One Of ISKCON’s Finest
→ travelingmonk.com

The rural community of New Vraja Dhama in Hungary, with 207 devotees and 50 cows, is Sivarama Swami’s offering of love to his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. Over two decades of selfless hard work by the Hungarian devotees has produced one of the finest projects in ISKCON. The presiding deities, Radha Syamasundara, are worshipped with [...]

Preaching program at Yogamaya yoga studio in the Chelsea section of New York City
→ Dandavats.com

Associating with other bhakti-yogis will help us to develop the strength of hope and faith. In school, usually we find the teacher that affected us the most was the person who appreciated what we could do. From a material prospective I wasn’t a very good student. But when I think back about my studies, my favorite teacher was not the person who gave the most profoundly comprehensive talks, but rather the person who believed in the potential of what I could do. He saw something in me that I was too distracted to recognize myself. So this teacher, he brought that quality and later, when I went to India and met my guru Srila Prabhupada, it was magnified ever that much more. Read more ›

Kirtan London Launch Party (Album 40 photos)
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Kali-yuga continues for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years have passed. Of the balance 427,000 years, the 10,000 years of the sankirtana movement inaugurated by Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali-yuga to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and thus return home, back to Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 8.5.23 Purport) Read more ›

Chakrini leads kirtan at Mantra Lounge in Covent Garden, UK, on 19th September 2014 (4 min video)
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It is imperative that all devotees in Krishna consciousness practice chanting some mantra. Certainly one should chant the Hare Krishna mantra, which is the maha-mantra, or great mantra, and also one should practice chanting cintamani-prakara-sadmasu or the Nirsimha strotra (ito nrsimhah parato nrsimho, yato yato yami tato nrsimhah) (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 8.3.1 Purport) Read more ›

World Holy Name Festival Celebration in PUNE Schools!!
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In today’s age, many students are trailing on unrighteous paths by indulging in self-destructive habits like alcoholism, smoking and having illicit relations, and resultantly the students are thus suffering from anxiety, hyperactivity, and indulgence in violence and watching obscene contents etc. To present a positive alternative & taking an opportunity of World Holy Name Festival, the devotees of ISKCON Pune launched a colorful and vibrant Program in schools, intended to introduce students with ‘Hare Krishna’ mahamantra chanting and spiritual concepts through melodious kirtans, skits, short talks etc. Around 4000 students across the Pune in various schools attended these programs. Read more ›

Sunday, September 21st, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton/Toronto

No Stickler


My doctor friend and student, Vikas Pandit (AKA Jagannatha Mishra and I) had trekked the night before along Lake Ontario.  To me, it’s a haunting place with some currents of obnoxious smells from the local Stelco plant.  The wind blew warmly and strongly against our bodies.  Trees danced, but to the exclusion of their legs.  Waves of water lapped against the sandy edge of the beach.  It was eerie in a nice kind of way, and the sensation encouraged a long awaited 6 hour straight sleep to follow – a rarity. 

Jagannatha drove me to the ISKCON Brampton Centre this morning where kirtan, philosophy and food occupied mid day.  Then I was driven to Toronto for a second delivery of words.  This time, readings from “Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint”.  I had chosen passages that would illustrate in what I’d call ‘mind blowers’.  For those amongst the community who have become familiar with some of our rigid practices regarding eating habits, such as no chocolate, no onion stricture, I read about the loopholes, or flexibilities, that our guru implemented.  He was obviously teaching the lesson that while it is good to exercise self-discipline, one must bear in mind that time, place, and circumstance have their utility.  From the book, here’s what one person, Kaushalya, recalls in this regard:

“A lady had prepared a huge and delicious vegetarian feast for us, but there were onions throughout the vegetables.  One of the men leaned over to Prabhuapda and whispered, ‘Prabhupada, there are onions in the vegetables,’ Prabhupada looked over at him angrily and said, ‘Quiet, eat, it doesn’t matter, just eat.’  He didn’t want to offend her.  Being an appreciative guest was more of a concern to him than the fact that there were onions in the vegetables.  He ate it and complimented her on her cooking.
 
“Another time we were served chocolate, and we all thought, ‘Oh, we’re not supposed to eat chocolate because it’s got caffeine in it.’  Prabhupada said, ‘Eat it.’  He was casual in some ways and strict in other ways.  I think his principle was he didn’t want to offend our hosts by being a stickler for the rules and regulations.  It was a great example.”
 
May the Source be with you!

3 KM

Saturday, September 20th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Hamilton, Ontario

Happiness in Hamilton


I like the crowd at Shanti Yoga Studio on Main Street in Hamilton.  The hosts, Alex and Jay, are so accommodating.  The people that come to partake in our kirtan and talk are eager, receptive and responsive. 

I teamed up with the Gaura Shakti Bhajan Band, and with Keshava, who does so well with being emcee to our bhakti presentation.  Our experience is that it doesn’t take much to take this group from the lotus sitting position, to elevate up to standing and jumping for chants and dance. 

The mantras used:  “Om namo Bhaghavate vasudevaya”, a Ram mantra, and finally, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”.
 
Each successive sound got better, more inclusive (participation wise) and became indicative of surrender. 

We are looking at 60 people who have the heart and fervour of the Kelowna, BC response this last summer.

How was the food at the end?  Marvelous!  Our chef, Sachi, put out her best.  Her best love and creativity.  It was prasadam (blessed by God).  I also had the floor to present Tales From Trails, highlighting the practice of an ancient past – walking with purposeful intent.  I relayed to the group how a motorist stopped to offer a ride one day this summer.  I apologized, “I can’t take rides, I’m walking the nation.”

“Is this for personal growth?”  he asked.

And I said, “Absolutely, I’m being totally selfish.”

This in many ways was the message of the night, “Be selfish!  Get strong in order to help others.”  If the chanting doesn’t do it (get you in shape) then I don’t know what will.  Ultimately it’s an individual and collective effort. 

May the Source be with you!

6 KM

Bhakti Sundar Goswami Brings Vrindavan
→ TKG Academy

On September 9, His Holiness Bhakti Sundar Goswami, a prominent disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada,  visited the students.    When a spiritual teacher visits, what do you do?

Srimad Bhagavad Gita 4.34 has the answer, “Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him.”   And that’s exactly what the students did.  Index cards with neat little questions had already been written, each student eager to find out about this cool Swami.

New student Quinn was first.  “What is it like in the spiritual world?” he asked sincerely.   Maharaj began speaking of magical lands, wish-fulfilling desire trees that give samosas when you ask, the ground made of jewels, stones that move out of the way “when you ask them to” and “so much fun you can not imagine!”  As he spoke, even the teachers had tears in their eyes.

Other questions:  How did you feel when you first met Srila Prabhupada?  How can we get taste in Krishna consciousness like you have? What is your favorite story about Krishna?  Your favorite sweet?

His favorite story is a tale of Krishna stealing butter, while conquering a lazer maze type bell system, and ultimately getting caught!  Do you want to hear the whole thing?  Next time you see a TKG Academy student, ask them.

Brinda’s question:  Where have you traveled in the world?   “I have been traveling since I was 2.”  Maharaj spoke of his childhood journey from Lebanon, to Spain, and then on a boat to South America, and back to Europe, all before he was 20 years old!  Now Maharaj never stays in the same place for more than a week.  As a matter of fact, “I have stayed here in Dallas for almost 3 weeks!  That’s longer than anywhere else!”

We hope he really does come back very soon to share Krishna with all of us.  Lucky for us, his favorite sweet is BURFI!!  We just happened to have two big pieces of maha burfi from the morning program today that we were able to offer to him.

Service and questions.  That’s how we ended the day.  We love these saintly visitors who bring us the spiritual world.

 

Seventh Bull Calf Born in New Vrindaban in 2014
→ New Vrindaban

In the original Vrindavan, where Lord Krsna and His brother, Balarama, used to herd the cows and calves out to the forests every day, it was always a cause for celebration whenever a new calf was born. 

Well, in the same way, a new baby bull was born in New Vrindaban Sept. 9th, 2014 in the afternoon at 2 PM. and we joyfully celebrated that.   The new calf's name is Balarama.  He is the 7th bull calf born this year in the dhama.  He and his mata are doing well at the comfortable Goshalla across the street from Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra Mandir.

The next time you visit New Vrindaban, please stop by the Goshalla to see Balarama's progress.

Oh, and Balarama and his mata both love molasses balls!

Hare Krsna.

Meet the saint of the Lower East Side, serving 150 plates of delicious Prasadam 5 days a week at NY’s Tompkins Square Park (19 photos)
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Had the opportunity to visit NY and reconnected with dear Adi after 14 or so years. He's the saint of the Lower East Side, serving 150 plates of delicious Prasadam 5 days a week at, of all places, Tompkins Square Park. He is a brilliant manager and organizer and the sweetest, kindest and most compassionate devotee. He's been distributing Prasadam for at least 12 years. What's truly amazing is how he engages so many non devotees in this service and how some of them take to Krishna Consciousness. I was both inspired and humbled in his association. If you're ever in the city stop by and see him, you won't regret it. Read more ›

A Day at the Park
→ TKG Academy

Our adventure began with the “Imagination Playground”, a creative activity at the Klyde Warren Park. Students selected various sizes and shapes of big blue foam blocks to build sculptures of their imagination. After a brief snack break, we headed to the actual playground area near-by and enjoyed climbing up the bars and spinning on the merry-go-round. For the last hour we joined the “Music & Stories” program. We listened to  - and sang along – several stories, all about colors. We danced and sang with egg shakers and sticks and made colorful scarves into soaring kites. A multi-colored parachute was but one of the highlights of the day and the cherries on the cake were big bubble wands! What an amazing day at the park!

When a mother stops a child from doing something harmful why does Krishna not stop the soul from wrongdoing?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Subash

This (the problem of evil) is a profound topic that has got me deeply thinking. What we understand is that the soul has to make choice between spiritual, sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic actions (with the last two (Rajasic and Tamasic) causing maximum misery, but for the conditioned soul, perhaps the most happiness in material terms). Now if we consider Krishna as the mother and father of all souls, then if we take a real example of a kid with diabetes, will it’s mother allow it to take sweets, the mother will rather force the child not to take the sweet at all costs and have the child cry, because it can have devastating consequences for the child if it were to take the sweets, but are we saying Krishna does not behave like the mother, He doesn’t forcibly prevent the child from eating sweets, but only instructs the child about the bad consequences, is that good enough or as effective ? The only difference I can think of is that Krishna knows that the bad consequences have a beginning and an end (and thus insignificant from the absolute state), and for the soul to be deprived of the material pleasure it’s craving for may be much more painful for the soul (than even the bad consequences) as it evolves towards perfection. Is this explanation correct ?

Answer Podcast

Can we realize our spiritual identity only by bhakti and not by intelligence?
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From Raj

Comment on Our intelligence can be overcome by illusion, yet it is also the key to overcome illusion

As intelligence being materially the superior-sense, some of them misidentify themselves with the intelligence. So I guess only through devotional-service, can one distinguish himself/herself from the intelligence, and be elevated to a spiritual platform where the true identify of being a soul is revealed.

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Is the insignificance of the duration of evil from an eternal perspective the only explanation for evil?
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From Subash P

The problem of evil is a very difficult problem in theology for many religions. The answer is given in Gita by Nasato Vidyate and also by Prabhupada when Prabhupada gives the analogy of tiger in a dream. And when SP gives us glimpse into the absolute state by saying the released soul perceives His bondage as just a twinkling in eternal time. In the absolute state all suffering and evil experienced in bondage is perceived in an unaffected manner and in the same way by all liberated souls even if there existed differences, as explained in chapter 14

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Is the problem of evil inconceivable and beyond explaining through words?
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From Subash P

Krishna being aware of the absolute state of the soul apparently makes a decision which we view as sanctioning evil but from Krishna’s perspective is actually sanctioning good because no evil qualities can exist in Krishna. Unless we get Krishna’s perspective which not even Brahmaji can, words such as Krishna sanctions evil but doesn’t ordain it, must be taken as human attempts to explain phenomena that apparently contradict the verdict of scriptures the Krishna is free from any defects and is of the nature of pure goodness, a verdict we are sure of and we can perceive intuitively but is not easy to express.

Answer Podcast

What is the actual difference between mind and intelligence?
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From Krishnanama P

I would like to know the difference between mind and intelligence. During chanting many thoughts comes and series of background planning activities starts, do not know if this is fantasy or imagination or illusion, but whenever awareness comes back, i realize that thoughts are going on in back ground and chanting is not effective. Whenever, such situation arises, i get doubt what is real difference between mind and intelligence? is mind controlling the intelligence or other way? or intelligence under illusion? etc. How to separate these 2 (mind & intelligence) and how do we effectively apply these for chanting?

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