Planet ISKCON

There is no "secret" to japa; it is a struggle. There is no easy shortcut. The secret is to surrender to the struggle. The secret is to be afraid of death and to take it as very urgent that you must chant Hare Krsna. We used to have a slogan, "Chant while you can," on some posters and show a scary picture of a graveyard. So we have to think like that: "Chant while you can." That is the secret.

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Laughing is a Vaisnava Activity! (Album 8 photos)
Beautiful photos of Srila Prabhupada laughing!
See them here: http://goo.gl/nKLCCt

Old photos from the San Francisco temple room (Album 72 photos)
Include also the initiation of Visnujana Maharaja and Tamal Krsna Goswami!
See them here: http://goo.gl/tp3LMd

At the risk of being entirely misunderstood, I must clarify for any old friends and for all Vaishnava readers that my post yesterday was not written as a campaigning shot against the traditional dhoti. Neither was it to promote the wearing of any particular item of clothing in place of dhotis. I have personally been wearing a dhoti for over 40 years and do not intend to stop any time soon.

Thank you.

I merely wanted to point out the obvious fact that religious garb, generally, has both a geographical and historical origin. Climate has affected the choice of raw material, for instance, and history, social milieu and fashion sensibilities have all conspired to how such items are worn.

That being the case, religious clothing styles often get a little frozen in the decade – or century – in which they were first adopted. The average monk or nun, when wearing their traditional habits, are more or less wearing the style of conservative clothing that was in vogue when their respective founders were teaching. So anywhere between the 13th to the 15th century. And I already pointed out that the Hasidic followers of the Baal Shem Tov, the great Jewish luminary and mystic have more or less frozen their any-colour-as-long-as-its-black clothing style somewhere in the mid-18th.

Just a few years ago the Salvation Army, the creation of one ‘General’ William Booth in 1865, in London, was confronted with something of a self-made crisis. The Victorian bonnets of the female members had not altered since the inception of the movement, was it alright to bring them up to date without losing the original spirit of the movement? For a short time it became a vigorous discussion, and then everyone relaxed – and changed their hats design.

Now, it could be argued (and I know that someone will) that the dhoti and chaddar, or shawl, are timeless. I agree. You can’t get anything simpler to wear than a single piece of undyed, un-stitched cloth fresh from the loom. It is designed to be free from ostentation and bows to no fashion sense whatsoever. Its a great piece of garb to demonstrate one’s commitment to simplicity and utter disregard for public opinion. And it is a piece of clothing that you can make yourself with some simple tools. The perfect outfit for a neo-Luddite.

But as Mahatma Gandhi found out when he turned up in England wearing one, when everyone else is wearing trousers, the dhoti practically screams: “Look at me!”

Be that as it may, when contemporary Vaishnavas wear the dhoti they do make an emotional connection with their purva-acaryas, their historical preceptors, and that does contribute to their feelings of commitment to the disciplines of their path, and that’s good. It has also become, ipso facto, a religious uniform whereby a devotee of Krishna, or a member of ISKCON specifically, can be recognised by the public.

Anyway, the point of my post was not to discuss religious clothing but rather the need to identify geographical, historical, ethnic and tribal origins of religious traditions. Those origins tend to get completely tangled up with the religion itself, and then have a habit of projecting themselves onto the consciousness of the uneducated observer. And people in general look at the packaging of the presentation first. If Islam has really nothing to do with Arabia, for instance, save for the fact that it was there that the angel Gabriel chose to speak to Mohammed, then let us separate the ideology from its country of origin, the Arabic language and 7th century tribal politics and discuss it. Its hard to do after 1400 years, but it would be a worthwhile exercise.

The ISKCON movement has had to do it. ISKCON has had the task of transplanting teachings originating in the Himalaya mountains to every country, language and ethnicity of the world. In a relatively short time. And in that it has had some success, above and beyond what was expected. The very existence of ISKCON as a world phenomenon has been possible only by making it accessible to a wide diversity of people. We can therefore talk about the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita without once needing to reference the land of India. The ideas presented by Lord Sri Krishna are not ‘Indian’ ideas, but universal knowledge worthy of serious consideration by anyone living anywhere.

Just as Christianity, in order to spread internationally, had to become loosened from its identity primarily as a small Jewish cult, a Middle-Eastern religion, and a power institution of the Holy Roman Empire, so Islam will have to make a similar transition in order to be of greatest worth as a form of pure God consciousness.

 

 

 

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2015-02-08 Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 06 04 01 04 by HH Bhanu Swami at ISKCON Mayapur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2AGgJlL8_A

Parikrama in Radhakunda, Vrindavana (Album 164 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The soul already has a spiritual body, which the material body covers. My material body grows upon me - my spiritual body - but my material body is unnatural. The real body is spiritual. I am accepting various bodies that are unnatural to my constitution. My real, constitutional position is to be the servant of Krishna. Los Angeles, May 13, 1973.
See them here: http://goo.gl/duJCV0

A visit to Mayapur (Album 24 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If Krishna does not supply you this light, sunlight, you will die. But he does not charge anything. But because you are human being, you should try to repay: “Oh, Krishna is giving us so much facilities. Let me render some service unto him.” This is Krishna Consciousness. This is to acknowledge, “Oh God, You are so kind. You are giving so many things. So I have collected this fruit. It is Your fruit, I know. Still, please accept.” Columbus, May 9, 1969.
See them here: http://goo.gl/CkIYfC

Hare Krishna! Where Is Our Education Leading Us?
Srila Prabhupada would say that this miraculously transformed educational system would still be a grand failure. Why? Because it would still be built on ignorance, on mistaking the body for the self, and on making the gratification of our bodily demands—the needs for eating, sleeping, mating, and defense—the central focus of our life. The animals know of no higher purposes in life than to eat, to sleep, to defend themselves, and to have sex. Of course, as human beings we share these same needs. But human life is meant for a higher purpose.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15511

Poetry and video by Gaura Klein. http://www.gaurakaruna.com

Discrimination, whether raced-based, caste-based, gender-based, or religion-based is springs from ignorance and has no spiritual value. It only serves to distance us from other human beings and from God. 

Bhaktivijnana Swami, a GBC leader and preacher in Russia and Israel expresses his appreciation of the strategic planning process, personally witnessing how the culture of strategic planning has dramatically changed the work of the GBC, allowing it to put energy into addressing important issues relevant for the whole Society and its direction for the future, particularly in the area of succession.

Gauranga Das, an experienced trainer and preacher from ISKCON Chowpatty. Here he explains how Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada went to great lengths to ensure that the Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy was properly documented.

Timeline Photos
The incredible horns of the Ankole cow in Lake Mburo district of Uganda. Image by @[731602310213888:274:Daniel Naudé Photographer] Continue reading →

Romapada Swami, GBC member of over twenty-two years leading ISKCON in New York, New Jersey and the Midwest of the USA, and also a member of the SPN’s Organizational Development Committee, speaks on how strategic planning has helped him in his GBC service and how it can better assist ISKCON’s leadership to respond to what is required of it.

On Day One of the ISKCON sannyasis and gurus in Mayapu,r participants explored ISKCON’s past, examining the trends in and influences on ISKCON. Following from that, on the second day participants began to look at ISKCON’s present. The meeting’s facilitator’s started with a question: How well do the four groups in the room  address the trends in ISKCON.

One of the consequences of modern globalization is that we are all being forced to reconsider the external elements of our respective faith traditions.

 American aid worker Kayla Mueller, 26, from Prescott, Arizona, who had been held hostage by Islamic State militants for 18 months, had been killed on February 6^th in Syria. She was a practicing ISKCON devotee, who after graduating from high school volunteered at Food for Life Vrindavan. 

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk7M4DLm

The post Dosa for lunch appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The TOVP Team would like to recognize the wonderful service of Sri Radha Vallabha Das who is responsible for the interior design work of the new TOVP Seva Office in Mayapur.

Sri Radha Vallabha prabhu, a graduate in Architecture from SDM Polytechnic College in Hyderabad and Interior Design from Holmesglen Institute in Melbourne, Australia, has been enthusiastically working with the TOVP Team for the last 18 months. His experience in the Interior Design Industry over the last 10 years includes designing various commercial, residential and office projects in India and overseas, including the residence of former Indian cricketer and politician, Mohammad Azharuddin, as well as the ISKCON Temple in Sigatoka, Fiji.

We look forward to seeing his amazing talents continue to bring forth the glory of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The post TOVP Seva Office Designer, Sri Radha Vallabha Das appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

A tribute to Kayla Mueller
Kayla volunteered at Food for Life Vrindavan in 2010. She had a heart of gold. She volunteered for more then 6 months. At the beginning she was giving English classes and then the Kindergarten kids stolen her heart. She was very simple and humble. She loved the kids, without the “fear” that many foreigners have. She made many friendships with the parents of the children, use to visit them in the slum, even eat with them.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/vR8VVG

The post Vaisesika Prabhu’s Bhagavatam class, Feb 11 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post 3 jewels from today’s class by Vaisesika Prabhu appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! The Bhagavat Dharma Experience: Prabhupada’s Second Visit to New Vrindaban
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.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15507

Flower Festival – A Festival of Unity in Diversity
On Januray 31st, 2015 the annual Flower Festival was celebrated at Radha Gopinath Temple in Mumbai. First an enthusiastic team of hundreds of volunteers plucked petals from 2000 pounds of flowers including white and yellow chamomile, orange and coppery marigold, yellow and white chrysanthemum, pink and red roses, jasminum molle and jasmine. The petals were then showered upon the deities of Radha and Krishna in the temple as everyone sang melodious kirtan. Finally when the same petals were showered upon the assembled devotees and guests, the ambience pulsated with colours, fragrances, and most of all – spiritual delirium.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/KLZYmG

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk8oH9eR

The post Scenes from Mayapura appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Famous american singer Prince presented himself dressed like a Hare Krishna devotee, or almost, wearing saffron color clothes and carrying chanting beads, during the popular Grammy Awards event in Los Angeles, at least according to this website: http://goo.gl/NHPmRD

The post February 11th, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Mangala arati Iskcon London

Sciences, philosophies, and arts are like huge mountains of importance to humanity. All of them are clustered at the roots of the Vedas, whose peaks soar high in the far distance.

If all the mountains of the Vedas — even the enormous spire called Mahābhārata, with its golden summit called Bhagavad-Gītā — combined along with all their foothills of arts and sciences to create a single, monumental height, that mountain would merely be a hill standing in the shadow of the limitless enormity that is Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

This gorgeous mountain, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, is resplendent with parks, lakes and terraces created by the divine goddesses who reside upon it, bearing names like Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta, Bhakti-rasāmṛta Sindhu, Bhāgavata-sandarbha, Sārārtha-darśinī, and Bhaktivedānta Purports. The butterflies and bees who flutter amidst these parks on Mt. Bhāgavata are constantly intoxicated with enlightening joy. No one can reach high enough to touch their feet.

Tagged: Bhagavata Purana, Philosophy, Srimad Bhagavatam

"During the japa session as the mind howls, don’t give up the chanting. However bad the mind's demands, don't give in - let's keep chanting till we complete our daily quota.
The lake of the mind will eventually settle down. But be rest assured, tomorrow as you sit for another japa session, the mind will once again agitate. Again the solution is the same; do not react."

Radhanatha Swami

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 December 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.19.20)

Question: A devotee mentioned that you have to stay on very good terms with your family and maybe compromise many things for them because they are the ones you can depend on. They help you, they are there in a crisis whereas the devotees, you cannot depend on…

Well, I tend to agree that you cannot depend on the devotees (laughter)… but why would you? Is that the only option – to depend on your family or to depend on the devotees? How about depending on Krsna? I would depend on Krsna.

About family, the scriptures says ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.4), they are fallible soldiers. What can they do? They are going to protect you but they cannot protect themselves. They will also die. So how are they going to protect you?

I experienced it myself. My parents died unexpectedly when I was still relatively young. I was just at the stage where I was independent in life but still in my teenage years and my independence was such that I knew at anytime if I have an emergency, I could just call my parents and I say, “Geez, you know, I got stranded and I just ran out of money. I do not know what to do. How do I get back home?” And then, (snaps fingers) they will send a ticket. So, I knew I had the security that my parents were there and then, my parents just died. Boom! Then all I had left was my sister and my sister, well…you know, she was not just going to give me money like that. So, I felt alone in the world.

This so called security of the family is not as great as we want it to be. Of course, in Africa, there is no social system, no security. So the family is the only social security but the price you have to pay for that is that you have to do exactly what the family wants, otherwise they throw you out! But do not worry… there is a world of devotees!

You may say that the devotees will not take care of you. Depends… it depends on who you are. If you are a bum, the devotees may not take care of you. If you are not serious in Krsna consciousness, if you are not following anything or if you are a half-baked devotee and you are following only half principles, and you are chanting half-baked rounds and you are never willing to do any service, and so on… then what do you expect?

But if you are really doing something in devotional service then devotees will do something for you! Then the devotees will care for you, then they will look after you and that is the security we have. It is a fact that the more you do for Krsna, the more the devotees will take care of you. Then you do not have to worry about anything.

So just see. Let us just do service and the devotees will take care of us. They will do so many things for us. You will be surprised! At the end of the day, devotees are not that bad after all (laughter). Krsna will make arrangements for sure. Yeah, so that is the ‘leap of faith’. You know philosophers speak of the ‘leap of faith’ and you have to take that leap and put your faith in Krsna and his devotees and never give up…

The celebrations started of with puspanjali at Srila Gaura Govinda Maharaj’s samadhi, and then proceeded to a small community hall in the Mayapur grhasta complex.

“Srila Gaura Govinda Maharaja told me there were three things that were causing him distress. He said. “One, is that I want to preach to the preachers—when I see devotees falling down and going away it gives me great pain in my heart. The second thing is that I want to show that everything is in Srila Prabhupada’s books. And those people who say that Srila Prabhupada only gave ABC, I want to make them mum.” And he was so strong about that. The third thing he said is that. “Everything is in ISKCON and people do not have to go outside for some so-called ‘higher teachings’.”

—Madhavananda Dasa
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Je Anilo Prema Dhana by Niranjana Swami
Talk by Niranjana Swami
Talk by Giriraj Swami
Talk by Guru Prasada Swami
Talk by Madhavananda dasa

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