Planet ISKCON

The post Reporting in on developments of the Organisational Development meetings specifically in regards to guru – GBC emphasis in ISKCON appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Badrinarayan Swami, a veteran GBC member, with zonal responsibilities in Southern California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah and Idaho, USA, while also taking on service in a number of SPN committees speaks of the steps the GBC is taking to compile “legacy” papers that will compile for future generations answers to a number of the crucial spiritual and managerial questions that have shaped and continue to shape ISKCON. These papers are based on a study of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on particular matters.

Tamohara Das, a GBC member overseeing ISKCONs work in the South East of the United States of America, and serving in the SPN’s Succession Committee, introduces an exciting new project that responds to the growing need to train new leaders for every strata of the ISKCON Society. As a generation of leaders look toward retirement, the need for new leadership is becoming ever more pressing. 

Sivarama Swami, a GBC leader, preacher, and educator in Hungary, Romania and Turkey and a member of the SPN’s Organizational Development Committee and Lines of Authority Committee speaks on strategic planning work helping to insure that ISKCON can become the movement Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya envisioned it to be. After all, he says, everything in the spiritual world is strategically planned and organized to the highest standard, for Krishna’s pleasure.

Let this album of Gurukula In Mayapura transport you to Satya-yuga! (Album 139 photos)
Indradyumna Swami Before leaving Sridham Mayapura I visited the Bhaktivedanta Academy, one of several schools in our ISKCON community there. It functions as a traditional Vedic gurukula with education for both boys and girls. The day I visited the boy’s school they were receiving one of their teacher’s, Bhaktividya Purna Maharaja, who was returning from a trip way. The boys cooked a feast, received Maharaja, held a fire yajna and had a big kirtan. The jungle setting, the traditional architecture and the well trained students all provided a unique experience.
See them here: http://goo.gl/tIhlk3

Hare Krishna! Suvarna Vihara Temple At “Sri Godrumadvipa“ Island Of Navadvipa-mayapur Dhama
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established this Temple. One day, while taking his disciples on pilgrimage from Svananda Sukhada Kunj (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house) to Nrsimhapalli, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura saw this tract of land and told his disciples to locate the owner as he wanted it. The owner was a little perplexed. He told the devotees, “Please inform Maharaj that I am more than happy to give this land to him, but it is wild jungle with tigers and jackals and no one dares to go there. I would prefer to give him some other cultivated land”. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura insisted he wanted that land only and after securing it, sent his disciples to search the place. They came back and reported they had seen carved stones and raised areas where high walls had once stood. They also saw a huge celestial cobra with shining jewel on its head. It was protecting the ruins of a huge building. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura then revealed that this place was the palace of King Survarna Sena, from the time of Satya-yuga”.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15353

Hare Krishna! The Power of Chastity
Garuda Purana 1.142.19-29 tells the story of a Brahmin named Kaushik who lived in the city Pratishthanpur: Kaushik was afflicted with leprosy, but still his wife, Sandili, worshiped him like a god. She was very chaste and faithful to her husband. Even when he rebuked her, she never ceased to consider him her worshipable deity. One evening, Kaushik instructed his wife to take him to the house of a prostitute. Obeying his order, Sandili brought a quantity of money with her, and carrying her husband on her shoulders, set off.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15346

Hare Krishna! The Story of Mandavya Muni
There was a celebrated brahmin named Mandavya who was determined on the spiritual path. Steady in truthfulness and austerity, he knew all the religious law. Mandavya was a mighty yogi capable of great asceticism. Beneath a tree at the entrance to his āśrama, he stood unmoving with upraised arms and observed a religious vow of silence. Much time passed, until one day, as the sage dutifully performed his penances, a band of thieves rushed into his āśrama carrying stolen valuables. Being followed closely by a large group of police, the frightened thieves quickly concealed their booty in the sage’s cottage and then hid themselves in the same spot, just as the heavily-armed policemen arrived there.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15342

Hare Krishna! Huge Harinamas in London, UK (2 videos)
The first of these two mini video clips shows a group of Spanish youths actually becoming totally overjoyed when encouraged by Parividha to chant out loudly the name of Nityananda Prabhu. The second shows a group of enthusiastic young tourists line dancing with the Harinam party.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15339

The post February 3rd, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Hare Krishna! Service Opportunity ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary International Coordinator
By the International 50th Anniversary Committee
This year, 2015, we will begin our observances with the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the US, and quickly move on to 2016, just one year away. Continental and regional committees have been formed and are active. But, recently our International Coordinator, Ajay Kumar prabhu from the UK has had to step down from this service, due to personal circumstances. We thank him for his excellent service in mobilizing devotees for planning their 50th anniversary celebrations.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15336

2015 02 1 Nityanand Trayodashi 2015 Appearance Of Lord Nityanand Radhanath Swami Maharaj ISKCON

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes a simple, sustainable lifestyle centered on the care and protection of cows, local food production and the loving service of Lord Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Members of the ECO-V Board of Directors: Anuttama, Bhima, Chaitanya Mangala, Navin Shyam, Kripamaya, Madhava Gosh (partial), and Ranaka.

Participating Advisors: Radha-Krishna (partial)

Participating Managers: Mukunda

Recording Secretary: Jordanna

1. 2014 Finalized Operating Budget Approval

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to review ECO-V’s income and expenses for the previous year.

RESOLVED: The Board approves a finalized operating budget of $277K for 2014.

2. 2015 Operating Budget Approval

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to set projections of ECO-V’s income and expenses for the upcoming year.

RESOLVED: The Board approves an operating budget of $385K for 2015.

3. Board Seats Renewed

Bhima, Anuttama and Kripamaya were re-elected to three-year terms.

4. Navin Shyam’s Retirement as Chair/Board Member & Becoming an Advisor

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to simultaneously honor Navin Shyam’s five years of service to ECO-Vrindaban and to keep him involved in a consultative capacity.

RESOLVED: The Board accepts Navin Shyam’s retirement as a Board Member and Chairperson and invites him to participate as an Advisor to the Board.

5. Bhima as Board Chair

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to fill the vacant position of Chairperson.

RESOLVED: The Board selects Bhima as the ECO-V Board Chair for one year, ending with the January ‘16 meeting.

6. Update from Mukunda 

Mukunda anticipates that he will relocate to New Vrindaban by mid-March.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2014, Mayapur, India, Siksastakam Seminar: Verses 3&4, Part 2)

Humility is our main topic of the day. I was thinking that humility also includes other qualities. For example, humility includes forgiveness because if you cannot forgive then there is no question of being humble. Forgiveness comes because we do not consider ourselves so important. When we are very important, then we cannot forgive, “How could you do this to me! YOU did this to ME! I will never forgive you for this!” There is a false concept of the self in lack of forgiveness. So, I see forgiveness as a quality of humility.

I see generosity and being magnanimous, these kind of qualities, also in humility because again, one has to be able to put one’s own concerns in the second place, then you can be magnanimous otherwise one is all the time thinking about ME, and MY condition and MY needs… As long as we are concerned with our own comforts, then humility is very difficult!

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Jews and Hindu chanting ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ , Tel Aviv, Israel Jews and Hindu chanting ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ , Tel Aviv, Israel by Chutia Lucman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLWuFlqdnew

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Krishna Das or KD as his famously called in the Kirtan and Yoga circles and a Grammy-award nominated singer, visited ISKCON's Glory of India project in New Delhi last week while on a visit to the country's capital. The singer recalled his association with Srila Prabhupada when he would go to join the kirtans at Tompkins Square Park in New York in the late 60's.

Starting March 15^th, once again, more than 100,000 Vrajavasis, devotees, farmers and people from various organizations will march from Vrindavan to Delhi to stop the abuse of the Yamuna River. This Pada Yatra represents a turning point in the popular Save Yamuna Campaign and takes place under the name “Yamuna Muktikaran Abhiyan”.  

Juhu temple and Srila Prabhupada’s quarters in Mumbai (Album 35 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The tapasya of chanting and glorifying the name, fame and attributes of the Lord is a very easy purifying process by which everyone can be happy. Therefore everyone who desires the ultimate cleansing of his heart must adopt this process. Other processes, such as karma, jnana and yoga, cannot cleanse the heart absolutely. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12 Purport).
See them here: http://goo.gl/4lWDyx

Divyana’s 5th birthday party :-) (Album 33 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “For one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one’s heart completely.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12).
See them here: http://goo.gl/qj4WRh

7th Annual Krsna Kidz Camp! Iskcon Detroit - The Bhaktivedanta Cultural Centre (Album 112 photos)
As stated by our founding Acharya - His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada –These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children!
Please, tag and like! Pictures with most likes will be printed and displayed :) Hare Krishna! Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
See them here: http://goo.gl/YlVuQK

Amazingly beautiful Radha Gopinath temple in Chowpatty, Mumbai (Album 50 photos)
All glories to HH Radhanath Swami and his dedicated disciples!!! I have never seen such beautiful temple with such sweet homely atmosphere!
See them here: http://goo.gl/GIzK33

Puspa Abhishek at Sri Sri Radha Gopinath on 31st Jan 2015 (Album 125 photos)
Amazing Puspa Abhishek celebration at Sri Sri Radha Gopinath on 31st Jan 2015 by HH Radhanath Swami, HH Indradyumna Swami, HH Niranjan Swami,HHGiriraj Maharaj, HG Bada Haridas Prabhu, HG Gauravani Prabhu and many more devotees.
See them here: http://goo.gl/t63EWS

The post Information about the April festival for moving Radha-Syama back to their renovated quarters appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Reading the first chapter of Caitanya Bhagavat on Nityananda-trayodasi appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! Everyone should have it!
This article has been written by Premanjana Das (Pranjal Joshi) in January 2015 in Jaipur, India. The writer is seen giving the books of Srila Prabhupada to some famous personalities at hotel Diggi Palace in Jaipur (Rajasthan), India on the occasion of Jaipur Literature Festival which is held every year in January at this hotel since 2006. It is the largest literature festival in the whole world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15332

Hare Krishna! An analysis of the paper “Some Evidence Regarding Education and Guruship for Vaishnavis”
By Goloka-ranjana Dasa
Among scholars, the position of women in the Vedic culture is a cause for controversy and debate because of different, sometimes contradictory statements found in Vedic literature. Sages have their own opinions and often contradict other sages. Thus the only path to the truth is the path traversed by great authorities. That is why we would like to analyze through the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and our previous acaryas some of the different quotes and arguments presented in the paper “Some Evidence Regarding Education and Guruship for Vaishnavis,”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15329

Nityananda Trayodasi at Iskcon Salem (Album 89 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord’s holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.63 Purport).
See them here: http://goo.gl/VTrjoP

The post February 2nd, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Bhakti Charu Swami on Srimad Bhagavatam 04.01.27

Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s Appearance Day celebration at Bhaktivedanta Manor, England (Album 84 photos)
See them here: http://goo.gl/8GZ13u