Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-05-10 12:51:00 →

1966 May 10:
"Sasthi. Today also did not go out. Two letters received one from Robert Nelson who tried Harper Row for publication. Two letters written about Khola, Kartal and Harmonium -- one to Brindaban and the other to Captain Pandya. Received back the old Pass Book. Transferred to Grand St. $109.87. Paul Paid $1.00 for expenditure."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

Harinama in Barnaul, Altai Krai, Russia 03.05.14 (Album 75 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Barnaul is a city and the administrative center of Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Ob River. The Krishna consciousness movement has started performing sankirtana-yajna in different places, and it has been experienced that wherever sankirtana-yajna is performed, many thousands of people gather and take part in it. Imperceptible auspiciousness achieved in this connection should be continued all over the world. The members of the Krishna consciousness movement should perform sankirtana-yajnas one after another, so much that all the people of the world will either jokingly or seriously chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and thus they will derive the benefit of cleansing the heart. The holy name of the Lord (harer nama [Adi 17.21]) is so powerful that whether it is chanted jokingly or seriously the effect of vibrating this transcendental sound will be equally distributed. It is not possible at the present moment to perform repeated yajnas as Maharaja Barhishat performed, but it is within our means to perform sankirtana-yajna, which does not cost anything. One can sit down anywhere and chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy. Read more ›

(Spiritual) Victory harinama in central Moscow (13 min video and photos)
→ Dandavats.com

"Victory harinama" as shown in many previous years, c even greater joy perceived strolling citizens. Beautiful singing, happy faces Vaishnavas unusual clothes (which are sometimes present even clear to many elements of military uniforms), cheerful spiritual dance become more than just a street, "backdrop" - they become the main focus of attention. It is important to modern humans, along with the theme of war, and were able to get the mood of peace and spiritual joy. Is there anything better than singing the names of God that will help a person to feel their connection with the spiritual world? Thousands of people hear the sounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra-giving love of God. And in the love of God, as we know, is the solution to all of life issues. Read more ›

Painting our body of the future with colors of the past
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

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I just listened to a wonderful lecture of Śrīla Prabhupāda wherein he explains how our present body is decided.  It is our own creation, our own painting.  Done with the colors of the three modes that we associated with in our previous lives.   By associating with the nature of ignorance one is granted birth among the animal species.  By association with the nature of passion, material progress, one is granted birth in among humans, and by associated with the nature of purity, goodness, and clarity one can take birth among the demigods.  Higher than that is one’s very own Godly spiritual form which one attains by association with the nature of God.   The consciousness we are absorbed in at death will be the paint that designs our new life.  Our society functions mainly on the platform of passion and ignorance (rajas & tamas) and it is rare to find someone attracted to goodness, what to speak of being situated in it.   However the bright side is that one’s Godly nature is easily revived by Krishna Kirtan.  It is fun, easy to do, and a person can directly perceive its benefits.   

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Here is the quote:

Śrīla Prabhupāda: That we have explained that you have to accept another body. And there are 8,400,000 different forms of body. And you will be awarded one of the bodies out of the 8,400,000.

The body is awarded according to your karma or action. We are acting in three modes of material nature. Some of them are acting in goodness, some of them are acting in passion, and some of them are acting in ignorance. So there are three different modes of activities. Now, when you mix up three, three into three, it becomes nine. And again if you multiply nine by nine, it becomes eighty-one. So it increases in so subtle division of the mixture of the three qualities.

Just like the painter. He knows how to mix the three original color, namely blue, yellow and red. The red color represents passion, and the yellow color represents ignorance, and the blue color represents goodness. So as the color painter, er, painter knows how to mix and make varieties of colors, similarly, the three modes of material nature being mixed up, they are represented in so many different forms of body.

So at the present moment, in your human form of body, you are also mixing the same qualities in your different desires. That means you are creating your next body. So at the time of death the thoughts and the activities which will be prominent within your mind, you will get a similar body in next life.

Therefore the intelligent man should be very cautious to get the next body. We can get the body like God; we can get the body like the dog. Therefore the best intelligent person should try to endeavor to get the next body like God. That is Krsna consciousness movement, that you endeavor in this life so long you are alive to get a body like God. That will solve your all problems, namely birth, death, old age and disease. 75/02/16 Mexico City, Bhagavad-gita 2.16

Know about Krishna through vidvat partite, not avidvat-pratiti
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Realization through true knowledge (vidvat pratiti) may be described as realization under vidya sakti (knowledge potency of the Lord) , and understanding without knowledge (avidvat pratiti) may be described as an understanding of the Lord under ignorance.

If Krsna is understood through avidvat pratiti, many controversies arise. If he is understood through vidvat pratiti, there is no place for disagreements. Those interested in spiritual development should immediately obtain vidvat pratiti. What is the point in understanding through avidvat pratiti, falling into argument and confusion, and losing the goal of life. Some idea about vidvat pratiti has been given. Vidvat pratiti is possible for those persons who give up material conceptions and can conceive of spirit. They can then perceive Krsna with their spiritual eyes, hear his pastimes with their spiritual ear, and relish Krsna completely with their spiritual taste buds. Krsna's pastimes are completely non-material. Though Krsna can by his inconceivable potency become the object for the material eye, by nature he is not perceivable by material senses. When Krsna descends and reveals his pastimes to the material senses, only the person with vidvat pratiti attains real contact with the Lord.

Chaitanya Shikshamrita, Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Bahula & Kalindi
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

BeforeSurgery

Kalindi (left) & Bahula (right)

Two of the older cows in the herd, around 20 years old, Bahula & Kalindi are white faced. As older white faced cows are prone to do, they developed eye cancer. Last month they were transported to the OSU Veterinary hospital for an operation that would remove the affected eyes.

Bahula back out to pasture after her stitches were removed.

Bahula back out to pasture after her stitches were removed.

Bahula had surgery on April 3rd & has been healing nicely. She recently had her stitches taken out on April 21st & has returned to pasture.

Kalindi had surgery on April 8th & developed an infection in her eye. After a week of regularly cleaning the wound twice daily & being  treated with antibiotics, her wound is now healing nicely.

Kenyan Book Distribution Reaches All-Time High
→ ISKCON News

Distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books in the East African country of Kenya has reached an all-time high, with 54,399 books distributed during the December marathon of 2013 by just three small temples: Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. The score catapulted Kenya to the number seven country in the world during the marathon.