Planet ISKCON

Report by Harivilasa das*

In Sweden, the 20^th of June was a big day, as the country celebrated Midsummers Eve. For Maharaj, it was also a special day, as he took a break from writing and dedicated the day to devotee association. First on the agenda was a disciple meeting. About eight disciples gathered at the home of Ananta Prabhu in Stockholm, where they spent a few hours with Maharaj just speaking informally and doing a little kirtan. It was a very personal gathering, without the cameras and recorders of more official programs. After a light lunch, everyone headed off toward New Brahmakund, an apartment building where only devotees reside. Many devotees assembled in the basement temple for a pumping kirtan and a wonderful class on the importance of sharing Krsna consciousness, especially if our own sadhana ever gets dry.

Maharaj’s sojourn in Sweden also came to an unexpected end on Saturday (21 June), when Maharaj left for England to attend to some urgent issues. He will be in England until Thursday 26 June, when he will depart for Amsterdam.

*Harivilasa is editing Maharaj’s first draft of the book before it is sent to the reference group for reading and then for final editing

 

Photos

Please click here to view photos taken by Uffe and Raya.

Audio

KKS_Stockholm_20 June 2014_Bhajan_Maha manta

KKS_Stockholm_20 June 2014_Lecture_CC Madhya 22.75

 

 

 

Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the paramparä system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self? SB 10.1.4 Read more ›

Answering an anonymous devotee on whether householders can agree not to have children or to adopt children and other similar questions.

The post Why I may have erased your questions of 2012/13 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

One of the essential steps in the bhakti process is acceptance of the shelter of a guru, who helps connect one with Krishna, as well as assisting in progressively fully restoring one's relationship with Him.

 It was part of a document published on June 9th that stated that "creationism is rejected by most mainstream churches and religious traditions, including the major providers of state funded schools."

The first in the new “Kitchen Religion Series” of cookbooks, Rice: 65 Recipes From Around the World doesn’t just offer an astonishing amount of sumptuous ways to prepare that simplest of staple foods. It’s also the first ever ISKCON cookbook to focus on how to cook in large quantities, an extremely valuable resource for its target audience of ISKCON devotees.

With Urmila mataji. Read more ›

Parasuram das: "To chant the Holy Name and dance in ecstasy is so easy and sublime that one can achieve all benefits of spiritual life simply by following this process." Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.11 Every Saturday night we pass a restaurant near Leicester Square, and we call to the waiters to come out, enjoy the movie. Read more ›

The Psychology3000 Festival held in Russia this year was a full success! The devotees found the way to introduce Krishna consciousness in a clever way! Read more ›

HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami SB 2.9.23

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 06/26/14.

Each week we highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

This week’s challenge: Can you identify the cart driver and two horses in this photo?

Extra credit: What year and where do you think it was taken?

What to do: Post your guesses on the “who, what, when, where & why” in the comment section at the New Vrindaban Facebook Page.

Technical stuff: We share a photo Thursday and confirm known details Sunday. Let’s keep it light and have a bit of fun!

Special request: If you have a photo showing New Vrindaban devotees in action, share it with us and we’ll use it in a future posting.

Listen audio...

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

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"If we chant the holy name, Krishna takes that as giving love even though our hearts are hard and devoid of feeling. Krishna regards any little effort favorably."

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 May 2014, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 8.31)

Sometimes, we have seen that people have discussed the svarupa of Srila Prabhupada, of what it might be, and some have suggested that it might be sakhya-rasa (friendship with Krsna), and even some publications have made points about it. Whatever that may be – I am not going to enter into debate on this – but sometimes it is stated as a part of evidence that Srila Prabhupada placed Krsna-Balaram as the principal deities on the altar in Vrindavan. However, if we study the Caitanya Caritamrta and read in the purports about Krsna and Balaram being installed in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada says that he particularly has installed Krsna and Balaram because they are not different from Gaura-Nitai. In this purport, Srila Prabhupada says the same thing; he basically repeats Narottam das Thakur: nitāi-pada bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi – without the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda one cannot attain Radha and Krsna.

So we go through Krsna and Balaram, through Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, and then Vrindavan may be revealed to us.

Otherwise, what is the point!? See, what happens is that we will enter into the pastimes of Radha and Krsna and will find them very inspiring! There are very beautiful descriptions of wonderful stories – Krsna drawing dolphins on the breasts of the gopis – wow, dolphins! It is kind of intriguing to the mind but at the same time, when a liberated soul, when one who has love for Krsna hears such narrations then it is sufficient to satisfy the heart. But when one does not have that love of God, then such descriptions may be very intriguing, nice, exciting, and we want to hear more to satisfy curiosity. But it will not be enough to capture the heart exclusively, and other desires will remain and then again one will desire his own pastimes in this world with the opposite sex. In other words – it is not adequate.

So first comes serving Lord Caitanya. It is explained that in the relationship with Krsna there are five rasas (conjugal, parental, friendship, servitorship and neutrality), but that in the relationship with Lord Caitanya there is only one, the relationship of dasya, of servitorship. It is so because Lord Caitanya is acting as a spiritual master, and in the relation to the spiritual master there is only servitorship, nothing else. So, in the same way, in the relationship with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu there is dasya, only servitorship. And by serving Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by taking up his mission to spread mercy to somehow or other engage anyone and everyone in devotional service, in that way one becomes absorbed.

 

“To chant the Holy Name and dance in ecstasy is so easy and sublime that one can achieve all benefits of spiritual life simply by following this process.”
Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.11

Every Saturday night we pass a restaurant near Leicester Square, and we call to the waiters to come out.
Enjoy the movie
Your servant
Parasuram Das

1. Do you really know what greatness looks like for yourself -- and your service or work? 2. Do you really know what path will take you there -- fastest, safest, best? 3. Do you have the courage and commitment to pursue that path? 4. If you've gone off track, do you have someone to help you get back on the right path, and believe in your sincerity and ability?

By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion. SB 11.2.40 Read more ›

1970 June 25: "I am very glad to learn about his tricks for the imitation God. When the price goes down, a businessman purchases, and when the price goes up, he sells. Our devotees should be transcendental businessmen making profit both ways. Krishna gives the right intelligence how to deal with all classes of men."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 June 25: "Our visit to Moscow was not so successful, but for the future, it is hopeful. Two boys are working with us; one Indian and one Russian. So there is good prospect for opening a center, although the atmosphere is not very good."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1972 June 25: "So far your road show is concerned, we are not meant for giving performances, we are simple kirtana men. There must always be kirtana going on wherever we travel, and nothing else."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 June 25: "So far my health is concerned I think I am 80-90% fit to move so there is no cause of anxiety. I may go to London for meeting very important men there in the new house given us by George Harrison."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 June 25: "These great personalities are not to be imitated. If we artificially imitate it will not be very beneficial. I am requesting my disciples to always stay in the association of devotees and to propagate the sankirtana movement all over the world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 June 25: "It is all right if the devotees dress like the young people they are selling the books to. The main thing is that the innocent are given my books and the chance to become Krishna Conscious. If our book distributors are reading my books and following all the regulative principles, then it is all right selling in public in that way."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 June 25: "The injunction is kirtaniya sada hari, one should be chanting all day. Sixteen rounds is a minimum amount I set for my disciples. Actually chanting should always be going on."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 June 25: "Pray to Krishna to give you the intelligence to seek out the association of genuine Vaisnavas more and more. That will insure your own genuineness. And if you always engage in chanting Hare Krishna, avoiding the four sinful prohibitions, then you can attain to perfect love of Krishna, it does not matter where you are."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Hope Slide, British Columbia

Make a Friend


The Kootenay Mountains are way behind us for now.  I had been walking a new mountain range as of very recently – The Cascades.  Every ecosystem of these mountain ranges seems to carry some uniqueness.  The unique feature of where I tread today was the strong presence of different wild flowers.  The rhododendrons really stand out.  The ponderosa pine had for me become conspicuous by its absence.  Everything here is very green.  The Similkameen River had been my amigo for several days.  Now it’s departed and it’s replaced by other streams. 

It was fun to experience the companionship of crows.  It almost seemed that around every other bend in the road, a pair of them (Heckle and Jeckle) would seem to be waiting, watching and squawking.  They would buzz around a bit before taking flight off in some direction, perhaps for the next traveller.  It was my last full day on the Crowsnest Pass.  Perhaps these black feathered dudes were expressing parting words. 

And of humans?  Much interaction.  An older man from France came cycling up a steep hill on destination to the Atlantic.  A biker by the name of Pete bombed up and down the highway passing me by several times, until finally he just had to stop and ask, “What are you doing?”  A couple, Ruth and Paul, were driving, then stopped to find out what my mission is all about.  Corey, a female trucker, blew a tire going eastward on the Crowsnest Pass.  She was stuck on the highway, and was also stuck talking to me about the virtues of walking and spirituality.  It was mutual gain.  Flat tires are often times opportunities for opening up new friendship. 

Friendship is a major component of spiritual life.  If we look at the life of Krishna, He had so many friends.  So make a friend, go for a walk. 

May the Source be with you!

40 KM

On the hundredth anniversary of the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, this brand new video about the TOVP project, which was so dear to Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has been released. Many of prominent leaders in ISKCON have spoken very well to encourage participation from all members of ISKCON society. This video was produced by a young devotee, resident of Sridham Mayapur, as a seva for the new Sri Mayapur Chandradoya Mandir. A video by Jaganath Kirtan Das.