ISKCON Constitution Project Update
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By the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) From 3 to 6 January 2023, GBC General Counsel Devakinandana Das hosted a four-day meeting in the offices of his law firm in Singapore. ISKCON Constitution project members Pancharatna Das (ACBSP), Kaunteya das, and Devarsi Radhika Devi Dasi, who is also an attorney, travelled from India to attend.
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Vaishnavi Voices in ISKCON
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Abhidheya Devi dasi In this special episode of The Bhakti Kids Sangha Podcast, I talk to HG Narayani Devi Dasi about being a Vaishnavi in ISKCON in the past up to the present day and the recent news of the GBC pausing Vaishnavi Diksa Gurus after passing the resolution some time ago. We get to
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Wednesday, December 28, 2022
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Stouffville, Ontario

Art to Give You a Start

There they were, like kids in a candy shop. The Bhakti Academy crew joined me for a visit to a household in Stouffville. The proprietor, Ajay, handed me a copy of the Krsna Art Book, which I passed on for viewing to BA for their perusal. They were enthralled.

Page after page illustrates and summarizes pastimes of Krishna, which are full of energy, mysticism and holiness. Thus, the group was huddled about the book, a coffee-table sized gorgeous publication. It was the first time they had viewed such a masterpiece of material.

In general, art attracts. Colour, texture, images and emotions project forward and stir the observer. Our guru, Prabhupada, called these works of art, depicting Krishna’s activities, as “Windows to the spiritual world.”

When I called Vivasvan from Detroit, who was my major support person at the start of my US walk, he mentioned he had gone to that gallery to see the seventy-five works of Van Gogh on display.

“How did you like the exhibit?” I asked.

“It was quite wonderful,” he responded.

The whole world is attracted to art, some of it is tasteful, some of it isn’t my cup of tea. I have one friend who collects rejected articles and reassembles them, redefining the materials. I haven’t seen his work, but am looking forward to the time he does an exhibit.

In any event. Art moves people and if it compels the public to a spiritual journey, th en it’s doing its job.

May the Source be with you!


 

Tuesday, December 27, 2022 
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The Annex, Toronto 

 

Positive Good Feeling 

 

During the two years of COVID, much paraphernalia piles up; some of it is worthy to trash, some of it needs keeping. For sure some of it needs restationing into other storage areas. The chair room just can't take everything. So, I pulled up my socks and rolled up my sleeves and getting “by with a little help from my friends,” (I like Joe Cocker's version of the song) we're accomplishing a major cleanup. 

 

And it feels so good. 

 

I'll tell you what else feels so good, calling up my peers and encouraging them to sponsor Gita's for distribution to people who could really use the wisdom and thereby turn things around. It makes me feel cleaner. 

 

The preparation for our upcoming drama is starting to come together. This is hard work, but I get the opportunity to work with men and women in their twenties; always an energetic and hopeful bunch. The efforts are creating such a nice atmosphere in the temple and the ashram. 

 

My final feel-good activity for the day was my evening walk. It's a quiet week, time between Christmas and New Year's. I do hope for a good year to come. One where people will find themselves caught in positive engagements. Cleaning clutter, sharing wisdom, giving time to future leaders and some self down-time made this day positive and pure. 

 

May the Source be with you! 

4km 

 

Monday, December 26, 2022
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Yorkville, Toronto.

Coming Up

Being setting up the stage for our upcoming drama, “Big Fish, Little Fish.” January 1st is the date for its presentation., 5:30 PM. It's a story about the journey. In the life of a soul who falls from grace, you can say. Unique about this. Comedic play. Is that we draw an analogy of a fish out of water.

This endeavour. Of community theatre. Is all fueled by actors and teckies from the local congregation. It's good fun, and it has a great message behind it, which is that we all came from the spirit world. That's where we belong, and that's where we should be headed. The term used by our guru, Prabhupada, was “Go back home, back to Godhead.” 

We are going to fill up our temple room where the stage is set up. In the early ’80s, the then temple president, Vishvakarma, and I, initiated this. January 1st Festival, which we named the Prabhupada Festival. We figured it was a way to welcome the New Year and set it on a good note. Just our regular Sunday program has been going well, attendance wise. so many new and younger people are attending, and there's nothing to indicate that it will slow down.

This is a good sign. Basic culture and higher consciousness will be a major force and have a healthy presence in the earthly landscape for this century and centuries to come. It is imperative that we preserve integrity while expansion takes place.

Happy New Year!

May the Source be with you!

4km


 

Message from current Mayapur Gurukula parents: Bhaktivedanta Academy Mayapur Boys’ Gurukula of TODAY
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*”Gurukula is our most important project.” Srila Prabhupada 27.01.1973 * Sridham Mayapur, January 16, 2023. Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, ISKCON GBC members, Members of ISKCON India Governing Bureau, ISKCON India leaders, International and Indian CPO officers, ISKCON Minister of Education, MEB and Co-Directors of ISKCON Mayapur, Respected ISKCON leaders, and ISKCON community at large, We
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Spiritual secrets – Transcending pain! मकर संक्रांति special 🌷🙏
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Spiritual secrets – Transcending pain! मकर संक्रांति special 🌷🙏 – YouTube. Happy Makar Sankranti! 🙏 Spiritual secrets – Transcending pain! It’s a reality that we can access! Sanatana Dharma has many secrets and liberating oneself beyond pain and pleasure is just scratching the surface… I have seen in my own life many examples of sadhakas
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Srila Prabhupada’s Inconceivable Struggle: “The Individual Endeavor Must Be There”
Giriraj Swami

A talk by Giriraj Swami at the conclusion of a meeting held in his honor at the residence of Lalita Sakhi dasi (Smt. Lalita Piramal), in the presence of HH Radhanath Swami and devotees from Juhu and Chowpatty.

Srila Prabhupada is so great we cannot even begin to estimate his greatness. In one sense he is like God, because anyone can surrender to him at any time and in any place and he will reciprocate. He will help the person to connect with the disciplic succession and progress on the spiritual path.

Somehow Srila Prabhupada considered Bombay to be very important. He wrote, “Bombay is the richest city, the gateway to India, and in all respects the most important city. So we must have something here.” A few hours ago, one devotee from South Africa told me about a dream she had this morning. Srila Prabhupada was sitting on his vyasasana in the Juhu temple, relating the whole history of how he had struggled for the Juhu land and temple for Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari. While describing his struggle, Srila Prabhupada became so emotional that tears were pouring from his eyes. And naturally all the devotees in the audience were also moved to tears. In the end Srila Prabhupada turned to Tamal Krishna Goswami, who was next to him, looked at him in the eyes and said, “I struggled so much.” With a handkerchief Tamal Krishna Goswami wiped the tears from Srila Prabhupada’s cheeks.

How Srila Prabhupada struggled we cannot even say. Of course, he was successful in getting the land, building the temple, and installing the Deities. But he had a vision of preaching that went beyond just installing Deities and attracting people for darshan. And we as his servants are duty bound to fulfill his vision for Juhu and make his effort completely successful. In no way should Srila Prabhupada’s struggle be in vain.

Srila Prabhupada was always a fighter, always a hero. He was never one to be discouraged. Once, when the situation at Juhu seemed completely hopeless Srila Prabhupada declared: “Even if we never get the land or build the temple, we do not mind. We will turn Hare Krishna Land into a bus stop and send out buses with preachers and books.”

So, Srila Prabhupada was interested in preaching—with or without the temple—and I think he would be pleased with all the preaching going on in Bombay.

In the beginning we didn’t really have any proper place for Srila Prabhupada to stay on Hare Krishna Land. So at one stage he was staying in a chatai hut belonging to the Khatau family, near Sumati Morarji’s bungalow in Juhu. Mahamsa Prabhu, Dr. Patel, and I were sitting in the room with Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada had just gotten the title to the land and was anxious to begin construction. He remarked that he needed one crore of rupees. Dr. Patel ventured, “Prabhupada, you should bring the money from abroad.” Disturbed by Dr. Patel’s suggestion, Srila Prabhupada replied, “I could bring the money from America, but what is your credit?” Prabhupada said that Bombay is such a place that if people were willing, we could collect one crore in one day. Dr. Patel went on and on, insisting that people wouldn’t give. “Of course, I don’t want to discourage you, but—” “But,” Srila Prabhupada interjected, “you are discouraging me.”

So, although Srila Prabhupada was superhuman, in one sense he was also very human. He could also feel discouraged.

Shyamasundar Prabhu said once that in the middle of one night in England, he heard some sound. Immediately he got up and found Srila Prabhupada collapsed on the floor. He lifted Srila Prabhupada into his arms. Srila Prabhupada looked up and said, “It is not automatic. The individual endeavor must be there.”

Srila Prabhupada showed us how to endeavor for Krishna. And by his example, we also were caught up with him in his struggle.

Coming back to the discussion at the Khatau’s house, soon Dr. Patel left and Srila Prabhupada turned his attention to Mahamsa and me. He quoted the verse from the Bhagavatam (5.5.18):

gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat
  pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat
daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan
  na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum

“One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.”

Then he cited some examples: It is the duty of the son to defend the father when the father is attacked, but when Lord Nrsimhadeva attacked Hiranyakasipu, Prahlada did not defend his father. Rather, Prahlada glorified the attacker. But Prahlada was not at fault, because his father was not a real father—he was not helping Prahlada become Krishna conscious. Similarly, it is the duty of the son to obey the mother, but when Kaikeyi told Bharata to sit on the throne of Ayodhya, Bharata refused. Still, he was not at fault because Kaikeyi was not a real mother—she wasn’t helping him to be delivered.  Ultimately Srila Prabhupada said, “So you have left your mothers and fathers, but you have done the right thing. Don’t go back.”

Then Srila Prabhupada encouraged us further. He told us, “Madhvacharya established temples in India just to provide platforms for his disciples to preach. Similarly, I am building this temple at Juhu for you.”

So, we are so indebted to Srila Prabhupada—for engaging us in preaching, for bringing us together in service and association, and for giving me the friendship of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja, my life and soul.

It is inconceivable: Srila Prabhupada was superhuman and at the same time human, and somehow we have to remember both. Otherwise, if we think he was superhuman and everything was easy for him, we may hesitate to struggle. No, Srila Prabhupada struggled, and we also have to struggle. But then again, if we think that he’s human like us, and like us he can make mistakes, we may neglect his instructions. We may speculate: “Are all of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions really valid? Must we follow absolutely?” And if knowingly or unknowingly we disobey Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, we court disaster. Srila Prabhupada is superhuman. Whatever he said is perfect and we should faithfully follow. But at the same time, he was human. He could feel discouraged—or encouraged. Once he told me, “When I see you all enthusiastic, I also become more enthusiastic.” The human side was also there.

Srila Prabhupada himself gave a little hint in one purport in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. After the appearance of Lord Krishna in the prison house of Kamsa, Vasudeva and Devaki expressed their fear that Kamsa would come and kill Krishna. In the purport Srila Prabhupada wrote, “Uncivilized men are not in favor of the Krsna consciousness movement. Such persons actually created opposition to our Bombay project, Hare Krishna Land. As Kamsa could never kill Krsna, so uncivilized men can never stop ISKCON. Yet we must face many difficulties in many ways.” (SB 10.3.22 purport) Srila Prabhupada explained that the Krishna consciousness movement is an incarnation of Lord Krishna, and just as Vasudeva and Devaki were always in anxiety that nothing may happen to Krishna, so he was also anxious that nothing may happen to ISKCON.

Just as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna Himself is seen by devotees as both human and superhuman simultaneously, we also understand Srila Prabhupada in both ways. Although Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of affection, Vasudeva and Devaki sometime considered Him to be their “human” child. Similarly, although Srila Prabhupada is the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead, we may also see how he struggled to serve Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari and preach Krishna consciousness—and feel inspired to help him.

Anyway, I feel that Srila Prabhupada’s will and mercy are being manifest through all of you, and I pray that you always keep me in your company and that together we will always be engaged in service to Guru and Gauranga.

Hare Krishna.

Nityananda Trayodasi
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The Personality of Godhead known as Śrī Balarāma in Kṛṣṇaloka is the original Saṅkarṣaṇa (attracting Deity), and from this Saṅkarṣaṇa expands another Saṅkarṣaṇa, called Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa, who resides in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets. By His internal potency, Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa maintains the transcendental existence of all the planets in the spiritual sky, where all the living beings […]