Planet ISKCON

CC-daily Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save content”

CC-daily Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save content”

CC-daily Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save content”

The more I read that book, the more I became the local authority on the subject. Not many people asked me much, but Tom was a bit interested in the whole Krishna thing, so at one point, while we were driving slowly through my neighborhood, he asked, “So, Krishna’s have four rules, right? And one of them is ‘no sex,’ right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “‘no illicit sex.’”

“OK, whatever,” Tom said. “But why should Krishna be allowed to have sex with all these girls?”

“Gopīs?”

“I guess,” he said. “Is that what you call all those girls who are always around Krishna?”

I tried to answer as I made the right turn from Gainsborough onto Berkshire Road. “Well, we’re not Krishna.” I said. “Krishna lifted a mountain with one hand – so obviously he’s a bit different than you or me.”

“What’s so different about him?” Tom asked.

“It’s hard to explain,” I said, “But the difference is that, by nature, Krishna is male and we are female.”

Tom squinted at me, trying to figure out what the hell I had just said.

Hoping to explain how two guys driving a car down Berkshire were actually female, I said, “‘Male’ means ‘predominating’ and ‘female’ means ‘predominated.’”

His squint turned to incredulous frustration. I knew I was saying some incredibly weird stuff, but I always considered Tom incredibly weird himself, so I had hoped he might get it. The look on his face, however, made me suspect he was hearing me in a sociological context, in which case what I just said must have sounded very sexist. “I’m not talking about sexism or social stuff,” I said. “I’m talking about psychology, you know? About the basic psychological natures of men and women. And you can even see that nature in our physical bodies. Men have a penis…” As I said this I extended the pointer finger of my left hand, holding the steering wheel with the other fingers. “And women have a vagina…” I took my right hand off the wheel and joined thumb and forefinger to make a circle. “A penis goes into a vagina…” here I enthusiastically performed the typical gestures for visual aid. Then, holding the penis-finger aloft, I said, “This one ‘predominates.’” Waving the vaginal-hand, “This one is ‘predominated.’”

Tom backed away from me in his seat, looking at me like I was a raving lunatic who might say or do anything next.

I knew my ridiculously esoteric explanation was failing pretty hard as a useful answer for Tom, but I felt like finishing it anyway. I had already come this far out into the deep end, so I might as well at least try to wrap the whole thing up. “So Krishna is the real male,” I concluded. “He’s the real enjoyer. And everything that comes from Krishna, like you and me and everything else… we are all female, at least psychologically – because we are enjoyed by Krishna. So for him to enjoy the things that come from him is totally right. It’s totally proper. But for us to imitate him and try to enjoy, it’s not right.”

Tom pulled himself together and asked another question, “So a Krishna devotee isn’t supposed to enjoy anything?”

“Being enjoyed is enjoyable!” I said. “Women enjoy sex too, right? So, we enjoy life, but not in the male position, in the female position.”

“Yeah,” he said, “but Krishna is supposed to be your role model, right? Your leader; the example you try to follow, right? So why should his followers not be allowed to do what he did?”

“Krishna’s not our ‘leader’ or ‘role-model’,” I said. “Guru is that. Krishna is the object of our love. Guru is the guide. Guru lives the way you are talking about: never doing anything that we shouldn’t follow.”

We arrived wherever we arrived and did whatever we did next. I don’t know if I helped or hindered answering Tom’s question, but the conversation did burn itself into our memories forever.

— Excerpt from the first draft of
Train Wrecks and Transcendence: The collision of Hare Krishna and Hardcore.

By Vraja Kishor dās

www.VrajaKishor.com

Scholars headed by Bhṛgu always look out for the welfare of the world. They had seen that humans become just like animals when they are without guardians, so those spiritualists called for the heroic mother, Sunīthā, to coronate Vena as the guardian of the world – even though he was not really qualified for it.

So it does seem reasonable that sometimes substandard people have to fill leadership posts. But it leads to serious problems, as we will see as the story continues

Like rats terrified of snakes, criminals vanished when they heard that the very fierce punisher, Vena, had ascended to the throne.

So it seems that even an oppressive government with a cruel leader has advantages over a completely weak and disorganized government, or ungoverned lawlessness. Specifically, at least the people have only one harasser, who is rather predictable – the state/king, instead of fearing bandits and theives from any direction and any time.

Nonetheless oppressive leaders cause problems and therefore cannot remain in control for very long before being hated and overthrown.

Vena’s pride inflated with the wealth and power he gained over the eight directions by his royal ascension. Thinking that he had become the strongest and most glorious person, he disrespected everyone, even the most exalted. Blinded by his intoxicating pride, he roamed in a chariot like an unbridled elephant making heaven and earth tremble. His entourage beat drums everywhere as he prohibited religion by declaring, “Worshiping anyone but me is banned! Charity to anyone but the state is forbidden! And the priests can never again offer sacrifices!”

This sounds exactly like secular communism.

Watching all the misadventures and wrong-doings of Vena, the compassionate scholars who had been band from their sacred duties, considered how to save the people from disaster. “Aho, like a log burning from both ends, the people face disaster from both sides. The king harasses them, but without a king, criminals will harass them. Even though he was not fit to be king, fearing what would happen to the kingdom with no leader, we enthroned him. But now we fear what will happen to the kingdom because of the leader! What can we do for the welfare of the people?

“A snake fed milk is dangerous to the person who feeds it. Vena is naturally just as wicked as a snake, since he came from the womb of Sunīthā. Like a snake biting the hand that feeds, he punishes and harasses the people who have appointed him king and the citizens he was appointed to protect. Since we appointed him, we share the blame for what he does. We must therefore find some way to calm him down.

“We made a great mistake by appointing him king, when we knew what sort of wicked person he was. If we will not calm down and heed our advice, we will burn him with our powers. The people have already burned him with their condemnation.”

— Translated  from Śrīmad Bhāgavata 4.14.1 ~  12

By Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com

Highlights of Purusottama / Adhika Holy month

It is a special month and very dear to Krishna. It is the only time when the full moon occurs twice in a month. This month occurs every 2-3 years. It is a very good time to engage in full devotional service.This extra month is dedicated to Shri Krishna.

Benefits of observing Purusottama Vrata

• All the holy places in the world come to reside in the body of one who observes Purusottama vrata.
• One who observes Purusottama Month with faith and devotion will go back home, Back To Godhead to serve Radha-Govinda eternally in Goloka Vrndavana at the end of one’s life.

Glories of Purusottama month (from Padma and Skanda Puranas)

Lord Sri Krsna: “Purusottama month has all the power I have to bless its observer. One who follows Purusottama vrata will destroy all his past sinful reactions. Without performing Purusottama vrata, one cannot perform pure devotional service. The value of Purusottama month is far more valuable than all other types of austerities and religious activities mentioned in the Vedas. Anyone who observes Purusottama vrata will return to my abode, Goloka, at the end of his life.”

Durvasa Muni: “Just by bathing in a holy river during Purusottama month, one becomes sinless. The glory of all other months is not equal to one-sixteenth of the glory of the Purusottama month. By bathing in a holy place, giving charity and chanting the Holy Name Krsna during Purusottama month, all miseries are destroyed; one attains all kinds of perfection and fulfills all his desires.”

Valmiki Muni: “By observing Purusottama vrata, one attains more benefit than performing one hundred horse sacrifices. All holy places live within the body of a Purusottama month vrati. Anyone who faithfully performs Purusottama vrata will go to Goloka Vrndavana.”

Narada Muni: “Purusottama month is the best of all months, vratas and austerities. Just by faithfully hearing the glories of Purusottama month, one attains krsna-bhakti and immediately nullifies his sinful reactions. One who performs Purusottama vrata properly will attain limitless sukrti and go to the spiritual world.”

Naimisaranya sages: “Merciful Purusottama month acts like a desire tree to fulfill a devotee’s desire.”

–
Hare Krishna

Sannyasa Candidate Training Program.
His Holiness Krishna Kshetra Maharaja, as part of the ISKCON Ministry for Sannyasa, is developing a training program for sannyasa candidates. The seminar will be offered for the first time after the GBC Meetings in Mayapur in 2017. All sannyasa candidates are requested to plan to be in Mayapura at that time.

Jayapataka Swami visits Delhi temple after his recovery (Album with photos)
Today, 23rd of June, H.H. Jayapataka Swami, ISKCON Congregational Development Minister has finally been discharged after been hospitalized in Delhi for month and a half. He will stay some more days in the Delhi area for routine checkups, and then it will be decided where he would travel. Jayapataka Maharaja was very grateful for all the support and prayers he received from devotees around the world. He personally thanked the medical staff who attended him for all this time.
During these weeks, from his hospital bed, Maharaja has encouraged many to take up the chanting of the Hare Krishna and distributed several books to patients, relatives, doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.
The most regular and positive “parameter”, apart from his breathing, blood pressure, temperature and other physical signs monitored during this crisis, was his constant emphasis on devotees all over ISKCON celebrating the most auspicious Purusottama Month. Currently by the thousands, devotees are reporting a drastic increase in their preaching by encouraging newcomers to perform devotional service. Now many temples at night are celebrating -as in Kartika- the offering of ghee lamps to Krishna and singing authorized bhajans. This is added to the increase of devotional practices (attending aratiks, chanting, reading, offerings, preaching, etc) that devotees are performing.
Just as Srila Prabhupada said, “preaching gives me life”, Jayapataka Swami is practically a medical miracle of determination and endurance for the sake of continuing his preaching mission on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
His personal staff, office and servants convey their gratitude for all the support received during these difficult times. Finally, we all know that is Krishna who is determining that this exemplary preacher remains in this world to continue his service of taking Krishna Consciousness to every possible place.
See them here: https://goo.gl/DoZN1v

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 27 May 2015, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.23)

Trivikrama Maharaj tells the story of when Prabhupada said, “My spiritual master made in into a diamond!” A diamond, as we know, is completely transparent – light comes through a diamond and reflects in every direction. When Prabhupada said that his spiritual master made him into a diamond, it means that his spiritual master made him completely transparent to Krsna’s instructions, to Krsna upadeśa.

The sankirtan devotees from Germany went to meet Srila Prabhupada; it was the last time that Srila Prabhupada came to Europe. He was not well at all and he was staying at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. He was carried in a palanquin and was wearing dark sunglasses. He was very skinny and weak and was in his room. The whole Manor was quiet. Everyone was tiptoeing because no one wanted to disturb Prabhupada, in case he needed to rest.

Then the German sankirtan devotees came in. They were the top book distributors at the time, number one in the world! They came in and made so much noise and all the devotees went, “Sshhh, Prabhupada is resting!” They wanted to see Srila Prabhupada but the devotees said, “Nobody is going to see Srila Prabhupada as he is not well. He doesn’t see anybody.”

But they said, “No, no… He will see us because we are sankirtan devotees.” They insisted and so someone went to ask Srila Prabhupada and he immediately said, “Oh yes, sankirtan devotees, let them in.” One of those devotees, Manidhar, has told the story many times and I have heard it many times. He said that when they entered the room, they saw Prabhupada sitting there and seeing Prabhupada sitting was like looking over the walls of Vaikunta into the spiritual world. They saw Prabhupada sitting there and emanating this incredible transcendental consciousness and they were just shocked.

Anyway, all the sankirtan devotees went in and Srila Prabhupada asked, “So, are you distributing my books?”

“Yes, yes, yes, Srila Prabhupada, we are distributing your books!”

Prabhupada said, “Okay, are you reading my books?”

They did not expect that kind of question! So they did not know what to say to that. Prabhupada again asked, “Are you reading my books? What is the most important verse in my books?”

And then Pritu said, “Yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa,” (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 7.128). Whomever you meet, instruct them about Krsna and in this way, become a spiritual master and deliver the entire country. And then Prabhupada asked, “What does it mean?”

It means so many things. It means that it is Krsna’s desire to deliver every living being, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.19). Krsna is the original spiritual master. Krsna is the origin of all transcendental knowledge. Krsna is full of love for all living beings and cares for every single one of them and wants to see them go back to Godhead. A devotee who is a diamond, who is transparent, he becomes the via media and through him, so many will be delivered. This is most pleasing to the Lord. That is what he desires!

Hare Krishna! Iskcon UK Launch 50Th Anniversary Celebrations
A celebration to mark the launch of a year of events and festivities to commemorate 50 years of the Hare Krishna movement worldwide was hosted on Saturday 20th June by ISKCON UK. It marks the start of a year of celebrations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON, founded by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in 1966. HG Praghosa Das, GBC, said: “It is a great privilege to be launching ISKCON 50 in the UK. With this early event we want to inspire everyones hearts and prepare there minds for the great year of celebrations ahead.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18077

You described Universities as being impure places. Could you explain why you consider Universities to be ‘harmful’ places? From my perspective we need to attend such institutions to get a suitable job so it depends on your consciousness.

The post Shivali Fulchand writes: appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

America Plans Grand Start to 50th Anniversary!
The global celebrations for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary will be flagged off by mega-events in India and America that will track Srila Prabhupada’s epic journey on the Jaladuta from Kolkata to Boston in 1965. On August 13th, the day that Prabhupada boarded the Jalduta, devotees have planned a VIP event at Khidirpur Dock, where several Government ministers, politicians, businessmen, civil servants and celebrities are expected to attend.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/D2EfF1

In the Hertfordshire countryside just north of London, UK, Bhaktivedanta Manor, complete with its farmlands, beautiful gardens and temple is a real sanctuary for the soul. Open all year round to visitors and students of ancient wisdom, the temple offers a great experience with tours of the shrine, gardens and compassionate farm.

Where do your thoughts and actions gravitate towards when you are alone? What is your natural level of spiritual absorption behind closed doors? Good questions to assess our spiritual whereabouts, since our weaknesses are often exposed when nobody else is watching.

The much-awaited festival of chariots finally, after one year of absence, glided through the streets of the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi, with all glamour and grandeur. Hundreds of wanainchi (members of the public) came out on the streets to watch this colorful festival and the grand cart carrying the Lord of the Universe.

Why I Tithe. Anna Angell: The Krishna Consciousness movement has done so much for me, that it is a pleasure and an honor to tithe and thereby serve in some small way.

Krishna Sambandha and Ustad Murli Manohar in Chile organized a concert in Chile for Jayapataka Swami Maharaja´s fast recovering. 

Iskcon Moscow: Release of bhakti school course awards and most “mature” group course BS (Album with photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/U6a82e

The School is affiliated with ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium. Administrators of that College began working with Alfred Ford (Ambarisa Das) back in 2009, after the 2008 financial crisis showed that there was a need for a different approach to business management.

Hare Krishna! Remembering Lila Shakti Devi Dasi
Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Goswami: Another great soul has left this world to join Srila Prabhupada in nitya lila, that is my God sister, Lila Shakti Devi Dasi. In “modern ISKCON” she is known hardly at all by “newer devotees”. However, there was a time in the history of ISKCON decades ago when she was world famous as one of the world’s top distributors of Srila Prabhupada’s books. I knew her very well in her “hey-days”, or “golden years” of fame as a book distributor, for we were both living in Los Angeles, California, USA in those days. She was a Los Angeles book distributor, helping to make world history when Srila Prabhupada was so pleased by the hundreds of thousands or more books being sold, especially by the Los Angeles temple.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18071

Religions for Peace is the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition dedicated to advancing common action among the world religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than ninety national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.

The Competition is Not Between One Religion and another!
Question: Nowadays different religions, especially those with extreme values, are aggressively penetrating into different parts of the world. Do you feel threatened? Do you consider them your competitors?
Radhanath Swami: I don’t see that it is religion that is causing the hatred, discrimination, and terrorism. It is just a very infatuated ego working in the name of religion, in the name of nationalism, etc.
Hitler and his people, they were like terrorists murdering millions and millions of innocent people, which wasn’t in the name of religion. That was in the name of a political agenda, and look at how much harm they did. And people have done the same kind of harm in the name of religion too. It is just that we superimpose our own arrogance, insecurity, envy and greed in the name of nationalism, politics, religion, or whatever it may be.
So the competition is not between one religion and another religion. The competition is between the good dog and the bad dog that is barking in our hearts, and in their hearts. For some people it is the barking of bad dog that is ruling over and controlling their decisions in life, and causing them to influence others. So the real competition is between light and dark, good and evil, truth and ignorance, in whatever form it takes.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/wibBxm

Hare Krishna! Back to School: Three New Lessons for the New Goloka Community
While NCGS certainly provides students with the academic instruction and subjects they need to progress and become functional adults, our main mission is to teach them about Krishna and to love kirtan! This is what any devotee school should do, first and foremost. It really does take a village to raise a child (especially Vaishnava children). It became evident during the school year that although we have many well-wishers and supporters, a larger hands-on collective is needed. The vision of this community school is that it is the community’s school. Everyone is welcome to participate, and their input is valuable.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18068

The post Daily Darshan – June 25th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

HG Uttama Sloka Dasa – SB 10.85.6 – 17.06.2015

We have a new beautiful photo of the TOVP which were taken from Ganges right across Prabhupada Ghat.

The post New View of TOVP From Ganges appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Quite often, the small country towns get the biggest turnouts to their parades. The Lismore Lantern Festival has been celebrated every year going back decades.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 May 2015, Sydney, Australia, Sunday Feast Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 7.20)

The demigods can actually give us what the senses want. It is possible but we should know that all these fruits are temporary! It will be taken away. We will lose it anyway. Whatever we get, whatever we gain, we will lose it. It will be destroyed by time. Ask an old man. It all gets taken away by time. Time takes everything away. Like some men are old but they have beautiful hair and then you wonder, “Is it real or is it false?”

There was a film I saw. This couple had come back from a party.  A Hollywood type of couple; they were like really good looking. He was athletic and she had gorgeous blonde hair and all the right measurements in the right places. When they came home, they took their shoes off and it turned out that he had false plateaus inside the shoes and immediately he became two inches shorter. Then as he took off his jacket with the false shoulder fillings, she let out the air of the balloons. He let his belly strap go, they both pulled their wigs off and in the end, there were these two old people, sitting in bed and their teeth smiling at you from a glass of water (laughter). It was a really good movie, very impressive. So all of us, to an extent, are playing that game. You know, a little aftershave, somehow or other, make it look good. Why do you think everyone is jogging like that? Why do you think? Why are people jogging?

They want to look good. Yes, but look good for what? They want to look good when they take their clothes off. That is why they want to look good. That is why they run around the block, to be fit for sex life; that message we get also from Bhagavatam. The centre of the entire world is sex life and everything else is a backdrop for sex life. Believe it or not but that is actually the root of everything.

Prabhupada’s disciple, Brahmananda, was saying that in university he had to write an essay and in the essay, he wrote that people are driven by a spiritual desire. Then he said, “And my professor did not like that essay.” To Prabhupada he said, “Because my professor was saying everything in this world is driven by sex desire.” Brahmananda was saying, “This professor was such a materialist.” And Prabhupada said, “Your professor was right!”

That is actually the case. When we take to Krsna consciousness, we realize that all these temporary things may offer some pleasures, but it will never be the most important thing in life. The only thing that is really important is Krsna.

Hare Krishna! Iskcon Alachua: New Community Social Services Network
The social services network will engage everyone as volunteers and recipients of service without consideration of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, and ability. Those who volunteer to help others are not obliged to help everybody or every time they are called. All services are given lovingly. Those who receive help will volunteer to help others when they are able. This social services program is simply a networking system and all who participate do so voluntarily with no guarantees or warranties or insurance for those who serve or those who receive services.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18065