Remembering Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology (IFAST), Silver Springs, Maryland, May 31
Giriraj Swami

BTS“I asked Purusa-sukta Prabhu whether he had ever discussed with Bhakti Tirtha Swami what his mood was while chanting japa. Bhakti Tirtha Swami had told him, ‘I always like to chant near Srila Prabhupada’s vyasasana, and my prayer is that he will kick me in the head with his lotus feet.’ That was Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s mood: ‘My dear spiritual master, whatever it takes to make me a better instrument of your will, whatever it takes to make me a better servant of the devotees and the public, please do it. If you have to kick me in the head to wake me up, do whatever it takes.’ That was his mood. So I think I am going to go upstairs to Maharaja’s room and pray for two kicks: one from Srila Prabhupada and one from Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaja.” — Giriraj Swami

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Giriraj Swami
Rtadhvaja Swami

We Have A Super-Excellent Process
Bhakti Charu Swami

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda The Following Lecture On Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.14 Was Given By His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami In Iskcon Ujjain, India. tam imaṁ te pravakṣyāmi yam avocaṁ purānaghe ṛṣīṇāṁ śrotu-kāmānāṁ yogaṁ sarvāṅga-naipuṇam  Word for word: tam imam — that very; te — to you; pravakṣyāmi —(...)

Ravi Gupta On Bhaktivedanta College
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Radhika Ramana Dasa (Ravi M. Gupta) is an internationally known Vaishnava scholar who has been on the faculty of Bhaktivedanta College since it opened, in 2002. He teaches Sanskrit and a module on Jiva Goswami's Sad-sandharbhas. He holds the Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies at Utah State University.

Isn’t violence against women in India, as in the Badaun rape case, caused more by the casteist society and not by the obscenity in the culture?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Paul John:

I read your article on the Delhi gang-rape and though well-written, I found it somewhat simplistic in its analysis of the cause of rape. In the UP rape case, the cause is clearly discriminatory Indian caste system that commodifies women who are meant to be honored or dishonored.

Answer Podcast

Sunday, June 1st, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Fernie, British Columbia

35 Krishna Marks

It was our second night for outdoor camping, courtesy of Theresa.  Her front yard made a perfect base for the afternoon and evening.  She shared with us the various visitors at her property.  They include, deer, elk, cougar, and grizzly bears, just to name the big ones.  One night, she found that her chicken pen was almost completely cleared out by a couple of hungry grizzlies.  I guess you could say that certain types of drop in entities are not always welcome.  For our comfort, opening up her home to four grown men, is nothing short of kind, and it’s this kindness that always makes a long travel most pleasant.

Michael has been taking a lot of footage on his camera for an upcoming documentary he plans which is meant for promoting walking as meditation.  A lot of the shooting is taking place along the Elk River.  Having a river by your side as a walker is like having a cheerleader to prod you on.  And when you have a camera man along with you, it’s double cheers.  We may not have the Ganges here, but in Canada we have plenty of clean streams that energize all that are in close proximity to it.  I happen to be the blessed recipient who’s trailing along the Elk River. 

And being exposed to the road, whether on or off camera, brings the attention of many weekenders who are returning home for a new week’s routine.  One couple I know from Calgary, Aurelius and Callie, spotted me and pulled over to join in the last phase of the trek today.  It’s great to have companions like the river and people.  This couple is excellent at preparing tinctures, but the one Aurelius gave me, all packaged perfectly, good for hair, skin and teeth, is a tincture made from the plant horsetail.  Here again is a gesture of kindness, or if we could use the term, good social intercourse.  

May the Source be with you!

35 KM

Bulgarian Tour 2014 with Vaiyasaki Das & the Kirtan Explosion Band (Album 140 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Vaiyasaki Das & the Kirtan Explosion Band: We didn't have time to catch our breath during a blissful kirtan-packed tour throughout beautiful Bulgaria. Our tour took us to Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Blagoevrad, and Pernik, for 15 kirtans in two weeks. We were also interviewed in a radio station, and made beautiful friends all over the country. "The holy name of Krishna is a transcendental wish-fulfilling gem. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself. It is the personification of divine mellow and the fountainhead of all pleasure. The holy name of Krishna is eternally liberated and spiritual. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are non-different." -Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.223 Read more ›

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ June 2, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

01

He who renounces all the opulences of his household life, who leaves his wife, children and other relatives and friends decorated with good qualities, who ignores the great respect everyone offers to him, who renounces the duties of ordinary piety, who does not become even slightly softened at heart by the repeated protests of mother, father, and other superiors, and who goes to Vrndavana, is proclaimed by all to be the most fortunate of all fortunate persons.

Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-52, Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

Bhaktivedanta Academy Father’s Day 2014, Alachua, USA (Album 100 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Bhaktivedanta Academy is a Montessori school rooted in the rich spiritual traditions and culture of ancient India. Our founder and namesake, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, believed that children who are given a well-rounded education that includes a foundation in the practices of bhakti, or devotion to God, will be fully prepared to make lasting and meaningful contributions to our world. He had a vision for a truly twenty-first century education, which we offer. Read more ›

New Vrindaban Hosts a Staged Reading of the Ramayana Musical
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The Ramayana –A Staged Reading of the Musical by Krpamaya das (John Sherwood)

written by Lilasuka dasi

The Ramayana –

A Staged Reading of the Musical by Krpamaya (John Sherwood)

By Lilasuka dasi

What is a “staged reading”, you may ask? On Sat. Apr. 26, many of us witnessed a staged reading and learned that it is a play or musical which is read, spoken and sung by the cast, with the purpose of getting valuable feedback from the audience to help in the ultimate production of the play.

Jaya Rama Sri Rama Bhajan

Jaya Rama Sri Rama Bhajan

The staged reading was orchestrated by Krpamaya das (John Sherwood), a long-time resident Vaisnava at New Vrindaban, who has had this grand musical performance of the “Ramayana – Past in Present” inside his mind for many years, and it is finally well on its way to becoming a dream come true. Krpamaya das is an excellent guitarist and pianist, as well as a singer and all-round musician.   He is a father and grandfather, who recently went back to school at West Liberty University, majoring in music and theater. Some of his fellow students agreed to participate in the staged reading, skillfully reading the parts of the characters Rama, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman, Ravana, his queen, Jatayu, Kaikeyi, King Dasarath and Vibhishan, and doing a lot of expert singing.

Ramayana Staged Reading Cast

Ramayana Staged Reading Cast

Krpamaya has said, “I hope to integrate my skills in presenting Krsna Consciousness through the performing arts.”

Michael Aulick, a theater director at West Liberty University, and one of Krpamaya’s professors, collaborated very strongly with him through the whole process and was present at the staged reading, directing and encouraging the cast. “I couldn’t have done this without Mike,” declared Krpamaya.

The Audience is Impressed

The Audience is Impressed

The feedback seemed to be genuinely appreciated by the devotees and guests in the audience, as well as the cast members from West Liberty University. They were all very pleased with the results. “The Ramayana-Past in Present” had taken on a life of its own.

The Happy Producer and Composer, Krpamaya

The Happy Producer and Composer, Krpamaya

Devotion is deepened, not depleted, by distribution!
→ Dandavats.com

When donors give money to someone, their own reserve of money decreases. If they are religious, the knowledge that they have gained pious credits solaces them. Still, the sense of loss at the immediate, practical level may nag. Such nags are much lesser in charity of knowledge. Those who teach something to others often find their own understanding of that subject enhanced by teaching it. Still, if the possession of that knowledge is the qualification for some material position, then the transmission of that knowledge to another person may bring some insecurity: “What if this person usurps me?” Read more ›

We Have No Other Place To Go
→ ISKCON Malaysia

BY THARANYA ARUMUGAM AND ALIZA SHAH

A homeless woman making a ‘home’ for herself under the Sungai Klang bridge, near the Pasar Seni light rail transit station, which the bridge serves as shelter to about 30 homeless people. Pix by Yazit Razali

 ORIGINAL ARTICLE: New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Amidst the skyscrapers dotting the city, lies a scene of poverty filled with dirt, danger and darkness, little known to the public.

The plight of the homeless in Kuala Lumpur came under the spotlight yet again following the gruesome murder of a homeless woman's toddler, who was beheaded and abandoned at the bank of Sungai Klang near the KTM station in Jalan Tun Sambanthan here on Wednesday.

The New Straits Times hit the streets yesterday and found many homeless people have made the corridors of the busy Central Market, Dayabumi complex, Petaling Street, Chow Kit, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Klang Bus Stand and Puduraya bus terminal their home.

One of the popular areas is along the Sungai Klang riverbank -- the crime scene of the murder -- that serves as home to about 30 homeless people.

In our visit to the area yesterday, we were first greeted by the stench, followed quickly by glares, as we approached a young man who was busy cleaning his "home".

Spotting our camera, the 25-year-old man, who wished to be identified only as Zul, immediately cautioned us not to take any photographs, for fear they would be chased away by City Hall (DBKL) officers.

Zul, originally from Kelantan, said he moved to Kuala Lumpur five years ago to look for a job, but could not afford to rent a house or even a room.

"We were chased away by DBKL several times, but would always come back here, since we have no other place to go.

"Even though, on some occasions, we risk losing our lives, especially when it has been raining heavily, as the river's water level could rises up within minutes."

He said there were several cases of people drowning when they could not climb up the poles or cross over the drains to escape from the rising water.

Zul, who is still looking for a job, said drug addicts had also caused problems for them, as they were subjected to constant raids by the police.

He said most of the vagrants were waiting for the local authorities to fulfil their promises to provide them with shelter and decent jobs.

"Last year, DBKL had carried out raids in our area and confiscated all our belongings," he said, adding that when they were nabbed, they were sent for counselling and later released if their urine tests came out as negative for drugs.

Norliza, who had been living in the area for a year, said she came to Kuala Lumpur to visit her sister, but found herself with nowhere to go when she was chased out of the house.

The 49-year-old, who was having a cold and got married last month to another vagrant, said she had no money to go to the clinic and hoped her husband would have enough to bear the cost of her medication.

She said her husband, who is now an odd-job worker, used to work at Pasar Karat with other vagrants before it was shut down by the authorities.

Rosli, 49, from Perak, claimed that even though he owned a house in his hometown and earned RM1,400 monthly, he was feeling lonely and chose to live with the homeless.

"As a Felda settler, I get RM1,400 monthly, but the loneliness forced me to move here. I plan to go back to my hometown after I get married."

He had been living in the area for three years.

Security guard Suhaimi Md Kamarahan, 54, who often spoke to the homeless, said there were more than 10 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) providing food and other necessities.

"The homeless would spread information among their groups on the time and locations where NGOs would provide food.

"Besides food, Pertiwi (Pertubuhan Tindakan Wanita Islam) would also provide soaps and towels once a month."

Hare Krishna's "Food For Life society" committee member V. Kunasekaran said the NGO had been providing free vegetarian meals to the public every Sunday at noon in Jalan Masjid Jamek since 2010, adding that the food, prepared for about 250 people, would usually finish within an hour.

"People, including the homeless, will start queuing from 11.45am. Some would return for second servings."



Sweet Like Sugar Candy
→ Japa Group


"The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛiṣhṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidya [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root."

Nectar of Instruction Text 7

Starting over!
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture)

KKS_leipzig_2014When we come together once a year, that is valuable! At least for one thing – we are still here! Time is passing, a year has passed – what has happened!? In that year, we all have developed – some have become more learned in scriptures, some have made material progress, some have lost something… so whatever it is, now we stop in our tracks and we are here. So whatever happened in the last year, now we stop. Now, we start a new year, we start again – that is the idea. Whatever it was, it is closed now! Let us put it behind us and we start again.

From the New Vrindaban Garden June 2, 2014
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Garden of Seven Gates

A view of the Garden of Seven Gates from on top of the hill.

Greetings from the Garden…
Over the last two weeks the gardens here at New Vrindaban have begun there early summer transformation. The Meditation Garden located at the back of the temple beside the kitchen has flourishing oregano, new azalea bushes, calendula, and more. Its a great place to spend some time and soon we will have the new lattice fence completed. The Apothecary Teaching garden has now been completely planted soon there will be more than 50 beds of flowers and greens. Dr. Nick and his crew have done an amazing job on the new fence.
This past week we had 10 guest volunteers from an Intentional community East Winds in Missouri. They were and amazing help in all three gardens. Their extra hands and gardening experience could not have come at a better time. In the Garden of Seven Gates we now have a field of buckwheat growing for a cover crop. We have planted some new perennials such as strawberries, elderberries, blueberries, and additional asparagus. We have three community members that are contract growing for us this year within the Garden of Seven Gates. Their gardens include paste tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli. Other annual crops in the garden include: peas, green beans, soy beans, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, squash, sweet potatoes, quinoa, sunflowers, lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, and countless beautiful flowers.

Bckwheat

Each week I try to include a helpful gardening tip….. This week my advice is to watch out for flea beetles. Growing organically can be difficult and it is very important to regularly check your plants for bugs or the signs of damage. Flea beetles are particularly attracted to members of the brassica family (kale, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts) and eggplant. They are tiny fast moving black beetles, almost to small to see. What you will see is the damage to the leaves of the plant. They leave tiny holes all through the leaves and with enough damage it will kill the plant. The best defense is keeping the plants under floating row cover to protect them from the bugs. We are also using ECOTEC which is an organic spray that is made of concentrated mint oils. Its safe enough to spray and harvest the same day. Have a great week in the garden.