Websites from the ISKCON Universe
There were three days of unforgettable kirtans that lasted late into the night, hundreds of guests, participants and volunteers. BB Govinda Swami spoke about the importance of sharing the happiness that we experience, as “love should always be shared – such is its free nature. Love cannot be limited, we just need to become the instrument, through which love will flow further and further…”
For many, the horrors of the world, the war, injustice, crime and suffering through centuries, can only signal the supreme triumph of atheism. After all, who could believe in God in the face of such horrifying acts of violence and brutality?
High blood pressure (HBP) infects the veins of society. It is defined as high pressure in the arteries, which are vessels that carry blood throughout the body.
This film brings to light the layers of bridge construction and the month and the year when the Rama Setu was built.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, December 2010, Cape Town, South Africa, Morning Lecture)
The purpose of chanting is about taking shelter. Everyone needs shelter in this world; we know that very well. But where is our shelter other than at Krsna’s lotus feet? That is our situation, there is no other shelter! Everything else is illusory shelter. Real security and shelter is found in Krsna and that is the essence of spiritual life.
When we are new in spiritual life then we think we are advancing – we feel we are advancing, we feel things are changing, we feel our life is changing, we feel we are getting serious… but after we are involved for a longer period of time, we feel that we are not making any progress at all. Why is that!?
In the beginning, our progress is very measurable. It is about how many principles we are following – three, four, two? Or how many rounds we are chanting? It can be measured. But later, it is different because later, it is about the state of purity of the heart which is more difficult to measure.
Throughout the centuries, the culture of worship of Krsna has been existing in India. The worship of the Krsna was preserved within the culture. But what about the state of the heart? That is another matter. That you will not get from culture alone. Culture does contribute because within culture, respect and worship of Krsna is there and even the name of Krsna is there. But the state of one’s heart is what Krsna is asking for. At the end of Bhagavad-gita (18.66), Krsna says to surrender unto him, sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja.
This topic of surrender is very big. It is a very big challenge to rise to that occasion. To really say, ‘Now it’s only Krsna!’ Otherwise, the danger is there that we think of other ways to take shelter. Therefore the more we take shelter of the holy name, the less we need to take shelter in other things.
ISKCON yoga teachers will gather at the Simhachalam farm in Germany August 13th to 17th to develop an ISKCON-wide system for presenting Mantra Yoga through their professional yoga studios. Fifteen teachers will attend the “Strategic Planning Meeting,” including Jiva-Maya Dasi and Ranga Devi from the UK; Matsya Avatar Das from Italy; and Krishna Kripa Das, who teaches yoga and meditation to prison inmates in Spain.
It's a hot season in Vrindavan and almost every day a dust storm comes. Sometimes it turns into a thunderstorm with spectacular lightnings. Short rain brings the heat down some and gives a long-waited relief. A video by Vrindavan Experience.
'Draupadi - Born of Fire'' . Music/Vocals: Ananda Monet. Dancer: Vraja Sundari Keilman.
It's not an authentic South Indian meal if you haven't had it on a banana leaf. There is something very endearing and amazing about eating on banana leaves. But do you know the science behind it? 'Put Chutney' brings to us this hilarious video about banana leaves and the right way to eat in one!
Progress and Happy Cows
We are happy to report progress in establishing ISCOWP in Florida. The two barns are built, the entire perimeter of the property has been fenced and the mobile home in which Lakshmi is living is in place. The entire contents of Lakshmi’s house in West Virginia have been moved to the barn in Florida until the ISCOWP center is built. This barn will eventually be used for canning and preserving, workshop and equipment storage. We are very thankful to the crews in WV ( Mukunda, Giri, Vraja Dham and Bhakta John and his friends) and FL (Jatayu, Radha Kund dd, Tulasi, Sankirtan, Jay Nitai, Braja Mandala and Bhakta Nathan) for making it possible to load and unload Lakshmi’s house quickly. We can start moving the cows now that the perimeter fencing is completed and there is an experienced staff member in station full time. This will take some time as we can only move a few at a time. The first group will be four of the calves rescued last year. This group will be moving this coming Monday. Our next e-newsletter should have photos of some of the cows at their new Florida home.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/7sVZU1
Hare Krishna! Slavery to Banks: A Vedic Prophecy
Sri Nandanandana dasa: As related in the Bhagavata Purana, at the start of Kali-yuga, King Pariksit declared that the seeds of evil will manifest in four things: intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, and the killing of innocent creatures, especially for meat-eating. These were the activities in which the personality of Kali could reside. Not only are these the bad habits of Kali-yuga, but engaging in the above-mentioned activities propel us into numerous additional negative activities, all of which force us to give in to such undesirable emotions as greed, anger, jealousy, fault-finding, treachery, hatred, and so on. All of these pave the way for untold pain, suffering, misery and further wicked actions and intrigue. We can plainly see the damage these activities are presently doing. For example, liquor and drugs and other forms of intoxication no doubt ruin the lives of innumerable people. It causes poor health, depression, the waste of needed money, and even suicides and death, either by accidental overdoses or from other things such as territorial gang wars and so on.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=2798
The post Remembering with fondness Saurabhi dasa, Srila Prabhupada’s architect appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Answer Podcast:
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post Is it hypocrisy to kill animals for getting yoga-seat while claiming to be a vegetarian? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast:
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post Is the idea of focusing on material life instead of spiritual life a deviation from Prabhupadas teachings? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast:
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post In Bhagavatam canto 2, what is the relation between Parikshitas question and Brahmas listing various avataras? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast:
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post In yugas when Krishna doesnt descend which avatar descend? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Hare Krishna! The origins of some of Srila Prabhupada’s sayings
Kesava Krsna dasa: I am sure many of us have encountered someone who may have doubted the efficacy of their duty, or were unsure of the completion of a task, to which we, with an air of authority say “Impossible is a word found in a fool’s dictionary.” This saying amongst others form parts of devotee speak as we mimic Srila Prabhupada’s words. It was discovered some years ago that the most common word used by devotees is; so. So is so prevalent and almost infectious that we all know of a so and so prabhu who intersperses his spoken word with so’s. So what of the origin of the ‘impossible’ saying? Firstly, we have to be aware that not only was Srila Prabhupada a scholar, his general knowledge was exceptional too. Once when a group of disciples expressed amazement at his grasp of knowledge, he jokingly replied that he had a “PhD in trivia.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=2862
Answer Podcast:
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post In Gita 13.24 why does Krishna say that he has spoken about the modes when he hasn’t spoken about them? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Polish Woodstock Festival Preaching In Full Swing (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Preparing prasadam for close to 150,000 people at Woodstock is no small endeavour. But it’s all worth it! The kids love our food. And today they loved our stage show too. Woodstock is in full swing!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/DMkpDg
HG Surabhi Prabhu at Srila Prabhupada Festival at ISKCON Los Angeles on 24th May 2015 (45 min video)
One of the last recorded videos of Surabhi Prabhu.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/wPQyGE
Shouldn’t devotees avoid drinking cow milk from cruel factory farms?
We can understand that these poor animals have a life of great suffering as a result of karma, past sinful activities. Their greatest—and perhaps only—solace is to make an offering to Krishna. If they’re not able to do that, how will they become released from the pangs of birth and death before going through many more hellish lifetimes? The cows whose milk is offered to the Lord are blessed. They will benefit from that offering. We certainly don’t sanction the way these cows are treated, but we don’t consider refusing to accept their milk a more humane or spiritually enlightened proposal. Imagine if inmates of a concentration camp were making some craft for selling in order to advance themselves. Would you refuse to buy those products because they were in a concentration camp? Wouldn’t it be better to help those people by making their lives worthwhile and allowing them to offer some small, valuable gift? That gift, for the cows, is their milk—offered to Krishna.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/UexIWs
Polish Woodstock Festival preaching preparations (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: With Woodstock starting tomorrow the festival grounds were alive with activity today. Ananta Vrindavan das took a walk around the field to shoot photographs of the people and the mood of Woodstock 2015.
See them here: https://goo.gl/fHpXoh
HH Gaur Gopal Giving Amazing Lecture at Mantra Lounge in April 2015
The Gita uses the metaphor of the wind for the first time in its second chapter (02.67): Just as a wind can sweep away a boat on water, so too can even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses sweep away the intelligence. Gita 02.55-72 is a response to Arjuna’s question in 2.54 about the characteristics of the enlightened. In his answer Krishna states that one of their essential characteristics is their sense-control. While describing this characteristic of the seers, he as a bonus also gives some guidelines about how we seekers can control our senses – which is the point that this metaphor makes by illustrating the converse: how the senses can take control of us and lead us astray.
The specific points of comparison, though, require some thought to figure out. Just as the boat is swept away, so, it might be inferred, are we swept away. However, the verse compares the boat not to us, but to our intelligence. This is a subtle but significant difference, a difference that underscores the critical role of our intelligence. In our confrontation with sensual temptation, our intelligence is our last line of defense, as has been hinted at four verses earlier (02.63): while describing the sequence of how we fall for sense objects, the Gita mentions that the second-last thing to fall is the intelligence – once our intelligence falls, we too fall. So, given that our and our intelligence’s fate are usually tied together, at least with respect to the challenge of controlling the senses, the Gita (02.67) comparison of the boat with our intelligence can be extended to included our intelligence and us. That is, just as a boat is swept away, our intelligence and we are swept away.
What the Gita compares the wind to is not explicit in the verse. But it can be inferred from the context. The wind is compared to the material desire that is generated when the mind focuses on any of the roaming senses. The implicitness of the object of comparison points to the process for protecting ourselves. We may not be able to control the wind that starts flowing in a water body, but we can control desire from blowing forcefully, like a wind, in our consciousness. How? By carefully refusing to focus on the roaming senses. We can best prevent our senses from roaming by keeping ourselves absorbed in constructive activity, or we can at least be alert enough to avoid focusing when any of the senses perceives an alluring sense object. Just as the wind can come from any direction on a water body, so too can the wind of desire, which we could call alliteratively the gust of lust, come from any of the senses into our consciousness.
Extending the analogy, just as a boat in a water body is always vulnerable to storms so too are we always vulnerable while in material existence, which is also often compared to a water body, an ocean. In fact, that comparison is so common that it has spawned a metaphorical compound word bhavasagar, usually translated as “the ocean of material existence.” As long as we are in the ocean of material existence, we are always vulnerable to being swept away by the gust of lust.
But this metaphor while making us aware of our danger also conveys the power we have: we can prevent the gust of lust from being generated if we avoid contemplating on the sense objects. And the most effective preventive method is focusing on the most positive object for contemplation: Krishna, the all-attractive, all-loving Supreme Person, the source of all pleasure. Fixing our consciousness on Krishna is a theme that the Gita has pointed to earlier (02.61) and will repeat frequently throughout.
The post Gita Metaphors 2 – Wind 1 – A Boat Amidst a Storm appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
CC daily Podcast:
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post CC daily 181 – 6.269 – Wanting to merge in the personal absolute is a colossal self-deprivation appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Hare Krishna! Surabhi Prabhu left this world
Surabhi Prabhu, beloved disciple of Srila Prabhupada and the devotee architect of Vrindavan and Juhu Temples, Samadhi Mandir, and Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. left this world at 2:50 this morning in Sri Vrindavan Dhama as he lost the battle with cancer.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18708
this continues from a previous post
As the earth began to reply, she placed herself at his mercy by bowing to him, but she trembled with fear, for he was as angry as death personified. “I surrender to you, the supreme person,” she said, “whose energy expands into all the various forms and bodies within this world of qualities.
“I surrender to you, whose true form manifests from its own power, is unconnected with the transient and confused substances, actions, and egos of this world.
“It is your energy which created me by the evolution and combination of the elements that emanate from you. It is your energy which enables me to serve as as the home of all beings. Although you have created me, now you display your independence, your lack of attachment to or dependence on me – by standing before me with your arrows poised to kill me. I have tried to run for protection, but where or to whom can I run?
“In the beginning, you created immobile and mobile creatures, and you sustain them all by your own inscrutable, self-controlled powers. You protect and sustain everyone and you uphold morality, but now you want to destroy me. How can this be?
“Oh yes, it’s certainly true! No one can comprehend your intentions, and no one can counteract or overcome what you set in motion. You are incomprehensible! You are the cause, but you have no cause. You are many, yet you are one. You are beyond everything, yet you control everything.
“Your potency is the cause of all causes, the origin of everything: all substance, all action, all will, all sentience, all individuality. I surrender to you, the supreme person, whose powers are insurmountable and incomprehensible. O Great One, you yourself certainly created everything that exists – all the elements, all the tools for interacting with them, and all the internal mechanisms for hosting consciousness.”
Having expressed her exasperation at being unable to understand why her protector and creator would want to destroy her, she now tries to evoke his compassion by reminding him how he previously rescued her. “Oh birthless one, you once went out of your way to protect and reestablish me when you became the first wild boar and uplifted me from the bottom of the universal ocean. To protect all the creatures dwelling in me, you made me like a boat floating on the ocean of space! For that heroic deed you became known as Dharādhara – the support of she who supports everyone.
“But now, over milk, you want to kill me with your terrible arrows?
“Ordinary people like me certainly cannot comprehend the intentions of great masters. Our minds are bewildered by their deeds because we possess merely a fragment of their qualities. We simply offer our respects them, the most renowned among those who have earned heroism.”
– A translation of Śrī Bhāgavata 4.17.28 ~ 36 [end]
From the first draft of Part 4 of Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive
by Vraja Kishor
Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:
Download by “right-click and save content”
The post Bhagavatam-daily 283 – 11.13.16 – Inspiration can’t be extracted by law or blood appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Hare Krishna! Yoga, Srila Prabhupada’s books, Kirtan and Mahaprasad: International Yoga Day in Bali, Indonesia
This year June 21 was celebrated as the first International Yoga day. People from all walks of life came out to participate in the celebration: India, the US, Beijing, Paris, Manila, Seoul, Bangkok, Taipei and of course, Indonesia. Indonesia, as one of the supporter of the Yoga Day, also organized a mass Yoga relaxation program in its four biggest city, Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya, and Denpasar. Through Indian Embassy in Indonesia, as part of the “Friend of India: festival of India in Indonesia 2015”, promoted Yoga Day event. The committee invited the school of Yoga, practitioners, people interested in yoga, and the Hare Krsna Devotees to participate in the celebration of the International Yoga day.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18703
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: THESTAR
A TOTAL of 3,000 copies of the Hindu holy scripture — Bhagavad Gita were handed over to all 28 Tamil vernacular schools in Penang.
Copies of the holy book were given to the primary schools in an effort to educate the young about the values in life to achieve unity and peace in the world.
The event was organised by Global Integrated Transcendental Association (GITA) of Penang.
Its president Madhusudan Das said through this event, the pupils would have the opportunity to learn anddiscover more about the Bhagavad Gita.
“Besides these Tamil schools, we will also hand out copies of the Bhagavad Gita to other educational institutions, libraries and participants of ongoing programmes by GITA.
“We aim to distribute 5,000 copies by the end of the year,” he said at the opening of the Penang Tamil schools’ GITA Programme at Komtar in George Town on Saturday.
He added that the copies, which were given out were in English and Tamil.
Madhusudan said GITA would hold a Gita Champion League, which would be a statewide competition on the reciting of the Bhagavad Gita.
“This competition, which will be held both in English and Tamil, is to encourage students to read the holy book and to understand it,” he added.
Details of the competition will be announced at a later date.
State Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Chong Eng, who was present at the ceremony, said good values were important for a community.
“Everyone can own the holy book, but it is more important to put in the effort to learn what is in the book and to follow it,” she said.
Hare Krishna! Peace prayer by Dr. A.P.J. Kalam in his address “The Joy of Human Life”
Oh Almighty, create thoughts and actions in the minds of the people of the nation so that they live united. Oh Almighty, bless the people to take a path of life with righteousness as righteousness gives the strength of character. Help all religious leaders of the country to give strength to the people to combat the divisive forces. Guide the people to develop an attitude to appreciate different ideologies and transform enmity among individuals, organizations and nations into friendliness and harmony Embed the thought ‘Nation is bigger than the Individual’ in the minds of the leaders and people. Oh God, bless the people to work with perseverance to transform the country into a peaceful and prosperous nation and promote world peace.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18700
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 December 2011, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.14.1)
Question: In the purport, Prabhupada first explained the brahmachari, vanaprastha and sannyasa ashrams and then at last he said, “Grhastha ashram for those who are so attached to sex life.” So it sounds like the only reason to go to grhastha ashram is lust. Is that what it is?
Well, generally speaking it is but sometimes, even self-realized souls take to the grhastha ashram to fulfil a purpose of the Lord; that also happens. Srinivas Acharya, for example, had two wives but he was fully self-realized; he was seeing the spiritual world. That was an arrangement of the Supreme Lord but for most of us, well you know…
It is like this, you are perfectly happy all by yourself and then suddenly, some sex desire begins to arise and then one comes to desire to have a relationship with someone. Some people may say that is not all there is to it; there is also companionship. Alright, I agree that companionship is important. We cannot just be alone in this world, we need to have other people but I think marriage, and I say that after twenty-four years of having tried it, that marriage is an unnatural arrangement! I will explain why.
I think that to give someone else so much right to just infringe on your privacy is too much. See, if you are not married to someone, you can nicely and politely say, “Thank you very much. I need a little time for myself!” But you cannot say that to your wife! I mean, you can say it but my God, see what comes next, “You never spend any time with me… you have no interest in me whatsoever… you completely cold and uninterested… you are always preoccupied with other things…”
And you are thinking, “I just want to finish chanting my rounds!”
So it does not allow you the privacy that you naturally need. Marriage is very intense. The infringement on privacy that it brings is an unnatural arrangement. As far as companionship is concerned, I think there is a need for that but I would not recommend marriage as the solution for that.
Hare Krishna! Dressing Like a Vaishnava
Bhakti Charu Swami: There should be no compromise in our Vaisnava appearance. We are representatives of Srila Prabhupada. We should aim to be first class representatives. We need to be aware of the bonafide standard of appearance, maintain it and preach it. In the age of Kali deviations easily become the standard. We should be alert to this. Proper Vaisnava dress helps us maintain proper consciousness regarding our identity and responsibility in service to Srila Prabhupada and the Vaisnavas.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18697