Mr. Vara has helped ISKCON in a variety of campaigns with ISKCON Hungary and Moscow and with many projects for the Hindu community in the UK.
British MP Shailesh Vara Receives International Award
Radhanath Swami and Radha Krishna Das Speak at Annamrita Midday Meal Program’s 10th Year Celebration
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Basanti Roi – A Government Officer Speaks on Annamrita
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ISKCON Food Relief Foundation Celebrates 10 Years
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Spiritual Anger Management
→ ISKCON News
New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ February 26, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
He who with food, clothing and other gifts, serves Vrndavana’s residents that are penniless, desireless, afraid of materialists company, and plunged into Krsna nectar makes Vrndavana’s king and queen his submissive servants.
[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-74 Translation.]
Once Upon a Time (Aishwarya vs. Prema – Title Fight)
→ The Enquirer
Once upon a time
Lalitā scolded Hari, saying, “You rascal! How dare you treat us like that! Who do you think you are!?”
Hari replied, “I am Hari. I am not only the king of this land, I am the king of everything. I am Jagannath, Viṣṇu, Puruṣa the original person.”
The Gopīs made fun of him by busting into uproarious laughter.
“I’m not kidding,” he said.
“Ok, then prove it,” Lalitā challenged.
“How?” he asked.
“Show your incarnations,” she demanded. “Assume the form of one of the avatars.”
“OK,” he said, and there on the spot assumed the form of Varaha, the gigantic boar. Thus the place in Vraja is known as Varaha-ghat (at that time it was on the riverbank, now it is a few hundred yards away).
The gopīs love for Krishna was not hindered by this at all. Their awareness of Krishna’s godhood only increases the sweetness of their intimate relationship. Indeed this theme is presented directly by Śrī Śuka in the Second Canto, Chapter Seven – where he repeatedly shows how the sweetness of Krishna cannot be diminished by his majesty.
Vraja prema is supremely powerful. There is no threat to it. Aishwarya prema is no threat to it. Aishwarya, like everything, is a maidservant to madhurya-braja prema.
- Vraja Kishor
Sweet Like Sugar Candy
→ Japa Group
From Nectar of Instruction Text 7
Cry until you are dry…
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, July 2011, Fruska Goranga, Serbia, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.16)
Question: How to deal with the notorious false ego?
You can buy a self-help sociology book. It is useful because it makes you more aware but your false ego will still be there. Carl Jung speaks of a swollen ego. We can try so many techniques and all may help a little bit.
But I think that the approach of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is nice. It is an approach where we just don’t pay attention to this false ego. It works through our mind, and constantly the mind comes up with endless rubbish.
The mind is like a spoiled child. If we want this child to stop crying, just ignore it. Cry until you are dry. Simple as that!
Not that we do it in the mood of just renouncing and being hard. We just get busy in devotional service. Too busy and then we can’t complain.
“Oh, I’m so busy. I have no time for anything else. I can hardly chant my rounds! Oh, I have never time to read! I have so much service.”
Good! Because if we would have time, we would just think of nonsense anyway and if we would have time, we would still not chant seriously. We would still chant, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna… Oh, how are you today?”
So, if you have such a big, swollen false ego then the best remedy is to just become overloaded with service and that service will save us. Then later, after we have made sacrifice in service, then we will find that our hearing, chanting, remembering has grown deeper.
God cannot be formless, that would make him incomplete
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Thus the Complete Whole is not formless. If He were formless, or if He were less than His creation in any other way, He could not be complete. The Complete Whole must contain everything both within and beyond our experience; otherwise He cannot be complete.
- Srila Prabhupada, Sri Isopanishad : Iso Invocation purport
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:51:00 →
"The whole day and night remained at Ananda Ashram. Kirtan demonstration was given. Dr. Mishra appreciated it very much. Next morning also invited. The following letters received
1. From Teertha Maharaj
2. From the Nepal Permanent Commission
3. From Brindaban.
4. From United States Navigation Co.
The following letters despatched.
1. To Mr. Prem Gandhi
2. To Sally Agarwal.
3. Brindaban's letter replied."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:48:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:47:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
Little market in Mayapur during the festival (Album 28 photos)
→ Dandavats.com
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:31:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:20:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:16:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:10:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-26 17:08:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
Iskcon devotees mix with the local population in a Jaganath Puri Maha Yajna (Album 33 photos)
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Field Trip-Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
→ TKG Academy
TKG Academy’s Upper Elementary class took a field trip to the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History.TKG students were engaged with an interactive way to enhance and support classroom curriculum by going to the Museum for an exhibit field trip. The exhibits provided a wide-range of interactive experiences.
Tuesday, February 25th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk
This gem in the form of a small pocked-size book came my way by the author.
Kancana-Valli, the author, was born in Newcastle, England and became a devotee of Krishna at age 20. In order to create this book, she apparently adopted the profession of a bumblebee- “collecting nectar from the divine flowers adorning Vaishnava literature”.
Kindly, she gave me a copy of this new release and I don’t think she’ll mind me sharing some contents, worthy stuff for thought. By the way, the book is called, “Crying for Krishna”.
Awaken within me the ability to concentrate.
Within attention are the seeds of love.
Help me to become fascinated by how you appear in sound.
Remind me that I will get out of my spiritual practices what I put into them.
Consider me Your servant, patient, property and instrument.
Enable me to tolerate my weaknesses and shame and not run away from them.
Let me live and die, in full consciousness of the glory of Your love.
Thank you, Kancana, for this treasure.
May the Source be with you!
5 KM
Monday, February 24th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk
How proposals go before and pass through the GBC
→ SivaramaSwami.com
The post How proposals go before and pass through the GBC appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
HG Narottamananda Prabhu / Kalachandji’s Bhagavad-Gītā Meditation Course – 16
→ Kalachandji's Audio Archive
HG Nityananda Prabhu / SB 10.56.01-11
→ Kalachandji's Audio Archive
Vande
→ Ramai Swami
VANDE, which stands for Vaisnava Arts For A New Devotional Era, is headed by Bhaktimarga Swami and a dedicated team of ISKCON thespians. Maharaja travels the world encouraging devotees to spread Krsna Consciousness through this ancient medium.
Historical Pics ISKCON Toronto Part 2 (Album 44 photos)
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Developing good habits & relinquishing bad habits – Brajabihari prabhu (51 min video)
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Acharya – Feature film by Yadubara prabhu (6 min video)
→ Dandavats.com
Five steps to outreach follow up – Pancharatna prabhu (52 min video)
→ Dandavats.com
Madhava dasa Leading New Vrindaban’s 24 Hour Kirtan – June 15th, 2013
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
Video of Madhava dasa leading New Vrindaban’s 24 Hour Kirtan – June 15th, 2013.
Demigod and Ancestor Worship Part 2
→ HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami
Class by HG Bhuta Bhavana Prabhu. CC Madhya 15.278-302. 25.01.2014
→ Gouranga TV - The Hare Krishna video collection
Class by HG Bhuta Bhavana Prabhu. CC Madhya 15.278-302. 25.01.2014
ISKCON Scarborough – Siva Ratri celebrations coming Friday- 28th Feb 2014
→ ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7
New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ February 25, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
He who has his house, clothing and food in sacred Vrndavana is pious a million times over. He becomes liberated and he liberates others. He who resides in Vrndavana, the spiritual abode of the nectar bliss of pure love, easily attains wonderful love from the beloved of Maharaja Vrsabhanu’s daughter.
[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-73 Translation.]
Japa Is The Cornerstone
→ Japa Group
“You have to minimize your sleeping. If you cannot finish sixteen rounds, then you must not sleep on that day, you must not eat. Why don't you forget to eat, forget? Why do you forget chanting Hare Krsna? This is negligence, aparadha, offense. Rather, you should forget your sleeping and eating, and must finish sixteen rounds. This is called determination. This is called determined....”
Letter from Srila Prabhupada 28/1/74
GITA SEVA MUSIC LYRICS
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In the holy land
→ KKSBlog
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 February 2014, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.8.5)
Recently, I have spent time here in Sridham Mayapur because the GBC asked me to do some service. They asked me to do a kind of analysis of Mayapur and develop a strategy of how it should develop, in which direction it should go and asked me to write a report.
So, I spent four months working on that and I had to temporarily cut down my reading of Bhagavatam and had to sort of come down to management, management, management! So even now, in this lecture that is what will come out. It is inevitable because whatever we hear ultimately finds roots in our hearts, stays there and will manifest.
But I did read interesting and nice things about Mayapur, to comfort you. It’s not that bad [laughter]. After all, it is the spiritual world so it was a positive meditation. One interesting point came up in an old BTG article where Ambarish was being interviewed about the Mayapur project. Ambarish was saying that this project in Sridham Mayapur is very challenging. It’s challenging us to go beyond anything we could have ever imagined.
So the interviewer was asking, “In what respects do you mean? Are you talking about the money?” Ambarish said, “No, I am not talking about the money; money can come. I am talking in terms of organization.” He said that this is the biggest thing, the biggest thing this movement has ever undertaken and it’s just way beyond anything that we ever imagined we would do in this life. In this way, we are greatly challenged and that is indeed a fact!
In the course of interviewing various leaders, one of them said that just to build the temple, he said, “I bet you my bottom dollar that it will never be done unless everyone gets involved.” I thought that was the general principle which applies to the entire city and I thought it only comes alive if we all start giving to Mayapur.
We have come here again and again for inspiration. We have received the mercy of the dham. Here it is so easy! While I am here, automatically I can get up early. In other places, it is so difficult but here, it’s so easy. It just comes natural especially if there is no festival; there is nothing to do here at night, most of the time even the Pizzeria is not functioning [laughter]. So then where would you go? Nowhere to go!
So, just go to bed and then rise early and then chant before mangala-arati when there is really nothing going on, when there is no one talking and when one can just actually chant sixteen uninterrupted rounds, which is such an opulence – to just chant sixteen rounds without doing anything else, day after day. So I had a great time in that respect, I must say.
So, the dham was generous because the dham is surcharged with the generosity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We know that Caitanya-caritamrta highlights that generosity is an essential principle – that when we take the fruit of love of God and when we start to distribute that fruit of love of God, we will find that we wind up with more than we had before.
So, this principle applies here also. It equally applies to Sridham Mayapur. That actually we have to give to the dham, our effort has to be here, pranair arthair dhiya vaca (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.22.35); our energy, our wealth, our intelligence, our words – they all have to manifest here for this project to become what it is meant to be.