The Vyasa-puja celebration for Giriraj Swami will be held in Houston on Saturday, September 27, starting at 9:30 AM CDT  (7:30 AM PDT, 10:30 AM EDT).

Devotees can watch live at: iskconhouston.org

Schedule:

• Deity greeting/guru-puja 7:00 – 7:45
• Srimad-Bhagavatam class 7:45 – 9:00
• Breakfast 9:00 – 9:30
• Greeting Maharaj/kirtan 9:30 – 9:45
• Welcome 9:45 – 10:00
• Footbathing ceremony 10:00 – 10:15
• Offerings 10:15 AM – 11:45
• Vyasa-puja address by Giriraj Swami 11:45 – 12:30
• Puspanjali/arotik 12:30 – 1:00
• Feast 1:00 – 2:00

World Holy Name Week (WHNW), first established in 2008, has seen its biggest success so far this year. In 2013, around forty-three different ISKCON centers celebrated the week in some capacity with events designed to share, spread and become absorbed in the Holy Name of God. This year, WHNW organizers have already received reports from over fifty ISKCON centers from every continent in the world.

The shelter project for the devotees displaced in Ukraine has been going on smoothly over the past weeks. At this point, with the generous donations offered internationally, ISKCON Ukraine has raised enough to provide basic care and support for the devotees in need. Their focus right now is the development of buildings that will shelter devotees as the cold winter months quickly approach.

True success, according to Hinduism, is not in the achievements of the first half of life, but in the unraveling of a deeper mystery of our authentic identity and relationship with this transient world.

The post Indradyumna Maharaja’s arrival talk in Budapest appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

It’s refreshing to learn that science is finally catching up with the power of meditation, but I’m guessing it will be another decade until they ‘scientifically’ discover the revolutionary philosophy behind it.

The post Bhaktivinoda Maharaja speaks on the difference between the “demon” Vrtrasura and the “devotee” King Indra appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

An enthusiastic team of devotees led by ISKCON Lagos temple president Kavi Karnapur Das is placing Srila Prabhupada’s books in bookstores and bookstands throughout the Nigerian city. They have a huge audience: the New York Times estimates the population of Lagos at an astronomical 21 million, which would make it the most populous city in Africa.

The post September 26th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

External Renovations at Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold

By Gopisa das & Lilasuka dasi

There have been many renovations done in New Vrindaban over the last two years.  Govinda’s Restaurant received a complete overhaul, including a drop ceiling and ornate Rajasthani style furniture. The Welcome Center, once an old wooden cabin, was brought up to date with high tech insulation and new exterior/interior improvements. The men’s and women’s asramas were renovated with new lighting, walls, floors and furniture and the Palace Lodge rooms were greatly improved with similar treatment.

Drainage on the 2nd Level of Palace.

This year, Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold is receiving some much-needed repairs. Renovations have begun with all new storm drainage pipes on the exterior second level. This is the first phase of an extensive design plan to handle all rain/snow water from roof to ground level and a necessity for protecting the soon to be installed new granite steps.

Drainage Work.

The work is part of a new push to fully renovate and improve Srila Prabhupada’s Palace with major visual improvements planned for completion by 2016 as an offering to Srila Prabhupada on the 50^th anniversary celebrating the formation of his beloved ISKCON.

Stay tuned- more to come.

Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold

HG Pankajanghri Prabhu at ISKCON Mayapur on 2014-09-20, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 05 24 23 24

Lecture Podcast

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from The Nectar of Instruction (Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Upadesamrta):

” ‘Diksa, or spiritual initiation, is explained in the Bhakti-sandarbha (868) by Srila Jiva Gosvami:

divyam jnanam yato dadyat
kuryat papasya sankshayam
tasmad dikseti sa prokta
desikais tattva-kovidaih

“By diksa one gradually becomes disinterested in material enjoyment and gradually becomes interested in spiritual life.” ‘ (NOI 5 purport)

“Divyam jnanam yato dadyat: It is the process by which spiritual knowledge is given. Then kuryat papasya sankshayam: It is the process by which sin is destroyed. Tasmad dikseti sa prokta desikais tattva-kovidaih: This process is known as diksa, or initiation, by  those who are learned and expert in the study of scriptural truth. And Srila Prabhupada makes it practical in terms of the Krishna consciousness movement:

” ‘We have seen many practical examples of this, especially in Europe and America. Many students who come to us from rich and respectable families quickly lose all interest in material enjoyment and become very eager to enter into spiritual life. Although they come from very wealthy families, many of them accept living conditions that are not very comfortable. Indeed, for Krsna’s sake they are prepared to accept any living condition as long as they can live in the temple and associate with the Vaisnavas. When one becomes so disinterested in material enjoyment, he becomes fit for initiation by the spiritual master.’ ” (NOI 5 purport)

Initiation Talk, Tucson

Marriage, Daughters, Mothers & Krishna…

Śrīmad Bhāgavata 3.22.21:
Kardama said this much and not more, for he became overcome with the memory of the Lotus-Navel’d Hari. He smiled from that memory and that smile captivated Devahūti’s heart.

Devahūti is an incalculably elevated devotee, she is directly empowered by/ connected to Yaśodā Mā, for she is the mother of Krishna’s incarnation, Kapila. She had decided to marry Kardama, and when she saw Kardama’s bhakti for Hari she became so pleased and confident in her decision.

This is the guideline for marriage in bhakti-yoga. It is not important if the spouse is attractive or strong, etc. What forms the bond in bhakti-yoga is the spouse’s devotion to Hari. When one spouse sees devotion to hari in the other, they become dedicated to serve and they feel deep spiritual affection.

22:
Manu asked his Queen and his daughter for their final confirmation and, receiving it clearly, granted his delighted daughter to the sage, whose endless hosts of fine qualities was equal to hers.

We do not find male chauvinism is Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, although unfortunately we regularly encounter it in the world, and often even within the world’s spiritual organizations. The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, here spoken by Maitreya Muni, openly and plainly glorifies great women on an equal level with great sages.

23–25:
Emperor Manu was relieved to have given his daughter to a good husband, but his heart was still beleaguered with sadness, so he embraced her tightly in his arms. Unable to bear the thought of leaving her, he became drenched in tears. “O Mother… O my Child…” was all he could say, as she dried his tears with her hair.

Calling a woman “Mother” (Amba, Mā, Mātā, etc.) does not mean “You are my mother.” It simply means “you are a mother.” Manu addressed his daughter as Amba, “Mother” because now she was all grown up and would become a mother. He was saying “Amba! Vatsa!” and crying. Vatsa means “child.” He was saying “O mother… O my child….” because he was thinking, “Oh my child will now become a mother.”

It is difficult for a parent when the child exits childhood, because then Vatsalya-rasa can no longer be fully tasted. All the same, because a parent has some unconditional love for the child, mixed with their sadness is happiness that their child successfully grows up.

The next section of verses will describe the King’s return to his city…

26:
The emperor asked for permission to leave and the great scholar Kardama granted it. He got on his chariot with his wife and they departed with their followers for their own city.

27:
They traveled along the tranquil Sarasvatī river, whose two beautiful shores were wealthy with the āśramas of many families of sages.

28:
His citizens heard of his return and joyfully came out to greet their protector with music and songs of praise.

29–30:
His city, named Barhiṣmatī (Place of Light) was full of all wealth. It was built where the hairs of the Board had fallen when he shook his body. Those hairs became the evergreen kuśa and kāśa grasses, which the sages used to worship him after he defeated the disrupter of sacrifice, Hiraṇyākṣa.

It was named “Place of Light/Fire” because this is where the sages lit sacrificial fires and worshiped Varāha with Kuśa and Kāśa after he defeated Hiraṇyākṣa.

31:
Blessed Manu made a fan of kuśa and kāśa grass and worshipped Varāha, who had delivered the world into his care.

Before entering his city, he stopped in the fields and worshipped Varāha.

32:
Then he entered the great city, Barhismatī, and returned to his palace, which conquers the three miseries.

Manu’s palace was so delightful that inside it one forgets any pains caused by ones body and mind, by other people, or by nature. The next section of verses will describe how this is possible — because Manu created a transcendental atmosphere inside the palace, filling it with Viṣṇu śravana, kīrtana, smarana . The next section describes this and describes Manu’s exalted character. The 22nd chapter will end after that brief section, it is a fairly short chapter.