Planet ISKCON

Thursday, June 25th, 2015
Halifax/Fredericton

Phase to Phase

Sundari’s mom passed away a month ago and so she invited a small group of family and friends for a
small memorial service.  She and her dad, with origins from Trinidad, and the Hindu family had a clear idea what they wanted from Brihat and I, “Speaking about the soul’s journey and please do some kirtan”.

The circle of family and friends, we discovered, are from everywhere – the U.S., Bosnia, India, a few
more places and even Halifax.  Quoting from the Gita, I had selected a verse from Chapter 2 beginning with dehino ‘smin yatha dehe.  “We are embodied first as a baby, then child, then youth, adult, elderly and finally a new form shapes as a baby again.  “The lesson being that the soul perpetuates despite bodily change and therefore emotions need not be extreme.”

It is apparent that a grieving time is necessary.  I could see that Sundari was happy at this state to have perhaps a closure to the event in the form of a message and a kirtan.

Kirtan also threw a group into a joyous state when after a four-hours-plus drive to Fredericton, Wade,
Brihat and I made it to Mazerolle’s Gallery for a “Tales from Trails” happening.  Kirtan is new, if not
fresh, for these attendees.  It’s not every day that you get to sing ancient mantras and physically move
to the pulsating beat of a drum. 

Just across the street at city hall locals were clad in lime-coloured T-shirts in anticipation for raising
awareness on the dreaded Lyme disease which is prevalent enough in North America.  Good for them! I like to think that kirtan raises awareness towards the disease of me-consciousness and how we must get beyond bodily identification.  I am spirit that moves from one phase to the next hoping to one day get set free based on clean consciousness. 

May the Source be with you!

9 km

The latest Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter, including community news for the last two months. It will take about 10 seconds seconds to load. (to view higher quality photos, you can download the file) Main articles include: -BBC’s National Yoga Day at the Manor -London Ratha Yatra -Nepal Earthquake fund-raising Appeal -Krishna Culture Showcase.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/VfC4U8

Reception of Nityananda’s Padukas at Sri Dham Mayapur, West Bengal (Album with 110 photos)
Beautiful Mayapur devotees receive Lord Nityananda’s Padukas, along with HG Jananivas Prabhu and HG Vraja Vilas Prabhu..
See them here: https://goo.gl/21JICz

Gaura-Nitai about an example where Prabhupada makes a “mistake” and Barnaby about the Hathi-vesa pastime of Jagannatha.

The post Hari-vallabha asks about how thoughts of Krsna are spiritual appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Questions and answers. (English/Turkish)

The post Istanbul istagosti with devotees (Part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Harvard professor Clay Christensen on Religious Freedom.

The post Daily Darshan – July 13th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

HH Bhakti Vidyapurna Swami at ISKCON Mayapur on 2015-07-05, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 06.11.19

"Yoga is about the development from the physical to the spiritual. Let us say I have started with the spiritual," Putin said at a news conference.

Recently, devotees of Vrindavan started a petition asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to control the town’s “modernization”, as they think it is neither suitable to the holy place, nor sustainable. According to many in Vrindavan, modernization has reduced this place to a weekend spot for tourists instead of a sacred place of pilgrimage.

Hare Krishna! Baroda temple forms Committee to steer 50th Anniversary celebrations
Speaking after a meeting of the Committee on 21st June, Chairman, Pushta Krishna Das said, “The 50th Anniversary is an important milestone to celebrate our achievements. As the leaders of the temple are busy organising regular preaching programmes, the congregation devotees have stepped forward to form a Committee that can plan the celebrations through the year. We will involve local devotees to organise a series of exceptional offerings for Srila Prabhupada so that people in Baroda can be educated about what ISKCON has achieved in the last 50 years.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18417

Basughosh Das, President of the Baroda temple said, “We want to encourage the congregation to take an increasing part in the 50^th Anniversary celebrations. While the temple management is very involved in guiding and providing support to the Committee, it is the congregation that will actually own the different events and organise them in such a way that we can reach out to a wider audience."

Wednesday, June 24th, 2015
Halifax, Nova Scotia

At Blue Apple

It is only my speculation that the Mainland Linear Trail, as it is referred to, was either a former railway line or a hydro service road.  Whatever it is, it is a convenient path taken advantage of by hundreds of walkers in this peripheral area of Halifax – Fairview.  Both Brhat and I were quite amazed by the amount of strong scented roses, of all things, lined along the way.  That fragrance is not man-made.

It was Theresa, our host in Halifax, who led us to this trail where we met hundreds of trekkers including a group of Bhutanese, all rather committed members, at least in spirit, to the Vaishnava culture, as we are.

It was Joseph Currie (I like to use his last name as a reminder of the Indian prep) who took us to the Blue Apple Wellness Centre downtown. There, an eager group of youthful open-hearts sat in anticipation of hearing about pilgrimage and the life of a monastic.  No doubt, mantra meditation was also a draw.  Joseph himself is not only a fairly good networker, but is a vocalist, guitarist and an activist.  I asked him to take the lead in the end of our chanting session.  Krishna has provided him with a number of gifts and talents.  Isn’t that true for each and every one of us.

May the Source be with you.

7 km

"Don't be tempted to add anything to this task. Keep it simple. Don't even attempt to hear only one mantra at a time, this will push the mind to think of the future, demanding to know we plan to hold it captive. Keep the mind’s task simple and gradually the mind will act simply."

From Japa: Nine Keys from the Siksastakam to Improve Your Japa
by Bhurijana dasa

The kirtans were very sweet and prayerful, beautiful melodies drawing everyone to Krsna. My own kirtan got everyone dancing. It was fun!

This picture of Krsna, full of love for this calf, was in my room. It made a perfect backdrop for Giriraja. Govardhana literally means one who increases the number of cows. Yes, we need cow protection everywhere on the planet.

“Why did I, the most unfortunate fallen soul, not take birth at the time when Sri Gaurachandra inundated the entire world, including the highest mountains, with the flood of love of God? Therefore I was unable to relish those waves of love of God! “Why did I not take birth at that time to serve [...]

Belarus ISKCON Devotees Detained for Offering Religious Literature (3 min video)
By: Olga Glace Forum18.org on July 6, 2015
Three Hare Krishna devotees, Aleksandr Grankin, Aleksei Vlasyuk and Pavel Ivanov, were detained in the streets of Vitebsk on 17 June for sharing their religious views and offering religious literature to passers-by, they complained to Forum 18. The three were detained by Sergei Fadeenkov, the Chief Specialist of Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Department of Religious Affairs and Nationalities.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ALVgea

Harinama in Tel-Aviv, Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age human beings only live for sixty or eighty years, and even this small life-span is gradually decreasing. Therefore it is even more imperative for human beings to take to the worship of the lotus feet of the Lord by constantly chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, as recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.67 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/68QINm

HH Bhakti Charu Swami retreat @ New Vrindaban (Album with photos)
It is our pleasure to share with you that ISKCON New Vrindaban, West Verginia organized a Srimad Bhagavatam retreat with a heading “Stories from Srimad Bhagavatam” which was held from July 1 to July 5. The very retreat imparted a rare opportunity to relish ambrosial narration of Srimad Bhagavatam from the lotus mouth of HH Bhakti Charu Swami in the serene atmosphere of New Vrindaban. The retreat began every morning at 8am with Srimad Bhagavatam class and went till 9am as it’s first session. Then in next session was offered from 11am to 1pm consisting of one hour discourse and one hour of question & answer which leaded in the the final session of the day from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The Jagannatha Snana Yatra festival on 4th July in the morning 10am to 11am, added another divine dimension to this wonderful retreat. To add more colour to this retreat, New Vrindaban temple organized a Swan- boat festival in the Kusuma Sarovara which was followed by a thrilling & spectacular fire work display at night. An Initiation ceremony presided by HH Bhakti Charu Swami on 5th of July morning from 10am to 11 am, complimented the retreat to embellish it further. Devotees from different parts of USA enjoyed this very retreat with their spontaneous participations in Managala-Arati, Go Puja, and Goverdhana Parikrama every day without fail. It is said in the Bhagavad Gita that every spiritual festival reaches it’s completion in prasadam (sanctified spiritual food). Following this instruction New Vrindavana Temple offered sumptuous prasadam three times a day to every one’s heart’s content. We thank every one, who took part in this magnificent retreat, from the core of our heart. We feel honoured to serve Srila Prabhupada’s family and look forward to have another opportunity to serve all of you in New Vrindaban Temple in coming future. Hare Krishna .
See them here: https://goo.gl/Kqiq09

Hare Krishna! Treating Women as Mothers
In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. CC. Adi-lila 7.23 1. In essence, duality means that we forget that we are part and parcel of Krsna. We want to enjoy separately from Him, we want to play the controller. This controlling tendency culminates in sex desire. 2. Man/woman concept is synonymous with material consciousness. 3. Becoming Krsna conscious means rising above duality. We have to become fixed in the consciousness that all are part and parcel of Krsna and for His pleasure-not ours.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18412

Hare Krishna! TOVP Tour Daily Diary: Day 103-108, Four Days in Houston, Texas and The Grand Finale – Seattle, Washington
July 4th and 5th, were the last two days of the North American TOVP Tour, 2015. They were, in fact, record days for our fundraising and visits to devotees homes. During these two days Jananivas prabhu alone visited over 25 devotees’ homes, going from one to the other with the Padukas and Sitari, bringing the blessings of Sri Mayapur Dhama. The crowd of 300+ devotees rose to the occasion, being encouraged to top the charts in pledges. By the end of the program more than $1.2 million was pledged and more expected to come from devotees not present. Even the children from the CHAD Group (Chapter A Day) came forward and combinedly pledged a Silver Gratitude Coin for $11,000. A fitting way to end the TOVP Tour in North America.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18409

Gopala Raya about the meaning of SPOG, Jeny doing Prabhupada smaranam and Marcel about dark matter.

The post Alexey asks about same sex marriage appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Ratha yatra Stockholm 2015 (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/fmrLBc

ISKCON Auckland New Zealand: Festival of the Holy Name (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna maha-mantra gives liberation and at the same time offers shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna. If one takes shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna after liberation, he develops his dormant ecstatic love for Krishna. That is the highest perfection of life. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 3.257 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/O19Qct

Rathayatra de Montrèal Le Festival Hare Krishna 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age of Kali, if a person does not take advantage of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, which is offered as a great concession to the fallen human beings of this age, it is to be understood that he is very much bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.14 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/nS6an2

Rare photo of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

Maha Saturday Harinama at Union Square Park, New York (Album with 40 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.10 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/gIHdRW

Hare Krishna! Contemporary Theological Trends In The Hare Krsna Movement: A Theology of Religions
An examination of scholarly work by non-devotees on the Hare Krsna Movement reveals a tendency to engage in sociological and historical analysis rather than a discussion of the philosophy and theology of Krsna Consciousness (for example, Brooks, Bromley and Shinn, Shinn, Rochford, Knott). One explanation for this might be that devotees themselves, particularly the founder, Bhaktivedanta Swami, have provided their own theological accounts. In addition, non-devotee scholars, such as A. L. Basham, John Stratton Hawley and David Kinsley, in recorded conversations with members, have commented on their understanding of the Movement’s philosophy and its location in the Indian Vaishnava tradition (Gelberg, Rosen). These various types of writing constitute the body of scholarship on the Hare Krsna Movement (ISKCON). There is an absence of reflection by outsiders on its current theological interpretations.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18406

Hare Krishna! Sri Gundicha Marjana
Many of the waterpots were broken when people collided with one another, and hundreds of men had to bring new waterpots to fill. Some people were filling the pots, and others were washing the rooms, but everyone was engaged in chanting the holy name of Krishna and Hari. One person begged for a waterpot by chanting the holy names “Krishna, Krishna,” and another delivered a pot while chanting “Krishna, Krishna.” Whenever anyone had to speak, he did so by uttering the holy name of Krishna. Consequently, the holy name of Krishna became an indication for everyone who wanted something.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18401

Hare Krishna! A Prayer to Jagannath’s Cart Wheel
The following verse is composed in the style known as citra-kavya, which literally means, “picture-poem”. In this gender of Sanskrit poetry, which goes back at least 2,000 years, the verses are designed to be read in the form of a picture. When the reader lays out the syllables or sometimes words, in the shape of the given picture, hidden meanings are found. Those who have some expertise in Sanskrit may find some surprises in the below contemporary verse, not all of which are to be found in the translation. Perhaps the most famous example of this style of poetry is Srila Rupa Goswamis Citra-kavitvani from his book Stava-mala.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18398

Today, on the holy Parama Ekadasi day, in the sacred Purusottama month, I fulfilled the Vedic injunction to take bath by sprinkling water from the Pacific Ocean in Carpinteria on my head, remembering Srila Prabhupada at Juhu Beach during Purusottama-adhika-masa. As described by Dr. C. P. Patel in a Back to Godhead magazine article:

“I proposed that on that auspicious day Srila Prabhupada take a dip in the sea along with me and the others. He agreed at once. We all planned to go to the sea with extra clothes, take a bath, and change. He accompanied us, but just near the edge of the water someone suggested that he not take a bath in the sea, since he had had a coronary episode some time back. So he halted then and there and would not enter the water. He pondered for a while and then suddenly asked me to bring some water in my palm and pour it on his head. He said, ‘That is as good as a bath on this auspicious day.’ Very intelligently, he found the means, and I obliged him. He was pleased. I touched his feet and felt satisfaction at having taken a bath in the sea with him on a very auspicious day.”

—Giriraj Swami

And of course, it happened on Facebook.

I posted:

“Less intelligent” is an easily misinterpreted phrase. If women are “less intelligent” then man in the way we usually think of the English word “intelligent” – why is Devahūti the 1st ācārya of the extremely philosophical saṁkhya darśan of Kapila? Why is the Vedic personification of intelligence a woman, Sarasvatī. She is the very form of the Veda itself (as Vāk, and also as Savitrī), and is the mantra-guru without whose help Brahmā’s attempt to meditate would not likely have succeeded.

In Sanskrit there is a word “Buddhi” and a word “Vivek” these are both considered essential components of Jñāna. Jñāna is a difficult word to translate, but it has to do with the fruit of intelligence: knowledge. Buddhi we could more easily translate as “intelligence” and Vivek we would translate as “discrimination.” Vivek produces detachment by the negative analytical process (neti neti – “This is not important, That’s not important”). As such it is essential to practice the yogas on the jñāna-mārg. Women have significantly less Vivek then men (speaking as a class, individuals, of course vary) because they are, by bio-emotional design, the mothering gender and are much more rich in positive intellectual and emotional functions which create an atmosphere of cohesion, family, unity, and love which is essential for human beings, especially when we are young.

This is the sense in which women are “less-intelligent.”

Someone’s replies made me lose my marbles…

Him: Let us practice Vedic Culture and not some speculation, let us accept Srila Prabhupada who is Jagat Guru or not. Please let us know. There is millons of ways for argument and counter argument. Sidhanta is what Srila Prabhupada had said ” Women are less inteligent” Not devotee women. There is great women saints, but regular women if you think that you are a women , than “women are less inteligent ” Why we want to change Srila Prabhupada’s conclusions. The vedas and shastras has to be giving to you by Guru and not just reading. Many people they read Shastra, millons by how many follow Srila Prabhupada’s conclusions. I had being to many Matajis classes, but I prefer the Sannyasis and Sadhus classes. Most of the Matajis classes are emotional and sentimentally charge and not like the Prabhu’s classes

Me: https://vicd108.wordpress.com/…/10/interpreting-the-guru/

Him:

Chapter 9: The Most Confidential Knowledge

TEXT 32
mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te ‘pi yanti param gatim
SYNONYMS
mām-unto Me; hi-certainly; pārtha-O son of Pṛthā; vyapāśrītya-particularly taking shelter; ye-anyone; api-also; syuḥ-becomes; pāpa-yonayaḥ—born of a lower family; striyaḥ—women; vaiśyāḥ—mercantile people; tathā—also; śūdrāḥ—lower class men; te api—even they; yānti—go; parām—supreme; gatim—destination.
TRANSLATION
O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth-women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]-can approach the supreme destination.

Krishna has discrimination why not us
Its not everything one this is Mayavadi

So is Vraja Kishor better than Krishna?

Srila Prabhupada has said what Krishna said, you can have millons of arguments but to be safe let us hear what Krishna has said

Me: 

This Gita verse is a perfect example of how your subjectivity prevents you from understanding in a non-mysogynistic way. You think that pāpa-yoni (sinful births) are strī, vaiṣya and śūdra (women, merchants, and laberors). But the actual Sanskrit doesn’t say this. Pāpa-yoni is a fourth class. “women, merchants, laberors, and the uncivilized (pāpa-yoni, “sinful” or “bad birth”) can attain the supreme goal if they take shelter of me.

Next you will say, “Vraja thinks he knows Gita better than Srila Prabhupada or better than Krishna. But the truth is that I just know bhagavad gita better than YOU.

have you stopped to consider how UNintelligent it is to use the verse you have quoted to support a claim that women are less intelligent than men? (1) Nowhere in the verse is there a mention of intelligence, (2) If it is about intelligence, there are FOUR people who lack it, three of them are men.

The real problem is that people like you, Jayadhvaja Dasa don’t have the capacity to study śāstra carefully and you become angry at people like me, who can.

Him:

pāpa-yonayaḥ—born of a lower family; striyaḥ—women; vaiśyāḥ—mercantile people; tathā—also; śūdrāḥ—lower class men; te api—even they; yānti—go; parām—supreme; gatim—destination.

Me: get off facebook. go to http://www.learnsanskrit.org instead

pāpa-yonayaḥ, striyaḥ, vaiśyāḥ, śūdrāḥ — see they all have the same declination…

You express your anger by demonizing me and painting me as a person who is either puffed up or deviant or unchaste or etc. etc. etc. I am so tired of it.

Him:

Mrs. Wax: Could a woman be a temple president?
Prabhupada: Yes, why not?
Mrs. Wax: Glad to hear it.
Prabhupada: But because women are less intelligent, they should remain dependent on first-class father, first-class husband, and first-class son. Then she is first-class. That is the injunction. Woman should remain dependent in childhood upon first-class father, in youthhood upon first-class husband, and in old age upon first-class son. Woman is never independent. If she becomes independent, her life is not very good. She must agree to remain dependent on first-class father, first-class husband, and first-class son-three stages. ============ REF. Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine — July 5, 1975, Chicago

Let us hear from Srila Prabhupada directly

Me: I am so glad that you know Prabhupada well enough to make other people sick to their stomachs.

People like you make me want to forget about Prabhupada. But then I remember that this would be the stupidest thing in the world. The person I really need to forget about is you and your kind. Those who represent Prabhupada in such a reprehensibly poor manner.

Him: Are you ready to accept Prabhupada if is not let us know. Simple let us not hide under Srila Prbhupada’s umbrela and use his teaching to project your teachings. Is nothing wrong with you. I just wanted to know if you accept Srila Prabhupada 100%

Me: https://vicd108.wordpress.com/…/im-arguing-with-you…/ I’m arguing with YOU, not Prabhupāda.

I accept Prabhupāda, I don’t accept YOUR version of Prabhupāda.