Planet ISKCON

"Maya is very strong, and we are liable to fall down at any moment. We have to gather our strength by chanting the beads sixteen rounds regularly and praying to the lotus feet of Krsna for guidance."

Letter to Bali Mardan and Upendra
Los Angeles 10 May, 1970

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 March 2014, Sydney, Australia, Bhagavad-gita 13.3)

In spiritual life, we need to keep ourselves safe. We have to think, ”I am not very powerful spiritually. I am weak and I’m surrounded by maya (the material energy), and maya is very strong.” So I need to look for all kinds of protection – devotees protect, Bhagavad-gita protects, prasadam protects, chanting protects. So we must take shelter of all these things that offer protection.

Actually, a devotee is always looking for protection and this is the way to get it – cheaply! To tell you the truth, if we just carry on with chanting and following the principles, it will happen automatically. Success guaranteed!

 

 

“The Lord, Sri Krishna, says,

daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

‘This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.’  (Bg 7.14)

“One who surrenders to Krishna can easily overcome Maya—not directly, but by Krishna’s mercy. We do not have the strength to fight Maya independently. Maya is a very powerful energy of Krishna’s. When we surrender to Krishna He will arrange for our release from the clutches of Maya. So, Ravana is lust personified. He could be killed only by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ravana had ten heads, and as soon as one head was cut off another head would grow. In our own practice of Krishna consciousness, we can recognize this phenomenon. Material desires come one after another. And lust does not mean only sexual desire but any desire to enjoy independent of Krishna, any desire to enjoy anything in forgetfulness of Krishna which will take us further away from Krishna.” —Giriraj Swami

Rama-navami Morning Talk

500 years ago Lord Krishna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (or Lord Gauranga). He appeared as a devotee of Krishna (Himself) to reawaken all the conditioned souls by the method of harinama-sankirtana. He would go with His followers into the streets and chant the names of Krishna . Sankirtan brings darshan of Krishna , or attainment of divine consciousness, in this Kali yuga. Sankirtan develops love of God. Sankirtan is the easiest, surest, safest, quickest way to attain God consciousness. Those who do sankirtan in the beginning for the sake of mental enjoyment will realize the purifying effects of sankirtan after some time and then they will themselves do it with bhava (intense feeling) and shraddha (faith). There is a mysterious power in the name of the Lord Krishna. Man cannot live on bread alone, but he can live on the name of Lord Krishna. Read more ›

1966 April 13: "Navami. Today I received one letter from the chief assistant of the Governor of New York. In the evening eight ladies and gentlemen attended the meeting. Paul's T.R. is alright. Income -- $1.00."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1968 April 13: "We do not condemn any religion. So we are teaching Love of Godhead, not any particular type of religion. Our Krishna Conscious movement is not a religious movement - it is a movement for purifying the heart."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 April 13: "If you can organize a means of selling our magazines and books in India, it will be a great help to our activities. One of my disciples is already in India, and if you think seriously to help me in this movement, he will also join you."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 April 13: "The disagreement amongst our god-brothers, it is a fact. But so far as I am concerned, I am trying to execute my humble bit, and if somebody disagrees in these activities, what can I do?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1971 April 13: "In my youthhood I organized theater performance and acted the part of Advaita Prabhu in one such drama. It was very much appreciated by the highest class of men in Calcutta. While performing such dramas, always the actors must be Vaisnavas. Outsiders may help but devotees should have all the major roles."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1974 April 13: "Now you have been posted as temple president. You go on expanding there as you are doing so wonderfully. So many new devotees are joining. Now instruct them carefully and keep them in your care."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 13: "After Hyderabad I travel one week in Southern India; then Paris, five days each in Geneva, Rome, Sweden, Germany. Then Australia and back to India by Janmastami. After that England and then the U.S."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

The new rented place is spacious and beautifully renovated. But still not spacious enough to accomodate the crowd of five to ten thousand people that are expected to visit the Centre on Janmashtami. That is why, says temple president Sadhu-priya das, devotees are seeing this as a temporary place and are making continuous efforts to acquire a place of their own. But though the place is temporary, it will fulfill the spiritual needs of the Moscow devotee community. Read more ›

Answer Podcast

Lecture Podcast

The project of a "European Observatory on sects" and forging a "European consensus" on the issue of "sects" has failed - The Recommendation did not obtain 2/3 of the votes (28 for, 18 against and 13 abstentions) and was not adopted. It aimed to: 1.1. conduct a study about the scale of the phenomenon of sects affecting minors at European level, on the basis of information provided by the member States; 1.2. set up a working group to exchange information between member States on excesses of sects affecting minors and to develop good practices for preventing the problem; and 1.3. seek to improve co-operation at European level with a view to implementing joint activities to prevent excesses of sects and protect minors against them. Read more ›

“From the time that the name of Hari became manifest on the earth, Vaisnava folk were seen everywhere, adorned with faultless tiloka, neckbeads and equipped with the maha-mantra. In the midst of Kali Yuga they purified the atmosphere chanting, ‘Hari! Hari!’ So indeed it came to pass.” [ Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Susloka-satakam ]

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Lecture Podcast

From Hiten P

Answer Podcast

Answer Podcast

From Ramabhadra Priya P:

As you mention in your classes, there is no spur for the lord to speak, as He is in ecstasy and continues to speak to extol the glories of Bhakti. That is the link you mention for chapter 9 to chapter 10. Is it also true that when lord spoke 9.34, the most confidential knowledge, now in order to show how to execute this most confidential knowledge, He explains chapter 10.  Arjuna also makes the same request 10.17.

Answer Podcast

A Grand Memorial Service for All the Vaisnavas to Celebrate Her Life will be Held on Sunday, April 13, 2014, at the Temple. A Poem in Tribute by Raga Devi Dasi In our final days together, I looked upon your face. A slightly wrinkled but regal beauty, Displaying all of the good Lord’s good grace. Then Krsna came and took you to Him, Guiding you gently all the while, Co-creating a glorious leaving, Which like your life was full of dignified style. Read more ›

The Alachua Hare Krishna Temple, also known as New Raman Reti Dhama, provides a peaceful, spiritual shelter in a beautiful rural setting. Providing classes on Vedic scriptures, sacred kirtan chanting, spiritual festivals, sumptuous prasadam or blessed foods and the fellowship of like-minded people, one can be nurtured on their path to self realization. Read more ›

Lecture Podcast

Lord Chaitanya stressed that the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare is the easiest means of self-realization. Mantras were only chanted softly until Lord Chaitanya started harinam sankirtan, the loud public and congregational chanting of the maha-mantra accompanied by musical instruments. Srila Prabhupada brought harinam sankirtan to the streets of cities, towns and villages around the world. Read more ›

Hare Krishna devotees, this day had harinam program in the temple and went to town, participated many enthusiastic devotees, is always a success harinam program for everyone in the city and visitors who arrive daily and they are enthusiastically involved with us, these are just some photographs, all glories to harinam sankirtan movement !!!!! Read more ›

The chapter summary for 10^th chapter says that the Lord’s aisvarya is the cause of Bhakti, which is discussed in the 7^th, 8^th and 9^th chapter. The same is now explained in more detail. For 7^th chapter, the verses are 7.8-12, and  for 9^th chapter, the are verses 9.16 to 9.19. Which are the verses for 8^th chapter which discuss lord’s aisvarya?

Answer Podcast

Podcast

Its been few weeks since i started my new service of making the Sunday morning salad at the temple.

Whenever I thought about cooking, I would contemplate on vegetables, spices and oil – boiling, frying and baking. The heavy fragrance of melting ghee, crackle of the mustard seeds, the stringent aroma of the hing, the turmeric powders, the garam masalas.

Salad? Would it a step down in my cooking efforts? Would throwing some leaves together be cooking? No one ever say, I am cooking salads.

Thats what I made by the way this morning. I can’t believe it but making salads is something I really enjoy now. As I was talking about my attempts about the recipe with my wife at the temple, a lady in front of me was looking around for someone to talk to. Seeing me there, she boldly and perhaps hopefully walked up.

She : Excuse me…Hare Krishna
Me : Hare Krishna
She : I heard you mention salad
Me (heart pounding) : yes…?
She : Do you know how its made? It was really good.

What in the world just happened!?!

So, this is what I made today:

Vegetables Used
– sweet potato marinated in olive oil, dry basil, oregano and rosemary and then baked
– small potatoes cut in half and baked
– carrots in strips and baked

Leaves & Greens used:
– Celery, Rockets, Lettuce

Dressing:
Yoghurt mixed with Olive oil, Oregano, basil, rosemary, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, paprika powder, pepper, salt and sugar.

Bring them all together and be happy :)

A big thanks to Sri Krishna Chandra prabhu & Chetan prabhu for giving me the tips and guidance. And thanks to Aravind prabhu for the entertainment he provides while I prepare the salad.

Waking up early morning, doing japa and walking over to temple, spending beautiful time in the kitchen with wonderful devotees, kirtan in the background – i think the whole project is making me a better person. So, I think I am not making salads. The salad is making me.

This is always a fun event for the whole family, which includes of course veg-friendly food from Kalachandji’s. The parade started at 10 am and went through the neighborhood, accompanied by hundreds of devotees as they sung,danced,& played musical instruments. The entertainment program followed at 12:30pm with: traditional dances, kirtan music, spiritual discourse, a childrens fair, henna tattoos & facepainting, contests & games, yoga, photobooths, art & cultural booths, food booths and more! Read more ›

Class: HG Murli Manohara Prabhu – SB 10.63.1-6 – 03.04.2014

Srila Prabhupada Encourages Devotees to “Work Cooperatively” to Build New Vrindaban – July 1971.

From a series of letters written by Srila Prabhupada outlining his vision for New Vrindaban.

Thanks to Vanipedia for the source material.

——————————————————————

July 31, 1971

My Dear Satadhanya,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your kindly letter dated 25th July, 1971. Very soon I am going to Europe; London and Paris, but soon thereafter I will be returning to USA. At that time I may very well visit New Vrindaban. In the mean time you work cooperatively with the others to make our New Vrindaban a very nice place. Then how I can refuse to visit there? So far your name, Satadhanya was a great devotee king.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

"It’s such a good thing when you chant your japa decently. It brightens your day. You feel hope for the ultimate goal. After all, chanting is the prime necessity, the easiest way to achieve love of God. In fact, it’s the only way in Kali-yuga."

From Japa Transformations
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, BYS Lecture)

A saint in one tradition,one morning came out of the house, carrying a bucket with fire and a bucket with water. People said, “Ooooh, what you gonna do with all of that?”

And the saint said, “With the water, I will put out the fire of hell and with the fire, I will burn heaven.”

(Gasping) “You’re gonna burn heaven!? You’re gonna put out the fire of hell!? What is this?”

“Yes,” the saint said, “Because most people are into spirituality either because they want to avoid hell or because they want to attain heaven where they enjoy eternally instead of being in it for the love of God.”

So that, I thought, was a nice statement. If I look cross-cultural at the saints who represent their traditions and who are meant to have realized something through their meditation, then you see in these saints, certain characteristics as a result of their process, their meditation. These saints, they have an inner strength. They are not disturbed by any outside factors. Internally, they are unaffected. These saints hold love in the highest esteem. These saints are aiming to dedicate their life to God and at the same time they are dedicating their life to benefiting all the living beings. So they are well-wishers, that is a saint and I think we can see it in every tradition. I’m summarizing in a short talk like this, the result of traditional meditation is basically: sainthood, saintliness. That is something that interests me.

Imagine – a modern saint. That would be something, right. Imagine if people would become saintly through their meditation. Imagine we have a few saints in a university. Imagine we even have a faculty, “Faculty for Sainthood!” I mean, you know, it sounds pretty cool. I think the university would benefit from such a faculty. Absolutely! Whether you would get a job, I don’t know. Saints are known to be unemployed these days, what can be said. A lot of unemployment among saints in the modern world but, you know, you can be optimistic because saints somehow or other, even although they may not find a job, somehow or other, it seems that they have a little angel that takes care of them. So in that way, in the end, you might wind up alright – if you get a degree in sainthood!

Whether one is a demigod or a demon, a man or a creature other than man, such as a beast or bird, everyone should worship Lord Ramacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears on this earth just like a human being.