Planet ISKCON

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The post CC daily 201 – 7.25-27 – Neglect of etiquette can be due to disrespect – and due to love too appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post CC daily 200 – 7.23-24 – Non-expression of emotion conveys depth of affection appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Hare Krishna! The complete list of videos from the epic 50th Anniversary celebration at Kolkata
From August 13th to 16th a massive event in Kolkata – celebrating the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s journey to the U.S. – drew 35,000 people, including representatives of 125 countries and many prominent politicians and VIPs. All were coming to pay their respects to the great spiritual teacher, who left his home alone at age 69, braved two heart-attacks during a month-long voyage on the cargo ship Jaladuta, and struggled with little help in one of the roughest parts of New York City for nearly a year before establishing ISKCON on July 13th, 1966.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19239

Worship of Lord Nrsimhadeva (5 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Each day I worship Lord Nrsimhadeva for protection in spreading the glories of the holy names far and wide, as well as for removing all obstacles on the path of pure devotion to the divine couple, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/dBx1ZW

The post Gaura Krsna asks whether devotees can chant and teach others to chant Hare Krsna by also emphasizing cultivating love for Krsna along with listening to the holy name appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Please forgive the sound quality – wasn’t the technicians dharma. https://youtu.be/TehQlZKbGXg

The post Here is the Varnasram seminar given in Budapest to a Chicago audience appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

As the main dome structure is almost complete, a lot of preparation has been going on to commence the next step, the Kalash.

We have seen the Kalash mock-up from McCoy industry made in titanium nitrite coated stainless steal, being fabricated in Mumbai. Our latest addition is a life size bracket that will support the Kalash. It’s made from GRC and measures 3/4 of an inch thick (1.9 cm) and 14 feet (4.5m) tall. This frame is being built in house, right here in Mayapur.

Next week we are planning to start fabrication of mold for the bracket using fiber glass and polyurethane. There will be total of 24 brackets and each one will weight 1.2 tons (2,646 lbs).

The post Kalash Support Structure appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Hare Krishna! The Art and Culture of Leadership Succession (video)
Anuttama dasa and Tamohara dasa. Class at Iskcon Chicago, Sri Kishore Kishori temple streamed live on Aug 20, 2015. All authority in ISKCON is derived from the order and directions of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Thus to the degree a member of ISKCON is following Srila Prabhupada’s order and direction he/she carries authority. In general spiritual matters, this authority is naturally manifest. It does not need to be officially conferred. However based on Srila Prabhupada’s direction to cooperate for a unified preaching endeavour the members agree to cooperate in the practical exercise of all authority, whether self-manifest (as in spiritual authority) or conferred (as in management positions) within the management system of ISKCON under the direction of the Governing Body Commission.
Watch it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19232

GBC Mayapur Meeting 21-8-2015.
Ramai Swami : The GBCs of Mayapur were supposed to go to Mayapur for the summer meeting. However, because of severe flooding, the meeting was held in Kolkata.
Bhakti Caru Maharaja graciously organised everything at the last minute and everyone was hosted at guest houses near the temple. A conference room at the nearby Hindustan Hotel was used for discussion.
Read more: http://goo.gl/5mkyf5

About Varnasrama and the Need to Establish it in ISKCON (video) Presentation by Sivarama Swami to the North American GBC on 18 August 2015. We have a three-fold psychological typology. The mode of goodness is manifest by an attitude that is detached, dispassionate and interested in knowledge for its own sake. The mode of passion is evident in the hankering and longings that impel strenuous efforts to obtain objects of desire. The mode of ignorance is manifest in apathy, indifference, obliviousness and bewilderment. When, for example, consciousness is conditioned by sattva-guna, it will be alert and attentive (toward nearly any subject presented) and, at the same time, detached and disinterested. Consciousness conditioned by rajo-guna is excited and narrowly focused upon the object of desire. Consciousness conditioned by tamo-guna is unaware, inattentive, easily distracted and disposed toward chronic misperception. Watch it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19229

Hare Krishna! Whatever Happens, Don’t Stop Chanting
Giriraj Swami: At her initiation ceremony yesterday, Rose Forkash received the name Rajani-priya dasi. Rajani is a name of Durga, an expansion of Srimati Radharani, who is the divine, universal mother. Rajani was also the name of Srila Prabhupada’s mother. Priya means “dear” or “dear to,” and dasi means “servant” or “servant of.” During the ceremony, Rtadhvaja Swami, Niranjana Swami, and especially Indradyumna Swami encouraged Rajani-priya via Skype with words of appreciation, affection, and instruction.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19223

15.08.2015_H.H.Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaj _B.G – 17.01

With the help of a European Union grant for building youth relations, about 175 European youth received an immersive experience of Krishna consciousness on the Senagataway retreat at ISKCON’s beautiful Radhadesh community in Belgium from August 1^st to 10^th. The event was organized by the Pandava Sena, a UK-based youth organization.

Taking place just days after the formal inauguration of ISKCON's 50th anniversary celebrations in Kolkata, the eight hour kirtan event brought together top kirtaneers from all over country, which really embodied the spirit of a whole UK yatra.

In today’s  ‘motor car civilization’, one of the most profound thing to ask would be, ‘who owns the world’s biggest and the most exotic car?’ To get an answer to this question, you would have to go to the Eastern part of India, to Jagannath Puri.

The GBCs of Mayapur were supposed to go to Mayapur for the summer meeting. However, because of severe flooding, the meeting was held in Kolkata.

At her initiation ceremony yesterday, Rose Forkash received the name Rajani-priya dasi. Rajani is a name of Durga, an expansion of Srimati Radharani, who is the divine, universal mother. Rajani was also the name of Srila Prabhupada’s mother. Priya means “dear” or “dear to,” and dasi means “servant” or “servant of.”

During the ceremony, Rtadhvaja Swami, Niranjana Swami, and especially Indradyumna Swami encouraged Rajani-priya via Skype with words of appreciation, affection, and instruction.

Rajani-priya has deep attachment to the holy name, and even now, at almost ninety-five years of age, she continues to induce people from all different backgrounds and walks of life to chant and read Srila Prabhupada’s books.

As Srila Prabhupada wrote to Rose in 1977, “If the parents of our devotees study the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, there is not doubt they will benefit equally as their children.”

Rajani-priya’s daughter, Lila-sakti dasi, who was initiated by Srila Prabhupada forty-five years ago, left her body in late June. Just days before her departure, Lila told her mother, “Whatever happens, don’t stop chanting Hare Krishna.” The accompanying photo shows Rajani-priya holding Lila-sakti’s image shortly after her initiation. “I wish Lila could have been here,” Rajani said. “She would have been so proud and happy.”

Hare Krishna.

—Giriraj Swami

Rose Forkash was initiated by Giriraj Swami and given the name Rajani Priya dasi at 94 years of age.

“I was looking at you and Sam looking at each other so lovingly and I asked. ‘You have been together for sixty five years and you are so full of love. What is the secret to that kind of marriage?’ You and Sam looked at each other in the eye and simultaneously said. ‘Respect.’ You respected each other so much. I was just thinking how you respect every one of us. You respect everyone you come in contact with—like those homeless people. Unconsciously or consciously you see the spirit soul within all of us and you don’t judge people by the outside. You find that love in our hearts and you connect with us.”

—Urvasi dasi

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Kirtan by Giriraj Swami
Initiation talks

By: Madhava Smullen

Over the years, New Vrindaban has been famous for a long list of mouthwatering prasadam dishes – Hladini’s cinnamon rolls; Radhanath Swami’s sandesh; Madri, Dharmakala and Kutila’s cheesecake; Dharmakala’s baked goods and milk sweets; Taru and Amburish’s sweet rice; Vani’s dokla and idli, and many more.

But first, no story about New Vrindaban cuisine is complete without mentioning the legendary rice and oat water breakfast introduced in early 1976 and prepared by Sankirtan Das from 1977 until 1992.

It all began when Madhava Gosh read an article about how oat water was fed to inmates because of its energy-giving properties, and suggested it be adopted at New Vrindaban. Sudhanu Das then developed the first recipe and passed it on to fellow cook Tejomaya, who taught Sankirtan.

Oat water fueled the devotees who built New Vrindaban, and was symbolic of the austerities practiced in those early days. But, although an acquired taste, it could also be rather relishable.

“Oat water was not thick like oatmeal, but rather a savory liquid oatmeal brew,” says Sankirtan, who moved to New Vrindaban with his wife Ruci and their children on Gaura Purnima 1976. “I made it for 60 or 70 devotees, using 10 gallons of water, one gallon of oats, a cup of salt and ginger and raisins to taste.”

Sankirtan was one of those who relished oat water. “It was fantastic,” he says. “It was like having your morning cup of coffee before you got on the road. Sometimes it was sipped, and sometimes poured over the plain rice that went with it. In winter time, served hot, it warmed your insides and was a source of immediate heat against the cold.”

Just as the oat water symbolized the hardships of New Vrindaban life, it was also a challenge to cook.

From 1977 to 1979, Sankirtan prepared the rice and oat water breakfast in an outside kitchen in Bahulaban called “the pits,” which was just about as delightful as it sounds. Adjacent to the Deity kitchen, it had only a tin roof to protect one from the elements.

“I would collect my firewood the night before, because if it was wet, it would just smoke and wouldn’t ignite a decent fire to cook with,” he says. “I’d also fill the pot up with water at night.”

The next morning, Sankirtan would begin cooking at 5:00am, as in those days, devotees chanted most of their japa before mangala arati, had no japa period, and were finished the entire temple morning program and ready for breakfast by 7:00am.

The pits were literally three holes in the ground containing wood fires, with a grating over them on which the pots sat. Cooking over them was tricky.

“It was like a juggling act,” says Sankirtan. “You had to maintain a wood fire that would fluctuate if you weren’t attentive, while stirring the pot constantly so as not to burn anything. For the first few weeks until I got the hang of it, the rice was either uncooked, burnt, or mushy.”

The oat water was also a very precise recipe that could be easily ruined in a myriad of ways. At times over the years when Sankirtan was away for a few weeks, New Vrindaban residents would pray for him to return while his substitute undercooked it, oversalted it, or tossed in experimental ingredients to disastrous effect.

When each dish was done, Sankirtan struggled to lift the huge 20 gallon pots they were cooked in off the pits on his own, so that they wouldn’t burn. This left his apron covered in charcoal so black and all-encompassing that a visitor once mistook him for the mechanic.

The weather didn’t help, either.

“In the winter, it was an ordeal by both fire and ice,” Sankirtan says. “You were scorched on the side closest to the pits, but freezing cold on your back. And of course, if it rained or snowed you would be dealing with wet wood which didn’t give off too much heat but a lot of smoke.”

Sankirtan also cooked lunch six days a week, until the early 1980s. Fortunately, he had help with cutting vegetables and cleaning up from Shobavati Dasi. And in 1979, an indoor kitchen was built on the ground floor of the guest house in Bahulaban, making the cooking less challenging.

It was still hard work, however, and from 1981, what really kept Sankirtan going was pairing with fellow theater performer Lokamangala Das. Sankirtan would cook breakfast on his own, lunch with Lokamangala, and in the afternoon the two would work on developing plays.

“Sometimes we’d even rehearse our lines while cooking,” says Sankirtan. “It was kind of fun!”

Although he stopped cooking lunch when the devotee kitchen moved to the current temple complex in 1983, Sankirtan continued to cook breakfast until 1992. Both meals were plain – lunch was rice, dahl, chapatis, and later one subji too; what’s more, after lunch there was nothing to hold residents over until the next day but some leftovers.

Of course there were treats, too. On Sunday mornings, Jaya Murari would make a pancake breakfast with fresh homemade syrup. And Sunday Feasts would be a sumptuous spread, with New Vrindaban’s best cooks going all out, and families stashing the goodies for during the week.

But on an average week day, it was the oat water that woke the devotees up in the morning, and gave them the energy to go out and work hard to build Srila Prabhupada’s Palace, Sri Sri Radha Vrindabanchandra’s temple, the Palace Lodge, the residential cabins, vegetable and flower gardens, cow barns and everything else we think of as ISKCON New Vrindaban today.

“In the early days , devotees were performing austerities on a lot of different levels – the oat water was part of them,” says Sankirtan. “And personally I think that’s what built New Vrindaban. Everyone was performing the same austerities; we were all in it together. And that’s why, in one sense, there is a kind of comraderie between the older devotees here.”

Of his part, Sankirtan says, “I wasn’t a cook by nature. But I relished cooking because it was both a form of surrender for me, and a service to the devotees. And in that, I felt that I was helping to build New Vrindaban.”

We’ve modified the recipes for rice and oat water for home cooking and shared them with you below. Try them out and let us know how they inspire you with a flavor of that classic “Brijabasi Spirit!”

Rice (Serves 2)

Ingredients:
2 cups of water
1 cup of rice
1 teaspoon ghee (butter, or ghee impurities)
1/4 teaspoon of salt

(Approximate cooking time: 15 to 25 minutes)

1. Bring the water to boil in a sauce pan.
2. When the water boils, stir in the rice, salt, and ghee (if using), and bring it to a gentle simmer.
3. Cover the pot and turn the heat down low.
4. Start checking the rice around 15 minutes.

5. When done, the rice will be firm but tender, and no longer crunchy.

Oat Water (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

8 cups of water

1 cup of rolled oats

1 teaspoon ghee (butter, or ghee impurities)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Raisins & fresh ginger – to taste

(Approximate cooking time: 30 minutes)

1. Bring the water and salt to boil in a sauce pan.
2. When the water boils, stir in the oats, fresh ginger and ghee (if using) and bring it to a gentle simmer.

3. Stir occasionally and cook for approximately 30 minutes at a simmer.
4. The oat water is ready when the oats lose their form and become creamy.
5. Towards the end, add a few raisins so they get cooked enough to soften and plump up.

Srila Prabhupada repeatedly stressed that real education is character development. His name reminds us of the balance we have to strike – “Bhaktivedanta: knowledge with devotion.”

Vote of Thanks by Radhanath Swami at 50th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's Jaladuta Yatra at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Day 1 Afternoon Session on 13th August 2015.

Musical Symphony by Eklavya Das on Song Yadi Prabhupada Na Hoito at Srila Prabhupada's 50th Jaldutta Anniversary Journey to USA at Netaji Indoor Stadium Kolkata on Day 1 Afternoon Session on 13th August 2015.

Kiran Bedi Praising Srila Prabhupada's 50th Jaldutta Anniversary Journey to USA on Day 1 Afternoon Session on 13th August 2015.

 Positive Psychologists are perhaps the first group of scientists willing to hold out an open space for God-related-ideas.

My trip to India brought a few surprises. It’s been some years since I was last there and things are changing fast. The cities are still the same bustling mess of teeming madness, much like anywhere else I suppose, but it’s in the outlying rural areas that I was most shocked.

ISKCON Taiping Ratha Yatra, Taiping, Malaysia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting the Hare Krishna mantra without offenses, one increases his love for Krishna. As stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, preme pum-artho mahan: one’s main concern should be to increase one’s attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to increase one’s love for Him. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.3.24 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/j4qvHi

ISKCON Boston invites everyone to attend what promises to be an unforgettable event.  Srila Prabhupada's 50th Anniversary Arrival Festival will take place on Saturday, September 19th through Sunday, September 20th in Boston, Massachusetts. An array of prestigious guests and entertainment will be provided throughout the weekend, free of charge to all who take part in commemorating this most auspicious day.

August 18th (English/Russian)

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Hare Krishna! Unity in Diversity or Unity in Perversity: The challenge of a unified and diverse Iskcon (video)
Evening Class at Iskcon Chicago, Sri Kishore Kishori temple streamed live on Aug 19, 2015. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam on the strength of His philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. That philosophy holds that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. That is to say, there is unity in diversity.
Watch it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19206

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture)

The other day, I was reading one page of the Lilamrta and it was a description of a person who had come to the temple for the first time and who met Prabhupada. Prabhupada was lecturing and the person said it was almost impossible to understand him as his accent was so heavy. But he could see that this was an old man and it was not easy for him to do what he was doing! He could see that the old man had taken a tremendous effort to come to the West. He could see that Prabhupada was learned and that had spent many years spreading a message. And now, even though his accent was so thick, with difficulty still he was trying to communicate with others. So, the man felt compelled to try and understand even though he could not understand it well because he could see that Prabhupada was very genuine that he had no interest in impressing anyone.

Green Gathering Festival (Album with photos)
A wonderful week spent at Green Gathering festival situated in the Wye Valley, Chepstow, UK. The festival self-advertised as a festival “beyond hedonism” is a space for alternative, higher thinking people to connect. The presence of the Hare Krishna’s is very well recieved and with it being a small festival we encounter almost everybody there, and share the transcendental chanting, dancing and feasting. Hare Krsna!!
See them here: https://goo.gl/fROrzI