Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Kirtan in the Urals (5 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Our Festival Of The Holy Names in Yekatrinburg. Like everywhere we travel in Russia, the 700 devotees in Yekaterinburg were enthusiatic to chant Hare Krsna!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/7pkqfy
Festival of Chariots Dallas 2015: Ratha Yatra (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One who is interested in chanting the holy name of Krishna or who by practice likes to chant Krishna’s names should be accepted as a Vaisnava and offered respects as such, at least within one’s mind. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 15, 111)
See them here: https://goo.gl/nkQdCA
Bhaktivedanta Swami Goshala Vrindavan: We heartly pray to the Lord, to provide eternal shelter under His lotus feet to Amit Seyal & Family from Gurgaon, for adopting a cow for a year. (Album with 12 photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/bICcrl
If you ever had trouble distributing books in sankirtan, try this :-) (5 min video)
And if you ever wondered who are those souls behind the ‘Fortunate People’ page and what is the way they get trained to stand long hours on the street distributing books - this 5 min video might shed some light… Beautiful, rhythmic and fun!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/o6Plbf
Hare Krishna! Huge 24th Annual Prabhupada Festival in Los Angeles
This two-day festival includes special talks and remembrances from senior Srila Prabhupada disciples, enlivening kirtans, six sumptuous feasts, a beautiful boat festival, Maha-Harinam, original artistic performances, representatives from diverse preaching projects as well as a variety of Vaishnava vendors. Tons of devotees from all over the place show up to give honor to the Founder Acharya of the International society of Krishna Consciousness. If you have never come to the Prabhupada Festival, we enthusiastically invite you to attend; and if you have come before, we warmly invite you to attend again.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17201
Hare Krishna! Seminar on Reaching the Hearts and the Minds of the Western Public
I can’t express how relevant and inspiring this seminar was for anyone who wants to see ISKCON progress in leaps and bounds in the coming years. With ISKCON’s 50th anniversary celebrations coming up, it is imperative we all know where we are as an organization, what steps we need to take collectively and individually to progress to the next level, and educate ourselves on our shortcomings. This seminar did that for many and I hope the greater devotee community has the opportunity to access the videos and do the same.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17198
The post May 6th, 2015 – Chandan yatra Darshan- Day 16 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Deity greetings, Guru Puja Iskcon London
The Kirtan Mela in Mauritius took place from 10 – 12 April. Although it is a small island, over 5000 devotees participated and there was a lot of coverage on national TV as well as other media. Kadamba Kanana Swami, Bhakti Caitanya Swami, Lokanatha Swami, Sacinandana Swami and BB Govinda Swami were some of the main kirtaniyas in this event. Kadamba Kanana Swami’s solar birthday fell while he was in Mauritius and devotees surprised him with a celebration; photos are included in the slide-show. Here is a short description of the festival!
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
The Kirtan Mela in Mauritius was especially nice because there was a great sense of togetherness. The Sannyasis stayed practically eight hours in the kirtan every day and the devotees were very enthusiastic. It was the biggest international Krsna conscious event ever and everyone was on fire as they chanted and danced for hours. The devotees were very warm and caring so our stay was very nice. When I was on the plane leaving the country, an older Indian couple asked me, “Did you come from the Kirtan Mela? We could hear it in our house.” The Kirtan Mela flooded Mauritius in an ocean of ecstasy!
Photos
Visit flickr to see more photos.
Videos
Day 1 – Kadamba Kanana Swami – 10 April 2015
Day 2 – Kadamba Kanana Swami – 11 April 2015
Day 3 – Kadamba Kanana Swami – 12 April 2015
First lets get the color straight. He’s not “blue.” He is śyāma / nīla.
The color śyāma is “Dark (black), with slight blue-green coloration.” A really heavy monsoon cloud, for example, is śyāma. The color nīla is “Dark, black, bluish/greenish-black.” A sapphire (nīla-maṇi) is a common example of this color.
So, basically, Krishna is black with a sapphire-blue luster.
OK, now let’s get to the “why” part.
Why is Krishna black? Why is anything black? What is black? Black is what you see when an object reflects no light. Black things absorb all the light that falls on them, letting nothing go. When something attracts all the light, and nothing escapes, it’s black.
And that’s why Krishna is black, because that’s what Krishna is – All-Attractive.
Throughout the Veda, “light” is used to describe consciousness, because consciousness illuminates existence. Our consciousness can shine its light anywhere. When it shines on something beautiful, it get’s stuck there. We’ve all experienced a song we can’t get out of our head. A girl or boy we can’t stop thinking of. A sunset we can’t take our eyes off. A game we can’t stop playing. Attractive, beautiful, delightful things are “sticky”, sticky with light, sticky with consciousness. They are “black.”
Krishna is so black, because he is All-Attractive. When our consciousness falls upon him, it sticks there forever. When light falls upon him, it never bounces off again. He is black. He is so fascinating, so delectably sweet, so delightfully deep, so thrillingly pleasurable, so enthrallingly enchanting and adventurous… no “light” escapes.
Hṛṣīkeśa is the most essential object of worship. After he was honorably glorified, the learned and wise Dakṣa again began the ceremonial worship Rudra had ruined.
The All-Attractive is the soul of everyone, and thus the enjoyer of everyone’s portions, but he seemed to be pleased by receiving his own portion of worship in the ceremony, and pleasantly addressed Dakṣa.
“There is no difference between me and Brahmā, or Śiva,” Viṣṇu said. “We are the ultimate cause of the world, oversee its existence, and yet are independent from it because we are self-mastered and self-seeing.”
“But the supreme must be one entity,” Dakṣa would protest. “Not three!”
So the All-Attractive explained. “I put my own power into this world of external qualities, which becomes known in three different ways as it emanates, protects, and withdraws the cosmos. This power is the non-dual Brahman in the singular supreme soul, Paramātma. Only a fool sees Brahmā, Rudra, or any creature, to be different from it.
“Therefore, a person who truly considers me supreme never makes divisions among creatures; no more than anyone would think there is a different person in the head, hands, and limbs of his own body.
“The three of us – myself, Brahmā, and Rudra – are one beings. Please do not see us with divided vision. One who sees Brahman as the essence of all creatures achieves true peace.”
After the leader of the Progenitors was educated by Hari, he properly worshipped each of the individual gods. He particularly offered Rudra his own ceremonial portion with great care. When the ceremony was complete he offered soma nectar to everyone else who had attended. Then, with the ceremony’s officiates, he took the concluding bath.
His own realizations from the worship certainly enlightened him. And the thirty gods blessed him, dharma eva matim [“May your mind be most ethical”], before returning to the heavens.
It is said that when Dakṣa’s daughter Satī abandoned her previous body she was born from Menā, the wife of Himavata, father of the Himalaya Mountains, and became known as Ambikā. She immediately resumed her singular and undivided love, and again married her former husband – just as dormant śakti always gravitates towards the Supreme Person.
Concluding the tale of All-Attractive Śambhu’s ruination of Dakṣa’s ceremony, Maitreya told Vidura, “I heard all this from Uddhava, the blessed devotee and student of Bṛhaspati. Anyone who carefully hears this supremely purifying description of God’s adventures and retells it in a devotional spirit is washed of all impurity, freed from all bad habbits, and blessed with long life and good fame.”
— Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.7.48 ~ 61 [end]
Vraja Kishor dās
Kingsday 2015: Videos and photos
Social media has been flooded with video clips and photos of the Kingsday Harinama. On this page there are links to a few.
Read more: https://goo.gl/dB73mN
CC daily Podcast:
Nrsimha Caturdasi 2015, Festival for the appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadeva at New Govardhana, San Diego (Album with 101 photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/xYSOT8
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 April 2015, Durban, South Africa, Lecture: The Golden Incarnation)
All vaisnavas from the four bonafide sampradayas are standing shoulder to shoulder to expose impersonalism which says that the living entity can become God. Never can the living being become God! All vaisnavas will say that we can only be the eternal servant of God! That is a very exalted position. The servant of the king lives in a palace. The servant of the Lord does not live in a palace. The servant of the Lord lives in the spiritual world. Even while walking around in this material world, the servant of the Lord lives in the spiritual world. So there is no greater position than to be the servant of the Supreme Lord. That is the most desirable position.
Radheeeee-Shyam! (Album with 150 HR photos)
The Deities of Krishna Valley in Hungary, beauty personified, just got a new transcendental altar!
See them here: https://goo.gl/mjSnCV
Beautiful Nrisimha-Abhishek ceremony in Mayapur (Album with 229 HR photos)
See them here: http://goo.gl/qwpLd0
Hare Krishna! 1st North American ISKCON Medical Professional Retreat
This retreat is a forum for all physician devotees and those within the medical field to gather and experience enlivening fellowship. We will be deeply honored by your presence. The retreat is open to all premed students, medical students, students in other medical disciplines, interns, residents, and fellows as well. The program will feature inspiring talks by HH Romapada swami and HG Anuttama prabhu and group discussions will be facilitated by HG Vraj Vihari prabhu. We will have ecstatic kirtans, wonderful prasadam and plenty of time to associate with one another and experience the beauty of Gita Nagari dhama and its cows.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17194
Hare Krishna! 1st North American ISKCON Medical Professional Retreat
This retreat is a forum for all physician devotees and those within the medical field to gather and experience enlivening fellowship. We will be deeply honored by your presence. The retreat is open to all premed students, medical students, students in other medical disciplines, interns, residents, and fellows as well. The program will feature inspiring talks by HH Romapada swami and HG Anuttama prabhu and group discussions will be facilitated by HG Vraj Vihari prabhu. We will have ecstatic kirtans, wonderful prasadam and plenty of time to associate with one another and experience the beauty of Gita Nagari dhama and its cows.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17194
Sabbatical Course Bhaktivedanta Manor
Deepen your spiritual roots this year…Immerse yourself in a transcendental adventure - Sabbatical Course 2015/16 This two part, 6 month course is for those who are familiar in the practice of Krishna Consciousness and want to explore it further by diving in to deepen their spiritual roots. The first half of the course starts in the heart of spiritual practices, India. You’ll be living among 150 monks in the world-famous flagship center of training & education - ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai! An opportunity to delve in the innumerable number of seminars, practical workshops & training courses available - all taught by some of the best teachers across the globe. But not only that, the adventure continues when you can take part in pilgrimages to various Holy spots including Vrindavan, Mayapur & Jagannath Puri - so you can really get a glimpse of the spiritual world! On your return from India, starts the second half of the course, based at Bhaktivedanta Manor. This part of the course is mainly focused on completion of the Bhakti Shastri degree, where participants get to spend quality time studying Nectar of Instruction, Nectar of Devotion, Sri Isopanisad & Bhagavad Gita As It Is. You will also gain a healthy exposure to a variety of outreach programs at the Manor to develop practical skills such as public speaking, team leadership, managing projects.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17190
Bhaktivedanta National School Ananda Bazar, Tripura ISKCON Tribal Care (ITC) Initiative By ITC Communications In the 40’s, missionaries introduced Christianity to villages in Assam and converted most of the people in the area. Along with churches and chapels, they opened Christian schools. Devotee children have been attending them due to lack of any other […]
The post Bhaktivedanta National School in Tripura: Training future devotees appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Ambarisha Prabhu - TOVP Presentation - 5-2-15 at ISKCON Los Angeles (15 min video)
Wonderful memories!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/1kQScA
Someone who is not afraid of Lord Nrisimhadeva :-)
I along with other TOVP Exhibit members were in the Lotus Building attending TOVP exhibits conference on April 25th at 1.00 pm in Sridham Mayapur when the building began to shake. We quickly left our conference room and moved to Prabhupada’s park. While we were there, I was informed that a massive earth quake had […]
The post ISKCON Nepal relief message by HH Jayapataka Swami appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Day 7 ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL 2nd May 2015 Bhaktapur (Album with photos)
The devotees in Nepal continue to help the afflicted population.
See them here: https://goo.gl/Jxj99U
If you can’t go to Vrindavana, now Vrindavana comes to you! How? Watch this 4 min video to learn!
Invitation for Vraja-Kathamrita Seminar by His Grace Deena Bandhu Prabhu.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/6EsVNu
The Most Awaited Book of the Year: “Vraj Mandal Darshan ” is going to be released soon. A few words by Lokanath Swami (5 min video)
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/blsVse
Harinama in Yekaterinburg, Russia (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: My Dear Master! Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723 and named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I. It is now Russia’s 4th largest city. It is also home to a thriving community of Krsna conscious devotees who regularly do harinama throughout the beautiful city. As a result of such chanting and dancing, devotees are popular amongst the citizens, who often greet them with the words, “Hare Krsna!” It is all happening by the grace of SrilaPrabhupada. My dear master! May your glories be sung throughout the 3 worlds!
See them here: https://goo.gl/4HgDRa
Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna Documentary Retells Life Of Founder
“Acharya: The Life and Legacy of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada” is now in the final stages of production. The slated premiere date is Sept. 17 in honor of the 50-year anniversary of Prabhupada’s arrival in the United States. Das, the spiritual name John Griesser prefers, has been working on the film for two years. He and a staff of 40 producers, filmmakers and editors began production one year ago. “I think coming up with a really good script (has been the biggest challenge),” Das said. “That’s the foundation of any film. It has to be something that is going to grab people’s attention and make them want to know more about Prabhupada.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17182
Hare Krishna! My dear fellow prabhu/mataji, is it you the pure devotee? An ancient story retold for the devotees
By Citraka dasa. “Prabhus,” the temple president said, “I have incredible news. I have just been told, without any room for doubt or question, the following. A pure devotee is amongst you!” Vaishnava das, a faithful servant of Srila Prabhupada, for many years serving as temple president in a temple community of devotees, had just returned from a visit to a nearby hut which an older sannyasi had chosen as his base for his writing in preparing for his next preaching tour duties. He had approached him with heavy heart to get some advice for the difficult times his temple was going through. A famous Iskcon temple had fallen on hard times.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17179
The post May 5th, 2015 – Chandan yatra Darshan- Day 15 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
15 04 02 SB 06 19 06 By H G Gaura Krishna Prabhu ISKCON Juhu
