The Ultimate Reality of Human Journey
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By Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami

In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is Supreme knowledge and all the severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion (dharma) is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life Continue reading "The Ultimate Reality of Human Journey
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Gita Jayanti – Saturday- 3rd Dec 2022- we will be reading every Bhagavad Gita verse!
→ ISKCON Scarborough


Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

We have two very auspicious events happening on the same day on Saturday - 3rd Dec 2022
- Advent of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita(Gita Jayanti)
- Moksada Ekadasi

One of the Vrata(vow) undertaken during Ekadasi is to read the Holy scriptures.

What can be more glorious on this Moksada Ekadasi than reading Bhagavad Gita on the very day that marks the 5159th appearance day anniversary.

We at ISKCON Scarborough will be celebrating Gita Jayanti in a grand manner on Saturday-3rd Dec 2022 by reading all the 700 English verses starting at 4.00 PM sharp!



ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough, Ontario,
Canada, M1V4C7
Website: www.iskconscarborough.org

Email:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com
scarboroughiskcon@gmail.com



ISKCON Gurugram Inauguration
→ ISKCON News

ISKCON Gurugram Temple near Badshahpur, on Sohna Road, hosted their inauguration this weekend. The grand ceremony took place from 26th to 27th November. Haryana Governor, Sri Bandaru Dattatreya, was present as the Chief Guest at the event. As well as many ISKCON GBC leaders such as Gopal Krishna Goswami, and Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami. This […]

The post ISKCON Gurugram Inauguration appeared first on ISKCON News.

Odana-Sasthi
→ Ramai Swami

Srila Prabhupada explains, “At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-sasthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver. According to the arcana-marga, a cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord. Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that the priest neglected to wash the cloth before covering Lord Jagannatha. Since he wanted to find some fault in the devotees, he became indignant.” (Cc Madhya 16.78 purport)

And Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 16.78-81) describes the event: “Pundarika Vidyanidhi initiated Gadadhara Pandita for the second time, and on the day of Odana-sasthi Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw the festival. When Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that Lord Jagannatha was given a starched garment, he became a little hateful. In this way his mind was polluted. That night the brothers Lord Jagannatha and Balarama came to Pundarika Vidyanidhi and, smiling, began to slap him. Although his cheeks were swollen from the slapping, Pundarika Vidyanidhi was very happy within. This incident has been elaborately described by Thakura Vrndavana dasa.”

From this incident, we can learn that the Lord does not tolerate offenses against His servants, even from an advanced devotee, and that He chastises a devotee who commits such an offense even within the mind.

Odana Sashti Seva Opportunity – Nov 29th, 2022
→ Mayapur.com

The Lord’s mercy comes in many forms and the story behind Odana Sashti is one amongst many to tell. Odana Sashti is a festival that marks the beginning of winter. During the Odana-sasthi festival the devotees dress Lord Jagannatha and Balarama with starched cloth. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering […]

The post Odana Sashti Seva Opportunity – Nov 29th, 2022 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

‘Live To Give’ Campaign Aims to Distribute 3 Million Bhagavad-gitas
→ ISKCON News

The Prabhupada Marathon has inspired book distribution throughout ISKCON since 1972. Now it is being celebrated as the Live to Give campaign.  This year our global team has set an unprecedented goal to distribute at least three million Bhagavad-gitas between September 11th and January 7th, 2023. Last year we distributed 2,805,444, smashing the goal of […]

The post ‘Live To Give’ Campaign Aims to Distribute 3 Million Bhagavad-gitas appeared first on ISKCON News.

Intimate relationship with cows
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 October 2022, Vrndavana, India, Govardhana-puja Lecture)

Imagine for a moment that all the cars in Vrndavana are replaced by cows. The Parikrama path would no longer be a road, but it would a nice soft sandy path like it used to be before. A Vrndavana filled not with vehicles but with cows. Bullock carts would become the natural means of transport. And in this way, the whole society becomes centered around the cows. Not only the Vaisya community, but obviously all the other various ashramas are also depending on the cows. Without ghee, there would be no sacrifice, and with no sacrifice, there would be no grains and so on. In this way, there has always been an intimate relationship with cows.

The article " Intimate relationship with cows " was published on KKSBlog.

When PRINCE got Srila Prabhupada’s books…
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It was sometime in the very early 80's, and I was distributing books in the New Orleans airport. I often checked out the video game machine area, as it was often filled with friendly young people. On this particular day I noticed a group of young guys hunched over one of the game machines. I approached them with my usual lines and they all seemed friendly. They each listened attentively, gave generous donations and I passed out books and BTGs to each of them.


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H.H. Kadamba Kanana Swami Speaks About the TOVP
- TOVP.org

His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami, a senior disciple of Jayadvaita Swami and ISKCON initiating guru speaks about the glories of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium and the Grand Opening Festival scheduled for December 2024 through Gaura Purnima, 2025.

Please support the completion and opening of the Nrsimha Wing in October, 2023 by visiting the Give To Nrsimha 2023 Campaign page on the TOVP website.

 

 

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George Harrison’s Visit to Juhu—Remembering and Giving Thanks
Giriraj Swami

I will never forget the moment when I heard that George Harrison had passed away, one week after Thanksgiving in 2001. My strong feelings of separation surprised me—and made me think how important and dear George must have been to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krishna. And I remembered my own little experience with George in Bombay.

In 1974, George came to visit Srila Prabhupada at Hare Krishna Land, in Juhu. He was wearing a white kurta and white yogi pants and had a plain bead bag. I took him around the property, and he expressed his appreciation for our work and encouraged us in our efforts.  When at twelve-thirty we heard the conch shell blow for raja-bhoga arati, we proceeded to the small temple shed, where George chose a pair of kartals and sang with the other devotees. Puri dasa, originally from Scotland, was doing the arati, and when he turned to offer the ghee lamp to the devotees and saw George, his hand started trembling so much that he thought he might drop the lamp.

After the arati, I arranged a full plate of maha-prasada for George and accompanied him to meet Prabhupada in his apartment. Prabhupada greeted him warmly, and I left them together and returned to my office.

“Prabhupada was behind his desk, with George in front of him,” Kishor das later described. “I barely remember what was said, but I remember the feeling of love that went back and forth between them. It was tangible. I didn’t really understand what this relationship was. I was young, and here was a big rock star, and a pure devotee of Krishna, and there was I somewhere. But I could just feel this feeling of love that went back and forth between Prabhupada and George.”

About two hours later, a pudgy twelve-year-old boy with glasses—the son of our friend and supporter Pranjivan G. Valia of the Hare Krishna house in the Juhu Vile Parle development—came to my small office at the back of the property. “I heard George Harrison is here,” he said.

“Yes,” I replied, “he is.”

“I want to see him,” he stated.

“Well, you can’t. He’s meeting with Srila Prabhupada.”
He looked me straight in the eye, sizing me up, and, concluding that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with me, turned, dashed to the stairs, and bolted down the steps.

Oh my God, I thought. He’s going to try to find him. So I bounded down the stairs in hot pursuit.

I ran across to the next building, and when I reached the second landing, in front of Prabhupada’s flat, I found the door ajar. The boy stood just inside, and beyond him George sat cross-legged with his back erect, like a yogi—a perfect disciple listening attentively at the feet of his master.

With the boy’s abrupt appearance, Prabhupada and George ended their meeting, exchanging some final words. George was gracious and appreciative, Prabhupada affectionate and kind. I was upset that the boy had interrupted them, but they took it as a matter of course. Maybe it was time for the meeting to end; maybe they took it as Krishna’s arrangement.

Shyamasundar and I accompanied George back to the temple shed for darshan of the Deities. He paid full dandavats, lying completely flat on the floor before Them for a long time, and then left.

The next year, on a morning walk in Sanand, Gujarat, Prabhupada recalled the meeting: “He is very nice boy—George. I have studied. Very good boy. He showed me in Bombay. He came to see me in Bombay, last year. He is keeping Jagannatha within his bead bag and chanting.”

I and many thousands—perhaps millions—of people are thankful to George for all the service he rendered to Srila Prabhupada and the Krishna consciousness movement, for making the holy name of Lord Krishna—the Hare Krishna maha-mantra—and the principles of Krishna consciousness so accessible to people all over the world and for attracting so many souls to the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami