Prabhupada’s Family Bonds At 15th Festival of Inspiration in New Vrindaban
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The temple room is beautifully decorated with strings of balloons for Festival of Inspiration's 15th anniversary

By Madhava Smullen

Six hundred devotees from all over North America may have attended the 15th anniversary of the Festival of Inspiration at New Vrindaban, West Virginia over the May Mother’s Day Weekend.

But every single one this reporter spoke to described it as having an intimate, comfortable family mood.
“We were just like good friends spending quality time with each other in a holy place,” says participant Purnamasi Dasi, who hails from Toronto. “And with so many Prabhupada disciples there, there was this powerful sense that Prabhupada is the spiritual father of all of us, and we were just there to be part of his family.”

Launched in 2000, Festival of Inspiration kicked off the “spiritual retreat holiday” template that is so common throughout ISKCON today, and with its packed roster of seminars on a broad range of topics, it remains one of the most popular and unique.
Each day of the three-day festival, from May 8th to 10th, began with the traditional temple morning program including a special hour-and-a-half long Srimad-Bhagavatam class by three distinguished speakers.

Deena Bandhu Das leads Govardhana Parikrama

Ravindra Svarupa Dasa and Jayadvaita Swami gave scholarly and incisive talks on Friday and Saturday, while Urmila Dasi’s Mother’s Day class connected every stage of a mother’s life to Krishna.
“For example, she said that Krishna nourishes and sustains us, giving us food, water and air even though we don’t recognize He’s there, just like the baby in the mother’s womb,” says participant Haripriya Dasi, a second generation devotee. “It was incredible. It made me realize how every aspect of our lives can be connected to Krishna.”

Each day then continued with four sessions of seminars, each session containing two to three concurrent seminars that partipants could choose from, for a total of sixteen.

Govardhana Parikrama passes Kusum Sarovara

ISKCON Communication Minister Anuttama Dasa’s Appreciating Vaishnavas: The First Step in Devotee Care was one standout.
“At one point he had us all stand up, approach each other with folded hands and express our appreciation for each other’s good qualities,” says Haripriya. “It was life changing.”

Elsewhere Varshana Swami’s “Ox Power, Dharma and the Golden Age” on getting closer to nature and the simple life was all the more inspiring because the New Vrindaban resident lives what he preaches. Jayadvaita Swami’s “Anything Goes: Questions and Answers About Krishna Consciousness” made short work of any doubt or query.

And Deena Bandhu’s Braja Lila seminar took devotees through the holy places of Vrindavana, India – followed by a Friday evening “Govardhana Parikrama” in which he physically led everyone on a tour of recreated holy places from Lord Krishna’s pastimes along with his delightfully told stories.

Kamsa fears Krishna's arrival in Bhaktimarga Swami's play 'Blue Mystic'

Other seminars included “Krishna Yoga: Be Fit to Serve Krishna” by Gauranataraj Dasa; “Improving Vaishnava Relationships” by Kalakantha Dasa; “Gaudiya Vaishnavism: The Perfect Balance of Head and Heart” by Dravida Dasa; “Prabhupada is With Us” by Gurudas, and more.

On Saturday evening, no less than fifty Srila Prabhupada disciples gathered in ISKCON New Vrindaban’s temple room – decorated with strings of balloons for the Festival’s 15th anniversary – to share their memories of their beloved guru.
The guest of honor was Sally Agarwal, the lady who sponsored Srila Prabhupada’s passage to America along with her husband Gopal and took him into her home in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Sweet, heartfelt, loving and effortlessly funny, her talk was described by many as the high point of the Festival. She spoke honestly about how at first she was afraid to have him stay in her house; how he took “about seven baths a day;” and then how she cried when he left because she was afraid for him as he ventured into New York alone.

“But I guess he did alright,” she said, guesturing around at the palacial temple room.

Sally Aggarwal, who hosted Srila Prabhupada in the U.S. speaks with Malati

Other devotees like Malati Dasi, Gurudas, Jayadvaita Swami, Bhaktimarga Swami, Navayogendra Swami, Agnideva Dasa, Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, Sudamani Dasi, Chintamani Dasi, Gopalasyapriya Dasi, Jayasri Dasi and many more all then shared their memories of Prabhupada – commenting on how merciful, forgiving, and personal he was with each devotee; how he understood their hearts and gave them what they needed.

Throughout all these seminars, a Kids’ Camp run by longtime New Vrindaban teacher Lilasuka Dasi and ISKCON New Vrindaban Board member Ananga Manjari Dasi engaged kids aged 4 to 15 so that their parents could freely attend the program.

“With kirtan, storytelling, facepainting, and arts and crafts, they had a great time!” says Festival coordinator Gauranga Prasad Dasa.

Meanwhile three sumptuous prasadam meals a day kept energy levels up and devotees feeling cared for. Served in a giant white tent on New Vrindaban’s bright green lawns, and honored at picnic tables against a backdrop of rolling hills, they were prepared by skilled devotional chefs like Shanka Das, Brihat Kirtan Das, and Radha Dasi.

Happily serving out prasadam

Breakfasts had a choice of Granola with yoghurt and fruit, or kichari or upma with chutney, along with chai. Lunch included koftas, samosas, puris, halava and healthier options like mint rice, cucumber raita, and green bean and brussel sprout subji, along with mango lassi. And dinner featured options like bread, corn soup, lasagna, apple crepes and tea or hot milk.

During the evenings, devotees socialized or attended kirtans with such kirtan legends as Agnideva Dasa, Havi Dasa, and Karanamrita Dasi.

On Sunday morning, after Urmila Dasi’s Mother’s Day themed Bhagavatam class, devotees surprised her with a huge five by three foot Mother’s Day cake for her 60th birthday. Hundreds of devotees chanted “Happy birthday” in unison to the accompaniment of Ekalavya Dasa’s trumpet – just one of the many delightful moments of Festival of Inspiration’s 15th anniversary.

After a short day of seminars, devotees rushed to grab seats in the Community Hall for the festival’s grande finale of spiritual entertainment at 12:30pm. First off, Bhaktimarga Swami’s play “Blue Mystic,” about Lord Krishna’s childhood pastimes killing demons in Vrindavana, gripped the audience. The cast of a dozen actors and puppeteers delivered knockout performances, expressive dance, and giant demons including a moving Aghasura with fearsome glowing red eyes.

Malati Dasi and Urmila Dasi cut the giant Mother's Day cake

Professional New York comic Yadhunath Das with Krishna Das and Bhaktin Megan followed with several pieces. In one skit, cops grilled a criminal in ISKCON vernacular, pushing him to finally admit, “I did it! I was the one who wasn’t sitting properly!” In another, Yadunath recited a poem about someone who is inspired to chant by eating prasadam in the zany poetry style of Dr. Seuss. And in another, he switched tacks to deliver an extremely moving monologue about devotee care that moved many to tears.

Everyone then tucked into a feast that had to be tasted to be believed, with rice, dahl, eggplant subji, matar paneer, puris, kachoris, pineapple chutney, gulabjamuns, mango sweet rice, and strawberry lemonade.

“The prasadam was excellent, the entertainment was first class, and it was just wonderful meeting with all the devotees at Festival of Inspiration,” said Urmila Dasi after attending.

“That’s the beauty of the festival – that you get to meet old friends and make new ones,” added early ISKCON pioneer Gurudas. “It had a wonderfully intimate feeling. Because our spiritual family really is a wonderful family.”

Hare Krishna! Tribute To Brahmananda Prabhu All glories to…
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Hare Krishna! Tribute To Brahmananda Prabhu
All glories to Brahmananda prabhu, who was one of a kind. There will never be another devotee exactly the same as Brahmananda. He was unique. Even when I joined the movement in 1968, when there were only about 150 or so disciples of Srila Prabhupada world-wide, Brahmananda was already an icon in the fledgling ISKCON, which was destined to grow into the mighty movement that it is today. Estimates are that there are between six and seven million followers of ISKCON today, counting those who come only for taking Prasad from time to time, coming only for big festivals, Rathayatras, etc, or just dropping in to a temple occasionally, the proverbial “fringies”.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17813

SRS: This is from Mahadevi Mataji – an account of Brahmananda Prabhu’s last moments
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How do I even begin to describe my last day with my dear Godbrother, most dear friend, and like a brother, our dear Brahmananda Das prabhu. Because so many devotees have messaged me for details and I can’t sleep. I will fumble with some words and try. Its midnight in Vrndavana, just returned from the all night Kirtan for Brahmananda prabhu and need to be back at 6:30am.
Gargamuni prabhu called me early this morning to come quickly as our dear Brahmananda pr had become dizzy and had a bad fall. When I quickly arrived, he was lying on the floor with a big gash on his head and blood on the floor but breathing and coherent. I called Dharmatma prabhu and Saranga Thakura prabhu to get at least 7 men from the Temple to come right away to pick him up. After I cleaned him up, and we swept up the glass that had broken from the tv he smashed into, we then began to discuss should he go into Hospice for some iv and stabilization. The last week he had been quite ill with a respiratory infection as I reported earlier for your prayers; actually just the other day. That seems like ages ago.
Hospice said he should go into ICU in another hospital and so we called Gopal Krsna Maharaj, who had ironically called the night before. He said his Dr disciple would come from Delhi to assess, which he did, but in the meantime Brahmananda was in so much breathing distress. We kept chanting, praying, discussing and giving Brahmananda some pani, juice, the oxygen mask, and some comfort. We had secured an oxygen tank the day before but it didnt seem like it was helping. He could not lie down to sleep but had to sit in his famous chair for any relief. I was against taking him on the long ambulance ride to Delhi and plus Brahmananda had just told me 3 days ago,”I want to always stay in Vrndavana.” But in a situation like that, where your most beloved brother and dearmost to Prabhupada is struggling to breathe, its very difficult to know the right thing to do.
We were all praying to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna to reveal what we should do. Dharmatma, Saranga Thakura, the Dr, Gargamuni and me were just trying to give him some relief in various ways..but he just kept asking for pani and struggling to breathe. We had Prabhupada bhajan playing as we called the ambulance, but there was one mishap after another. I had been sitting near Brahmananda on the floor,massaging his feet, reporting to him what was happening and telling him Prabhupada is here and he will guide us. Gargamuni sat on the bed and we kept looking at each other quietly, preparing for whatever Prabhupada and Krsna were going to do.
While he was gasping for air, and after a series of things going wrong with arrangements for the hospital, suddenly Brahmananda prabhu just left his body, sitting in his chair. Gargamuni prabhu, his dear brother, was the only one at that moment in the room. I was in the doorway talking to the Dr and the other devotees were also speaking about what to do in the hallway, without Brahmananada having to be disturbed so he could just listen to Prabhupada. His foot went out and made the oxygen tank crash on the floor, which seemed to tell everyone in the 3 worlds as the sound could be heard for a long ways; so many workers came running to help us lift him and place him nicely on a mattress.
We had to wait for the police to come and see the body before we could clean and dress him in clean cloth, altho we got to apply tilak on his forehead and Prabhupada’s name across his chest in tilak. Streams of devotees came for hours as we were taking care of all the legalities, which were also numerous and miraculous. The lady at the American Embassy who I had developed a relationship with, allowed me to talk to her at her home on a Sunday night which she said was highly irregular, but after speaking to her superior, she called the SSP which was so helpful. They had wanted to do postmortem, seeing the bump on his head from the fall. But Prabhupada and Krsna kept intervening all along the way, making special arrangements for Their dear Brahamananda prabhu.
Gopal Krsna Maharaj rushed from Delhi to have last darshan of Brahmananda prabhu and led a short Kirtan for him.
We are all in shock, tears are flowing and the Holy Names of Krsna fill the air. A beautiful bullock cart is being decorated and as Saci Gaurasundara Dasa reported, we will take him for Samadhi darshan, Vrndavana Procession and then Yamuna. Many devotees will post photos and observations. Of course, Brahmananda Das prabhu is already resting at Prabhupada’s lotus feet right now and eternally…Please send your love and prayers for Gargamuni prabhu.

Your Servant,
Ravi

The post SRS: This is from Mahadevi Mataji – an account of Brahmananda Prabhu’s last moments appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! How the Hare Krsna Movement Came to…
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Hare Krishna! How the Hare Krsna Movement Came to Africa
Brahmananda Dasa: The story of how the Hare Krsna movement came to Africa starts in 1971 in the United States. I was in Tallahassee, Florida, teaching an experimental course in Krsna consciousness at the state university, when I received a letter from my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, instructing me to go immediately to West Pakistan for preaching work. I had very little money, and I knew the trip to Pakistan would be long and arduous. However, a disciple takes his spiritual master’s order as his very life and soul, and I was determined that nothing would stop me.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17810

Hare Krishna! Excerpts About Brahmananda Prabhu From Srila…
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Hare Krishna! Excerpts About Brahmananda Prabhu From Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita Ch. 19 Planting The Seed
Bruce Scharf had just graduated from New York University and was applying for a job. One day an exroommate told him about the Swami he had visited down on Second Avenue. “They sing there,” his friend said, “and they have this far-out thing where they have some dancing. And Allen Ginsberg was there.” The Swami was difficult to understand, his friend explained, and besides that, his followers recorded his talks on a tape recorder. “Why should he have a big tape recorder? That’s not very spiritual.” But Bruce became interested.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17806

Visit to Delhi – 8/June/2015
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BY SIMHESWARA DASA

HH Jayapataka Swami when he last did a site inspection of the Seberang Jaya temple project

NEW DELHI - I was at Delhi on 6th and 7th June 2015 for some service and also visited HH Jayapataka Swami at the ILBS hospital. As soon as he saw me he asked how I was and then inquired about the temple project at Seberang Jaya. HH said since he will also be joining the Calcutta, Colombo and Cochin programmes for ISKCON 50th anniversary celebrations, he requested that our opening day should not clash with with the other celebration dates. Jayapataka Swami Ki Jai! 

While at Delhi commuting on the Delhi metro I managed to snap some pix of the Akshar dham temple and also stopped at ISKCON NOIDA and took darshan of Radha Govindaji.

ISKCON Noida

Radha Govinda deities in ISKCON Noida

View of Akshar dham from the metro in New Delhi

Akshardham

Coolangatta Parade
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Parade 2Parade

“Cooly Rocks on Street Parade” is part of festival that’s been celebrated for decades at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. This year’s theme was the 50’s and 60’s.

The devotees were invited to bring the smaller Rathayatra cart and Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra, along with the devotees, enjoyed ecstatic chanting to tens of thousands of people in the street.
Parade 1FullSizeRender

Interesting Things About the Final Part of Dhruva’s Story
→ The Enquirer

4.12.13: “By enjoying, he destroyed his good karma, and by self-discipline he destroyed his bad karma.”

He was creating no new karma because he was simply performing his duties perfectly (described in the 12th text). So by enjoying whatever enjoyment came, and suffering whatever suffering came (by discipline, by carrying on through it) he destroyed whatever remained of his previous good and bad karma.

4.12.14: “After many years thus engaged in the first three facets of life he gave the throne to his son. His senses were now completely under his control and his mind was extremely broad.”

Three facets are pleasure, [economic] stability, and morality. After executing his duty (morality) for a very long time, enjoying or not enjoying pleasure and wealth according to fate (to exhaust his good and bad karmas) – he was now prepared to turn his attention fully to the fourth aspect, the fourth goal of life: mokṣa (liberation).

4.12.17 “In the shelter of Badarikāśrama he bathed in auspicious water to purify his body. Then he sat firmly, controlled his breath, and withdrew his mind from external perceptions. He concentrated upon an image of the All-Attractive. As this meditation became uninterrupted, he achieved samādhi.”

Very interesting that he utilized a deity (sthūle-bhagavat-pratirūpa) for meditation.

4.12.18 “He could no longer think of himself, for he had attained the epitome of liberation.”

In liberation, selfishness is completely annihilated. It is not that the self is annihilated, but the concept of self as a differentiated, independent entity (from the Superself) is absolutely annihilated.

4.12.21 “He stood to greet them, but became confused and couldn’t remember what he should do. He simply uttered the names of Madhudviṣa, and folded his hands to respect Viṣṇu’s associates.”

The nāme and humility is sufficient worship.

Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com


Tagged: deity meditation, holyname, karma, liberation, moksa

Love Of God Will Come
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"As you chant Hare Krsna, your dormant love of God will come out, just as butter comes out when we churn milk. Butter is already there in milk, but it has to be brought out by the process of churning."

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Authenticity and Harmony, May 29, Gita Nagari
Giriraj Swami

05.29.15_GitaNagariGiriraj Swami spoke on the first day of the the Gita Nagari Annual Retreat.

“To be authentic means to distinguish between the devotional creeper and the weeds. Because the weeds can resemble the devotional creeper we may not be able to distinguish easily and therefore we can take help from an expert gardener. To learn more about the weeds we will read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta 19.158″

Translation: Some unnecessary creepers growing with the bhakti creeper are the creepers of behavior unacceptable for those trying to attain perfection, diplomatic behavior, animal-killing, mundane profiteering, mundane adoration and mundane importance. All these are unwanted creepers.

Purport: There is a certain pattern of behavior prescribed for those actually trying to become perfect. In our Krsna consciousness movement we advise our students not to eat meat, not to gamble, not to engage in illicit sex and not to indulge in intoxication. People who indulge in these activities can never become perfect; therefore these regulative principles are for those interested in becoming perfect and going back to Godhead.

Comment by Giriraj Swami: If the devotional creeper is watered and protected it will grow and grow and grow and penetrate the coverings of the universe and ultimately take shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan. It will then produce the fruit of love of God and the devotee will relish that fruit. That perfection can be attained even while in this body. Lord Caitanya explains that even after the devotional creeper takes shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna in the spiritual world, the devotee on earth continues to water the creeper by chanting and hearing. In other words chanting and hearing about Krishna never stops.

Kirtan, Gita Nagari
Authenticity and Harmony, Gita Nagari

Brahmananda Prabhu
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 September 2014, Pretoria, South Africa, House Program)

Maha-large

brahmananda_prabhu (4)Srila Prabhupada came to the Western world. In the Western world, he began his movement and after a short time, he was successful in the Lower East Side. He began to attract some devotees. One of these devotees is Brahmananda Prabhu. I have been reading a new book which is not yet on the market but somehow or other I got an advance copy. Since I was reading it, it is on my mind.

Somehow or other, Brahmananda is a very big and powerful man. Spiritually, first of all and also physically. He has a big body. Brahmananda was a wrestler before Krsna consciousness and even a little bit in Krsna consciousness. Brahmananda, over the years, certainly became very big in size. Even big people look small next to Brahmananda.

One time Srila Prabhupada gave a big sweet ball – a simply wonderful, quite a big size one, maha-large – to one devotee. Prabhupada put it in front of the devotee, on the plate and then just looked at it. Brahmananda also looked at it and just popped it into his mouth and ate the whole thing! Prabhupada said, “Yes, that is the nature of mercy. If you do not take advantage of it immediately, it might just disappear!”

The leader

There are many stories to tell of Brahmananda. In the early days, Brahmananda became Prabhupada’s trusted representative. His nature was that he was completely surrendered to Prabhupada’s desire. Whatever Prabhupada would say, he would do it. I think if any quality is outstanding in his character, it is loyalty. He is the most loyal servant you can imagine, completely loyal to Prabhupada. Whatever Prabhupada said, “Okay, that is what we are going to do, whatever it is.” That is not so easy and that is not so often found in anyone. That is why Brahmananda got this unique position of being so close to Prabhupada.

Brram1_slideshowIn fact, of all the devotees in the early days, Brahmananda was the leader. Prabhupada chose him as the leader. When they were saying that we should select a treasurer, we should select a secretary and a president, then Brahmananda said, “Satsvarupa would make a good secretary.” Gargamuni, his nickname was Garga-money, so he was the obvious person for the treasurer. Prabhupada said, “You should be the president.” That was it and from that day on, Brahmananda was in charge of everything and it was quite amazing.

First of all, Prabhupada had this Bhagavad-gita manuscript which he wanted published. It was very difficult to do so but he told Brahmananda, “Just get it published.” Easier said than done, you know. Get it published? How? Well anyway, there was one man who worked for the Macmillan publishing company who had put in an order through the mail. So, Brahmananda decided to do some follow up and go there hoping to get some connection but it turned out the man was just working in the accounts department and had nothing to do with publishing. So, it did not look good at all.

Just then, the chief editor came into the office of the accountant and Brahmananda saw this opportunity. He said to the man, “Here, I have a Bhagavad-gita by A.C. Bhakivedanta Swami Prabhupada and I would like to offer the manuscript to you for publication.”
The man said, “A Bhagavad-gita? A Bhagavad-gita!? We just finished a series of spiritual topics and we need a Bhagavad-gita to complete it! I will take it.”
That was it! Macmillan, a big company, was publishing Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita. That was Brahmananda. Prabhupada was very eager to carry on with book publication.

Prabhupada-BhagavatamEventually they got to Japan and got some cheap prices. The Krsna book was meant to be printed there. Brahmananda was negotiating with the printers and telling them how to do and so on… But it was not ready when Brahmananda had to leave, he had go back, catch his flight. Although they promised it would be ready, it was not ready. So he was very disappointed and he knew that Prabhupada would be really disappointed. As he was going up the steps of the plane, suddenly this limousine, this large limousine just pulled up onto the tarmac and drove right up to the plane and all the executives of Dai Nippon printing company came out. Brahmananda saw all these people he had been working with and he went down the staircase. They just brought out this box and they gave it to him.

Brahmananda went on the plane and he just ripped open the box and took out a silver copy of the Krsna book and the man next to him asked, “What is that?”
He said, “That is a book, it is about Krsna. It is published by my spiritual master, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and it is been sponsored by George Harrison.”
The man said, “How much is it?”
“$20.”
The man said, “Okay, I will take it.” (laughing). He bought the book!

So when Brahamanda came to America, he felt a little bit embarrassed to give Prabhupada this box that was ripped open and Prabhupada said, “How many books are there?” 

He said, “Twenty-four, Srila Prabhupada. There were twenty-five but now there are twenty-four.”
Prabhupada said, “Oh.”
He said, “Yes, I sold one book on the plane.”
Prabhupada said, “That is very nice.” Then Prabhupada had a copy in his hands and said, “All these other ones can be sold also.” He looked at his copy and he said, “This one can be sold also.”

They were all sold and Prabhupada was very, very pleased. So Brahmananda was a very close and intimate representative of Srila Prabhupada and practically like his son in so many ways, so close.

Transcendental cures

srila-prabhupada-speaks-to-brahmananda-on-juhu-beach-bombay-290x166Brahmananda was telling stories in Vrndavan and I was listening to those. He was ill and Prabhupada did not like it.

Prabhupada was saying like, “How can you be ill? How can you be ill?”
“I am just ill.”
“You are always ill.”

He just was not compassionate at all and Brahmananda was suffering, really suffering and Prabhupada was just harsh, going on like it was some horrible disease – disgusting! Brahmananda began to feel worse and worse. Then Prabhupada came up to him, rubbed his head and then he was cured. In this way, transcendental mercy is there.

Brahmananda said, “Yes, he cured me like that.”

Can’t stop smiling

brahmananda_prabhu (2)Another story that I have about Brahmananda – once in Vrindavan, Madhudvisa, another sannyasi, arranged that a picture would be taken. This picture was a group photo of devotees in ISKCON and Madhudvisa organized it all, with everybody nicely in the right position.

Brahmananda stood right in the middle next to Prabhupada… naturally. Madhudvisa was behind the camera but what Madhudvisa had done is that he had put a timer on the camera. So he put the timer, he clicked and then he ran over and stood right in front of Brahmananda, right next to Prabhupada.

So Brahmananda said, “Get out of here,” in a deep voice, sort of like in a way that Prabhupada could not hear but that Madhudvisa could. Right in his ear, “Get out of here.” Madhudvisa did not move an inch. So then Brahmananda, being a big and powerful wrestler, pinched Madhudvisa as hard as he could in the back. Pretty hard! Madhudvisa, you can see on the photo, Madhudvisa was just standing there with the biggest smile on his face and Brahmananda was pinching as hard as he could (laughter), but Madhudvisa, for nothing in the world, you know, would stop smiling.

As good as God

brahmananda_prabhu (3)Two years ago in Vrindavan, there was a devotee from a South American background who asked Brahmananda, “Brahmananda, in the early days with Prabhupada, it was very intimate, very close with only few devotees, but later it became a bigger movement. Do you feel that anything had changed in the relationship?”

Brahmananda said, “Look. When you are a child, your father is your father and when you are grown up, your father is still your father. What is the difference? Prabhupada was my spiritual master!”

The South American devotee said (Spanish/Portuguese accent), “I think, I think that for you Prabhupada is God.”

And then Brahmananda said, “Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. I made that mistake once in 1970. Oh no, Prabhupada is not God, Prabhupada is as good as God, he is as good as God.” He said, “But these days, these days, I think he is better than God because he came to the Lower East Side and saved me.”

Then he was overwhelmed by emotion and the whole crowd, we all felt this wave of emotion. It was dead silent…

A wonderful devotee

The stories of Brahmananda show incredible surrender. Are we ready to just take an order, no matter what? That is why I am saying that when we read this, hear this, and when we meet Brahmananda then we see so much love for Prabhupada and so much faith in Prabhupada and such conviction and dedication to Prabhupada. It is like inconceivable… extraordinary!

This is the most wonderful thing because we cannot approach Krsna directly. Nobody can. We have to approach him through his devotee and there is a chain of devotees. We approach devotees and they approach devotees. Prabhupada gave Krsna consciousness to us in a way that we can fit it in our modern life. If we would have to go back to traditional India, could we do it? Could we live that simple? Could we live that austere like the sadhus who were living before in India or even right now? I mean, could we? It would be very tough, very austere. Simply chant all day? Could we do it? Sixteen rounds and even during the sixteen rounds we think of so many other things to do. Send some SMSs (text messages) in-between and do anything but chanting. The mind wants to do anything but chanting. Then you think, “Oh! This is important. This, I have to do right away.” Any opportunity to interrupt our chanting, that is natural to us. So these points are there.

019For us, everything has been simplified. So we understand that Brahmananda is an intimate associate of Srila Prabhupada. There is no doubt about it, not an ordinary person at all. Therefore, I tell everyone, I will tell you also, that he lives in Vrindavan and he likes it when devotees come to visit him. He likes it very much. It is not that you cannot see him, that he is too big a devotee to see. Not at all. That is not Brahmananda at all. He is happy to see any devotee. He is very personal and interested in devotees.

So after Pakistan, Srila Prabhupada sent Brahmananda to Africa. He gave him some time in Bombay to take a deep breath and then he said, “Hmmm… yes, now that you have done this, I think you should go to Africa.” That was the next assignment. At that time, he was in charge of all of Africa, of all the preaching in Africa; even South Africa was also under Brahmananda.

Although he could not come here, visa issues and that, he made arrangements for South Africa. And he made arrangements to start preaching in Kenya. Later he also went to Nigeria. Nigeria, he said, was totally different – people were so interested. In Kenya, it was tough but Nigeria, it really took off even then, foreboding what was to come.

So therefore, we should all go see Brahmananda. I have sent many devotees there. Sometimes, like last time, he was giving a lecture and I did not know about it and then I heard so I came late. So, I kind of ran in and I was just in time. He had already started. He just stopped the lecture and said, “Some of your boys came!”

He likes that. He remembers everybody. Big man, big heart. He likes to embrace many people and therefore can take interest in the life of many. Such wonderful devotees. Yeah, so we need the blessing of these devotees, the blessing of the vaisnavas. We should not be shy.

 

Hare Krishna! MSF Success at ISKCON Mangalore ISKCON Mangalore…
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Hare Krishna! MSF Success at ISKCON Mangalore
ISKCON Mangalore temple is steadily continuing book distribution service for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. Beginning this year, devotees from the temple and congregation devotees are going out every weekend through the city to distribute books and sing the Holy Names of the Lord
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Hare Krishna! Vrndavana – Land of No Return Brahmananda Dasa:…
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Hare Krishna! Vrndavana – Land of No Return
Brahmananda Dasa: The transcendental land of Vrndavana is always spiritual. That spiritual land is populated by goddesses of fortune, who are known as gopis. These are all beloved of Krsna, and Krsna is the only lover of all those gopis. The trees of that land are kalpa-vrksa, wish-fulfilling trees, and one can have anything he wants from them. The land is made of touchstone and the water of nectar. In that supreme abode, all speech is song, all walking is dancing, and one’s constant companion is the flute. Surabhi cows flood the land with milk, and everything is self-luminous, just like the sun in the material world. Since every moment there is spent in loving service to Krsna, there is no past, present or future.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17799

Book review: Swamiji: An Early Disciple, Brahmananda Dasa,…
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Book review: Swamiji: An Early Disciple, Brahmananda Dasa, Remembers His Guru
Another way in which Swamiji excels is in the book’s remarkable ability to convey the child-like sweetness and intimacy of Brahmananda’s relationship with his guru. This is particularly evident in Rosen’s recounting of Prabhupada’s stroke and convalescence. Readers are able to experience through this episode, in vivid detail, the love the Swami’s young disciples felt as they nursed their ailing master back to health. This heart-rending care is mirrored later in the book when Rosen recounts a car accident Brahmananda and Prabhupada suffered in Mauritius; the disciple flagged down a passing car and exclaimed that his “grandfather” had been injured and needed to be taken to the hospital. It is this side of the Prabhupada story—the loving grandfather and his devoted wards—that Rosen brings out so well in Swamiji.
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Hare Krishna! Brahmananda Prabhu passes away Gopal Krishna…
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Hare Krishna! Brahmananda Prabhu passes away
Gopal Krishna Goswami: It is with great saddness that I wish to inform you all that our dear god-brother Brahmanada Prabhu passed away this afternoon at 3:31 pm IST in his room in Vrindavan Dham. Gargamuni Prabhu, Maha Maya Mataji along with Dr. Ashu, Saranga Thakur Das, Dharmatma Das and few other devotees were present when he passed away. Dharmatma Das, a devotee of the ISKCON Vrindavan temple, has been taking care of Brahmananda Prabhu for the past few years. Dharmatma called me yesterday to inform that Brahmanada Prabhu’s condition was serious and a local doctor was attending to him. I then spoke to Brahmanada Prabhu on the phone and told him that I would be sending a doctor from Delhi to examine him.
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Srila Prabhupada’s books are distrbuted at the Midvalley…
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Srila Prabhupada’s books are distrbuted at the Midvalley Book Fair in Malaysia (Album with photos)
“Our Most Important Activity” “There is no doubt about it: to distribute books is one most important activity.
The temple is not a place for eating & sleeping, but a base from which we send out our soldiers to fight with maya. Fight with maya means to drop thousands and millions of books into the lap of conditioned souls. Just like during war time the bombs are raining from the sky like anything.” – Quote by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, August 03, 1973 to Ramesvara.
See them here: https://goo.gl/V2gM2W