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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIOAmjP7UJQ

Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk
Kalakantha Prabhu: I have heard thousands of Prabhupada lectures, and still every once in a while I hear something I have not heard before.
Prabhupada said Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8 should be the motto for every devotee: “My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.” It is not that the devotee is exempt from suffering, but his suffering is for a purpose while the suffering of a materialistic is simply a distraction from his enjoyment.
Read more: http://goo.gl/VoshQe

Funny devotee theater in Hungary (Album 13 photos)
See them here: http://goo.gl/GvFbry

Prasad distribution to thousands in Thaipusam-2015! (Album 47 photos)
Hare Krsna, Thanks to all the sponsers, well wishers and more importatantly devotees who worked tirelessly round the clock from ISKCON GELUGOR and ISKCON NIBONG TEBAL to help to serve ~ 15-17k plates of prasadam to piligrims during thaipusam day..
See them here: http://goo.gl/cxT3z7

Hare Krishna! Even when Krishna is in the universe, the universe is still in Him
To comprehend the reality underlying this appearance, we need to understand Krishna’s transcendental position and disposition. The world’s theistic traditions proclaim God’s transcendence, underscoring his self-existence in a realm that transcends time and space. Being the source of everything, including the fabric of time and space, he is never limited by his emanations.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15443

"We have borrowed the future from our children instead of inheriting it from our ancestors." This African proverb vividly describes the contemporary use of natural resources. In the not-so-distant future the spectre of global warming threatens to cause the melting of the polar icecaps and submerge many flourishing coastal cities under tsunami-like waves. And this is just one among many apocalyptic predictions - coming from, not religion, but science. A World Watch Institute report put it poignantly, "Environmental super-disasters are no longer a doomsday prophecy; they are an imminent reality."

Is there anything we can do to avoid these calamities? Some ecologists have proposed a 3 R formula: reduce, reuse and recycle. If we reduce our consumption, especially of non-biodegradable products, reuse the commodities we have instead of repeatedly purchasing newer ones and recycle the items we discard, we can avert the impending disaster or at least decrease its magnitude. Unfortunately most people are unable to muster the will to implement these measures because they find the temptations for instant gratification irresistible. Moreover, many people presume that as lone individuals they are too small to make any substantial difference in a global crisis; so they numb themselves to the imminent danger by losing themselves in diversions such as spectator sports, television and social media.

To make the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recyle) realizable, we need another R (Raise). 

But we can all make a difference. To make the 3 R’s realizable, we need another R. That R is for raise; we need to raise our consciousness from the material arena to the spiritual realm. Those who see the whole socio-historical picture know that the current crisis originated from a lowering of human consciousness several centuries ago. For millennia before the Renaissance, most people worldwide saw nature as a sacred Mother acting in tandem with the Divine Father to provide us our earthly home and bodily necessities. Indeed this worldview is stated explicitly in the Bhagavad-gita (14.4) and echoed in many other wisdom-traditions. Consequently people in the past reverentially took their necessities from nature and scrupulously avoided tampering with her balances, knowing those to be of an intricacy and delicacy beyond human comprehension.

However a mistaken extrapolation of science beyond its realm led to an indiscriminate reductionism that depersonalized nature. People began to see it as an inanimate, even inimical, object to be harnessed for human profit, and started plundering natural resources indiscriminately. Thus began an unfortunate history of what has been euphemistically called "unintended consequences" – the boomeranging of myopic attempts to exploit nature that have precipitated the present crisis. Getting to the root of the problem, Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, stated, "The sufferings of humanity are due to a polluted aim of life." The polluted aim, of course, is the aim of dominating nature instead of harmonizing with it.

Thankfully, this pollution can be countered. By raising our consciousness from the material level to the spiritual level, we can regain our holistic vision of ourselves as spiritual beings, beloved children in the lap of our divine parents, nature and God. We will experience the non-material enrichment that comes by harmonizing with our deepest nature. The concomitant warming of the heart with divine love will nourish our willpower and enable us to eschew the indulgences that are ecologically harmful. Fortunately for us, the will to raise our consciousness is an individual and renewable resource. ­Through time-tested spiritual practices like meditation, prayer, yoga and chanting of holy names, every one of us can raise our consciousness and thus make a small but significant difference. Will that be enough to save our planet? Why not?

The Gaia hypothesis, an emerging paradigm within modern science, posits that the earth is a conscious organism. In that light, the current ecological problems can be seen as her defensive responses to our excesses and abuses of her resources. Nonetheless she has a mother's heart; when she sees us reforming, she can save us in ways that we may not yet foresee. The earth, like all organisms, has a healing mechanism, which will promote recovery once the hostile stimuli are removed. So let us do our part by cleansing the ecologically hostile germs of godless materialism from our consciousness and nature will do her part.

Jagannath Ratha Yatra parade and on stage performances in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Album 19 photos)
See them here: http://goo.gl/EozO53

Hare Krishna! From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir: HH Giriraja Swami
At one stage a small group of devotees went to Madras. We were the first devotees from ISKCON to go. And we were staying with a gentleman, sort of orthodox in his own way, also speculative, who was saying that we are Vaisnavas and Vaisnavas are greater than brahmans but we are not brahmans. In order to become brahmans we have to take birth in brahmana families in our next life. So there were four of us in that small party and Acyutananda Swami said to our host - what is more powerful, sinful reactions or Krishna’s holy names? And the host had to admit - Krishna’s holy name. Then Acyutananda Swami said, well someone is born in a brahmana family or a lower family according to his past pious and sinful activities but you just admitted that Krishna’s holy name is more powerful than any sinful activities. And so those sinful reactions that caused our so called lower birth have been eradicated.There is a verse in the Third canto that those who chant the holy name are immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices. In other words they are immediately accepted to be brahmans.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15437

Walking around Mayapur (Album 66 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: For a devotee, liberation is no problem at all. The impersonalists undergo severe penances and austerities to attain mukti, but the bhakta, simply by engaging himself in the bhakti process, especially in chanting Hare Krishna, immediately develops control over the tongue by engaging it in chanting, and accepting the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Personality of Godhead. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.25.33 Purport)
See them here: http://goo.gl/OqVKMp

Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple of Devotion and Understanding,Seberang Jaya,Penang. (Album 12 photos)
Grand Opening Ceremony on 29 August 2015.
See them here: http://goo.gl/0g3yPg

Harinama in Melbourne (Album 31 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One who hears the transcendental sound vibration of the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krishna, also improves in health. We have actually seen that many brahmacaris and grhastas connected with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness have improved in health, and a luster has come to their faces. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.21.45-47 Purport)
See them here: http://goo.gl/NlvF5f

New Book - Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami’s Chaitanya-Charitamrita Compact
Throughout cosmic history, Krishna periodically descends to Earth and reveals knowledge of the eternal reality. He re-establishes genuine spirituality and teaches the practical means to develop God consciousness. In 1486, Krishna appeared as Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. While a renaissance of philosophical and theological thought was going on in the world, Shri Chaitanya ushered in a spiritual revolution through His personal interactions, philosophical discourses and most importantly His joyous public chanting and dancing. He established a process of God consciousness that was open to everyone regardless of caste, colour or creed. He went beyond ritualistic worship, dry philosophising, and materialistic piety, instead emphasising the very essence of religion – unmotivated and unconditional love of God.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/PUwEru

ISKCON Delhi all set to add two new exhibits to its Vedic Museum
The Vedic Museum at ISKCON Delhi is all set to add several different sections, each with their own absorbing journeys into the stories and philosophy of the ancient Vedic literature. Digital surround sound, lighting effects, fog machines and a triple-screen video complete the experience. Today, 2,000 to 2,500 people, mostly tourists from all over India, visit the Expo daily during the peak months of May and June. Young people who are usually more interested in their smartphones and iPads than in Vedic knowledge are very impressed when they see it depicted using modern technology.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/rPYaDA

The post February 8th, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Lord Ramchandra Illustrious Pastimes Day 3 Sundar Kanda II

Salagram Sila Deity – Sri Sudarsana.

Salagram-Sila appears at New Vrindaban

by Henry Doktorski (Hrishikesh dasa)

During May 1977, the first Salagram-Sila appeared at New Vrindaban. Salagram-Sila is a Vaisnava murti in the form of a spherical, usually black-colored stone found in the sacred river Gandaki, a tributary of the Ganges and one of the major rivers of Nepal and India. Geologists believe the river is older than the Himalayas; as tectonic activity forced the mountains higher, the river has cut through the uplift to maintain its course.

Salagram-Sila stones are naturally formed, with circular or spiral markings and are found in particular kinds of ocean sediments, which have been uplifted to the top of the Himalayas. The word Sila translates simply to “stone” and Salagram is a name of Visnu. The origin of the name is traced to a remote village in Nepal where Visnu is known by the name of Salagraman.

The Silas are worshipped as manifestations of Visnu Himself, identifiable from other stones by special markings believed to resemble Visnu’s paraphernalia such as mace, conch, lotus and disc. Nrsimhadeva, Varahadeva and Vamanadeva are popular forms of worship. They are either black, red, or mixed in color and are usually kept closed in a box and are only brought out for daily worship (puja). Traditionally Silas are acquired by heredity and are passed down through many generations, never being purchased or sold.

According to Vaisnava belief, the worshipper of a Salagram-Sila must adhere to strict rules, such as not touching the Salagram without bathing, never placing the Salagram on the ground, eating only prasadam, and not indulging in bad practices.

The [June 1977 issue of the] Brijabasi Spirit reported about the acquisition of the silas for New Vrindaban:

More than a year ago, we read in Caitanya-Caritamrita that Srila Prabhupada desired to introduce Salagram-Sila worship in the West. He said at the time this worship of Salagram was not going on, but that soon it would be established as a regular function of every ISKCON temple. Last month in New Vrindaban, Prabhupada’s desire became manifest as Salagram-Sila appeared on the altar of Sri Sri Radha-Vrindaban Candra.

All the members of the community were very much excited about the Lord’s arrival. When He appeared on the altar for the first time, His smiling face bestowing benedictions upon all His devotees, everyone’s expectations were more than satisfied. The Lord’s beauty is without comparison to anything in the material world. Simply by seeing His transcendental form one loses all desire to see anything else. As stated in the second chapter of Bhagavad-Gita, param drstva nirvartate: by experiencing a higher taste one gives up his attraction for sense objects. . . .

Kirtanananda Maharaja placed Kuladri dasa in charge of serving Salagram, and this has turned out to be a full-time engagement for Kuladri. . . . We have two Salagrams residing on Radha-Vrindaban Candra’s altar, each seated on His own throne. Their characteristics have been identified as being those of Sri Hiranyagarbha and Sri Sudarsana. Unlike the Deity form, in which Krishna enters upon the request of the Acarya, Salagram-Sila is and always was Krishna, with or without installation.

There is a special river high in the Himalayas from which Salagrams appear. One must enter the water and after chanting special mantras one calls loudly the name of the particular Salagram-Sila he desires to worship. Each Salagram-Sila has distinct characteristics identifiable by brahmanas expert in the science. This is the method of acquisition as related to us by one of our senior godbrothers presently residing in India.

The author was a resident of New Vrindaban from 1978 until 1994.

Kayla Mueller, the american woman held by ISIS, had worked for two weeks for the Sandipani Muni School in Vrindavana.
Kayla Mueller: “I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine. If this is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 13 March 2013, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.17)

The other day, I was reading some quotes of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura and they are still fresh in my mind so they are coming out on this day. He was describing how one of his disciples had spent his life savings to built this beautiful temple in Calcutta. Then Srila Bhaktisiddhanta continued and said, “Yes, this temple, made of cement and bricks is not the real temple. The real temple must be made in the heart.”

The heart must be made into the real temple and then he said that in order to achieve this, many books will have to be written. So Prabhupada did that!  Many books were written and now, of course, many books must be distributed because this knowledge of the Bhagavata; this knowledge of Bhagavan, how to serve the Supreme Lord, that must be spread all over the world.

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.33-35.

“By offenceless chanting of the holy name ones heart will be infused with the desire to serve and the mood of compassion that is the basis for the desire to preach. Srila Prabhupada had that faith in the holy name. Because of his faith in the holy name, we took up the chanting and we got the results. Of course one should do it in the proper way under the direction of the spiritual master. If one does so one will be liberated from all sinful reactions — which includes sinful desires. And beyond that one will relish the aroma of the Tulasi leaves at the lotus feet of the Lord.”

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Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.33-35, ISKCON Mayapur

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450 years old manuscript discovered by the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre!
These manuscript covers were just discovered by the BRC Manuscript Mission team in Navadwip at Sadaran Granthagar. They are close to 450 years old and depict scenes from Ramayana and Krishna Lila.

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Answer Podcast

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Hare Krishna! GBC begins Annual General Meetings with encouraging reports of increased Book Distribution
Participants arriving were greeted with garlands by the GBC Chairman Anuttama Dasa and then proceeded to perform a Guru Puja of Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON. The meetings began with a presentation on the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) by Badrinarayan Swami, congratulating the devotees for the best book distribution year since 1996. He emphasized the importance of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and shared encouraging reports of book distribution including second-generation devotees and devotees in conflict regions.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15433

Harinam in Bangalore administrative management college (Album 87 photos)
Dr. Shrinivas Raao Potula has invited us to perform a spiritual programm in front of his college students, and it went awasome!
See them here: http://goo.gl/m1YSQZ

Hare Krishna! Reflections upon reaching the age of 65
Pusta Krishna das: I began my spiritual Krishna conscious journey at the age of 20 in Gainesville, Florida, 1970. Shortly thereafter, I went to Bangladesh as a new brahmachary. I soon discovered the real battle with maya that was before me. I was already convinced of Krishna, without any doubts, but I still carried the weight of my karma, my attachments, and my active mind. I practiced sense control and withdrew my mind from any where it wandered, taking shelter of the Holy Name, praying for His mercy. It was a great internal battle. I am certain that nearly all of you reading this know the struggle. Years have passed and you cannot stop the passing of time. That river flows on, and as Krishna describes in His Bhagavad Gita, Time I am. Time is a manifestation of God. Srila Prabhupad used to say that for those who choose not to surrender to the Personality of Godhead, then they are forced to surrender to Him as Time, whose manifestation is death for all things material.
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15425

Hare Krishna! Using Social Media in Preaching service
With the raise of internet , and the usage of social media sites have increased exponentially over the past 5-8 years, the social media has emerged as a new instrument for the age of kali. The opinion of the masses is not only influenced by the media, but even the media is able to create new opinions of the masses by just repeated information (true or false, as it wishes).
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15422