Wednesday, May 14th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton, Ontario
 
Spirit Money
 
“I said, ‘Please, Jesus, send me some money.  I don’t need too  much.’”
 
Those were the prayers of Sophie Rizavas, a 63 year old cleaning lady from Toronto who yesterday won 50 million dollars from a lottery.  I wish her well and that she will not slip to the wayside of self destruction, like most winners of such lotteries.  She might find that she will suddenly have so many friends around her, and that would be sad.  I hope she will stay with Jesus and remain his true friend. 
 
What would you do if suddenly you received a chunk of funds like that?  Would you invest in your spiritual bank account as much as you will your material benefits?  Is spiritual progress dependant on dollars and cents? 
 
The answer to that last question is that money can’t buy me love (of God).  However, whatever you do in life, if it’s favourable for spiritual advancement, then take that green light.  Such are the directions of the great teachers of bhakti.   But how do you use money for spiritual purposes?  The answer to that would be that one great way to make spiritual progress is in the sharing of spiritual wisdom.  Practically everything costs money.  Money is not evil as long as it is used for higher purposes in charity work.  Spirituality is also a component of that charity.  If not, it is the epitome of it, in the effort to disseminate the wisdom of the Vedas, for instance, it requires some expenditure.  While so much is spent on enticement toward sensual pleasures, if more energies, including money, were directed toward our inner growth, we would stand to challenge the imbalanced lives that we are currently living. 
 
May the Source be with you, and good luck, Sophie!
 
5 KM

HG Kratu Prabhu and HG Vaishesika prabhu will be at ISKCON Scarborough‏
→ ISKCON Scarborough



Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

We are extremely honoured to welcome HG Kratu Prabhu and HG Vaishesika prabhu to ISKCON Scarborough this Friday - 16th May 2014 and Sunday - 18th May 2014 respectively.

HG Kratu prabhu will be taking part in a wonderful Narasimha caturdasi celebration on Friday. Program starts at 6.45 pm.

Prabhu will also be joining us for the live Tamil Bhagavad Gita radio program from 10 am to 11 am at the Geethavaani radio station coming Saturday(17th May 2014).

Devotees can hear ISKCON Scarborough's weekly live radio program by logging on to www.geethavaani.com from 10 am to 11 am every Saturday.

More information about HG Kratu prabhu- http://kratuprabhu.wordpress.com/

HG Vaishesika prabhu will be joining us for special Sunday program starting at 10.45 am.

More information about HG Vaishesika prabhu - http://vaisesikadasa.com/

We welcome you, your family and friends to ISKCON Scarborough to associate with the wonderful disciples of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanata Swami Srila Prabhupada coming Friday and Sunday respectively


ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7


Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
www.iskconscarborough.com

GITA SELF-COACHING HANDBOOK
→ Gita Coaching

GITA SELF-COACHING HANDBOOK Gita Coaching Welcome to your first step to becoming a coachee and welcome to the exciting world of coaching! Here’s one definition of a coach that I find comprehensive: "A Coach is your partner in achieving your personal goals, your champion during turnaround, your trainer in communication and life skills, your sounding board when making choices, your motivator

Excuses, excuses!
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 9 March 2014, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.6.11)

cartoon_strip_final_high res

I have some cartoons. This cartoon shows, first picture – a child, you know, baby just born and the caption says, “Too young.” Next picture shows a couple in love, hand-in-hand, full moon behind them, “Too much in love.” Next picture shows a family, a few kids, you know, bags with groceries. He has got a phone, a computer, a drill and a screwdriver. I mean, they have six arms; they are, “Too busy.” Next picture, an old man; death, “Too old.” Last picture has cross on the grave, “Too late.”

So at every stage of life, we have an excuse. We always have an excuse. So, now you can say, “I always thought chanting Hare Krsna was very difficult and now I have the perfect excuse – children! So happy that I have children because I don’t have to chant Hare Krsna anymore. It is a relief, right, because now I have very good arguments not to chant.”

No, chanting must be done under any condition of life and no material difficulty can ever be accepted as a valid excuse for not chanting.

Yeah, you know, “Why didn’t you chant your rounds today?”
“I broke my leg.”
“That is not a valid excuse. You could have chanted in the hospital.”
“Yes, but I was unconscious.”
“Well, then you should have started chanting when you regained consciousness.”

So we don’t accept any excuse when it comes to chanting. Sorry! That is the first point and that’s how we have to deal with ourselves. You have to take charge of yourself with intelligence as if you are another person, looking at yourself. Here you are, your intelligence; it is as if another person looking at your and then you see yourself coming with excuses.

RedAlarmClock“I’m too busy.”
“Sorry, that’s not an excuse.”

Make time. You manage to make time when you really want it. Mmm… for your favourite TV program. So yes, with our intelligence, we must take charge and make arrangements – make time to chant. And chant with a plan. Don’t just let chanting happen.

“I have to chant sixteen rounds. I’m really trying, I’m trying. But I’m so busy, I’m so busy. You can’t believe how busy I am, I just cannot do it. I just don’t have the time. I try and try, every day I try. Don’t have the time.”

Uh, uh. Get time management! You have a time management problem. Yes, you are chanting without a plan. How do you think you will get it done without a plan? You have to have a plan. You have to build chanting into your day. Say, “I’ll chant here, I’ll chant there, and I need so much time for sixteen rounds. So many rounds here, so many rounds there.” That is how it is done!

You know, I also have a plan to chant today because I just arrived in Australia. I’m sort of still dizzy and disoriented and looking at like, “Where am I?” Seems to be Sydney and there are three programs today. Three programs. So, I have to chant some rounds on the drive back… I have to make sure that I don’t fall asleep and that the driver is not going to try to reveal his heart to me while driving (laughing). So, make a plan for spiritual life and it will go well.

 

Nrsimha-caturdasi Morning, May 13, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

nrsimha3aGiriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.18.9 during the morning program.

“The mercy of Lord Nrsimhadeva is manifest in different ways: There are internal demons and external demons, and He is fully competent and inclined to vanquish both. As preachers we face both internal and external demons, and being sincere in our service we are quite distressed by the internal demons—not just because they disturb our consciousness in our own bhajana, or worship, but because they also interfere with our ability to help others. So we take shelter of Krishna consciousness. Prahlada is actually praying that people think of Krishna, for the power of thinking of Krishna is immeasurable. As stated in the last paragraph of the purport, ’If the Krishna consciousness movement spreads all over the world, and if by the grace of Krishna everyone accepts it, the thinking of envious people will change. Everyone will think of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays, sivam mitho dhiya. In material activities, everyone is envious of others, but in Krishna consciousness, no one is envious of anyone else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others.’ (SB 5.18.9 purport)”

Nrsimha-caturdasi Kirtan
Nrsimha-caturdasi Talk

Personal Responsibility
→ simple thoughts

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Over the past few weeks one of the main topics locally has been the recent arrests of health care professionals for falsifying medical records, and a report on failings in health care provisions falling well below the professional level that even unqualified home care staff are expected to deliver.
For me one statement from a qualified nurse was unexplainable they didn’t see that basic care was their responsibility and the person being left in distressing unclean condition’s. The disconnect of the patient need and care delivery has left a stunned health board, assembly government and community silent and stunned.
Working in the profession I am am saddened to read such headlines whilst reassessing the standards of care I personally deliver to my clients is it the best I can given the restraints of time and facilities at my disposal.
What disappointed me working in the profession is not the relative’s call for heads to roll (that’s understandable) but that each looked at blaming everyone other than themselves, the nurses weren’t to blame as they had been let down by lack of management direction, the management weren’t to blame as they had been let down by lack of health board direction, they intern weren’t to blame as they were only in place over the last few years and look to the assembly government. Who in tern said sorry but pointed out it was the trust boards responsibility overall.
I wondered what happened to nurse accountability, how we are not only care provider’s but also primary advocates for those vunrable and unable to self advocate due to illness, it was seen as the nurse’s duty and great pride was taken in how high the standard’s of not only the ward you worked on but the hospital.
Accurate and honest documentation
Clean well cared for patient’s, with each component of the care package delivered in a timely fashion. This was see as good nursing.
After all in vedic culture the nurse is described as one of our mother’s and this is high praise indeed as no mother can turn a blind eye to suffering putting others needs before her own, a majority of nurses put patients needs before their own.
I return to the thought of personal responsibility
And also personal responsibility as devotee’s/my responsibility.
It is easy as in the case highlighted to pass blame, its not my responsibility it’s the temple, senior devotee’s (let me tell you so and so Prabhu/Mataji don’t do ###### and so that’s why I don’t)
It’s easy to fall into this trap.
But Krishna consciousness is personal not impersonal
I am personally responsible for our japa
I am personally responsible for reading and studying Srila Prabhupada book’s
I am personally responsible for distributing and sharing prasadam, and inspiring others to take to Krishna consciousness
The GBC, Iskcon give guidelines and instructions to follow, it is personal choice to follow or not the results will reflect this.
As in my professional life I have guidelines from the professional bodies that oversee the care profession it is my responsibility to make sure this standard is met, the results of my client’s experience will reflect this.
If their is failings it is not theirs but mine.
I as a devotee should reflect the highest standards any failings is non other than mine.
Personalism not impersonal
The end thought
I should be the example and by this example others should be inspired to follow

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton, Ontario

New Take
 
Even if you follow the same trail on a daily basis, the walk will never be a duplicate.  Fortunately, each take on a trail, street or road, has its own uniqueness.  It will never turn out as dry routine, especially if you approach the walk with a fresh outlook each time.  That’s where it becomes adventuresome.
 
It is much like the soul’s transmigration.  It takes on new bodies, hence, every birth brings with it a new experience that spans out until it’s exit time.
 
When you take those first steps for that daily trek, you face a new weather dynamic, new encounters with people, with plants, wildlife, creepy crawlies, or whatever.  The wind always blows a different way.  Above all, you always go with a different mindset and carry the new add on mental makeup of the day.
 
It can never be boring – really.
 
And let’s say you don’t go in a loop fashion, but you take a path, reach the furthest point in your day’s journey, and then turn around to retrace your steps.  But this time it’s from a new angle.  The scenery is changed.  You see the other half of the same house that you passed by on the way over.  Magically, it’s a new scenery.
 
The one thing I recommend is to chant a mantra simultaneously while on foot.  That offers some consistency, even though the inner approach from the heart will carry a different brand of sincerity each time.  You can call this whole technique a good shot at diversity.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Monday, May 12th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
 
To the One Who Inspired
 
Today is just another one that holds much inspiration.  A few of us at the ashram were remembering a soul by the name of Jayananda.  Hailing from Ohio, he was one of the most helpful persons when Krishna Consciousness was in its infancy in the west.  He passed away from leukemia in ’76, so this makes it an anniversary day.
 
He was not known as a walker, but rather as a cab driver.  With his income he supported devotional efforts in the Bay area and what you could call the beacon of hippie-dom in the ‘60’s.  Perhaps he didn’t put all energy into his feet and legs, but he did put physical energy into everything.  He used every part of his body in the service of others, and his endeavours ranged from priestly work to taking out the garbage, all done in the spirit of joy.  For him, everything was an opportunity.  He worked tirelessly, selflessly, and where saintliness really counts, it truly shone in him in many ways.  One way was his strong resistance to hearing criticism of others.  Basically, he loved people and life.
 
Now, I personally never met him, but I have plenty of peers who shared invaluable time with him, whether it was doing mechanical work on the communal car, or assembling the chariots for the big parade on Fifth Avenue in New York.  He seemed to capture the mood and spirit of bhakti, devotion.  In this regard you could classify him as a true yogi in the devotional sense.
 
Inspiration is a difficult concept to grasp, perhaps, in scientific terms, but it is very real when you get motivated just by seeing someone in selfless action.  That’s what Jayananda did for people.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Monday, May 12th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
 
To the One Who Inspired
 
Today is just another one that holds much inspiration.  A few of us at the ashram were remembering a soul by the name of Jayananda.  Hailing from Ohio, he was one of the most helpful persons when Krishna Consciousness was in its infancy in the west.  He passed away from leukemia in ’76, so this makes it an anniversary day.
 
He was not known as a walker, but rather as a cab driver.  With his income he supported devotional efforts in the Bay area and what you could call the beacon of hippie-dom in the ‘60’s.  Perhaps he didn’t put all energy into his feet and legs, but he did put physical energy into everything.  He used every part of his body in the service of others, and his endeavours ranged from priestly work to taking out the garbage, all done in the spirit of joy.  For him, everything was an opportunity.  He worked tirelessly, selflessly, and where saintliness really counts, it truly shone in him in many ways.  One way was his strong resistance to hearing criticism of others.  Basically, he loved people and life.
 
Now, I personally never met him, but I have plenty of peers who shared invaluable time with him, whether it was doing mechanical work on the communal car, or assembling the chariots for the big parade on Fifth Avenue in New York.  He seemed to capture the mood and spirit of bhakti, devotion.  In this regard you could classify him as a true yogi in the devotional sense.
 
Inspiration is a difficult concept to grasp, perhaps, in scientific terms, but it is very real when you get motivated just by seeing someone in selfless action.  That’s what Jayananda did for people.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

The Meeting of Cultures on the Ancient Silk Road (Album 44 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

The silk road going through Uzbekistan is one of the oldest traveled paths in the world, historians save over 2,500 years. The silk road has always been a melting pot of cultures from India, Europe, Russia, and central Asia. It's developing a new meaning as Srila Prabhupada's followers began to quietly spread in the country. This album is a collection of pictures of some of the devotees and the traditional culture in Uzbekistan, mostly shot in Tashkent, Samarkand, and the mountains during our visit in April-May of 2014 Read more ›

Lord Nrsmhadeva Festival (Ugra Nrsmhadeva in Philippines) (Album 187 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Nrsimhadeva (nri-SING-ha-deva) is Krishna’s half-man and half-lion incarnation. After Krishna's incarnation as a boar, Varahadeva, killed the demon Hiranyaksha, the demon’s younger brother, Hiranyakashipu, was determined to get revenge and conquer the universe. He performed severe austerities to get the attention of Brahma, and asked to be granted immortality. Brahma, the engineer of the universe, was himself a mortal being and so could not grant him immortality. But he did give Hiranyakashipu the boons that he could not be killed by any man or animal, by anything living or dead, during the day or night, inside or outside, on the land or in the sea or sky. Read more ›

Russell Brand – Awakened Man
→ ISKCON News

Russell Brand has recently burst onto the activist and consciousness scene with his interview on BBC a few months ago. Since then, he has been speaking out against many of the injustices that have been plaguing the world from wealth inequality to political corruption.