Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds…
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, April 2010, Radhadesh, Belgium, Lecture)

kks airportTime gradually forces us to rely on Krsna! We can no longer rely on our reflexes; we can no longer rely on our wit as our memory is fading day-by-day. An old man with a T-shirt, I met him in Johannesburg airport some years ago, and it said, “Done it all! Seen it all! Heard it all! But can’t remember it all!” Yes, a great T-shirt!

He said, “You like it? I designed it myself.” Which made it even more authentic, you know. So in this way, old age is certainly a factor in the life of a vaisnava but it works favourably! Whereas for the materialists, it is just limiting him further and further, and diminishing all his means to happiness! But for the devotee, it brings him to the one pointed root of just relying on Krsna, taking shelter of Krsna and realising that it is Krsna who provides!

 

 

 

Initiation Ceremony, July 13, New Dvaraka, Los Angeles
Giriraj Swami

07.13.14s_LARtadhvaja Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, Giriraj Swami, and other devotees and guests were present at this ceremony, in which Giriraj Swami awarded second initiation to Krishna Kirtan Das, from Ventura, and first initiation to Brent Pyeatt, from Bellingham, WA, who received the name Balabhadra Das, and to Nick Pritchard, from LA, who received the name Narottam Das.

“Srila Prabhupada had a press conference during the pandal program in Calcutta. A lot of the reporters were in that atheist-communist mood. One of the reporters asked, ‘What is the use of spending all this money on this big elaborate arrangement? What are you going to achieve by this?’ The implication was that we could have used the money to feed poor people or do some charitable work. Srila Prabhupada replied, ‘What will it achieve? It will achieve hearing. This whole elaborate arrangement that you are seeing has come from hearing. Some young men and women heard from me, and because they heard they have been inspired to make this arrangement.’ And that is a fact—everything begins from hearing. And then, as Srila Prabhupada would say, following his Guru Maharaja, ‘One who hears nicely can speak nicely.’ So, we are not manufacturing anything new, we are simply repeating what we have heard from Srila Prabhupada and our predecessors.”

—Giriraj Swami

Rtadhvaja Swami
Jaidvaita Swami
Giriraj Swami

Srila Prabhupada’s Victory
Giriraj Swami

Prabhupada-on-Juhu-TerraceHere is another inspiring exchange with Srila Prabhupada about Hare Krishna Land, Juhu. —GS

Tamala Krsna: You always came out victorious—always. I have never seen you defeated. In Bombay it was absolutely impossible. It seemed to be impossible.

Prabhupada: Nobody encouraged—not a single man. Who could see that such a big project would come up?

Tamala Krsna: Only you could see that—you and Radha-Rasabihari. I was . . .

Prabhupada: Still, I was determined: “No, this place is very nice.”

Tamala Krsna: They should write a book about that.

Prabhupada: Yes, it is worth writing, history.

(Room Conversation, June 18, 1977, Vrindavan)

 

Summer Harvest from the New Vrindaban Gardens
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

 

New Vrindaban Garden of Seven Gates

Early July morning picking.

 

The last few weeks have been VERY busy in the gardens. We have had many new volunteers.  A family from Maryland came to work and camp in the garden.  Currently we have two volunteers from WWOOF (world wide opportunities on organic farms) that have been helping with our abundant harvest of green beans.  The Roots & Shoots 4-H Cloverbud Club came and spent a day touring the gardens and picking flowers.  The kids had a wonderful time and learned all about farming and flowers.

New Vrindaban Garden tour

Ohio County 4-H club Cloverbuds in the garden

The first week of July we planted four varieties of squash.  This is the last big planting until fall.  Our sweet potatoes are looking great and the vines are filling in all the spaces in their beds. Twice a week we harvest herbs and greens for the temple (lettuce, kale, swiss chard, and arugula).  This week brought us our first full sized red tomatoes and bitter melons. Our current pick list also includes red raspberries, peppers, beets, basil, oregano, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, dill, and tons of green beans.  Two of our local contract growers have been also making weekly deliveries or carrots and cilantro.

New Vrindaban Garden Beans

Just a few of the green beans we have been picking this week.

Both the Teaching Garden and the Garden of Seven Gates are bursting with beautiful flowers.  The temple staff has been picking hundreds of marigolds for garlands and a variety of flowers for vases. As we move further into the summer harvest we hope to have more volunteers to continue to provide the community with a bounty of vegetables and flowers.

New Vrindaban Garden Flowers

Fresh cut flowers for the temple and palace.

The Calf’s Share
→ Dandavats.com

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.18.52 Purport: “If one is trained to honor and worship the cows and brahmanas, he is actually civilized. The worship of the Supreme Lord is recommended, and the Lord is very fond of the cows and brahmanas (namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca). In other words, a civilization in which there is no respect for the cows and brahmanas is condemned. One cannot become spiritually advanced without acquiring the brahminical qualifications and giving protection to cows. Read more ›

Thursday, July 10th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Owen Sound, Ontario
 
More Of It! 
 
 
The passengers aboard the Krishna Culture Bus Tour very informally gauge the best meal on the trip so far.  ISKCON's Montreal centre number one for the best lunch but it is Owen Sound's Rajesh and Alpa's home that took the official top score for breakfast.  It featured pancakes with nothing other than Canadian maple syrup, fruit, veggies and your standard American boxed cereals.  I wasn't there when sponsored bricks of ice cream came their way at the night-time snack indulgence before going to sleep.  What do you suspect for a bunch of young teens?
 
For soul nurturing I spoke from Canto 7 of the book Bhagavatam emphasizing the power of smaranam or recalling positive spiritual thoughts.  Spiritual practices and messages folded with physical exhilaration was our usual full day program.  While our boys took advantage of favourable water at Souble Beach, Dattatreya and I went for a beach walk to the end and back.  The newly-wed and I, the monk, had our opportunity to know each other simply through conversation.  Through that process we had come to the conclusion that our mutual upbringing was sattvic, in a mode of goodness, for goodness sake.
 
My day wound-down when Tulasi from the rock band, Rajasi, engaged me in an upcoming music video, shooting from a camera, some walking along the Bruce Trail.  It was at that magic hour when the sun comes to our level, close to the horizon or the earth's service.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
10 KM

Wednesday, July 9th, 2014
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Owen Sound, Ontario
 
Fun!
 
 
Today's temperature escalated only to 17 degrees Celsius, not too impressive as beach weather, although it was sunny.  The boys are really anticipating the glory of Sauble Beach.  We all settled for an hour trek from Inglis Falls to Harrison Falls via a decent trail along a clean babbling brook, what is more accurately the Sydenham River.  Intermittently, skipping stones on and submergence in that water took care of the boys frivolity, including a lie-down in a rock formation, a natural jacuzzi where more than a trickle of water cascades on three sides of the body.  A game of soccer was preceded by the splash and the trek.
 
I think its an achievement to get young boys or men in general, away from gadgets.  This youth's program, in essence, is to provide a natural and spiritual experience.
 
Coordinator Manoram, who is slowly passing the succession baton onto others, especially an Afro-American by the Sanskrit name of Dattatreya, has been conducting the last two classes in the morning.  They are lessons from Prahlad, a young Vedic saint, and they encompass an ultimate dependency on the Supreme.  The guys are responding well to the message.
 
Afternoon, or at least a chunk of it, is time to engage this youth in our drama, 'Little Big Ramayana' which has multiple physical movements in it.  Ultimately the story-line underscores the message of peace, loyalty, and devotion.
 
By evening time, families from the neighbourhood and even a computer engineer, Nageswar, from Andra Pradesh in India, came by for chanting and a feast.  Though in a short-term assignment in Canada, Nageswar took the time to be with us.  I'm sure he was fascinated by seeing mostly western kids approach the mantras of ancient India with an enthusiasm that even mundane gadgets can't excite.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
10 KM

Tuesday, July 8th, 2014
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Owen Sound, Ontario
 
Boys from Men
 
I walked to the old Mudtown pottery building wherein lives one of my support persons from CanWalk 3.  Garuda Vahan is residing in this unique place overlooking Georgian Bay.  He is a happy pensioner but keeps very active physically and spiritually.  It was at this location that I was to meet up with the Krishna Culture Bus Tour occupied by twenty plus young men, aged 12 -18.  Within minutes that I arrived at Mudtown, the bus pulled up.
 
As is custom in our Vaishnava tradition, you shower or take bath in the morning before you move on with affairs of the day.  While there are showers in the bus, I suppose to be both creative and hurry things along, the program's coordinator, Manoram, proposed that the boys dip into the clean and refreshing waters of Georgian Bay.  "This will separate the boys from the men," he challenged.  While the world is immersed in Soccer mania (no exception for these guys) the real hands-on sport for this morning was 'who can stay in the cool waters the longest'.
 
The swim was the highlight of the day.  While walking was brief for me, the leaping up and down from the director's chair was more time consuming.
 
Frankly speaking some of the boys showed some 'apprehension' to act.  Much like the will to brave the cool waters of the Bay, but by the time our second session of practice rolled on, for the Ramayan, all the cast had become loosened up.  The pastimes of Ram are endearing to all of them.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
4 KM

Monday, July 7th, 2014
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Toronto, Ontario
 
From Big to Little City
 
The annual visit from the group Encounter happened today.  Putting into practice their purpose, as the name implies, the organization arranges to connect with others, particularly faith groups of different kinds.  'Learning,' I imagine is a key word.
 
The questions from the group of 50 flowed like one of those many gushing streams of water I had just seen in BC during my cross-country walk.  In fact the group was very curious about the pilgrimages I've taken, as they were curious about the lady on the altar with the fluffy white thing she was moving about.  That 'thing' is called a chamara and it is used as part of our ritual.  A chamara is a Yak tail with a fancy handle.  They were also keen to know about the Beatle's involvement in Eastern mysticism, Krishna Consciousness, and in our founder, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.  The group sang from the heart in our chanting session, then relished the veg feast which the devotees had prepared.  What a great group of inquisitiveness they are.
 
Part two of my day was spent in Owen Sound, a very relaxed and smart-looking little city where I'll spend 3 days rehearsing with young guys aged 12 to 18 for a road show that travels across Canada.
Rajesh and Alpa, my hosts, are always enthusiastic about Krishna Conscious activities.  We trekked the downtown as we chanted on our beads.  Rajesh's unrealistic but eager remark was, "Maharaj, you just stay in our town forever."  My thought was, "I'd like to but I'm a swami and swamis are nomadic.  They just keep rockin' and rolling"
  
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Sunday, July 6th, 2014
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Montreal, Quebec
 
Shades in Montreal 
 
 
Curvy stairs, cigarette butts, gray cats, plantain greens, well-worn sidewalks, and trees of optimum shades, with three and four-storied European-touch residences are what we saw in our brief trek of Montreal's East Side.  Early-bird devotees and I walked and warmed up to the actual big event of the weekend in our community, the Chariot Festival.
 
Surely we do not rival in numbers to the attendance of the city's Jazz Festival, the largest in the world.  But with our most modest figures we do end up with a happy bunch of hundreds of people at least.  That number starts to swell at Jeanne Mance Park for the free food - vegetarian fare of course, and which is blessed by brahmins (priests).
 
Clouds were burned and blown by sun and wind.  The sun-god Surya wanted to be present, so it seemed, when our happy bunch in colourful exotic clothes came singing up a storm of mantras on Saint Laurent Street.  After the procession I put on my drama cap to stage the play Little Big Ramayan.  That performance, executed proudly in French, just happened to be the biggest draw of the whole day.
 
A big part of my personal portfolio is drama.  Some people may wonder if there is some compatibility between marathon walking and theatre.  When I walk I meet people.  I observe their personality, hear them speak and hence I learn so much about an individual's nature.  This is the best teaching tool.  You go out, you meet people, and you observe all the various shades, colours, and moods.  It is very entertaining and it is interesting to see how the Supreme has wired everyone in a unique way.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
6 KM

Saturday, July 5th, 2014
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Montreal, Quebec
 
Streets and Parks
 
 
I'm not sure that 'craving' is the right word to describe what my two walking companions are feeling.  After a full day at Jeanne Mance Park at the base of Mount Royal between mingling with people and manning the book table at Festival of India, Karuna and Hayagriva, two young monks, asked me if the three of us could trek back.  At least it's desire.
 
It was the most perfect day, weather-wise; we had sun, a breeze and in the mid-twenties celsius temperature.  Couldn't be better!
 
'Trekking back' meant instead of catching a ride, as none of us have a vehicle although equipped with driving skills, we decided to make it to the ashram on Pie IX Blvd to catch our night's rest.  Are my two companions hooked on walking?  In the case of Hayagriva who told me, "I try to walk for two hours a day."  Karuna, well he said much the same.  I'm glad I'm of some mini influence in their lives.
Our trek back routed us through pedestrian-warm streets and through parks.  I notice wherever I go more people are turning 'Vedic.'  They see us and say, "Namaste!" or "Hare Krishna!" or when we took to the sidewalk in Parc du Fontaine where older folks were at play with a game, 'Petangue,' some younger guys actually sang our song.  At least you see eyebrows raise when three saffron clad blokes pass by coming from shirtless men and tight-attired women culture.  One fellow who identified himself as 'Bhisma' was a former Krishna practitioner addressed us.  He was open about his cigar smoking.  "No need to be apologetic," I said.  We're not going to judge just by some deviation.
Yes, Saturday evenings, in the adjoining downtown of Montreal is the place to be for almost anyone and especially for a group of three us monks.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
8 KM

Friday, July 4th, 2014
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Toronto, Ontario
 
Community
 
 
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.  I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live."
 
The above quote is from George Bernard Shaw.  I copied this quote affixed to a pedestrian bridge on my walking trail across the country.  For many who read this, it should resonate well.  How can we live without community?
 
The community efforts for me this very day entails a trip to Montreal where our drama team members from Toronto will embark on the journey of entertaining the crowds at the annual Chariot Festival.
 
If walking can be a spiritual venture because of the divine intent behind it then anything you do, even theatre can be spiritually experiential when the objective is divine.  Any endeavour, provided it has a divine connection, can serve to liberate the participant by dint of devotion.  As humans we have either the obligation or the opportunity, whichever way you wish to approach it, to make the connection.  Think in terms of raising the consciousness.  Start with this intent or desire and best is to work with others, as in community, and be successful.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
3 KM

Hare Krishnas on Nickelodeon (A TV show named Take Me To Your Mother film how Hare Krishnas celebrate birthday parties)
→ Dandavats.com

Hari Bol. My name is Bal Gopal das. My wife Lalita Sundari and I are residents of New Dvaraka Dham. Last February my daughter Gauri had her 7th birthday. A television show named Take Me To Your Mother came to film how Hare Krishnas celebrate birthday parties. Last night the episode on television. It is on NickMoms or Nickelodeon which is a very famous channel in America. I thought this is newsworthy for the devotees. Below is the link to the show which you can watch online Read more ›

ISKCON Devotees Flee War Affected Eastern Ukraine
→ ISKCON News

Over the past weeks, the international media has been reporting about an escalating political situation in Ukraine, which is now close to a civil war. The government has launched a massive military offensive on the insurgent-controlled parts of Eastern Ukraine, using heavy weaponry, aviation, and troops to subdue their resistance. Many ISKCON centers and hundreds of devotees are also seriously affected by the conflict.

Advisory Notice from the Executive Committee of the Governing Body Commission
→ ISKCON Malaysia

BY THE GBC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dear Friends and Members of ISKCON,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

The tragic news of the deaths of several devotee pilgrims from Russia last month who died when their bus drove off the road and into the Bhagirathi River in the mountainous Himalayan region in India has brought us great sadness.

We send our prayers and support to their families. We pray that those who lost their lives and those that were injured will be given full spiritual protection by the Lord.

Reflecting upon this recent accident, we also remember the terrible plane crash that took the lives of six devotees from the Chowpatty community in Mumbai who were flying to the Himalayas. Both events remind us how dangerous this world is and how we must strive to protect our fellow Vaishnavas from harm.

Years ago, Srila Prabhupada had sober words to share after the death of a devotee who drowned diving and swimming in the dangerous headwaters of the Ganga. Prabhupada instructed that we should remember how fortunate we are to have taken up Krishna Consciousness, and that “we should not take unnecessary risks.”

This order also applies when traveling to visit holy places. While driving is dangerous everywhere in the world, it is especially so in India where more than 100,000 people each year die in automobile accidents.

Some of the isolated Himalayan holy places where ISKCON devotees occasionally visit are particularly dangerous. These include Badrinath, Kedarnath, Muktinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The roads to these places go for many miles over treacherous curves just inches away from steep, deep gorges. Landslides are common, the roads are poorly maintained, and are often without any guardrails. In addition, drivers are often poorly trained and poorly supervised.

Thus, the Executive Committee of the Governing Body Commission, concerned with the safety of our fellow Vaishnavas, announce the following Advisory Notice. We request that local temple communities post this notice where appropriate and share it through your local websites and newsletters.

Advisory Notice

Devotees and friends of ISKCON are advised to take extra precaution in planning visits to holy places in India, taking all possible steps to ensure the safety of themselves, their families, and their traveling companions.

We particularly advise pilgrims to take caution when visiting isolated holy places in the mountainous regions in India including Badrinath, Kedarnath, Muktinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. This is especially true for new members and visitors to India, and for devotees organizing tours for others.

Anyone who chooses to visit these places should do so only after fully deliberating upon the risks involved.

India is full of spiritual havens connected with the pastimes of Lord Krishna, Lord Caitanya, and the Lord’s many avatars and devotees. Visits to most of these tirthas are relatively safe; some are less so.

Thus, remembering Srila Prabhupada’s loving words “to not take unnecessary risks,” we strongly advise that ISKCON members apply extra care and caution while visiting any of these holy places, and we pray always for your safety.

GBC Executive Committee July 15, 2014

Anuttama das, Chairman
Praghosa das
Sesa das

Harinama in Roosevelt Avenue / 74th Street (New York City Subway) (Album 17 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

“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 ›

Shankara and Hema’s Wedding in Iskcon San Diego, USA (Album 83 photos)
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"Marriage is for producing nice children, Krsna (God) conscious children. Because at the present moment the population is not being produced very nicely, therefore there is disturbance of peace all over the world. But if there are Krsna (God) conscious children, they'll grow up and they will possess all good qualities. So peace automatically will come if people become Krsna (God) conscious because they become highly qualified, without committing any sinful activities. If such population is there in the world, there is no question of disturbance." (Marriage Lecture 4-2-72) Read more ›

Tough Town
→ travelingmonk.com

Mielno has a reputation of being a tough town especially during the summer when thousands of young men and women come to drink and party in the many bars and discos around town. But for 3 days this week our harinama party and festivals flooded Mielno with the nectar of the holy names. Both the [...]