Planet ISKCON

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 June 2014, Stockholm, Sweden, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.75)

If sometimes, we feel a little dry in our Krsna consciousness – if sometimes we feel that chanting is good but difficult, if we feel like reading but we fall asleep, if we just feel, “What to do now?” then let us just preach. But – preach boldly! Not just give them a book but, reach out to them.

It was amazing – devotees would just go anywhere, in any situation. They would wait next to a flat which had an intercom system. They would stand next to the intercom and just when the door of the flat opens and someone comes out, they would say, “Oh it is okay, the door is already open!” to the speaker and just walk in. So many tricks! Somehow or other – bold, BOLD!

One devotee just walked in like that into the flat of a student of literature; that’s right, a student of literature! He was studying; his whole life was books and books.

The devotee walked in and said, “I have some books…”

The student said, “Books! Books! You have books!?”

“Yeah!”

So, devotees have a nose for these things. He did not show him just the one book but the full set; he sold him the full set! Now that person, that student, has become one of the head production managers of one of our BBTs. It had to happen. Books, books, books! So, if somehow or other we penetrate into people’s lives then miracles will happen for them and for us.

Music - MC Yogi: www.mcyogi.com. Dance & Choreography - Vrinda Sheth. Directed by Rasa Acharya Partin & Little Sky Film.

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast

Does Religion Cause War? (24 min video)
HH Jayadvaita Swami answers to the question we have probably all faced on occasions whether religion is the main cause of war, with the suggestion being made that the world would be a much more peaceful place if only there was no religion.
http://goo.gl/Ie3tgT

Below is a video of a Western devotee speaking in Tamil and distributing books to pilgrims at Kattaragama, the lagest religious gathering in Sri Lanka. This year more then 1.500.000 people attended the festival. Disciples of HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami were distributing books continuously for ten days (24h par day) in day and night shifts. On the last day they performed Nagara Sankirtan in front of 200.000 people. Majority of the pilgrims were Buddhists therefore the mercy of Lord Caitanya and the previous Acharyas was just indescribable.
http://goo.gl/qgn0n0

ISKCON-London’s 45th Anniversary Celebrations (Album 91 photos)
Odana Sasthi, the date on the Vedic calendar on which the original
installation took place, falls on Thursday 27th November this year.
A further celebration will take place at the ISKCON-London Radha-
Krishna temple on that date.
http://goo.gl/JgdsNb

Historical photos from New Govardhana, Australia (Album 36 photos)
The Krishna consciousness movement supplies materially stricken people with the medicine of the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and the diet of prasadam. The centres of the Krishna consciousness movement are the only established hospitals that can cure man of birth, death, old age and disease. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 10.51 Purport)
http://goo.gl/ZVFeKB

In Focus: Go Govardhana Girls!
By Mandakini devi dasi For the very fist tie in the history of New Govardhana, Australia, an offial women’s ashrama is rapidly unfolding. Ajita dasa has given his consent for the transformatin of the top guest house into a women’s ashrama, thanks to Padma devi dasi, who moved on to the farm a couple of months ago. Padma is organising the ashrama, delegatig mentors for the girls and generally overseeing the project. With impressive qualifiatins, Padma is more than up for the task. The fldgling ashrama, which is almost at full capacity, is soon to take in more aspiring devotees including bhakties from the WWOOFer program. We now have bhakties and brahmacharinis also coming to New Govardhana from other ISKCON centres. The ashrama girls have a plethora of services, including temple dutis; cooking; bhajanas; cultural actiitis; and garland-making. Notably, the girls were especially busy serving guests and VIPs during the recent retreats and festials. A training program to learn how to preach is also under way. Padma’s aspiratin is to help create a pleasant Krishna conscious environment for her spirited charges. The girls are enthusiastially coming on board and currently joining forces to organise their new ashrama.
http://goo.gl/5Dl3Dj

BY SJMKL YOUTH

KUALA LUMPUR - This time around we are just going to get to the heart of it all, time to experience something different with a new flavour with a person all the way from Zagreb, Croatia with Ojasvi Dasa. We will decode ourselves through a new genre of sound: KIRTAN

The Mayor of Tweed Shire, Cr. Gary Bagnall
Tweed Shire is a local government area located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia.
Gary and wife, Linley, have operated the New Leaf vegetarian restaurant in Main Street for 12 years. Linley has been a vegetarian all her life, and Gary for the last 35 years. The couple’s sons, William, 17, and James, 13, were both raised as vegetarians, and count many young devotees among their circle of friends.
Eight years ago, Gary requested devotees travelling to India to bring back Deitis for the restaurant, along with ‘costumes’. Sri Sri Gaura Nitai appeared, and the daily offrings began.
http://goo.gl/aT40XD

The post November 25th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

BY JIVANANDA CAITANYA DASA

nama cintamanih krishnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
'bhinnatvan nama-naminoh

The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna's name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna's name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya. Krishna's name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material.

Deity worship and cooking classes for the students of Mayaur Academy (Album 18 photos)
“Oh Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in your absence.” This is the perfectional stage of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.
(Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.51 Purport)
http://goo.gl/X4CvQm

Sunday feast: November 23, 2014, Iskcon Guyana Crane Temple (Album 24 photos)
“As a result of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Krishna is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.28)
http://goo.gl/mKgGDR

Wedding Glimpses (Album 84 photos)
A few memories from the wedding that we wanted to share with everyone and relive ourselves ! Thank you once again to everyone for the kind words ..prayers and blessings. A special thank you to Hg Ananta Vrindavan prabhu was capturing these memories so beautifully…. !
http://goo.gl/vJUnFC

An attentive crowd inside Prabhupada’s Palace.

New Vrindaban Fall Board Meetings 2014:

An Evening with Srila Prabhupada at his Palace

By Madhava Smullen

At 6:00pm on November 1^st, New Vrindaban board and community members ended their first packed day of meetings with a true treat – spending the evening with Srila Prabhupada at his Palace of Gold. The event was one in a series of monthly sangams arranged by Kripamaya Das.

As devotees arrived, Palace Restoration Manager Gopisa Das showed them the latest work done, pointing out the renovated lookout tower, the black granite being laid on the steps, and the new drainage system to prevent future water damage.

As they stepped from the brisk cold outside into Srila Prabhupada’s warm temple room, with the ISKCON Founder-Acharya looking out from his vyasasana over the stunning gilded ornamentation, marble flooring and ceiling paintings of Krishna’s pastimes, they felt as if they were entering the spiritual world.

Joint board member Chaitanya Mangala Das set the tone for the evening by reading a 1974 editors’ letter from the 12^th issue of Brijabasi Spirit magazine describing a “hectic” week of “all-out service” as New Vrindaban devotees prepared for Prabhupada’s visit, but saying that even more important was developing the proper consciousness to receive such a great personality.

Chaitanya Mangala addresses the group.

Chaitanya Mangala pointed that this was still applicable today —  as we are outwardly engaged in service, our internal reflection should be to develop qualities of surrender, humility, appreciation and love in order to truly receive Srila Prabhupada.

He then read several stories about the visit itself, including Srila Prabhupada’s arrival at Bahulaban, the Saturday festival with him attended by 400 devotees from around the country, and his tour of his still under-construction Palace.

Chaitanya Mangala also read about Prabhupada’s visit to Daivata Das’ house in Madhuban and pointed out Daivata amongst the devotees gathered. Seeing a devotee featured in a story about Prabhupada sitting right there and smiling at the memory was a wonderful experience for a young devotee like this writer.

His Holiness Varsana Maharaj speaks.

Varshana Swami spoke next, reminding everyone that this Palace was the first Samadhi built for Srila Prabhupada. He told the story of how when Prabhupada visited this very same temple room while it was under construction, his disciple Bali Mardana asked: “Will this room be lit up by jewels like in the Krishna book?” In reply, Prabhupada, gestured to the devotees building the Palace. “These devotees are my jewels,” he said.

Varshana Swami also recalled the night when news came that Prabhupada passed away, and how the shellshocked devotees all gathered in the only place that made sense: his Palace. Although it was the darkest night of their lives, and they felt like they couldn’t go on, as they cried and chanted together in a mood of separation, they began to feel closer to Prabhupada than they ever had.

“Prabhupada’s ultimate gift is that the highest part of Vaishnava siddhanta is service in separation — which we’re all doing right now,” Varshana Swami concluded.

Finally Tamohara Das spoke about Srila Prabhupada’s management style, comparing it to parenting rather than corporate management and citing three specific qualities.

Tamohara prabhu shares his insights.

Firstly, like a good parent, he said, Prabhupada was a great communicator. Secondly, he brought the best out of his “children” by expecting the best from them. “Whatever Prabhupada asked us to do, we felt we could do,” Tamohara said.

Lastly, Prabhupada was warm and nurturing, like every good parent. “If we want to have Prabhupada in our lives and hearts, he’s there,” said Tamohara. “He continues to offer that protection years after  his physical departure.”

An endearingly “old school” kirtan lead by Daivata Das in Srila Prabhupada’s classic Hare Krishna tune followed, creating a mood very evocative of the memories that had just been shared. Finally, feeling blissfully closer to Srila Prabhupada and more encouraged in their quest to realize his mission, the devotees sat down together to a delicious prasadam meal.

To help facilitate a Bhagavad Gita class or to put the Radha-Krishna Deities (Radha-Kanayalal) to rest at our country temple, I have been walking the 8 minutes there from our home, almost every evening for the last 2 years. I walk in all kinds of weather in both the light and warmth of summer, or the darkness and coldness of winter. It is the dark moon now, and except for the stars and ambient light from a few houses, the road is dark, but not unfriendly. In these dark conditions one’s eyes become accustomed to seeing in all but pitch black conditions when the sky is overcast. I look up at the stars and down at my white dhoti to get my bearings. A staff also helps guide me as I sometimes feel my way. Although I carry I flash light, I rarely use it.

As you know, due to the quieter conditions in the evening, sounds are much amplified. So as I walk I clearly hear my footsteps on the gravel road, punctuated by my large staff. The walk to and from the temple is a very simple activity, and yet it seems very primal, and full of meaning, as it is service related, and a time for contemplation on myself as Krishna’s servant. In general, living in a peaceful country environment helps one slow down and be more thoughtful. I often sing as I walk, or think of some point of philosophy. Since over the last two months we have had the opportunity to participate in sadhu-sanga at different locations, this evening, I considered the importance of saintly association, and thought of writing about it.

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