Please view the following gallery: Ganga Puja Festival Two days ago, here in Mayapur, we had a beautiful festival in honor of Mother Ganga. Hundreds of devotees gathered at our Prabhupada Ghat to worship and take bath in Her holy waters. There was melodious kirtan permeating the atmosphere while they made the arrangements for the program. […]
Suddenly in the middle of the night kirtan èkadašnogo mother Ganga decided to come in our basement. Pudžarskuû was flooded by rain water, a kitchen and a part of the altar. The water was ankle-deep. Devotees joked that this is because of the dry fasting-so wanted to drink that water itself came to the vaishnavas. Despite the fact that the river water poured, kirtan continued))) Read more ›
Kavicandra Swami: Sudama Das and Ujjvala Gopi dasi have turned their Tokyo ground floor into a Temple cooking classroom: "Cooking classes are going on regularly. All are Japanese. Few are very much interested in Indian cooking and they became good friends also. They like to buy cooking related books.
I am sharing some photos.
Please bless us so that we can distribute more Prasadam and books.
Ujjvala Gopi devi dasi"
Read more ›
Shanti Keshavi Devi Dasi: I think more than anything, I was very humbled this weekend. Seeing the devotees who did non-stop service all weekend long (and prior to the festival) makes me pray that...someday...I can have that service attitude. You all have my utmost respect and admiration. I am truly your worthless servant. Read more ›
With Giriraja Swami, Radhanatha Swami, Indraduymna Swami, Hridayananda Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, Rtadhvaja Swami, Anuttama prabhu, Deena Bandhu prabhu and many other senior vaishnavas and vaishnavis! "Glory to the Sri Krsna sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious."
Siksastaka Read more ›
Every chance to gather the vaishnavas and perform the congregational chanting of the Holy Names is the highest victory, the biggest benefit! Read more ›
Indradyumna Swami: Belarus is a landlocked country in eastern Europe, bordered in part by Russia, Ukraine and Poland. Once part of the Soviet Union, it continues with a number of soviet era policies, such as state owned ownership of large sectors of the economy and a restricted press. ISKCON, although registered and with a nice temple in the capitol Minsk, is not allowed to openly proselytize. Harinam and book distribution are forbidden. Despite these limitations we found the people of Belarus to be friendly, accommodating and receptive to Krsna consciousness. In fact, there are over 1,500 devotees in Belarus, with a population of just over 9 million people. Please everyone give these devotees your blessings to continue spreading Lord Caitanya’s message as best they can under the circumstances. Read more ›
1967 June 10: "If I get the permanent visa,, even in my broken health I shall stay in U.S.A. and try to propagate my mission through my disciples like you. I don't mind whether I die here or in Vrndavana - wherever there is Krishna, that is Vrndavana." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1967 June 10: "Although I am practically on the path of death, still I cannot forget about my publications. I wish that if I live or die you should take very serious care for my publications." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1969 June 10: "Unless one is a resident of Krishna Loka, one cannot be a Spiritual Master. That is the first proposition. A layman cannot be a Spiritual Master, and if he becomes so then he will simply create disturbance." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1969 June 10: "The symptoms of nitya siddha is that from the beginning of his life he is attached to Krishna, and he is never tired of rendering service to Krishna. So we have to know what is what by these symptoms." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1969 June 10: "When the Spiritual Master speaks it should be taken that Krishna is speaking. That is a fact. A Spiritual Master must be liberated. It does not matter if he has come from Krishna Loka or he is liberated from here. But he must be liberated." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1969 June 10: "I am not very interested to establish a Hindu temple. I never described my movement as Hindu religion. This kind of devotion is not purified. It is contaminated by material desires." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1969 June 10: "Sex urge is something like itching. So an intelligent person rather suffers the pain of itching sensation than accepting the after effects of satisfying the itch." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1974 June 10: "From my very childhood I was also worshipping Lord Jagannatha. When I was six years old my father gave me a Ratha and I was performing Ratha yatra in my neighborhood. And now in the Western world you are worshiping Jagannatha so gorgeously and it pleases me very, very much." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1975 June 10: "Your endeavor to prove scientifically the existence of re-incarnation is not very practical. It is like bringing a cannon to kill a mosquito. It is not required. Explanation is already given in the Bhagavad-gita." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
MAYAPUR - Whereas there is a need to recognize as general members those who wish to identify with the spiritual family of ISKCON,
Whereas such recognition should include some basic parameters,
Whereas such recognition should not involve any legal rights for the general members,
RESOLVED:
Whoever, regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion, etc., subscribes to the following statement, shall be considered a general member of ISKCON:
“I wish to be counted as part of the spiritual family of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and I will practically support its mission. I accept the teachings of Lord Krishna as presented by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of ISKCON.
“While I understand that this general membership does not confer upon me any rights in ISKCON organizations, I am grateful to participate in this spiritual movement intended for the upliftment of the entire human society.”
TRANSLATION Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your ability. What could be more painful for you?
PURPORT Lord Kṛṣṇa was astonished in the beginning at Arjuna’s uncalled-for plea for compassion, and He described his compassion as befitting the non-Āryans. Now in so many words, He has proved His statements against Arjuna’s so-called compassion.
Today I was speaking with an old devotee friend....recently he is struggling with Japa but after talking with him for awhile, wants to change that situation.
By the Lord's mercy we can associate with each other in spiritual life....talk about the Lord, about our struggles and help to inspire one another to make progress - this is real association and very precious in this world.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Rama Naumi Initiation Lecture)
There exists our internal life. One cannot just be fixed on dharma by determination,”Okay, by intelligence I have understood this philosophy. It makes sense and I am deeply impressed by it. I think it is the truth. I think I am going to adjust my life to it.’ That is intellectual, it is very nice but that still is a burden.
So, one must also have an internal life. Give mercy and go and collect it. Dig deep in the scriptures because in the scriptures, there are amazing descriptions of amazing personalities. Chant, chant the name of the Lord, that name is unlimited. Invest energy, do not chant mechanical, really chant it. Everyday, chant at the best time. Chant the best rounds; make something out of that chanting! That is the internal life.
We must have both, internal life and quality. Otherwise, if it waters down then suddenly, the vows become a burden. If we are not having an internal life then the vows become a burden and then our so-called merciful activities become superficial, just to show! How can you have compassion for others when you do not have a better quality of life? You can only have compassion when you have a better quality of life otherwise you can be like an actor on stage and act as if you are compassionate. Real compassion is only possible when we have a better quality of life ourselves, then it is natural. So we must endeavour for that and rewards will come.
If the Deity was really a stone or marble or wooden statue, then how does the devotee who worships Him become purified and possessed of all the beautiful spiritual qualities?
“O King, for devotees who hold a festival in glorification of the Lord, the Lord holds a festival for them at the very same moment in Goloka Vrindavan.”
[ Padma Purana, quoted in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhi 1.2.220 ]
yah karoti mahipala
harer gehe mahotsavam
tasyapi bhavati nitya
hari loke mahotsava Read more ›
There’s no doubt that there is struggle in the matter of walking, even in this almost perfect climate, and in clean mountain air. I’m not much worried about grizzly encounters, but I’m cautious. People have been nice, and I have rare to find any redneck dynamic. Not even a remark of bigotry. I enjoy the trekking, partially because of the austere side of it. You do get your aches and pains for sure. The mind may try to agitate. That struggle is good.
Here is what I get out of it, perseverance.
Todd is a customs officer at a place on the border called Kingsgate. He saw me when I was just about ready to enter the town Erickson. He pulled over while on his way to work, “Just curious to know why you’re walking. After my graduation I trekked from the coast to Creston, where I lived. I found in the course of my walking I discovered many things about myself. I did this walk solo.”
I commended him for his task and agreed that it’s something more people should do. “You give yourself time to reflect on past, present and future. It becomes a spiritual experience.”
Amongst the other people I met today, a Jehovah’s Witness woman emerged from a vehicle at a major juncture along the road. Her driver drove some distance to turn around. When I first saw her, I was judging by her high heels that she wasn’t prepared to do any serious walking. She came to me and made it clear that she’s a member of Jehovah. She came with the journal, ‘The Watch Tower’ in hand. I was willing to accept the literature only on the basis that she would accept my card with the maha mantra. I was also of the conviction that if we were going to converse on the basis of my religion/my religion, and how ‘mine’ is the only approach, no!
We managed to keep everything light and leaving each other on the note, “God bless”. We stayed on common ground. I didn’t even have to persevere.
In the first hour I may have two or three layers on to address morning chill. Before long, comes off the hoodie. The next hour, comes off my t-shirt underneath my traditional kurta (devotional shirt). Even my safety vest I strip off due to there being enough sunlight by now. In the third hour, I’m likely removing my socks. By now, there’s nothing much left to peel off.
The road brings with it warmth and coolness. Asphalt appears to be a conductor of heat from the sun. Although I can’t complain, temperatures remain below 22 degrees Celsius.
Coolness arrives from the motorists who are on a passionate run to get to wherever. Apart from the occasional happy honker, everyone else seems to be flying on the fuel of the greedy go. No time to pay heed to a pedestrian. I generally look for alternative wayside roads that angle along to meet the highway. There, we find peace. I did detour once, only to find myself at a cul-de-sac, a dead end. A kind Mexican woman didn’t mind that I traversed her pasture land where I came upon the field’s corner. My intent was to meet the highway again. Luckily the barbed wire on the fence didn’t entangle or rip my dhoti. Remember, I’m as stripped down to as meagre as I’ll be after leaving Daruka with the extra burdensome clothing. Finally, a quiet road lead me to the village of Kitchener, and to a juncture of the Crowsnest Pass.
One other thing seems to be missing these days. Yes, of course, it’s Michael. Michael is making the slow journey back to home, Toronto. His allotted time with us has expired. So, we’re down to three guys and one drama queen (Billie Jean, the parrot) and one crammed vehicle.
We had a great swim in Vasa Lake, which relaxed muscles, and then took off for a visit to the Adi Vajra Shanehasalen asram. Our connection with this community allowed us to make mutual relations.
The film crew tags a number of great white sharks to study their movement patterns along Australia's coast. When one of the devices washes ashore, could a killer whale be to blame?From: HUNT FOR THE SUPER Continue reading →
There is life in death with the emergence of the soul, even when an entity apparently bites the dust. From the nest of a crow fell this baby bird, and somehow landed on the edge of the highway. Funny, when you consider the name of this road way – the Crowsnest Pass. I looked at the little buzzard, not a sign of life was in it, so where did the atma go? The answer lies in karma, which is often times too complex to make some order or shape out of it. As the body lay there rather featherless and practically balding, we can imagine that its soul is in flight.
On his way to work, Patrick saw me, pulled over and came out of his truck to offer pranams. Under his safety vest was a dark sweat shirt with an adorable insignia of Ganesh printed on it. He’d been to Tibet like many westerners have been doing as of late. Instead of the Himalayas, he obtained a little flavour of Tibet right here in the Rockies, only I’m not a Buddhist monk. I may not even qualify as an austere monk necessarily. What did make a difference for Patrick and me was the spiritual exchange that we had so early in the morning.
Others came to see me on the highway. The neighbourliness of motorists is like prana (life force), but on the road you get both life and death. Many signs of death are apparent on the highway such as the lifeless baby crow and the numerous crucifixes erected to demarcate automobile mishaps. There’s a lot of vitality on this road because of the recurring appearance of the Moyie River and historically Dewdley blazed the trail here during gold rush days.
I stepped on what appeared to be a trail at Cranbook’s west end. I was wrong. A sign posted on this narrow cleared space near this swampy body of water, was a natural maternity habitat for local turtles. An elderly man was raking the ground, readying it for turtle nesting.
I apologized to the man when I discovered my mistake. “Oh, that’s alright, you didn’t know,” he replied forgivingly.
Whenever there is an opportunity to trek somewhere parallel to a super busy highway, I jump for it. Karuna, my walking partner for this morning, and I, spotted the Trans Canada Trail while walking during the morning rush hour. We dashed for that trail and enjoyed the shade and tranquility it offered. When it is inevitable that we stick to the main road, then we accept it as a practice in austerity. The traffic is particularly busy through Cranbrook, a juncture that leads to Vancouver, Calgary, and the States.
Being where the motorists frequent is always the most challenging, but I did meet nice samaritans today. I had stopped by at a house asking for a possibly alternative parallel road. The owner of the home informed me that there wasn’t any. Somehow or other he was intrigued when I told him about the nationwide walk, because a half hour later, he and his wife pulled over and presented a bag full of goodies.
“Now, if there’s anything in this bag, you can’t eat, you can just take it out right now.” So I looked inside and I pulled out the can of tuna and the package of beef jerky, and then went on to enjoy the fruit with thanks. Not much later, a woman who had heard there’s a monk in town, drove out to the shoulder of the road where I continued to amble along. Intrigued, she offered a donation and a smile. Both were precious.
I have one lament about these days, we don’t seem to be having success in school engagements in either Alberta or BC like we experienced in the prairies and north western Ontario. Even yoga societies appeared too busy for our presentation. Either that, or it’s too short notice. So be it. We are spending time with Paul and Sara and their friends who have come to visit. Paul is 83 and he makes a mean rhubarb apple pie. Due to our presence there, Paul and Sara’s company is enjoying vegetarian cuisine which we consecrate to make it prasadam.
I thank Arnie from the Daily Townsman for coming to do an interview.
My first contact with the devotees, without even noticing it, was with the George Harrison’s song “My Sweet Lord”. It was a #1 Hit in Spain and I loved it. I bought the LP and I listened to it everytime I could. I was 14 years old.
At 17, when I finished my studies, I decided to go to Paris and just by life chances, I ended up living close to the Hare Krishna Temple. It was in the Rue le Sueur, next to the park where I was going every day with the little girl I was taking care of. During the two years I was there I could see them quite often, but I never went to the temple. It seems it wasn’t my time yet.
I came back to Spain and I had to go through a couple of years of suffering to realize that this life is not made to enjoy it. At the beginning of ’82 a Srila Prabhupada book, “Elevation to Krishna Concioussnes” arrived to my home. Years after I discovered that during these Christmas there was a Ladies Sankirtan Party who did a Marathon in Bilbao, near to where I was living, and probably someone from my family bought them that book. When I first saw it I loved it, especially the Srila Prabhupada picture, to which I started to offer incense (in my way, of course). I built a little altar and I even put a little cactus. I liked the book so much, and I started trying to follow the principles Srila Prabhupada was mentioning.
A bit later I found out that a friend of mine was living in New Vrajamandala and during Eastern I went there to see the farm. I loved it so much that I had to stay, I couldn’t go back home.
One month after arriving to the farm, I joined the ladies Travelling Sankirtana Party and we travelled all around Spain. Later on, in the ’87, I got married with Sabda-Brahma and we lived for 5 years more in New Vrajamandala, until we moved to Jalón, in Alicante, where we are still living with our son Nityananda.
Here we have a prosper devotee community quite near, wich helps us to stay Krishna conscious, and without the London Temple morning programs, it wouldn’t be the same. Mayapur.tv has brought back to me enthusiasm for participating in this marvelous Srila Prabhupada movement. There I have met great devotees from all over the world, who like me are willing to please Krishna. We are a big family, and this makes me feel very motivated.
Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to share my life with you all. See you in the next London program. Haribol!
You may remember that last issue, Nitai Gaurasundara, President of ISKCON Paris, sent in a book distribution story. Pics were promised later, and now here they are:
Suddenly in the middle of the night kirtan èkadašnogo mother Ganga decided to come in our basement. Pudžarskuû was flooded by rain water, a kitchen and a part of the altar. The water was ankle-deep. Devotees joked that this is because of the dry fasting-so wanted to drink that water itself came to the vaishnavas. Despite the fact that the river water poured, kirtan continued))) Read more › 
With Romapada Swami Read more › 
Kavicandra Swami: Sudama Das and Ujjvala Gopi dasi have turned their Tokyo ground floor into a Temple cooking classroom: "Cooking classes are going on regularly. All are Japanese. Few are very much interested in Indian cooking and they became good friends also. They like to buy cooking related books.
I am sharing some photos.
Please bless us so that we can distribute more Prasadam and books.
Ujjvala Gopi devi dasi"
Read more › 
Shanti Keshavi Devi Dasi: I think more than anything, I was very humbled this weekend. Seeing the devotees who did non-stop service all weekend long (and prior to the festival) makes me pray that...someday...I can have that service attitude. You all have my utmost respect and admiration. I am truly your worthless servant. Read more › 
With Giriraja Swami, Radhanatha Swami, Indraduymna Swami, Hridayananda Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, Rtadhvaja Swami, Anuttama prabhu, Deena Bandhu prabhu and many other senior vaishnavas and vaishnavis! "Glory to the Sri Krsna sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious."
Siksastaka Read more › 
05/21/14 Iskcon Miami Read more › 
Every chance to gather the vaishnavas and perform the congregational chanting of the Holy Names is the highest victory, the biggest benefit! Read more › 
Indradyumna Swami: Belarus is a landlocked country in eastern Europe, bordered in part by Russia, Ukraine and Poland. Once part of the Soviet Union, it continues with a number of soviet era policies, such as state owned ownership of large sectors of the economy and a restricted press. ISKCON, although registered and with a nice temple in the capitol Minsk, is not allowed to openly proselytize. Harinam and book distribution are forbidden. Despite these limitations we found the people of Belarus to be friendly, accommodating and receptive to Krsna consciousness. In fact, there are over 1,500 devotees in Belarus, with a population of just over 9 million people. Please everyone give these devotees your blessings to continue spreading Lord Caitanya’s message as best they can under the circumstances. Read more › 
There exists our internal life. One cannot just be fixed on dharma by determination,”Okay, by intelligence I have understood this philosophy. It makes sense and I am deeply impressed by it. I think it is the truth. I think I am going to adjust my life to it.’ That is intellectual, it is very nice but that still is a burden.
“O King, for devotees who hold a festival in glorification of the Lord, the Lord holds a festival for them at the very same moment in Goloka Vrindavan.”
[ Padma Purana, quoted in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhi 1.2.220 ]
yah karoti mahipala
harer gehe mahotsavam
tasyapi bhavati nitya
hari loke mahotsava Read more › 
With Bhaktivikasa Swami Read more › 
