Planet ISKCON

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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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Thaipusam Book Marathon 2015 (Album 98 photos)
Sri Jagannatha Mandir,ISKCON Malaysia HQ
See them here: http://goo.gl/5sksK9

Hare Krishna! Mayapur Sanga of ISKCON Sannyasis, Gurus and GBCs – Day Two
The discussions were dynamic and pertinent, and then the participants broke for lunch. After lunch, the participants stood before a large banner on the wall with an important excerpt from a letter from Srila Prabhupada: “This is called unity in diversity. I am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With all GBC and senior men present we should discuss how to make unity in diversity. But, if we fight on account of diversity, then it is simply the material platform. Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our movement successful.” Giriraja Swami, Radhanath Swami, and Anuttama Prabhu were invited, one after another, to read the excerpt aloud, and time was given for everyone to meditate on Srila Prabhupada’s words.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15493

Iskcon leaders meet in Mayapur for the 2nd day (Album 58 photos)
On day one participants explored ISKCON’s past, examining the trends in and influences on ISKCON, both internal and external. 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 (the GBC members, the sannyasis, the gurus, and the BBT trustees) address the trends in ISKCON. They were asked to list their perception of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the four groups of devotees.
See them here: http://goo.gl/JtMwFA

Hare Krishna! All the way from Finland - to do Harinama in London!
This week we were joined by two enthusiastic devotees, Nrtya Gita Dasi and Bhaktin Jaana, who had taken the time to travel all the way from Finland to London, especially to take part in our popular London Saturday Night Harinam. In the short video clip below, you will see Nrtya Gita dressed in orange dancing joyfully and encouraging bystanders to take part in the Kirtan. Also, at the end of the video, our Govinda prabhu gives a very potent little public address.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15487

Hare Krishna Melbourne: Faces of the St Kilda Festival (Album 36 photos)
Happy faces at a happy event!
See them here: http://goo.gl/EV0D62

[The theme of this blog is very much on my mind and was originally published in 2008-08-08--I spruced it up a bit and added pictures to make it more consistent with my current blogs.]I just returned from a trip to the ocean. I spent time thinking of some lessons I learned during my life which I wanted to share with you. As we age and hopefully mature we have to apply the spiritual principles of Krishna consciousness in different ways. At the same time, in our pursuit of spiritual perfection, we also have to apply different material strategies of support (i.e marriage, living in an ashram, occupational development, etc.) in order to be peaceful, satisfied, and able to remain fixed in our goal of loving and serving Krishna for our whole life. We don't want to be a shooting star, but a brilliant sun in lasting service. The following are points for your contemplation:

As we mature we will have a much different idea of what spirituality is than when we were young and inexperienced. In fact we may very well see what we once thought was Krishna consciousness, was only a shadow, or a beginning layer of a much deeper, broader, nuanced view.

Your conceptions of Krishna consciousness, and what you thought was your level of advancement will in time be challenged—so never be complacent and think you have gone somewhere by only a head full of knowledge or some years of chanting and service. The quality of our practice is much more important than the time spent. We may obtain Krishna in a moment, or not for a million births.

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Hare Krishna! “Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary…”
Admiration for the astounding abilities of Sherlock Holmes is certainly not misplaced. The methods he and his contemporary scientific counterparts use for acquiring knowledge—observation and reasoning—are universal and necessary, and even the Vedic literature of ancient India recognizes them as valid for certain purposes. Nevertheless, they are not sufficient. Because they are imperfect processes, subject to limited certainty and scope, they should not be independently relied upon.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15484

The post Remembering how meticulous Gaura Govinda Swami was in selecting a bona-fide spiritual master appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! Hold on!
I analyzed my work through the lens of Krishna consciousness and found it degrading and contrary to Krishna consciousness. I work for a retail company where I create propositions that entice people to buy more and more. I started feeling that any kind of work is equivalent to contributing to maya’s trap of increasing material desires. “I’m on the path of Krishna consciousness to escape the influence of maya, but I’m busy creating material allurements for others.” That thought disturbed me constantly.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15481

Hare Krishna! We need to go back to Dwarka. This is why
Could Dwarka really be the most ancient civilization in human history?
=> Was there or was there not a government cover-up?
=> Did Dwarka truly possess ahead-of-its-time technology?
=> What other ancient scriptures offer clues to the truth about Dwarka?
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15478

Hare Krishna! NOW STARTING–Distance Learning Hospice Course
REGISTRATION is NOW OPEN for the Vaishnavas C.A.R.E. Distance Learning Hospice Course where you can learn “The Art of Caring for a Terminally ill Loved One” in the quiet and comfort of your own home.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15474

The post February 10th, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

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05-01-2015 SB 1.11.37 Lord Krishna’s Transcendental Personality, ISKCON Durban, South Africa.mp3

Written by Madhava Smullen. Archival Research by Chaitanya Mangala.

New Vrindaban, August 31^st, 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 exuberant 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 1^st – 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 10^th, the festival came to an end, and on September 11^th, 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.”

Lord Ramchandra Illustrious Pastimes Day 3 Youddha Kanda Part 2

The “SGGS” short for the Sannyasi, Guru, GBC, Sanga meeting in Mayapur was attended by 60 or 70 senior devotees from around the world.

Devahūti felt unfit to live in such a beautiful place. Though she was naturally lotus-eyed and beautiful, after so many years of austerity her breasts and body were caked with dust, her hair was ruined and matted, and her clothes were worn-thin. “O Hesitant Lady,” her husband Kardama said, reassuringly, “Before ascending into this palace, please bathe in the sacred lake created by Śukla. This lake fulfills all desires.”

Following her husband’s suggestion, Devahūti entered the lake, which contains the auspicious waters of River Sarasvatī. Opening her eyes beneath the water, she saw a chamber. In it she found ten hundred youthful maidens, each as fragrant as a lotus flower. When they saw her, they immediately stood up, folded their hands, and said, “We are your maids. Please tell us what we can do for you.”

Those heavenly maids were Vidyādhara with super-human expertise in the arts. They bathed the most respectable Devahūti in very valuable oils, carefully dressed her in spotless silk cloth, decorated her with resplendent and incalculably priceless jewelry, and fed her the most healthy and delicious foods and drinks, including a powerful elixir of fertility known as āsavam.

When the maidens very respectfully brought a mirror, Devahūti saw her effulgent body bedecked with jewelry and dazzling clothing, and decorated with auspicious designs. Even her hopelessly matted har was restored to glossy beauty. Every part of her body was ornamented. On her neck hung a gold medallion and a pearl necklace. On her wrists were bracelets. On her ankles were tinkling, golden ankle bells. On her hips was a golden belt with many jewels. She wore fine cosmetics and her face beamed with beautiful teeth and eyebrows. Her lovely eyes glanced sideways, defeating the beauty of budding lotuses. Her curls of hair were like dark emeralds.

She thought of her beloved husband, the best of sages, and immediately she found herself at his side, along with all the young ladies. Seeing herself next to her husband and surrounded by a thousand young women, she became completely amazed by the extent of his mystical powers.

Tagged: Beauty Salon, Devahuti, Mystic Beauty, Yoga

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 January 2015, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.10.21-22)

The reputation of Krsna’s devotee is essential. A devotee is naturally honest and detached. Dishonesty is a sign of material attachment, it is a sign where we think that we have to be controllers, ‘This situation is getting out of hands! I am not getting what I need in this world of dharma and this honesty is simply blocking the way. Now, only a lie can save me!’  This means that we want to be controllers, it means that we want to bring this situation into our grip so that WE get the advantage. It means that we have a fruitive intent and we are calculating for our gain, and we think, ‘I am the controller of this universe and I need to make arrangements to put everything in the right place so that everything is comfortable for me!’  

This shows a lack of reliance on the Supreme Lord, a lack of knowing that Krsna will provide and Krsna will take care. Therefore, a vaisnava will naturally take shelter of honesty. He does not take shelter of manipulation, lying and scheming. No, it is all selfless for Krsna. A vaisnava knows, ‘I am not a controller, I simply try and Krsna will make all the arrangements.’  Therefore, honesty is natural for devotees. It is a quality of goodness, of saintliness, of being trustworthy and of being transparent.

Vaisnava honesty is important because if we are not honest, who will take this message of Krsna consciousness, who will trust us!? And if people do not trust us, they will not trust what we have to say either. Therefore, this honesty is essential for a devotee who is simple and has nothing to hide. If one takes this position that there is nothing to hide, then there can be no sinful activities, no skeletons in the closet. How simple and nice is life then – with no facade, no mask, just be as you are!