Websites from the ISKCON Universe
ISKCON Governing Body Commissioner and Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) trustee Gopal Krishna Goswami met the honorable President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee on 12th June, 2014 at the President’s official residence in New Delhi and presented him the BBT’s deluxe edition of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is along with the maha-prasad of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi.
Srila Prabhupada Offers Guidance on Acceptable Foods, Yogurt Making and Sees New Vrindaban Devotees as Experts – February 1970.
From a series of letters written by Srila Prabhupada outlining his vision for New Vrindaban.
Thanks to Vanipedia for the source material.
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Boulder, Colorado
My Dear Harer Nama,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 2 February, 1970, and thank you very much.
Actually, Sankirtana is our life and soul, and if we execute this transcendental business in all earnestness, then there will be no difficulty in any way. We should not pray to Krishna anything except to ask to engage in His service. If we are engaged in His service then automatically everything will be revealed.
Any foodstuff suspected to contain untouchable ingredients should never be used in the temple. Yogurt can be prepared in the temple, it is not very difficult. Boil the milk at night, put a little yogurt in it, and next morning you will find it full of yogurt. You can ask New Vrindaban, they are practically preparing all these things.
Please let me know how many members are there, what is your source of income, and what is your program of expenditure. I shall be glad to know these things. I would also like to know if the initiated devotees are chanting regularly sixteen rounds and following the regulative principles rigidly. This is very essential.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS:db
This talk is a part of the "Fascinating Mahabharata Characters" series. To know more about this course, please visit: bhakticourses.com
Asked in relationship with this Gita-daily article:
Be not alarmed by the presence of impurities; be heartened by the presence of the alarm
Prabhuji, this beautiful explanation of text 18.38 removes some of the misgivings but how to connect it with the words of Srila Bhakti Sidhanta Goswami Prabhupada that one must thrash the mind in the morning with a shoe and at night thrash the heart with broomstick 100 times each for purification?
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 December 2012, Phoenix, South Africa, Ratha Yatra Lecture)
Vaisnava gives everything he has and a vaisnava gives his life. He is ready to put his life on the line…YES! A vaisnava is ready to trust in Krsna when it comes to his generosity.
“Can you give?”
Vaisnava, “Yes!”
“But how will you do it?”
Vaisnava, “I don’t know, but I hope that Krsna will help.”
So with that faith in Krsna (that Krsna will help), Krsna WILL make it possible. In this way, vaisnavas can do miracles. In this way, vaisnavas can overcome all limitations. We see, in this way, that Prabhupada single-handedly went to the West with the idea of making the whole world Krsna conscious – at an age suitable for retirement and so on. Logically, it didn’t add up but he went anyway and he did it. He did so much. So in this way, we can see the power of vaisnava generosity which is the result of devotional service. And, it is in this way, the more we give, the more we will overcome all desires for personal prestige. So in this age, generosity is our saving grace, somehow or other. Therefore it is said, “One must preach Krsna consciousness otherwise it becomes dry!” We must give otherwise it doesn’t absorb us. There are many ways to do that and one must be creative. Some people are right now out on the street distributing books. Others are preaching on the internet. I met one devotee who made a Facebook page and had 140 000 hits; so many ways to preach.
Unless we try to develop this mood of giving Krsna consciousness to others, we will remain self-centred, even in spiritual life. So generosity must really be developed in us – the mood of service and the mood of giving must be developed as much as possible and then we become spiritually advanced and spiritually strong. That is the way!
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There are many ways and varieties of motivations by which people take up the practice of Krishna bhakti, or any path. Whatever way, and for whatever reason, one turns toward God are all good since we all have to begin somewhere on our spiritual journey. Well, we don’t have to begin anything. However, the premise of the Vedas and many religious texts is that the ultimate purpose of life is not only understanding our true nature as part of God (and our relationship with Him), but includes putting that knowledge into practice by serving God in pure love with our heart and soul.
In regards to the type of people who come to Krishna, there is no specific type, or class, from the worldly point of view. Anyone can take up the path of bhakti, provided they have the “qualification” of having faith in it. There are many gradations of this faith as we’ll discuss. To have faith in bhakti, there has to be some background, or blessings from a saint, or some act of devotional service from this or a previous lifetime, often unconscious (ajnata-sukriti). Observably, externally, we may be born in a devotee family, be attracted to the qualities or looks of the devotees or those in the congregation, or be searching for relief from our suffering; we may love kirtan, the food (prasadam, or mercy), the philosophy, the general spiritual atmosphere, how we feel when we visit, or some combination of reasons with varying mixed motivations. Perhaps we like belonging to a group, being around people from our ethnic background, or are looking for customers for our product or service; or we may be hoping to find a girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse, etc. Regardless of one’s intent, Krishna bhakti is like fire, and it will eventually act.
However, though there are many indirect reasons that bring us to Krishna, at some point one has to consciously choose to embark on it for its own sake, beyond circumstance, convenience, or to fulfill some material purpose. If we are actually a spiritual seeker—or aspire to be—it behooves us to understand what the ultimate goal of the bhakti path is. This will help us get the most out of our time and endeavor by inspiring us to put our heart into the spiritual practices while praying to have the best motivation. This, in turn, will give us a spiritual vision enthusing us for the long term, beyond any fleeting material reasons that initially brought us.
Even if in the beginning one chants the Hare Krishna mantra with offenses, one will become free from such offenses by chanting again and again. Papa-kshayas ca bhavati smaratam tam ahar-nisam: one becomes free from all sinful reactions if one chants day and night, following the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who quoted the following verse:
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha quoted Cc. Adi 17.21
“The chanting of Hare Krishna is recommended for persons who commit offenses, because if they continue chanting they will gradually chant offenselessly. Even if in the beginning one chants the Hare Krishna mantra with offenses, one will become free from such offenses by chanting again and again.” Read more › 
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday devotees in Moscow celebrated the installation of their Gaura Nitai deities exactly twenty-two years ago. I was thinking how pleased Srila Prabhupada must be with them for maintaining a consistent and high standard for over two decades. Because of various factors the devotees have had to move their temple numerous times - but the worship of their deities has gone on without obstruction. All glories to the Moscow devotees! Read more › Asked in relationship with this Gita-daily article:
Those who give up pleasure for principle gain life's principal pleasure
BY PREMANJANA DASA
PURI - The four Directions of India are sanctified by 4 main holy places (Dhama) dedicated to worship Supreme Lord.Dhama refers to a place where one can immediately contact the Supreme Lord.
The 4 Dhams are :
About the 4 Holy Dhams of India,it is said that Lord Visnu mediates at Badrinatha;his kingdom rules at Dvaraka. He sleeps at Rameswaram and He eats at Sri Ksetra Nilacala (Jagannatha Puri). According to Gaudiya vaisnavas of all the 4 spiritually uplifitng Holy places,Jagannatha puri is so glorified that simply by eating The Maha-Prasadam of Jagganatha puri dham one acchieves perfection in Krsna-prema.such is the Glory of Sri Kestra Jagannatha Puri Dham.
India's Ancient Vedic texts refer to Jagannatha Puri as Sri Purusottama-ksetra.The Skanda Purana contains a lengthy chapter entitled,Sri Purusottama-ksetra Mahatyam,in that chapter Jaimini Rsi, the main speaker,states that anyone simply desiring to visit this place will become free from his past sinful karmas.
Sri-ksetra - The word Sri refers to Srimati Radhika,the source of all krsna's saktis or powers.thus the tract of land predominated by Sri-sati.
Madhurya-Bhaktas see this as the place wherin the sweet charm of Sri Radhe's Madhurya-rasa manifest.for this reason, Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed here relishing Radha-bhava.whenever He took darshan, Mahaprabhu saw Lord Jagannatha as Syamsundara and cried out, "O Pranatha,Beloved of My heart ! "
Sri Sankha-ksetra - Puri is called sankha-ksetra because the land area that it encompasses resembles shape of a conch-shell.
Sri Siva Purana states that in this sri-ksetra there are 7 means to attain freedom (samsara-cakra) those are :
According to Padma Purana,Yamaraja has no jurisdiction to punish anyone in Puri, because it is Vaikuntha.
All glories to Sri Kestra Dham!!!
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi SJMKL - Snana Yatra June 2014 
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi SJMKL - Snana Yatra June 2014 
by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi SJMKL - Snana Yatra June 2014