Planet ISKCON

Celebrating the upcoming Mother's Day.

Join Inc.500 entrepreneur, Amish Shah, as he investigates the secrets of the ancient submerged city of Dwarka. Follow his journey, inspired by the Mahabharata and other Vedic texts, as he explores the validity of their detailed accounts of ancient technology, powerful beings, and epic wars.

Coconut Grove, Florida

A Small Band of Us

A small band of us trekked to the ocean, and on our way we passed by a pizza shop which looked to be a 24/7 outfit.  The owner of the shop came out and broke out into a chant when he saw us.  It turns out that he knows one of our boys, a monk who passed away no less than two years ago. 

“I love that guy,” said the pizza man with his hand to his heart. 

“You mean, Siddha Vidya, my god brother monk?”

“Yeah, that’s the guy, that’s his name,” he said.  “I’ll make some pizzas for you guys,” and we declined saying it’s a little early in the morning.  It was 5:30 AM. 

Those of us who walked together knew of this extraordinary soul – Siddha Vidya, who made an impression on so many people with his visits to shop owners.  He made so many friends with all the people he had met.

Now, we continued on through Peacock Park, where hippies frequented, played Frisbee and enjoyed the food and fun that Krishna monks provided in the ‘70’s.  Vishnujana Swami, a most renowned monk of his time, drew the crowds. 

Much later in the day, or let’s say at 1-ish, a second group of us made our way to the docks for a boat ride and swim.   The operator of the boat called “Pearson” with the Shake A Leg establishment, was one of those guys that used to hang out at Peacock Park with the Krishnas in the ‘70’s.  Being sensitive about our needs, he took us to a beach area away from the sex, drugs, and rock and roll scene, bless his heart.  Hence, we played hard in the water.  I still prefer fresh water though.  Jambavan, from Michigan, was with us, and told about his father’s t-shirt, which held a caption in support of the Great Lakes, where there’s fresh water.  The caption read, “No Sharks, No Salt, No Worries”.  When I asked the operator of the boat about sharks in the area, his facetious response was, “Whoever amongst you is a poor swimmer, just keep him near you.”

The evening wrapped up at the ISKCON Centre with Jambavan and I doing a duet on the Gita’s message.  I will also say that the kirtan that preceded it was electrifying.

May the Source be with you!

8 KM

Coconut Grove, Florida
 
These Trees
 

The three of us, Angelo, Ananda Rupa and I, took to the sidewalk along Main highway.  The name is somewhat misleading, it’s only a two lane expanse of asphalt in the Coconut Grove area, and it runs along the Atlantic Ocean, separated by a lean stretch of land with high end properties and private schools.  Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had strolled here on this very sidewalk under the banyan trees.  Nice place.  “Trees” was the topic of our discussion. In regards to the story of the pracetas, yogis, who had submerged themselves in water, as their venue for meditation.  They came out of the water after an extended time of trance, and noticed that the land they once knew was overgrown by trees.  They then arranged for clearing these forests, and like most projects conducted by man, it was taken to the extreme.  The moon objected to the destruction, to quote, “Soma, the king of the moon and the king of all vegetation, forbade the pracetas (from further destruction) since they, the trees, are the source of food for all.”
 
Trees are so essential for our sustenance in so many ways.  As the day rolled out, the trees at Cocounut Grove at Virginia Street, provided a welcoming shade for our mini Festival of Chariots.  The sun was baking us alive, so we, the participants, took shelter of the coconut trees as the deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra, were carried out by priests.  The kirtan resounded and was energetic.  I did tolerate some tone deaf chanting leaders.  There was a glorious comment that came out by a Catholic mother of one of our devotees.  She was told that this drumming and singing was our version of high mass.  She found it quite lively 
 
Our brief procession culminated under the shady mango tree, where dance, song and slide show, were on display on a stage.  Once again, the tree did so much to offer relief to our situation.  God bless our trees. 
 
May the Source be with you!
 
6 KM

03-04-2014 Introduction to Bhakti Yoga, University of Johannesburg, Doorfontein Campus, South Africa.mp3

1968 April 29: "I am going to Boston where there are so many nice college engagements arranged. Just recently we went to Temple University, Philadelphia where we held kirtana and lecture. Tomorrow we have got engagement at New York University. So we are spreading this Sankirtana very nicely here. Please keep me informed of your activities there."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 April 29: "I was very much pleased with the student community in Buffalo and similarly in San Francisco, Columbus and North Carolina. So our future hope is this student community. The child is the father of the man and if the fathers of the children of this country are not taking part with us then the future fathers will surely be sympathetic. That is a great hope for us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 29: "Regarding KRSNA Book chapter 31, page 4, top, the word Hrdaya is correct. You must always ask the Lord's grace to make you in the right position. It is not for your sense gratification, it is for the Lord's service. For the Lord's service we can ask for His grace and mercy a hundred times but for our sense gratification we cannot pray or ask anything - that is pure devotion."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

Give up the sand bags of material desires and let the Helium of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra take you back home, back to Godhead.

1970 April 29: "Come here sometime soon at your convenience and we can discuss your proposals in more detail. Take inspiration from the temple activities and we can discuss together our future plans for India. I will be very glad to see you both at that time."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1973 April 29: "Regarding reading Mahabharata, why divert your attention in this way? Bhagavatam is also Mahabharata. There are so many books I have presented already, so whatever you have got, just become expert in that. There are many things still yet to be learned."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1973 April 29: "Yes, we can invest $70,000 and purchase the Washington D.C. Temple. So you negotiate, and we shall purchase in name of MV Trust. So you consult and do the needful. What happened about the Columbia house?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 April 29: "So I am very much encouraged by this political field in America. Preach on the basis of the division of society into four orders. Without this, society is useless and people cannot be happy or even have the necessities of life. In India they do no take it very seriously so it is up to you Americans to actually accomplish something."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 29: "Our presentation is so scientific that learned persons are appreciating all over the world. Fix up a time when I can come conveniently to visit if you like. Schedule meetings with some of the leading citizens and important men of your country who may be interested to meet with me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

The post Conversation with guests at Saturday’s kirtan yoga program in Istanbul (Part 2) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Sunday lecture in Istanbul. (English/Turkish)

The post The meaning of raising our arms while chanting Hare Krsna (Part 2) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

How does one achieve the highest benefit in all devotional practices by nama-sankirtan? When Krishna sees that someone is helping others by giving them the opportunity to hear the holy name, then Krishna from within and from without lifts the curtain of yogamaya from that person. He thus allows them to see the actual nature of the Deity and to penetrate and realize the deepest imports of the Bhagavata, the path of spontaneous devotion. Read more ›

The 2014 West Coast Vaisnava Women's Retreat was held April 25-27, 2014, at Radha’s Garden in the San Diego area. The three day event included: VIP Guest Speaker Narayani devi dasi VIP Guest Speaker Malati devi dasi VIP Guest Speaker Sandamini devi dasi VIP Guest Speaker Vrajalila devi dasi San Diego Rathayatra parade Read more ›

With Dayanidhi prabhu. Read more ›

2014 04 20 SB 10 44 05 Inconceivable Krishna Kills Kamsa Radhanath Swami ISKCON Chowpatty

Śāstra and ācāryas have given an elaborate explanations of various types of “eternality.” To  break it down in a simple way:

1. something which has no beginning and no ending is eternal in the fullest sense.
2. something that has a beginning but no end is also eternal in a sense (its ending point is undefinable by time)
3. something that has no beginning but has an end is also eternal (its starting point is undefinable by time)

When śāstra wants to refer to #2 or #3 it uses these words “an-ādi” (without beginning, #2), and “an-anta” (without an end).

See Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s own teaching on this issue in cc madhya 20, especially…

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’ (108)

“The constitutional nature of the jīva is to be an eternal servant of Krishna, because it is a one-yet-different manifestation of Krishna’s own energy (‘taṭasthā-śakti’).”

The question arises, if the jīva is Krishna’s eternal servant, why is it not currently engaged in service to Krishna, but instead is engaged in serving itself through Māyā? Mahaprabhu addresses this question in his next instruction to Śrī Sanātana Goswāmī:

kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
ataeva māyā tāre deya saḿsāra-duḥkha (117)

“Disregarding Krishna, the Jīva  beginninglessly turns away from him. Therefore Māyā gives him to the miseries of saṁsāra.”

The question then arises, can the jīva ever fulfill its original, constitutional purpose and become engaged in Krishna’s service? Mahaprabhu addresses this in his next instruction:

sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya
sei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya (120)

“If through the mercy of sādhu and śāstra he turns towards Krishna, that jīva becomes liberated, Māyā lets go of him.”

So, the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya siddhanta concludes that the jīva is eternally bound by māyā, but “eternal” in the sense of being from the very beginning of existence (“anādi”, without a markable beginning), not in the sense of being endless. Therefore the jīva can turn towards Krishna and become free from saṁsāra-duḥka.

—

Q: I thought they are called nitya-baddha figuratively. That is, the nitya-bhaddhas are ever-conditioned because they do not know when they came in touch with this material world.

Yes, no one knows when it happened, because it is anādi – it does not have a traceable beginning. It begins with the beginning itself.

Q: On the other hand, the nitya-siddhas never come in contact with this material world, and even when they descent under the order of the Supreme Lord, they do not tangle in the material world, and remain always transcendental.

This is perfectly correct, in my opinion — and vividly demonstrates the principle that no associate of Krishna can fall into the grip of māyā.

Q: Are all of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates nitya-siddhas?

No. Nor are  all of Śrī Krishna’s associates nitya-siddha. The descent of the līlā to this world is for the purpose of inducing souls from this world to the higher plane. So when it descends, the nitya-siddhas are joined by sādhana-siddhas and a few kripa-siddhas. Even non-siddhas also participate by observing (directly, or by hearing the recordings – Śrīmad Bhāgavatam) or participating incidentally, and thus being induced to join ASAP.

Q: Is there any  clear sastric statement that every being in the spiritual realm is a nitya-siddha?

Certainly there are many. Śrīla Jīva Goswami’s analysis of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Bhāgavata Sandarbha, Anuccheda 51 is devoted to this exact statement. He says “tato’skhalanam” (no one falls from there), and quotes dozens of verses from Bhāgavatam and Śruti to support the statement.

 

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

"[The devotee] feels no apathy or attachment to mundane morality. On the other hand, morality waits like a maidservant to assist spiritual morality in the service of the Lord of Transcendental Love. At the same time we should understand that the character of one culturing spiritual love is never devoid of morality. One hostile to morality or fallen from it can never be a spiritual man. In the blazing core of the teaching of Shri Chaitanya Deva’s ideal—debauchery is not devotion. The evidence is abundant when reflecting on the character of Sri Chaitanya Deva and his followers."

Conversation between Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Prof. Albert E. Suthers, January 1929, Krishnanagar

Here is a summary of what we conclude upon considering the Bhagavatam’s description of evolution in Canto 3, Chapters 5 & 6 (which itself reiterates Canto 2, Chapters 5 & 6):

Bhāgavatam describes the evolution of senses, intelligence, emotion, individuality, and consciousness via combinations of material elements; but unlike the modern theory that this occurs from nothing and by chance, the Bhāgavata theory asserts that evolution is driven by the need to facilitate networking between the inert world and the qualities and attributes inherent within quantums of supra-material sentience.

Today was a struggle with the mind. There are so many things that Maya sends for our mind's to latch on to. Even if we are in a peaceful place from from the usual city sounds, still there are the sights and sounds of birds, insects etc.
In whatever situation we are in, if we simply give priority to the sound of the Mantra, then the mind will automatically be free from distracting thoughts.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.47)

 

Krsna who is so kind that when the living being turns away from him, Krsna says, ‘Ok, but I won’t let you go alone!’

Our bhakta in his Hansel and Gretel play opened up as a spirit soul wanting to go to the material world. Krsna was there and said, ‘No, no – don’t go!’

But jiva said, ‘It’s alright, I am not really going to stay there, I will just have a look, just check it out, and will be right back!’

Krsna was again saying, ‘No, no – don’t go!’

‘Oh, that’s alright!’

Finally Krsna said, ‘Well, you really want to go?’

‘Yes! Really! Definitely!’

Krsna, ‘Alright. Then, take this!’

And then Krsna brings the sheet of transparent plastic with the hole in it, which is the subtle body.

‘Gosh, what is this?!’

Krsna, ‘Yes, you have to wear this.’

Then Krsna brings the huge overcoat – the gross body which the jiva has to wear as well. Then he gets these parcels – material desires, lust, greed, anger and the jiva has to balance all that, ready for the material world! The curtain closes and the next scene shows bhakta in the huge cradle with the baby head on and his feet are waving at the audience! Boy, that was really good! That is exactly how it is; here we are in the material world, now forgetful of the spiritual world and now anxiety begins which has become our second nature.

Krsna feels our absence, Krsna has been waiting all this time and Krsna even has come with us to the material world, as Paramatma. In the spiritual world, there is no Paramatma in the heart of the eternally liberated souls – that is only in the material world because when the living being wants to go and leave Krsna, Krsna says, ‘Alright, yes. Alright then, you go.’ But meanwhile Krsna goes with him, hiding in the heart all along.

‘But I don’t see anything?’ Yes, because Krsna is hiding in the heart! Sometimes Krsna is sort of hinting, ‘No, no, not left, go right, go to right path, not the wrong one.’ Some say (in a proud voice), ‘It is my conscience, it is my inner voice, it is a part of me!’ No, it is Krsna who is kindly accompanying us on our material journey and in this way, we can appreciate that actually we are never alone – never, ever. And therefore we can face the greatest difficulties, because we realize – Krsna is always with me! Therefore, what can go wrong!?

 

Today was a struggle with the mind. There are so many things that Maya sends for our mind's to latch on to. Even if we are in a peaceful place from from the usual city sounds, still there are the sights and sounds of birds, insects etc.
In whatever situation we are in, if we simply give priority to the sound of the Mantra, then the mind will automatically be free from distracting thoughts.

The students have finished up their Saxon Textbooks.  So we’re reviewing those objectives in Math that they all struggle on.  Counting coins is a big tedious process for most of the students.  Adding 25s, 10s, 5s, and 1s, requires them to practice their addition, multiplication and skip-counting processes in their heads.

Like anything else difficult, you put the word game next to the activity, and do it with a partner.  They are to take turns grabbing a handful of coins, and draw out what they found on their worksheet.  After totaling it up, they return it to the cup, and do it again.  Simple.

Its like the ‘Lightbulb’ effect.  Even the ones who have spent the whole year stumbling on the Coin Counting, get it.   We end the year with more confidence in our ability to count money.

 

 

 

Greetings from the garden…..

This week has been all about preparation. In the picture above you can see just a fraction of the vegetables and flowers waiting to be planted in the gardens. Some of the more hardy plants like kale, mint, lettuce, and beets are all ready hardening off. This means they are taken out of the greenhouse and left outside in their current containers to get used to the environment. Three types of mint have already been planted in the beds along the lodge ginger mint, banana mint, and spearmint.

In the Garden of Seven Gates the sugar snap peas and shell peas are growing nicely, they enjoy the cool nights. We also had our very first vegetable harvest of the year, asparagus. For some of our other seedlings we are building simple cold frames using cement blocks and old windows. The frame is placed on the ground and is used to house, protect, and harden off seedlings and small plants, without artificial heat. The windows are removed during the day and put back on top at night to protect the plants from the cold. The new lilac bushes along the gate are starting to bloom and soon we will be seeing many types of beautiful flowering buds in the garden.

1966 April 28:
"Navami. Expenses Paul paid $1.00. Today I brought all things from 72nd Street to Paul's loft."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1966 April 28: "Last month there was a theft in my room, my typewriter and tape recorder and some books were stolen. The American people have every thing in ample and still there are thieves for want of character. That is the way of material nature."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1969 April 28: "Develop the house into a students residence. At a fixed up time there should be lectures and kirtana. If the students take part, they will take Krishna consciousness up and if our prasadam program is also introduced, that will also be great impetus."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 28: "Regarding their dogmatic insistence, everyone thinks like that, so if one is not prepared to advance more, it is better to avoid them. If one is limited by formulas only, he is described as an animal bound up by the master and unable to move beyond the length of the chain. So we are concerned only with people who are not chained by anything."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1974 April 28: "Those who pretend they have already attained perfection are sahajiya, simply imitation. This early rising, holding classes, going out regularly for sankirtana, worshiping the deity, they are the very substance of our devotional life."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 28: "I am very very proud of you both as you have given up everything and gone to a far away part of the world just on my order to carry out the will of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that the chanting of the Holy Name be heard in every town and village."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 28: "As for political speaking, our main message is that people should elect pure God Conscious leaders. If anywhere they will take seriously the principles of Bhagavad gita As It Is, that will be America. We are getting good response and there is every prospect that we may capture some political post."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

We are given this human form of life not to work hard like asses, swine and dogs but to attain the highest perfection of life. If we do not care for self-realization, the laws of nature force us to work very hard, even though we may not want to do so. Human beings in this age have been forced to work hard like the asses and bullocks that pull carts.

- Srila Prabhupada, Sri Isopanishad Mantra 3