Harinama at Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, 25 May 2014 (Album 59 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one's sinful activities. SB 6.2.18 Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society. SB 6.3.22 Read more ›

Prasadam distribution in the afflicted areas of Begov han, Topčić polje i Nemila by Iskcon Sarajevo (Album 108 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Our FFl prasadam distribution to flood and landslide victims continues, thanks to generous donators and hard working, enthusiastic group of devotees. In Begov han they distributed 200 cooked meals, 40 in Topčić polje, 60 in Nemila. Devotees also distributed 300 apples and 300 sweets. Our matajis Amritavati Devi Dasi, Gojak Alena Campaka Valli dd and Manjari-rupa Ids donated baby and children clothes. 600 people got prasadam in one day! Read more ›

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 05/29/14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

NV TBT 05-29-14

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 05/29/14.

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

This week’s challenge: There are 14 recognizable faces in this photo. How many can you identify?

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.

New Vrindaban 1980s

NV_ISKCON_Logo_black_small

Godless morality is no good
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Those  moral  codes  which  do  not  include thought of God, cannot accomplish any  good    for mankind, even  though presented skillfully. Such morality is materialistic. Moral  codes  which  express     belief in God  and oblige service to Him are fit for mankind.

Chaitanya Shikshamrita, Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Is Freewill Really “Free”?
→ The Enquirer

Originally posted on Vic DiCara's Astrology:

Q: Do we really have freewill? Every decision I make seems to be impelled by some external force. 
Vedantic philosophy (including Bhagavad Gītā 18.14) explains that every decision and subsequent action has five factors involved.
 
adhiṣṭhānaṁ tathā kartā
karaṇaṁ ca pṛthag-vidham
vividhāś ca pṛthak ceṣṭā
daivaṁ caivātra pañcamam
First of all the environment plays a role in the decision to act. The tools at our disposal also affect the decision and action. One’s potency / strength also affects it. And certainly the fateful momentum of ones previous acts and decisions has a large effect. But the core of any decision or action is called the “doer” – who is identified as the sentient individual himself / herself.
.
The doer supplies the will to act in a certain way. And then the action is carried out as far as possible through the environment, tools, and strength…

View original 851 more words


Reason For Rising Early
→ Japa Group


"My chanting has been calm and peaceful. I whispered the holy names and tried to stay close to them. They are the main reason for rising early, so that I can feel the special quality of the early hours for chanting without disturbances."

From Bhajan Kutir #485
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Dancing like Krsna’s puppet
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Rama Naumi Initiation Lecture )

 

KKS_dancingThere are sacrifices to be made in service. When one is just having a comfortable niche in Krsna consciousness and one is not challenged in service then we begin to feel dry. We begin to feel, ‘I do not know, it is difficult. I am trying to be a devotee but it is just so hard.’ So, we must feel that we are on the cutting edge, in service, in our practises, then there is life! Then we feel we are dancing! We are part of that dancing movement – dancing on the surface of the earth! That is the aim – dancing like Krsna’s puppet, in the hands of Krsna.

 

 

Sadhu Sanga Retreat – Part One
→ travelingmonk.com

Thanks to Gajendra das and Denisse of Lotus Eyes Photography for capturing many of the magical moments at this year’s Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Boone, North Carolina. Words alone could not express the happiness and joy that 1,500 devotees felt in each others association while chanting Lord’s holy names for several days together.

Evening of Bhakti at ISKCON Brampton
→ ISKCON Brampton



Are you looking for unforgettable and different moments?  We warmly invite you to come and dive into a transcendent night full of sublime experiences.

Whether you feel stressed, tired of the same old routine, want to improve relationships, feel unheard and lonely, or just curious about
healthy life style, want to make new friends, experience a peaceful environment and want to expand your definition of yoga, you can expect an incredible evening of live spiritual music (kirtan), wisdom of the East and more, followed by vegan snacks!

Free Admission . Please feel free to bring your family and friends, it is open for everyone!

The Evening of Bhakti program is conducted on Saturday evening once a month currently. Please check our blog for announcements on the specific dates.

Listen to more kirtan recording from Evening of Bhakti  here


Capturing the magical moments at this year’s Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Boone, North Carolina (Album 214 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Indradyumna Swami: Thanks to Gajendra das and Denisse of Lotus Eyes Photography for capturing many of the magical moments at this year's Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Boone, North Carolina. Words alone could not express the happiness and joy that 1,500 devotees felt in each others association while chanting Lord's holy names for several days together. Read more ›

A “mystical experience” in a Greek island leads a soul right into distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books!
→ Dandavats.com

38 years ago on a Greek island I had a somewhat mystical experience and when it was shared with a group of young travelers, a lady from Brazil said "something wonderful is about to happen in your life! (no clue what) This statement compelled me to travel for no apparent reason, my mind was set on southern France (little did I know that was where Srila Prabhupada was at New Mayapura) After traveling for three sleepless days I ended up in Zurich without a place to stay, everywhere was full, as the sun set with all the energy I had I made it to a youth hostel. The Hostel manager said "Sorry we are closing and we are full" Please "I cannot walk a step further, if I must i'll sleep on your steps in that case", i replied. He said "wait I will check again.. he came back "yes there is one bed but you will not want to stay there!, it is the only remaining bed in the hostel" It is upstairs with the Hare Krishna's! "thats fine" I thankfully replied. (thinking, this will be diffrent) When entering the room I could tell some of the devotees were a little unsettled about my moving in with them out of the blue, with out asking permission, one devotee looked at me when I entered their room and said "are you sure you are in the right place?" half jokingly I replied "unless there is another group of Hare Krishna's? yes" (one devotee might have even gone to see about having me relocated) So Krishna brought me to Him without having ever spoken to a devotee, never having received a book, or visited a temple.. i walked into a room with a sankirtan party (some of the most successful big book distributors in the world for a long time) because I was extremely tired (also of mundane existence) and desperately needed a place to sleep, the rest is history. Read more ›

Blissful vaishnavas perform Harinama Sankirtana in Arbat Street, Moscow, Russia (Album 87 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified. SB 1.1.14 -- One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly to indicate something else (sanketya), jokingly (parihasya), for musical entertainment (stobha), or even neglectfully (helana). This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures. SB 6.2.14 Read more ›

Don’t romanticize the past or demonize the present – utilize whatever is available
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Lecture Podcast

Lecture Summary:

Don’t romanticize the past:

  1. Overview of scriptural history: Adharma present in SB, RA, MB and even CC
  2. Overview of secular history: During Buddhism / Jainism’s reign in India for some 1000 yrs, more atheistic books were written in Sanskrit than in any other classical language … Battle against monism for 1000 years … Temple desecration during Islamic rule.

Don’t demonize the present:

  1. Rupa and Sanatana G used their political acumen to act as shock-absorbers between Islamic rulers and Vaishnava community / culture
  2. Bhaktivinoda T and Bhakisiddhanta S T didn’t demonize British rule or sympathize with the Independence struggle
  3. Prabhupada saw the spiritual spark within the hippies despite their degraded condition

Don’t insist on the traditional – use the available in devotional service

Eg. Traditional gender roles vs Prabhupada’s engaging unchaperoned women in preaching and book distribution

Eg. Divine monarchy vs today’s political reality: democracy offers the most conducive environment for practicing and sharing KC

Demonization of the present ends in de-energization of our bhakti e.g. practising bhakti in an urban environment

Don’t let criticism of the social / cultural / political / economic situation deprive people of our universal spiritual message

The different emphasis of the words “God”, “Lord” and “Krishna”
→ The Spiritual Scientist

 In  this  first  section [of the Chaitanya Shikhsamrita]  the  words "Lord",  "God"  and  "Krsna"  have  all  been  used.    The reader should not  think   that  these  words refer  to separate entities.     Krsna  is the only form,  the  only  object  of    worship by  the  soul.    Krsna  is  the  complete  revelation  of sweetness in God.     When  we  consider Krsna  in relation to other  objects   and  need  to emphasize his lordship, we use the word "Lord."  That is why  in the beginning the word "Lord" was  used  instead of Krsna.    Lordship is nothing more  than  the natural  control that  Krsna  displays  towards the objects  of his creation.  In enumerating, the objects  of existence,  the  word "Lord" is thus  used:   cit (conscious entity),  acit (matter) and  isvara (Lord, controller of both).

Chaitanya Shikshamrita, Bhaktivinoda Thakura