a way as to challenge regular orbital movement. As we spoke to our listeners, the waves from the lake’s water were lapping next to us.

We had set a picture of our guru, Srila Prabhupada, on a piece of driftwood and fixed it in such a way that it was held by spiralled broken branches. We were under good shade from a tree. But for a branch that hung over us with the silky webs of the tent caterpillar, all was perfect. It was our last hour of water and beach fun before rushing back for duty in the city.

Duty for me was connecting with the congregation in Toronto beginning with delivering a talk on how valuable it is to make a spiritual link through texts of Vedic origin. Before speaking, I spent a few minutes viewing, reviewing, and renewing my memory on chapter 7 of the Gita. Then I came upon verse 17. Therein, Krishna speaks of the importance of knowledge acquaintance. This includes knowing your true identity. After all, “Who am I?” is a question to be answered.

It is said that when you have endeavoured, even for lifetimes, to attempt to know the truth, eventually answers do come. Then the spiritual path becomes relatively easy. It also becomes so much more second nature to serve others devotionally when you have wisdom in your DNA or in your blood as a result of background endeavours.

After I spoke, several people came forward with their curiosities. One man asked, “Is Krishna real, or is He symbolic?” Fair question.

“Yes, He is real, and He can be understood as one who lives in His own abode. He is also known as the witness in the heart, and is the essence of nature.”

The man seemed content. “Thank you”, he said.


May the Source be with you!

4 km

Saturday, August 22nd, 2015
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Saturday, August 22nd, 2015
Pelee Island, Ontario

Happiest

“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…” I always liked this musical piece and lyrics by George Gershwin. When I discovered kirtanthis piece couldn’t match up to it, although Gershwin’s genius is something to very much respect.

“The livin’” came easy to us today. It was a summer outing once again with a gathering of Krishna devotees from Cleveland, Michigan, Windsor, Toronto, and Brampton. A trip to Pelee Islandtook the shape of a ferry ride. Once reaching this peaceful piece of land out in Lake Erie we picnicked veggie style. We then swam, hiked, held kirtan, and danced to the point of hearts jumping. It was a meeting of sweet, sweet persons coming together. As the song goes, “One of these mornin’s, you’re gonna rise up singin’”. That spirit of upliftment was amongst us.

It would not be an error to say that the highlight of all our affairs today, including consumption of the pasta and bean prep, was the chanting on the return ferry. We chose up on the deck as our spot to chant, where passengers could browse and watch, tap toes, and move the torso to the sound of Sahil’s beats on mridanga and Gaura’s voice with harmonium. People were glued for that hour long redefinition of party-time.

Yes, indeed, when we reached the mainland, docked, and made our way to the parking lot, nearby, at a patio bar, people were also listening to music. But frankly, the sound fell on my ears as mundane. It was the live rendition of “Hey Goodlookin’ What You Got Cookin’” by Hank Williams. I took a moment of glad relief, feeling spared by kirtan. I could have been one of those people sitting at the bar, lonely, hankering for a sense of belonging had I not been captured by mantra. It was one of the happiest days of my life.


May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Friday, August 21st, 2015
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Friday, August 21st, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

A Spark

Narayani had arrived. She hails from the Chicagoarea but joined the Krishna Consciousness Movement in Boston in 1970. Those were the early days of the Hare Krishna Movement. She could tell of events that happened then, who the people were, who came around, and she could tell it like it was yesterday. She is with us for a few days staying at the ashram. As usual, when guests come to town I like to treat them to one of my walking trails. It takes the semblance of some kind of initiation or orientation.

Yura, one of our Russian attendees, came to our mangal arati at 4:30 AM, part of our sadhana, and with him came 3 friends. He specifically mentioned to me that he wanted his friends to have an experience. We then made an outing of it. Narayani, Yura, the guests who came, and some of our ashram residents took to the Brickworks to see and walk an area that was totally neglected for decades. What was once a massive quarry, big, wide, and dry, was transformed into marvelous green space. Switchbacks have been created to allow for an easy ascension to the peak of the highest elevation point which, in Toronto, is not very high really. From there you do get a great view of the downtown cityscape. In addition, the sky with clouds and sun on the uprise was panoramic.

I believe that it really makes your day when, at its start, you appreciate what it reveals. It can even take on a nasty aspect, as in the form of a storm. But, if acknowledged as some manifestation from the Great One above, then that can spark a moment of humility and that is not a bad thing.


May the Source be with you!

4 km

 

Hare Krishna! The Art of Krishna Conscious Parenting The goal of…
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Hare Krishna! The Art of Krishna Conscious Parenting
The goal of our educational system is to inspire our children to become devotees of Krsna, while living in this world like perfect, responsible ladies and gentlemen. We see such example in the life of Radhika Raman Prabhu, who, along with his younger brother, was homeschooled by his mother, Aruddha Mataji. Their story is a success story and thus we invited them to share it with us. Their seminar was inspiring and gave us a sense of recommitting ourselves to the standards established by Srila Prabhupada. The home environment, saturated with spiritual practices, while minimizing other distractions, is so essential and beneficial for attaining our desired goal. They urged us to forgo the excessive use of electronics and instead, invest our time studying the Srimad Bhagavatam with our children
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19339

Auspicious Beginning
→ TKG Academy

In the Vedic tradition, life’s important passages are marked through a ceremony called samskara. It is meant to create an auspicious beginning and a positive impression. One such ceremony, the Vidyarambha Samskara, marks the children’s entrance to a school and the beginning of their formal education, usually around the age of 5.

On the Wednesday preceding the first day of school, our new Kindergarten students gathered in the temple room and, under the auspices of Nityananda Prabhu, participated in the ceremony. We began by chanting the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra, with the students taking turns leading the kirtan. Nityananda Prabhu offered arati to Srila Prabhupada, and then led the group in prayers to invoke the blessings of Adi-Sarasvati, the consort of the Lord and original goddess of learning. Finally, a brahmana (twice-initiated) devotee guided each of the four new kindergartners in writing “ABC” and “Hare Krsna” on small chalkboards. The dust from this writing was used to put tilak on the forehead of each student, and finally all were treated to maha sweets.

We congratulate and welcome the Kindergartners and all of our students and pray that we may please Lord Krsna and His devotees with our studies and all of our endeavors.

 

The “Secret Weapon” revealed! (8 min…
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The “Secret Weapon” revealed! (8 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: One time Srila Prabhupada described prasadam as Lord Caitanya’s ‘secret weapon.’ When properly cooked with love and devotion, prasadam has an amazing ability to purify the heart and awaken love for Krsna. On our festival tour in Poland this summer we focused on preparing first-class foodstuffs for our guests who purchased them from our restaurant each evening. By the middle of the tour the prasadam was in such demand we had to double up our efforts!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/lofchS

Teachers as Students
→ TKG Academy

I find it refreshing and enlivening to be sitting behind the “bench” of a student. “Good students make good teachers”, they say. Teachers are usually in the position of giving, of instructing, but they, too, are continuously learning, growing, developing.

This summer TKG Academy staff had the good fortune of participating in professional development organized by ISKCON’s Ministry of Education in Houston, TX. We had the honor of attending classes by teachers such as Prana Prabhu, a very experienced educator and curriculum developer, Subhra Mataji, the principal of Goswami Academy, and others. We reviewed concepts such as Inquiry Learning, The Reflective Teacher, Assessment, Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching in Multilevel Classroom, Early Childhood Growth and Development, Vedic Math, Restorative Practices and more.

The training was followed by an Educational Conference, attended by ISKCON educators from North America. We specifically connected with other K-12 teachers and administrators, exchanged ideas with them and paved the path for future collaboration. Resources were shared and the beginning of ISKCON NA Gurukula objectives were laid out. We felt inspired by their association and look forward to continuing to serve along with them.

Finally, during the official “in service” days, we also had the pleasure of exploring the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and its essential components, under the tutelage of Mani Manjari, a former TKG Academy teacher. She walked us – hands-on – through the process of collaborative learning and left us all enthused to enter our respective classrooms and put model into practice.

Hare Krishna! ISKCON50 Launch at ISKCON-London On Thursday 13th…
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Hare Krishna! ISKCON50 Launch at ISKCON-London
On Thursday 13th August, ISKCON-London officially launched their year-and-a-half long celebrations across 2015 and 2016 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON by holding a festival to mark 50 years since Srila Prabhupada departed from India to the US aboard the Jaladuta. The festival started with an Adivasa Ceremony led by Head Pujari, HG Murli Manohara dasa, and included themed classes from senior Srila Prabhupada disciples, HH Janananda Gosvami and HG Adi Karta dasa. Attendees also experienced an ecstatic maha-harinama and in the evening, there was a full Temple Room with devotees singing Yadi Prabhupada Na Hoite – a bhajan composed by HH Jayapataka Swami. No festival is complete without a sumptuous prasadam feast also being served. Attendees were treated to a special Vyasasana display showing Srila Prabhupada boarding the Jaladuta.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19331

Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine begun! (Album with…
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Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine begun! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Myself and Bada Haridas prabhu arrived in Shatsk, Ukraine just in time to attend the first evening kirtan with several thousand devotees at the Bhakti Sangam Festival. Over 6,000 devotees are eventually expected for the 7-day event. Havi prabhu, a senior Prabhupada disciple, led an amazing kirtan that had all the devotees chanting and dancing in great happiness.
See them here: https://goo.gl/Li5cmq

Hare Krishna! Everything for Krishna and nothing for me After…
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Hare Krishna! Everything for Krishna and nothing for me
After hearing so many complaints from so many devotees, Srila Prabhupada called a meeting of all the devotees. Practically all the devotees in the temple came into Srila Prabhupada’s room, and he listened very sympathetically to what every devotee had to say, and he was really concerned and wanted to improve things. At one stage the GBC for India protested: “Srila Prabhupada, my only intention was to execute Your Divine Grace’s will.” And Prabhupada replied a little sarcastically, “Is it My Divine Grace’s will that the devotees should be disturbed?” And he made a system. He named certain leaders—Tamal Krishna, Yamuna, me—and said that they should get together every week and discuss the problems, and whatever they decided they should write down in a minute book, and they should all sign and then do what they agreed.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19328

New Jersey Church-Turned-Temple to Get Three Day Grand…
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New Jersey Church-Turned-Temple to Get Three Day Grand Opening
ISKCON of Central New Jersey will celebrate the grand opening of its new 18,000 square foot temple in Plainfield – a converted church – with a three-day weekend festival from August 28th to 30th. Close to 10,000 people, including devotees, members of the Indian community, and other locals are expected to attend at the height of the festivities. Plainfeld Mayor Adrian Mapp has confirmed his attendance, while ISKCON has also invited local pastors, rabbis and mullahs in attempt to develop good interfaith relationships.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/TCmTfl