Shiva’s Words of Wisdom, to Sati
→ The Enquirer

Mountain-dwelling Śiva looked kindly upon his beloved, whose friends and family were so beloved to her. In reply, he tried to remind her of the heart-breaking, cruel insults her father had delivered at the assembly of the cosmic creators.

“My dear beauty,” said the beautifully blessed god, “you have spoken beautifully: Friends and relatives do not require invitations. Yet, this is true only when there is no schism created by strong criticism and anger.”

“I don’t think my father really hates you,” Satī would say, “he has so many good qualities.”

So Śiva explained, “Your father does have many remarkable qualities, but this is a problem for him, not a virtue. Learning, discipline, wealth, beauty, power, and heritage… these six good qualities have negative effects when they appear in people whose hearts are not good. In such people, these good qualities only increase pride – and pride makes one blind and forgetful of the greatness of others.”

“Alright,” Satī would think, “I can’t deny that he is mad at you. But we should go there in hopes of remedying the situation.”

So Śiva explained, “Even if they are family, one should not unexpectedly visit anyone whose mind is not peaceful. Such uninvited guests are a nuisance, and the host will look upon them with shocked eyebrows and irritated eyes.”

“Let us tolerate that,” Satī would suggest, “to end this enmity with my father.”

Śiva explained that it would not be tolerable for her. “If an enemy hurts you with a weapon there is pain, but still you can rest at night. If a loved one hurts you with coldness and insults, your broken heart will grieve and suffer day and night.”

“But my father loves me…” Satī would say.

“My dear, your eyebrows are never angry, they are always so kind and beautiful,” Śiva said. “You don’t understand how anger works. Let me explain: You are clearly the best and most beloved of all the Prajāpati’s children, I know that. Nonetheless, you will not be met with honor by your father, because you have taken shelter of me, and I trouble and anger him.”

“Could you just apologize to him?” Satī might suggest.

So Śiva explained that he had not failed to respect Dakṣa, and should not confuse the world by apologizing for proper behavior. “Beautiful-Waist’d Woman,” he said, “You father is mad because I did not rise from my seat to respect him. It is definitely correct that friends should welcome one another respectfully by standing up, but those who are full of wisdom do this out of respect for the Supreme Person who lies secretly within everyone’s consciousness. They do not direct that respect towards the body and the fool who is proud of having it. When your father entered the assembly, I respectfully worshipped the transcendental, All-Attractive Son of Vasudeva, seeing him clearly and directly in the pure core of your father’s consciousness, which, incidentally, is known by the term vasudeva.

“Your father could not see that, because he cannot see deeply. Instead he scolded me intensely in front of all the cosmic creators who had assembled at the ceremony, because I did not externally respect him in his moment of vanity and pride. This is why he is angry with me. O Wondrously Hip’d Woman, that anger will prevent him from seeing you as his daughter, despite the fact that he is your father. Do not go see him.”

Satī mournfully looked off into the distance, towards the last traces of divine ships headed towards the grand ceremony.

“If you don’t heed my advice,” Śiva said, “your future will not be bright. You are the most respectable person. When you experience insult from your own family, you will want to die immediately.”

– Śrī Bhāgavat Purāṇa 4.3.15 ~ 25 [end]

Vraja Kishor dās

www.VrajaKishor.com


Tagged: Sati, Shiva, Wisdom

Living the dream
→ KKSBlog

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

If we become purified, we can see Krsna otherwise, naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah (Bhagavad-gita 7.25), for the conditioned soul, Krsna remains avrtah, he remains covered. We cannot see him. Even those who are trying to become free from the influence of material nature, even they cannot see him. Even devotees who chant Hare Krsna, sometimes cannot see him. Sometimes we do and sometimes we do not. There are moments when we cannot see him and that is the difficulty, then doubt sets in.

avrtam jnanam etena
jnanino nitya-vairinaCrop_of_a_painting___Krishna_by_vishalmisra
kama-rupena kaunteya
duspurenanalena ca (Bhagavad-gita 3.39)

It is explained that the influence of lust causes this covering. It is due to lust, due to the desire to exploit the material energy, atmendriya-priti-vancha — tare bali ‘kama’ (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 4.165). When we think, ME and MY senses and everything is meant to serve ME and I am meant to be king!

There was an old film which I still remember. It was called Midnight Cowboy and in that film, there is this man who was living in an old squat house somewhere behind a construction site, in an empty building and he is cripple. In the middle of film, his name is Ratso. In the middle of the film, Ratso has a dream. In this dream, he is in the middle of a five star hotel, he was smoking, lying on some sort of fancy cushioned bed next to the swimming pool while five girls are attending to him. One is filing his nails, another one massaging his shoulders, other one pouring drinks and so on, in Ratso’s dream. So he is dreaming, dreaming so much enjoyment. So many varieties of dreaming are there and of course, his dream never comes true. (laughter)

So many dreams in the material world may not come true – atmendriya-priti-vancha – because we are interested in putting ourselves in the centre. As a result, we are covered. Then when we are covered, we come into a difficult situation.

New Vrindaban and the Bhagavat Dharma Experience: Srila Prabhupada’s 1972 Visit
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

As ISKCON approaches its 50th anniversary in 2016, ISKCON News is increasing its coverage of both the latest plans for the 2016 celebrations, as well as looking back on the early years of ISKCON and how Srila Prabhupada’s worldwide society developed. This article is part of a series connecting New Vrindaban, established in 1968 as ISKCON’s first farm community, to the grand visions, specific instructions and four visits by Srila Prabhupada. Today, New Vrindaban community members and well-wishers are revitalizing his vision, as expressed in these articles.

The Bhagavat Dharma Experience:

Prabhupada’s Second Visit to New Vrindaban

Written by Madhava Smullen. Archival Research by Chaitanya Mangala.

Bhagavat Dharma Discourse 1972.2nd copyjpg

Srila Prabhupada giving the Bhagavat Dharma Discourses at Bahulaban up on the hill.

New Vrindaban, August 31st, 1972 – Just as he had three years prior in 1969, Srila Prabhupada arrived at New Vrindaban in a black Lincoln Continental, winding down the country road towards the excited group of waiting devotees.

But this time, the group was much larger, belting out a joyous kirtan, and standing in front of a new converted farmhouse temple. During Prabhupada’s last visit, there had only been the original Vrindaban farm and a few dozen close followers. Now, New Vrindaban had expanded to several farms including this main one, Bahulaban, presided over by Sri-Sri Radha-Vrindabanchandra.

As Srila Prabhupada stepped out of his car, the devotees hit the ground in exhuberant prostration. They pressed around him as he walked in his regal manner across the lawn and sat on a red-velvet vyasasana strewn with garlands and surrounded by a forest of Tulasi plants.

Thanking the devotees for all the hard work they had done to organize the upcoming festival, Prabhupada introduced the concept of the Bhagavat Dharma Discourses he was to hold at New Vrindaban. The event, where he would speak for over a week on the Bhagavatam, was to be one in a series that was already attracting thousands in cities throughout India.

“Just try to hear about Krishna,” he said. “Your life will be successful…. This is called bhagavat-dharma.”

After his talk, Prabhupada rode to an old farmhouse at Madhuban two miles away, where he would stay during his visit. He was clearly pleased to be back at New Vrindaban. “This Vrindaban, that Vrindavan, no difference,” he said.

The festival began the next morning. Over 500 devotees, guests and reporters had flooded in from all over the US for the biggest public event ISKCON had seen so far.

Crowd at the Discourses

Crowd at the Discourses

They all had to brave the austere weather and conditions of West Virginia mountain country. With no guesthouse, vans and tents dotted the hillside. During the festival heavy rain fell, chilling campers to the bone and turning Bahulaban into a sea of mud. In the mornings, devotees found their way through the dark to “the Ghat,” a cold, muddy pool next to the cowshed to bathe. Drinking water was hauled from a well. And cooking was done outside on makeshift stoves.

But devotees faced the hardships with good humor and comraderie, nicknaming Bahulaban “Mudsville” after the local town of Moundsville, and enjoying working with godbrothers and godsisters from all over the country. They were prepared to encounter any austerity for Prabhupada’s association. And Prabhupada himself didn’t mind the lack of facilities (his quarters had no running water). He was just happy to absorb the simple mood of New Vrindaban.

At 7:00am on September 1st – Janmastami Day – he walked the dirt road up “Govardhana Hill” with his entourage to give his first Discourse. The hill overlooked Bahulaban and provided views of densely wooded mountains fading off into the mists at every turn. At the top was the large open-air pavilion devotees had built themselves to accommodate all the visitors.

As a crowd of devotees and guests greeted him with loud kirtan, Prabhupada ascended a stage that stretched across one entire end of the pavilion and sat on his vyasasana. To his right, against a dramatic red backdrop, was a lifesize painting of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. To his left were Deities of Sri Sri Radha Damodara and Lord Jagannath. Flags and streamers hung everywhere.

Arti to Prabhupada at the Discourses

Arti to Prabhupada at the Discourses

Prabhupada spoke powerfully about the purifying nature of Krishna conscious sound vibration, the always blissful nature of God, or Bhagavan, and our relationship to Him – Bhagavat-Dharma.

Later, he inaugurated the beautiful new marble-floored temple room at Bahulaban, and presided over a large initiation ceremony at which many candidates from across the country received new names.

In the evening, after arati, came an experience many would still remember decades later. As devotees packed tightly into the temple room, Prabhupada had some of the sannyasis read aloud from Krishna book. After the entire introduction and first chapter on Lord Krishna’s advent, they thought it might be time to stop. But Prabhupada indicated that they should continue.

As they read on for hours, the exhausted devotees, famished from fasting all day and crammed into the sauna-like temple room, struggled to stay attentive to the weighty philosophy of “Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krishna in the Womb.” Gradually, everyone began nodding off. A comical scene ensued as the dandas of sleepy sannyasis fell, crossing like swords across the aisle and then bobbing up as their owners jerked themselves awake.

Only Srila Prabhupada listened attentively, relishing Krishna’s pastimes. At last, well after midnight, he smiled. “I think you have had enough. Take prasadam. You are a little tired.”

Srila Prabhupada Greets Radha Vrindaban Chandra 1972

Srila Prabhupada Greets Radha Vrindaban Chandra 1972

Despite their exhaustion, after arati and the feast at 1:00am, many devotees stayed up through the night to chant their rounds and make sure they didn’t miss mangala arati the next day. For it was a most auspicious event — Srila Prabhupada’s seventy-sixth appearance day.

The next morning was beautiful and sunny as Prabhupada emerged from his car in front of the pavilion in his saffron robes and fresh, perfectly applied tilak. A sense of purity emanated from him, an otherworldly quality that stood out against the old car, as if he were from another age.

“When Prabhupada looked out of the Volkswagen, which was being driven by Hayagriva, he smiled like I’ve never seen him smile — except in that picture in the Lilamrita when Brij stood up for the first time and he was just beaming,” recalls Varshana Swami. “As Sally Agarwal described it, that oceanic smile.”

Showers of flowers rained on Prabhupada as he entered the pavilion. Devotees chanted his pranam mantra at the tops of their lungs and hit the ground before him. Some smiled fondly at him; some seemed awestruck. All adored him. But Prabhupada didn’t play to the crowd as he made his way through it. He simply walked quietly to the stage, folded his palms before the Deites, and offered his obesiances to Them.

As he ascended his vyasasana to address the packed audience of devotees, guests, scholars, local politicians and reporters, he expressed that he didn’t want them to think he was receving all this adoration for himself. “It may be misunderstood,” he said. “An outsider may see that “Why a person is being worshipped like God?’ There may be some doubt.”

The name “Vyasa Puja,” he explained, comes from Vyasadeva, the incarnation of Lord Narayan and original author of all Vedic literature. Because the spiritual master passes this knowledge originating from the Lord through disciplic succession without change, he is offered respect once a year on his birthday.

Prabhupada emphasized that just as the viceroy of the king may accept valuable jewels and gifts on behalf of the king, similarly the spiritual master “receives all honor… on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not for his person.”

After Prabhupada’s talk, devotees ascended the stage one by one to offer flowers and obeisances and read out literary offerings. With such a crowd, not many got the chance – Silavati Dasi, an authority on Deity worship, was notably the only woman to make an individual offering, personally invited by Srila Prabhupada.

Bharadraja Das then began the Gurvastakam prayers. Hundreds rose to chant and dance, as Prabhupada looked on from his vyasasana and played kartalas.

As the kirtan began to get more lively, Vishnujana Swami took over the lead, playing mridanga right in front of Prabhupada. He sang with feeling, building the kirtan in intensity. In response, Prabhupada closed his eyes and began first to rock his head from side to side, then his whole body, his eyes tightly closed as he crashed his kartals together with more and more force.

Vishnujana’s kirtan reached a crescendo, and at last, as Radhanath Swami recalls, “It appeared that Prabhupada could not contain himself.” Overwhelmed with love for Krishna and the devotees, he took over the lead, calling out the Lord’s names in a strong voice.

The crowd went mad. Devotees rushed the stage, and a thousand arms reached out towards Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada began to cry, chanting through his tears. The devotees were swept up in his rare exhibition of spiritual emotion. A wave of love of Godhead hit them and they cried openly too, crushing the stage with total abandon and roaring out the Holy Names.

“Srila Prabhupada’s chanting was so beautiful, it was almost like the sky opened up, love of God came down and it poured over all of us,” recalls Satyanarayan Das. “I’ve never been to a kirtan like that before in my life and never since… It was a divine experience.”

After the kirtan, as everyone sat stunned, a group of devotees staggered up the hill carrying an enormous birthday cake baked by Gayatri Dasi. Srila Prabhupada took a tiny morsel and nodded his approval, then left to go back to his quarters at Madhuban. The devotees, wide-eyed, looked at each other. It was maha-prasada!

In one surging mass, everyone dove at the cake, all wanting a piece of Prabhupada’s mercy. Some playfully attacked each other for a piece. Others rolled the cake through the crowd as devotees grabbed huge handfuls and stuffed it into their mouths. Some, in bliss, ran down the hill offering cake to astonished guests. “Here, this is Prabhupada’s cake!”

“The cake was completely demolished, within minutes, in a frenzy,” Gokularanjana Das recalls. “In retrospect, it was offensive, but at the time it was like spontaneous devotion.”

Later that evening, Vishnujana performed several selections from the Radha-Damodara Traveling Sankirtan Party’s Transcendental Rock Opera, then launched into another ecstatic kirtan. As darkness fell, the local devotees built a bonfire, and everyone sat around it, watching the flickering flames as they took turns reading about Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes.

picture-52

The Bhagavat Dharma discourses continued for another week, with Srila Prabhupada carried royally by palanquin to the pavilion and back to the temple every evening, surrounded by an ocean of devotees carrying torches, lanterns, and flashlights and chanting uproariously.

“In each successive Discourse, Prabhupada took the devotees deeper and deeper into the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam,” recalls Suhotra Swami. “It was a perfect outline… Every devotee should study these lectures to study the logic of the Bhagavat philosophy, to see how every element of the philosophy is fundamentally connected to all other elements.”

Meanwhile, Prabhupada wrote to his disciples elsewhere in the world expressing his appreciation of the festival. “The Bhagavata Dharma discourses here in New Vrindaban are going on very nicely, and daily several hundred devotees and guests are coming to hear, and it is truly a wonderful time,” he wrote to Radha Damodar Das. And to Brahmananda, he wrote, “Now go on holding [these] Bhagavata Dharma discourses in every city of the world.”

At last, on September 10th, the festival came to an end, and on September 11th, Srila Prabhupada departed, leaving the New Vrindaban devotees feeling satisfied and energized.

picture-144

“[At the festival we had] the feeling that we were a family and there was Srila Prabhupada, he was our father,” recalls Krishna Kumari Dasi. “We all felt sheltered, we all felt protected. It was like a resurgence of energy and rededication. We all went back to our temples completely refreshed and rejuvenated and ready for whatever austerities we had to perform.”

Srila Prabhupada’s Second Visit To New Vrindaban 1972
→ New Vrindaban

As ISKCON approaches its 50th anniversary in 2016, ISKCON News is increasing its coverage of both the latest plans for the 2016 celebrations, as well as looking back on the early years of ISKCON and how Srila Prabhupada's worldwide society developed. This article is part of a series connecting New Vrindaban, established in 1968 as ISKCON's first farm community, to the grand visions, specific instructions and four visits by Srila Prabhupada. Today, New Vrindaban community members and well-wishers are revitalizing his vision, as expressed in these articles.

The Bhagavat Dharma Experience:

Prabhupada’s Second Visit to New Vrindaban

Written by Madhava Smullen. Archival Research by Chaitanya Mangala.

New Vrindaban, August 31st, 1972 – Just as he had three years prior in 1969, Srila Prabhupada arrived at New Vrindaban in a black Lincoln Continental, winding down the country road towards the excited group of waiting devotees.

But this time, the group was much larger, belting out a joyous kirtan, and standing in front of a new converted farmhouse temple. During Prabhupada’s last visit, there had only been the original Vrindaban farm and a few dozen close followers. Now, New Vrindaban had expanded to several farms including this main one, Bahulaban, presided over by Sri-Sri Radha-Vrindabanchandra.

As Srila Prabhupada stepped out of his car, the devotees hit the ground in exhuberant prostration. They pressed around him as he walked in his regal manner across the lawn and sat on a red-velvet vyasasana strewn with garlands and surrounded by a forest of Tulasi plants.

Thanking the devotees for all the hard work they had done to organize the upcoming festival, Prabhupada introduced the concept of the Bhagavat Dharma Discourses he was to hold at New Vrindaban. The event, where he would speak for over a week on the Bhagavatam, was to be one in a series that was already attracting thousands in cities throughout India.

“Just try to hear about Krishna,” he said. “Your life will be successful…. This is called bhagavat-dharma.”

After his talk, Prabhupada rode to an old farmhouse at Madhuban two miles away, where he would stay during his visit. He was clearly pleased to be back at New Vrindaban. “This Vrindaban, that Vrindavan, no difference,” he said.

The festival began the next morning. Over 500 devotees, guests and reporters had flooded in from all over the US for the biggest public event ISKCON had seen so far.

They all had to brave the austere weather and conditions of West Virginia mountain country. With no guesthouse, vans and tents dotted the hillside. During the festival heavy rain fell, chilling campers to the bone and turning Bahulaban into a sea of mud. In the mornings, devotees found their way through the dark to “the Ghat,” a cold, muddy pool next to the cowshed to bathe. Drinking water was hauled from a well. And cooking was done outside on makeshift stoves.

But devotees faced the hardships with good humor and comraderie, nicknaming Bahulaban “Mudsville” after the local town of Moundsville, and enjoying working with godbrothers and godsisters from all over the country. They were prepared to encounter any austerity for Prabhupada’s association. And Prabhupada himself didn’t mind the lack of facilities (his quarters had no running water). He was just happy to absorb the simple mood of New Vrindaban.

At 7:00am on September 1st – Janmastami Day – he walked the dirt road up “Govardhana Hill” with his entourage to give his first Discourse. The hill overlooked Bahulaban and provided views of densely wooded mountains fading off into the mists at every turn. At the top was the large open-air pavilion devotees had built themselves to accommodate all the visitors.

As a crowd of devotees and guests greeted him with loud kirtan, Prabhupada ascended a stage that stretched across one entire end of the pavilion and sat on his vyasasana. To his right, against a dramatic red backdrop, was a lifesize painting of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. To his left were Deities of Sri Sri Radha Damodara and Lord Jagannath. Flags and streamers hung everywhere.

Prabhupada spoke powerfully about the purifying nature of Krishna conscious sound vibration, the always blissful nature of God, or Bhagavan, and our relationship to Him – Bhagavat-Dharma.

Later, he inaugurated the beautiful new marble-floored temple room at Bahulaban, and presided over a large initiation ceremony at which many candidates from across the country received new names.

In the evening, after arati, came an experience many would still remember decades later. As devotees packed tightly into the temple room, Prabhupada had some of the sannyasis read aloud from Krishna book. After the entire introduction and first chapter on Lord Krishna’s advent, they thought it might be time to stop. But Prabhupada indicated that they should continue.

As they read on for hours, the exhausted devotees, famished from fasting all day and crammed into the sauna-like temple room, struggled to stay attentive to the weighty philosophy of “Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krishna in the Womb.” Gradually, everyone began nodding off. A comical scene ensued as the dandas of sleepy sannyasis fell, crossing like swords across the aisle and then bobbing up as their owners jerked themselves awake.

Only Srila Prabhupada listened attentively, relishing Krishna’s pastimes. At last, well after midnight, he smiled. “I think you have had enough. Take prasadam. You are a little tired.”

Despite their exhaustion, after arati and the feast at 1:00am, many devotees stayed up through the night to chant their rounds and make sure they didn’t miss mangala arati the next day. For it was a most auspicious event -- Srila Prabhupada’s seventy-sixth appearance day.

The next morning was beautiful and sunny as Prabhupada emerged from his car in front of the pavilion in his saffron robes and fresh, perfectly applied tilak. A sense of purity emanated from him, an otherworldly quality that stood out against the old car, as if he were from another age.

“When Prabhupada looked out of the Volkswagen, which was being driven by Hayagriva, he smiled like I’ve never seen him smile --  except in that picture in the Lilamrita when Brij stood up for the first time and he was just beaming,” recalls Varshana Swami. “As Sally Agarwal described it, that oceanic smile.”

Showers of flowers rained on Prabhupada as he entered the pavilion. Devotees chanted his pranam mantra at the tops of their lungs and hit the ground before him. Some smiled fondly at him; some seemed awestruck. All adored him. But Prabhupada didn’t play to the crowd as he made his way through it. He simply walked quietly to the stage, folded his palms before the Deites, and offered his obesiances to Them.

As he ascended his vyasasana to address the packed audience of devotees, guests, scholars, local politicians and reporters, he expressed that he didn’t want them to think he was receving all this adoration for himself. “It may be misunderstood,” he said. “An outsider may see that “Why a person is being worshipped like God?’ There may be some doubt.”

The name “Vyasa Puja,” he explained, comes from Vyasadeva, the incarnation of Lord Narayan and original author of all Vedic literature. Because the spiritual master passes this knowledge originating from the Lord through disciplic succession without change, he is offered respect once a year on his birthday.

Prabhupada emphasized that just as the viceroy of the king may accept valuable jewels and gifts on behalf of the king, similarly the spiritual master “receives all honor… on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not for his person.”

After Prabhupada’s talk, devotees ascended the stage one by one to offer flowers and obeisances and read out literary offerings. With such a crowd, not many got the chance – Silavati Dasi, an authority on Deity worship, was notably the only woman to make an individual offering, personally invited by Srila Prabhupada.

Bharadraja Das then began the Gurvastakam prayers. Hundreds rose to chant and dance, as Prabhupada looked on from his vyasasana and played kartalas.

As the kirtan began to get more lively, Vishnujana Swami took over the lead, playing mridanga right in front of Prabhupada. He sang with feeling, building the kirtan in intensity. In response, Prabhupada closed his eyes and began first to rock his head from side to side, then his whole body, his eyes tightly closed as he crashed his kartals together with more and more force.

Vishnujana’s kirtan reached a crescendo, and at last, as Radhanath Swami recalls, “It appeared that Prabhupada could not contain himself.” Overwhelmed with love for Krishna and the devotees, he took over the lead, calling out the Lord’s names in a strong voice.

The crowd went mad. Devotees rushed the stage, and a thousand arms reached out towards Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada began to cry, chanting through his tears. The devotees were swept up in his rare exhibition of spiritual emotion. A wave of love of Godhead hit them and they cried openly too, crushing the stage with total abandon and roaring out the Holy Names.  

“Srila Prabhupada’s chanting was so beautiful, it was almost like the sky opened up, love of God came down and it poured over all of us,” recalls Satyanarayan Das. “I’ve never been to a kirtan like that before in my life and never since… It was a divine experience.”

After the kirtan, as everyone sat stunned, a group of devotees staggered up the hill carrying an enormous birthday cake baked by Gayatri Dasi. Srila Prabhupada took a tiny morsel and nodded his approval, then left to go back to his quarters at Madhuban. The devotees, wide-eyed, looked at each other. It was maha-prasada!

In one surging mass, everyone dove at the cake, all wanting a piece of Prabhupada’s mercy. Some playfully attacked each other for a piece. Others rolled the cake through the crowd as devotees grabbed huge handfuls and stuffed it into their mouths. Some, in bliss, ran down the hill offering cake to astonished guests. “Here, this is Prabhupada’s cake!”

 “The cake was completely demolished, within minutes, in a frenzy,” Gokularanjana Das recalls. “In retrospect, it was offensive, but at the time it was like spontaneous devotion.” 

Later that evening, Vishnujana performed several selections from the Radha-Damodara Traveling Sankirtan Party’s Transcendental Rock Opera, then launched into another ecstatic kirtan. As darkness fell, the local devotees built a bonfire, and everyone sat around it, watching the flickering flames as they took turns reading about Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes.

The Bhagavat Dharma discourses continued for another week, with Srila Prabhupada carried royally by palanquin to the pavilion and back to the temple every evening, surrounded by an ocean of devotees carrying torches, lanterns, and flashlights and chanting uproariously.

“In each successive Discourse, Prabhupada took the devotees deeper and deeper into the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam,” recalls Suhotra Swami. “It was a perfect outline… Every devotee should study these lectures to study the logic of the Bhagavat philosophy, to see how every element of the philosophy is fundamentally connected to all other elements.”

Meanwhile, Prabhupada wrote to his disciples elsewhere in the world expressing his appreciation of  the festival. “The Bhagavata Dharma discourses here in New Vrindaban are going on very nicely, and daily several hundred devotees and guests are coming to hear, and it is truly a wonderful time,” he wrote to Radha Damodar Das. And to Brahmananda, he wrote, “Now go on holding [these] Bhagavata Dharma discourses in every city of the world.”

At last, on September 10th, the festival came to an end, and on September 11th, Srila Prabhupada departed, leaving the New Vrindaban devotees feeling satisfied and energized.

“[At the festival we had] the feeling that we were a family and there was Srila Prabhupada, he was our father,” recalls Krishna Kumari Dasi. “We all felt sheltered, we all felt protected. It was like a resurgence of energy and rededication. We all went back to our temples completely refreshed and rejuvenated and ready for whatever austerities we had to perform.”

New Book – IQ, EQ, SQ
→ Tattva - See inside out

Download “IQ, EQ, SQ” by clicking here (right click and "save link as...")

IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tests are famous for assessing logical, mathematical and linguistic skills. We all wish we were in that top bracket of Mensa elite who have an IQ in excess of 140 – unfortunately only 0.5% of the population make it! Developed intelligence empowers one to gather, process and analyse information effectively. The intelligent can think in abstract ways and learn from their experiences. Despite this, history shows that the intelligentsia are not always the most successful, happy and influential people in the world.

Psychologists and neuroscientists are increasingly talking about the need for Emotional Quotient (EQ). Those with high EQ’s are emotionally balanced, able to maintain composure in the chaos of life, and great at relating with people in appropriate and inspiring ways. EQ empowers the successful utilisation of IQ – people act irrationally when volatile emotions hijack their mental state. Thus, EQ measures the human side of life and our interactions with the immediate environment.

While IQ and EQ help us to function in our present situations, SQ (Spiritual Quotient) is all about ‘thinking out of the box.’ People often come to the point where they begin to question life, the universe and everything – who am I, why am I here, what is my purpose, what should I strive for, and what will make me happy? By exercising their SQ an individual can discover deeper meaning, purpose and direction in life. Often, we are busily engaged in chasing things without seriously considering whether they are necessary, fulfilling and really adding value. Our daily endeavours are usually focused on asking the question ‘how,’ but SQ is all about asking the question ‘why.’

We hope this collection of articles will stimulate your SQ and offer some ‘food for thought’ in a world that (consciously or unconsciously) yearns for fresh perspectives and newer paradigms.

Hare Krishna! Diksha Without Tapa: Initiation in Name Only Did…
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Hare Krishna! Diksha Without Tapa: Initiation in Name Only
Did you hear the story of the man who rode up to the gates of our Mayapur, West Bengal, temple to sell ice cream? He had one of those tricycles you see a lot in India—the ones with a refrigerated box on the back. Nothing sells quite like ice cream on a hot day. Only he wasn’t selling ice cream at all. He opened the lid of the icebox, pulled out a hand bell and a bunch of papers, then began ringing the bell and calling out, “Diksha! Diksha!” [“Initiation! Initiation!”] He was selling diksha and, as it happens, was selling it very cheaply: “Diksha doh rupya!” or: “ Diksha, two rupees!”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16593

Hare Krishna! The Glory of Gita Wisdom Einstein, Emerson,…
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Hare Krishna! The Glory of Gita Wisdom
Einstein, Emerson, Thoreau, Huxley, Hesse … I was amazed that this list an intellectual who’s who from recent world history was actually a list of thinkers who had appreciated the Gita. As I had been born and brought up in India, the place where the Gita was spoken millennia ago, I was familiar with it as an ancient Hindu text. I had even memorized some of it for verse recitation contests. But I had no idea that its contents were of interest to the modern mind, much less praised by some of the greatest modern minds. Reading such appreciations of the Gita motivated me to study the text seriously.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16590

100,000 Attend 40th Anniversary of Krishna Balarama Temple An…
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100,000 Attend 40th Anniversary of Krishna Balarama Temple
An incredible 100,000 visitors and devotees from all over the world took part in Krishna Balarama Mandir’s week-long 40th anniversary celebrations from March 23rd to 29th this spring in Vrindavana, India. They included 125 disciples of ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada, some of whom helped build the temple back in the 1970s. The mood of the festival was both epic and sweet, recalling Srila Prabhupada’s ten-year struggle to establish a temple in the sacred village where Lord Krishna grew up, and his victory upon Krishna Balarama Mandir’s grand opening festival in April 1975.
Read more: http://goo.gl/ZJYpwB

The Use and Misuse of Religion Question: Religion is the source…
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The Use and Misuse of Religion
Question: Religion is the source of so much strife in our world, perhaps because of the fact that it is misused. I would like to get your perspective on that. Radhanath Swami: My guru Srila Prabhupada said, “Philosophy without good character is practically useless.” The whole purpose of religion is to help us in transcending the arrogant ego.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/AUN6nN

Rama Navami
→ Ramai Swami

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Lord Ramacandra exemplifies an incarnation of Godhead who descends for the mission of, “paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam”— protecting the devotees and destroying the miscreants.

 
In Bali our five main temples all celebrated Rama Navami, the appearance day of Lord Rama. Radha Madhava Mandir also celebrated the anniversary of the installation of the deities in 2002.
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Kitchen Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Shows
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

After a very cold winter, that special time of the year has arrived. With clear skies, sunshine and warm cool breezes greeting you, spring has arrived!  With the warmer weather comes lots of opportunities to render service to our beautiful Deities, Sri Sri Radha Ksira Chora Gopinatha.

For starters, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple is participating in two very large conventions and shows where we serve 1000+ plates of prasadam (spiritualized, delicious vegetarian meals) for three days, nonstop.

The first show is The Yoga Show and Conference, taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from April 10-12th, 2015 and is just around the corner!  The next show is the Total Health Show, also taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from April 17-19th, 2015.  These two weekends are going to be some of our busier weekends in temple kitchen!

Over the years these shows and expos have been very successful and thousands of people of varying backgrounds come to visit our “Govinda’s” booth to taste sumptuous vegetarian delights!

However, all of this success comes only with team work and hard work.  Over the years, many volunteers have participated in this event in numerous ways. These massive shows require a lot of team work in the kitchen, doing intense but fun loving service. If you are interested in being one of the many volunteers and curious to know more about being part of this wonderful outreach program, please fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you very soon!

You can also feel free to contact Kanaad Prabhu at (647) 299-9903 or by emailing him.

66th Vyasa puja celebration of HH Jaypataka Swami
→ Mayapur.com

66th Vyasa puja celebration of HH Jaypataka Swami Maharaj took place in Sri Mayapur dham from 30th March to 1st April. Many of His disciples came to Mayapur on this occasion. An adhivas ceremony took place on 30th evening to invoke auspiciousness. As is the custom, 24 items were offered to HH Jaypataka Swami Maharaj […]

The post 66th Vyasa puja celebration of HH Jaypataka Swami appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Hare Krishna! Hon. Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga visits…
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Hare Krishna! Hon. Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga visits ISKCON, Sri Lanka for Sri Ramanavami Festival
Chief Minister for Western Province of Sri Lanka Hon. Prasanna Ranatunga participated in this festival and received the blessings from Sri Sri Radha Rajagopal. His presence on that day made the event even more remarkable. The Hon. Minister also visited and inspected the new Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple construction site and was happy that a temple for Lord Vishnu is being constructed. He also told that he will give the necessary assistance from his office towards the new temple construction project.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16587

Morning Class with Devamrita Swami – Apr 11th
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

On Saturday, April 11, 2015, the Toronto Hare Krishna temple will welcome HH Devamrita Swami for a special morning class which will take place from 7:45am to 9:00am.  Devamrita Swami will be giving a special morning class on the topic of: "Bhakti-bhava: The Emotional Dynamics of a Devotee" which will feature topics including:

  • the future for your heart and its longings in bhakti
  • can you train your emotions how to feel?
  • the psychology of insecurity and insufficiency
  • the battle with the envy monster

****Breakfast prasadam will be served afterwards****

About Devamrita Swami
Devamrita Swami took initiation in 1974 from Srila Prabhupada and devoted his life to sharing his guru’s teachings, distributing his books and serving at the BBT. In 1982 Devamrita Swami took sannyas initiation and in 2002 began serving as an initiating spiritual master in ISKCON.

A member of ISKCON’s governing body since 2001 he has occupied the responsible posts of GBC vice chairman and later, chairman. His current regional responsibilities include Australia and New Zealand, as well as South Africa, Brazil and the Gita-nagari Farm Project in Pennsylvania. Beyond those areas of spiritual leadership, he travels far and wide, especially in North America, Europe and India.

Please come and grab this opportunity to hear from Devamrita Swami - a world renowned teacher in the Krishna Consciousness movement.

100,000 Attend 40th Anniversary of Krishna Balarama Temple
→ ISKCON News

100,000 visitors from all over the world took part in Krishna Balarama Mandir’s week-long 40th anniversary celebrations from March 23rd to 29th in Vrindavana, India. The mood of the festival was both epic and sweet, recalling Srila Prabhupada’s ten-year struggle to establish a temple in the sacred village where Lord Krishna grew up, and his victory upon Krishna Balarama Mandir’s grand opening festival in April 1975.

Sita Swayamvar dance drama…….. (Album with…
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Sita Swayamvar dance drama…….. (Album with photos)
This dance drama was performed for Ramnavami by Sri Venunad Kala kendra(odissi dance institute) as an offering for Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir’s 40 aniversary day.We all were blessed to serve the vaishnavas somehow trough our arts and talents.All Glories to Sri Ram!All Glories to Srila Prabhupad and our eternal spiritual family!!!
See them here: http://goo.gl/QDdkTE

40th Jubliee of Sri Sri Radha Madana Mohanas installation Hare…
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40th Jubliee of Sri Sri Radha Madana Mohanas installation
Hare Krsna dear devotees and friends, We would like to cordially invite you to this historic festival to Goloka Dhama. It is a week-end festival with many high lights and many great souls have confirmed their attendances. Among the guests of Honour are: HH Bhakti Bhusana Maharaja HH Sacinandana Maharaja HH Krishna Ksetra Maharaja (only Sunday) HG M. Dina Sharana Devi Dasi (GBC ISKCON Germany, Austria) And many more wonderful and talented devotees
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16584

Preaching program and initiations in Cuba (Album with photos) A…
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Preaching program and initiations in Cuba (Album with photos)
A major conference to an Anglican university, which is full of teachers and students.
The ceremony was held in a land we have near Havana. Names: Adrian Bhakta Dasa = Adikesava Bhakta Dasa Dimas = Devananda Igor = Indradeva Bhakta Dasa Angelina Bhaktin = Ananda Radha Devi Dasi
See them here: http://goo.gl/7E4gsv