Padma and Maha Bhakti
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Padma das and Mahabhakti devi dasi are active members of the Bali Sanur area devotees. For a while Padma was the general manager of the Jagannatha Gauranga temple.

Now he actively goes out on book distribution all over Bali and sometimes to other islands. Mahabhakti, although having two children to look after, is the co-owner of the Tamukami hotel in Sanur and is also busy at her work.
They regularly have programs at their house and accommodate visiting gurus, sannyasis and leading devotees there.
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True protection
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 October 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.10.2014)

Nrsimha_mayapurKrsna is always our well-wisher. Always! No matter what happens, always! Therefore, never become angry with Krsna. That is a mistake. That is a great mistake! We are small just like here in this temple room, on this floor, there are squares and everyone is sitting on a square, like a piece on a chessboard. The piece on the chessboard cannot oversee the game. He can only see the pieces that are around him. He cannot see everything… but the player can oversee the entire game. In the same way, Krsna can oversee the entire game but we cannot oversee.

So we should not just throw our arms in the air and say, “How can this happen to me!? How can this happen to me? I have given everything to Krsna. How can this happen to me?” No, Krsna understands. Krsna knows who we were in our last lives. We do not know. Krsna knows everything. He knows what we did. We do not know. Krsna knows everything. Krsna will never want to give us unnecessary suffering. Never ever! So whatever our burden may be, we must somehow or other endure it with great faith. We should realize that when we are devotees and then we are going through special difficulties. We should realize, “Krsna has favoured me. He has favoured me. He is making arrangements for my purification. I am fortunate. He has given me special attention, special mercy.” Like that. That is a transcendental vision. In that way, we should take any hardships, knowing that Krsna always protects us. That knowledge is the greatest comfort and with great faith we must be very, very sure about that. Krsna is always protecting us. Even when we do not know, he is protecting us.

“Yeah, but some devotees die. Even in terrible situations, they die. Did Krsna not protect them? Where was Krsna?”

“Krsna was there. Krsna did protect.”

“Ah, he did not. He did not. The devotee died. He did not protect. No, he did not protect him actually. Just died. We have seen devotees that were murdered. Murdered! How can a devotee be murdered? Krsna did not protect.”

“Oh yes, he did.”

“No, he did not.”

“Yes…he did.”

“Then how did he protect?”

KKS_SerbiaHe did not protect the body but he did protect the soul. He never abandoned that soul. Never ever! Krsna never abandons his devotee. The body… okay, you know, sooner or later, it has got to come to an end. I mean, that has to happen. These bodies…What can happen to a material body, that is amazing and it does happen. The material body is not that good. Who wants to keep it? Whenever it is the time, let us get out of this body. That is not a problem. Krsna saves the soul. That is really the essence and that is wonderful!

That faith we must have and we must solidify. It begins with knowledge. First we hear it and we think about it, “Hmmm… I never thought of that… Hmmm, okay, I see. Krsna is protecting the soul.” So, one cannot just have that faith instantly. We have to hear it and think about it and then after we have thought about it, we think, “Yeah that is a fact.” Then, we can have firm faith. Firm, yes! We see that great devotees, they take it like that. That is the secret of the great devotees. That is how they are, abhayam, fearless… because they know that Krsna protects the soul.

 

 

Virtual Mantra Choir Features Hundreds of Webcam…
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Virtual Mantra Choir Features Hundreds of Webcam Singers!
Jayadev’s Virtual Mantra Choir Perform Giri Govardhan.(10 min video)
A unique offering was presented to the sacred hill Giri Govardhana.
Renowned UK musician and singer Jayadeva Das (John Richardson) has put together a virtual version of his Mantra Choir project in which over 108 singers have harmonized through their webcams on a mantra in praise of Govardhana.
The resulting track was just posted with an accompanying video featuring all the singers. Simply amazing!!
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/6X1MqS

Finnish crowd-funding campaign: Great home at bargain price
→ Jayadvaita Swami

Finnish_place The devotees in Helsinki reached the end of their lease on their old temple but have a chance to buy a new place at a bargain price, courtesy of the Helsinki City Council. To help the devotees out or learn more, you can see their page on Indiegogo.

The post Finnish crowd-funding campaign: Great home at bargain price appeared first on Jayadvaita Swami.

Sunday Feast with HH Devamrita Swami – 07 December 2014 in…
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Sunday Feast with HH Devamrita Swami - 07 December 2014 in ISKCON New Govardhana - Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari (Album 25 photos)
Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.33.7 Purport)
See them here: http://goo.gl/JUEv35

New Vrindaban Community Parikrama Showcases Exciting Developments
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

New Vrindaban Fall Board Meetings 2014:

Community Parikrama Showcases Exciting Developments

 By Madhava Smullen

 On November 2nd, after spending the previous day hearing presentations on New Vrindaban’s many departments, board and community members wrapped up this fall’s meetings by seeing some of the latest developments for themselves in an enlivening community parikrama.

At 10:00am, around twenty-five people stepped out into a crisp but brilliantly blue and sunny morning and made their way first to the old barn at Bahulaban, which had fallen into a severely dilapidated condition over thirty years but is now being rebuilt as a new ox training center.

New Vrindaban Bahulaban Ox Barn Renovation 2014

Renovation Progress on old cow barn> new ox barn

Renovation project manager Vyasasana Das spoke about his work on the barn, which has been given a brand new wood frame over its original core structure. He indicated the spaces on the first floor where there will be hay storage and corrals for oxen, and on the second floor where there will be living quarters for people working with the ox program.

Daivata Das, who worked with oxen when Prabhupada was physically present and is back to carry out the same service, showed everyone the training area at the back of the barn, and spoke about how he hopes to have the young oxen pulling a cart next year. He was clearly brimming with enthusiasm at getting to serve the community in this way again.

New Vrindaban Ox Team Daivata das.

New Ox Team and their trainer, Daivata das.

Meanwhile New Vrindaban pioneers Madhava Gosh and Advaita Das told stories about how devotees lived in the barn with their families in the early days, and how Advaita’s son was born there.

Madhava Gosh and his wife Vidya, who received an appreciation plaque to take home the previous day, were then presented with another public plaque which will remain permanently affixed to the new ox barn. “In recognition of more than four decades of service rendered to the cows and gardens of New Vrindaban by Madhava Gosh Dasa and Vidya Dasi,” it reads, “The Board of Directors of Eco-Vrindaban hereby renames this building the Madhava Gosh-alla.”

After everyone had a good chuckle at its pun-tastic new name, the ox program’s spiritual advisor Varshana Swami reminded them that the barn also had great spiritual significance. “It’s the last place built by devotees that Srila Prabhupada visited in Bahulaban,” he said. “And now, it’s getting a second life.”

Next, the tour moved on to the hilltop Radha Gopinath Mandir. Still under construction, it’s set to be a small replica of the original temple in Vrindavan, India. Varshana Swami, who is overseeing the project, pointed out the Radha Gopinath Deities residing in an elegant gazebo nearby, and said that They would move into Their temple once it is completed.

New Vrindaban Govardhan Hill Radha Kunda ISKCON

Tour of Govardhan Hill area

He then explained the history of the project, outlining Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to build not only seven replicas of Vrindavan’s seven main temples, but also replicas of its sacred lakes. He showed the group two of these replica lakes, Radha Kunda and Lalita Kunda, and spoke about the pastimes Krishna performed at them, while community president Jaya Krishna Das cheerfully sprinkled everyone with their sacred waters.

The tour also inspected a computer-generated image of the Radha-Gopinath Mandir, with Raghunath Das Goswami’s bhajan kutir and Radha-Kunda next to it.

“Please offer your blessings and prayers that Srila Prabhupada’s vision will unfold more and more,” Varshana Swami requested the assembled devotees.

From Radha-Gopinath Mandir, the parikrama went on to the Garden of Seven Gates. Garden manager Kacey Orr showed everyone the new greenhouse for in-ground planting, where greens will continue to be harvested until February and will last the Temple through much of winter.

New Vrindaban ISKCON Garden of 7 Gates

Inside the high tunnel at the Garden of 7 Gates

She also took the tour through the recently renovated flower greenhouse, which was dormant but will see an astonishing twenty to thirty thousand flowers grown there throughout the 2015 growing season.

Walking through the open fields in the Garden of Seven Gates, Kacey talked about the crops grown there, including tomatoes, peppers, Chinese cabbage, green beans, pumpkins, watermelon, squash, ten-foot-high sunflowers, and marigolds, which were still growing in a golden carpet across the ground.

“Every time we pick, there are fifty gallons of marigolds,” Kacey said, before pointing out the area where a brand new rose garden, exclusively for the Deities, will be grown next year.

Kacey’s last stop was the smaller Teaching Garden, a cosy haven for herbs and flowers encircled by a newly-built honey-colored fence and gates. A regular site for guest tours, its centerpiece is an attractive wooden pergola where devotees can chant or make garlands, and guests can relax and soak up the peaceful environment.

“Next spring we will be taking it up to show-level, and putting signs in every bed so that guests know what they’re looking at,” said Kacey.

Finally, the tour visited the community’s milking barn where nine Brown Swiss cows are milked, passing through the new swing and large decorative flower planters at the entrance. Inside, cowherds Ananda Vidya and his wife Lalita Gopi pointed out the new extension to the feeding aisle, and the new enclosed loafing area for the cows to relax in a dry, hay-covered space.

New Vrindaban Cow Protection Oxen ISKCON 2014

Two young bulls playing together

The weekend ended with a beautiful pushpanjali ceremony honoring Vaishnava acharya Gaura Kishora Das Babaji on his disappearance day. Afterwards, as they tucked into an Ekadasi Sunday Feast, all the devotees excitedly discussed everything they had seen and heard, inspired to continue their service with renewed energy and support New Vrindaban in its ongoing growth.

Without sufficient food, people won’t receive spiritual instruction – distribute prasad
→ The Spiritual Scientist

"Now I am especially concerned to distribute grains, rice, wheat in the form of dahl and rice prasadam to hungry people all over India. The people here are very disturbed because, partly due to the punishment of Nature, and partly due to the mismanagement of the demon class of men, food is not available. If the people do not even have sufficient food they will not even be able to receive spiritual instructions. So I am hopeful that if we can widely distribute free foodstuffs to the people of India, by giving it out at our centers as well as by travelling parties to villages, we will win over the whole country and the whole world by this activity on Krsna's behalf."

Letter to Satyahit
Vrindaban, 16 March, 1974

Wedding Ceremony, November 30, New Dwaraka, Los Angeles
Giriraj Swami

11.30.14_Wedding_LABhakti Caru Swami, Svavasa dasa and Giriraj Swami spoke during the wedding ceremony of Sri Goloka dasa and Rupal.

“The demigods are praying, ‘Gayanti devah kila gitakani.’ Please allow us to take a human birth. That is why the human form of life is so special. It is a big responsibility.  The purpose of a man and a woman getting married is to provide some deserving souls to get a human form so they can fulfill the purpose of their existence. That is why this ceremony is so sacred. Not that man and woman get together haphazardly and accidentally produce some children.  It is a very systematic process called ‘samskar‘ which is a process of purification.”

— Bhakti Caru Swami

Bhakti Caru Swami
Svavasa dasa
Giriraj Swami

A square named “Prabhupada Square” in Recife,…
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A square named “Prabhupada Square” in Recife, Brazil!
Deena Bandhu Das: This is probably the only city in the whole world that has a Prabhupada Square! This is a city nearby Recife, Brazil called Caruaru! My dear Godbrother Jagat Vicitra, standing with me in the pic, worked for 5 years to get permission and received it in the Centennial Year! Now he’s working to get permission to put a plaque explaining who Srila Prabhupada is. I originally wanted to post this on the day that Srila Prabhupada arrived in America, but I was doing so much traveling at the time, I had no time.

Updates from the service of the Radhakunda Seva team (Album 75…
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Updates from the service of the Radhakunda Seva team (Album 75 photos)
When our workers dug deep to install a submersible pump, we were thrilled to discover sweet water 45 feet down. Apparently, this is the only sweet water within a three mile radius and this is the water that will fill Lilavati Kunda! We are taking this as a blessed sign from Radha and Krishna that They are pleased with our endeavor to clean and beautify Sakhi Kunda.
See them here: http://goo.gl/XXHKOu

Pattaya, a city in Thailand, Ratha Yatra 2014 (Album 34…
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Pattaya, a city in Thailand, Ratha Yatra 2014 (Album 34 photos)
The chanting of the holy name is so auspicious that it can free everyone from the reactions of sinful activities. If by chance a devotee accidentally performs some sinful activity, the Lord will excuse him, but one should not intentionally perform sinful acts. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.3.31 Purport)
See them here: http://goo.gl/dBMGRt

Retaining Wall Construction Begins
- TOVP.org

During the last few weeks work on the retaining wall around the building on the utility floor was begun and is almost finished.

The wall, surrounded and packed in by a layer of thick concrete, will retain compressed soil onto the building foundation. The next step will be to start the Sandstone work. This work, very much like the brick work done in other parts of the building, will give rise to further walls and arched windows on this level of the building.

The post Retaining Wall Construction Begins appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.