On Thanksgiving.
Radhanatha Swami: In order for that spirit of loving service – the spirit of bhakti – to grow, a very essential element is thanksgiving, or gratitude. The seed of love can only take root and grow if it is in fertile soil. Gratitude is that fertile soil. Whatever spiritual practices we do, like chanting God’s names, coming to satsanga, doing seva, all of these things are like watering the seed of that love that is within us. But that watering process will be ever more effective to the degree that our consciousness, or our heart, is a field of gratitude.
http://goo.gl/Koxij8

Street Spirituality
High streets are intriguing places; a microcosm of modern life. It’s where people descend in their thousands, searching for something extra to enrich their existence. These urban hubs are a melting pot of entertainers, campaigners, shoppers, beggars and advertisers, a marketplace for the latest commodities and ideas, a space for meeting, sharing and exploring. Here you’ll find people from every imaginable socio-economic background, swarming like bees around a hive.
http://goo.gl/250FnS

Assessments in Mayapur Academy (Album 11 photos)
“The essence of all Vedic knowledge-comprehending the three kinds of Vedic activity, the Vedic hymns, and the processes for satisfying the demigods-is included in the eight syllables Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. This is the reality of all Vedanta. The chanting of the holy name is the only means to cross the ocean of nescience.” (Narada-pancharatra)
http://goo.gl/2st4Hi

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Kirtan Mela Malaysia 2014

Hare Krishna Melbourne (Album 5 photos)
“The Children at the Albert Park kinder had been excited about us doing a program there since the day we met with the teachers to arrange the program. Being a kindergarten we made a few modifications to the program from the one we usually take into primary and high schools. We had traditional wear, face painting, stories from the puranas, kirtan, henna art, maha cupcakes and maha garlands.
http://goo.gl/9jnZ95

The post November 27th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

And joining the other kirtaneers are Nitai Priya Dasa from Africa and Baladev Dasa from Phillippines. Its gonna be a truly international scene at Sri Jagannatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur

ISKCONMALAYSIA.COM

The post Haladhara, Citraketu, Kundam and Vraja-kumara ask about the language of Goloka, articificial conception whether only ISKCON give access to Goloka and how to pronounce “Damodara” appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

- Devamrta, Niranjana and Sivarama Swamis.

The post Cc Adi-lila 4 Reading and discussion (Part 3) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Xmas Book Marathon
Every December the entire ISKCON world focuses its attention on Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental book distribution: it’s fun, easy and something we can all get involved in. We would like to conclude this amazing year at Bhaktivedanta Manor with a very special offering to Srila Prabhupada. We want to make this year’s marathon historic!
http://goo.gl/FH9PH5

On 19112014 in Mayapur Book distribution Marathon Month was inaugurated in the auspicious assembly of many senior vaisnavas and in the presence of Sri Sri Radha Madhava. In the Radha Madhava temple hall H.H Bhakti Purusottama swami, H.H Bhakti Chaitanya swami and many more senior devotees spoke on Book distribution and Srila Prabhupada as well […]

The post Marathon month begins! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

A visit to Sri Mayapur International School (Album 46 photos)
The students of Sri Mayapur International School are fortunate to get the opportunity to hear about Krishna from senior devotees in the holy dham. In the last week there were classes in school given by H.H Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja, who spoke about the pastime of the killing of Dhenukasura
http://goo.gl/b30S27

Study suggests more dairy, less diabetes
Diets rich in high-fat dairy products could protect against type 2 diabetes (T2D), researchers say. People who consumed eight or more servings of cream, high-fat fermented milk, yogurt, cheese, or butter had a 23 percent reduction in their risk of developing T2D compared with people who consumed one serving or less. This association did not hold true for low-fat dairy products or fats derived from meat. [EASD, Abstract 62] “The decreased risk at high intakes of high-fat dairy products, but not of low-fat dairy products, indicate that dairy fat may at least partly explain observed protective associations between dairy intake and T2D,” said lead researcher Dr. Ulrika Ericson, of the Lund University Diabetes Center in Malmö, Sweden.
http://goo.gl/vUqpPz

OMG! BB Govinda Swami is Now in Kuala Lumpur

The Mayapur Chandras have arrived in Kuala Lumpur!!

This week’s challenge: There are nine people in this photo. Can you name them all and identify what are they doing?

Extra credit: What year was this 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.

We want your feedback on how we could make our meals the best they could possible be! Click here to help us out. 

Time

“Prabhu,” Devahūti would request, “please also answer my question about time.”

“The supernatural thing which causes all forms to evolve from the great primal origin is called ‘Time,’” Kapila explained. “It is feared by those with separatist vision.”

“Why?” She would ask.

“Time is the powerful master,” Kapila explained. “In comparison to time everyone and everything is weak and subordinate. It destroys the very things it sustains, and is inescapably omnipresent.”

“Surely some good comes from time, also.” She would say.

“Yes,” Kapila explained. “Time is also known as “Viṣṇu,” since, like Viṣṇu it causes good deeds to bear fruit.”

“Does time discriminate and show partiality,” she would wonder, “giving harsh results to some and gentle results to others?”

“No,” Kapila explained. “Time loves no one, hates no one, and makes no treaties. Time never sleeps, and thus it impartially ruins those who sleep.”

Devahūti understood that if we are “awake” and make good use of time, we can evolve towards auspiciousness. If we “sleep” and neglect to make good use of time, we devolve towards inauspiciousness.

Everyone should observe time respectfully, as if fearful of its punishment. Even the forces of nature obey time, for if they don’t there will be no sequentiality, and nothing will ever happen. Kapila explained, “The wind blows, the sun heats, the heavens send rain, the stars shine, the trees, vines and bushes bear their seasonal flowers and fruits, the rivers flow, the ocean remains contained, fire burns, the mountain-bearing earth does not sink, space holds the atmosphere, seven substances grow into bodies for living creatures, the gods create, maintain, and destroy this world… aeon after aeon everything animate and inanimate evolves and functions due to obeying the sequentiality of time.”

Kapila concluded, “Time is endless, but ends everything. Time is beginningless, but begins everything. Time is never born, never ages, and never dies, but it causes people to give birth to other people, who age, and are finally destroyed by death.”

— From Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.29.37₄₅.

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Kirtan Mela Malaysia 2014

Whatever is going on around you, just give as much time as you can to the Holy names.
Keep on chanting with great attention to the sound thus you will find inner spiritual strength to rise above the material energy that surrounds you.

Glimpse into the exciting adventure of the Mexico Bus Tour 2013. 31 youth, 20 days, 14 festivals, 1 bus. Check out our connetcing article: http://iskconnews.org/youth-to-make-a-difference-on-mexico-mission,4700/ 

As early as January 1968, he was issuing specific instructions about the community to his disciples: “The Ashram may be named as "ISKCON-Nagari or New Vrindaban.” And from May 1968 – the year when New Vrindaban was established -- he issued a string of letters to his disciples describing exactly how he envisioned the community. 

With just two days to go, and the arrival of some of our guest kirtaneers, the mood is getting set as we heard from Ojasvi Dasa in UNITEN yesterday. So get excited and get ready for the

ADIVAS (Inauguration Ceremony) 

FRIDAY 28/11/2014 

SRI JAGANNATHA MANDIR, KUALA LUMPUR

 

This is a prelude event ushering in auspiciousness for the Kirtan Mela Malaysia event on 29/11/2014 and 30/11/2014

ISKCONMALAYSIA.COM

Catch Mickey as he embarks on an epic journey across India. 

Around forty North American youth aged 17 and up will spend this Christmas and New Year’s on the adventure of a lifetime. Traveling 7,000 miles all the way from Alachua, Florida to Cancun, Mexico and back on ISKCON Youth Ministry’s Krishna Culture Tour bus,  they’ll stage festivals and change lives all over Mexico.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 October 2014, Vrindavan Dham, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.13.22)

In the beginning of our spiritual life, we come with lots of enthusiasm. Then, after some time, we lose that initial fire and we come in a realm of struggling with all the high standards of Krsna consciousness. We do not feel the same inspiration that we had in the beginning. Then, what do we do? At that point, what can we do?

Srila Prabhupada explains that one must chant in a mood of a helpless child.  So, when we become helpless, when we realize, ‘Actually, I am not a great devotee, I am struggling, it is not easy! It is very challenging, maybe too challenging!’  Then, all we have left is to look for mercy, as much mercy as possible, because it is mercy that can change us. On our own strength, we are lacking, we do not have the determination and conviction to just act on the level of pure devotion even after hearing all the good instructions. Then, all that is left for us to do is to look for as much mercy as possible. Because, through that mercy, we will change and we will get a desire!

It is not difficult to be a pure devotee if we would want to be, the problem is that we do not want to be. We are holding onto our material conditioning and therefore we do not get nourishment from devotional service. But, by mercy, we can go beyond! Therefore, with time, as we are realizing more and more how much we are falling short in being pure devotees, more and more, we become eager for mercy. That mercy is available in so many ways: in service, in hearing from the vaisnavas, in prasadam, in giving donations – in so many opportunities and so many forms. One has to be eager to look for it, to take it and to look for opportunities.

In the Caitanya Caritamrta, there is a famous story of Gundica marjana, the cleansing of the temple, where all the devotees were cleansing and competing with each other. Some did very well and others did little less well, and Lord Caitanya would chastise those. But there was this one Brahmana, who suddenly saw the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in front of him, and he took the pot of water which was meant to wash the temple and instead, he washed the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and drank that water!

Lord Caitanya complained to Svarup Damodar, ‘Look what your Bengali vaisnava has done!’  Svarup Damodar, being the senior most of Bengali devotees, took him and threw him out of the temple, but that devotee danced the whole way because he drank the water from Mahaprabhu’s feet. No one else saw that opportunity! So we have to be awake to see the opportunities – ample opportunities – here and everywhere in the world created by Srila Prabhupada. Let us take advantage!

 

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast

At the Laguna Beach Ratha-yatra, a young man asked me why God created us. He appreciated my answer, but then he had another question. “If God is all-knowing,” he said, “He would have known that some of us would become bad, and if God is all-powerful, He could have made us different. Why didn’t He?” I told him that because God created us to enjoy loving reciprocation with Him, we must have free will, because love is voluntary. As Srila Prabhupada explained, “It is not some mechanical process—if we force in such a way they will come out like this—no. We are persons, and Krishna is a person, and our relationship with Krishna He leaves open as a voluntary agreement always, and that voluntary attitude—‘Yes, Krishna, I shall gladly co-operate, whatever You say’—that ready willingness to obey is only possible if there is love. Forcing will not make me agree. But if there is love, oh, I shall gladly do it. That is bhakti, that is Krishna consciousness.”

On another occasion, Srila Prabhupada elaborated: “God is great, and we are dependent on God. Therefore the natural conclusion is that we have to serve God. This is the whole comment. Serving means with love. Now just like these boys, my disciples, they are serving me. Whatever I say, they are immediately executing. Why? I am an Indian; I am a foreigner. Two or three years ago I was not known to them, nor they were known to me. Why they are doing that? Because it is love. Serving means developing love. So unless you develop your love for God you cannot serve Him. Anywhere. Whenever you give some service, it is based on love. Just like mother giving service to the helpless child. Why? Love. So similarly, our life will be perfect when our love is perfect with the perfect Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then it is all right. You have to learn this. This is Krishna consciousness: in a relationship with Krishna. Just like I am loving my disciples, my disciples are loving me. Why? What is the medium? Krishna.”

And again, in a lecture in Bombay: “Brahmacari means living under direction of guru, guror hitam [only for the benefit of the guru]. And guror hitam: how he can be simply thinking of benefiting the spiritual master. Unless that position comes, nobody can serve guru. It is not an artificial thing. The brahmacari, the disciple, must have genuine love for guru. Then he can be under his control.”

Why didn’t God force us to be good? Because without free will, without individuality, we would be unable to enjoy loving reciprocation with Him. And without pure, spiritual love, how would we ever experience the happiness for which we were created?

—Giriraj Swami

Guru, in sanskrit literally means heavy - heavy in their instructions to bonded souls, and heavy in that the guru does not budge away from the Lotus feet of Krishna.

When the guru speaks words which cut though our falsities of this world, that feeling is not very satisfying to the heart. But a person who is sincerely seeking the truth will acknowledge his unpleasant feeling and transform his heart. A person who is not sincere in order to avoid unpleasantness will brush those heavy words aside and continue with his ways. Such unfortunate people can never understand God no matter how much they chant, study scriptures, visit Holy places and or perform charity. What to speak of those who take shelter of false gurus?

I come across people many times who think Krishna consciousness is not practical, or only practical up to a certain level. Such people most likely approach Krishna for punya karma, morality or spiritual entertainment. Deep inside their hearts, they do not have the desire to give up their independent thinking and independent desires. Such people can never understand God!

Therefore the only way, one can understand God and be God conscious is to accept the heavy words of guru whole-heartedly without speculation and have faith that these heavy instructions can be followed at all times regardless of time and circumstance. The faith to follow instructions without deviation can be cultivated gradually over time by the sincere aspirant of the truth.

Srila Prabhupada is one such guru with heavy words and is one such disciple who emulated guru bhakti to the world without deviation. Below is an example of his heaviness in terms of instructions to his disciples. A sincere soul will be delighted to hear such instructions where as a frivolous soul will feel sadness reading it.

In a place made for misery, he told us, only the rascals try to make adjustments for peace by material arrangements. "They are mudha. It is not possible. Krsna has made it suffering. How you can become happy here? But these rascals will not understand. Within the suffering they will try to become happy. That is not possible. The toilet room he wants to make a Deity room. How it is possible? That is not possible. Therefore we should be careful not to make a friendship with our restless mind. Rather, it should be beaten with shoes and a broomstick and kept under control. - Srila Prabhupada- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 5" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu

For an untrained person, these words would be offensive. Prabhupada is comparing this world to a toilet and people who are trying to be happy in this world as rascals and mudhas (fools). Toilet, rascal and fool is not politically correct by modern day standards. If this world is a toilet, then all things of this world we consider sacred mainly wife, husband, children, relatives, money, house, job etc are also toilet.

Toilet means two things. (1) it is a place to shed our dirty nature (2) it is a stop gap place - finish your business and leave. So in that sense, this world, relationships and possessions are considered an impurity as it is materialistic and also temporary. In such a temporary material setting, what is the business of a pure spiritual being? From the vantage point of the pure spirit soul, he should finish (rather give up) his material business and depart to the eternal spiritual world where there is no misery.

So yes, on the surface Prabhupada's words can be heavy but an intelligent person will dig deeper to find the meaning behind his compassionate words. Such a sincere individual will take shelter of that compassion, will follow the instructions of Prabhupada, will achieve liberation from the shackles material bondage and eventually meet Krishna face to face.

This is the only way - there is no other way!

Hare Krishna

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.

Sri Sri Radha 15th Rasesvara Anniversary (Album 53 photos)
15th Anniversary of the Sri Sri Radha Rasesvara Ashram in Bali, Indonesia
http://goo.gl/oGZRPu

An original copy of Srila Bhaksiddhanta Sarawati Thakur’s “The Nadia Prakash”, His daily spiritual newspaper that was printed from 1927-1942. Sundaranand Vidyabinod prabhu, His secretary, had kept them nicely as part of his personal collection. Years later, they were entrusted to BRC and properly preserved and bound so that future generations may be able to appreciate and remember this remarkable service achievement of the Guru Varga.
http://goo.gl/yZ93WI

So sweet,so sweet,Lord Jagannath lotus feet (Album 28 photos)
In old age, at the time of death, the throat sometimes becomes choked with mucus or blocked by air. At such a time the sound vibration of Hare Krishna may not come out. Thus one may forget Krishna. Of course, those who are strong in Krishna Consciousness cannot possibly forget Krishna at any stage because they are accustomed to chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, especially when there is a signal from death. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.28.15 Purport)
http://goo.gl/Q1ktwS

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Kirtan Mela Malaysia 2014