New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ October 4, 2014
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

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In the groves of Vrndavana under a great pastime awning of flowers, under newly blossoming tree, in cooling shade, with splendid cloth and beautiful flowers, and equipped with cups of nectar and other paraphernalia, is the place of the nap pastime of the divine couple. O! Look at the wonderful, splendid divine couple in Vrndavana!

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-3, Text-10 Translation.]

Please click here for more photos ….

Hold On To Your Beads
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"In the beginning, the rock stubborn, lazy mind will rebel with a thousand excuses and obstacles to foil one's attempt to implement the three M's. Persevere; hold on to your beads! By the mercy of Sri Guru and Gauranga one will patiently progress through the three stages of method, mood and mellow."

From Art Of Chanting Hare Krsna
by Mahanidhi Swami

Giriraj Swami’s Vyasa-puja, Evening Session, September 27, Houston
Giriraj Swami

09.27.14.VP“Serving you and learning how to serve you is all in the details of that service. Making sure that everything is done very properly. Making sure that everything is done very carefully. And being very conscious. Learning to serve you properly helps us become very conscious. And the whole Krishna consciousness process is meant to help us become conscious of Krishna and our eternal relationship with Krishna.”

—Nila Madhava dasa

Giriraj Swami’s Evening Talk

Misguided Society
→ simple thoughts

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Vicaru Das
ISKCON Harinam Ruci

SB CANTO 1 CHAPTER 1 TEXT 10: O learned one in this iron age of Kali men almost always have but short lives, they are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and above all always disturbed.

The devotees of the Lord are always anxious for the spiritual improvement of the general public, when the sages of Naimisaranya analysed the state of affairs of the people in this age of Kali; they foresaw that men would live short lives. In Kali Yuga, the duration of life is shortened not so much because of insufficient food but because of irregular habits.

By keeping regular habits and eating simple food any man can maintain his health. Overeating, over sense gratification, over dependence on another’s mercy and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of human energy. Therefore the duration of life is shortened.

The people of this age are also very lazy not only materially but in the matter of self realisation, that is to say man should come to know what he is, what the world is and what the supreme truth is. Human life is a means by which the living entity can end all the miseries of the hard struggle for life in material existence and by which he can return to Godhead his eternal home. But due to a bad system of education men have no desire for self realization even they come to know about it they unfortunately become victims of misguided teachers.

In this age men are victims not only of different political creeds and parties but of many different types of sense-gratificatory diversions such as cinemas, sports, gambling, clubs, mundane libraries, bad association, smoking, drinking, cheating, pilfering, bickerings and so on. The minds are always disturbed and full of anxieties due to so many different engagements. In this age many, unscrupulous men manufacture their own religious faiths which are not based on any revealed scriptures and very often people who are addicted to sense gratification are attracted by such institutions. Consequently in the name of religions so many sinful acts are being carried on that the people in general have neither peace of mind nor health of body.
Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krsna, which is feared by fear personified .

Vaisesika Dasa: My dear false ego…
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Vaisesika Dasa: My dear false ego, It has taken me quite some time to find the courage to write you this letter; and I realize that it may come to you as a surprise since we have been together for so long and we’ve been through so much. I know also that I’m the one who started this relationship in the first place, but I’ve changed. I now know that what we had was unhealthy: especially my depending on you to watch and appreciate every move that I made, and your telling me that I was great, wise, clever and so on, even when I wasn’t Read more ›

Rare, original photo of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji recently discovered
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Indradyumna Swami: An original photo of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji, the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, recently discovered by the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre in Kolkata. The photo was found inserted between the pages of an old book previously owned by a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. Under the direction of Hari Sauri prabhu the research center is collecting and preserving ancient manuscripts and rare works, making them available to scholars and students all over the world. Read more ›

The following transcriptions have been uploaded.
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Do we need to posit the existence of eternal souls to make the design argument robust?

Do the Anthropic Principle and the multiverse theory make the design argument redundant?

Is it right for devotees to use kirtan singing for earning their living?

If we shouldn’t be disturbed by the mind’s impurities, then how can we beat the mind? Why do dharma-shastras say that aggressors should be forgiven?

What are dharma-shastra and artha-shastra? How are they different?

How do we respond when prominent scientists like Stephen Hawking write books propounding atheism?

Do the dharma-shastras say aggressors shouldn’t be killed and artha-shastras that they should be killed?

Do cultural practices change as per age as does the yuga-dharma?

ISKCON Malaysia Seberang Jaya’s Fundraising Gala Dinner on the 28th September
→ Dandavats.com

Recently on the 28th of September,a fundraising gala dinner was organised by the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple Complex, at the Sunway Convention Hall, Seberang Jaya, Penang, Malaysia, and we had the pleasure of hosting two esteemed guests, HH Jayapataka Swami and HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami, in addition to the 1000 other supporters, donators and well-wishers who attended. This gala dinner was held to raise funds and create awareness of the upcoming new temple located a stones throw away, the Radha Krishna Temple of Devotion and Understanding. Read more ›

Srila Prabhupada Shares His Vision of an “Ideal Life” in New Vrindaban – June 24th, 1976
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

 

New Vrindaban, Prabhupada, ISKCON, Madhuban, 1976

Srila Prabhupada converses with his followers while sitting in the yard at Madhuban in New Vrindaban, June 1976.

“Anyway, learn to love this natural mode of life, life in a wide-open space. Produce your own grain; produce your own milk; save time; chant Hare Krishna; glorify the Lord’s holy names; at life’s end, go back to the spiritual world to live forever. Plain living, high thinking — [this is an] ideal life.”

Click here to read and/or listen to the rest of the conversation at the Vanipedia website.

 

Tuesday, September 30th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

Peerism


As I mentioned in the talk, “A Day In The Life Of A Monk” the other day at York U, perhaps one of the most important elements, if not thee most for the mainstay of a monastic is peer association.  It is the camaraderie in its shared vision and feeling that provides the highest encouragement. 

I know for myself, the gelling of the like minded is a special bond.  For instance, if I meet someone whose done the same or similar feat such as a daring long trek, I am spontaneously excited.  You can spend hours with such a person merely because you’ve taken a familiar track.  It’s the small experiences on the road that become magnified, in the course of dialogue, that means so much. 

I feel the same connection with god-brothers/sisters whom I devotionally grew up with.  I remember the ashram on Henry Street in New York when a small contingent of our brahmacharis would come to visit from Canada.  We shared in the good life of the early rising, the cool shower, the robes of a Vaishnava, the meeting and chanting in the brisk morning, the classes on bhakti, and the missionary endeavours.

I recall seeing Vishnu Gada, a tall young monk, who was staunchly engaged in the kitchen at pot washing and cooking.  Seeing him again in Philadelphia this past weekend brought back those memories of fineness.  As I was about to leave to return to Canada, Vishnu Gada, as a matter of factly, handed me a gorgeous book (like those that you rest on a coffee table) entitled, “Govardhana:  The Hill That Fulfills All Desires” by Bhakti Chaitanya Swami, another god-brother.  Full of photos and clarity through captions and text, this book is a gem.  It outlines details of this popular hill that pilgrims know so well in Northern India.  I’ve done the walk around the hill myself, even as of this past February, to the duration of four hours. 

Friends do give and receive gifts to and from each other.  On top of that, they exchange powerful words of comfort.  It’s a boost. 

May the Source be with you!

7 KM