Vaishnava Vivaha-Yajna at the Center for Indian Culture, Moscow, Russia (Album 153 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Vivāha-yajña, the marriage ceremony, is meant to regulate the human mind so that it may become peaceful for spiritual advancement. For most men, this vivāha-yajña should be encouraged even by persons in the renounced order of life. Sannyāsīs should never associate with women, but that does not mean that one who is in the lower stages of life, a young man, should not accept a wife in the marriage ceremony. All prescribed sacrifices are meant for achieving the Supreme Lord. Therefore, in the lower stages, they should not be given up. Read more ›

Food Workshops
→ Bhakti Lounge - The Heart Of Yoga in Wellington

BL_food_June_web_banner

June 3rd – Whole-foods for Health
You’ll gain confidence and knowledge how you can optimise your health and vitality through a plant-based diet. At this workshop we will look into:
- Where we can get the essential nutrients we all need – without taking pills!
- Common myths about plant-based diets lacking in nutrition and therefore causing fatigue and bad health.
- How to identify the unnecessary and harmful ‘non-food ingredients’ in many foods today.
- Tips how to prepare wholesome meals amidst a busy lifestyle!

June 10th – Plate Power!
We are exposing the secrets of Krishna food!!! In this workshop we will allow the yoga knowledge to reveal how our food choices, the way we prepare and the way we eat all have an impact on other living beings, on the planet and mostly our own consciousness and therefore our experience of life. It’s scientific and amazingly tangibly true!

June 17th – Positivity from Within
How much does modern society affect our lifestyle choices, our conceptions of diet and our body image? This workshop will highlight this and then we will explore knowledge of our blissful true-self identity. We’ll find ways to practically apply this new found positivity in our personal lives and actualize freedom from any negative and limiting conceptions of ourselves.

June 24th – Practice the Magic
A much desired and asked for cooking class! All this talk is now going to end up on your plate :D as they say the proof is in the pudding! Learn some basic skills to prepare divinely delicious meals, that are totally affordable and easy to make in this hands on workshop!


"The Return of Hare Krishnas" – Article from Details Magazine
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

We want to share an interesting article that we stumbled upon. It illustrates and discusses the lifestyles of some members of the Hare Krishna faith in the contemporary western world. The author begins:

The much-maligned Hindu sect has shed its freak-show status and, behind its yuppie-friendly pillars of yoga, meditation, and clean living, is transforming America into a postmodern ashram. Robes not required."

The past and present of Hare Krishna suns himself in the high-resolution glow of code as it scrolls down his computer screen. He is 31 and married to a doctor and, after five years as an architect, is making the transition into tech—working at the largest data-protection company in the world to study its market strategies, which he hopes to apply to the start-up he's planning to launch. He is just like you: career-minded and ambitious. He has a slim build, short-cropped hair, a vegetarian diet, and a dedicated yoga regimen. It's only if you happen to catch a glimpse of the string of tulasi-wood beads—a sign of devotion to Lord Krishna—tucked discreetly inside his collared shirt that you might become aware that Palaka Das is existing on a different plane. [Read More]

After devastation, the first life appears in water
→ The Spiritual Scientist

"Because after devastation, the whole universe is filled up with water.
So in the water the first living beings are the fishes or the aquatics.
Then that fish or aquatic means a living entity embodied by that fish
body. Just like we are now, every one of us... I am also a soul, you are
also a soul. We are embodied by this body, human form of body.
Similarly, we had to accept the body of a fish. Because we are in this
material world, when there is water only, where shall we go?"

Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972

The smile of Lord Caitanya
→ KKSBlog

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

Caitanya_painting_mayapurHow far does the mercy of Lord Caitanya extend? It is said that it is the smile of the Lord that awoke the desire for spiritual life in the heart of the living beings. So, it is not just all due to our own credit, our own piety and so on. It is also Lord Caitanya who awoke some desire into our heart, just to encourage us, ‘Alright, take a little bonus here!’

Otherwise it may have never happened. The mercy of Lord Caitanya is the reason why the Caitanya Caritamrta is so important. Because of that mercy, the Caitanya Caritamrta goes beyond the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Initiation Names
→ SivaramaSwami.com

Bhakta Abhay (Wales)
Abhiṣeka Dāsa – servant of Kṛṣṇa, who is bathed in different substances and bathed in the love of His servants

Bhakta Dusan Valkó (Budapest)
Kṛṣṇa-śaraṇa Dāsa – servant of Kṛṣṇa, the perfect shelter

Bhaktin Marianna Dobrotka (NVD)
Mathureśvarī Devī Dāsī – the servant of the Goddess of Mathurā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī

Bhaktin Hilda Bányai (Balmazújváros)
Haridvārī Devī Dāsī –servant of Rādhā, who is the gate to Kṛṣṇa

Madhuben (Vidyāgati’s mother, UK)
Madhumatī Devī Dāsī – servant of one of Kṛṣṇa’s prāṇa-sakhīs

Initiated by Keśava Bhāratī Mahārāja:
Bhaktin Viola Simon (Budapest)
Vrajaloka Devī Dāsī – servant of Goloka Vṛndāvana

The post Initiation Names appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

REIKI ANGELIC HEALING
→ Gita Coaching

An interview with Matea Nefertiti https://www.facebook.com/reikiangelic.healing Q: What is reiki? A: Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit, creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Q:

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-05-19 15:45:00 →

1975 May 19: "Things are looking very favorable now we simply have to try even harder to sincerely carry out Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's orders and He will be pleased to provide us with more and more facilities. Co-operate nicely with one another and strongly push on this mission by printing and distributing our books in unlimited quantity."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

A Most Spectacular Event! (Album 98 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Yesterday Russian devotees held their annual Ratha Yatra festival in Moscow. Due to the present political climate in the country, city authorities restricted the event to a small area inside a park. But that did not deter 700 hundred devotees from participating. Afterwards a public program was held in a large auditorium for the public. Over 4,000 devotees and guests came for the spectacular event which included singing, dancing, theater and delicious prasadam. Read more ›

From the New Vrindaban Garden: Companion Plants 5-19-14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

New Vrindaban Garden Workers

Sunday garden work crew of volunteers. Planting many beds of beautiful flowers.

This week in the garden the weather has shown us just how unpredictable May weather can be, in a few days we went from over 80 degrees to a light frost. Many of our more sensitive plants were covered the last two nights. If you are unable to cover your plants at night often they can be saved by heavily watering the foliage before the sun has a chance to melt the frost off of the plants. This is what we did in both the Teaching Garden and the Garden of Seven Gates.

In the Garden of Seven Gates we have been working on a large bed of 300 tomatoes and 200 peppers. Within this bed we are doing companion planting. Companion planting is defined as the close planting of different plants that enhance each other’s growth or protect each other from pests. A great historical example of companion planting is “the three sisters”. According to Iroquois legend, corn, beans, and squash are three inseparable sisters who only grow and thrive together. This tradition of interplanting corn, beans and squash in the same mounds, widespread among Native American farming societies, is a sophisticated, sustainable system that provided long-term soil fertility and a healthy diet to generations.

With our tomatoes and peppers we are also planting basil, rosemary, and marigolds. This will help to deter pests and provide beautiful flowers for the temple. In the teaching garden you will find beds that have flowers intermixed with lettuce and spinach. The following link is a great site for finding basic companion plants http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html . I hope everyone has a wonderful sunny week in the garden.