Planet ISKCON

Sivarama Swami receives a “substantial” donation for the altar renovation by Jayapataka Swami (3 min video)
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/fv0vqm

Gorgeous Wallpaper of Sri Panchatatva and much more
Srila Prabhupada: Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 20.12)
See them here: http://goo.gl/5U83yL

Famous US actor Matt Damon meets Gauramani prabhu on Sankirtan In Budapest and gets some good association!

Krishna conscious program for deaf children (6 min video)
Sri Bhakti Das, from Chile: We are trying to share Krishna Counsciousness in Chile through music, prasad, and book distribution. The name of our band is “Krishna Sambandha”.
I would like to share with you a short video of deaf children teaching us how to chant Hare Krishna in sign Lenguage.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/xC5bfW

Preaching programs in Italy (Album 149 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna, one can be freed from all undesirable habits. This is the means of awakening all good fortune and initiating the flow of waves of love for Krishna.
(Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 20.11)
See them here: http://goo.gl/v4vabd

Rasa Parayana Prabhu ACBSP left his body
As I was ending the diary here, I received a call from Adya Prabhu again. I sensed the call, and I was right, “HG Rasa Parayana Prabhu has left his body.” Said Adya Prabhu. He left his body at 4.20am (California, USA time) during the brahma muhurta hours. My breathing became thicker and heavier. Adya prabhu continued,” RPP was so cheerful after the conversation with Jayapataka Swami this morning, especially after listening to the pastime, and he left the body in KC way, with so much spiritual vibration, without going through any pain.” I informed Jayapataka Swami about RPP’s glorious passing while he was just wheeling out from his room to give his evening Katha. Before beginning Srila Prabhupada Katha for tonight, Jayapataka Swami spoke about RPP and made a group prayers for his safe journey back home back to godhead.
Photo below- Jayapataka Swami and HG Rasa Parayana Prabhu on the boat, giving out Kitchidi Prasadam to the villagers during the 70’s flood relief program.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=14768

Pope Francis held nothing back in addressing the ills of the Catholic Church in a critique of what ails the church’s central bureaucracy.

We industriously hold on to the worrisome problem, thinking that we are tackling it, but actually we are being tackled by it – tackled to the ground and even below it.

A Conservation International film.

The best way to tackle world poverty and indeed all other material problems is to simply abide by the divine instructions given by God, depending on him for our needs while engaging in spiritual practise to keep our desires and demands in check.

A conference with Radhanath in Torino, Italy. A video by Inci Mutlu Milano.

The post December 22nd, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Do we? Why not?

The post In just one week Maharaja Citraketu achieved perfection by chanting his mantra appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Radhanath Swami Conference, Italy, 2014 (3 min video)
A short trailer movie ( 3 min.) of the conference which HH
Radhanath Swami gave in Italy Torino.(Public Program)
Here you’ll see when H.H. is connecting with the audience while signing his books and explaining the maha-mantra.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/TQU0JD

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"

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2014, Mayapur, India, Siksastakam Seminar: Verses 1&2, Part 1)

It was here in Mayapur, quite some years back, that once I chanted sixty-four rounds. It was probably a festival day and it was not easy because there were devotees everywhere who wanted to talk to me so I was avoiding everybody quite a bit – when I saw a devotee, I quickly went in another direction. Okay, I made it; sixty-four rounds got done!

Then, there used to be a reception in the Long Building, 111. I walked through the reception after my sixty-four rounds, and I saw a newspaper and my tendency was to go read the newspaper! And I go like, “What’s this? I just chanted sixty-four rounds and the first thing I want to do is to read the newspaper!”

Because to chant those sixty-four rounds was so much stress for my mind, for all those hours I had basically fixed the mind on chanting that afterward, I felt like relaxing and reading a newspaper or something. So, it is not so simple to just chant and chant deeply out of love for Krsna, that is very exalted but at least, by chanting in a regular way, we get some grip on the forest fire (of material desires) and we can contain it. It is still burning… it is not put out yet… day and night, it is still burning in the heart… all these desires are still there burning, blazing and still pushing… but we keep them contained with boundaries around them. Just like a forest fire, sometimes they clear areas around the fire and dig trenches so there is no fuel to go further and it stops there and continues to burn.

So, this is how we build trenches around our ashram. Even varnashram – finding a service that can absorb us. For many of us, it has been service that has been the saving grace over the years. Yes, chanting our rounds was there – a minimum of sixteen and most of the time that is what is was, just a minimum, and ashram and so on… but then the service. If one has a lot of service, that service forces us to sacrifice our personal desires.

Holy Name Meditation Podcast:

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Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:

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Bhaktin Cath becomes Chitra Devi Dasi! (Album 32 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/3zvqlM

If Draupadi was dishonored due to her past karma, why did the Pandavas have to take revenge?

Is instantaneous forgiveness the characteristic of pure devotion and seeking retribution that of neophyte devotion?

Can grihasthas who want to preach make preaching as their source of livelihood?

How can we stay in the mode of goodness?

How can we understand which mode we are in?

Should we preach to make people ISKCON devotees or to make them better human beings?

The religious rural culture of India is being replaced by materialisitc culture. What can we do to counter this?

Chanting with Stevie Wonder, Dec 2014 (Album 4 photos)
Stevie Wonder again invited devotees to participate in his Christmas concert at the Forum. After chanting the Hare Krishna mantra during the Pastime Paradise song we were ready to leave but he sent word that he wanted us to stay for the finale, so we did.
See them here: http://goo.gl/KjxIX6

"Valmiki Ramayana" Book Release at Iskcon Shri Jagannath Mandir, Seshadripuram, Bangalore (Album 53 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/5aj8YY

The post When Lord Nityananda is pleased, he will tell us how and when to enter Krsna’s Vrndavana-lila appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

by Vyasasan das

Ox Barn at Bahulaban. Renovations progressing nicely.

A long view of ox barn in progress.

Back in August of this year, I began the overwhelming task of rebuilding the barn at New Vrindaban, West Virginia. As you will be able to see from the following pictures, the neglected barn was sadly in a state of disrepair and dilapidation. The building had been completely abandoned and neglected for over twenty years, and was filled with unspeakable garbage and debris. You could say it was a hazard and an eyesore. Actually the building was scheduled to be torn down…but then a remarkable thing happened. Male bulls started being born here at New Vrindaban. One after another, ten in a row, male bulls were appearing and the oxen program was born.

It was decided at one of the cow meetings that we should have an oxen program, and that teams of oxen should be trained up. It was all very exciting and devotees became enlivened by the prospect of an oxen program. There had been some talk in the past about doing something along these lines, but suddenly with new male cows being born one after another it was time for action.

Varsana Maharaja, asked me one day, if I would take a walk over to the old barn at Bahulaban, and have a look at the building with him. I gladly agreed, and together we looked at the existing structure, and both agreed it looked very good. The barn was built with rough sawn oak timbers, and planking, and it did in fact look very good. Of course there was a lot that needed to be removed, but the basic core was very solid and structurely very sound. So I began to draw up some plans for renovation to present to the New Vrindaban Board to see about getting some financing approved.

Srila Prabhupada and Krsna must have wanted this Oxen Program for New Vrindaban, because there were no obstacles in getting the project underway. So I quickly put a crew together and began the demolition and clean-up.

The Existing Building Before Renovation

The Clean Up

I would like to thank all the persons who helped in the clean up of the building. It was very nasty, dusty, dangerous, laborious work. It took over a month of demolition and clean-up before any actual construction even begun. Those I would especially like to thank are; Varsana Maharaja and Davada Prabhu for the heavy machinery operation. To the crew of dedicated workers, who shoveled and raked and swept up over 17 dump truck loads of garbage and debris, they are; Kevin, Tamala, Okey, and Josh. To Shyam Gopal Prabhu for joining the team for the re-construction, and adding to the spiritual flavor, and a special thanks to Pipalada Prabhu for doing such a nice job in finding a burial home for all this debris.

New Construction

The improvements to the barn include, city water, 200 amp electrical service, new roof and siding, two decks and staircases, hay manger for feeding up to 16 cows or oxen, 5 individual stalls, tact area, machinery and ox cart storage area, and the entire 2nd floor which can later be developed for resident quarters.

For me personally, the most rewarding aspect of the project has been seeing the young oxen move into their new home before the onset of cold weather. The barn no longer smells of dust and debris, but rather the sweet smell of hay and manure is beginning to permeate the new space. Through the hard work, and dedication of the many who labored, a new home for the New Vrindaban Oxen Project has been created.

P.S. If anyone is wondering what I will do after the Building is completed…I would like to start construction on an Ox Cart in my shop this winter. Hare Krishna!

“May cows stay in front of me; may cows stay behind me; may cows stay on both sides of me. May I always reside in the midst of cows.” —Hari Bhakti Vilas 16.252

Srila Prabhupada visiting the cows and calves at the Bahulaban barn, June 1976.