Websites from the ISKCON Universe
ISKCON Studies Institute Conference 2015
The ISKCON Studies Institute cordially invites you to attend its upcoming conference to be held at Radhadesh (Belgium) from May 22-24, 2015. This year’s conference theme is Devotional Ethics, Community, and Practice in Caitanya Vaisnavism.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16790
ISKCON Sri Lanka School Preaching - “Heavy Chanting” of Hare Krishna Mahamantra by School Children (2 min video)
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/ATUOJg
Hare Krishna! Srila Prabhupada’s Jaladuta Diary entries
April 1965: While approaching the Scindia Steam Navigation Company in Bombay to sponsor his passage to America, Srila Prabhupada received one of their complimentary diaries. He used it at first as an appointment book. Once his voyage to America on the Jaladuta began in August of that year, he made regular entries in the diary to record the events of the journey.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16783
Hare Krishna! TOVP Tour Daily Diary: Day 24 – $325,000 pledged at New Jersey TOVP Presentation
After kirtan and abhisheka of the Padukas, a few local leaders, including Madhupati prabhu, Temple President of both New Jersey temples, and Devakinandana prabhu, spoke and began the program. Radha Jivan then introduced Ambarisa prabhu who had come for both the New Jersey programs, and together with Jananivas prabhu they urged the 150+ devotees to make a sacrifice for the TOVP despite the large financial burden of the new facilities. Devotees responded enthusiastically and the pledges amounted to over $325,000 by the end of the program. Prasadam was served to all the Vaishnavas.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16780
Dedicated diciples in Ljubljana Iskcon temple perform Puja ceremony (2 min video)
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/Z7EnoN
Goshala ISKCON Mayapur (8 min video)
Beautiful, happy, protected cows!
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/zeODvP
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US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard got married to Abe Williams on April 9th on Hawaii. She walked down the aise listening to the melody of "Jaya Radha Madhava", and there was a fire ceremony which ended with a lively kirtan.
Hare Krishna! Japa: An Outline
1. We all have a relationship with Krishna. A. We are fully and eternally related with Krishna on the spiritual platform. B. The relationship is there whether we are theists or atheists, practitioners or non-practitioners. C. We may be conscious of the relationship or not, and our consciousness may also be in various manners strong, weak or distorted. 2. If we are not pure devotees, that relationship is to some degree or another broken. A. The full relationship is prema. B. Brokenness in various ways characterizes all else. 3. Maha-mantra japa is, in the beginning, a preliminary demonstration of interest in restoring the relationship.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16777
Hare Krishna! List of English Words derived from Sanskrit via Latin Greek Persian
Be it Greek Latin English Hindi Lithuanian – Sanskrit is the mother of all Languages. Even Scholars like Voltaire, Immanuel Kant etc believed that Sanskrit was the root of all Indo-European languages. “I am convinced that everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges” said Voltaire. He believed that the “Dynasty of Brahmins taught the rest of the world”.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16774
The Astrological Newsletter, A Gaudiya Vaishnava Publication April 2015
Dandavats to the Vaishnavas. May Shrila Prabhupada be eternally glorified. Please find attached the latest issue (April 2015) of The Astrological Newsletter. This issue features a lecture Shrila Prabhupada’s that deals with astrology, the Mahabharata and the reign of King Yudhishthira over the entire world. Smt Abhaya Mudra Dasi unravels the mysteries of the Book of Revelation in the Bible. There are many other items of interest to the Vaishnava community, and as usual we appreciate your feedback. Thanks for reading. Yours in the service of the servants of Prabhupada’s servants, Patita Pavana dasa, Ed.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/2DrvhB
“Prabhupada’s Vision: Our Mission” Poster
Prabhupada’s Vision for New Vrindaban: Founded in 1968, Srila Prabhupada boldly envisions New Vrindaban as a sacred village known worldwide for Cow Protection, Simple Living, Holy Pilgrimage, Spiritual Education, and, above all, Loving Krishna.
Hare Krishna! Double voice amplification kirtans and the missing silence
This paper is about what I call “double voice amplification kirtans.” These are kirtans in which the lead-singer sings into the microphone, after which, on the response, another devotee also sings into a microphone. The result is an uninterrupted amplification of two lead-voices throughout the entire kirtan. I think this type of kirtan is problematic for several reasons, which I explain as follows.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16770
Hare Krishna! Was Alexander the Great a Contempory of Canakya Pandit? – the Puranic Version
Srila Prabhupada: “That is a fact-the brahmanas were accepted. They formed the advisory committee of the king. For example, Candragupta, the Hindu king, was in the age of Alexander the Great. Just before Candragupta, Alexander the Great went from Greece into India and conquered a portion. When Candragupta became emperor, he had Canakya as his prime minister. Perhaps you have heard this name Canakya?”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16763
Hare Krishna! Celebrating the Glories of Our Mothers
In material life and its culture, where sense gratification is the goal of life, mothers don’t have a very respected and valued position at all. Indeed, it is a down-trodden and pitiful one – the mother is the slave at home! She can’t go out and enjoy life by having a career, developing her talents, and earning money. To be ‘just a mother and housewife’ is not given any importance and value as a rule.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16760
Vrindavan Kirtan Mela 2015 Vrajras Day 07 by Bhakta Prashant Prabhu
Jaya Krsna prabhu speaks during the New Vrindaban Community Dialog.
By Madhava Smullen
Nearly 40 New Vrindaban residents and board members gathered for a community dialogue on March 14th, 2015 to discuss starting a Village Council, which could provide residents with a voice and facilitate a more comprehensive community governance.
After a sweet kirtan and introductions all around that created a mood of warmth and humor, Joint Board Member Chaitanya Mangala Das introduced the topic, saying that the non-profit religious corporate structure New Vrindaban has used until now was like “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.”
“Corporations, with their legal frameworks, rules and restrictions,” he said, “Don’t work for a more democratic body involving people in this kind of community setting.” He added that the Village Council concept was a new attempt by the Joint Boards at an ongoing effort to involve the broader community.
The inspiration behind the idea, he explained, came from a 1973 quote by Srila Prabhupada, instructing the leaders of New Vrindaban to “Go on acquiring the surrounding lands and in this way we will establish a local self-governing village, and show all the world a practical example of spiritual life as Krishna Himself exhibited in Vrindaban.”
Chaitanya Mangala further summarized the Village Council proposition with three buzz words – small, local, and simple.
“Small: the proposed council could consist of five to eight key representatives from the ECO-V and ISKCON New Vrindaban Boards, the Advocacy Sanga, and other community interests such as local non-profits or businesses,” he said.
“Local: since the new council will represent the New Vrindaban village, members will have to live in it and be able to meet face to face on a regular basis,” he went on. “And simple: there should be few preconditions made before the Council is formed, with the focus on simply getting the group in a room talking on a regular basis.”
Chaitanya Mangala also pointed out that while a subcommittee consisting of Joint Board Members Dayavira Das, Ananga Manjari Dasi, Madhava Gosh Das, and president Jaya Krishna Das, had worked on the Village Council concept, they intentionally hadn’t filled in more specific details, leaving that for the Village Council “steering committee” to do.
As the discussion opened up to the floor, Nityodita Das of the community’s Advocacy Sanga expressed his group’s appreciation that two of its top priorities – devotee care and governance – were also being made a priority by New Vrindaban leadership.
He said that apathy in the community was to some degree caused by frustration at having no avenue to influence its direction. The Village Council, if successful, would be a helpful solution.
He concluded that a more inclusive system was needed so that people could express themselves, and pointed out that in the end all parties wanted the same thing – for New Vrindaban to be a more loving, Krishna conscious, united community.
Next Jesse, also from the Advocacy Sanga, expressed appreciation for the developments but also disillusionment. After spending a year-and-a half in the Advocacy Sanga, what he saw as a similar effort to the proposed Village Council, he felt they had failed to create a bridge between the temple management and community members, and was skeptical that a new organization would have any impact. However he did hope that it would.
Advaita Das responded with an impassioned, inspirational speech in which he opined that the Advocacy Sanga was a success – and that the current plan for a Village Council wouldn’t be happening without it. He also echoed Nityodita’s thoughts on apathy being a problem in New Vrindaban, which he felt was a result of people not being appreciated and recognized.
Commenting that this was an opportunity for residents to take responsibility for creating what they want, ECO-V’s new project manager Mukunda Das suggested that they didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. “We can learn about the specifics of creating a Village Council,” he said, “From many successful intentional communities that already have Village Councils.”
Devotees engaged in discussion during the Community Dialog.
Professor Burke Rochford, who has studied ISKCON since the 1970s and written many scholarly books and articles about it, was then invited to offer his reflections on the idea.
Calling it “an important conversation,” he said, “New Vrindaban, in contrast to other ISKCON temples, was specifically envisioned by Prabhupada as a community, and while that makes it a different and special place, it also makes for certain inherent challenges that other temples don’t have.”
Rochford mentioned that when he surveyed the New Vrindaban community some years ago, one thing that stood out to him was how the residents felt alienated because of the emphasis on the place (as being a holy pilgrimage) rather than on the people.
“Ten years later, the conversation is very similar,” he said. “But now’s the time for it to lead to something. This is your community, and the Village Council is an opportunity for the voices of the people to be heard.”
Rochford’s observations were echoed in the discussion that followed, with many saying they felt community members were not being put first and expressing the wish for an overall increase in focus on devotee care.
Advaita then turned the conversation back to the practicalities of a working Village Council, commenting that it was critical that the Joint Boards were represented on the Council and were attentive to the residents, to ensure that decisions are supported at the board level.
Meanwhile Nityodita offered the Advocacy Sanga’s open Wednesday meetings as a venue to continue developing the Village Council.
As the dialogue wound down, New Vrindaban co-GBC Anuttama Das observed that its general mood had been a positive one of “there may be disagreements, but let’s try to improve things together.” He quoted Bhaktivinode Thakur as saying, “progress is a gradual series of adjustments moving in the right direction.”
Devotees enjoy the conversation during the Community Dialog.
He acknowledged that trust needed to be rebuilt, which was a two-way street. He added that he saw the afternoon’s dialogue as real tangible progress and said, “If we work together, Krishna will continue to move us forward.”
In closing, Chaitanya Mangala said that the input and participation of every single person present mattered. He expressed that while there was no specific vision yet, the process of getting a Village Council up and running had been started.
Moving on, the Joint Boards, the Advocacy Sanga, and other groups and individuals will come together to formulate a practical plan.
“This could create a wonderful example of what Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do when he made his famous statement, ‘Your love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate to keep this institution together after I am gone,” concluded ISKCON New Vrindaban president Jaya Krishna Das.
Srimati Tulsi Gabbard’s lovely wedding (3 min video)
Here are some highlights from Tulsi’s beautiful Hindu Vedic wedding on April 9, including walking down the aisle and a fire ceremony which ended with a lively kirtan.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/9ZQu2R
Gita Verse-by-verse Podcast:
From Nagesh P
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From Shekar kyatam
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From Vinayak P:
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SP explains in Raja Vidya book about the example of Iron Rod and Fire.
"As we begin to make spiritual advancement while in the material body, we begin to take on the qualities of a spiritual body. If we put iron into a fire, it becomes hot, and then it becomes red-hot, and finally it is no longer iron, but fire—whatever it touches bursts into flames. As we become advanced in Kåñëa consciousness, our material body will become spiritualized and will no longer be affected by material contamination."
What it means " Our material body will become spiritualized" ?
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Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:
The 12th of April is the Appearance Day of Kadamba Kanana Swami according to the Western calendar. Even though the official Vyasa Puja celebration will take place on the 26th in Radhadesh, today is still a special day for all those who are close to him. Here is a trip down memory lane with a slide-show of pictures of Kadamba Kanana Swami.
CC daily Podcast:
Mahatma prabhu talks about the importance of Mayapur and the TOVP, answering questions about its effect on the world, its place in ISKCON (7 min video)
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/mK5CzU
Hare Krishna! Maya’s Friend Norm
Lord Krishna’s deluding potency, works with certain energies that have the capacity to make material life seem like normal life. As we go about our everyday activities in the material world, we are continuously confronted with the normality, or normalness, of material existence. In other words, we are constantly bombarded with the notion that material life, with all its mundane rationality, constitutes normal life and that this world is where we belong. As Srila Prabhupada affirms, however, material life, which is devoid of love of Lord Krishna and service to Him, is very abnormal.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16755
Harinama in Prague (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “In Dvapara-yuga one could satisfy Krishna or Visnu only by worshiping Him gorgeously according to the pancaratriki system, but in the Age of Kali one can satisfy and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting the holy name.” (Narayana-samhita)
See them here: http://goo.gl/a1gxu8
Hare Krishna! The Divine Form
Then, as if by divine providence, an art college friend, upon returning from a visit to Bangkok, gave me some rice-paper rubbings taken from bas-reliefs of divinities of the temple of the reclining Buddha. Although I didn’t know it at first, the images depicted the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra. I immediately appreciated the combination of delicate exquisiteness and divine irresistible power that Ramachandra personified while upon His chariot, bow drawn, ready to slay His evil enemy.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16752
The Art of Sankirtan (video)
Sankirtan stalwarts share their journey and experiences on the sublime art of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. Watch these amazing devotees expertly distribute Lord Chaitanya’s unalloyed mercy in the form of Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental books like ‘The Bhagavad-gita As it is’, 'Srimad Bhagavatam’, 'Science of Self Realization’, etc. Listen to what makes them tick, how they deal with rejection, why they love what they do, and how they do it. Join in on the action on the streets where they meet the multitudes.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/6CSJsR
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