Planet ISKCON

Catering for the Catwalk
Govinda’s Restaurant in London was chosen to cater for world renowned fashion designer Vivienne Westwood’s backstage area for her catwalk show at the Science Museum. As a student almost 20 years ago, Vivienne Westwood regularly ate at Govinda’s. When the fashion show was hosted in Italy, Govinda’s in Italy was asked to cater. This made Govinda’s a natural choice for the show in London. The backstage area was bustling with models, photographers, make-up artists, hairdressers and event organisers, who enjoyed the vegetarian cuisine and offered many compliments. Many of them were vegan or vegetarian and were pleased they could eat everything on the menu. Impressed by the devotees’ cooking, Vivienne Westwood has now requested ISKCON Paris to cater for her next show.

Hare Krishna! Bhaktivedanta Players 30th Anniversary (1985-2015)
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Bhaktivedanta Manor’s main drama group. The group has been led chiefly by Jaya Krishna Das and Dwarka Puri das but over the years a great many other devotees of all ages and backgrounds have participated and given much of their time. Disciples of Srila Prabhupada pioneered the first dramas at Bhaktivedanta Manor during the early 1970’s. By 1985 the baton had gradually passed onto the next generation and The Bhaktivedanta Players in its present structure was born.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17027

Hare Krishna! Bhaktivedanta Players 30th Anniversary (1985-2015)
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Bhaktivedanta Manor’s main drama group. The group has been led chiefly by Jaya Krishna Das and Dwarka Puri das but over the years a great many other devotees of all ages and backgrounds have participated and given much of their time. Disciples of Srila Prabhupada pioneered the first dramas at Bhaktivedanta Manor during the early 1970’s. By 1985 the baton had gradually passed onto the next generation and The Bhaktivedanta Players in its present structure was born.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17027

Hare Krishna! Seminar on Vedanta and Science at TELKOM University, Bandung, Indonesia
Subhag Maharaj encouraged the students saying, “At your request we have delivered the seminars, now please accept our request also, please see our books at the book table and take some. You will become truly happy.”After the seminar many of students and teachers bought Bhagavad gita and other Srila Prabhupada’s book. Maharaj personally signed the book purchased at that time.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17023

Hare Krishna! Seminar on Vedanta and Science at TELKOM University, Bandung, Indonesia
Subhag Maharaj encouraged the students saying, “At your request we have delivered the seminars, now please accept our request also, please see our books at the book table and take some. You will become truly happy.”After the seminar many of students and teachers bought Bhagavad gita and other Srila Prabhupada’s book. Maharaj personally signed the book purchased at that time.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17023

Hare Krishna! Sabbatical Adventures in UK, 2014-15
For over ten years now the Manor has organised an annual sabbatical, a sixmonth residential course for men. Ketan Suchak shares: “I enrolled this year, as six of us spent three months in India, beginning in September with a three-week stay at a Mumbai monastery. There we studied the scripture, ‘Nectar of Instruction’. We next flew to Calcutta and booked a car to Mayapur. The spiritual city is the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, the place where the Lord danced and sang the Hare Krishna mantra. We spent ten days there and in the evenings I enjoyed listening to melodious prayers in the Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya temple.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17018

Hare Krishna! Sabbatical Adventures in UK, 2014-15
For over ten years now the Manor has organised an annual sabbatical, a sixmonth residential course for men. Ketan Suchak shares: “I enrolled this year, as six of us spent three months in India, beginning in September with a three-week stay at a Mumbai monastery. There we studied the scripture, ‘Nectar of Instruction’. We next flew to Calcutta and booked a car to Mayapur. The spiritual city is the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, the place where the Lord danced and sang the Hare Krishna mantra. We spent ten days there and in the evenings I enjoyed listening to melodious prayers in the Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya temple.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17018

Hare Krishna! Supporting ISKCON Intiatives Around the World
Every year Bhaktivedanta Manor contributes £10,000 towards various ISKCON projects both nationally and internationally. Over the last thirty years many worthy causes have been supported, including the saving of the New Mayapur Temple in France, establishing a centre in Brussels and the Bhaktivedanta School in Mayapur, supporting Vrindavan’s Food for Life program and the Sandipani Muni School for poor and unprivileged children, and many more.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17014

Hare Krishna! Supporting ISKCON Intiatives Around the World
Every year Bhaktivedanta Manor contributes £10,000 towards various ISKCON projects both nationally and internationally. Over the last thirty years many worthy causes have been supported, including the saving of the New Mayapur Temple in France, establishing a centre in Brussels and the Bhaktivedanta School in Mayapur, supporting Vrindavan’s Food for Life program and the Sandipani Muni School for poor and unprivileged children, and many more.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17014

6th Annual Clearwater Beach Festival of Chariots & Rath Yatra Parade
An multi-cultural parade and festival will be celebrated with entertainment for the whole family. There will be live music, singing, classical dance, books, bazaar, and lots of free delicious vegetarian food. The Ratha Yatra Parade is the oldest known parade in the world. As it is Mother’s Day we will have a special treat for all mothers!
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17011

The post April 27th, 2015 – Chandan yatra Darshan- Day 7 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

On April 25^th, a massive earthquake hit Nepal, which is now reported to have killed some 2,500 people. The ISKCON community has also been affected, with many devotees injured and having their houses lost. Some of their relatives got buried under the collapsed buildings and died. ISKCON Katmandu is trying its best to help devotees and people in need by providing shelter, medical help and organizing prasadam distribution.

Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:

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From Ankur P
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From Ankur P
In 3.16 purport, Prabhupada says that performing yajnyas aimed at a particular devata is indirectly KC activity because when one masters the performance of yajnya one is sure to become KC. What is the meaning of “mastering the performance of yajnya”? And how is it related to guaranteed development of KC?
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From Ankur P
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From Ankur P
It says in 3.14 that rains are produced from yajnyas. Does it literally mean that if yajnya performances are stopped, then there would be no rains? If that’s correct, even today how many people are performing yajnyas - whether fire sacrifices or sankirtan yajnya, but rains are still happening? How to understand this?
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From Ankur P:
In 3.14 purport, what is the destination of those who partake of some devata’s prasadam (food offered to a devata), say, on regular basis? Won’t devata’s prasadam diminish one’s sinful reactions or at least add some pious credits?

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Śrīmad Bhāgavata 4.7.1 ~ 12:

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Now hear how Śiva replied, smiling and wholly satisfied with Unborn Brahmā’s advice.

The greatest of gods said, “I will not speak, or even think, of the wrongs done by childish people who are simply creatures of divine illusion. I will no longer punish them.

“The Progenitor’s head has been burnt, but let him have a head from a goat. Let Bhaga see through Mitra’s eyes, so he can continue to look upon the rewards he desires. Let Pūṣā eat through the person performing a sacrifice, otherwise, let him chew gruel. Let the gods who wanted to include me in the sacrifice have all their bones restored. As for the priests and others, let those whose arms have been torn off use Aśvini’s arms; and let those whose hands have been cut off use Pūṣā’s hands. Let Bhṛgu have a goat’s beard.”

The gods and sages agreed, saying “sādhu, sādhu.” They were satisfied at heart that Śiva had generously forgiven them. They invited Generous Śiva and Dexterous Brahmā to return with them to the sacrificial arena.

There, under Śiva’s guidance, they joined the Dakṣa’s body to the head of a sacrificial goat. By Rudra’s glance, when Dakṣa got this head, he immediately came to consciousness, as if he was waking up from sleep, and saw Dusty Śiva before him. Receiving Śiva’s merciful glance, all of Dakṣa’s hatred for the bull-rider disappeared, and his polluted soul became as pure as an autumn lake. He wanted to express his gratitude to Śiva, the Lord of Existence, but could not, because he remembered that his daughter was now dead and could only weep with terrible emotion.

His mind was burning in the flames of love for his daughter, but with great effort, he made himself steady and calm. Then, with a sincere heart, the Progenitor began to speak to the Master, Śiva.

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Comment: One might wonder, “If Śiva could purify Dakṣa just by glancing at him, why didn’t he do it a long time ago and save everyone all this grief?”

The answer is hinted at by using the word “Receiving” in the phrase “Recieving Śiva’s merciful glance.” Every living entity is conscious and independent, nothing can be forced on anyone, not even by Bhagavān Śiva or Viṣṇu. It was not until Dakṣa was willing to recieve Śiva’s mercy that it could be effective.

Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: Forgiveness, Hinduism, Mercy, Shiva

"Lord Krsna's name is cintamani, formed of eternal and transcendental touchstone. Just as a touchstone yields all desirable objects, so the touchstone of Krsna's holy name gives religiosity, wealth, sense pleasure and liberation to a materialistic person. To a surrendered devotee, it offers pure love of Krsna."

From Harinama Cintamani
by Bhaktivinoda Thakur

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 March 2015, Pretoria, South Africa, Evening Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 1.1)

We can live a natural life in the world but it must be according to what is pleasing to Krsna. It is so simple. We do not have to move out into a cave and all these things. Bhagavad-gita is therefore very practical. We do not have to just wear all black. In some religions, you have to wear black only. Black clothes only. But in ours, you can wear all kinds of colours. But saffron is the best! Why is it so? Because the dust on Krsna’s lotus feet is saffron. What do you think of that? That is a good argument, is it not? (Laughing) How can you argue with that?

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 Giriraj Swami spoke with devotees from Mumbai over Skype.

“Mother Arca-vigraha loved Vrindavan. She just loved being in Vrindavan. And she wished that other devotees could have the same opportunity that she had to spend their last days in Vrindavan. She asked me to take up that project and I said I would. From that desire of hers came the Vrindavan hospice. That was her direct request. And now so many devotees are being served by the hospice—including disciples and other followers of Srila Prabhupada from various countries. That is due to her original desire. So, she is a glorious servant of Krishna and the Vaishnavas and it is very good that every year you come together to remember her and glorify her. We should endeavor to follow in her footsteps by completely dedicating ourselves to Krishna’s service. We may not have the same specific qualities and abilities that she had, but whatever abilities we do have we should engage fully in the service of the Lord and the devotees. In this way we can also achieve a very exalted position in devotional service, and in the end achieve the supreme destination.”

Arca-vigraha’s Disappearance, Carpinteria

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First Photos from ISKCON Relief Camp in Nepal (Album with photos)
Camps have been setup to help all the people by providing them with fresh prasadam, place to stay and medical faclities. A team of devotee doctors from India will leave tomorrow to reinforcements to the devotees serving in Nepal. If you wish to contribute to these relief operations, please donate to the following accounts:
See the photos and the details here: http://goo.gl/tWW3vT

SRILA PRABHUPADA’S LETTER TO MAHATMA GANDHI
Letter to: Mahatma Gandhi
Cawnpore 12 July, 1947 47-07-12 Mahatma Gandhijee Bhangi Colony New Delhi Dear Friend Mahatmajee, Please accept my respectful Namaskar. I am your unknown friend but I had to write to you at times and again although you never cared to reply them. I sent you my papers “Back to Godhead” but your secretaries told me that you have very little time to read the letters and much less for reading the magazines. I asked for an interview with you but your busy secretaries never cared to reply this. Anyway as I am your very old friend although unknown to you I am again writing to you in order to bring you to the rightful position deserved by you. As a sincere friend I must not deviate from my duty towards a friend like your good self. I tell you as a sincere friend that you must immediately retire from active politics if you do not desire to die an inglorious death. You have 125 years to live as you have desired to live but you if you die an inglorious death it is no worth. The honour and prestige that you have obtained during the course of you present life time, were not possible to be obtained by any one else within the living memory. But you must know that all these honours and prestiges were false in as much as they were created by the Illusory Energy of Godhead called the maya. By this falsity I do not mean to say that your so many friends were false to you nor you were false to them. By this falsity I mean illusion or in other words the false friendship and honours obtained thereby were but creation of maya and therefore they are always temporary or false as you may call it. But none of you neither your friends nor yourself knew this truth. Now by the Grace of God that illusion is going to be cleared and thus your faithful friends like Acarya Kripalini and others are accusing you for your inability at the present moment to give them any practical programme of work as you happened to give them during your glorious days of non-co-operation movement. So you are also in a plight to find out a proper solution for the present political tangle created by your opponents. You should therefore take a note of warning from your insignificant friend like me, that unless you retire timely from politics and engage yourself cent per cent in the preaching work of Bhagavad-gita, which is the real function of the Mahatmas, you shall have to meet with such inglorious deaths as Mussolini, Hitlers, Tojos, Churchills or Lloyd Georges met with. You can very easily understand as to how some of your political enemies in the garb of friends (both Indian and English) have deliberately cheated you and have broken your heart by doing the same mischief for which you have struggled so hard for so many years. You wanted chiefly Hindu-Moslem unity in India and they have tactfully managed to undo your work, by creation of the Pakistan and India separately. You wanted freedom for India but they have given permanent dependence of India. You wanted to do something for the upliftment of the position of the bhangis but they are still rotting as bhangis even though you are living in the bhangi colony. They are all therefore illusions and when these things will be presented to you as they are, you must consider them as God-sent. God has favored you by dissipating the illusion you were hovering in, and by the same illusion you were, nursing those ideas as Truth(?). You must know that you are in the relative world which is called by the sages as Dvaita i.e. dual- and nothing is absolute here. Your Ahimsa is always followed by Himsa as the light is followed by darkness or the father is followed by the son. Nothing is absolute truth in this dual world. You did not know this neither you ever cared to know this from the right sources and therefore all your attempts to create unity were followed by disunity and Ahimsa. Ahimsa was followed by Himsa. But it is better late than never. You must know now something about the Absolute Truth. The Truth with which you have been experimenting so long is relative. The relative truths are creations of the daivi maya qualified by the three modes of Nature. They are all insurmountable as is explained in the Bhagavad-gita (7.14. The Absolute Truth is the Absolute Godhead. In the Katha Upanisad it is ordered that one must approach the bona fide Guru who is not only well versed in all the scriptures of the world but is also the realized soul in Brahman the Absolute—in order to learn the science of Absolute Truth. So also it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita as follows:— tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ (Bg. 4.34) But I know that you never underwent such transcendental training except some severe penances which you invented for your purpose as you have invented so many things in the course of experimenting with the relative truths. You might have easily avoided them if you had approached the Guru as abovementioned. But your sincere efforts to attain some Godly qualities by austerities etc surely have raised you to some higher position which you can better utilize for the purpose of the Absolute Truth. If you, however, remain satisfied with such temporary position only and do not try to know the Absolute Truth, then surely you are to fall down from the artificially exalted position under the laws of Nature. But if you really want to approach the Absolute Truth and want to do some real good to the people in general all over the world, which shall include your ideas of unity, peace and non-violence, then you must give up the rotten politics immediately and rise up for the preaching work of the philosophy and religion of “Bhagavad-gita” without offering unnecessary and dogmatic interpretations on them. I had occasionally discussed this subject in my paper “Back to Godhead” and a leaf from the same is enclosed herewith for your reference. I would only request you to retire from politics at least for a month only and let us have discussion on the Bhagavad-gita. I am sure, thereby, that you shall get a new light from the result of such discussions not only for your benefit but for the benefit of the world at large—as I know that you are sincere, honest and moralist. Awaiting your early reply with interest. Yours sincerely, Abhay Charan De Enclosure—one leaf from Back to Godhead

Hare Krishna! Expand your horizons in vision, but concentrate them in implementation
“Expand your horizons” is a popular saying among the ambitious. The Bhagavad-gita takes this saying to a higher level by expanding our horizons from the material level to the spiritual level – from temporary worldly pleasure to eternal transcendental fulfillment. The Gita (06.20-23) outlines this fulfillment available in the state of spiritual perfection – a state where no tribulation can disturb us, a state where no temptation can allure us, a state where we ultimately become forever free from all misery.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17000

Hare Krishna! Expand your horizons in vision, but concentrate them in implementation
“Expand your horizons” is a popular saying among the ambitious. The Bhagavad-gita takes this saying to a higher level by expanding our horizons from the material level to the spiritual level – from temporary worldly pleasure to eternal transcendental fulfillment. The Gita (06.20-23) outlines this fulfillment available in the state of spiritual perfection – a state where no tribulation can disturb us, a state where no temptation can allure us, a state where we ultimately become forever free from all misery.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17000

Hare Krishna! The devotee dive-bomb
Srutakirti dasa: On different occasions Srila Prabhupada spoke about sleep. When I first became his servant, he called me into his room after he had taken a short nap following lunch. This was at the Dallas temple when Srila Prabhupada visited the gurukula facility. He asked me if I had taken rest after eating my lunch. I said no. This was not something that was done at that time. “I am an old man,” he said. “I cannot sleep very long at one time, so I take a nap after lunch.” I had been with Srila Prabhupada only a few days, but his humility had already captured my heart. On another occasion, when he was getting ready to take rest in the evening, he said to me, “Whenever I go to take rest, I think, ‘Now I am going to waste my time.‘”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16995

Hare Krishna! The devotee dive-bomb
Srutakirti dasa: On different occasions Srila Prabhupada spoke about sleep. When I first became his servant, he called me into his room after he had taken a short nap following lunch. This was at the Dallas temple when Srila Prabhupada visited the gurukula facility. He asked me if I had taken rest after eating my lunch. I said no. This was not something that was done at that time. “I am an old man,” he said. “I cannot sleep very long at one time, so I take a nap after lunch.” I had been with Srila Prabhupada only a few days, but his humility had already captured my heart. On another occasion, when he was getting ready to take rest in the evening, he said to me, “Whenever I go to take rest, I think, ‘Now I am going to waste my time.‘”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16995

Hare Krishna! ISKCON Nepal sets Medical camps, Rescue teams and Food for life to assist earthquake victims
As a result of the earthquake, the devotee community has also been affected with many devotees injured, having their houses lost. Some of their relatives also left their bodies buried. In this time of crisis, we devotees from ISKCON Nepal are also extending our help to the people affected through our programs of Medical camps, Rescue teams and Food for life. We are trying our best in reaching out to people in the form of Krishna’s Prasadam and other facilities. However, our help we are trying to extend is not enough to reach the huge number of people who are affected. So, we wholeheartedly appeal to the devotees worldwide to help us with funds and prayers at this time of crisis.
#Katmadu_Earthquake
For details about how to help click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16989

Hare Krishna! ISKCON Nepal sets Medical camps, Rescue teams and Food for life to assist earthquake victims
As a result of the earthquake, the devotee community has also been affected with many devotees injured, having their houses lost. Some of their relatives also left their bodies buried. In this time of crisis, we devotees from ISKCON Nepal are also extending our help to the people affected through our programs of Medical camps, Rescue teams and Food for life. We are trying our best in reaching out to people in the form of Krishna’s Prasadam and other facilities. However, our help we are trying to extend is not enough to reach the huge number of people who are affected. So, we wholeheartedly appeal to the devotees worldwide to help us with funds and prayers at this time of crisis.
#Katmadu_Earthquake
For details about how to help click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16989

The post Manjari d.d. asks questions about disciples’ relationship with their guru appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Iskcon - The Hare Krishna Movement. Who are they?
Read all about them here: http://goo.gl/2sMx0e

Let us come together to pray for those affected by the earthquake in Nepal and India.
ISKCON Nepal has set up a relief camp with the help of 300 devotees in the Budhanilkantha locality of Kathmandu. If you know someone who wish to volunteer or contribute to the relief operation, please direct them to the ISKCON, Buddhanilkantha, Kathamandu.
Due to severe damage in infrastructure, electronic transfer details and phone numbers are currently unavailable. These details will be posted soon.
#Katmadu_Earthquake