Planet ISKCON

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

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

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.

Harinama in Moscow (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment. This is the great blessing of the Krishna conscious process of chanting the maha-mantra. (Bhagavad-gita 9.14 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/592XYp

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 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

The post Adventures to reach Ukraine appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

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

**Janmashtami Special Edition** NBS#19: Birth Of The Unborn
On the auspicious occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami and the appearance day of Srila Prabhupada, we wish to humbly offer this special edition at Their lotus feet.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19325

https://flic.kr/s/aHskisNteC

The post Madireksana pictures of the Nama-hatta appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

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

The latest issue of Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu e-magazine
KK Bindu #357: Topics include, “A Wheel for Krishna” a picture poem by Keshava Kashmiri, and more …
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19322

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 August 2014, Czech, Balarama Jayanti, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.8)

Balarama and Krsna are the same but there are differences also. The principle difference is that Balarama is the Supreme Lord in the mood of serving Krsna, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche karenṛtya (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 5.142), there is one Supreme Lord Krsna and all others are serving him, including expansions of the Lord, including Lord Balarama. So Krsna is known as sevya bhagavan and Balarama is known as sevak Bhagavan, or Krsna is the Lord who is being served and Balarama is the Lord who is serving. Balarama serves Krsna in many possible ways.

He expands himself as Ananta who has many, many mouths and with all these mouths, he glorifies Krsna. It is said that if you want glorify Krsna, you have to pray to Ananta because it is said that the mouth of Ananta is the jewel-case of the jewel of glorification of Krsna so in this way, Balarama is always serving Krsna by glorifying him. Adi-guru, Balarama is the original spiritual master. One must always glorify Krsna continuously.

Balarama also becomes the bed of the Lord, like Ananta Sesa, he becomes the seat of the Lord and all the utensils of the Lord – his shoes, his plate, his cup, musical instruments are all Balarama. Balarama even becomes Vrindavan for the pleasure of Krsna. Balarama provides all the pleasure for Krsna’s eternal pastimes.

When it comes to the material world, it is Balarama who expands himself into Maha Vishnu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Vishnu and Garbhodakasayi Vishnu. In all respects, Balarama is serving Krsna – he is behind everything, behind the spiritual world and behind the material world.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class 07 01 34 by HG Bhakta Rupa Prabhu at ISKCON Juhu on 11 May 2015

I had a week or two before Ray would show up in San Diego, so I mostly holed-up in my room upstairs and put together the fourth issue of Enquirer. The main features were interviews with Zack and Porcell. I see these as the first noticeable examples of what would become a rather nasty habit for me as the zine’s editor: bending words to obscure points I didn’t like and favor points I did like.

For example, I report Zack as saying: “I think leading a spiritual life means casting away and putting aside the physical nature in life, and the intellectual nature in life. But actually it’s using all three of them… And spirituality… like…”

What kind of editing is that?

Knowing Zack, and having the benefit of hearing his voice directly, it was pretty obvious to me what he wanted to say: that spiritual life isn’t something you have to throw away your material life for; that the two can and should be integrated, complimentary, and mutually nourishing. If I was actually editing to make the point Zack wanted to make, I would have written it like this: “I don’t think ‘leading a spiritual life’ means you have to cast aside the physical and intellectual aspects life. I think it means combining all three aspects of life: physical, intellectual, and spiritual.”

But I didn’t like that point, so I intentionally made it very vague and confusing. I didn’t like it because it seemed to go against my agenda for “dedicating myself completely” to Krishna consciousness.

The really strange part, though, is that Zack’s message of integrating the spiritual and material aspects of life is exactly the same message Krishna himself delivers in the third and fifth chapters of Bhagavad Gītā. I didn’t know that at the time, though. At the time, my knowledge of Krishna consciousness did not mainly come from direct statements in Sanskrit scripture, it mainly came from the way that the (mostly) western young men of ISKCON comprehended and practiced those statements. They definitely did think we should throw away everything – physical, intellectual, and otherwise – to join the temple and “devote ourselves completely to Krishna,” and they certainly weren’t shy about letting me know that I should do the same, asap. Why would I suspect that the devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement might not perfectly understand Krishna’s advice? Why would I suspect that they might see me almost as much as a resource as a “spirit-soul,” and that their very practical personal and institutional ambitions might seriously color their comprehension of Krishna’s actual advice?

In any case, coming back to the zine, I didn’t always rely on unethical editing. More often I took a softer tact and simply steered the interviews clear of controversy and straight into subjects I knew we had no disagreements about. For Zack this involved the role of spirituality as a vehicle for non-violent social change, and the shitiness of the modern television-culture society that pressures the youth to conform to their hollow norms. It was basically the same topic for Porcell. Yes, we spoke briefly about how happy he was that Ray found something he can really get into (Krishna), but mostly we focused on how useless modern materialistic society is.

Editorially, this is a lot like being a Martian and interviewing an Earthling who agrees that white is lighter than black, to promote an underlying message that Earthlings believe the same things Martians do, and love Martians. “See,” was my unspoken message, “Super cool dudes like Zack de la Rocha and John Porcelly believe so many of the same things we Hare Krishna’s do. So, basically, they pretty much love us. So you should love us, too.”

Question: What does Prabhupāda mean by the phrase “impersonal brahman”?

Brahman is consciousness. There are two conditions of consciousness (and all energies): latent or kinetic – otherwise known as “inactive” and “active.”

Active brahman is also called “ātmā” – which means that it has an individuality to it. When consciousness is “activated,” it perceives things, and doing so differentiates it from things and gives it a specific subjective locus. So, active consciousness is brahman as “ātmā.” The root of active consciousness is “param-ātmā.” The branches of active consciousness are “jīva-ātmā.”

So, active consciousness has intrinsic individuality – a sense of personhood: “I am.” Thus personhood is intrinsic in and inseparable from active consciousness.

But there is another type of consciousness, a “latent” or “inactive” consciousness that can only be denoted as brahman, not as ātmā. Since it is latent or inactive it is not conscious of anything (besides itself perhaps) and thus has no sense of differentiation or distinct existence as an individual. So it is called “impersonal brahman” because it is consciousness with no sense of personality or individual existence.

Vraja Kishor [VrajaKishor.com]

Even after she had expressed herself so feelingly, Pṛthu’s anger did not really subside. Although he did not release his arrows, his lips still trembled with rage. The Earth Goddess knew she must address king Pṛthu again, so she controlled her fear and settled her emotions within herself.

“Powerful One,” she said, “Subdue your anger long enough to understand what I have to say.”

“Why should I listen to you?” The king might demand.

So, she said, “Honey-making bees take nectar from all sorts of flowers. Wise people are like that too, taking the essential truths of all things and all people. You might not want to hear what I have to say because you consider me a criminal, but if you do, you will learn an important truth.”

The king agreed to hear her out.

She explained, “People can attain what they want and need in this world and the next by following the methods realized by wise and experienced experts. Even the inexperienced can quickly and easily attain their desired goals if they apply themselves thoroughly and faithfully to the methods suggested by the realized experts who have already attained the desired goals; but if the unrealized ignore these methods and set out towards their goals in their own ways, they can never quite achieve what they want, despite trying again and again with so many different strategies.”

“What bearing does this have on the starvation of my people?” the king would surely ask.

So the Earth Goddess explained, “Your father, Vena, banned religion and persecuted the wise who spoke against him. Then, he was assassinated and the world was left without a king, until you eventually came to protect them. During that time, the whole world became debased and turned into a collection of thieves and rouges. Almost none of them followed the paths of the wise, so why would you expect them to get what they wanted and needed? Why would you expect the vegetation designed originally by Brahmā to flourish amongst them? I had to withhold the growth of vegetation, to obey Brahmā’s rule that only proper endeavors yield desired results.

The king, now sympathetic, would ask, “How can we restore your opulence and bring back the vegetation?”

So, the Earth Goddess explained, “I have withheld the power of vegetation for a long time, and have thus become thin and weak, but there is a way for you to revive this power in me!”

“How!?” he would ask, heroically.

The Earth Goddess, standing before him in the form of a divine cow, answered: “Bring me a calf!”

“Why a calf?” the king might ask.

“This will evoke my motherly love,” she explained, “and fill me with milk. Then, you can then milk me to call forth my powers and opulences. The mystical milk I produce will grant wishes according to the type of calf, the person who milks me, and the type of milking pot they use.

“O mighty, all-attractive nourisher of all beings,” she concluded, “if you want grains to grow again, this is what you must do. And you must also make me, the Earth, more level. Then, the divine rains will form lakes and water will remain abundant in all seasons.

“If you do these things, great king, you and your people will be blessed!”

Devotees serve the Lord during the summer by placing Him on a boat, taking Him out on procession, applying sandalwood on His body, fanning Him with a camara, decorating Him with jeweled necklaces, offering Him palatable foodstuffs, and bringing Him out to swing in the pleasant moonlight.

Jhulan Yatra is one of the most popular celebrations in ISKCON temples around the world. Thousands of years ago the divine couple, Radha and Krsna, along with Their cowherd friends, took part in joyful swinging in the pleasure groves of Vrndavan.

 

By Madhava Smullen

As ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary quickly approaches in 2016, and New Vrindaban’s 50^th in 2018, long time members and residents are working to make sure that accurate histories of the past half century are available for future generations.

Since the 1980s, some devotees in New Vrindaban have mistakenly claimed that Prabhupada’s Palace is a Pushpa Samadhi. According to the Vaishnava tradition, a pushpa samadhi houses flowers worn by a departed Vaishnava, like Srila Prabhupada’s in Mayapur.

However although various stories have persisted over time that a flower or flower garland worn by Srila Prabhupada was installed at his Palace in New Vrindaban, they have since been confirmed as untrue through direct testimony by the devotees cited in the narratives.

In July 2015, after extensive research by board member Chaitanya Mangala including the testimonies, the ISKCON New Vrindaban board formally acknowledged that there are no flowers worn by Srila Prabhupada – nor one of his teeth, another claim — installed at his Palace.

Earlier inquiries by New Vrindaban GBCs Tamohara Das and Malati Devi also came to the same conclusions.

This does not, however, diminish the importance and glory of Prabhupada’s Palace. It has been appropriately identified as a smriti samadhi – a memorial shrine that preserves a Vaishnava’s memory by keeping worshipable personal items.

Three very special personal items of Srila Prabhupada’s are displayed in a glass case in his temple room at the Palace: the bongo drum that he played during the first Tompkins Square Park Harinama Sankirtan parties in 1966; a bronzed pair of his shoes; and original clay imprints of his feet.

In 1976 devotees traveled from New Vrindaban to the West 55^th Street temple in Manhattan specifically to get these imprints from Srila Prabhupada in person. They are one of only two such imprints, which were copied and are now on display in ISKCON temples all over the world. But the original remains on display at Prabhupada’s Palace.

As a result of the efforts by the New Vrindaban GBCs, the Palace has been officially recognized by ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission as a Shrine and Memorial and included in the ISKCON Law Book as such.

In a 2006 resolution, the GBC also listed several other reasons as to why the Palace is to be held in high regard as a Smriti Samadhi by ISKCON members all over the world.

Firstly, Srila Prabhupada personally named New Vrindaban, spent quality time there, left behind a legacy of instructions for the project, and emphasized it by stating that it was non-different from Vrindavana, India.

Secondly, Prabhupada’s Palace at New Vrindaban is the only monument in the Western hemisphere built specifically and only to glorify Prabhupada. What’s more it’s built by volunteers who put years of their life into it as devotional service – a labor of love. And Srila Prabhupada reciprocated with that love, calling the devotees working on the Palace “my jewels.”

Finally, Prabhupada repeatedly inquired when his Palace would be finished and expressed his eagerness to live there. “When my palace will be ready I shall go there and stay,” he wrote in 1974. “I like very much that place.” And during a 1974 onsite visit, he said, “If you want, I am already living here.”

While Srila Prabhupada left this world before the Palace was completed, he is living there in spirit — his murti was installed at its grand opening ceremony in 1979, and he has been steadily worshiped there ever since.

And while his physical presence (vapu) may have been limited to four visits, he lives through his teachings (vani), which he lovingly imprints on the hearts of his faithful devotees.

Thus Srila Prabhupada is eternally present at his Palace in New Vrindaban. And to this day, it remains a place where he is the sole focus: from the monthly Sangams, to the mangala-aratis just for him, to the 30,000 tourists and pilgrims who visit every year and learn about his legacy, to the sweet memories that are shared about him by his disciples on his appearance and disappearance days.

And with a major restoration plan now underway, Prabhupada’s Palace is set to become even more renowned amongst future generations as his Smriti Samadhi – the greatest memorial to our Founder-Acarya in the Western World.

Like a River is the title track from the debut album of Jahnavi Harrison, 'Like a River to the Sea', released on July 24th 2015. 
The track features a refrain from the Govinda Damodara Stotram by medieval saint-poet, Srila Bilvamangala Thakur and is a meditation on protecting sacred environments internally and externally. 

Written, composed and arranged by Jahnavi Harrison and Gauravani Buchwald.