Planet ISKCON

"This temporary life is full of miseries. Take shelter of the holy name as your only business."

Arunodaya-kirtana from Gitvali
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 September 2014, Pretoria, South Africa, House Program)

Harikesh was very smart, very intelligent. So when they were smuggling books behind the Iron Curtain, they had two vans that were exactly the same. One van would drive over the border, out of the East Bloc, empty and then they would change the number plates and then the other one van, exactly the same, would go back. Then the driver would say, “I am back…yeah. I forgot. I forgot something and I need to go back.” Then they went back with a van filled with books, hidden in different panels. In this way, they smuggled so many books into the East Bloc.

Yesterday, upon my return to India, I had the good fortune to visit a somewhat unknown, but historically significant, place of worship for followers of Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON. Tucked away in a small corner of Chandni Chowk, the oldest and busiest market in New Delhi, is the temple of Radha Vallabha, where Srila Prabhupada [...]

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Ayurveda Daily
The term Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words: ‘ayus’ meaning life and ‘vid’ meaning knowledge. The “science of life”, Ayurveda, is increasingly popular the world over, as people look for alternatives to allopathic care. The Ayurvedic teachings have huge amounts of valuable insights into all aspects of our lives, from the food we eat, to the times we sleep and rise. Did you know that with just a few simple changes to your daily routine, you can make a big difference to your health, well-being and effectiveness in all aspects of your life? Come and find out more at the College of Vedic Studies, as we continue with the Ayurveda Series.
http://goo.gl/qGNQnP

TOVP cake at friend raising party in Dubai recently (Album 50 photos)
There may be so many impediments for a person who is chanting Hare Krishna. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one should continue to chant so that at the end of one’s life one can have the full benefit of Krishna consciousness. Bhagavad-Gita 8.5 Purport.
http://goo.gl/bh0iLC

Harinama Perth City - 21 November 2014 (Album 41 photos)
The easiest way to control the mind, as suggested by Lord Caitanya, is chanting “Hare Krishna,” the great mantra for deliverance, in all humility. Bhagavad-Gita, 6.34 Purport.
http://goo.gl/j6abaM

Lecture Podcast

This video takes you around the seven sacred hills of Tirumala, the abode of India's wealthiest Temple Deity -Venkateswar Swami, known affectionately as Balaji. A video by Vasudeva Das.

ISKCON is ramping up for its worldwide  50^th anniversary celebrations throughout the year 2016. These will commemorate the day Srila Prabhupada officially registered the society in New York on July 11^th, 1966. But ISKCON will warm up for that by celebrating both Prabhupada’s leaving Kolkata on the steamship Jaladuta on August 13^th, 1965, and his arriving in Boston, USA on September 17^th.

Brazilian and international youth aged 12 to 16 will get the opportunity to experience Krishna consciousness in a fun way at the first ever Radha Krishna Camp in January, which is summertime in Brazil.  It will be held amidst the stunning natural beauty of the Ibirapitanga Reserve, part of the remaining 7% of the Atlantic Rainforest preserved by the Brazilian government.

After a two-year struggle following the end of their rent contract at their temple of the past twenty years, Finnish devotees have secured a new temple for rent, a beautiful Manor in the Helsinki. Now, they’re applying modern technology to realize an ever-elusive dream: they’re attempting to use crowdfunding to purchase the Manor and make it the first temple ISKCON Finland has ever owned outright.

Devotees are still rebuilding their temple complex in the city of Visakhapatnam after Cyclonic Storm Hudhud ravaged it back in October. The cyclone blew through the province of Andhra Pradesh on India’s East Coast at speeds of 109 mph, causing $11 billion USD in damage and killing over 100 people. Fortunately, it spared the devotees and the Deities at ISKCON Visakhapatnam, but destroyed the community’s gift shop, dioramas, temple shed, and goshala (cow shelter)

Indians in the twentieth century, victims of propaganda that urban industrial development would bring them prosperity and well-being, neglected the Vedic principles of God consciousness.

ISKCON devotee Premamaya Vasudeva Das (Pierre Edel) singing in front of millions of Russian viewers on the Voice. He was wearing a Prabhupada-shirt during his performance. When asked who it was on his shirt, Pierre answered, "My grandfather".

The Jewel of Humility
A crystal-clear look at one of the priceless ornaments of the transcendentalist.
The underlying basis for humility must be knowledge of our humble position in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. When we perceive how insignificant we truly are, and when we understand how we have foolishly identified with our temporal bodies and minds, then we can humbly conclude that we are indeed fallen. We need guidance to understand ourselves as spiritual and to learn to position ourselves in a devotional exchange with God. Such stirrings, or realizations, constitute the beginnings of the wonderful humility described by Lord Caitanya.
Every day we are humiliated here in the material world. Just to be here is embarrassing. For the pure soul to fall into this state is shameful. What are these bodies we hold so dear, anyway? A thin sheath of skin encasing an assortment of foul-smelling ingredients, a breeding ground for disease, and an open invitation to pain, senility, and death. Yet the bewildered spirit soul is content to build a complex identity on this arrangement of flesh and bone, thinking, “I am a white Anglo-Saxon American male,” or whatever. We spend an entire lifetime serving these bodies with constant feeding, grooming, and rest, and in the end they simply become shriveled and useless.
http://goo.gl/nVMVrl

The post Reading and discussing Cc Adi 4, with Devamrta and Niranjana Maharajas appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Like what activities differentiate that one devotee takes birth in Krsna’s lila and another in Bauma Vrndavana?

The post Good questions from Dayavira, Mohana, Nanda and Adhoksaja Krsna appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post November 21st, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

From Keshava Kashmiri P

Srila prabhupada have many times stated the difference between mahamaya and yogamaya in his purports . but this specific verse of bhagavad gita talks about ,how lord krishna covers his identity from the people who are not devotees (as stated “fools and unintelligent ” ) then why krishna uses a word yogamaya ,and not mahamaya . By yogamaya potency ,krishna’s devotees like gopis ,arjuna ,mother yashoda ,krishna hideS his identity of being supreme lord ,so that he can relish the sweetness of his devotees love in various rasa . whereas mahamaya is specifically used to bewilder atheist and faithless .then wouldn’t it be more appropriate ,if verse 7.25 would have talked about mahamaya
PLEASE EXPLAIN .

Answer Podcast

The Gita asks Arjuna to choose his kshatriya-dharma (his job) over his kula-dharma (his family duty). So isn't it anti-family?

Answer Podcast

The National Woman's Commission and the Indian Government are considering this. What is the Vedic perspective on it?

Answer Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

 

New workshop series!

Come take part in intriguing and structured group discussion evenings hosted by Mahavan, who has been practising and teaching the knowledge of Bhakti-Yoga for over 15 years. Mahavan is also a photographer, a musician and manager of a Vedic contemporary mens ashram. All welcome, beginners and everyone!

Price includes yoga & amazing vegetarian dinner.

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

Kunti Devi is explaining that one must be materially exhausted and take no more pride in the position of one’s birth, wealth, learning or beauty. However, it is very challenging to overcome tendencies of taking pride in those things. On Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, I was allowed to speak for a few minutes. I had a point in my mind that Srila Prabhupada was the most challenging personality the world has ever seen; no one ever challenged world more than he did. He challenged in all kind of ways.

First of all, he challenged the world by his presence, just by being who he was, by being such an unalloyed pure devotee, so totally selfless – by being ready to do anything and everything to spread Krsna consciousness to a point that is just mind blowing!

Furthermore, he challenged the world by his teachings that were completely uncompromised – four regulative principles, minimum sixteen rounds – so challenging for us as we have to do it every day. Every moment in our life, we seem to be challenged and in that challenge, we know very well that we are falling short… We know that maybe externally we are his follower but internally how much are we truly? We recognize that we want, to a certain extent, a comfortable position and some recognition – some janma, some aisvarya, some sruta, some sribhir – some recognition for who we are, for what we have, for what we know; and we consider ourselves very handsome, aristocratic and beautiful. So, we are challenged! And when we become dull headed, then that challenge just does not touch us as we become complacent and simply do not care.

There are extreme examples, like in this temple in the past, there was one devotee who had a bead bag but we found out that there were no beads inside! That is kind of missing the point, isn’t it? But even if we may have beads – are we really chanting or are we counting our rounds? To what extent are we really taking things to our heart or are we just dull headed? Our dull headedness, our inner resistance, is due to the mode of ignorance. It is due to our unwillingness and stubbornness that we do not want to follow; it is due to pride that covers us over. So, this dull headedness is a serious problem.

Still, Srila Prabhupada says that arguments offered by pure devotees to their disciples are so convincing that even a dull headed disciple is immediately enlightened with spiritual knowledge. It is a fact – in this movement, it is difficult to just go on automatic pilot and not be confronted with our own shortcomings, because again and again, we hear it and read about it. We are confronted by that theme that returns again and again that we should do better – wake up calls are coming so many times.

So we should ourselves take the medicine. Why wait for someone else to bring it to us, why wait for someone to bring and say, ‘Take your pills?’ In other words, we ourselves have to turn to the pure devotee. Nowadays, everything is so widely available electronically. To have some lectures of Srila Prabhupada or any vaisnava on our phone is very easy, but to push that button, to turn it on, seems to be very difficult! But we must make that effort, to go all the way and lift the hand and push the button. Oh, it is very painful for the finger to push! But that much effort has to be made. And that is where our dullness tends to interfere. We feel, ‘Too much trouble – my phone is all the way on the other side of the room! Too difficult!’  No time, no this, no that!

So what we need in our life is a culture of cultivation of Krsna consciousness. That is what Srila Rupa Gosvami had explained, krsnanusilanam, that we must cultivate our Krsna consciousness. A regular practice or cultivation of Krsna consciousness is also what Krsna mentions in Bhagavad-gita (8.8), abhyasa yoga-yuktena cetasa anya-gamina. It does not just come by hearing once – we are too dull – we have to hear it a hundred times and if we hear it a thousand times then maybe we will think, ‘Well, maybe I should actually also do this. Somehow or other, I got this idea that maybe I should follow this.’ That is what it takes before we are actually ready to act upon it. So let us hear about Krsna!

 

 

Where do they take Srila Prabhupadas books like hot cakes?
(Album 71 photos)
Mexico, for sure this is one of best places for spreading Yuga Dharma Harinam Sankirtan. People here are very open and taking Mahaprabhus mercy with full enthusiasm. They are taking Srila Prabhupadas books like hot cakes and are opening them to read on the spot. We are very thankful to all the kind hearted devotees here who helped us spread the Holy Name in Mexico.
http://goo.gl/sgGSso

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast

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Rasa Rasika dasa

The Art of Devotion
In the artistic traditions of India, which are rooted in its spiritual heritage, a devotee of Krishna finds inspiration for her spiritual practices. ” . I worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvipa … where every word is a song, every gait is a dance, and the flute is the favorite attendant.” . (Sri Brahma-samhita 5.56) What is the purpose of art? In art college I learned that it is a way to express something about oneself, something original. Fair comments, but what about the point of it all? What should be the reason for a work of art, a dance, or a piece of music? For many, it is the creation itself, or even the desire for the fame that comes with making something never created before.
http://goo.gl/A6hjVl

I Lost My Heart in Vrindavana!
The first time I entered the ISKCON temple in Mumbai – it was in February 2012 something caught my attention, besides, of course, the Deities and the beautiful architecture inside: I noticed many devotees wearing T-shirts carrying the slogan “I Lost My Heart in Vrindavana.” What’s so special about Vrindavana? I wondered. I had some faint idea about this place – how it was related to Lord Krishna’ s childhood activities – but nothing much.
After beginning to associate with devotees, I started to realize how this place is extremely special. Visiting such holy places, I learned, is an integral part of devotional service, and so devotees made regular pilgrimages to Vrindavana and meditated on its glories. Rupa Goswami, the sixteenth-century saint of medieval India, has described in his writings the exalted position of Vrindavana and the immense spiritual benefit one can derive by staying there. I hoped and prayed that I too would get an opportunity to go to Vrindavana.
http://goo.gl/y1hgJ9

Why without being fixed in a bhakti-friendly social structure devotees will struggle to perfect themselves.

The post Varnasrama series 2 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Harinama in a wintery Moscow, Russia (Album 65 photos)
When the Hare Krishna mantra is chanted by many men together, it is called sankirtana, and as a result of such a yajna there will be clouds in the sky (yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg.2.14]). In these days of drought, people can gain relief from scarcity of rain and food by the simple method of the Hare Krishna yajna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 9.1.17 Purport)
http://goo.gl/itrtWP

ISKCON Czech Republic - Indian festival in Pilsen, Czech Republic
18 November 2014 (Album 26 photos)
Visit rate: 180 people. The special guest: HH Danavir Goswami
http://goo.gl/cCyXZU