
Muslim scholars responded to the attack on Charlie Hebdo. Slamming the incident as un-Islamic, scholars express anger towards the perpetrators who "betrayed and tainted" Islam rather than defended it.
Websites from the ISKCON Universe
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In today’s stress-filled environment, corporate leaders are increasingly turning towards the world’s time-honored traditions for relief and insight. “10 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad Gita” serves this need by presenting the wisdom of one of the world’s greatest philosophical classics in condensed sutra-like nuggets by drawing on the rich commentarial tradition of the Gita.
Dear Devotees & Friends,
We are pleased to inform you that HH Prahladananda Maharaj will be visiting Perth from Saturday 17 Jan till Sunday 25 Jan.
HH Prahladananda Maharaj is a very senior disciple of HDG Srila Prabhupada. He is also the Health minister, Sanyasa minister and GBC member. He visits Perth regularly and well versed in the vedic scriptures. Maharaj will be giving the Classes on the following days
For more information Please contact temple on 6293 1519
Hare Krishna
The post Manah-siksa seminar in Scotland – Verses 4 – 8 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Our Cows in Gokulam, ISKCON Malaysia Farm Janda Baik (6 min video)
In conjunction with Ponggal Festival at Janda Baik, Pahang.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/UmwuG8
This week’s challenge: Who is this striking young man?
Bonus challenge: What is he doing and when was the photo taken?
What to do: Post your guesses on the “who, what, when, where & why” in the comment section at the New Vrindaban Facebook page.
Mangla Arati Of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath;12th Jan 2015
Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
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In today’s stress-filled environment, corporate leaders are increasingly turning towards the world’s time-honored traditions for relief and insight. While they usually seek relief through yoga practice, many go further, seeking insight about the nature of yoga and of life itself – and of how to make it all work in today’s world.
“10 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad Gita” serves this need by presenting the wisdom of one of the world’s greatest philosophical classics in condensed sutra-like nuggets by drawing on the rich commentarial tradition of the Gita.
The author Chaitanya Charan Das is a prolific writer on the Gita, having written, apart from a dozen books, over twelve hundred daily articles on the Gita on his site gitadaily.com. While those articles focus on Gita insights for seekers, his present book focuses on Gita insights for leaders. It explains how the Gita offers an inspiring worldview that empowers one to minimize conflicts, to rise above stress, to not sweat over the small stuff, to recharge oneself through simple meditational practices and to acquire indefatigable determination.
The 10 sutras are:
Reflecting the Gita’s conversational mode of instruction, the book is presented as an engaging conversation between a corporate leadership consultant and a corporate leader. Reflecting the Gita’s inside-out approach to leadership, the book focuses on the foundation of personal leadership that is relevant for everyone and then builds on the edifice of public leadership that most leadership literature dwells on.
10 Leadership Sutras is meant not just for corporate leaders, but also for leaders in any field and indeed for anyone who wants to become a leader of one’s own life.
The book is available as:
The book will also be soon presented as an online video course at gitadaily.com.
Canto 1 is the introduction, by Sūta. Here he meets Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya Sages, starts answering their questions, decides to narrate the Bhāgavatam to them, and answers their initial question about the three main people behind the Bhāgavatam (Vyāsa, Śuka and Parīkṣit).
Canto 2 is another introduction, this time by Śuka. Here Śuka meets Parīkṣit, starts answering his questions, and decides to narrate the Bhāgavatam, gives the summary of it by explaining its original seed form (four-verses).
Canto 3 begins the Bhāgavatam itself. This canto has three stories: Vidura’s pilgrimage, Varāha’s adventures, and Kapila’s teachings, in that order. The main story is Kapila’s teachings, in my opinion.
Vidura meets Uddhava in Vṛndāvana, finds out that Krishna has left the world, and asks to be taught the knowledge Krishna gave Uddhava. But Uddhava requests him to learn it from Maitreya. The conversation between Vidura and Maitreya will span all of Canto Three and Four. Vidura’s questions to Maitreya allow Maitreya to talk about Varāha and Kapila.
Vidura asks how the universe began and evolved into the shape its in today. Maitreya explains this, and comes to the part where the neglected, uninhabited earth disappears to the nether regions and has to be reclaimed and restored by Varāha. He mentions that Varāha does this on a few occasions, and once he had to kill a terrible demon to do it. He explains who this demon is, so we hear about Jaya and Vijaya being curesed by the four Kumar.
After this first Varaha incarnation, the universe began to be successfully populated. We hear the story of the Progenitors who helped make the possible, Kardama and Devahūti. Their child is Kapila, who enlightened his mother, and exactly how he did so is explained in detail.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 December 2014, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture 6.1.50)
Question: My wife and I have been struggling with ill health since we came to the Holy Dham, so we were trying to understand it as an obstacle and purification. Could you speak a little about that?
Ill health is a great test! In astrology, sometimes it is said that you can look at someone’s chart and you can see all the good qualities that they have, but if the health is bad, then it is all cancelled. Therefore, bad health has the tendency to cancel all kinds of abilities and situations. Even when one normally has taste to hear and taste to chant – in ill health, it all can become a burden. So, ill health is a very difficult test.
In the past, I have been in the intensive care. There I was, lying in a bed, in a ward and I had just returned to consciousness realizing that I was not alone there. There were many others in the same position as I was. So the thought cross my mind that it does not matter how we got there – someone was there because of old age, someone was there because of an accident, someone was there because of disease or for whatever reason, but we were all in the same position – reduced, with no strength, nothing. All that we had left was the Krsna consciousness on the inside.
At that time, the devotees brought me my japa-mala and I lost it in the ocean of my bed. I never found it again, it just disappeared! The whole maha-mantra at times was just too big. Sometimes, all I could manage was just, ‘Krsna!’ My head was spinning and I could not get the maha-mantra finished from beginning to an end.
There are different levels at which bad health can manifest but it tends to take away the external support and throw us back to what is inside. At that time, we must take shelter. It may not be possible to take shelter in a passionate way, like to do a lot of sadhana, etc. but still, as much as possible, we can try and add a Krsna conscious dimension to it. We can hear by tape, we can still try to chant, and pray to Krsna. Ultimately, we are in the same boat, as we all have to turn to Krsna. That little step is always there, whether it is difficult or not, we have to turn to Krsna – even in a state of ill health. It can be very challenging and austere.
Therefore, we must fill our heart with inspiration while we are in good health because that will give us the strength to deal with these heavy times when they come. So if we read a lot of Bhagavatam now, while we can, then at the time when we cannot, it will still be there, as we will carry it with us. It is not good enough that the Bhagavatam is on our hard disc – it really has to be in our heart! We have to be absorbed. In that way, Mayapur is nice, as it is place where it is easy to absorb oneself in hearing and chanting. With disease, we burn up a lot of karma and get blessings in that way.
Bhagavatam-daily podcast:
Luis Castro, congressman of the Chilean government received Srila Prabhupada books. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
The name Red Rock Rishis is taken from the natural surroundings of Sedona, Arizona, USA, wherein are the majestic and mystically famous Red Rocks. Rishis of course means those who dedicate their lives to enlightenment. 'The Red Rock Rishis' kirtan group is available for booking kirtan performances throughout the world.
Answer Podcast:
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Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
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Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
Download by "right-click and save content"
Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
Download by "right-click and save content"
Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
Download by "right-click and save content"
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The Rush For Darshan (Album 98 photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The temple of Venu Gopala Swami lies on top of a mountain 1,400 meters high in a densely forested area in Karnataka. Agastya muni once resided there and performed severe austerities. Because of his penance Lord Krsna agreed to come and reside there permanently. The temple was built in 1315 AD by a Hoysala king named Ballala. Access to the temple is restricted between 8:30 am and 4 pm because of roaming elephants, tigers, leopards and wild dogs. In fact, visitors are only allowed 90 minutes to drive up the mountain, take darshan of the deity and come back down. Forest rangers make sure that no one ventures beyond the temple premises because of the wild animals. We were fortunate as we were invited by the priests to take the maha prasadam of the deity after His noon offering. It was an exhilarating experience to drive up the steep mountain and rush to get the blessings of a deity who has been worshipped continuously since the time of Agastya muni. I prayed to Venu Gopala Swami to become a valuable instrument in the hands of my spiritual master in helping him spread Krsna consciousness far and wide.
See them here: http://goo.gl/02fb4A
BY SANTI VARDHANA CAITANYA DASA
KUALA LUMPUR - Dear Maharaja, please kindly accept my humble offering of homages unto your soft lotus feet, although its a day late.