Websites from the ISKCON Universe
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Vyasa Puja - HH Janananda Goswami 2015 
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Vyasa Puja - HH Janananda Goswami 2015 
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Vyasa Puja - HH Janananda Goswami 2015 
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Vyasa Puja - HH Janananda Goswami 2015 
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Vyasa Puja - HH Janananda Goswami 2015 
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Vyasa Puja - HH Janananda Goswami 2015 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:
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"
Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
Download by "right-click and save content"
www.odysseynetworks.org
Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:
Download by "right-click and save content"
The post January 14th, 2015 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.
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.
The post Seminar on Manah-siksa in Scotland – Verse 2 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
The post Seminar on Manah-siksa in Scotland – Verse 1 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
ISKCON Euro GBC & RGB: To Please Srila Prabhupada (2 min video)
The ISKCON Euro RGB is an assembly of Global GBC of ISKCON along with senior ISKCON leaders and devotees in Europe. Their purpose is to watch after the welfare of Srila Prabhupada’s movement in Europe and help ISKCON develop and grow as a instrument in Srila Prabhupada’s service.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/K1BkYk
Byron Bay Beach Harinama, Australia (Album 50 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age, chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra is the prime business of the devotee, and preaching of this Hare Krishna Mantra by outdoor Sankirtana and propagation of literature is our more important business. Side by side, Deity worship is recommended, but when there is a question of accepting one of them, we shall prefer to accept chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra first. Letter to Hamsaduta – September, 1969.
See them here: http://goo.gl/5ic4Qr
Welcome to Volume 1, Issue 3 of the IDVM Newsletter
In this Issue: Srila Prabhupada Speaks…
IDVM VTC at Mayapur
“Tour de Farms”: Panchavati Farm and Venu Madhuri Farm on the Radar
Tirtha Yatra
Traditional Food - Black Pepper
Working against Nature
Villages - Perfect place to Execute Varnasrama in its Fullness
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/UAeKLS
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.
Gaura Kishore Prabhu Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 19 153 20150111074209
The brahmacaris traveling on the world harinama party stayed on New Govardhana for a few days before leaving for New Zealand.
After a six week stay in Mayapur, Kadamba Kanana Swami arrived in Cape Town on Saturday, 20 December, for a short visit. After just a night of rest, Maharaj participated in the Snana Yatra festival where he led a melodious kirtan and thereafter spoke on the glories of Lord Jagannath. At the end of the program, Maharaj encouraged the audience to purchase Srila Prabhupada’s books and either distribute them on the streets or give out as gifts.
Many disciples travelled from around the country to see Maharaj and even though he was still recovering from the recent busy days in Mayapur, still he made time to engage with them. He gave daily morning Srimad Bhagavatam classes, as well as evening classes which started with a lengthy kirtan portion and it was a definite crowd-pleaser. On Monday evening, 22 December, a disciple gathering was held in the loft of the temple. It was an intimate program which began with Maharaj reading a pastime from the Sri Govinda Lilamrta by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami and he went on to speak about the sentiments of refinement and indebtedness in our relationships with devotees.
The annual book marathon prize-giving was held on Christmas Day and was attended by HG Medhavi Prabhu (ACBSP) as well. Book scores surpassed those from recent years and Maharaj was impressed by the efforts of the devotees.
The next day, an initiation ceremony took place with both Kadamba Kanana Swami and Bhakti Caitanya Swami giving initiation. Two devotees received initiation from Kadamba Kanana Swami. Veshal (from Durban) is now Virabadra das and Domagoj (originally from Croatia) is now Dharmasetu das. It was a nice occasion as both are enthusiastic sankirtan devotees. Three devotees also received second initiation.
Ratha Yatra happened on 27 December, in the affluent, picturesque suburb of Sea Point. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the procession began around 10h30. Bhakti Caitanya Swami, who was seated on the chariot, introduced the festival the crowd and Kadamba Kanana Swami led an amazing kirtan which from the onset was quite lively. Towards the end, things got even more ecstatic and included the sweet sounds of a trumpet as well as a South African favourite, the vuvuzela (African horn). The procession attracted a wide variety of residents and visitors to the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. After the procession, a ‘Food for Life’ tent welcomed all with delicious prasadam. Maharaj engaged in conversation with a few interested people before heading back to the temple. However, the Ratha Yatra procession was clearly not enough for Maharaj. After returning to the temple, he gave a spontaneous afternoon class to the delight of the devotees that were around.
Finally, on Sunday, Maharaj shared the Sunday Feast class with Bhakti Caitanya Swami where they spoke further about the significance of Ratha Yatra. On 29 December, he departed South Africa for Munich, Germany. Visit flickr to see all the pictures.
A Swami’s Dream Comes to Life: Prabhupada’s First Visit to New Vrindaban
Written by Madhava Smullen. Archival Research by Chaitanya Mangala.
New Vrindaban, May 20th, 1969 – A small cluster of devotees waited at the entrance to the rural West Virginia property, hearts beating with anticipation. As the Lincoln town car turned the corner, they hit the gravel driveway in obeisance.
Srila Prabhupada stepped out of the car. “Oh, there are many waiting here,” he said, looking around with a smile that lit up his entire face. “Jai Sri Krishna!”
The devotees smiled back. They had been waiting for this moment since they first told Prabhupada in March of the previous year that they were negotiating with landowner Richard Rose.
From then on, Srila Prabhupada had been writing streams of enthusiastic letters to them, outlining his ambitious plans: that the land be called New Vrindaban; that “cow protection should be [its] main business;” that it be “a new place of pilgrimage for you Western devotees” and “an ideal village where the residents will practice plain living and high thinking.”
Even before Hayagriva told Prabhupada that the 99-year-lease had been signed on August 8th, 1968, he went as far as to say, “I may permanently stay there and try to serve you in constructing a New Vrindaban city in West Virginia,” expressing that it would be the ideal place for him to spend the rest of his life translating spiritual literature. And now he was here.
Excitedly, the devotees loaded Prabhupada’s luggage into the old powerwagon they planned to drive him up the dirt road to the farm in. As Srila Prabhupada took his seat, they started it up. The vehicle lurched, coughed out smoke, and promptly died. They tried it again. And again. Each time, it cut out. The devotees, mortified, looked at their guru. This wasn’t how they had hoped his first visit would go.
“Why not walk?” he said, matter-of-factly. It was a subtle way of pointing out, right from the get-go, that the simple life was superior to that of so-called modern “convenience.” And despite the devotees’ protests that it would be too hard on him, he set off at a smart pace up the ominously named “Aghasura Road,” a twisting, turning two-mile trail riddled with potholes and ruts.
As usual, Prabhupada’s much younger disciples were left huffing and puffing as they struggled to keep up with him. Head held high, he casually discussed the trees, flowers and vines along the way, interested in everything and finding ways to relate it all to Krishna consciousness. In just his first few minutes at New Vrindaban, he was already teaching his disciples his key instruction for the project, the glue that held it all together: loving Krishna.
At last, Prabhupada and the devotees rounded a curve in the road, and could see a clearing on the ridge ahead. There, amidst the lush green of the West Virginia countryside, was a small farmhouse, a barn, and the hand-built one room cabins that devotees resided in.
After washing and appreciating the devotee’s simple lodgings, Prabhupada sat down on a dais set up for him beneath a willow tree’s leafy cascade. Devotees brought him fruit, local tulip honey and fresh milk from New Vrindaban’s first cow, Kaliya. Then they sat before him in a semi-circle on the grass, looking up at him expectantly as he sipped it.
“I haven’t tasted milk like this in fifty years,” he said in wonder.
As Ranadhir Das paraded the milk’s maker, Kaliya, before him, he admired her, commenting that the Vedas calculate a man’s wealth in cows and grains.
Encouraged, the devotees told him that they hoped to get their own hive next year. “Then you will have the land of milk and honey complete,” Prabhupada said. “That is nature’s design, that everything is given complete for a happy life. We don’t require artificial amenities. All we need to realize Krishna is here.”
Prabhupada again made the same point when Lavanga-latika Dasi brought him a silver cup of water, freshly drawn from the well. “Oh, it is very sweet water,” he said. “That is Krishna. That is the way of remembering Krishna. It is so easy here at New Vrindaban.”
He then told the devotees how the morning sun at New Vrindaban could remind them of Krishna’s bodily effulgence; the cow of Krishna’s name Govinda, one who gives pleasure to the cows; and the countryside of His statement in the Gita that He is the sweet fragrance of the earth.
For Prabhupada, seeing New Vrindaban come to life was like seeing a dream come true. He had been planning a community like this since long before he had even travelled to the United States from India. While alone in Delhi back in 1956, he had written a series of articles in his Back to Godhead magazine, detailing his vision for a community where people would live a simple life based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. And right from the beginning of ISKCON, he often told his disciples he wanted them to start a farm project. And they had done it! Prabhupada looked around at them with a broad grin that was almost childlike in its enthusiasm.
Sometime later, as he continued to chat with the devotees and look around the property, Paramananda Das finally succeeded in getting the powerwagon up the hill. Devananda and Prabhupada’s servant Purushottam carried Prabhupada’s luggage, including a big trunk packed with manuscripts, into his room. They then set the room up to his specifications, with a mattress on the floor and his Radha-Krishna Deities in a small cherrywood room attached to the bedroom.
Prabhupada liked his new room, with its two windows that opened out onto a view of the big willow tree. Quickly, he made himself at home, and settled right into his usual routine.
Always revolving around Krishna, Prabhupada’s day would begin in the wee hours as he rose to dictate his books. In his memoir The Hare Krishna Explosion, Hayagriva Das recalls waking up at 2:00am and seeing the light on in his room.
At 4:00am, Prabhupada would attend mangal-arati, watching the Deities intently and striking his trademark steel gong as twenty devotees crammed into the small temple room on the first floor of the farmhouse. He would then perform arati to his own Radha Krishna Deities, and chant his rounds in his room while the devotees did the same downstairs.
After breakfast, Devananda would massage him with mustard seed oil outside in the morning sun. Throughout the day, he would dictate letters, take walks, and hold meetings at his favorite spot beneath a persimmon tree with the devotees gathered around him on the grass.
In the evening, he would lead kirtan in the temple room, encouraging the devotees to dance. Then he’d give a lecture, darshans in his room, and finally rest, before beginning it all again.
The days passed, lengthening gradually, bees buzzing lazily against blue skies and brilliant green trees, brief showers falling in the afternoons. Meanwhile, Srila Prabhupada built his fledgeling community, guiding the devotees as they sat with him beneath the persimmon tree.
Sometimes his instructions were practical. He told his disciples that he would show them how to build simple mud houses at practically no cost; that they should buy the adjoining property and build a bridge “so that gentlemen will come;” and that they should call their waterfall Keshi Ghat, their hills Govardhana, and their lakes Radha-Kunda and Shyama-Kunda.
He sketched his own design of a two-wheel cart for workhorses. He talked about protecting cows and bulls as father and mother, and how they could provide all transportation, fuel, and dairy needs. And he laid out plans for establishing the varnashram system and building temples, a guesthouse, and living quarters. He even discussed a gurukula for spiritual education, although there were only three boys in the community so far.
His ambition amazed the devotees, and his strength and vision kept them positive. “Someday you may see that it’s a great asset,” he told them when they complained about the pothole-ridden Aghasura Road. “Someday there may be many cottages by the road, and people will be driving up to see. Don’t be discouraged.”
At other times, Srila Prabhupada’s instructions were more philosophical. He stressed the importance of chanting and reading, citing the six Goswamis of Vrindavana as role models. And he pointed out how the hard work of simple country life was perfect for developing Krishna consciousness.
“They are hypnotized by Krishna,” he commented once, as he watched the young men work in the fields. “That is samadhi. Samadhi doesn’t mean inactivity. It means being completely absorbed in Krishna. Anyone chanting Hare Krishna is in samadhi. Anyone cooking for Krishna or writing for Krishna or working in the field for Krishna is in samadhi because the consciousness is: ‘I am doing this for the satisfaction of Krishna.”
Most of all, however, Prabhupada stressed how important it was for New Vrindaban residents to communicate and cooperate with each other, always with "Loving Krishna" as the connecting thread.
“You must jointly work,” he said during a conversation with Kirtanananda, Hayagriva, Shyama Dasi and other managers on June 9th. “There may be sometimes disagreement, but you should settle up. Otherwise how you can make progress?”
“Everyone will cooperate,” he added. “Why not? It is Krishna’s. Nobody is actually the in-charge. Krishna is in charge. We are simply assisting Krishna. In that spirit we shall work…. Everyone should think that ‘I am acting to satisfy Krishna.’”
By June 14th, now in his fourth week at New Vrindaban, Prabhupada was looking robust and seemed to be greatly enjoying the rest, fresh air, spring water, cow’s milk and of course the devotees’ association. They, too, were full of bliss in his.
But on June 18th, upon receiving a letter from Mukunda about the progress his disciples were making in London, Prabhupada decided he must fly to England immediately. The New Vrindaban devotees, who had been hoping he would spend the entire summer with them, were crestfallen.
On June 22nd, Prabhupada’s last night in New Vrindaban, all the devotees crowded into his room, eager to catch his last words. Amidst some light talk of his upcoming travels, he confided in them that personally, he would like to stay in New Vrindaban and finish translating Srimad-Bhagavatam.
As the evening wore on, six-year-old Dwarkadish began to nod off, as did his friend, five-year-old Ekendra. Prabhupada, who had developed a playful rapport with the two during his stay, smiled.
“So, you are feeling samadhi, Mr. D. D. D. ?” he asked. “All right. Let him take rest. And you are also feeling samadhi, Mr. Ekendra? You are very good boys. You can also take rest.“
At this, the devotees sensed that it was time to let Prabhupada himself take rest. But they remained in his room for some time more, hoping to soak up every precious moment they could. At last, they all offered obeisances and left his room.
The next morning, Srila Prabhupada left as he had come, striding down Aghasura Road at a brisk pace, his suitcases following him on a horse-drawn cart. As he got into his car and pulled away, the devotees saw him off with chants of “Hare Krishna!” and “Jaya Srila Prabhupada!”
Watching until long after his car had faded into the distance, they thought about how they could make this New Vrindaban community work, if only they followed Prabhupada’s instructions to love Krishna, live simply and work cooperatively together.
“I will also come again,” he had said just two nights before. “I like it so much here, but first I must finish the little work still remaining. I want to go once to London and Germany. Then I’ll entrust the whole preaching work to you. So do not become too anxious. With cooperation, everything will be possible. Krishna will help you.”
Remembering these words, the devotees turned back to continue their service of developing their transcendental farm community, and to begin their eager wait for Srila Prabhupada’s next visit.
