Planet ISKCON

The post July 25th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

It is our great pleasure to announce ISKCON MAYAPUR’s 2nd annual six day Kartik Navadwip Mandal Parikrama during the most auspicious month of Kartik (organized by the Mayapur Chadnra’s). The Parikram begins on October 22nd and will end on October 29th, 2014. There will be a two day break, one for Govardhan puja (24th October) […]

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“Of the nine processes of devotional service, the most important is to always chant the holy name of the Lord. If one does so, avoiding the ten kinds of offenses, one very easily obtains the most valuable love of Godhead.” CC Antya 4.71 Read more ›

‘The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya. Krishna’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical.’ Padma Purana Read more ›

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjZWrzyh

The post Scenes from Thursday at the Sun Festival outside Budapest appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Rupamati dd asks about mixed devotion and how it works and how it is purified appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Haribol! In case you didn't notice! Google Earth put brand new pictures from the space about Navadvip area. Last satellite pictures where made in 2010 and 2006, you can see the difference in development of TOVP and Mayapur area! your servant Abhinandana Nitai das Read more ›

On July 24^th, Abhinanda dasa reported that Alchevsk, a city between Donetsk and Lugansk in Eastern Ukraine, which had been relatively peaceful until now, looked like it would become the next battleground. “There is a large devotee population in Alchevsk”, he says. “If the conflict moves into Alchevsk, there may be many more devotees looking for refuge.”

By Bhakti Caru Swami, from the Malaga Retreat 2014 Read more ›

SB 4.12.12 Dhruva Maharaj’s Godly Qualities, Helsinki, Finland.mp3

Twenty-five young girls aged eleven to sixteen embarked on the Kishori Yatra bus tour from June 6^th to 29^th this summer, taking a life-changing road trip in America that was a major positive influence at an extremely formative period in their lives. With them were a group of positive role models and experienced youth leaders, dubbed “counselors,” all of them second generation ISKCON devotees themselves.

Hinduism is the second-largest practiced religion in Arizona, according to the U.S. Religious Congregations & Membership Study from 2010.

Krishna Lunch has been served at the University of Florida for 40 years. There is now students graduatinfg from this school who would not have eaten there at least once. ISKCON now partners with the University to upgrade the campus Plaza where the food distribution has been taking place for decades. 

I'm born Jewish. I have identified as a Vaisnava three times longer than as a Jew in my life.  I've been to Israel three times; Gaza once.

By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada New Namahatta center as "HARE KRISHNA BHAJAN KUTIR" opened on 6th July at Aruppukottai 40Km from Madurai South Tamilnadu. HG Shankadhari Prabhu Temple president Madurai & ISKCON Indan Bureau inaugurated . Program started from Mangala Arthi fallowed by Darshan Arthi , Name board opening, Srimad Bhagavatam lecture and Prasadham, 500 to 600 devotes visited and about 550 plates of prasadham distributed till 3pm. Asia's largest cotton spinning industry Chairman T.R Dhinakaran and Ramco cement factory manager also take part in festival and enjoyed the Keerthan . We mainly focus on school collage youths and village preaching. Read more ›

Nature has provided us with numerous herbs and spices that contain significant pain-killing properties. 

According to many doctors and experts the cancer industry is just another a multi-billion-dollar industry that needs disease to stay in business. It is not in their interetst to cure you. An eye-opening full documentary "Cancer is Curable NOW" by Marcus and Sabrina Freudenmann challanges the Big Pharma.

Seven years after its first release and people are still talking about it. ‘The Secret’ that Rhonda Byrne felt she had discovered was the ‘law of attraction’; whatever you think about and focus on, eventually becomes reality in your life.

"So far the action taken by city officials, it is not good to disturb them unduly or cause unwanted agitation or anger with such people. They are demons so they will not change. Civil disobedience movement can be led by Lord Caitanya, but we are not so strongly organized and influential to be able to perform successfully such civil disobedience movement. It is good if the newspapers take our side and public opinion is against the authorities viewpoint, but it will be better if we use all goodwill and tact to avoid such violent confrontation in public and simply take another place with required parking space."

Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita 28 December 1971

Listen audio...

This talk is a part of the "Fascinating Mahabharata Characters" series. To know more about this course, please visit: bhakticourses.com

Calgary, Alberta

Learning On The Trail


On the Rotary Mattamy Greenway, at the eastern reaches of Calgary, I took my early trek.  From two locations on the trail, I learned of wilderness struggle.  Firstly, on a slight divergence of the trail, by a batch of trees (where frankly, I released some water) I saw the remains of an ordeal.  It had more to do with a ruffling of feathers.  There, on this tiny forest floor, was a pile of actual feathers, likely what was left of some aerial battle between two birds.  It was not the down of a duck that I was looking at, or a crow; hard to tell really, but it was a scatter of life, nevertheless.  I could only imagine the pain of the feathery victim. 

Further on the trail, in fact very close to the Trans Canada Highway/Highway 1, there lies the relics of a fur animal, at least to me, it was evidence of another scuffle. 

I terminated the trail walk and ended at a newspaper box.   I pulled out a Metro newspaper, sat myself at a park bench, and read the feature article of a local Calgarian pit bull that was euthanized by officials.  He had attacked and killed a poodle.  Chaos was the name of the three year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier.  The article was an account of two dog owners walking their pets, their toothy encounter, and then the subsequent reactions from the owners.  All in all, the theme here was about the struggle within life, and the harshness that pervades in our world. 

Mmm… this gives me a topic to speak on at tonight’s sangha at the home where I’m staying, “Suffering!  Can it be overcome?”

May the Source be with you!

9 KM

Vancouver, British Columbia

Decisions


A fairly spontaneous decision was made for me to fly to Vancouver, which I did yesterday.  The purpose?  It was not to participate in a walkathon.  Rather, it was decided that I meet with two monks, Gopal Krishna Goswami, and Hari Vilas (by virtue of service, he is practically a monk).  The three of us, not shunning administrator obligations, but sitting to discuss issues over our devotional community, was our topic of discussion. 

It would be nice to have the easy life of a roaming hermit, and not bother with ‘people’, however, our whole mission involves humans and offering them the more stress free material relieving lifestyle.  ‘People’ will always be on our agenda.  We serve and receive service from them.  Our role is to teach, mentor, coach, encourage.  The three of us had two sessions of meetings, one last evening and one this morning.  Prior to meeting, I naturally had to put in my kilometres, and also, in the planning of the day, work around our morning sadhana which begins at 4:30 AM.  After all, strength lies in sessions that are heart touching, and sadhana, when approached feelingly, opens up the chakra of the heart and prepares for dealing with people issues.

The three of us came out of our meeting room, satisfied with decisions made, knowing well that not all parties will be cent percent satisfied.  Compromise we must live with, otherwise, expect no hope. 

May the Source be with you!

7 KM

Calgary/Vancouver

Moving Up


Usually the prairie is dry, yet this morning it was moist.  Some drizzle sprayed the sky during a portion of a 9 KM hike at Calgary’s east end.  It was my time to chant until I came to the home of Gaura Chandra when it was time to chat. 

Chat I did, and also at the Radha Madhava Cultural Centre, when reuniting with our bus tour group.  I spoke about the advantages of commitment, especially in regard to vows made by young Shyama Priya.  She is only 12, but made a firm conviction for the basic tenets of Vaishnava culture.  She put her values out for the ears of our community – no intoxication, no gambling, no meat eating and no casual sex.  These are tall orders to fulfill, but she has a good trying chance given her upbringing.  It is admirable that she takes this firm stance.  She also commits to mantra meditation for approximately 2 hours every day. 

Vows, when taken seriously, give power.  Vows that are taken casually, weaken.  No vows or no commitment means ‘no life’. 

I applaud Shyama Priya.  Her new name Shyamesvari. 

May the Source always be with her!

9 KM

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 April 2009, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)

Whenever we discuss kanistha, madhyama and uttama, it starts to feel like we are beginning to measure vaisnavas with a measuring tape! As soon as you start measuring vaisnavas with a measuring tape, there is a great risk to minimize the vaisnavas because a vaisnava is so difficult to measure. No one fits into a box; everyone has done something extraordinary for Krsna! Therefore who fits into any box – kanistha, madhyama, uttama – difficult! It gets too complicated; too much measurement!

Let us just rather appreciate the service vaisnavas have done and are doing, and let us just overlook the faults even if there is some tendency, we just look at the service and we glorify the vaisnavas.

Still on the other side, we do care because we are not naively accepting just anyone as pure devotee. To accept someone as a pure devotee, on the topmost platform, is a very serious matter and cannot be done on the basis of sentiment. Therefore it is good to understand these categories (of advancement of devotees) but we are not going to hand out T-shirts: kanistha, madhyama and uttama T-shirts! That will be a little too extreme rather we are appreciating all the vaisnavas for their exalted qualities. By counting the glories of the vaisnavas, we will see many exalted vaisnavas…

 

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot com

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Rasa Rasika dasa

“One who chants Krishna's name and constantly remembers Him, even though living in this material ocean of nescience, is like the lotus, which is born in the water but is untouched by it: it's position is transcendental. This great soul is capable of liberating all the suffering residents of the hellish planets. (Varaha Purana) Read more ›

His Holiness Kavicandra Swami has appeared on a front page newspaper in Nigeria, advising Nigerians to be God conscious. He gave the advice recently in the temple when Journalists visited him to speak on the current crisis facing Nigeria. His Holiness said, unless society turned to Krishna by giving everything to Krishna, society will never be in peace. Swami noted that nothing happens independently but by proper arrangement of Krishna. Read more ›

27-06-2014 Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s 100th Dissapearance Anniversary, Helsinki, Finland.mp3

1958 July 24: "My Spiritual Master was kind enough to order me and in obedience to His order I am trying to do my bit. But I am practically struggling very hard for this job without any tangible success till I was told that you are the right person to co-operate with me in this noble task."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1947-64

1967 July 24: "I am always thinking of your separation feelings. Please do your duty nicely and Krishna will help you in all respects. It may be that as soon as I feel some strength I shall be coming back."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1969 July 24: "Your center is very nice, and the place you have got is very suitable. So organize your center very nicely. Make propaganda amongst the student community, and there is very good chance of your center being developed as one of the important centers of our society."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 July 24: "Whatever Krishna gives us, that never becomes ours. It is always Krishna's. The more we receive from Krishna, the more we engage all of it in the service of Krishna. That is the duty of a bonafide brahmana. A brahmana remains a beggar even if he receives $100,000."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 July 24: "The Handbook is very nice, although one blunder has been done on page 98. I do not think there is any possibility of rectifying now, but in future please take special care for this. There are also some discrepancies on the front cover of BTG #34."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 July 24: "I am so glad to receive your letter and it has encouraged me so much that I am now confident that my missionary activities will go on even in my absence. Please keep up the spirit of preaching work and you will be victorious wherever you go."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971