Planet ISKCON

Hare Krishna Diarama (10 min video)
A student film and tv project, (2001) filmed at the ISKCON Brisbane temple.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/EcFIDp

>>>> YuGa DHaRMa ExPLoSioN iN NePaL <<<<In Nepal. Continue reading →

Which ashram?
Kadamba Kanana Swami: We are not speaking out against sexuality but it is not the goal of life. It is not the all-in-all. Even having kids is not the all-in-all. Women especially, may desire a kid, you know, there is something in their nature, there is no doubt about it and that is fine. But family life is not everything. It is not everything! A family life without spirituality, where does it go? Where does it take you? What is the difference between an animal family and a human family if there is no spiritual life? Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah, says the Sanskrit text (Hitopadesa). Without dharma, without any spiritual life, human life is the same as animal life.
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/qcYnvu

The post Silpa-karini dd, Bn Indira and Dharma-raja ask questions like “What is the difference between mental and philosophical speculation?” appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna Dancing Ecstacy at Green Gathering 2013 with Mahavishnu Swami Continue reading →

2015 Ratha Yatra - Festival Of Chariots - ISKCON SYDNEY (12 min video)
2015 Ratha Yatra - Festival Of Chariots - Parramatta, N.S.W, Australia - With His Holiness Devamrita Swami
Chant The Holy Names Of God And Be Happy!! Hari Bol!!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/PbxcL3

Brisbane Festival of Chariots 2015 (6 min nicely edited video)
Ratha Yatra festival of chariots held on 9th of May, 2015 in Brisbane CBD by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Filmed on the Sony A7s with the Nebula 4000 stabilizer.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/m734ff

Bhumi Puja Ceremony (Album with photos)
ISKCON Baltimore’s New Temple Project Bhumi Puja Photos.
Photography: Enrique Huaiquil
Editing: Shyam Pandey
See them here: https://goo.gl/rfNGXS

On Wednesday, April 29th, on the auspicious day of Rohini ekadasi, a special home program was arranged by Giridhari das, a disciple of Radhanath Maharaja who lives in Singapore, for several wealthy Indian friends of his from Silicon Valley.

He flew all the way from Singapore for the occasion. After some initial informal talks and prasadam a full TOVP presentation was given by Ambarisa, Radha Jivana and Jananivas prabhus. The receptive group left with a high impression of the project.

In the evening we made our way to the temple of Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan and Lord Gauranga (ISV) for our TOVP presentation there to the local devotee community. 150+ devotees came to have darshan of the Padukas and Sitari and eagerly hear about the TOVP. Vaisesika prabhu introduced the TOVP Team, opening their hearts and paving the way for the presentation. Radha Jivana prabhu introduced Ambarisa and Jananivas prabhus who inspired the already ecstatic devotees further, and then concluded with a sincere entreaty to pledge wholeheartedly to the TOVP project. One after another, devotees pledged Silver Gratitude Coins ($11,000) and various Bricks for the altars, and then, to everyone’s surprise, 2 devotees came forward to each pledge a Platinum Gratitude Coin ($250,000). The first was Govinda Caran das and Rasika Siromani dasi, disciples of Indradyumna Maharaja, and the organizers of the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, America’s largest devotee gathering. The second was an anonymous young devotee girl just out of college and about to start employment. Without any current income source or other financial backing, and from a family of moderate means, she was willing to make a great sacrifice for the cause of the TOVP. The program concluded with pledges totaling $800,000. Prasadam was served to all the Vaishnavas.

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 49 – Afternoon Home Program and TOVP Presentation at ISKCON Silicon Valley (ISV) appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The post Daily Darshan – May 18th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

HG Kaunteya Prabhu at ISKCON Mayapur on 2015-05-09, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 06.07.24

Since the beginning of time, a question has been asked by inquisitive beings: who am I? Our 3-week workshop series will delve into matter, mind, and spirit to seek the answer to this question that lies at the core of the human experience. Come for an enlivening exploration of what it truly means to be yourself, to be “real,” in the variable world we live in today.

Tuesdays  July 7th A Machine of Matter
July 14 An Evolving Brain
July 21 A Spirit Soul

Dhruva soon arrived in Madhuvan, where he completely gave himself to fully worshipping The Personality, as the sage had instructed.

On the first day, he purified himself by bathing in the river and fasting. For the first month, he would eat only wood apple and jujube fruit every third day, just enough to keep his body alive while worshipping Hari. During the second month, every six days that little boy made a meal out of wilted leaves and herbs, to continue worshipping The Great. During the third month he would eat only water every nine days, and completely absorbed himself in worshipping The Subject of the Greatest Poetry. But in the fourth month he ate only air, every twelfth day. Having conquered his breathing, he worshipped The Brilliant Divinity with loving meditation. During the fifth month the prince ceased to breathe or move, and stood on one leg like a pillar, meditating on the Supreme Spirit.

He completely withdrew his mind and senses into his heart, fixing them in perfect concentration upon the beauty of the All-Attractive, and was aware of nothing else. The three worlds began to tremble as he completely fixed his concentration of the Master Person, the foundation of existence and the source of all things. The prince kept standing on just one leg, and his big toe began to push the earth off balance, like a great elephant stepping into a boat.

As he continued to completely meditate without distraction upon the Universal Soul, keeping his breath locked within the gates of his body, the world became overwhelmed by crushing suffocation. The divinities of the world rushed to Hari for protection. “Bhagavan!” they cried. “We can’t understand why no living creature can breathe! We seek your protection, because you are the only one who can protect us from this impending disaster. Please do whatever you must!”

The All-Attractive replied, “Don’t worry. Uttānapāda’s little boy has completely absorbed himself in me. You cannot breathe because he does not breathing. I will go to him and he will desist from his incredibly extreme austerities.”

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Comment: This shows that the individual jīva (“soul”) is extremely powerful when in its natural condition of yoga with the Supreme Soul. It shares the infinitude of the Super Soul.

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– Bhāgavata 4.8.71 ~ 82 [end]

Vraja Kishor dās

Books I’ve written: VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: breath, breath control, breathing, Meditation, Yoga

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 April 2015, Durban, South Africa, Ratha Yatra Lecture: Sexuality and Spirituality)

Continued from “Saturday night and I ain’t got nobody”

We are not speaking out against sexuality but it is not the goal of life. It is not the all-in-all. Even having kids is not the all-in-all. Women especially, may desire a kid, you know, there is something in their nature, there is no doubt about it and that is fine. But family life is not everything. It is not everything! A family life without spirituality, where does it go? Where does it take you? What is the difference between an animal family and a human family if there is no spiritual life? Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah, says the Sanskrit text  (Hitopadesa). Without dharma, without any spiritual life, human life is the same as animal life.

So we think in this way – first about the soul, first about being a devotee. Let me invest in that and then alright, then family life follows. That is fine but first be a devotee! That is all. So simple and then everything falls into place. That is my message to you. It is simple and you naturally step in where you fit. Like when I came to Krsna consciousness, I was not alone at that time. For twenty-four years, I was in the ghrastha ashram which is the married ashram. Twenty-four years, you know! Then for four years, I was in the vanaprastha ashram and now eighteen years in the sannyasa ashram. There is nothing wrong with family life. That is fine. But first, be a devotee and then choose your ashram. Then it is right, then sexuality also falls in place. First a devotee. It is about being a devotee!

Sometimes our Japa suffers due to our familiarity with the Holy names. We become slackened in our pronounciation and hearing and we don't even realise it! This is the power of Maya, in like a needle out like a plough.
Chanting with serious sadhakas is important is very important, so that we become inspired to improve our chanting - we tend to become more aware when others are listening.

http://bit.ly/1FmeakF

The post Last week’s pictures at the new Eger Govinda’s appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

It was a great fortune to have been asked to go with friends to Birmingham 24 hour kirtan, what an amazing way to spend a weekend.

Fine association and the coming together of devotees simply for the pleasure of singing the great song of deliverance the Mahamantra.

Over the weekend I managed to take a few short video clips and putting them together to create this small taste of Birmingham 24 hour kirtan.

All glories to the devotees who organized, set up, cooked, looked after the live feed to Mayapur.tv and who looked after the deites over the festival period. And not fogetting those who assisted, either in their amazing singing, playing musical instruments or serving those in attendance.

For those who missed out may be you can come and join in next year.

Hare Krishna

tato vayaṁ mat-pramukhā yad-arthe  babhūvimātman karavāma
kiṁ te tvaṁ naḥ sva-cakṣuḥ paridehi śaktyā  deva kriyārthe yad-anugrahāṇām

O Supreme Self, please give us, who are created in the beginning from the mahat-tattva, the total cosmic energy, Your kind directions on how we shall act. Kindly award us Your perfect knowledge and potency so that we can render You service in the different departments of subsequent creation.

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.5.51

ṛṣir uvāca
iti tāsāṁ sva-śaktīnāṁ
satīnām asametya saḥ
prasupta-loka-tantrāṇāṁ
niśāmya gatim īśvaraḥ

The Ṛṣi Maitreya said: The Lord thus heard about the suspension of the progressive creative functions of the universe due to the noncombination of His potencies, such as the mahat-tattva. Srimad Bhagavatam 3.6.1

yadā rahitam ātmānaṁ  bhūtendriya-guṇāśayaiḥ
svarūpeṇa mayopetaṁ  paśyan svārājyam ṛcchati

When you are free from the conception of gross and subtle bodies and when your senses are free from all influences of the modes of material nature, you will realize your pure form in My association. At that time you will be situated in pure consciousness. Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.33

ṛṣim ādyaṁ na badhnāti  pāpīyāṁs tvāṁ rajo-guṇaḥ
yan mano mayi nirbaddhaṁ  prajāḥ saṁsṛjato ’pi te

You are the original ṛṣi, and because your mind is always fixed on Me, even though you will be engaged in generating various progeny the vicious mode of passion will never encroach upon you. Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.35

śrī-śuka uvāca śrutvehitaṁ sādhu sabhā-sabhājitaṁ  mahattamāgraṇya urukramātmanaḥ yudhiṣṭhiro daitya-pater mudānvitaḥ  papraccha bhūyas tanayaṁ svayambhuvaḥ

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After hearing about the activities and character of Prahlāda Mahārāja, which are adored and discussed among great personalities like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, the most respectful king among exalted personalities, again inquired from the great saint Nārada Muni in a mood of great pleasure.

Srimad Bhagavatam 7.11.1

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk8dpCJW

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yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī  kaṁsena ruddhāticiraṁ śucārpitā
vimocitāhaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho  tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt

O Hṛṣīkeśa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released Your mother, Devakī, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaṁsa, and me and my children from a series of constant dangers.

Srimad Bhagavatam1.8.23

Oh secret devotee of Krishna, this is for you!
We may deny our attraction to our spiritual side, or opt for a spiritual path that is more fashionable or acceptable, but there is a point at which it becomes unhealthy to do that any longer. Its the point when we realise that our affinity for the concept of Krishna is more than a product of mere passing curiosity. It makes too much good sense to us, and allows us to experience feelings much more profound than usual. That is the point where we must ‘come out,’the point when we must have the courage of our convictions and declare to others our affiliation. When we do that we find that the universe responds and lifts us up in all ways.
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/ccNN0V

Hare Krishna! The Macmillan Miracle
Around this time, the devotees had released the “Happening” album, an assortment of devotional songs sung by Prabhupada with musical accompaniment. They had placed an ad for the record in the Village Voice and were receiving orders from various parts of the East Coast. One such order came from uptown Manhattan, relatively close to the little storefront serving as a temple for Prabhupada and his early disciples. Brahmananda brought the letter to his master. “Look, Swamiji [as Prabhupada was then called]. It’s an order from Macmillan. They’re one of the biggest publishers in the world.” Prabhupada gazed knowingly into his disciple’s eyes and gave the following directives: “Do not mail out this order as we do with others. Instead, bring the record to Macmillan’s offices and hand deliver it to the person who sent us the letter.” Brahmananda nodded, aware that Krishna was using him as an instrument. “When you deliver the album,” Prabhupada continued, “tell them that you are a disciple of a guru from India and that he has translated the Bhagavad-gita. They will publish it. Do not worry.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17405

Hare Krishna! Revelation of siddha-svarupa
Every living entity has an eternal constitutional relationship with Krishna, and when one attains the liberated platform he automatically understands this relationship. It is not the system supported by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur that one’s spiritual identity be artificially declared before the stage when Krishna reveals this, especially when one is still affected by the modes of nature. Srila Prabhupada clearly taught that just as we cannot force the sun to rise at our convenience or by our pronouncements, but it rises of its own accord at the right time, similarly our constitutional position becomes manifest at the right time.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=321

Vivaha Yajna In Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By the grace of the Lord, if a devotee, at the time of death, can simply chant Hare Krishna, he immediately surpasses the great ocean of the material sky and enters into the spiritual sky. He never has to come back for repetition of birth and death. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.10.30 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/u5RJJ1

Initiation ceremony in St. Petersburg (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Welcoming new initiates into the family of ISKCON. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
See them here: https://goo.gl/aUt72p

Hare Krishna! Festival of Chariots – Clearwater Beach, Florida
On a beautiful and sunny Mother’s Day, Sunday May 10th, 2015 at Clearwater Beach, we started the Festival of Chariots at around one in the afternoon. We were joined by Mayor Cretekos and Mr. Eric Lynn, who is running for congress in the upcoming election. Bhadra Prabhu invited Mayor Cretekos to share some words of inspiration to inaugurate the festival. The Mayor said that whether or not one is a devotee of Krsna or a devout Christian like him, this Rathayatra is a valuable opportunity for us to cleanse the dust away from our hearts.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17397

Iskcon London Mangala Arati – 08.05.2015

In May 1975 Srila Prabhupada came to Melbourne and opened the new temple on Danks Street, Albert Park. He also installed Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.