Wednesdays & Sundays 6pm Each evening will introduce a fresh topic for contemplation interwoven with music, mantra and meditation.
Wed 1 Oct Jumping Power for Life’s Hurdles
Sun 5 Oct What is Kirtan?
Wed 8 Oct Chant 4 Change
Sun 12 Oct Roots of Kirtan
Wed 15 Oct Intro to Yoga Psychology
Sun 19 Oct Being for Real in a World of Labels
Wed 22 Oct Sweeter and Smoother Relationships
Sun 26 Oct The Heart of Yoga – 6 Hour Kirtan*
Wed 29 Oct Happy Heart Everyday Wednesdays Wednesdays $10/$5 for students w ID Sundays Koha
Yoga + Kirtan + Dinner Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Sundays 5pm A warm-up 45 minute Vinyasa Flow Yoga Class to free the body, then fly high into the Kirtan Programme at 6pm. Tuesdays & Wednesdays $12 Sundays Koha
Drumming Workshop + Dinner Tuesday 7 & 14 October 6pm
Learn introductory techniques to the Mridanga, a two-sided clay drum originating from India. If you have your own mridanga please bring it, otherwise some will be available. $10
Jam Night Kirtan + Dinner Tuesday 21 & 28 October 6pm Bring your ukulele, tambourine, guitar, your own voice, come clap your hands, any instrument welcome! or sit back and absorb the Kirtan. Open for everyone. $10
*6 Hour Kirtan! + Dinner Sunday 26 October 5pm–midnight (includes 1 hour dinner interlude) Indulge in the ultimate sound experience. A variety of Kirtan leaders & bands will lead us through a non-stop evening. Come by for as much as you can, for what promises to be an awesome night! Koha
We host Events occassionally for the Local Community. The programs are posted on this page for coming up Festivals or Events.
Damodara-Masa-2014
Weekly Program 25-09-2014
Srila Prabhupada Appearance 20-08-2014
Janmastami 17-08-2014
Radhastami 03-09-2014
Balaram Jayanti 09-08-2014
Jhulan Yatra 06-08-2014
Sri Prahalada 05-07-2014
Gaura Purnima 15-03-2014
Damodara-Masa-2013
BCs August Festive Season Calendar 17-08-2013
Monday Movies 03-12-2012
Jhulan Yatra Festival 10-08-2011
Lord Balaram's Appearance Day 13-08-2011
Janmastami Invitation 20-08-2011
Vyasa Puja Invitation 24-08-2011
Sri Radhastami 03-09-2011
Bhaktivinoda Thakur's Appearance Day 10-09-2011
Haribhakti Dey 22-10-2011
The Mayapuris
Mayapuris Tour 2011 - 26-10-2011 (BCGC)
Mayapuris Tour 2011 & Diwali Celebration - 27-10-2011 (BBSLSC)
Mayapuris Tour 2011 - Peace Yoga 30-10-2011
Govardhan Puja 29-10-2011
Damodara Masa 2011
Vaiyasaki Das 21-12-2011 - BCGC
Vaiyasaki Das 22-12-2011 - BBSLSC
Vaiyasaki Das 23-12-2011 - DURRUMBLE
Vaiyasaki Das 27-12-2011 - PYMC
Nityananda Trayodasi 04-02-2012
HH BV Madhava Swami 07-03-2012
Gaura Purnima 10-03-2012
HH Bhanu Swami 28-03-2012
Ram Navami 31-03-2012
Food Yoga 14-04-2012
Nrshimha Chaturdasi 05-05-2012
Gundica Marjana 17-06-2012
Surfers Paradise Festival 20-6-2012
HG Padma S Das 21-07-2012
Yoga Class by Jayita at BCGC 02-07-2012
Jhulan Yatra 01-08-2012
Balaram Jayanti 04-08-2012
Janmastami Invitation 11-08-2012
Vaiyasaki BCGC 05-08-2012
HH Vedavyasa Goswami 19-09-2012
Radhastami 22-09-2012
HH Sacinandana Swami 03-10-2012
Madhava Kirtan 03-10-2012
Empowerment Yoga with Jayita 20-08-2012 to 06-12-2012-B
Abhay Charan Movie Night 17-08-2012
ANNOUNCEMENT:Bhakti Centre Gold Coast of Surfers Paradise invites everyone to DAMODARA LILA. Please see program details for full information. All Welcome!
The late summer has brought us a bounty of vegetables and a mountain of work preparing for the fall. The teaching garden is filled with fall colors as the mums, calendula, daisies, and lilies have begun to bloom. As the summer flowers and vegetables have completed their season the beds containing annual flowers (one that do not grow back in the spring) are being cover cropped. In the photo above daikon radishes are growing around daises yet to bloom. Other cover crops in the teaching garden include vicia vilosa (winter legume), wheat, and rye.
Colors of fall at New Vrindaban
In the Garden of Seven Gates it has been all about harvesting, building, and planting. Yes, I said planting; this time of year it is difficult to keep up the same early summer pace in the garden. Weeds start to win the epic battle with the garden, some plants start to struggle, and just keeping up with the harvest in a daunting task all its own. However, to really get the most of your garden don’t miss out on the often forgotten benefits of fall planting. In early August we seeded cabbage, spinach, lettuce, radishes, and beets which all love the fall weather and are fairly quick to harvest (none more than 60 days). At the end of August we seeded for our winter greens high tunnel with many of the same crops and added kale. The buckwheat field is now filled with an infinity of beautiful radish greens. In the terraces where vegetables like tomatoes and sweet potatoes were growing it is now cover cropped for the fall and will return early in the spring. For weeks we had beautiful fields of giant sunflowers, the seeds are now drying to be shared with the community. Their former home is now a field of rye.
Sunflowers in the back field of the Garden of Seven Gates
With more green beans to come, squash harvest, greens, and amaranth we still have a lot of picking to do. The test plot of giant golden amaranth has proven not only to be sustainable (no irrigation, no fertilizer, no pesticides), beautiful (most plants are over 9 feet tall filled with seeds) it produced an incredible bumper crop of amazing gluten free complete grains. Which will be harvested after the first frost.
Amaranth in the Garden of Seven Gates
Another exciting harvest this year was sweet potatoes. This is a crop I suggest for everyone that can create some form of raised bed in their garden. When planted under the right conditions a single plant slip yields 8-10 lbs of sweet potatoes. We had enough to set up a “grown on site” sweet potato fry booth at the Festival of Colors. We had a wonderful response and were very excited to share our harvest with people from many different communities.
As the New Vrindaban gardens transition to fall I will leave you with a quote from Rose G. Kingsley….. “In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November.” The Autumn Garden 1905
A very important aspect of our Japa is chanting with faith and how we reach that. Mahatma dasa gives a very informative and practical talk on this subject.
Hare Krishna! It’s been a while — since the last time we talked I’ve relocated to New Vrindaban, it’s been quite a lovely journey immersing myself in this eclectic community & landscape. Real life is such that my virtual life has somewhat suffered which to me is a wonderful thing. At any rate my husband […]
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 [...]
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 ›
When the Hare Krishna mantra is chanted by many men together, it is called sankirtana, and as a result of such a yajna there will be clouds in the sky (yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg.2.14]). In these days of drought, people can gain relief from scarcity of rain and food by the simple method of the Hare Krishna yajna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 9.1.17 Purport) Read more ›
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 ›
This weekend Kirtan London celebrated it's 2 year anniversary with a 6 Hour Kirtan in the Park! ... and an amazing picnic! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us the last 2 years, we hope to share lots more kirtan with you in the future! Read more ›
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 ›
If we simply place ourselves at the lotus feet of Krishna by taking to Krishna consciousness and keeping always in touch with Him by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we need not take much trouble in arranging to return to the spiritual world. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is very easy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.53 Purport) Read more ›
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 ›
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!
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 mantrasused: “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.
1970 September 24: "You can open immediately a center in the very near future. If you take more interest in preaching work, absolutely you may be relieved from GBC." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1971 September 24: "Pray to Krishna. Supersoul is sitting in everyone's heart, so when He hears, the effect of hearing is there. So it is to be understood that the Spiritual Master is also hearing." Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
1971 September 24: "Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent His most confidential disciples out on the street and house to house. Even the magistrate would object, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would still send. He exhibited a great civil disobedience movement." Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
1972 September 24: "I am very glad that you are holding Bhagavata-dharma Festivals all over England. Increase the selling of my literatures and magazines. There is immense field for preaching so do not hesitate to take the bold step forward and invite everyone to become a devotee of Krsna." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1972 September 24: "As my senior disciple take the lead in supervising the distribution of my books widely all over Great Britain. Hold one Hare Krsna Festival every night somewhere in London. If there are too many men for the temple they may be dispatched to open new centers in Glasgow and other cities as you see fit." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1974 September 24: "By your prayers I am recovered. So let us go on with the spreading of this sublime cult. My only request is that you all remain enthusiastic and pure by strictly following all the the devotional practices." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1975 September 24: "Our books are meant to educate people in consciousness and it is very good the professors have recommended Krsna Book for undergraduate study. Our process for learning is by hearing. Hearing is so important. As soon as the book is discussed in the class they will be purchased by the students." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 September 24: "That you have fulfilled my request without hesitation, this is your success in spiritual life. The translations I am not using. There is some fault. I am doing the translations. I have finished now the Sixth Canto and have started the Seventh Canto." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
"One who has sufficient faith in Lord Krsna's name is eligible to chant, and only one who chants the name is properly executing the prescribed duties of the human being. He is called an adhikari or possessor of the holy name."
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.
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!
Sadhu-sanga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krishna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and by acting for Krishna. Specifically, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.59 Purport) Read more ›
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 ›
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!
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 ?
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.
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
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. 
When the Hare Krishna mantra is chanted by many men together, it is called sankirtana, and as a result of such a yajna there will be clouds in the sky (yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg.2.14]). In these days of drought, people can gain relief from scarcity of rain and food by the simple method of the Hare Krishna yajna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 9.1.17 Purport) 
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) 
This weekend Kirtan London celebrated it's 2 year anniversary with a 6 Hour Kirtan in the Park! ... and an amazing picnic! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us the last 2 years, we hope to share lots more kirtan with you in the future! 
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) 
If we simply place ourselves at the lotus feet of Krishna by taking to Krishna consciousness and keeping always in touch with Him by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we need not take much trouble in arranging to return to the spiritual world. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is very easy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.53 Purport) 
We were invited to perform the invocation for the Dallas City Hall Council Meeting. The verse I choose is Bhagavad Gita 7.8 
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. 
Sadhu-sanga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krishna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and by acting for Krishna. Specifically, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.59 Purport) 
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. 
