Planet ISKCON

Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of all Time is now available as an audio book. Over 45 hours of narration. Click here

Hare Krishna! Ancient Egypt – The Ratha Yatra And Mount Meru
According to Egyptian texts this universe is produced from the primordial waters at the beginning of creation. From these waters a mound is produced and from this mound a lotus flower travels up to the top of this universe upon which Ra, the great sun God appears. Now this of course is the same account we find in the Vedas, a lotus appears from the navel of Lord Visnu residing upon the causal ocean and upon this lotus Lord Brahma appears and proceeds to create this universe. The mound which appears, according to Egyptian sacred texts, is none other than Mount Meru, the Vedic abode of the Gods. According to Egyptian cosmology, the pyramids we see in Egypt represent this mound which sprang from the primal waters.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18926

ISKCON Golden Jubilee
Date: Aug 13, 2015
Venue: Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata
Time: 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/PpgWda

Nityam Bhagavata-sevaya (NBS#18): For this auspicious month, we will be covering the next couple of issues on the Glories of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18921

Rathayatra 2015 - Festival of the Chariots - Leicester, UK - ISKCON (4 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/96osGk

By cultivating and acquiring the 30 qualities, one can then go on to determine one’s varna and ashram and have a stable foundation for bhakti.

The post Varnasrama series appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Paris Ratha Yatra 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By the grace of the Lord, if a devotee, at the time of death, can simply chant Hare Krishna, he immediately surpasses the great ocean of the material sky and enters into the spiritual sky. He never has to come back for repetition of birth and death. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.10.30 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/OUbsMN

Hare Krishna! Radhakunda Seva: July 2015 Photos and Updates
The Radhakunda Seva team: What a busy month this was! Purusottama Adika Masa (the very auspicious extra lunar month which comes once every three years) brought unprecedented crowds. Even at midday under the scorching sun, there was no diminishing of the throngs of pilgrims doing parikrama around Govardhana and Radha Kunda. And then to top off the joyous madness, the month ended with Guru Purnima, Govardhan’s biggest parikrama day of the year. With your support, we were able to distribute thousands of bowls of prasada to hungry pilgrims in the days leading up to Guru Purnima, and especially on Guru Purnima day. On that day, we distributed 100kgs of sweet Bhoondi prasadam which was hugely popular amongst the crowds. We are happy to report that we finally received a shipment of the high quality acrylic latex paint we had been trying to obtain for months. Painting of the walls at Sakhi Kunda is well underway and we plan to paint other areas as well. We are hopeful that this type of paint will stand the test of time, inclement weather, and salty plaster.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18896

Yet the supreme father has no other father. Every one of the living entities of all grades, up to Brahmā, the original creature of the universe, is begotten by a father, but He, the Lord, has no father. When He descends to the material plane, out of His causeless mercy He accepts one of His great devotees as His father to keep pace with the rules of the material world. But since He is the Lord, He is always independent in choosing who will become His father.

tvaṁ naḥ surāṇām asi sānvayānāṁ  kūṭa-stha ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ tvaṁ deva śaktyāṁ guṇa-karma-yonau  retas tv ajāyāṁ kavim ādadhe ’jaḥ

You are the original personal founder of all the demigods and the orders of different gradations, yet You are the oldest and are unchanged. O Lord, You have no source or superior. You have impregnated the external energy with the semen of the total living entities, yet You are unborn. Srimad Bhagavatam 3.5.50 http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/3/5/50

San Diego’s very first Radha Krishna Boat Festival 2015 (3 min video) Watch it here: https://goo.gl/qCW3es

CC daily Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post CC daily 192 – 7.2-3 – The Lord doesnt rest on his laurels but desires to spread mercy further appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

CC daily Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post CC daily 191 – 7.1 – The summary reflects the systematic structure of the book appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

07.08.2015 H.H.Prabhodananda Saraswati Swami_SB-06.01.08

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Bhagavatam-daily 295 – 11.13.28 – Spiritual is not just above goodness – it is way above appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Bhagavatam-daily 294 – 11.13.27 – Contemplate one’s observer position to cultivate dispassion appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have. Bhagavad-gita 9.22-http://www.vedabase.com/en/bg/9/22

The keyword in this verse is Exclusive Devotion, not sometime worship this, worship that, enjoy material senses then back to devotion. The promise that given by Krishna in this verse is for the one that always worship me in exclusive devotion.

the next thing is Meditating on Krishna transcendental form, thats why Krishna so kindly appear in his form as the deity. When we are worshiping the deity, dressing the deity and make offering to the deity we will automatically think about transcendental form of Krishna.

In the previous verse it is said that if we worship the demigods the can go to heavenly planet, but after the time runs out he will fall down again. Its just like you have a vacation when you have money you can have fun but after the money runs out you can't anything.

Then Guru Maharaja describe about how devotees not attracted about heavenly planet, the analogies about how life in heavenly planet. Guru maharaja continued that devotees only goal is only Krishna and then explaining on how to achieve Krishna mercy.

Message from Guru Maharaja:

We should read this Bhagavadgita carefully, memories some its verses, keep them in our mind and gradually really trust Krishna. He's not gonna cheat us. He is really gonna give us what his promises, if we give him what he is asking for. Its two way deal!

Please hear more from the audio or download it. Hare Krishna!

Question:  Can you explain why we fast from grains on ekadasi? No one has ever been able to explain it to me logically. I mean, for most devotees the fact that srila prabhupada and Lord caitanya recommend it is enough for them. But that’s a faith-based reason, I’m looking for a logic-based explanation.

It does make sense to have a special day every two weeks for extra hearing and chanting, but most devotees don’t hear and chant more on ekadasi. They are just really into the whole ‘no grains’ thing.

I also know the whole “papa purusha” thing  [grains becoming “sinful” on ekadasi] but I’m suspicious about that. It may have been introduced around a campfire sometime in history. Srila prabhupada certainly doesn’t mention papa purusha in any of his books.

It seems a bit bizarre to me how much people are into it when none of them can explain it. So can you logically explain why we should fast from grains on ekadasi?

My Reply: 

Ekadasi is a fasting day. It’s not a day for “no grains,” its a day for “no eating.”

Fasting is very extreme, however, and few people can actually do it – so there is a gradient of reducing consumption – parts of which can still be considered, liberally, “fasting.” For example, you can drink water and still consider it a fast. You can also eat fruits. Like this, the spectrum gradually expands from absolute fast towards normal daily diet. The line gets drawn at the real staples of a daily meal: grains and legumes. Beyond that line it’s just too far of a stretch to call it a fast anymore.

What’s the purpose of not eating?

One thing is, its just healthy. If you have a regular schedule where you reduce your intake by “fasting” you will be much healthier.

More importantly, fasting clears your mind and gives you some mental and emotional self-discipline. Self-discipline of this sort is particularly important for meditation, so regular fasting is a very important part of yoga. It helps us develop the mental discipline to say “no” to our habitual desires and impulses, which is essential when trying to deliberately focus the mind in meditation (in the case of bhakti-yoga the meditation is upon Hari-nama, rūpa, guṇa and līlā).

PS – As for why the 11th day [ekadasi is the 11th phase of the waxing and waning moon] and not the 4th or the 9th or any other – I’m not quite sure at all. Astrologically the 11th is typically described as a day that’s not very good for doing most important things. Maybe that makes it an opportune day for fasting? Symbolically 11 is a number associated with Śiva. But there’s another point that comes out when one studies the technical details about astrology: it seems its actually the 12th that’s the really blessed day (12 being a number associated with Viṣṇu), and the 11th seems like a preparation for it.

PPS – here is an earlier blog post I made with more details substantiating the points I made here, with reference to Hari Bhakti Vilas.

“Those who know reality say it is non-dual knowledge.”

— 1.2.11

Reality is the most valuable thing any person can attain. Therefore it certainly should be the highest form of happiness, and not diminish or come to an end.

Those who understand reality describe it as “non-dual knowledge” – advaya-jñāna. Here, the word “knowledge” (jñāna) denotes sentience, consciousness — the basis of knowledge. Śuka describes this consciousness as “non-dual” (advaya), indicating that nothing in existence is separate from it.

Thus, Bhāgavatam describes reality as the consciousness that is the essence of all things. Everyone and everything that exists is a manifestation of this self-manifest consciousness, and all of them are fully dependent upon it.

“Non-dual reality is pure consciousness fixed exclusively upon its supreme objective. This Bhāgavatam clarifies the essence of all Vedānta by describing the characteristics of this supreme objective.”

— 12.13.12

“Reality is Brahman: infinite consciousness.”

— Taittirīya (2.1.1)

“Hear about it and you hear about everything. Know it, and you know all that is to be known.”

— Chāndogya (6.1.3)

“Only that reality, consciousness, existed in the beginning, thinking, ‘I will manifest as living beings each with their own names and forms, for I should be many.’”

— Chāndogya (6.2.1 – 3)

Plurality in Non-Duality

In his trance, Badarāyaṇa saw plurality in non-dual consciousness, for he saw two distinct types of conscious beings: (1) The supreme conscious being, and (2) individual conscious beings. We will thoroughly examine the relationship between the supreme and the individual later on, in the third essay, named Paramātmā Sandarbha. In summary, the individual is a distinctly perfect quantum of consciousness manifest from a fragmental ray of the amazing potencies of the supreme consciousness.

The supreme object/objective of individual consciousness is the supreme consciousness at its root. Thus supreme consciousness is therefore the essence of Vedānta and the primary subject of Śrī Bhāgavatam.

“Non-dual reality is pure consciousness fixed exclusively upon its supreme objective. This Bhāgavatam clarifies the essence of all Vedānta by describing the characteristics of this supreme objective.”

— 12.13.12

Here, the word “exclusively” does not mean without separate existence. It means purely. “Purity” means to be without anything extraneous, to be without ulterior motive. Thus the word hints that individual consciousness can attain the supreme objective most efficaciously by virtue of pure devotion. We will discuss this at much greater length in the sixth essay, Prīti Sandarbha.

Unity in Non-Duality

In non-duality, unity and plurality coexist. The Upanishads sometimes stress the unity of the individual and supreme consciousness, and at other times they stress their distinct plurality. The individual and the supreme are one unified reality, for they are the same in substance: consciousness. Yet within this unity a distinction manifests plurality: individual consciousness is the emanation, and supreme consciousness is the emanator.

Here is an example where the Upanishads stress the unity between the individual and the supreme:

“You are that.”

— Chandogya 6.8.7

In this statement, “you” refers to the individual consciousness, and “that” refers to the supreme consciousness. By highlighting the similarity between the individual and the supreme, the Upanishads convey important, factual information that we, just like the supreme, are eternal and full of sentience.

Another important reason for stressing the sameness of the individual and the supreme is to tell us that we can begin to understand the supreme by understanding ourselves. Since our own individual consciousness is a ray from the supreme consciousness, we can get an initial grasp of the supreme by understanding ourselves.

“Understanding one grants understanding of the other.”

— Vedānta Sūtra (1.3.20)

Imagine a person who has stayed shut within his house since birth and cannot go out into the sun. If he wants to know what the sun is, we could point to a minute ray of sunlight falling through a crack in his shutters and say, “this is it.” By comprehending that fragment of light, he would begin to get an accurate idea about the great amalgamation of light that is the sun itself.

Śrī Bhāgavatam also clearly states the essential similarities between the individual and the supreme consciousness:

“The conscious-self does is never born, and it does not die, or grow, or decay. It merely experiences all these conditions. It is the ever-present, constant, unfading substance of cognition itself.”

—11.3.38a

“Conscious-self” means the pure living being.

It “is never born” because it has always existed. Since it is never born, it is not subject to the conditions following on the heels of birth: growth, decay, and death. These conditions occur only in the physical body. The conscious-self “merely experiences” them, without being directly affected.

Who is the conscious-self, the observer distinct from everything it observes? The conscious-self is pure sentience, “the substance of cognition itself.”

Where does it exist? Everywhere, “it is ever-present.” The consciousness of the individual self completely pervades whatever field it projects into.

There is unity between the individual and the supreme because the essence of both is pure consciousness itself. Therefore both the individual and the supreme possess the qualities of consciousness: begininglessness, changelessness, and pervasiveness.

An excerpt from
Basic Truths:
An English Rendition of Śrī Jīva Goswāmī’s Tattva-Sandarbha

by Vraja Kishor
VrajaKishor.com

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 May 2015, Brisbane, Australia Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.42)

The different acharyas are spiritual masters who may place emphasis on different things. But still, all are sitting at Srila Prabhupada’s feet. He is the founder acharya, Prabhupada – the master at whose feet all others sit, therefore we should take it that Prabhupada’s books are the main substance in our lives.

So many books are out there nowadays. Everyone has written books. Many of the books are very revealing and extend our understanding. Still, I have a comparison which is that the Bhagavad-gita, the Nectar of Devotion, the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Caitanya-Caritamrta are our four main books which are like rice, dhal, sabji and chapatti; and these other books are like chutney.

So, you know, some chutney is nice. We want some chutney and we read something new, something with a different taste that is interesting. But basically, our staple diet is rice, dhal, sabji and chapatti. If you eat only chutney, you are not going to be very healthy!

So, our main source of knowledge lies in Prabhupada’s books and in there, we absorb deeply. And these other books are extensions of Prabhupada’s books, they give us like a further insight into Prabhupada’s books!

Hare Krishna! ISKCON UK August newsletter
By ISKCON UK Communications
Temples across the UK are gearing up for the official 50th anniversary of ISKCON, with events to mark Srila Prabhupada’s departure from India to the West to spread Krishna Consciousness – ISKCON Leicester will host the very first UK national convention to celebrate the 50th anniversary; ISKCON London will be holding three one-day festivals to commemorate Srila Prahupada’s departure from India, his arrival in Boston and New York; ISKCON Birmingham will hold a special 8hr kirtan programme; Bhaktivedanta Manor will host a series of special classes every Sunday with a special guest speaker sharing Srila Prabhupada Memories, and ISKCON Coventry will release a special CD to commemorate this milestone celebration.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18892

Vancouver Harinama (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Krishna stresses the importance of remembering Him. One‘s memory of Krishna is revived by chanting the maha-mantra, Hare Krishna. By this practice of chanting and hearing the sound vibration of the Supreme Lord, one’s ear, tongue and mind are engaged. This mystic meditation is very easy to practice, and it helps one attain the Supreme Lord. (Bhagavad-Gita 8.8 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/a0Cxw6

Hare Krishna! We Shall Call Our Society ISKCON
July 11, 1966. 26 Second Avenue, New York City: A few sympathetic, interested people gather in a small downtown storefront to help an Indian swami’s mission by adding their signature to a legal document. Today, ISKCON has branches all over the world. Millions of lives have been transformed by the Hare Krishna mantra and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita—thanks to the vision of Srila Prabhupada and the efforts of his sincere followers. But in 1966, no one (except Prabhupada himself) could foresee how this society could ever manifest on such a scale. Here’s an excerpt from Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita, a detailed biography of Srila Prabhupada, describing the humble yet momentous event of ISKCON’s incorporation. 1966: The Lower East Side, New York.The building was humble, the membership small, yet Srila Prabhupada’s vision encompassed the whole world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18886

Hare Krishna! Can I get out of here?
Brahmananda dasa: In 1971 Prabhupada was having big public programs in India, and one evening an Arya Samajist challenged Prabhupada. He said, “Oh, Swamiji, you have come to India with your western chelas, but we know all these things. This is our culture. Better you go to the other places and do your work there. All right, you have been to the West, but what about the Muslim countries? What about Pakistan? You should go to Pakistan and preach there. Make them devotees.” This was in a public pandal with thousands of people. Prabhupada said, “You are challenging us to go?” The man said, “Yes. I challenge you. You must go to Pakistan.” Prabhupada said, “All right. We will go.” Prabhupada wrote a letter to me, “Immediately go to West Pakistan.” He also wrote to Gargamuni, “Immediately go to East Pakistan.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18883

― Lailah Gifty Akita

The post “When your environment is clean you feel happy motivated and healthy.” appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

UK, Reading Rathayatra 2015 (Album with photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/lifjHf

Mangal Arati Of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath; 9th August 2015

Rathayatra in Vladivostok, Russis, August 8, 2015 (Album with photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/Bx3MUx

Hare Krishna! ISKCON 50th Anniversary Philately Stamps to be Launched during Temple Opening in Penang
On July 11, 1966, Srila Prabhupada officially registered his International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York. At that time, he had one small storefront on New York’s Lower East-Side, and a handful of students. Today, there are nearly four hundred ISKCON centers all over the world, and thousands of ISKCON devotees. ISKCON is now gearing up for its 50th anniversary, with plans for celebratory events all over the world throughout 2016. To mark the significance of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s maiden visit to USA in 1965, ISKCON Malaysia will be launching the ISKCON 50th anniversary 60 sen philately stamps by the Malaysian postal office, Pos Malaysia on the 29th August at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple opening in Seberang Prai, Penang.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18877

The latest issue of Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu e-magazine was just
released. KK Bindu #356 topics include, “Irresponsibility in Bhakti”, “Natural Detachment” etc
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18874

What is it like being and living in Mayapur these days, during the flood? This nicely made video takes you around for a tour in this “Waterworld”! (16 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/foWWoM

If you are going to spend an hour-and-a-half ~ two hours (or whatever) chanting a mantra over and over again do it right. Don’t waste your time being half-assed about it, or just pretending to do it on the surface.

If you are going to take your time and energy away from your children, spouse, family, friends, passions, and hobbies – don’t waste it spacing out!

The idea that inattentive chanting is better than no chanting at all is dubious. It probably does a lot more harm than good, and keeps a lot of people wasting their precious time. Inattentive chanting will never in a million billion lifetimes grant anyone the goal of the mantra. Period.

You are just wasting time.

If you are dedicating time and energy to chanting a mantra, you owe it to your children, spouse, family, friends, etc. to chant as attentively as you possibly can! You owe it, literally, to all of them to attain the goal of the mantra, so stop sitting there with your hand in a bag of beads daydreaming!

Vraja Kishor
VrajaKishor.com