Secret Behind the Secret
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Jadu Thakur Prabhu a devotee in the Brahamchari Trainee group of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, Chowpatty recalls this interesting experience from last year’s Marathon: I was distributing books in the train with Pitambar Prabhu, when I saw this man reading a book. He was so absorbed in reading that he just looked up for
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Unity and Diversity
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Image: ISKCON Dallas, 2019 (ISKCON News Archives)   A letter was dispatched in 1973 Meant for leaders, the you and me Penned by our dear His Divine Grace Of the concept he willed us to embrace It was 50 years ago that his message came through Very thematic to the belief of Mahaprabhu One that […]

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Monthly Media – Feb 2023
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Sri Nityananda Trayodashi – February 2023

Sri Nityanand Trayodashi is the appearance day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna appeared in Navadvipa, West Bengal as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to establish Sankirtana Movement (congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord). To help the Supreme Lord in His mission, Lord Balarama appeared as Nityananda Prabhu. He assisted Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by spreading he holy name of the Lord throughout Bengal.

Nityananda prabhu is the original spiritual master and the first servant of the Lord. He is the first teacher to disseminate knowledge about Lord Krishna after the Lord Himself. He fulfils His spiritual duty by engaging people in Lord’s service as well as by spreading knowledge and awareness about Him.

Kadamba Kanana Swami celebrated Sri Nityananda Trayodashi in Vrindavan. Please see the links to his lectures and zoom meetings below.

3rd February – Sri Nityananda Trayodashi, Vrindavan, India

https://www.youtube.com/live/scwT60Wo0E4?feature=share

6th Kusum Sarovar, India

https://www.youtube.com/live/eJOQ34PK2WM?feature=share

Weekly Zoom Meetings

4th February

https://www.youtube.com/live/NvJ-WoHXjeA?feature=share

5th February – Australian zoom meeting

11th February

18th February – Health update – last zoom meeting

Over the last several weeks HH Kadamba Kanana Swami became weaker and had difficulty with breathing, but he continued on. His last meeting was on 18th February 2023 when he updated everyone about his health.

The article " Monthly Media – Feb 2023 " was published on KKSBlog.

Vaishnava Arts Festival welcomes a variety of speakers and topics
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Springtime in New Vrindaban is like stepping into a colorfully painted landscape, and Mother’s Day weekend will unite its beauty with some of our movement’s most talented artists, musicians, writers, and creators in the second annual Vaishnava Arts Festival, May 12-14th, 2023. Fittingly, the idea for the event came through the creative collaboration of HG […]

The post Vaishnava Arts Festival welcomes a variety of speakers and topics appeared first on ISKCON News.

Sri Ramacandra Appearance Day 30th March
→ Mayapur.com

Dated: March 21, 1969 Location: Hawaii Letter to: Tamala Krsna My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. Your letter dated March 18th by special delivery is in hand and it is so gratifying that you have already saved $600 for the improvement of the temple. So I am very much pleased. Go on working like this and […]

The post Sri Ramacandra Appearance Day 30th March appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Johananda/Jayadev/John Matlick departs
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Nrsimhananda das: An unsung Vaisnava hero, John Matlick served the devotees since his mother, affectionately known as Prabhupada-lila dd, introduced him to Srila Prabhupada’s teachings in the early 1970’s. John was a videophile who was super helpful to myself and Siddhanta in the early years of ISKCON Television. Devotees worldwide have unlimitedly benefited from his
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The governing principle for our activity
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The governing principle for our activity should be to do what is favorable for pleasing Krishna. Letter to Lalita Kumar, November 27,1971 When we keep our association with Krishna every activity is proper and liberating, but if we should dissociate ourselves from the Lord’s Mercy then like a hand which is severed from the body
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Sri Ramanujacharya’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami

Today is the appearance anniversary of Sripada Ramanujacharya, the principal acharya in the Sri, or Lakshmi, sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacharya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the Mayavadi philosophy.” (letter 22.11.1974) And in the early days of ISKCON in India, before we had Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Hindi, Prabhupada would refer people to read the Hindi edition of the Gita with Sri Ramanujacharya’s commentary.

Srila Prabhupada often told a story about Sri Ramanujacharya’s merciful, compassionate nature. As he related it in Ahmedabad in 1972, “The servants of Krishna take all risk for Krishna’s sake. Just like Ramanujacharya. Sri Ramanujacharya’s spiritual master said, ‘My dear son, the mantra which I am giving, you chant silently and you will be delivered. It is so powerful. Don’t chant this mantra loudly so others can hear.’

“Ramanujacharya thought, ‘If this mantra is so powerful that if others hear it they’ll also be delivered, then why not?’ He immediately went to the market and began to chant the mantra. So, his spiritual master became very angry, that ‘I told you not to chant loudly, so others may not hear.’ And Ramanujacharya replied, ‘My Lordship, I have done offense unto you. That’s all right. For this I am prepared to go to hell. But if this mantra is so powerful, I must speak it to everyone.’ ”

In this mood, following in the footsteps of Sripada Ramanujacharya, Srila Prabhupada broadcast the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita everywhere, to everyone.

We pray and aspire to follow in their footsteps.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 

A poor brahmana called Sudama
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Once there was a poor brahmana called Sudama, who had been a co-student of Sri Krshna under Guru Sandipani Muni. Lord Krishna and Sudama had wandered together in the forest as good friends. After their studies, Sudama had married and had many children. He received very little money, but always worshipped Lord Vishnu.


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Sri Ramanujacharya Appearance
→ Ramai Swami

In the year 1017 A.D., Ramanuja was born in the village of Perumbudur, about twenty-five miles west of Chennai. His father was Kesava Somayaji and his mother was Kantimathi, a very pious and virtuous lady. Quite early in life, Ramanuja lost his father. Then he came to Kancheepuram to prosecute his study of the Vedas under one Yadavaprakasha, a teacher of Advaita philosophy.

Ramanuja was a very brilliant student. Yadavaprakasha’s interpretations of Vedic texts were not quite up to his satisfaction. Ramanuja pointed out many mistakes in the exposition of his master. Sometimes he gave his own interpretations which were much liked by all the co-students. This made Yadavaprakasha very jealous of Ramanuja.

Yadavaprakasha made a plan to take away the life of Ramanuja. He arranged for Ramanuja and his cousin Govinda Bhatta–a fellow student–a pilgrimage to Varanasi. Govinda Bhatta, being a favourite student of Yadavaprakasha, came to know of the latter’s plan while they were travelling. He at once apprised Ramanuja of the danger and helped him to escape. By the grace of God, Ramanuja escaped with the help of a hunter and his wife whom he accidentally met on the way.

After the death of Yamuna, his disciples at Sri Rangam and other places wanted Ramanuja to take Yamuna’s place as the head of the Math at Sri Rangam. This was also the expressed wish of Yamuna. Accordingly, Ramanuja took his place and was duly installed with all the attendant ceremonies and celebrations as the head of the Visishtadvaita Math at Sri Rangam.

Ramanuja travelled throughout the length and breadth of India to disseminate the path of devotion. He visited all the sacred places throughout India including Kashi, Kashmir and Badrinath. On his way back he visited the Tirupati hills.

Ramanuja then visited all the Vaishnavite shrines in South India and again finally reached Sri Rangam. Here he settled himself permanently and continued his labours of preaching the Visishtadvaita philosophy and writing books. Thousands of people flocked to him everyday to hear his lectures.

He cleansed the temples, settled the rituals to be observed in them, and rectified many social evils which had crept into the community. He had a congregation of 700 Sannyasins, 74 dignitaries who held special offices of ministry, and thousands of holy men and women, who revered him.

He converted lakhs of people to the path of Bhakti. He gave initiation even to washermen. He was now seventy years old, but was destined to live many more years, establish more Maths, construct more temples and convert many more thousands of people.

Ramanuja was the exponent of the Visishtadvaita philosophy or qualified non-dualism. Ramanuja’s Brahman is Sa-visesha Brahman, i.e., Brahman with attributes. According to Ramanuja’s teachings, Lord Narayana or Bhagavan is the Supreme Being; the individual soul is Chit; matter is Achit.

Ramanuja regards the attributes as real and permanent, but subject to the control of Brahman. The attributes are called Prakaras or modes. Lord Narayana is the Ruler and Lord of the universe. The Jiva is His servant and worshipper. The Jiva should completely surrender himself to the Lord. The oneness of God is quite consistent with the existence of attributes, as the attributes or Shaktis depend upon God for their existence.

VOLUME ONE OF “CHASING RHINOS WITH THE SWAMI” IS NOW AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK!
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Months in the making, my AUDIOBOOK version of VOLUME ONE of CRWTS is finally here! Reading “Chasing Rhinos With The Swami” is a great experience, but hearing it spoken (in my Tom Waits/Peter Coyote/Sam Elliot voice, a little gruff sometimes after a long session), with personal intonations and heartfelt emotions really brings this book ALIVE!
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