Planet ISKCON

BY SRIDEVI GAURANGI DEVI DASI

KLANG - The abhishek ceremony on Sri Nityananda Trayodasi was held in ISKCON Teluk Pulai, Klang on 1 Feb 2015. It was the offering of fruit juices milk honey and flowers on the deities. We were honoured to have the special spiritual discourse by HH Bhakti Vijendranandana Swami Malaysia's only Maharaja and President of ISKCON Malaysia. The abishek ceremony on this auspicious day is the opportunity for devotees to offer their respects and love by observing a half day fast and glorifying their Lordships!

Hare Krishna! From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir: HG Mahatma Das
When I travel, people always ask how the movement spread in the early days. My realization is that it spread by Prabhupada’s faith in the Holy Name to purify us. One day I was happily sitting in the San Francisco Temple in 1970. At that point, I had been a devotee for eight months. I had just turned to the ripe age of twenty. I was called into the Temple President’s office and told that I would be going to Vancouver to be the Temple President because I was so qualified. Why would Prabhupada allow that?
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15410

Hare Krishna! From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir: HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami
In 1970 the devotees approached the authorities of the University of California at Berkeley to be allowed to give some classes on Krishna consciousness to the students. The faculty members considered the proposal and rejected it. There was a newspaper article sometime later in the Los Angeles Times. And one of the professors named Professor Staal was quoted as saying, that “the Hare Krishnai..or the devotees spend too much time chanting to be able to develop a philosophy.” (laughter) What he implied was that it is just sentimental, they don’t have philosophy, they just chant and dance.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15407

The post February 7th, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Lord Ramchandra Illustrious Pastimes Day 3 Sundar Kanda I

“Go on acquiring the surrounding lands and in this way we will establish a local self-governing village and show all the world a practical example of spiritual life as Krishna Himself exhibited in Vrindaban.” – Srila Prabhupada, 1973.

Click here to read the rest of the letter at the Vanipedia website.

CC daily Podcast:

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(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed)

[This blog was originally published on 4-21-12, and has now been moved here] Everyone falls short, or doesn’t progress as fast as they would like, on their spiritual journey. Can we ever think we love or serve Krishna sufficiently, when even great souls consider themselves deficient in devotion? Therefore, I always feel it is essential to portray my struggles as well as successes, so that devotees will be comfortable accepting and acknowledging where they fall short—at least within a select group, or a confidential friend. If we hide behind a veneer of external practice, trying to look good without admitting and sharing our struggles, we won’t be able to hear how other devotees have dealt with similar problems. Some devotees think they are the only one with a particular challenge or sensual weakness, but if there was more honest sharing of experiences, devotees would see that while the exact details and degree of intensity vary, most of us have many of the same issues and struggles

To make spiritual progress we must be introspective enough to understand our strengths and weakness, as well as where we are now, and what the goal is (so we can remain fixed on it). There is a time to hear and chant about Krishna, and a time to be real about our material attachments and lack of spiritual standing. We only get to steadiness (nistha) and taste (ruchi) in bhakti through being conscious of, and retiring our anarthas, or unwanted ways of thinking and acting—and that is a long, winding road!

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 December 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.19.19)

This human life is very short and we have to be very careful that we do not waste the opportunity to go back to Godhead. In whatever we do, do what you have to BUT, do not, in any way, jeopardize the opportunity for going back to Godhead. That is the first priority in life. Whatever we do, that should never, in anyway, come in the second place for a moment. And for the rest, do what you have to do; that is up to you!

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast

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Radhanath Swami explains Srila Prabhupada’s incredible positive attitude.
Many of you know the story. He left India when he was 69 years old, crossing the Arabian Sea on a cargo ship named Jaladuta. He had two heart attacks, sea sickness, and still he had to cross Africa, the Suez Canal, and the entire Atlantic Ocean! For some short stay he was in Butler, Pennsylvania, at some stranger’s house, and then he was living in the bowery ghetto of New York. Living in the esteem of the highest saint, and around him were drunkards, prostitutes, drug addicts and criminals. The lowest ghetto in America in those days was the bowery. He had no other place. Someone just let him stay on his floor.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/UFPZgq

Hare Krishna! ISKCON Leaders Speak Out
HH Radhanath Swami, HH Bhaktimarga Swami, His Holiness Giriraja Swami and HH Devamrita Swami speak About the TOVP. His Holiness Giriraja Swami speaks about the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium and the astounding thing Srila Prabhupada said to him about what would happen if we build this temple.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15404

Sringar Vat Temple Darshan And Sobha Yatra 2015! (Album 55 photos)
It is the place which commemorates the pastime of Radha and Krishna when, Sri Krishna personally decorated Sri Radharani with flowers. Shringar means to decorate and Vat means Banyan tree. Thus it’s the old Banyan tree under which Lord Krishna is believed to have decorated Sri Radharani with different flowers, ornaments and arranged her hair. It’s said that once Sri Radharani, left the rasa dance in a fit of jealousy (mana) after watching Krishna associating with all other Gopis (cowherd maiden) and hide herself at this place under banyan tree (Shringar Vat). Later on, Krishna came to the place searching for Radharani and found her sulking under the Banyan tree. While sitting under this tree he personally decorated the hairs of Sri Radharani with beautiful forest flowers and put anjana (kajal) in her glimmering eyes and also decorated her body with ornaments studded with precious gems and stones. The original Banyan tree under which both Radha and Krishna performed this pastime is no more as it broke down during flood in Vrindavan. The branch from that tree has been planted at the place which has now grown into a large tree. Inside the temple there is a beautiful painting depicting this worshipable pastime of Lord Radha and Krishna. Nityananda Prabhu during his visit to Vrindavan used to stay under this Banyan tree chanting names of Lord Krishna completely absorbed in his thoughts. Sometimes he would cry and shout aloud with the intense feelings of separation from Lord Krishna. Once, during one of his ecstatic moods he listened to a divine voice saying that his Lord Krishna has already taken birth in Navadwipa and is waiting for him. After hearing this voice he immediately left for Navadwipa to meet Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The Banyan Tree is also known asNityananda Vat as he stayed under this tree.
See them here: http://goo.gl/FRGRzO

Initiations at Iskcon Pune (Album 67 photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The Radha Vrindavan Chandra Temple in Pune, India is situated on 6 acres of land just minutes from the center of the city. They have a congregation of over 2,000 members. 200 brahmacaris live permanently in the temple and construction is going on to eventually accommodate 100 families on the property. There is also a large gurukula on site. My festival group is in Pune to perform our drama, ’Usa and Aniruddha’ in a prestigious hall this evening. Taking advantage, I visited the temple this morning with Bada Haridas prabhu.I held an initiation and then we toured the temple grounds. The gardens and lawns are being developed nicely and beautiful relief panels depicting Krsna pastimes decorate the parikrama path around the deities in the main temple. There is a second temple with a deity of Balaji as well. One can’t help but be amazed at the magnitude of the project.
See them here: http://goo.gl/OE7I4d

H.H. Lokannath Swami visits Sri Mayapur International School (Album 27 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord’s holy name is called sravana-mangala. This means that one receives everything auspicious simply by hearing the holy name.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.7.15 Purport)
See them here: http://goo.gl/g11E21

Hare Krishna! Response: Stephen Fry on God – The Meaning Of Life
When we decide to engage our minute freedom to manipulate matter, rather than enjoy in our spiritual relationship with the Supreme, problems arise. The consciousness that we are the supreme controllers i.e. we are God, leads to sufferings, as it’s not who we inherently are. Just as a spark cannot claim to be a fire, the miniscule soul has no claim to be God. In fact, this entire creation was created for us, because we had the initial desire to play the role of God.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15397

Jaladuta Yatra (Album 31 photos)
Inauguration Of 50Th Anniversary Celebration Of Srila Prabhupada Leaving Kolkata For West..
See them here: http://goo.gl/XWtnc7

The Vedic Museum – popularly known as the “Vedic Expo” – at ISKCON New Delhi’s massive Glory of India Vedic Cultural Center is in the process of adding two new exhibits. These will be incorporated into its section on the Chaitanya Charitamrita, the sixteenth century biography of Gaudiya Vaishnava Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Hare Krishna! Till death do us part
I used to love the thought of being a travelling monk, no responsibility or accountability to anyone, no arguments, just travel and do what you like. Obviously my idea of it was tinged with a level of escapism. Being in close proximity with the same people in a spiritual community is great but inevitably, over time there are disagreements, quarrels, the rise of envy, pride etc; familiarity usually breeds contempt.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15394

Hare Krishna! Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama’s special invitation for Srila Prabhupada’s disciples
Every evening we will have special classes on Mahaprabhu’s lila given by different senior devotees such as, HH Lokanatha Swami, HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami, HH Guru Prasada Swami, HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami, HG Sankarshan Nitai prabhu and others. The classes will be on the Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila from chapters 16 to 18. These chapters describe Mahaprabhu’s attempt to go to Vrindavan, His travelling to Vrndavan and what happened when He was there.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15391

The post Liliana and Roger ask very similar questions about freedom from sexual urges and sexual desires appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Just as the child is meant to outgrow the fear, so too are religious people meant to grow up spiritually and outgrow the fear motive for going to God.

Today saw the start of the much-anticipated Sanga of Sannyasis, Gurus and GBCs, (SGGS). Over eighty of ISKCON’s most senior leaders and preachers from across the globe gathered in Sri Dhama Mayapur for three days of association, contemplation, and in-depth discussion in response to Srila Prabhupada’s directive to find unity in diversity.

The post February 6th, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.