Jivan Mukta Studio, US, Question & Answer Session
Bhakti Charu Swami

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda The Following Conversation is a Question & Answer session which was held in the Jivan-Mukta Studio, US. Interviewer: Another very important, very special event here. We have our guest Bhakti Charu Swami. Would you please join me in welcoming Bhakti Charu Mahārāja to(...)

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 03/27/14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

NV TBT 03-27-14

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 03/27/14.

Each week we highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

This week’s challenge: In addition to the processional forms of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra, there are six devotees in this photo, five whose faces are recognizable. How many can you identify?

Extra Credit: Where are they and what is the occasion?

Post your guesses on the “who, what, when, where & why” in the comment section at the New Vrindaban Facebook Page.

Technical stuff: We share a photo Thursday and confirm known details Sunday. Let’s keep it light and have a bit of fun!

Special request: If you have a photo showing New Vrindaban devotees in action, share it with us and we’ll use it in a future posting.

Upcoming Seminar – Sraddha to Nistha and Beyond
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

We are very excited to announce an upcoming seminar entitled, "Sraddha to Nistha and Beyond" with Her Grace Narayani devi dasi from Friday, April 4th - Sunday, April 6th at the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple.

Devotional service begins with a seed of faith (sraddha), which is nurtured through association and devotional practices, and gradually progressing through the various stages of bhakti, prema or love of God develops. Through this seminar series, Narayani devi dasi will share philosophical insights as well as practical tips for one to fast track their bhakti journey.

Her Grace Narayani devi dasi joined ISKCON in Boston in 1970. She has done many services for Srila Prabhupada including Deity worship in Calcutta temple, traveling book distribution in Western India for the Bombay temple and teaching Bhakti Sastri, Bhakti Vaibhava and Bhaktivedanta courses in the VIHE in Vrndavana. She helped write the VTE curriculum for Bhakti Sastri and has written three books: Srimad Bhagavatam At a Glance, Garden of Devotion and Bhagavad-Gita at a Glance.

Details (click on flyer for more info):

Class One: Strengthening Faith
Friday, April 4th; 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Class Two: Overcoming Obstacles
Saturday, April 5th; 7:45am - 9:00am

Class Three: Gaining Taste
Sunday, April 6th; 7:45am - 9:00am

As always, prasadam (vegetarian meal) will be served after each class. Donates are welcome to cover seminar costs. If you have any questions, please email us at info@torontokrishna.com .


Meditation on Ice
→ Seed of Devotion

I shrug on my coat, strap on my tennis shoes, and fasten on a furry cap. I step out into the golden afternoon and the wind pinches my cheeks.

I wander out past the town streets towards the creek. Patchwork snow drapes the forest floor. My feet squish in the muddy path. The sun is melting the ice and snow as spring slowly creeps in on the land.

I walk past a tiny little pond. At the center floats a sheet of ice with lacy edges.

Why is it that we humans feel the need to pop bubble wrap, make sleeping animals move, or yes, crack ice? We can't just let it all BE?

I remember a story I recently heard about how the saint Srila Prabhupad used to smash icy puddles with his cane. Finally, someone asked him why he did this. "The hearts of people in the west are like ice," he replied, "and I have come to smash this ice."

I look around for a rock, a stick, something. With a little shout, I throw the stick at the delicate-looking sheet of ice. It makes a tiny hole and a little water seeps in around the edges.

Hmph. I scout for another stick and hurl it with all my might at the ice. It skitters across the surface and slides into the water on the other edge.

I set my mouth. This is ON. This big sheet of ice has become my heart. And the ice needs cracking. Sinking.

Stick after stick, each one flies away across the surface. Not such a lacy piece of ice after all. This thing is thick. Deep.

I pick up a branch and circle around to a piece of shore closest to the ice sheet. I kneel over and whack at the ice. Some breaks off. I lean over further, and with all my might I whack the surface.

Ice water splashes my entire face and glasses, my hands, my coat. My mouth drops open in shock. I begin to giggle, then laugh and laugh.

I'll leave the heart-ice breaking to Prabhupad.

I wipe off my glasses and toss the stick into the little pond.

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New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ March 26, 2014
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

01

Although I earnestly yearn to serve the lotus feet of Sri Krishna, the master of Vrinda?vana, although I am engaged in hearing and chanting His glories, and although I am completely aware of all obstacles which might obstruct my path, I still have not taken shelter of Vrinda?vana. vow lowly and unfortunate I am.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-99 Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

Forever and Forevermore
→ travelingmonk.com

Yesterday we made one last pilgrimage to Muktinath, 3,710 meters above sea level at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass. The air was so thin that we had to stop and catch our breath every few meters. There we had darshan of a lamp that Lord Brahma offered to Krsna at the beginning [...]

Appearance of Srila Srivasa Pandita and Disappearance of His Holiness Sridhar Swami, March 24, New Dvaraka, Los Angeles
Giriraj Swami

Srivas“This is another instruction for us: We should be immersed in krsna-katha. We should be so expert in krsna-katha that we can deliver just the katha that the audience needs to hear. And we should become so immersed in krsna-katha that we forget everything else; we loose track of time and are simply absorbed in chanting and hearing about Krishna. So we can pray to Srivasa Thakura to bless us that we have some taste for krsna-katha and can speak krsna-katha in the appropriate way—and that we become dear to him and his devotees. Because anyone who becomes dear to Srivasa Thakura—even a dog in his house—becomes dear to Lord Chaitanya.”

Appearance of Srivasa Pandita and Disappearance of Sridhar Swami, 2014

Inconceivable karma
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.52)

snorkelKarma arranges amazing things – amazing, inconceivable things. How could it all come about? There is the karmic story about the man who went snorkeling in Spain, far into the ocean with his flippers. There was a forest fire and one of these big helicopters came with a water tank and they scooped him up and they threw him on the fire! Later, there was an article in the newspaper and I read it and they identified this man. It turned out he had a lobster restaurant. Just see, the workings of karma! Lobsters are also thrown alive into boiling water. He was also alive, thrown on the fire. Karma! Karma catches up in so many ways.

So yes, we see how that happens in the world but when it’s happening to us and then it’s more difficult. Then it’s much more difficult to accept. “How can, I mean, it’s too much! How can all this happen to me? And this is just…”

So, gradually, as we become situated in transcendental knowledge, we gain strength, strength to tolerate and deal with the material energy otherwise, “Phew…it’s too much!” and we get overwhelmed. But one who is well situated in transcendental knowledge is sort of bolstered by that and develops some detachment through that. We know that when things go wrong, “Ah well, that happens in the material energy. We can’t take it so serious”. When something comes to an end in this world, then that’s also life. So it all becomes much more relative actually, all the big things that happen in the world, also the big successes, they also become more relative. So gradually, one begins to see, it’s not so important. The real thing that is important is our spiritual progress.

 

Truth is Absolute
→ Servant of the Servant

Truth is always Absolute beyond relativity. It is the same for you, me and the third person. However, we have practical experience that people claim to know the truth which is often contradictory to one another. In other words, that so called Absolute truth seems to be relative to time, place and circumstance. This relativity is the cause of contradiction leading to confrontation.

Although Truth is Absolute still depending on our desire it is revealed fully or partially or not at all.  So the dualities we experience in the name of truth arises from desires tinged with material motives. For such seekers who actually really only care for their own material motives see only their own motives manifest in the name of evidence or truth. This manifestation is not truth or its part but its shadow. Therefore every individual seeking the truth will be faced with Truth and its reflection. If we have even the slightest tinge of material motivation, our mind will be convinced of that shadow.

Those very few who are materially selfless in their motives will experience the Absolute truth to the degree they want it. Seers of truth have documented that the non-dual truth is experienced in a continuum of impersonal light to personal loving relationship with the Absolute. As a seeker we can stop at any part of the continuum. Not everyone will be willing to go the entire journey of seeking personal loving relationships with the Absolute. Most world religions or spiritual paths adhere to some aspect of a formless impersonal light as the ultimate truth.

If we are unsatisfied with impersonal realization we can continue our spiritual journey from impersonal to personal but that comes with a cost. That cost is to attain a state of full surrender and unconditional service towards the Absolute. In this state, there is a complete abandonment of "I" and unconditional acceptance of service towards the Absolute Truth. In the opinion of truth seekers, this is the ultimate and final realization of Absolute Truth. When we reach this stage, there is nothing more to seek or search.

Truth is one (also means only one religion) with varying degrees. Depending on our motivation, desire and conviction, that one Absolute Truth is revealed as a whole, in parts or as a reflection.

Hare Krishna

Recordings from Melbourne, March 2014
→ KKSBlog

Melbourne_March 2014 (25)Kadamba Kanana Swami visited Melbourne from 13-22 March. Recordings of his classes are presented below, including a lecture given on Gaura Purnima, the appearance day of Lord Caitanya.

You may listen online by clicking the “play” button of the media player or download by right-clicking on the title and “save target as”.

 

 

KKS_AUS_Melbourne_14 March 2014_S B2.7.46

KKS_AUS_Melbourne_15 March 2014_SB 2.7.47

KKS_AUS_Melbourne_16 March 2014_CC Adi 13.80

KKS_AUS_Melbourne_18 March 2014_SB 2.7.50

KKS_AUS_Melbourne_20 March 2014_SB 2.7.52

 

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-03-26 16:08:00 →

1966 March 26:
"Sasthi. Today when I came back from Dr. Mishra's apartment at 1 pm. I saw my window on the door broken and entering the door I saw my tape recorder, typewriter, and books-bag stolen. A separate note is written in this connection. At 2 pm. someone came to to take me to Ashram and I went there. The whole thing was up set. Purchased one bottle Sour Salt .30. No income."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-03-26 15:56:00 →

1968 March 26: "The best thing is to remain in the midst of pure devotees. So long we are engaged in devotional service with proper guidance certainly we are always in transcendental position, and transcendental position is unlimited, it doesn't matter whether you are in Vrindaban or America. So long we have not completely freed our material attachment, even Vrindaban residence can become uncongenial."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-03-26 15:51:00 →

1969 March 26: "In the beginning we thought that we were losing a nice place but now I can understand Krishna's desire was to give us a still better place, and so we have now got it. So it is not the place alone which is responsible for beautifying the temple; it is the devotees who are actually beautifying the temple. So kindly try to maintain the present atmosphere, and try to improve it more and more, that is my request."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

Preaching program at Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram, Rishikesh, India
→ Dandavats.com

Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram is one of the most prominent ashrams in Rishikesh, India, on the bank of the Ganges river, at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains. Yogirishi Vishvketu ji and Chetana Panwar, the founders of the ashram, invited Radhanath Swami for a satsang program on the evening of 5th March, 2014. More than two hundred spiritual seekers and yogis who had been visiting Rishikesh converged at the ashram to attend Radhanath Swami’s discourse and kirtans. Read more ›

Festival of colours: New Varshana, Auckland, New Zealand (Album 266 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Sri Sri Radha Giridhari temple was opened on 18th January 2004. The Deities (Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Sri Radha Giridhari, and Their Lordships Jagannatha Baladeva Subhadra) had previously been installed by the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Read more ›