Thursday, July 3rd, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

Reflections Of


In my afternoon stroll, a break from desk work, the most prominent and endearing thoughts and words of that walk with Patrick, I thought I would share. 

·         Gratitude for the unpaved trails in the city.
·         Let’s keep in the shade as much as possible on this steamy day.
·         There are hundreds of berry trees in this city, Saskatoons and mulberries, ripe and ready, and we sample them.
·         People are darned friendly on the trail.  The green brings out the best.
·         Thoughts of gratitude for Daruka and Karuna who were with me in the just completed 4 th walk across Canada.
·         A  park bench so inviting that can lead to a 7 minute lie down while Patrick chanted some mantras.
·         I have hardly a clue what’s going on socially and politically in the world due to being away from it all – walking.  No regrets – in fact, ignorance is bliss.
·         I find myself fortunate when occupied in soft chanting.  Others on this trail don’t have this experience.
·         Upon seeing me, a runner offers pranams (palms together). This I accept on behalf of guru.  I reciprocate with his gesture on the same point.
·         Patrick’s joke:  What did the one cannibal say to the other when he showed up late for dinner?  Answer – Everyone’s eaten. 

May the Source be with you!

8 KM

Join us for Sunday Feast from 11.00am-2.00pm with a guest speaker & experience bliss
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON



Sunday Love Feast

When?
Sunday,July 6th,2014
Program starts at 11 am

Where?
6 George Street South
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 1P3, Canada
Park underground(free) @ City Hall
Phone:416-648-3312

New! Listen
Click here to listen to previous class recordings on our blog
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Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.38
iti mūrty-abhidhānena
mantra-mūrtim amūrtikam
yajate yajña-puruṣaṁ
sa samyag darśanaḥ pumān
TRANSLATION
Thus he is the actual seer who worships, in the form of transcendental sound representation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who has no material form.
Program Schedule
11.00- 11.15      Tulsi Puja                                          
11.15 - 11.30     Guru Puja                                           
11:30 –11:55     Aarti & Kirtan                                      
11.55 - 12.00    Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers                 
12.00 – 1:00     Vedic Discourse 
  1:00 –  1:30      Closing Kirtan

COMING UP AHEAD
Sayana Ekadasi
Fasting..................... on July 8th
                              Breakfast................. on July 9th b/w 5.44am-10.50am
Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.

Temple Closure Notice

Temple will be kept closed on Sun,July 13th on account of  the Festival of India-Toronto so that our congregation may attend and participate in the festivities at Centre Island.Tickets will be available for purchase at ISKCON Brampton on Sun,July 6th.If you'd like to do some service on the Centre Island,contact Bhagavat Dasa or Krsna smaran Devi Dasi for details.

Bhagavad Gita Classes(New Session)
Starting on Aug 2nd,2014
Course fees: $125.00 per Student and  $75.00 for family members of Student(Prasadam and study material included).Monies payable to Iskcon Brampton....tax receipts will be provided.
Join our new session of  Bhagavad Gita Course with His Grace Vaisnava Dasa from 8.45am-12.00pm and get certified from Bhaktivedanta College at the completion of this course towards Bhakti Sastri Degree.The course duration is approximately 10 weeks.To register please contact Vaisnava Dasa Prabhu in person or via email[vaishnavadas@icloud.com]

Kirtan Etiquette Workshop

will be conducted at ISKCON Brampton on Saturday August 16th by His Holiness Bhaktimarga Swami. This workshop is open to everyone. We encourage all of those who are engaged in kirtan seva at ISKCON Brampton -Kirtanyas, kartal players, Mrdanga players and othermusical instruments to attend this workshop. This is one of the GBC's resolutions to follow proper kirtan etiquette in all ISKCON centres. Please contact Aindra Dasa for more details.

IB's 2ND Festival of Chariots

will be held on Sat,Aug 23rd,2014.....We are pleased to announce that His Holiness Bhaktimarga Swami will be present at IB Ratha Yatra.For Festival updates,please check this out click here for updates.For more details and service opportunity contact Aindra Dasa,Nimai Nitai Dasa or Prema Gaurangi Devi Dasi.

ON GOING EVERY SUNDAY
ISKCON Brampton Yoga and Wellness

Empower your mind and strengthen your body as you move through a series of meaningful poses.Mother Rashmi Ahuja will be conducting Yoga Classes every Sunday from 10am-11am before our Sunday Feast Program at ISKCON Brampton.These classes will be focussed on promoting our physical and mental well being.(Please bring your yoga mat)
Please Register here:
Email:rashmis.yoga@facebook.com 
Facebook page:Yoga and Satvic Nutrition with Rashmi
Contacts:416.569.6373 or 905.488.7272
Nutrition Help & Diet Tips

Mother Rashmi Ahuja is offering free one to one consultations and development of Individualized Nutrition Plans on Sundays between 1:30 - 3pm. Please contact (416)569-6373 or (905)488-7272 to book an appointment.

Sunday School

To register,contact us
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com
Call:647.893.9363

The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him.
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).
 
Please note that ISKCON Brampton is a nut free environment in order to support those with allergies. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Chant and Be happy!

Tell Me Something About Krishna…
→ Seed of Devotion

Over a year ago, I received a random text message from my friend Balaram:

"Tell me something about Krishna." 

I was taken aback. How often do I get asked that kind of question?? I wanted to just write back, "Um, He's God." But I took some time to deeply reflect, and then I sent him back a meditation.

Over the past year, Balaram and I have taken turns in writing the random text message: Tell me something about Krishna. Usually Balaram will ask me, and it always catches me off guard. Sometimes we share something silly, sometimes something profound.

Some time ago, I asked Balaram to tell me something about Krishna. Several weeks later, he finally responded.


"Krishna is in the rare moments when I truly connect with a person who is also in the pursuit of simultaneously living and understanding what it means to be alive.


That's one thing I can say about Krishna."

I can't help but feel that if you, dear reader, are in the pursuit of living and understanding what it means to be alive, then Krishna is alive and present in this very moment, as you read the words off this screen. I am honored to be in your association. Thank you.

It's your turn: tell me something about Krishna. Or better yet: tell the world something about Krishna.

Subscribe

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

The time is now
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Lecture at House Program)

srila prabhupada_writingI remember a Vyasa puja offering from Bhurijana, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He joined in 1968 and then around 40 years later, Bhurijana wrote an offering to Prabhupada. In the offering he wrote, “I do not really have anything to report. I did not really do anything extraordinary this year. I did not distribute many books. The only thing I can say is that I am still here.”

I liked that offering because he made a deep point – 40 years and still here! That is something. There are many who have been around for more than 40 years and are still here. If we are still here that makes all the difference. At the end of the day, we can try to convince the world but are we ourselves convinced?

We have to be convinced; we have to really dedicate ourselves and to give everything we have. It has to come to that, we can take some time to get there, no problem. It is not that we have a burnout program where everyone has to push themselves beyond their limits, but for how long are we going to drag our feet? A few more grey hairs and still dragging our feet! How many years do we have anyway. Actually, what guarantee do we have that we are going to get old so how long can we postpone? This is not only for you – it is for me also. How long can I postpone? So many things I am postponing. How long can I postpone?

I have books I want to finish. I always find a reason why I cannot do it – too busy, too tired, health, this that, always reasons not to finish and I was thinking, “Yeah, but Srila Prabhupada just focused. He just focused.” So if we focus, it will be done. If we focus, so many things will be done. If you really focus then I think so many things become possible! So when will we focus?

Those kinds of thoughts we have and we think, ‘Yeah, but I also want some happiness in this world.’ All right, have some happiness in this world but understand that it is going to be ‘some’. Have a piece of cake with lots of cream, and it is tasty, but then afterwards you have to deal with the thing, you know. Once you have swallowed it, the fun of it is over. Once it has passed the tongue then the fun of the cake is over. It blows up in the stomach like a sponge, ‘That was a heavy cake!’ Oh God, how many heavy cakes is it going to take? How much enjoyment? Have some but it is over in a snap.

‘I want some love.’ Okay have some love in the world. Love, love, love and then it gets down to business. It is not only love but it is also bills, it is also duty, it is also responsibility! There is also maintenance and taking care, and when you do not want to then it is not so romantic at all. Fine have all these things but when are we going to focus on Krsna and on going back to Godhead, and making that a priority? That is the question?

 

July 3rd 2014 Krishna Lounge Kirtan & Talk
→ Krishna Lounge

oldman-kltalk
 
Kirtan lead by Vrndavana dasa:


 
Kirtan lead by Giriraj Gopal dasa:

 
Talk by Giriraj Gopal dasa:


 

Ratha Yatra festival on 29th June 2014 at ISKCON Salem, Tamil Nadu (Album 29 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Located two hundred kilometers southeast of Bangalore, Salem is home to a very enthusiastic group of ISKCON devotees, mostly young brahmacharis, who have recently relocated to a new property, a three-acre plot of land, just a half kilometer from Periyaar University and the Government Engineering college (which is part of the reason they purchased land in this area). Read more ›

Writing about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu
Giriraj Swami

SP GS Juhu BeachAfter the conveyance of the Juhu land—Hare Krishna Land—was finally signed in 1973, Srila Prabhupada declared, “It was a good fight. Someone should write a book about it.”

Srila Prabhupada had already given me the direct instruction to write, and I thought that I would be the person to write that book.

In fact, I am the only devotee who was intimately involved in the project from the time Srila Prabhupada got possession of the land in 1972 to the time the temple opened in 1978.

Over the years, and especially recently, well-wishing friends, including Indradyumna Swami, Radhanath Swami, Rtadhvaja Swami, and Sacinandana Swami, have urged me to take up writing about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu as my first priority, and now, by Srila Prabhupada and the devotees’ grace, I have begun.

I request you to bless me with your prayers and good wishes, that I may complete this work as Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari, the presiding Deities at Hare Krishna Land, would want, for their pleasure and for the pleasure of their devotees.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Giriraj Swami

Standing the test of time
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Lecture at House Program)

KKS_kirtan partyThe weight of time is the biggest weight of all. Over time to maintain the standards of purity requires a very great effort; in fact, it requires more and more effort. In the material world, in the beginning things are difficult and then you become more and more expert. But in spiritual life, we realize over time that more and more we depend on Krsna and on his mercy… that we have to make endeavors for it and that we have to go deeper into our remembrance, into our meditation. 

We can no longer just mechanically chant. We can no longer mechanically go through our rituals. No, we need to actually reach out to Krsna… We need to actually reach out to our spiritual master and deepen our relationship. Somehow or other, in spiritual life a greater and greater commitment is required over time to maintain our standards of purity. It just drives us forward, forward on the transcendental path.

 

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
 
When a Blessing Works
 
 
It was considerate of Mathieu and Krishna Dulal to drive me back to home base from Ottawa.  My most and least favourite modes of transportation, namely walking and bussing, were not the preferred options.  Off to Highway 7 (in Ontario) we went by conventional car.  Bless those two guys.  I’m home, I think.  Sometimes I’m convinced the road is my home. 
 
I did fortuitously meet some great folks that asked for blessings today.  I meant to say it was not my intent to meet these people who asked for some benedictions.  Some hours after Matheiu and K. Dulal dropped me off, I dashed for the first opportunity to move my legs.  I went south on Yonge Street.  I was softly chanting on my beads.  While exposing those beads I passed by a pub and a trio of people sat at sipping beer.  There was no window to bar me from communicating with them as it was an open concept pub.  When the woman said, “Oh, a rosary,” this was an opportunity.  I stopped at the remark and backtracked about three steps to address it. 
 
“Actually, these are what’s actually called japa mala.”
 
“That’s interesting,” she said. 
 
“Yes, Hindu and Buddhist followers use these with 108 beads on each strand.  If you’re Catholic, it’s a rosary with 54 beads.”
 
“You pray something different on each bead?” the woman persisted with curiosity.
 
“Basically, you stick to one mantra which you repeat for each bead.”
 
One of the men said, “Well, God bless you.” 
 
The woman said, “Can you bless us?”
 
I bore my right hand facing them, as is done in a Vedic blessing, “God bless you.”  They nodded.  I went about my way. 
 
For that, I believe I got blessed.  Not but three minutes later, I heard a voice behind me calling my name.  I knew the voice.  It came from Haridas, my spirit or godbrother.  From here on, we continued the trek on Yonge, chatting and chanting.  Meeting him was a good omen.  I believe to have received a blessing from the threesome. 
 
May the Source be with you. 
 
6 KM