Hare Krishna! The Glorious Life of Kuntidevi 1) Life Of Kunti…
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Hare Krishna! The Glorious Life of Kuntidevi
1) Life Of Kunti devi His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 2) Akrura’s Meeting With Kunti Devi Sri Krishna-dvaipayana 3) Conversation between Kunti Devi and Lord Krishna Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur 4) The prayer for calamities Satyanarayan Das We pray at the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya that this edition brings some pleasure to the devotees.
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Hare Krishna! “The Lord is coming! The Lord is coming! Haribol!…
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Hare Krishna! “The Lord is coming! The Lord is coming! Haribol! Haribol!”
Jayapataka Swami: This was the situation then. The devotees were going to Advaita saying, “What to do?” “My name is Advaita. It means non different. So if there is any meaning to my name, I will bring down the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna. He is the only one who can save the infidels. If I cannot bring Him down, I will manifest four arms and I’ll chop these people down. I will chop them down! Finished!” He began to fast and worship the Salagram Sila with Ganges water and Tulasi manjaris. He would loudly cry out, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.” It would go on, his tapasya, his chanting, his worship. His loud chanting was cracking the universal shell. It was vibrating, even in the spiritual world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16840

Nrsimhadev Caturdasi sponsorship appeal
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  Lord Nrsimhadeva at Sri Mayapur is very merciful deity form of the Lord. Devotees worldwide have a special loving relation with Him. His appearance day, Sri Nrsimha Caturdasi is very dear to His devotees. So, every year devotees celebrate this festival at ISKCON Mayapur in a grand way. The highlight of the festival is […]

The post Nrsimhadev Caturdasi sponsorship appeal appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Hare Krishna! With a powerful chopper of Nama Sankirtana, I will…
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Hare Krishna! With a powerful chopper of Nama Sankirtana, I will cut the knots of demoniac desires from the hearts of everyone
Suresvara das: I’m so glad that Jayapataka Maharaj mentioned that Senapati bhakta verse. He made an allusion, a reference to the prediction that he would send his military field commander to go and capture us and bring us here to chant Jaya Sacinandana Gaura Hari. A lot of us know that verse. Here’s the verse. “With a powerful chopper of Nama Sankirtana, I will cut the hard knots of demoniac desires from the hearts of everyone.” “Even if the sinners reject religion or flee to foreign countries, I will send mora Senapati bhakta, my military field commander to go there and deliver them.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16838

This year is the 50th year anniversary/golden jubilee of the…
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This year is the 50th year anniversary/golden jubilee of the Jaladuta Diary.
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.This diary of the voyage of the Jaladuta is a personal account of the challenging journey that launched Srila Prabhupada’s life mission. Readers will find it to be a remarkable document in the history of religious movements. It reveals the full measure of Srila Prabhupada’s devotion, faith and self−abnegation, which qualify him as one of the world’s few genuine spiritual leaders. We hope this book will inspire others to appreciate Srila Prabhupada’s triumph over adversity and to follow in his footsteps.
Read it online here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16783

TOVP Tour Diary Day 25 – Visiting Nimai’s Bliss Kitchen, Blessing the New ISKCON Towaco, New Jersey Property, and the TOVP Presentation at the Towaco Temple
- TOVP.org

Sunday, April 5th was another busy day for us. In the morning we visited Nimai’s Bliss Kitchen run by Mayapur Chandra prabhu and his family in Newburgh, New York. We presented the TOVP project to a small group of devotees, receiving pledges for more than $25,000.

From there we drove back to Towaco, New Jersey for a special blessing by the Padukas of the property where the new temple will be constructed. We then made our way to the Towaco temple for the evening TOVP presentation. Madhupati prabhu introduced the TOVP Team which again included Ambarisa prabhu, and Radha Jivan took over. He and Ambarisa, besides speaking about the TOVP, encouraged the devotees in their new temple project and promised to come back to help fundraise. Jananivas prabhu spoke about Mayapur and the TOVP and the various predictions of Lord Nityananda that have all come to pass. In the end over $300,000 was pledged and prasadam was served to all the devotees.

The post TOVP Tour Diary Day 25 – Visiting Nimai’s Bliss Kitchen, Blessing the New ISKCON Towaco, New Jersey Property, and the TOVP Presentation at the Towaco Temple appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Saturday, April 11th, 2015
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Toronto/Vancouver

Namaste


My day started with some trekking along Jarvis Street in Toronto, a head start en route to the airport before my driver would pick me up.  Who knows if I’d get the chance otherwise to do what I need to do and love to do, stretching the legs.  While trekking at the early hour 4:45, some people partying from a second floor veranda looked down below and sent me a ‘Namaste’.  I reciprocated, and with a “Hare Krishna” too.  I gather from this encounter and many more like this that the world is slowly becoming Vedic.

Much later in the day, I found myself at Unity Yoga, a studio just off of Commercial Drive in Vancouver.  I was asked to give a schpeil on my walking experiences, so I did.  I was in the room with about 40 folks, mostly Caucasian, whom I consider incremental Vedic people. 

I opened up with a ‘Namaste’ and then, ‘Hare Krishna’, and then took off from there on, lessons and happenings along the pilgrims trail.  I threw in a few jokes, but ultimately emphasized that each and every one of us are essentially spiritual beings on a journey.  “We are not these bodies, we are spirits.  We have an obligation to cultivate our spiritual side.”  There were other people leading the chant, Katelin and Nitai Priya.  We had the most ecstatic dance at the end of the evening.  The kirtan, the chant and dance enjoyed by all, and the healthy prasadam consumed, confirms that the world is going directions east.  Namaste!

May the Source be with you!

3 KM

Friday, April 10th, 201
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Toronto, Ontario

Along Mud Creek


Along Mud Creek the ash trees have been cut down and more are to follow.  The reason?  According to signs posted along the ravine, we are informed that the emerald ash bore a pesky green beetle, and it is taking the life out of these trees.

The Parks and Recreation Department is on the assignment to manage the forest along the creek.  What can I say?  I hate to see trees go, but then, someone who knows more than me has to manage.  My observation is that nature seems to be cruel unto itself.  It nurtures and then demolishes. 

While on this walk by the creek, my walking partner, Durjoy, and I, came upon a group of youths mildly intoxicated.  Humans are always interesting.  We also nurture and destroy.  I guess because we are an integral part of nature.  Self destructive might be the term.  In any event, the kids, if I may call them so, were curious about us.  Handshakes were exchanged and they were happy to receive the mantra we are known for, “Hare Krishna”.  But now, back to the trail.  Much energy is going into the restoration of the forest and the creek along the way.  The mud deepened due to the sinking tires of trucks occupying the space during the day.  The thick mud forced us to turn back.  Boulders have been brought in and dumped to evade erosion I guess.  In one sense, it’s encouraging and commendable to see the efforts made to keep the forest and the creek alive. 

Much investment needs doing within our own psycho physical being, like the work done at the creek.

May the Source be with you!

5 KM

Thursday, April 9th, 2015
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Toronto, Ontario

I Will Come


It was a type of conversation I’ve had before with people who have mystical notions about monks.  I was walking and came to the juncture of Ave and Dav when two young guys, one with hoodie and one with toque, saw me.  “Are you a monk?” said one. 

“Sure am!” said I. 

“I thought monks don’t speak.”

“In some orders they have taken vows of silence.  Our group makes lots of good noise.  We drum and we chant mantras...” 

I invited them to our ashram just two blocks away saying that our morning session was about to begin at 4:30 AM.  They weren’t quite ready for such a wakeup experience.

“We’ll come, promise, sometime soon.”

Another person I met on my way to see Devamrita Swami, a monk friend from the States, works with the Parks and Recreation division of the city.  He was in uniform and was parked on the side of the street.  He starts to speak, “Are you chanting?  Did you have your prasadam?”  I never met this person before to my recollection.  Then he identified himself as Michael and said he has a brother in Florida whose name is Mahavir, and who recently started a Hare Krishna bikers club. 

“I know him,” I responded, “he opened up so many Krishna centres in South America, right?” 

The fellow got a little jovial and then said, “Yeah, his hair’s a bit too long.  When it comes to hair, I’m more like you guys.”  And with that he pulled off his hat to demonstrate his lack of hair. 

And then I remarked, “Yeah, he looks at times a little like Shirley Temple with his hair.”  (Laughter)  “Come to our temple sometime, we have a great restaurant, you’ll love it.”

“I will come!” he said very determinedly. 

May the Source be with you!

9 KM

Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
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Dubai/Toronto

Heart Throbs


As the plane flew through the African sky, my heart throbbed over the feeling for those good souls I spent the last week with in Durban.  Two of those souls from the Zulu background had received diksa initiation.  Bhaktin Lobe became Lila, and Bhima became Bhishma.  Congratulations!

To them, and to all who gave me so much support and love during my stay, in both South Africa and Mauritius, I offer my humble obeisance.  As usual, I put the recent past behind and look ahead.  Only occasionally would I revisit moments of the now gone.  For the present, well, being in a plane and looking at the screen in front of me about the story of a woman who walked across Australia’s desert with four camels and a dog gave me mixed feelings.  I found the docudrama not very interesting, but it did make me hanker for being hugged by the Earth.  My mind raced very fast to the future in anticipation for a walk from Boston to Butler Pennsylvania, and then New York, this September.  That will be heaven, to get out of the straight jacket seat at J57 in the aircraft that I was in, and then walking the northeast of the US, that would be heaven. 

I must remind myself, however, of patience as the ultimate virtue.

May the Source be with you!



0 KM

Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
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Durban, South Africa

Festival Done


Now that the festival is done, we managed to squeeze in some free time.  Like most years, after the Durban event I would chill with some of the members of our drama troupe.  We would organize a walk, a picnic, and engage in a kirtan, a read from shastra, the pastimes of Krishna.  One year we did all of the above, in addition to playing baseball.

I do recall at that time that wearing a dhoti is not so practical for baseball.  You can’t take the broad strides required to make a home run. 

Today a group of us decided to hit a great trail somewhere out of the city.  Within a half hour drive, we came to one of those very rural paths at a provincial park.  Low and behold, we were greeted by a family of zebras.  Oblivious to our presence the group of healthy typically African mammals were just grazing away.  We meant nothing to them, even though you could go arm’s length distance from them.  That was about it as far as sighting wildlife was concerned, except for a small snake that slithered by.  Going down a windy trail amidst foliage, bush, cacti and trees, a dhoti, once again, proves impractical.  All is pleasant until you brush against smaller plant life.  All these little things start sticking to your clothes, such as something called ‘black jacks’ and also ‘sweethearts’.  It would be interesting to know the technical Latin terms for them.  Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, was quite attuned to the botanical terminologies for exotic trees.  He wasn’t just familiar with Sanskrit verses and philosophy, he was all around quite expert at so many things. 

May the Source be with you!

4 KM

Monday, April 6th, 2015
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Durban, South Africa

Everyone Is Good


After a fabulous meal at the home of a prominent Krishna follower, Kala and I took to some walking.  For directions to the festival site one of the attendees explained, “You go left to the second robot, then turn right and go to the next robot.  There you will be near the site.”

Now, I was reminded what is meant by the word “robot”.  It means “street light”.

Before we departed, however, a dinner guest, giving deliberation on whether it was safe enough to do some promenade in the neighborhood, finally said, “It should be ok.”

We set off walking in this posh area yet each lot with its well manicured grounds had its cameras, hedges, walls, gates and whatever security device possible including, in some cases barbed wire.  Welcome to South Africa, where crime is at optimum level.  In fact I never fail to hear of stories where there is vandalism, violence and murder.

To offer a balance to this assessment on this place that I come to each year, I would say that everyone I meet, whether it be an Afrikaan, a Zulu, an Indian, black, white or brown, are very human.  They are kind, sweet even.  

Yes, by nature, everyone is good. Only motives stand in the way.

May the source be with you!

6 KM

Sunday, April 5th, 2015
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Durban, South Africa

Momentless

More rain.  More greyness.  I don't mind.  Temperatures are comfortable.

Even in the tent called “Bhakti Cloud”, designed as a young person's place for devotional dance, it gets hot.  It's usually like being in a sweat lodge.  And I'm supposed to be the “dance master”.  That's how it’s dubbed.  I'm the dance master.  Today with cooled down temperatures it was pleasant.

What happened during that session, some women had come from church, stumbled upon our fest and joined in our improvised dance.  My God! Did they work up a sweat!  They were Zulu, rather elderly, and not slim but they got everyone going with their Zulu steps to the djembe beat and the mantra I was resounding.  They were appareled in their Sunday dresses and hats.  They were enjoying the rousing music and took it, I am sure, like a Gospel-thumping ecstasy dance.

That one-half hour session went in a flash.  Time takes on a different meaning when caught in the fever of devotion. It's a timeless zone.  You can chuck out your watch and forget tomorrow.  A sumptuous of transcendence.  It's a great moment, or non moment if you will.

May the source be with you!

5 KM

Saturday, April 4th, 2015
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Durban, South Africa

Guy From the Street

It was a hard and yet fun full day at the site of the festival.  I was immersed in staging the drama “Sati”, a story of heroism the wife of Lord Shiva.  She stood up against her own father's mistreatment towards her due to the malice he felt over her husband Shiva.  In any event the story was highly appreciated in its presentation well rendered by my usual local crew from Durban and Pretoria mostly.

One other person who pitched into help in the production, back stage, was a fellow from another city in South Africa – Newcastle. He agreed to walk with me, a short distance really, to his hotel.  From there I was to be picked up for the journey to my flat in Chatsworth. After a day of people, it really was an ideal “chill”.  It's also unusual to have so much rain happening in Durban at this time.

Mathuranath from Newcastle, and I, took those unwinding steps under an umbrella when a young man, a Zulu, squeezed his way through a fence to access the streets.  He began speaking and even boasting about his life in the street.  “I spent three years in Joburg, then some time in Pretoria and now I've been in Durban for a few month living on the street.  Sometimes I stay under a bridge.  But yah know as long as yah live, right?” I could not one hundred per cent agree with his philosophy on life but he had an upbeat attitude towards living and didn't mind saying “Hare Krishna” a few times in his dialogue with us.

May the Source be with ou!

5 KM

Why does Jiva Goswami deem Bhagavatam 2.2.37 its phala-shruti?
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The phala-shruti usually comes at the end of the book. So how can it come so soon after the Shukadeva-Parikshit conversation has just started?

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No mercy
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 March 2015, Pretoria, South Africa, Evening Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 1.1)

krsna_paintingIn the third chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna speaks about lust. There are several verses describing lust and how lust is the nitya-vairina (Bhagavad-gita 3.39), the eternal enemy of the living being and how the living being is, somehow or other, caught by lust. Not only human beings but all living beings are caught by lust, so it is described. There are 8 400 000 species of life – so many, from very complex species to germs but all are driven by lust! So even germs are driven by lust. Lusty germs! Ever thought of that! Anyway, so that is interesting.

From the fourth chapter in the Bhagavad-gita until the sixth chapter, we are slowly coming to the point that there is a need for sense control, that unless we control the senses, we will be a slave of the senses. Rupa Goswami describes that kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesas tesam jata mayi na karuna na trapa nopasantih (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.16) and he explains that the senses are merciless. They are na karuna na trapa nopasantih, they are merciless because whatever you do for them, whatever you do for them, it is never enough.

“Bring, bring now for my enjoyment! Now!”
But when you bring, then the senses say, “Is that all? Is that all? Bring more!”

It is never enough, na karuna na trapa nopasantih. Rupa Goswami explains. No mercy. No matter how much trapa nopasantih, no matter how much austerity you perform.

Hare Krishna! Krishna, Lord of Paradox The Bhagavad-gita is one…
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Hare Krishna! Krishna, Lord of Paradox
The Bhagavad-gita is one of the world’s perennial wisdom texts. Because it offers knowledge of the Absolute Truth, some of its texts can be difficult to understand. Few are as difficult as verses four and five of Chapter Nine: “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation, for My Self is the very source of creation.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16831

Hare Krishna! Desire Nothing But Bhakti By His Divine Grace A….
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Hare Krishna! Desire Nothing But Bhakti
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuapada
Suppose you go to Svargaloka and become Indra, the king of the heavenly planets. That is not a permanent position. By pious activities you can become Brahma, Indra, and so many demigods. You can hold such posts. But even if you go to Brahmaloka, the planet of Brahma, what is the benefit? You have to come back. Similarly, even you go to the Brahman effulgence, the impersonal spiritual energy emanating from Krishna, you will eventually fall back to the material world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16828

What is the difference between energies in Gita chp 7 and potencies in chp 9?
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Srila Prabhupada says that Krishna has discussed energies in chp 7 and will discuss potencies in chp 10.

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Hare Krishna! Swami Baba Ramdev visits ISKCON Melbourne As part…
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Hare Krishna! Swami Baba Ramdev visits ISKCON Melbourne
As part of our ongoing efforts to establish good relations with the wider Hindu Community, ISKCON’s Melbourne Mahaprabhu Mandir Temple was honoured to welcome Swami Baba Ramdev, the famous yoga teacher from India, on Friday 10th April. It was just a short visit (part of an official welcome to Melbourne) as Swami Ramdev gave his yoga programs elsewhere.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16820

Looking For Preschool Teachers! Inspired by the success of…
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Looking For Preschool Teachers!
Inspired by the success of Krishna conscious schools in various parts of the world, the devotees in the Greater Toronto Area are inspired to begin with a Krishna conscious pre-school in Toronto, Canada. Below is the formal job description: Full time preschool teachers required for a new Krishna Conscious preschool in the Toronto, ON, Canada Area. The school is scheduled to launch in Fall 2015. Seeking role models of high moral character and strong Krishna Conscious lifestyle who can enthusiastically impart knowledge of Krishna consciousness.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16824

Bhagavatam-daily 179 – 11.10.21 – Extension of vision from this world to the next doesn’t help without extension of conception of self
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Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:

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