Auspicious wedding of Geet Govind and Lailta devi at Vrnda Kund (Album 35 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Vivaha-yajna, the marriage ceremony, is meant to regulate the human mind so that it may become peaceful for spiritual advancement. For most men, this vivaha-yajna should be encouraged even by persons in the renounced order of life. Sannyasis should never associate with women, but that does not mean that one who is in the lower stages of life, a young man, should not accept a wife in the marriage ceremony. All prescribed sacrifices are meant for achieving the Supreme Lord. Therefore, in the lower stages, they should not be given up. Similarly, charity is for the purification of the heart. If charity is given to suitable persons, as described previously, it leads one to advanced spiritual life. Bhagavad-gita As It Is 18.5 Read more ›

Nursery Update
- TOVP.org

The trees in the nursery are green and lush. With over 2000 planted, they are inventory for the vast landscaping that will be done on the TOVP grounds and surrounding areas.

Several different species will be used to frame the striking building. Once finished, the TOVP will resemble a grand palace set in princely topography.

The post Nursery Update appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The devotees with their friends perform the Holi Festival in Italy’s Villa Vrindavana (Album 86 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Holi is a spring festival also known as the festival of colours or the festival of love. is a free-for-all carnival of colours,[5] where participants play, chase and colour each other with dry powder and coloured water, with some carrying water guns and coloured water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. The frolic and fight with colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and musical instruments, go from place to place, chant Hare Krishna and dance. Read more ›

Harinama in Moscow, Russia (Album 66 photos)
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‘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 ›

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes – 06/15/14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

ECO-Vrindaban New Vrindaban 2014

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes – 06/15/14.

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes a simple, sustainable lifestyle centered on the care and protection of cows, local food production and the loving service of Lord Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Members of the ECOV Board of Directors: Chaitanya Mangala, Madhava Gosh, Krpamaya, Navin Shyam, Anuttama and Ranaka.

Advisors present: Jaya Krsna

1. ECOV Documentary 

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to support a film student who has been filming the New Vrindaban community.

RESOLVED: The Board authorizes $600 for a camera for Sabrina Jones with the condition that she does some filming of the garden and allows ECOV to keep the raw footage.

2. Rammed Earth Housing Request

A devotee family mentioned they are thinking of moving to New Vrindaban and expressed an interest in building a rammed-earth house to live in.

The ECOV board requires a formal proposal from the devotees interested in building the house in order to make a more informed response. Krpamaya will contact him regarding this.

3. Follow up on Radha Krsna Dasi from Montreal

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to engage Radha Krsna Dasi as a participant in its activities.

RESOLVED: The Board invites her as a guest to the next Joint Board Meeting.

4. ECOV President/General Manager

A committee has formed to recruit an ECOV President/General Manager. This committee consists of Navin Shyam, Chaitanya Mangala, Jaya Krsna and Ranaka.

5. INV/ECOV Dairy Processing

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to continue to support the ongoing local dairy production efforts in New Vrindaban.

RESOLVED: The Board agrees to adopt the dairy processing project and incorporate related expenses into the ECOV operations budget.

6. Ox Program Grant

INV has located and is using a teamster, Daivata dasa, who will be funded by a previously approved ECOV allocation.

Daivata dasa, the husband of Visvadhika dasi (homeopathist from Canada), is an accomplished North American teamster. He has experience with oxen and heavy equipment and was previously a long time New Vrindaban resident. He will be managing his time between working with the oxen and assisting Varsana Swami with heavy equipment.

7. INV Temple and Lodge Foundation Garden Beds

WHEREAS:  The ECOV Board wishes to make the areas most visible to guests visiting the Temple more attractive.

RESOLVED: To complete the ongoing garden bed project, the Board authorizes an increase in the funding of the foundation garden beds project by $6,000.

A Revealing Conversation
Giriraj Swami

Srila Prabhupada on Juhu TerraceWhile gathering and reviewing information for writing about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu, I came across an interesting conversation with him that I thought to share with you. —GS

Hrdayananda: Your Bombay project is very impressive. We’ve just taken a tour.

Prabhupada: Therefore I persistently took that place. Nobody encouraged me, “He is all . . .” Nobody helped me. I hesitated a little, that “If I am persistent to take it, they will not cooperate. It may be a failure.” Still, I took it. And only fifty thousand and one lakh of rupees I gave this thief Nair: “All right, take it. Come on. Whatever I have got, you take it.” Still he thought, “Oh. I’ll get money.”

Tamala Krsna: He had already played the trick with one man.

Prabhupada: Still, I took the risk, that “I have no money. If he cheats me, that’s all right, but let me attempt.”

Tamala Krsna: Then you installed the Deity as soon as possible.

Prabhupada: Yes. Immediately Akash Ganga left. All Krsna’s desire.

Tamala Krsna: Everyone is appreciating how wonderful this project is—all of Bombay.

Prabhupada: So many obstacles, one after another, one after another, one after another.

Tamala Krsna: Krsna would not leave.

Prabhupada: No. That was my request: “Please sit down here tight. Then I shall do everything.”

Pancadravida: Practically, Giriraja has not left either.

Prabhupada: Yes. He has not trembled in any circumstance. That is his qualification. That nasty, hot [place], and mosquitoes. You also lived there. No gentleman can live.

Pancadravida: I lived there also, Srila Prabhupada. So many rats.

Prabhupada: Rats, mosquitoes, and so much inconvenience. [You] had no place. Sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes there.

Tamala Krsna: You were also so inconvenienced. You had to move. One time you were living in that . . .

Prabhupada: But you . . . For me you make good arrangement wherever I live, that’s all. But I know how you were living in that nasty hut, full of dirty things, mosquitoes, rats, dripping of water. And Nair is attacking, municipality is attacking.

Tamala Krsna: You always said that we were so trained that we would even live on the roadside.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. That you are trained. [laughs] You don’t care for this palace or underneath a tree.

Tamala Krsna: Formerly we were living like that as hippies, and now we live like that to serve you.

(Room Conversation, March 22, 1977, Bombay)

An Auspicious Beginning
→ travelingmonk.com

This summer we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our Festival of India tour along the Baltic Sea coast in Poland. It began auspiciously yesterday with our first program in Kolobrzeg. As always, thousands of people came and were introduced to Krsna consciousness in a most attractive way. The festivals continue every day through the [...]

Why Not More?
→ Japa Group

"Your mind is not fixed up. Therefore it is minimum sixteen rounds. Not that "Because minimum sixteen, I cannot chant more." Why not more? You can chant more, more."

Srila Prabhupada - Questions and Answers
Chicago, July 4 1974

Ideal worship, not idol worship
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 June 2014, Bhaktivedanta Manor, London, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-Lila 8.63-66)

DSC09707When Krsna left Vrindavan and entered the wrestling arena in Mathura, which was all staged by Kamsa, it is described that different people in the audience were perceiving Krsna in different ways. Some were seeing Krsna as paramatma; the ladies in Mathura were very attracted to Krsna and saw him as cupid personified but it was also said that there were some people in the audience who saw him just like stone because when one’s heart is made of stone then one thinks that the deity is made of stone.

The Caitanya Caritamrta describes how Lord Caitanya left West Bengal and went to Jagannath Puri. It is described that when he went to Jagannath Puri, on the way he stopped in a few places – one place was Remuna and another place was just outside of Puri, at the temple of Saksi-gopal. Then we get to hear both those stories – the story of Ksira-cora-gopinath in Remuna and the story of Saksi-gopal.

In the story of Ksira-cora-gopinath, Lord Caitanya remembered how previously Madhavendra Puri was there and how Madhavendra Puri had heard about the sweet rice which they offer in Remuna to the deity of Gopinath; it is known as amrta-keli – a play of nectar. It was very famous. So when he saw this offering that was going on, he developed a desire to offer a similar preparation to his own deity, and therefore he desired to know the taste. Then he was thinking, “I am such a sinful wretch. I am desiring to taste things when the offering is not even completed!” He left that place seeing himself as an offender but later that night, the pujari had a dream.

gopinath_remunaIn his dream, the pujari saw the deity of Gopinath who told him that he had reserved a pot of sweet rice for his devotee Madhavendra Puri and the deity ordered the pujari to make arrangements to deliver that sweet rice. So, the pujari immediately got up, first took his bath and then went onto the altar to take that sweet rice and deliver it to Madhavendra Puri although he had no idea who Madhavendra Puri was or where he was! But he just took the sweet rice and went calling out loud, “Is there some called Madhavendra Puri? The Lord has kept some sweet rice for you… Oh, Madhavendra Puri!” Eventually, Madhavendra Puri identified himself and got that sweet rice.

The other story of Saksi-gopal, is of two brahmanas is Vrindavan. One is elderly and wealthy and the younger other one was quite poor. The younger one served the elder one very nicely and as a result, the elder one was so pleased that he said, “You should marry my daughter.” The younger brahmana said, “Sir, you are an aristocratic brahmana and I am just a simple person. I am not a suitable match! Your family will not approve.” The elderly brahmana replied, “No, you must marry my daughter! I am the boss in my house.” But when they returned home, it wasn’t quite so. The family was very upset and threw a major tantrum. His wife was saying that she would commit suicide and the rest of the family said that they will take poison and kill themselves! Finally the elder brahmana asked, “What do I do? I made a promise!” His eldest son said, “Just say that you don’t remember…”

gopalSo the situation came when the young brahmana asked for the promised to be fulfilled and the elder brahmana said, “I cannot remember!” As is customary in India, when there is some disagreement, then a crowd of people get involved and they pass judgment. So the whole village was called and they heard the story from both sides and they were in doubt.

The young brahmana said, “I have a witness. The deity is my witness!” and he went to Vrindavan and he brought that deity. He went before the deity and said, “Gopal, you have to come as a witness.” Gopal said, “I am a deity. How can I walk?” The young brahmana said, “If you can talk, you can walk!” So subsequently, the deity walked across India and came to the village to testify and then everyone believed the younger brahmana.

Both the stories are interesting because they show that the deity is Krsna. In both stories, the deity becomes active and does things. In this way, there is no doubt… it takes it beyond doubt, “Is he really God?” The stories prove that the deity is really the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

There Is No Secret
→ Japa Group

“There is no ‘secret’ to japa; it is a struggle. There is no easy shortcut. The secret is to surrender to the struggle. The secret is to be afraid of death and take it as very urgent that you must chant Hare Krishna."

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami