New Helicopter Service to Mayapur
→ ISKCON News

Exciting news lands in Mayapur. A service whereby helicopters transport pilgrims and devotees and guests from Kolkata to Mayapur is moving forward. May 30th marked the first time the journey was made and several people greeted the arrival with enthusiasm.

Helicopter Service
- TOVP.org

Exciting news lands in Mayapur. A service whereby helicopters transport pilgrims and devotees from Kolkata to Mayapur is moving forward.

Today marked the first time the journey was made and several people greeted the arrival with enthusiasm. The next step is negotiating the fee which will be charged to interested parties using this quick transportation.

TOVP Managing Director, Sadbhuja Das, was among those invited to welcome the pilots. Several options for facilitating access to Mayapur are being explored, especially since the new temple is expected to attract millions!

The post Helicopter Service appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

New Devotee Joins TOVP
- TOVP.org

The TOVP welcomes its newest member, Sudhakar Das. An experienced devotee, he is sure to be an asset to the team.

Having joined ISKCON in Mayapur, Sudhakara prabhu has been here since 1994. He immediately began doing seva in the community by first working for the guesthouse. After two years he became the supervisor of maintenance for the gurukula, followed by six years with the Land Department and five years with the workshop where he was involved in the construction of several guesthouses.

Sudhakara prabhu has been with the TOVP since the first of May. His current position is supervising the construction of the Utility Building and he will move to the main construction site upon its completion. He brings his breadth of knowledge and eagerness to serve and we’re happy to have him with us.

The post New Devotee Joins TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Drive-thru at Church
→ ISKCON News

In an age when convenience is king and religion is often ridiculed, some churches looking to widen their outreach efforts are embracing what community banks have utilized for decades: the drive-through.

Market Fluctuations
→ Tattva - See inside out

Swami Prabhupada explained how an expert businessman can thrive in any economic climate. When the market booms he sells commodities and makes a healthy profit. When the market is down, he buys abundantly, remaining alert to sell when the demand rebuilds. Either way, lucrative business as usual. In the same way, the ups and downs of life are all opportunities to become spiritually wealthy. In times of peace and prosperity, we have the space to spiritually immerse ourselves, building assets of inspiration, strength and unbreakable faith. When times are rocky, we are jolted to exercise our internal muscles by practicing resilience, humility, patience and tolerance. Both experiences are necessary, and both are incredibly rewarding.

What tends to happen, however, is that in ‘good times’ we become complacent, absent-minded and lackadaisical in our spirituality. Then, when painful situations surface, we feel disorientated, frustrated and bewildered. Interestingly, armies are recommended to be extra attentive in times of peace. In that period, they can build the fortitude to deal with frontline warfare, at which time their instinctive abilities will naturally take over. Any weakness in their training will be immediately exposed.

As I mentally fast-forward a decade or two, I begin to think of the heavy experiences that I’m in for. Disease, old age, death, and the inevitable miseries of worldly life, appear in everyone’s ‘crystal ball.’ We’ll go through it, and if not, those around us for sure. Nobody wants it, but everyone is forced to experience it. Will I be able to deal with adversity in a spiritually progressive way? Peace is not an absence of anxiety, but the presence of God everywhere, at all times. Will I have the depth of consciousness to perceive that presence? It largely hangs on how seriously and sincerely I immerse myself now. I need to build up my spiritual assets.

ISKCON Nairobi Temple Gets Upgraded Facilities
→ ISKCON News

Sri Sri Radha Bankebihari Deities made Their advent in Nairobi, Kenya in 1972 when Srila Prabhupada personally installed Them. At that time the Temple had a few facilities and very few devotees ran the temple. The temple gradually grew from a small place to a bigger one in 1994, when Gopal Krishna Goswami installed Sri Sri Sita Rama Laksmana Hanumana and inaugurated the new temple. Now it was time again to upgrade the facilities. 

Krishna is most suitable form of God for developing pure love
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Of all  the  conceptions of God  existing  in  the  world, the  form  of Krsna  is the  most suitable for developing  pure  love.   The conception of Allah in the Koran  is not suitable for developing pure  love.  Even the Lord's   dear  prophet could  not see Allah's  form, for though the  Lord  is friendly, He remains at a distance from  the   worshipper due  to the conception of God as master.  The god in the Christian faith is also some  distant  entity, what  to speak  of the  impersonal Brahman. Even Narayana is not the form by which  the soul  can   easily  obtain  pure  love.  Krsna  alone,  who  resides in  the  spiritual abode  of Vraja, is the object of pure  love.

Chaitanya Shikshamrita, Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Tuesday, May 27th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

 
Coalhurst/Fort Macleod, Alberta
 
Thanks to the Prairies

The squeaky little outbursts of the gopher prairie dogs were not the only noise-makers along the Crowsnest Pass (Hwy 3).  There were cars tooting their horns.  Page 3 of the ‘Lethbridge Herald’ covered the story about a "Hare Krishna Monk Making His Fourth Trek Across Canada."  When motorists saw the saffron cloth blowing in the wind after catching the news, they did make acknowledgement.
 
Near the town of Monarch, the highway splits and veers some of the traffic in other directions.  This eases some of the intensity.  But overall the east-end section of the Crowsnest Highway is very high-powered.  It was a relief to reach the quiet downtown of Fort Macleod.  I walked into the community newspaper office, the Fort Macleod Gazette, and Frank McTighe, the editor, was happy to do an interview.
 
Oh yes.  Meeting those llamas, or alpacas, or whatever they are - in the countryside was special.  They were really keen to sniff the hand.  Their winter hair was shedding.  One of them had dreadlocks.  He was cool.  Only thing missing was a pair of shades, sunglasses.  I sang a mantra for them, "Hairy Llama!"
 
Before sunset we experienced a very successful program that happened at the Community of Christ Church.  Thirty people came to hear me spiel on 'Tales from Trails.'  This culminated with mantra meditation which all responded to so well.  It was nice to see some of the attendees pick up books like 'Bhagavad-gita', 'Christ and Krishna', and 'Ten Steps to Happiness' by Rami Bleckt.
 
I would like to thank Jo-Anne, a local hair stylist, for being the greatest host in Lethbridge.  Also to Vickie, the facilitator at the Community of Christ Church, and to Shelly Craig for the excellent new article in the ‘Lethbridge Herald’.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
36 KM



 

Monday, May 26th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Lethbridge, Alberta
 
Beating the Pride
 
The wind was beating hard on the pride today.  The additional gusts created by the transport-trailer could almost throw you off.  At spots I had to struggle to keep that balance.  My rationale simply kept saying that it’s a good beating because that's what pride deserves.
 
The day on the road began at Coaldale.  It's 4 AM.  A local street-cleaner in his truck pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride.  I told him I'm trekking across Canada, "No rides for me, thanks!" 
 
"Really, and you're doing it in those crocs?"
 
"Well, it's good to have lightness on the feet," I said.
 
The Crowsnest Pass, or Highway 3, had been consistently an ego basher with intense traffic.  The only relief was a short three kilometre stretch amidst the Coulees along Old Man River and under a railway bridge, "the longest and tallest of its kind in the world," said a park personnel.  "The engineer's life ended in a morbid way.  He hung himself.  The project was too much pressure for him."
 
For a good portion of the day I had Karuna with me.  He's great company.  The last chunk of highway was a dalliance with wind and sun - some dust too.
 
A pick-up pulled over.  It was dust-covered.  I figured "here's a farmer."  And it was.  Out emerged a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, third-generation Dutch chap who introduced himself as Dean Vanden Berg.  He said he was Christian and was curious.  I offered to say, "I'm a monk from an old tradition - roots from India.  Monks in our order spend time walking.  It's good for calming pride."
 
Dean was sweet, even offered a donation for the cause of pilgrimage.  I asked him if, being born and raised in Canada, he was into hockey.  With a wholesome smile he said, "I'm just always workin."  We shook hearty hands and he went on his way.
  
May the Source be with you!
 
36 KM

Demonizing the other doesn’t remove the demons hither
→ The Spiritual Scientist

‘Demonizing the other’ refers to depicting the other in the darkest hues, ascribing to them numerous vices and holding them responsible for one’s problems.

Actually, most of our problems are largely caused by our own weaknesses and errors. Metaphorically speaking, our problems are due to the demons in our heart: demons such as lust, anger and greed.

However, these demons being inside us are intangible. And when hounded by problems, we often feel the need for something tangible to quickly vent out our frustration. That’s why, some people start pounding a punching bag when confounded by something about which they can’t do much.

When we find ourselves in trouble due to our inner demons, we may seek relief by treating others as a punching bag.

Similarly, when we find ourselves in trouble due to our inner demons, we may seek relief by treating others as a punching bag. Hitler, for example, demonized the Jews for the economic problems of Germany.

In fact, such demonization of the other is at the root of most conflicts, including even conflicts among various religious groups. In religious contexts, demonization may even be reinforced by supposedly scriptural justification and a sense of moral self-righteousness.

The irony of such demonization of the other is that it doesn’t do anything to remove the demons hither, inside us. To the contrary, it may even tighten their hold on us; we may well be playing into the hands of inner demons such as anger while we act out our righteous rage.

Gita wisdom equips us to fight the temptation to demonize. The Bhagavad-gita (13.29) urges us to see all living beings equally: whatever groups they belong to materially, spiritually they are all souls, parts of God – as are we. Even when they do harmful things, Gita wisdom reminds us that everyone, even those troublemakers, are ultimately under the control of God, Krishna.

And whatever he allows to happen in our life is an opportunity for us to learn and grow: learn in wisdom and grow in love, thereby breaking free from the clutches of our inner demons.

By this enlightened vision of things, we can choose a wise course of action that combats our inner demons and also responds appropriately to the other. Will such a response be passive, sentencing us to be trampled by others? Not at all. Essentially, it will ensure that we won’t be trampled by our inner demons. We may respond assertively to others when necessary, but won’t be driven by negative emotions like anger and hatred. We will be inspired by the positive spirit of service, of doing the needful for the ultimate good of others and of our relationship with them.

Those who live thus, the Gita assures, protect themselves from self-degradation and eventually attain lasting success.

 

 

Why We Love Ourselves
→ The Enquirer

I am the root identity of every individual! I am therefore the root of what you love in anyone or anything — the only reason that your body and similar things are lovable. Therefore to love me and be loved by me directly is the most amazing success!

– Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.9.42

Krishna is the root identity of every individual (aham ātma-ātmanāṁ dhātaḥ). That is why people are so interesting and attractive! He is therefore the root of whatever we love in whatever we love! (preṣṭhaḥ san preyasām api). Whatever we may be attracted too, even if it appears immoral or wrong by whatever standards, the truth is that we are attracted to it because it is a part of God, and expresses some aspect of God that we crave.

“That is why people love their body and so on” (deha-adiḥ yat-kṛte priyaḥ).

So imagine the kind of ecstasy that would erupt if we could taste the beauty of God directly rather than filtered and indirectly through his expansions of expansions of expansions!? That is why the highest success is to fall in love with Krishna and to have Krishna fall in love with you. And that is what Viṣṇu promises will happen if we recite Brahmā’s prayers regularly and devotionally or do similar philosophy, discussion and kīrtan as Brahmā.


Brisbane Sunday program
→ Ramai Swami

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The Sunday program at Govindas restaurant in Brisbane is continuing nicely. There is an improved decor that makes the ambience of the room warm and inviting.

The evening starts with beautiful kirtan led by accomplished devotees and is followed by an interactive lecture given by a variety of guest speakers. Everything concludes, of course, with wonderful prasadam.
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Transcendental consciousness
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 March 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday Lecture)

Six_GoswamisWhen living beings face death, it is difficult but a person in transcendental knowledge can understand it.

How long are we together? Now, we are a circle of people – there are some new ones – but many old friends come together regularly, seeing each other, greeting each other, “Hey! Happy to see you!” Then, at one point, the souls separate and there is such a distance between us.

The scriptures give us the perspective of two straws floating in a river, together for a short time, and then the waves of time separate them. What a vision! So these sages, the sages of the Bhagavatam, the sages of the scriptures, are totally living in that kind of consciousness.

And yet, they are not cold towards others. It is not that they think, “Oh, you’re just a straw. We’re just together for a little while, you know. Why would I invest any emotion in you, O, Straw? Forget it! If we are just two straws floating together, I’m not gonna love you because tomorrow, you’ll float away. You’re just straw like any other straw!”

The sages did not become cold. The sages actually loved all the straw – they loved the straw that was with them and also the straw that was not with them. They gave their love to whoever was with them. They gave their affection whole-heartedly. Then, some went away but someone else would come, and they would give it to someone else.

In this way, they were detached but not cold – not emotionally cold. That is transcendental consciousness. 

 

Service is My Life, May 21, New Goloka, Hillsborough, North Carolina
Giriraj Swami

6-prabhupadaGiriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23.

“Srila Prabhupada was speaking about varnasrama-dharma—brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra. Someone challenged, ‘You have described this hierarchy of different categories, so where do you fit in?’ He assumed that Srila Prabhupada had presented the explanation to establish himself at the top. Srila Prabhupada was silent, then looked down and said, ‘I am the lowest. I am the servant of everyone.’ So that was his mood, and such a person is very dear to Krishna.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23

Lessons from Churning the Milk Ocean
→ HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami

26-12-2012 SB 8.6.32-39, Lessons from Churning the Milk Ocean, Cape Town, South Africa Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 6, the demigods and demons declare a truce, text 32. tato devasurau katva saavidaa kata-sauhadau udyamaa paramaa cakrur amatarthe parantapa tatau—thereafter; deva-asurau—both the demons and the demigods; katva—executing; saavidam—indicating; kata-sauhadau—an armistice between them; udyamam—enterprise; paramam—supreme; cakrua—they did; [...]