Planet ISKCON

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.

About Lord Balarama(Fasting till noon)

"If one has no connection with Balarama,even though one is very learned scholar or has taken birth in a very respectable family,these assets will no help him."
[Srila Prabhupada]

Of the three names repeated in the Maha[Great] mantra 'Hare,Krsna and Rama, Rama refers to lord Balarama.So the maha mantra repeated and chanted over two thousand times daily by ISKCON devotees illustrates how important He is in Guadiya tradition.

He is the Original Guru.So the guidance of lord Balarama is not only helpful but essential to reach Krsna.

Following a spiritual life style requires strength to hold off the advances of a world intent on selling you products and life choices you don't need.Strength to aspire the goals of spirit,outside this body of blood n flesh,that we inhabit.Strength to aim for a spiritual destination despite the seeming pleasures of this world.

 Lord Balarama  is central to Srila Prabhupada's advice on making spiritual advancement,as he outlines in  Srimad Bhagavatam:" Jnanasim' the sword of knowledge,is given by Krsna,and one who serves the Guru and Krsna in order to hold the sword of Krsna's instructions ,Balarama  gives one strength.Thus one should accept the sword of knowledge from Krsna and be strong with the mercy of Balarama.We are therefore worshipping Krsna Balarama in Vrndavana."

But don't worry you need not to travel as far as India.If the pressures of this material world are feeling heavy on your shoulders these days,come to ISKCON Brampton to worship and glorify the most glorious Lord Sri Balarama and experience eternal joy and bliss.

11:00am - Tulasi Aarti                                                    
11:15am - Guru Vandana                                                
11:30am - Aarti                                                                        
11:55am - Sri Nrsingadev Pranama                                        
12:00pm - Lord Balaram Abhishekam(Everyone is welcome provided he/she is in vedic attire)
12:30pm - Glories of Lord Balaram
  1:00pm -  Aarti  
  1.30pm -  Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast

Maha Clean-up in preparation for Janamastami
On Aug 30th,2015,after the program

We humbly request everyone to stay behind for the pre-Janamastami festivities and help with the cleaning of the temple.

Sri Krsna Janamashtami(Fasting till midnight)

Celebration on Sat Sep 5th,2015 all day!!
(Mangala arati program @ 5.00am)

Sponsor a Kalash
If you and your family would like to participate in the bathing ceremony(Mahabhiseka Ceremony) of lord Krishna,please don't forget to sign-up for a kalash-$108/family.
**We've limited no of Kalash**

 Offerings for Sri Krsna
You are invited to bring vegetarian offerings (no onion, garlic, eggs, vinegar) of food for Krishna.[In brand new aluminium one or two serving sized container]
*Nothing store-bought. Must be fresh and homemade.
*No tasting or sampling. Krishna must be the first to taste your offering.

**Details of the program will be posted shortly**

Appearance of Srila Prabhupada(Fasting till noon)
celebration on Sep 6th,2015 (During Sun Love Feast)

**Details will be posted shortly**

Thursday, August 20^th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario






 











May the Source be with you!

Bracebridge/Orillia










May the Source be with you!

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.

For the past twenty years, at least, people have been asking me my understanding of the various philosophical aspects and issues related to the subject of the guru and disciple relationship. Although many liked the traditional idea of practising spiritual life with a guide and teacher, they found some of the aspects inaccessible and some quite controversial. I always tried my best to convey to them both the tradition and the contemporary application as I understood it. When it became clear that successive waves of people were asking similar questions, and that some of them found my answers interesting and helpful, I started writing it down for them instead of speaking. Some of that writing has already been published as posts in my blog. Eventually I thought to compile it all to have everything in one place. I didn’t think of writing a book. But, as these things go, a book was the result. So here is a plainly-named book, The Guru & Disciple Book, and it will be coming out on September 3rd.

It will be available on Amazon and from other outlets.

From Saurabh Raval P
Putana was the reincarnation of the younger sister of Bali Maharaj, who was a grandson of Prahlad Maharaj

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Hare Krishna! Jhulan Yatra
Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa states, To please Sri Hari, devotees hold numerous festivals on every occasion and continuously perform sankirtana. According to their ability, the devotees serve the Lord during the summer by placing Him on the boat, taking Him out on a procession, applying sandalwood on His body, fanning Him with chamara, decorating Him with jeweled necklaces, offering Him palatable foodstuffs, and bringing Him out to swing Him in the pleasant moonlight.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19317

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Hare Krishna! Grand Ratha Yatra celebrations at Gurdaspur, Punjab
Gurudaspur is a city situated in the state of Punjab. According to a latest census, the population is just less than 2,300,000. Two rivers flow here: Beas and Raavi and is just 10km from the international border between India and Pakistan. A grand Ratha Yatra festival for the Lord’s pleasure was arranged on the 22nd August by local devotees. Devotees performed Harinam Sankirtan and book distribution twice daily. Pamphlets for the festival were also distributed simultaneously. A yajna was performed in the early hours of the morning on the festival day to create auspiciousness. A stage program was held between 11 am till 3pm. Kirtan, drama, lectures by international devotees and performances by the children inspired all present to take part sincerely in this festival for the Lord’s pleasure.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19314

Hare Krishna! Symptoms of affection expressed in Srimad Bhagavatam
(From a Srimad Bhagavatam class given Aug 23, 2015 at the Iskcon Chicago temple. )
Malati Devi Dasi: Due to the different types of attraction for Krsna, there are different varieties of devotees. Their symptoms are manifested transparently, just like jewels. It is said that a great devotee brahmana would sometimes address the Supreme Personality of Godhead as master and sometimes joke with the Lord, using different kinds of familiar words. Sometimes he would protect the Lord with a filial affection, sometimes he would cry out to the Lord, addressing the Lord as his beloved, and sometimes he would meditate on the Lord as the Supersoul. This means that the brahmana expressed his ecstatic loving symptoms in different ways at different times. But in each instance, because of ecstatic love, the brahmana merged himself in the ocean of happiness and became situated in pure love. Thus he was a transparent medium, like a jewel that shows reality in varying colors according to its own nature.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19311

1st Radha Krishna Temple in Malaysia - Grand opening on 29th August 2015. (Album with photos)
Temple Opening in Sebarang Jaya (Shivaram Jaya) in Malaysia! Truly a wonder for this country!
See them here: https://goo.gl/LgWhqZ

“Spring cleaning” is a much more common concept, but with the school year’s schedule the summer suits us best. Despite the heat and other more tempting adventures for the summer, we took upon ourselves the mission of improving the facilities at TKG Academy.

The first task to tackle was the shed and other storage areas. We felt lighter as we cleared space and more efficient as we organized the materials stored there.

In the course of the years that pass, the amount of mulch in the playground area was gradually dwindling. Finally, by the end of last school year, the children have all gathered the remains and built a “Govardhana Hill”. We took it as a sign that it was time to invest in new mulch and so we began clearing the space. Soon new mulch was delivered and spread. The grounds are looking great!

Some repairs were needed as well and inside the building some fresh paint was due; new shelving, new hooks, and many other “touch-ups”. Furniture replaced, new curtains hung, computers updated, and the temple room got a make-over. The classrooms all got rearranged and refreshed. The building finally looks ready to welcome back our families.

We deeply thank all those who came forward to offer a helping hand: Rupa Madhurya Prabhu (who also donated a new sound bar!), Vraja Kishor, Nitai Pran, Bhismadeva Prabhu, Gopal Prabhu, Mathuranatha Prabhu & Francisco, Prema Sindhu Prabhu (for his donation), Krishna Mangala Mataji, Brittany, and all the staff members.

 

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The final days of the huge Hare Krishna summer festival in Poland. (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The final days of our summer festival tour on the Baltic Sea coast in Poland were bittersweet. While tasting the nectar of sharing our good fortune with others, we knew it would only last a few days more. Now the drums, accordians and kartalas have gone silent. The loud chanting of Krsna’s sweet holy names are no longer resounding along the beaches. Nowhere do we see the large crowds that assembled each evening in front of our stage. And gone are the many people eager to purchase our books on the absolute truth. O Lord Caitanya! Savior of the fallen! We are all weeping in separation from the glorious service You entrusted to us. Please engage us again!
See them here: https://goo.gl/XeJUBa

Harinama in Trutnov open air festival, Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Sadhu-sanga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krishna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and by acting for Krishna. Specifically, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.59 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/75dHtb

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

In this verse, Maharaj Parikshit is inquiring about Balarama. How was it possible that Balarama was simultaneously in the womb of Devaki and the womb of Rohini? Whose son is he anyway, Devaki’s son or is he Rohini’s son? Generally, you cannot have two mothers but somehow, Balarama has!

Balarama first appeared in the womb of Devaki, who at one point in her dream realized that she had lost the child. At that time, it was Yogamaya who took the child and transferred the child to the womb of Rohini and therefore Balarama is known as Sankarsan – one who was attracted by two mothers and he is both the son of Devaki and Rohini. Only the Supreme Personality of Godhead can do such things.

We know well very that Balarama is non-different from Krsna. It is just that he appears in a whitish form instead of blackish but otherwise, there is no difference between Krsna and Balarama. In the famous verse panca-tattvamakam krsnam, bhakta-rupa swarupakam (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 7.6), it is explained that Balarama is the swarupa, the original form. Balarama means “he who is very strong” or “the one who gives strength”.

Hare Krishna! Festival of Vedic India at Melbourne High School
What an Incredible evening at Melbourne High School’s International night! Scrumptious Prasadam, ecstatic kirtan and amazing dancing with parents, staff and students from over 70 nationalities! We were fortunate enough to be part of this great evening at one of the top ranking schools in the state, in Australia. As part of the program we presented a stall Henna/facial art as well as Indian cultural costumes, kirtan on stage and prasadam distribution. Among other things in our stall we also had Higher Taste cook books and the ever attractive and fragrant Maha garlands, which were greatly appreciated.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19302

“In Giving, We Receive” – World Holy Name Week Let’s vow to make this week special this year. There are heaps of activities we all can perform in order to spread the holy name across every town and village, just what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had predicted. From nagar sankirtans, to japa workshops, to retreats, the WHNW provides us with different avenues wherein each of us can utilize our potential and skills to creatively contribute to this event. If nothing, we can all, at least, pledge to chant extra rounds ourselves, thereby internally purifying ourselves Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19305

Hare Krishna! Srila Prabhupada’s Voyage To The West – A Play
Sankirtana Das (ACBSP): When I saw the recent article, posting the drama “Swamiji At Sea,” I remembered a script I had written back in 1985 of Srila Prabhupada’s journey to the West. The unique thing is that this play below can easily be performed anywhere as Reader’s Theater, with script in hand. It requires a minimum of three actors: one to play Prabhupada; another male actor to play – Godbrother, Choksi, Bhattacarya and Capt Pandia; also a female actor to play Narrator, Mrs Moraji, Mrs Naga, Reporter and Mrs Pandia. Of course, it can also be performed on a larger scale with a different actor playing each role.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19299

I remember an argument where my dad asked, “Love God? How can we love God? He is not here, like you or your mom. We should love each other! That’s how we should love God.”

I’m sure my answer again didn’t thrill him. I think I brought up one of Prabhupāda’s analogies about watering the root of a plant, not the leaves. The idea is that if we love God we love everyone, just like watering the root of a plant nourishes all the leaves, but if we try to love individuals independently from God its like trying to water a leaf individually – neither the plant nor the leaf benefits.

Dad saw this as an excuse to ignore real people for the sake of imaginary love of an imaginary person. “What are you talking about?” He blurted out. “I can show love to you directly, without needing to love your through someone else!”

And so again, our argument just wound up as a mess: Him frustrated, me stubborn, mom petrified.

Today I know that “loving God” is simple and doesn’t demand that I adopt behaviors and social affiliations that completely ostracize my family and friends. All I need to do is pay attention to God.

Ironically, the Hare Krishna’s who definitely led me to believe that I had to radically turn my entire life upside down and inside out before I could really love God are the same Hare Krishna’s who gave me the simplest, most wonderful and beautiful way to easily and purely give loving attention to God without having to turn anything upside down or inside out: by just focusing on God’s very intimate and personal names in a simple and catchy mantra:

hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare
hare rāma, hare rāma, rāma rāma, hare hare

Maybe the idea was supposed to be that I could focus non-stop on this mantra – and thus love God non-stop – if I would abandon everyone and everything else and run away to a temple. That’s a valid idea, but I have to wonder why no one really stopped to point out that I should probably try to concentrate completely on this mantra for even five minutes a day (rather than just rattling it off with next to zero focus or comprehension) before imitating a person who is ready to do throw the world into a waste-bucket and do it twenty-four hours a day.

Tagged: cult, God, Hare Krishna, Love of God, Mantra, Temple

Srimad Bhagavatam Class 07 01 32 by HH Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami at ISKCON Juhu on 08 May 2015

The final days of our summer festival tour on the Baltic Sea coast in Poland were bittersweet. While tasting the nectar of sharing our good fortune with others, we knew it would only last a few days more. Now the drums, accordians and kartalas have gone silent. The loud chanting of Krsna’s sweet holy names [...]

It's the cornerstone and when the cornerstone is strong, then everything else is strong. The answer lies within our bead bag....our Japa is always going to be the answer.

We are so excited for this new school year – to see what’s in our classroom and meet our new friends. We happily explore new materials, and learn much more than ABCs and 123!

Here Kanai is working with building blocks to make a big bridge where cars can go on top and people can walk underneath. I wish I could record his conversation.

 

 

Building with Bristle Blocks is one of Pavit’s most favorite activities. He engages himself in making different patterns and structures.

 

 

 

 

During our science session we learned about our body and soul. We referred to a relevant Bhagavad-gita verse: “Dehino smin yatha dehe”. We made our body booklet learning different parts of our body and naming them in the book.

 As a group project we traced an outline of our bodies on a brown paper and marked some detailed parts in it. It was real fun.

 

 

 

During Friday’s cleaning session, Kirtida swept the floor, keeping our classroom clean and beautiful.

 

 

 

In Language Arts we learned phonics through singing “Aa Apple Bb Ball…” and working on the letter ‘S’. We did object-hunt in the classroom, trying to find as many objects as possible which begin with the sound ‘s’.

As a project we made snakes using ‘s’ shape and sang about a snake.

 

 

 

 

During our individual learning session children work with the teacher one on one. Here Aditi is working on sound object box where she is choosing objects and placing them according to their beginning sound.

 

 

 

 

In Math we learned about calendars and reviewed the numbers. All my enthusiastic students participated in this group project of tracing numbers and choosing glitter stars, counting and placing them according to the numbers.