Planet ISKCON

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast

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Harinama in Moscow, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: This Krishna consciousness movement insists that everyone take to this path by adopting the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The preachers of Krishna consciousness go from door to door to inform people how they can be relieved from the miserable conditions of material life. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.14.39 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/5q6Abf

Harinama at the Phoenix Community Center and other parts of the UK. (Album with 232 photos)
One devotee lady delighted in swinging onlookers around. She was so bold, she even swung one police lady :-)
See them here: https://goo.gl/girrIA

Hare Krishna! How do we balance the spiritual and material aspects of education in the gurukula?
In a lecture by His Grace Nityananda Prabhu, the following question was posed: “How do we balance the spiritual and material aspects of education in the gurukula?” His response was insightful and thought-provoking. It is not a question of balance, he replied, but a question of integration. Krsna consciousness can be integrated into any subject being learned, because Krsna is everywhere. In other words, the two aspects of education are not mutually exclusive.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18310

The whole world is full of festivals dedicated to Krsna and miracles happened; we have seen it with our own eyes.

In the former Yugoslavia, in the 80s, there was the Gauranga Bhajan Band. It was Hare Krsna rock with Harikesa, Sacinandana Swami, Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, Krsna Ksetra and Krsna Prema, the guitar player. It went all over the Eastern Bloc and the biggest concert in Moscow had 46 000 people. Last night, after 25 years, in Serbia we had a revival of the band going down memory lane – balloons, stage diving, swinging on a rope over the crowd. The trains were filled with young people who had been in the concert, all chanting Hare Krsna. They made many devotees.

Last night we had a three of the original band members: Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, Sacinandana Swami and Krsna Ksetra Maharaj. I did a guest performance with a few hundred devotees. Many had been there for the original performances.

Diary of an international Hare Krishna chanter.
Krishna-kripa prabhu has decided to introduce every citizen of this planet to the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra and Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Recently has been travelling in different cities of England where he has worked wonders!
Read about his adventures with photos and videos here: http://goo.gl/K5JHVh

The post Daily Darshan – July 7th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Bhakti Vidyapurna Swami S.B. 6.9.45 – June 14th 2015

On Friday 7 August 2015 at 6pm Join us for an exciting evening with Devamrita Swami as he talks about The Krishna Mystery – Why Infinitely Attractive? Devamrita Swami is a world famous monk, Yale University graduate, founder of the Institute of Sustainability and a world traveling monk of over 40 years. He graduated from […]

The post The Krishna Mystery appeared first on The Loft Yoga Lounge Auckland.

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed)

[Originally published on July 14th, 2012]After setting the mood with six verses and excerpts from Shrila Prabhupada’s purports in part one, in the next two blogs, I will do my best to unpack some of those ideas through appropriate stories from the Shrimad Bhagavatam. The foundational understanding to gain the most from this, or any Krishna centered talk or writing, is that our lasting identity is spiritual—we are eternal awareness, or a particle of consciousness imbued with the serving tendency. Presently, by identifying ourselves with the material body and mind and their attachments, we are forced to serve the needs of physical survival, and are also led to fulfill our desires for enjoyment and accomplishment. By conditioning, we think fulfilling our personal desires is freedom, yet our proclivity to be attracted to specific material tastes is relative to the type of body and mind we have—not to our spiritual selves, or who we truly are. We are the perceiver or animator of the body, but have a different nature than we are currently identifying with.

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We’re now open every day 11:30 – 2:30 on
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It’s the best food on campus. Taste sensation and bang for your buck – for just $5 you get a fully satisfying hot lunch to fuel your brain and your body. Like ourKrishna Food facebook page for deals, recipes, and interesting information!

As he chanted - Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare - his tongue rolled in his mouth and his lips moved in a circle. He seemed to be tasting something delicious,chewing it with care to savor every bit. His chanting was quite distinct; the words were clear and articulate, and he pressed down on each syllable.

Memories of Srila Prabhupada
Tejiyas dasa (ACBSP)

But we have a philosophy that offers a path for developing selfless relationships. So if we have that, then it should be possible amongst us to have real, genuine relationships based on mutually giving to each other. Serving the vaisnavas means that one must give to the vaisnavas. One must give the vaisnavas facility, one must give the vaisnavas space to do what they need to, one must appreciate the vaisnavas and so on.

Sometimes, in friendship one must also walk up to someone and say, “What are you doing?” That helps sometimes even when a stranger does that!

I had a period in my life when I did not do well. Just then, a stranger came out of nowhere, and said, “What are you doing with your life?” I was so shocked because he was a stranger! And I said, “But you do not even know me!” He ignored that and he said, “What are you doing with your life!?”

That really woke me up. It shocked me that a stranger said such a thing to me. Then I made a big change. It had an impact. So yes, we must care for one another.

 

Written by Madhava Smullen. Archival Research by Chaitanya Mangala.

June 21st, 1976 was a normal day at the Pittsburgh International airport until a group of Krishna devotees from New Vrindaban, dressed in an odd combination of dhotis or saris with large rubber farm boots, appeared. Commuters stared open-mouthed as the fifty-strong crew exploded into a cacophonous burst of chanting, mridanga drums, and gongs in front of the arrival gate.

They were there, of course, to greet their beloved guru Srila Prabhupada, who appeared presently, effulgent and regal with his silver-topped cane and bright orange sweater. Diving to the floor to offer their respects, the devotees piled flower garlands about his neck and fanned him vigorously with peacock feathers.

Some ninety minutes later, Prabhupada’s car entered the New Vrindaban community limits. He was deeply attached to his first farm project — in late 1975, he had written to disciples: “I am always praying to Krishna that the New Vrindaban attempt will be more and more successful and ideal for your country. That is my only prayer.”

Now, he could see progress being made. The devotees riding with him pointed out new buildings, including one under construction next to the existing temple that would house workshops and a large capacity hall for festivals. There was also a new barn, and a silo for grain storage. Prabhupada smiled. “Oh, much improvement,” he said.

As he entered Sri Sri Radha-Vrindabanchandra’s temple at Bahulaban, Prabhupada was welcomed by over a hundred devotees, many of them families with children. After folding his hands before the Deities, he led a lively kirtan from his vyasasana. As it ended, he looked fondly over his disciples.

“So after two years I think, I have got the opportunity of seeing you and your Radha-Vrindabanchandra Who is so kind upon you,” he said. “So real happiness is here. Radha-Vrindabanchandra is staying here, and He’s pleased with your service. This is the perfection of life.”

Then, as kirtan rang out once more, he departed for the house of Vahna Das and Hladini Dasi in Madhuban, where he would reside throughout his eleven-day stay until July 2nd.

Prabhupada’s health proved troublesome during his visit — he suffered from heart palpitations and often had to miss morning walks. But his leadership was as strong as ever, as he emphasized the five primary things he wanted New Vrindaban to be known for: cow protection, simple-living, holy pilgrimage, spiritual education, and above all, loving Krishna.

To highlight the importance of cow protection during his stay, Prabhupada visited the cows and calves at the Bahulaban barn, which had been completed a year earlier. Four new calves had just been born, and he let one lick his hand as devotees told him how they were turning the cows’ milk into ghee, cheese and buttermilk. Prabhupada enjoyed the visit, and gave his solution for a better life: “Simply expand this idea: krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [protect the cows].”

Prabhupada’s care for cows wasn’t just theoretical. Once during his stay, he was walking with disciples when he passed a herd grazing on a hill. Among them was New Vrindaban’s first cow, a black Jersey named Kaliya whom he had met back in May 1969. To the devotees’ amazement, she broke away from the other cows as soon as she saw him and made her way down the steep bank to him. “Ah,” Prabhupada said. “My dear old friend Kaliya.”

Close to cow protection, of course, is simple living. Prabhupada often extolled the virtues of New Vrindaban’s simple living and high thinking in contrast to all the endeavor modern man puts into gaining sense gratification, thus forgetting the real purpose of life. He visited the community’s different gardens, appreciated how Sri Sri Radha-Vrindabanchandra were bedecked with fresh wild flowers, and was delighted to receive wildflower garlands himself.

While taking his morning walk with disciples in the “forest” of Talaban, Prabhupada encouraged devotees to buy as many of the neighboring parcels of land as possible to cultivate. And he appreciated when they showed him that they were growing their own hay for the cows, cutting their own lumber, and growing some of their own vegetables.

Prabhupada further encouraged devotees by enjoying “The Spiritual Frontier,” a film about New Vrindaban, so much that he watched it twice. Produced by Yadubara and Visakha, it was vividly colorful and beautifully shot. It showed the “Brijabasis” living a Krishna conscious life while harvesting crops, picking fruit from the trees, and preparing natural milk products.

Energized by the film, Prabhupada used it as an opportunity to talk more about simple living. “Make this ideal life here,’ he said. “America has got good potency. We have got so much land here. We can have hundreds of New Vrindabans or farms like that. And people will be happy. And invite all the world, ‘Please come and live with us. Why you are suffering congestion, overpopulation? Welcome here. Chant Hare Krsna.’ Make that.”

It was clear that Srila Prabhupada wanted others to visit New Vrindaban as a holy pilgrimage site, and he treated it as such himself. During his stay he visited not only the main Deities of Radha Vrindabanchandra in their temple, but also the other Deities worshipped in different parts of the community, just as one would during a pilgrimage of the original Vrindavana in India.

He was most eager to see Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Nath, the Deities at the original farmhouse where he had stayed during his first visit in 1969. The farmhouse was now a brahmachari ashram, and when they heard Prabhupada was coming, the men there burst into a frenzy of activity, trying their best to clean it up for him. As he walked up to the house, the atmosphere was electric, with many devotees including gurukula children lining the pathway to greet him.

Prabhupada was happy to be back. With folded hands, he took darshan of the small but beautiful Radha Vrindaban Nath while the Govindam prayers played, then gave the morning Bhagavatam class from a rustic-looking vyasasana.

He also visited the site of a future place of pilgrimage – the Palace his disciples were building for him. It was his second visit (his first had been in 1974), and now most of the concrete work was done, and the finishing work started.

The devotees showed him the central hall, Deity room, beautiful marble inlay work, decorative arches and ornate furniture. He particularly liked his hand-carved desk topped with a solid slab of onyx, commenting, “Nowhere else in the world do I have such a desk.”

He was very appreciative and impressed that the devotees had done all the work themselves, especially since most were not professionals but had learned on the job. Prabhupada remarked that they were working with the special inspiration of God.

“If one is sincere to serve the Lord, [who is] situated in everyone’s heart, He’ll give him, ‘Do like this,’” he said. To the devotees’ delight, he compared their efforts to his own. “I came to your country for preaching this, I had no idea how to do it.” He laughed. “But people are surprised how within so many short years this world movement has sprung.”

Prabhupada added that the Palace, a combination of Eastern and Western architectural ideas, was unique in North America and that people would therefore come from all over to see it.

Another thing Prabhupada focused on while in New Vrindaban, as he did everywhere, was imparting spiritual education to his young students. He did it all the time, whether he was giving the morning Bhagavatam class or receiving a massage outside in the noonday sun. His disciples’ most cherished times with him, however, were his intimate evening darshans in the garden at the back of his house, during which his congenial mood deepend their love and affection for him.

On those idyllic summer evenings, the devotees gathered in a semicircle on the grass before Prabhupada, the sun’s golden rays filtering through the trees and casting a dappled pattern on his yellow satin vyasasana with its lion armrests.

Prabhupada would be reluctant to take his own seat until he saw that all the devotees also had mats to sit on. Once he did, he would instigate debate on challenging issues, with them taking on the role of materialists and Prabhupada arguing from the Krishna conscious point of view.

At other times, he had Sanskrit scholar Pradyumna read from the Bhagavad-gita, stopping occasionally to ask if there were any questions and then supplying his insights. One topic that often came up was how modern developments had spoiled the world. “What is this nonsense, all skyscraper building, no air, no light,” Prabhupada said. “The mind becomes crippled, the health becomes deteriorated, children cannot see even the sky, everything is spoiled.”

Then, looking around at the beautiful garden he was sitting in, he cited New Vrindaban as an alternative. “Now we see the sky, the sun, how nice it is. Green, down and up, clear sky, sun. This is life.”

Prabhupada also supported New Vrindaban’s own efforts at spiritual education by visiting its gurukula. There he received guru-puja in a packed temple room, with the young saffron-clad boys crowding in front of him. It was another incredibly sweet experience, with Prabhupada playing his gong and throwing flowers over the devotees as they jumped and shouted excitedly.
Throughout his entire visit, Prabhupada showed his disciples how to love Krishna – the connecting thread of his five-part vision for New Vrindaban — by everything he did and said.

It was in the way he looked at and spoke about Radha Vrindabanchandra, completely convinced that full happiness would come through serving Them. It was in the way he cared for Krishna’s devotees, making sure they were comfortable and warm during his evening meetings. And it was in the way he saw Krishna everywhere – once he compared young “Brijabasi” boys running alongside his car to Krishna and Balarama racing with the birds in the fields.

Love of Krishna was even the last message he gave New Vrindaban devotees face to face, imploring them during his final class on July 2nd to become servants of Krishna instead of servants of their senses. By doing that, he said, their lives would be successful.

After his class, the devotees held one last rousing kirtan. The little gurukula boys danced enthusiastically, then clamored about his vyasasana, shyly holding out their hands as Prabhupada passed out cookies to them.

That afternoon, everyone gathered outside the temple to bid farewell, presenting him with a cake and a donation. Then, as his car pulled out onto the road, they showered it with flowers, calling out “Jaya Srila Prabhupada!” at the top of their lungs as it faded away into the distance.
It would be the last time New Vrindaban devotees saw Prabhupada physically present in their community. But they had implicit faith he would be with them forever through his instructions, firmly imprinted in their hearts, as they continued working together cooperatively to realize his grand vision for ISKCON’s first farm community and holy place of pilgrimage.

Before accepting the Bhagavad Gita, I wasn't very inclined to understand God or anything like that. So today after few years, honestly, nothing has changed except all that I know is...

1. I am not this body, 
2. Krishna is God
3. Chant Hare Krishna and
4. Prabhupada rocks! 

So somehow, with these four things, I share, speak and write. Some like it, many don't and call me out on my shallow understanding of the truth. It hurts for sometime but I convince myself to continue and do the show all over again. No one listens, no one cares but still I repeat the four things I know.

With only these four things not sure when the show will end though!

Hare Krishna

 

It is with this goal in mind that the Upper Elementary Class applied five over-arching themes to our studies throughout the school year. As there are five subjects to the Bhagavad-gita – Isvara (God), jiva (the living entity), prakrti (nature), kala (time), and karma (action) – so each term had its own theme. Everything we learned in class was tied back to the theme of the term.

In addition to constant assimilation of Krsna consciousness into the curriculum, students also had opportunities to partake in activities exclusively dedicated to Krsna. To this end, students attended a daily sadhana morning program with Mother Gopi Gita and a Spiritual Friday program at the end of each week. In this class students chanted japa, learned the bhajans of our Vaisnava acaryas, bathed and dressed the deities, and prepared presentations for selected festivals.

We also read a wide variety of Vedic literature. This year in our class, we continued our study of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. In addition to systematically studying the Bhagavad-gita with Mani Mandala study guides and memorizing verses, students read and discussed the following selected works: Nectar of Instruction, Bhakti Bhava (by His Holiness Devamrta Swami), and selected stories from Sivarama Swami’s Nava Vraja Mahima.

Radhanath Swami at the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai (Album with photos)
Radhanath Swami speaks to leading industrialists on Simple Living
See them here: https://goo.gl/6DHgi3

Suta Goswami spoke all eighteen major Puranas at Naimisharanya, and the sages present accepted them as authentic. Nonetheless, three groups of six Puranas each are meant for three different audiences, depending on which of the three modes of nature predominates each audience. But for each individual Purana the situation is more complex because most Puranas display some mixture of the modes. For example, the pastimes of Lord Krishna and those of Lord Ramachandra, which are in the mode of pure goodness (suddha satva), are described to some extent in most of the Puranas.

Despite vedic references, sometimes people criticize ISKCON saying that ISKCON ignores other Gods and other Puranic literature beyond Srimad Bhagavatam. I think ISKCON maintains vedic integrity (thus authentic in my opinion) than any so-called new-age advaita vadis.

The way to reconcile all the contradictory nature of the scriptures is by following in the footsteps of Mahajans (Mahajano yena gata sapamta). This is the criterion to understand Godhead or anything spiritual. On our own, reading scriptures is not permitted in the Vedas. It should be studied under a bonafide spiritual master following the parampara system.

Lord Shiva is one of the Mahajans and we follow His instructions. Below are His words to His wife Mother Parvati. It is taken from Padma Purana Uttara Khanda 236.18 - 20.

vaishnavam naradiyam cha
tatha bhagavatam shubham
garudam cha tatha padmam
varaham shubha-darshane
sattvikani puranani
vijneyani shubhani vai

"O beautiful one, the Vishnu Purana, the Narada Purana, the auspicious Bhagavata Purana, and the Garuda, Padma, and Varaha Puranas all belong to the mode of goodness. They are all considered auspicious.

brahmandam brahma-vaivartam
markandeyam tathaiva cha
bhavishyam vamanam brahmam
rajasani nibodhata

"Know that the Brahmanda, Brahma-vaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya, Vamana, and Brahma Puranas belong to the mode of passion.

matsyam kaurmam tatha laingam
shaivam skandam tathaiva cha
agneyam cha shad etani
tamasani nibodhata

"And know that these six Puranas belong to the mode of ignorance: the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Shiva, Skanda, and Agni Puranas.

Reading these puranas come with its consequences. The whole point is to elevate one to higher consciousness and not degrade. However, one who is against God will degrade. Below Lord Shiva mentions the result of reading such scriptures.

satvika moksadah prokta 
rajasah sarvadashubhah 
tathaiva tamasa devi niraya prapti hetavah
tathaiva smrtayah prokta trsibhis trigunanvitah

Sattvika Puranas are said to give liberation, rajasika Puranas is everything inauspicious and tamasika Puranas cause one to go to hell, oh Devi!. Thus they should be remembered as endowed by three gunas. - Padma Purana Uttara Khanda 236.21-22

In these puranas stories are narrated in such a way to incite devotion to a particular god. Satvik puranas invoke devotion to Vishnu, rajasic to Brahma and tamasic to Shiva. As a result, one will find contradictions in Supremacy. Below is a criterion given by Lord Shiva to reconcile such contradiction.

ata uktam skande shanmukham prati sri-sivena
siva-sastresu tad grahyam
bhagavac-chastra-yogi yat
paramo visnur evaikas
taj jnanam moksa-sadhanam
sastranam nirnayas tv
esas tad anyan mohanaya hi. iti.

The statements of the Siva scriptures should be accepted only when they agree with the Visnu scriptures. Lord Visnu is the only Supreme Lord, and knowledge of Him is the path to liberation. That is the conclusion of all the scriptures. Any other conclusions are meant only to bewilder the people."  - Lord Siva to Karttikeya - Skanda Purana

In conclusion, if one is serious to ascertain the identity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without doubt, then one must approach a bonadide tattva darshi (not self proclaimed so-called sadhus).

Vaisampayana rishi who is a great sage has this to say;

ankhyam yogas ca sanatane dve
vedas ca sarve nikhile 'pi rajan
sarvaih samastair risibhir nirukto
narayanam visvam idam puranam. iti.

Sankhya and yoga are both eternal. All the Vedas are also eternal. All the sages declare that Lord Narayana is the ancient Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the worlds - Moksa-dharma, Narayaniyopakhyana

Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna! An Eternal Relationship: Prabhupada’s Fourth Visit to New Vrindaban
June 21st, 1976 was a normal day at the Pittsburgh International airport until a group of Krishna devotees from New Vrindaban, dressed in an odd combination of dhotis or saris with large rubber farm boots, appeared. Commuters stared open-mouthed as the fifty-strong crew exploded into a cacophonous burst of chanting, mridanga drums, and gongs in front of the arrival gate. They were there, of course, to greet their beloved guru Srila Prabhupada, who appeared presently, effulgent and regal with his silver-topped cane and bright orange sweater. Diving to the floor to offer their respects, the devotees piled flower garlands about his neck and fanned him vigorously with peacock feathers.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18307

Hare Krishna! VaniTalks – an Interview
Visnu Murti: Vanipedia is a humble but bold attempt to offer an unparalleled platform for Srila Prabhupada to continuously inspire and train devotees, strengthening their faith to take up the process of devotional service through his teachings. It is meant to be a long-term project. We have done this work in the last 35 years since Prabhupada’s demise, but still there is a lot of work to be done. Why? When Srila Prabhupada left the planet, he left us possibility to serve him by bringing his teachings to pristine condition. So what do we mean by this “bringing in pristine condition”? We understand this as a work in progress, because still there are books, his lectures, conversations and letters, which have to be translated in different languages, Prabhupada’s audio tapes have to be made available and studied, the same applies to all his teachings, that is, we have to have educational courses into those messages. Why should we make such an effort? Prabhupada said, “If you want to love somebody you have to know who they are.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18300

Hare Krishna! All you ever wanted to know about the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre
In 2008, an Indian devotee named Sharma Suka donated a run-down six unit apartment block in Calcutta and this was the beginning of the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre (BRC). Shortly afterwards Hari Sauri met Pranava Prabhu, who had a PhD, spoke seven languages and could read ten. He told Hari Sauri that he had 4000 books and handwritten documents, written in Bengali, which he was going to export to Oxford University Museum and Library, because he didn’t know of anywhere in Calcutta where he could safely store them. Hari Sauri persuaded him to use the books and documents to start the library in the BRC. Hari Sauri immediately began to refurbish one of the apartment units to act as a library. He completed this in six months and installed the 4000 books and other publications.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18297

Ratha Yatra Budapest 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “In Dvapara-yuga one could satisfy Krishna or Visnu only by worshiping Him gorgeously according to the pancaratriki system, but in the Age of Kali one can satisfy and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting the holy name.” (Narayana-samhita)
See them here: https://goo.gl/ArSxbH

Pada-sevanam, arcanam and vandanam. (English/Turkish)

The post Istanbul lecture on Bhakti-yoga (Part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Conversation.

The post Krsna consciousness means knowing what is real happiness and convincing others of the same appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

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Among the many games that the mind plays, comparison is one of its favorites – and one that is rarely favorable in terms of how it affects us.

By comparing our situation with that of others, the mind makes us feel superior if our situation happens to be better. Or, as is more often the case, the mind imagines the grass to be greener on the other side and makes us feel dissatisfied. What if we actually have problems that are bigger than those of others? Even then, the mind’s comparisons submerge us in feelings of self-pity, thereby undermining whatever ability we have to deal with those problems.

The mind’s comparisons submerge us in feelings of self-pity, thereby undermining whatever ability we have to deal with those problems.

More importantly, the mind’s obsession with comparison by highlighting the difference between different people’s material situations blinds us to a far more fundamental and valuable truth: the universality of suffering. When our mind fills us with thoughts of how others are wealthier, healthier or better-looking than us, then we get caught in fantasizing about how we can improve our material situation and lamenting over not being able to do so. But such comparing, craving and griping are a colossal waste, or at least a gross underutilization, of our mental energy because improving our material situation can never provide lasting happiness. Why? Because this world is a miserable place for everyone, whatever their material situation. Everyone has to grow old, get diseased and die. Before that, everyone has to undergo the three types of miseries: environmental, relational and physical. The ways in which the wealthy suffer may be different from the ways in which the not-so-wealthy suffer, but that variety doesn’t change the reality that everyone suffers.

Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (09.33) reminds us that this world is a perishable and miserable place for everyone and urges us to strive for spiritual improvement by practicing devotional service. This injunction doesn’t mean that we give up all attempts for material improvement; certainly, we can and should strive to do justice to our God-given talents by using them constructively, but we shouldn’t make the material improvement that may come thereof our life’s primary ambition and we shouldn’t buy into the illusion that such material improvement will make us happy. It won’t. To the contrary, as long as we play the mind’s game of comparison, we will stay miserable. No amount of material improvement will remove that misery because the mind will always find something with which to unfavorably compare our situation and thereby make us miserable. We need to cure the mind’s diseased mentality with Gita wisdom. The Gita’s unambiguous, unsentimental, uncompromising declaration that this world is a place of misery puts a brake on the mind’s comparison game. And its exhortation to practice devotional service redirects our focus from material improvement to spiritual improvement.

The mind will always find something with which to unfavorably compare our situation and thereby make us miserable. 

This world is like a hospital. Just as patients gain little by comparing their ailments with those of others, so do we gain little by comparing our material situations with those of others. Just as patients can gain actual relief only by taking the treatment diligently, we too can get lasting relief from misery by taking the treatment of devotional service. The more we practice bhakti-yoga, the more we realize our spiritual identity as eternal cognizant joyful souls, beloved parts of Krishna, who are meant to find lasting happiness in loving and serving him. As we find happiness in our relationship with Krishna, we become joyful even while living in the material world and we also progress towards Krishna’s eternal abode, the place of everlasting happiness.

 

Hare Krishna! Prelude to Gau-Gram Yatra
What appeared to be a small village preaching program in a sleepy village near Bodhan, small place in the state of Telengana and the border of Maharashtra turned to be a day full of activities, immersed in kirtan, Krsna katha and devotee association. Bodhan is said to be the treasury of Pandavas, no wonder it still retains some of its old splendor. As one keeps moving through its streets one can see number of beautiful and healthy desi cows strolling happily along with their calves.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18289

I'd like to point out an important aspect of ISKCON's interaction with anti-cult organizations, or cult-watching organizations. The goal of such dialogue is not to ascertain whether ISKCON is, or is not, a "cult."

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

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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.

June 21^st, 1976 was a normal day at the Pittsburgh International airport until a group of Krishna devotees from New Vrindaban, dressed in an odd combination of dhotis or saris with large rubber farm boots, appeared. Commuters stared open-mouthed as the fifty-strong crew exploded into a cacophonous burst of chanting, mridanga drums, and gongs in front of the arrival gate.

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A short movie by New York devotees.

A short movie.

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The post Ratha-yatra appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

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The post Snana-yatra appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Members of the Youth Bus Tour present the drama "Three Modes of Nature" - based on teachings from the Bhagavad-gita. Recorded in Dallas, Texas, USA in 2013.

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