Hare Krishna! London Flooded with Devotion Rathayatra – Festival of Chariots
The Daily Telegraph newspaper, one of the top papers in London, covered the event the day after; putting a ½ page photo of the famous dressed up sister couple of Radha-Krishna for its audience of more than 500,000 people. The MP of Hendon Matthew Offord was in attendance, arriving back from Paris just before, but making it in time for viewing Lords on Their cart at Trafalgar Square.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17923

Front Page of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s handwritten Autobiography “Swalikhita Jivani” from BRC’s Birnagar Collection

ISKCON-Delhi: Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur Disappearance, 16-06-2015 (Album with photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/67thIZ

Harinama in Moscow (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/FIuV5L

Hare Krishna! When just being disgusted is not enough…
“Jnana-yoga is recommended for those who are disgusted with material life. Those who are not disgusted with material life, having many desires yet to fulfil, should seek perfection through the path of karma-yoga.” “If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17920

DURLABHA MANAVA JANMA
by
BHAKTIVINODA THAKUR

1.
durlabha manava-janma labhiya samsare
krsna na bhajinu — duhkha kahibo kahare?

Born in this rare human body, I did not worship you.
Now Lord I am left lamenting. Who shall I tell this to?

2.
‘samsar’ ‘samsar’, ko’re miche gelo kal
labha na koilo kichu, ghatilo janjal

My time passed in wordly pursuits, without the slightest gain.
My one and only profit was pure anguish and pain.

3.
kiser samsar ei chayabaji pray
ihate mamata kori’ brtha dina jay

This world has no more meaning than a magical display.
Caught up in it with no purpose, my life passes away.

4.
e deho patana ho’le ki ro’be amar?
keho sukha nahi dibe putra-paribar

When at last I drop down dead, what will I then possess?
How then will friends and family afford me happiness?

5.
gardhaber mata ami kori parisram
ka’r lagi’ eto kori, na ghucilo bhram

Why do I work just like an ass each and every day?
Despite my hard endeavour still in darkness I do stay.

6.
dina jay micha kaje, nisa nidra-base
nahi bhavi — marana nikate ache bo’se

Wasting my days in useless work, losing my nights in sleep.
Never seeing that by my side, death does his vigil keep.

7.
bhalo manda khai, heri, pari, cinta-hina
nahi bhavi, e deho chadibo kon dina

Dressing myself so carefully, eating just as I choose.
Living carefree I cannot see that soon this body I’ll lose.

8.
deho-geho-kalatradi-cinta abirata
jagiche hrdoye mor buddhi kori’ hata

In truth I am always anxious, to maintain me and mine.
Ever perplexed by pressing woes, crushing my heart and mind.

9.
hay, hay! nahi bhavi — anitya e saba
jivana bigate kotha rohibe baibhava?

Alas, alas, for my poor plight; unheeding of my death.
What in this world will still be mine after my final breath?

10.
smasane sarir mama podiya rohibe
bihanga-patanga tay bihar koribe

Then this body will lie quite still in the cremation ground
Jackals and crows, ants and worms, will soon gather around.

11.
kukkur srgal sab anandita ho’ye
mahotsava koribe amar deho lo’ye

They will then be in ecstasy, enjoying a great feast.
This body will be a festival, for every bug and beast.

12.
je deher ei gati, ta’r anugata
samsar-baibhava ar bandhu-jana jata

Thus ends my beloved body, with house and family.
And all that I proudly possess, will all but dust soon be.

13.
ataeva maya-moha chadi’ buddhiman
nitya-tattva krsna-bhakti korun sandhan

Be wise then and abandon now, your worldly illusion
Seek out at once the only truth; Krishna’s pure devotion.

The post Saraswati D’Achille asks an oft asked question, which I will answer here for the last time appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! The Life of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
He was always charitable to brahmanas and equally befriended other castes. He never showed pride, and his amiable disposition was a characteristic feature of his life. He never accepted gifts from anyone; he even declined all honors and titles offered by the government to him on the grounds that they might stand against his holy mission of life. He was very strict in moral principles, and avoided the luxurious life; he would not even chew betel. He disliked theaters because they were frequented by “public women.” He spoke Bengali, Sanskrit, English, Latin, Urdu, Persian, and Oriya. He started writing books at age 12, and continued turning out a profuse number of volumes up until his departure from this world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17917

Bhaktivinode Thakur left us all a great legacy of devotional songs and poetry. Today being the day he passed away in 1914, it is an opportunity for those of us whose lives have been enriched by his words, to take a few minutes and read one or two, or sing them as well.

This morning I sat with my daughter and we sang the song beginning Atmanivedana… from the Saranagati collection. Each song in that book is a nuance of devotional theology; the songs progressing from one aspect to another so that every thought and theological conclusion involved in surrender to God has been expressed. It is a wonderful library of hymns.

The Thakur was writing at a time when much of his thought was regarded as antiquated and merely a remnant of India’s long and beleaguered history. The intellectuals of the day, the English-educated bhadralok, were mostly involved in appeasing their British overlords in order to secure the best paying jobs. The theological aim of the day was to form a Hindu-Christian syncretism so that Hinduism would not be seen as backward.

Bhaktivinode Thakur was fixed in his understanding of the perennial value of devotional bhakti, and taught that it was not something subject to the vagaries of the age. In defiance of many of his contemporaries he wrote his songs and published them.

Thirty-three years after his death the British left India for good and perceptions of India’s philosophical history began to change. In 2015 India is enjoying a resurgence in many ways. People are more proud of India and its traditions, and the Thakur’s songs are being sung by his modern followers all over the country.

Initiations ceremony in Ukraine (5 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: During the Gauranga Festival this weekend in Ukraine a number of devotees took initiation. The ceremony outside was briefly interrupted by a downpour of rain, which we all took as flowers thrown from the demigods above!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/G7TM5c

Kirtan London Pop-Up Temple @ London Wellbeing Festival 2015 (Album with photos)
Over four days we welcomed hundreds of people into our Pop-Up Temple space - 10am-7pm. We conducted a mantra meditation workshop and lively kirtan every half hour and introduced people to the temple experience by giving them an opportunity to ‘Offer a flower at the altar and make a wish’, sing, meditate, play instruments, hear some yoga philosophy and ask questions, and leave by receiving a delicious sweet.
See them here: https://goo.gl/QuUy5U

Puroshottam month Bhagavad Gita challenge
“…1 PURUSOTTAMA MASA VRATTA = 1000 KARTIKA VRATTAS… so an intelligent man who practices devotional service towards the Supreme Lord in this Purushottama month will enjoy a blissful life while in this world and after leaving his body he will return back to Godhead.” – (Lord Sri Krishna in Padma-Purana) ‘Purushottam 2015 – CHAD challenge’ aims to inspire every intelligent human being to read Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 15 every day during the all-auspicious Purushottam month from 17 Jun 2015 to 16 Jul 2015.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17912

The post Daily Darshan – June 16th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class 07 01 23 By HG Mukunda Madhava Prabhu at ISKCON Juhu on 26 April 2015

Answer Podcast:

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Answer Podcast:

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Nāma Kaumudī’s fundamental definition of the word krishna is, “The supreme spiritual substance.” This harkens to Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad, which explains (in pūrva.1.1) that krish- means “existence.” and –ṇa means “carefree.” The word krishna therefore indicates an entity whose existence is effortless, self-establishing, causeless, without defects, and blissful. That entity is brahman, the supreme spiritual substance — consciousness itself in its pure, original, wholesome form.

But Nāma Kaumudī further specifies that krishna refers not merely to the latent potential state of brahman as a homogenous, effortless state of undifferentiated consciousness, it also and especially refers to the kinetic source of brahman: a specific carefree and effortlessly self-manifest, blissful and flawless person. “Krishna” the Nāma Kaumundī continues, “denotes the one whose complexion is as black as a tamāla tree.”

The word krishna indicates the color black because that color pulls in (krish-) all light (-na). Viṣṇu’s complexion is as black as a tamāla tree. Indeed, the Amara-kośa Sanskrit dictionary states, “Viṣṇu, Krishna, Vaikuṇṭha, and Nārāyaṇa are synonyms.” I will explain why.

Viṣṇu literally means “all-pervasive,” denoting the substance which is the essence of everything: consciousness itself. Viṣṇu and krishna are synonyms because they both indicate the effortlessly self-manifest all-pervading substance of reality, consciousness — especially in it’s kinetic, specific fountainhead as a blissful and flawless personality.

Vaikuṇṭha literally means “carefree,” again denoting consciousness, and especially the realm of unfettered consciousness and the fountainhead of consciousness. It is therefore synonymous with viṣṇu and krishna.

Nārāyaṇa literally means “the reservoir of personhood” and denotes the fountainhead of consciousness. Therefore it is another synonym.

Krishna denotes all manifestations of Bhagavān Viṣṇu — the carefree and effortlessly self-manifest personality who is the fountainhead of all-pervasive consciousness. But Nāma Kaumudī finishes its definition by stating that the word krishna specifically refers to someone who was “raised on Yaśodā’s breast.” So, although krishna refers to consciousness itself (brahman) and although it refers to Viṣṇu as the source of all consciousness (paramātmā) and the epitome of all personality (bhagavān), in the ultimate focus this word denotes a very specific form of Bhagavān: the one who is raised by the loving breast-milk of the queen of Vraja, Śrī Yaśodā Devī. Ultimately, the word krishna refers to the famous Gopa of Vṛndāvana whom the Bhāgavata Purāṇa lauds as the fountainhead of all Viṣṇus, who are themselves the fountainheads of all consciousness, which is the very substance of reality itself.

The most literal, basic meaning of krish- is simply, “pull.” Earlier I quoted Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad stating that krish- means “existence.” It has this meaning because existence is the tangible coagulation of consciousness, a structure pulled into place by consciousness’ gravity. The primary trait of Krishna is that he “pulls,” like a magnet, like gravity.

What does he pull? He pulls upon -ṇa. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad said -ṇa means “carefree.” What is carefree? Pure consciousness. Therefore Monier’s Sanskrit dictionary states that native Sanskrit lexicographers also define -ṇa as knowledge, the power of knowledge, consciousness.

Krish-na: he who pulls on consciousness.

What does it mean to “pull on consciousness”? It means to attract, fascinate, delight, and enthrall. Krishna emits all consciousness, like a star emitting light, and then, like a black hole, he attracts, fascinates, and enthralls the emitted consciousness – forming a circuit, a loop.

Loops amplify. What does Krishna amplify? Carefree existence, bliss – which attains its thickest reality in the form of love, prema.

Krishna: the all-attractive amplifier of prema.

Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com

“The first time Srila Prabhupada came to Boston Brahmananda prabhu was there. As he saw Srila Prabhupada come through the front door he started to cry like a baby. It was so touching — he had a large body but such a soft heart and so much affection for Srila Prabhupada — throughout. Especially in the last years, any contact or interaction I had with him caused a tremendous boost in my loving feelings for Srila Prabhupada. It was amazing, I would email him questions about the history and he would email back and it would give me such a boost in Prabhupada consciousness which would last for days.”

Brahmananda Prabhu’s Memorial

Written by Michael

Travelling around with Maharaja was incredible! Being able to observe what it means to live as a travelling, Krishna conscious guru is something like the process of learning how to cook. All the principles of cooking can be found frozen in time within the writings of a book. But by learning how to cook from a chef, not only do you see those principles being applied in real life, but you also capture insights into some of the subtle details of the science too, especially in dealing with others.

In whatever activity Maharaja performs, he is not only very present in that activity but he is very attentive also – in dealing with people he is present; during kirtan he is present; in addressing devotees and those who have never heard of Krishna consciousness he is present and well-tuned into their needs. I had a running line of glorifications about him following me anywhere he graced! One being, “His explanations are so clear and easy to understand.”

Here are some final lessons and highlights of Maharaja’s journey between Sydney and New Govardhan, Murwillumbah:

The first being that whenever we are following the leader of a kirtan, we don’t merely follow the melody played, we follow their mood too! That means we try to respond back with a similar volume, with a similar tempo and with as much love for the Supreme Beloved as possible.

During a brief conversation in the car, Maharaja mentioned a point that pleases him. To see in his disciples and well-wishers, he said, “That’s what I like to see, surrender but with intelligence,” and shortly elaborated on it by saying, “Reading is important. Especially when you go out into the world and get confronted with materialistic people then you need to take some transcendental energy with you, which is in Prabhupada’s books.”

What I understood from that – there really is a link between engaging in the reading of Prabhupada’s books (which Maharaja does on a daily basis) and increasing our faith in Krishna more. We want to give our intelligence to Krishna rather than give up our intelligence!

Throughout our stay at New Govardhan farm, which is sort of like a dham outside the dham, Maharaja gave morning (and some evening) Caitanya Caritamrta classes as a way for us all to  preview the treasures that lie within the dealings of Mahaprabhu and his followers and to help us realise that practically no person would be here practising Krishna consciousness without the mercy of Mahaprabhu.

On that somewhat punchy note, though HH Kadamba Kanana Swami left for Europe and later he is off to America, he left me with something invaluable – the desire to explore the wonderful lessons threaded throughout the pastimes of Lord Caitanya and His beloved associates, given in Caitanya Caritamrta.

The former Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, launched his new book yesterday. I have not seen it yet, but judging by his other books, and by the important points he makes in this interview with Andrew Marr, it will be a valuable contribution.

In the interview, shown on British television yesterday, the question is raised as to why younger people are tending towards religiosity and losing their adherence to secularism. From the Vaishnava point of view, that is like asking why a fish, washed up on dry land, pines for the sea; or why, in the words of the Bible’s/Torah’s Psalm 42, does the deer thirst for water.

The natural place for the soul is to be in connection with the supreme soul, the source of all spiritual vitality.

Faced with the insanities and vanities of the world, it is surprising that so many more don’t choose God over anything else. The difficulty today is that, with the entire world enslaved to various forms of relativism manifesting as secularism, people are being drawn to more strident declarations of religious view, more extreme forms of religious practise and association. Mixed with a lack of transcendence, the result is not peaceful co-existence but religiously-labelled tribalism, an even more dangerous combination.

Only when we can see, as the Bhagavad-gita says, with the ‘equal vision of a pandit,’ regarding all as belonging to a common source, and equal because we see the soul within and not the exterior race, creed or tribe, only then can we even begin to talk with one another peacefully.

The post Preparing for the disappearance day tomorrow of Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Gadadhara Pandita appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Page 12 of this morning’s Daily Telegraph (a prominent daily morning UK English language broadsheet newspaper, published in London and distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.)
Headlines above and below are not connected with the picture..

Gaur Gopal Prabhu - The Cup of Life (7 min video)
Part of a talk at a PSena Alumni evening
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/bhvoYq

Loving And Serving Krishna’s Cows In Braja (Album with photos)
Carol from Italy very lovingly serving our MVT cow, Sarawati, every morning she bathes her, brushes her, polish her hooves and horns, make ladus for her. She also painted her house with beautiful lotuses, creepers. She is a professional yoga teacher who has given up everything to live in Vrindavan.
See them here: https://goo.gl/qgJWuD

Service opportunities for August
Gunacuda Dasi: Hare Krishna! We have the following Teaching services available for August 2015 at Sri Mayapur International School.
1)Boys’ Sports teacher- this can be part time or combined with the Middle School boys’ (11 to 14 year olds) Sastra teacher post.
2) Computer Science teacher. This is for Middle school ,IGCSE and AS Level (High School)
3) High School English teacher -this is mainly teaching boys at IGCSE level.
Read more: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17908

Hare Krishna for salvation in Estonia (3 min video)
In the medieval city of Tallinn, where nine out of 10 Estonians are agnostics and atheists, Krishna believers are taking to the streets with a quest for the divine.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/8MhCpP

The launch of ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in UK!
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/8rqadm