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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
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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.
Simhachalam, a devotee farming community in lower-east Germany, was Kadamba Kanana Swami’s next destination after Radhadesh. Upon arrival at the farm on Thursday afternoon (30 April), Maharaj was greeted at the gate by many devotees who were waiting for him, with Gour Mohan leading a jubilant kirtan. Later that evening, the rising of the flag of Garuda, parikrama around the temple and elaborate yajna signalled the start of the Nrshima Caturdasi festival 2015!
The temple was crowded on Thursday already however, in preparation for the masses who were due on Friday, every bit of living space was converted into ‘ashram’, including dining-hall, yoga studio and barn! Apart from filling up all these areas, some devotees stayed in neighbouring guesthouses while others camped in the fields and there were also those who slept in their cars. Such is the attraction to this festival that some minor inconvenience, such as rising at 1am in order to join the queue for the bathroom, is no deterrent at all. However, lacking the European spirit of endurance, I also chose to stay at a nearby guesthouse which allowed me to have a more enjoyable festival as having missed the stress of the morning rush, I was rested and therefore able to participate in more of the activities which ran from mangal-aarti until late at night!
Krsna Ksetra Swami, Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, Prithu Prabhu, Dina Sarana Mataji and Devaki Mataji were some of the other esteemed guests in attendance and over the course of the four day festival lead kirtan and gave some fantastic seminars. Kadamba Kanana Swami had a jam-packed schedule with multiple kirtan and seminar slots on all of the days. On day one (Friday), in his seminar, Maharaj spoke on the glories of Jayananda Prabhu as it was the anniversary of his disappearance. On the other days, the seminars focussed on the meaningful and potent prayers of Prahlad.
Saturday, the main day of the festival, the day we were all looking forward to, had arrived and mangal aarti was a sea of expectant faces eagerly awaiting the first darshan of Lord Nrsimhadev! Guruvastakam was led by Krsna Ksetra Swami. The feeling of celebration was tangible but we could barely move our feet as we stood shoulder-to-shoulder in an overcrowded temple room just to see the Lord in all His majesty! Thereafter, a sweet and ecstatic Tulasi Puja was led by Kadamba Kanana Swami. After a short japa period, at 6am the curtain reopened and our majestic Lordship was publically bathed in scented oil.
If one is visiting Simhachalam for the first time, greetings can be shocker. In most temples, we are accustomed to, ‘Govindam adi purusham…” but at this temple, after the blowing of the conch at 7.15am, the sound of cracking thunder is bellowed throughout the temple room as a recording of the deity greeting song begins and many mantras dedicated to Lord Nrshimadev are recited (watch an old video here). Guru Puja, which had Kadamba Kanana Swami in action again, had a room full of dancing devotees.
Thereafter, everyone assembled in the upper level of the barn where a two hour morning class, shared by the three Swamis, took place. This change in venue was to accommodate the large number of devotees present as the temple room was too small. Various sweet pastimes of Lord Nrshimadev, Prahlad and Hiranyakashipu were shared. A particularly nice dramatic reading, entitled “Hiranyakashipu meets his Maker”, was done by Krsna Ksetra Swami and is worth listening to.
After a full morning of meditation on Nrshimadev including the oil bathing, beautiful darshan at greetings and two hour class, one felt quite satisfied already, however the indisputable highlight of the day had not even unfolded yet. At 11am, the MAHA ABHISEK began…
Litres and litres of milk, yogurt, honey and ghee bathed Nrshimadev. Thereafter, fragrant fresh fruit juices cascaded over the Lord’s beautiful body which was followed by Him being covered in layers of bananas! Fresh and dry fruit garlands decorated His body. Finally, Nrsimhadev was dusted with coloured powders! Bhakti Vaibhava Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami led melodious kirtan while devotees were riveted to their seats as the three hour ceremony was indeed a site to behold! Seminars and more wild kirtans took us to dusk and the end of fasting.
On Sunday, greetings was scheduled almost an hour late as Lord Nrshimadev was being adorned in a special outfit! To accentuate His sweetness, the Lord was covered in a colourful outfit made of just sandesh (milk sweet)! Later that day, an initiation ceremony was held were Bhaktin Sandra from Bratislava was renamed Padma Locani. Simhachalam is known for its wild kirtans and wildest of all happened on Sunday at Gaura aarti! It was the perfect finale to a fulfilling weekend!
Kadamba Kanana Swami has previously described the glories of being part of this festival:
So, I think that Nrsimha Caturdasi in this temple is unique. In the whole world, we have three Nrsimha deities – Mayapur, New Vrindavan and Simhachalam. But nowhere else is like here. Where else do they have black chamaras? Where else do they have Nrsimha pictures on the dark brown walls? Even the surrounding forest is kind of like Nrsimha. There are all these cats around the temple and they kind of look ferocious, not like your sweet little home cats. Lord Nrsimhadev is not just here in this little temple but Lord Nrsimhadev’s influence is spreading everywhere. And the devotees from Czech, they feel like there is somebody over the border here. Devotees from everywhere have become addicted to being here for this festival… I’m also addicted. I hope that all of you will also become addicted and then bring people like yourself. Come back again and again because this deity, he is just too powerful for this little corner of the Bavarian forest. There is a good reason why he is the deity for Europe. Just as Prabhupada named Sri Sri London Isvara and Paris Isvara, another name for Lord Nrsimhadev is Sri Sri Europe Isvara. He is part of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtan movement. Therefore, we know who we are dealing with when we look at Lord Nrsimhadev. We are dealing with Nrsimha Caitanya – none other. Within this form of Lord Nrsimhadev, Lord Caitanya is manifesting and Lord Caitanya is diving out all the demon-like desires of the population of the world.
Photos
Visit flickr to see all the pictures.
Audio
KKS_Simhachalam_01 May 2015_Kirtan
KKS_Simhachalam_01 May 2015_Seminar_Jayananda Prabhu
KKS_Simhachalam_01 May 2015_Kirtan_Evening
KKS_Simhachalam_02 May2015_Kirtan_Gurupuja
KKS_Simhachalam_02 May2015_Morning Lecture
KKS_Simhachalam_02 May 2015_Kirtan_Abhisek Part 1
KKS_Simhachalam_02 May 2015_Kirtan_Abhisek Part 2
KKS_Simhachalam_02 May 2015_Seminar_SB_5.18.8
KKS_Simhachalam_03 May 2015_Seminar
Full Morning Lecture given by three Swamis – Download here.
Bhagavatam daily Podcast:
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CC daily Podcast:
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Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
"So this concentration of mind is very difficult in this age because mind is so agitated. Therefore force them to hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even they have no mind to hear, you chant loudly Hare Kṛṣṇa. They will hear. Their mind will be dragged. It is so nice thing. He hasn't got to (chuckling) concentrate. I'll force him. You see? So as soon as he hears "Kṛṣṇa," oh, he advances immediately one step." - Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968
‘Closet Krishna’ the ISKCON charity shop in Rochester, Kent
Last night I spoke to a gathering at Closet Krishna, the charity shop and meeting space down in Rochester, Kent.
The name of the shop is borrowed from George Harrison’s description of himself as a private, secret devotee of Krishna, a ‘closet Krishna.’ In the days when he said that, ‘coming out of the closet’ was a term used by gay people to describe the often harrowing moment when they chose to declare to the world their sexuality.They faced criticism and rejection, often from those they loved most. ‘Coming out’ was one of the bravest choices they could make.
Telling those we love that we’re a person with spiritual leanings can be equally nerve-racking. It can be just as difficult a conversation, and we never know how they’ll react. It’s a secret, private, part of us, and one that is not always appreciated by our nearest and dearest.But eventually it has to come out.
Yet the first person we have to admit our spirituality to is ourselves. Often we fail to accept that its there, or we put it down as another opinion which may come and go like all the others we’ve ever had.So we’re wary of our opinions, sometimes, particularly the small but persistent voice of our soul.It seems so impractical.
We are all creatures of sweeping belief systems. We don’t always realise how many of our opinions have been shaped by the powerful forces of social discourse, media influence, and political rhetoric. In our bid to be popular with others we may refrain from saying anything that may jeopardise our acceptability. And how many times do we articulate views that are fashionable, rather than those we actually feel to be correct?
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.
Hare Krishna! Joy of Celebration with Sri Chaitanya Charitamritam!
Recently Sri Radha Madanmohan temple at ISKCON Navi Mumbai, India took the major initiative of conducting ‘Bhakti Vardhan’ program on second Saturday of every month. The Bhakti Vardhan event brings all Navi Mumbai devotees on a common platform with the objective of developing the strong congregation to nicely serve Sri Radha Madanmohanji in the new temple complex – the Glory of Maharashtra project. Interestingly the second Saturday on 9th May 2015 coincided with 400th Anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Charitamritam and it was decided to celebrate it along with monthly Bhakti Vardhan program on the same evening.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17394
Hare Krishna! Have Your Own Cow Protection Village
ISCOWP is moving and selling its West Virginia farm. The farm consists of 168 acres, two houses, one guest cabin, three cow barns, one hay barn, two wells, numerous springs, creek, new Morton metal building for equipment and workshop (2014), all pastures fenced, greenhouse, nine foot deer fence around one acre garden/orchard and more. The 168 acres is divided into 4 parcels which would allow a few devotee families to create their own village. It is a turn key operation for cow protection and growing your own organic food. Four miles from ISKCON New Vrindavana.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17390
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Hare Krishna! Parenting adventures in KC: 15 Ekadashi recipes for babies and toddlers
As Vaishnavas, we observe ekadashi (11th day of the lunar cycle) fasting twice a month – which means that we avoid grains and beans on that day. As per my understanding, fasting is not compulsory for children – especially below 5 years. But I preferred giving him non-grain meals. While the spiritual benefits of this are immense, I personally find Ekadashi days to be a great opportunity for my son to eat some non-grain super foods like quinoa, samo and amaranth.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17387
Hare Krishna! Remembering Tribhuvanatha prabhu
“It was amazing how one person could have so many relationships with so many people – because he really did care, he really loved all the people he met.” Tribhuvannatha Prabhu was my best friend in Krsna consciousness. He was a very dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada and so it was a great honor and privilege to have his close association. Therefore I wish to humbly share a few memories of Tribhuvannatha here so that others might get a glimpse of his greatness and feel inspired by his wonderful example of service and dedication to Srila Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17383
Harinama- Shabbat with Krishna, Tel Aviv (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: As Krishna is living eternally, similarly, living being also lives eternally. “One who has done service to the Lord lives forever.” So you have been taught to serve Krishna, and with Krishna we’ll live eternally. Our life is eternal. A temporary disappearance of this body doesn’t matter. Body is meant for disappearance. So live forever by serving Krishna. Vrndavan, May 17, 1977.
See them here: https://goo.gl/xFnTS5