Bhagavad Gītā, Key Verses from Chapter Two
→ The Enquirer

Soul

12:
na tv evāhaḿ jātu nāsaḿ, na tvaḿ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, sarve vayam ataḥ param

But there certainly was never a time that I did not exist
nor you
nor all these people

Nor will there ever be.
for any of us,
now and forever.

[but everyone is always dying…]

13:
dehino ‘smin yathā dehe, kaumāraḿ yauvanaḿ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir, dhīras tatra na muhyati

The person in this body
Passes childhood,
Youth,
And old age

In the same way, they attain a new situation
when the body reaches its end.

This does not confuse the wise.

[bodies are always dying, but the beings within the bodes never die.]

20:
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaḿ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaḿ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

Never born, and never dying
It did not come to be,
Did not come to be
And will not come to be.
It always is,

Unborn, undecaying,
and ancient.

It does not die when its body dies.

———

Action

47:
karmaṇy evādhikāras te, mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr, mā te sańgo ‘stv akarmaṇi

You are capable of making efforts,
but never capable of creating results

So don’t try to create results by your efforts
and don’t give up those efforts either.

[Then how should efforts be done?…]

48:
yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, sańgaḿ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā, samatvaḿ yoga ucyate

Make your efforts in a spiritual state of mind,
without being attached to them.
Success or failure will be the same
this equanimity is called “yoga.”
———

Wisdom

55:
prajahāti yadā kāmān, sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ, sthita-prajñas tadocyate

When you give up all the desires your mind dreams up
And find true satisfaction by yourself, in yourself,
Then your wisdom is strong.

56:
viṣayā vinivartante, nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaḿ raso ‘py asya, paraḿ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

You can forcefully try to stop yourself from enjoying sense objects
But you will not be able to give up your taste for them
Until you have experienced something better.

- Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

 


How can women be said to have their own varna when Prabhupada says that the wife’s varna should be identified by the husband’s varna?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Ambika Dasi shared Do women have the same varna as their husbands on Google+ in response to this question:

Do women have the same varna as their husbands?

Woman reporter: Where do women fit into these four classes?<br /><br
/>Prabhupada: That I already explained. Women's position is subordinate to
man. So if the man is first-class, the woman is first-class. If the man is
second-class, the woman is second-class. If the man is third-class, the
woman is third-class. In this... Because woman is meant for assisting man, so
the woman becomes suitable according to the man, her husband. (July 9, '75
SP TV Interview)

Answer Podcast

Quotes that women's varna is determined before marriage:

"According to the Vedic system, the parents would consider the horoscopes of the boy and girl who were to be married. If according to astrological calculations the boy and girl were compatible in every respect, the match was called yotaka and the marriage would be accepted. Even fifty years ago, this system was current in Hindu society. Regardless of the affluence of the boy or the personal beauty of the girl, without this astrological compatibility the marriage would not take place. A person is born in one of three categories, known as deva-gana, manusya-gana and raksasa-gana. In different parts of the universe there are demigods and demons, and in human society also some people resemble demigods whereas others resemble demons. If according to astrological calculations there was conflict between a godly and a demoniac nature, the marriage would not take place. Similarly, there were calculations of pratiloma and anuloma. The central idea is that if the boy and girl were on an equal level the marriage would be happy, whereas inequality would lead to unhappiness. Because care is no longer taken in marriage, we now find many divorces."

purport SB 9.18.23
"The phrase "like disposition" is very significant. Formerly, boys and girls of similar dispositions were married; the similar natures of the boy and girl were united in order to make them happy. Not more than twenty-five years ago, and perhaps it is still current, parents in India used to consult the horoscope of the boy and girl to see whether there would be factual union in their psychological conditions. These considerations are very important. Nowadays marriage takes place without such consultation, and therefore, soon after the marriage, there is divorce and separation. Formerly husband and wife used to live together peacefully throughout their whole lives, but nowadays it is a very difficult task."
purport SB 3.21.15
"Even about forty years ago, in Indian marriages, the taste and character of the boy and girl were first of all matched, and then they were allowed to marry. This was done under the direction of the respective parents. The parents used to astrologically determine the character and tastes of the boy and girl, and when they corresponded, the match was selected: "This girl and this boy are just suitable, and they should be married." Other considerations were less important. The same system was also advised in the beginning of the creation by Brahma: "Your daughters should be handed over to the rsis according to taste and character.""
purport SB 3.24.15

Just Keep On Chanting
→ Japa Group

Whatever our situation - whatever the material energy conjures up in our lives, we need to keep on chanting regardless. It's something I was meditating on today after I finished my last 2 rounds - Maya may make so many disturbances in our lives, and it can become a very big distraction in our minds.

Regardless of these disturbances, we need to keep on chanting the best way we can and keep connected with Krsna.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (Ep 3 and the Whole Thing so Far)
→ The Enquirer

I really want to love this show, because (a) I love science and space, and (b) I love Carl Sagan and the original Cosmos. But, by Episode 3 I’m starting to feel like its not going to be easy to love this new Cosmos.

Neil-Degrasse-TysonIt’s not because Episode 3 was a little boring (history easily gets boring). And its not because Neil DeGrasse Tyson is less of an orator or narrator than Sagan (he’s not, in fact, maybe he’s even better). It’s because the motive of the show is becoming a bit disagreeable.

With Carl Sagan, the tangible motive was that he had passion to show the world how wonderful and amazing the universe was, and how excellent modern science was in helping us comprehend and appreciate the Cosmos. I like that. That’s uplifting and, more importantly, honest. With Neil DeGrasse Tyson, though, it feels a lot more like the motive and passion to show the world how stupid and backwards everyone and everything is – except whatever it is that he and his contemporaries currently recognize as “science.” I don’t like that, it’s negative, and its dishonest.

And there is something wrong with the science too… its not very “sciencey,” at all. Sagan’s Cosmos felt a lot more like the real thing. Sagan had some humility, a lot more than Tyson. Humility is not just a pleasant character trait, it’s  crucial to science… because knowledge cannot be had without humility. Without humility we only perceive what we want to perceive – and without accurate perception, there is no hope for an empirical method.

What could be more unscientific than claiming to know everything better than anyone else? That attitude completely biases perception and thus destroys the foundation of the empiric method itself.

Degrasse Tyson paints everything except the main hero (his version of science) as “superstition.” I’m tired of that mindset, a cult-mentality fanaticism that has saturated human history for as long as there has been human history. Listening to Neil, I get the feeling that every other culture, every other philosophy, every other “science” was really just pseudo-science and superstition – but his stuff is real. What we have today is real, but what they had yesterday was a joke.

Except that today becomes yesterday in a few hours, doesn’t it?

Every other culture and science in history had a plethora of extremely convincing  evidence and proof to substantiate their world view. This is because reality is subjective. We do not perceive reality, we perceive our own version of reality – and our own version of reality almost always makes perfect sense, to us. Reality has not suddenly ceased to be relative just because we can use computer graphics to illustrate our points these days.

If Neil DeGrasse Tyson represents the newest generation of science, then the newest generation of science sucks – I’m sorry to say. Give me a previous generation, please. I’ll take  the reruns of Carl Sagan and Albert Einstien over the new-school vendettas of Tysons and Hawkings.

- Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com


Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (Ep 3 and the Whole Thing so Far)
→ The Enquirer

I really want to love this show, because (a) I love science and space, and (b) I love Carl Sagan and the original Cosmos. But, by Episode 3 I’m starting to feel like its not going to be easy to love this new Cosmos.

Neil-Degrasse-TysonIt’s not because Episode 3 was a little boring (history easily gets boring). And its not because Neil DeGrasse Tyson is less of an orator or narrator than Sagan (he’s not, in fact, maybe he’s even better). It’s because the motive of the show is becoming a bit disagreeable.

With Carl Sagan, the tangible motive was that he had passion to show the world how wonderful and amazing the universe was, and how excellent modern science was in helping us comprehend and appreciate the Cosmos. I like that. That’s uplifting and, more importantly, honest. With Neil DeGrasse Tyson, though, it feels a lot more like the motive and passion to show the world how stupid and backwards everyone and everything is – except whatever it is that he and his contemporaries currently recognize as “science.” I don’t like that, it’s negative, and its dishonest.

And there is something wrong with the science too… its not very “sciencey,” at all. Sagan’s Cosmos felt a lot more like the real thing. Sagan had some humility, a lot more than Tyson. Humility is not just a pleasant character trait, it’s  crucial to science… because knowledge cannot be had without humility. Without humility we only perceive what we want to perceive – and without accurate perception, there is no hope for an empirical method.

What could be more unscientific than claiming to know everything better than anyone else? That attitude completely biases perception and thus destroys the foundation of the empiric method itself.

Degrasse Tyson paints everything except the main hero (his version of science) as “superstition.” I’m tired of that mindset, a cult-mentality fanaticism that has saturated human history for as long as there has been human history. Listening to Neil, I get the feeling that every other culture, every other philosophy, every other “science” was really just pseudo-science and superstition – but his stuff is real. What we have today is real, but what they had yesterday was a joke.

Except that today becomes yesterday in a few hours, doesn’t it?

Every other culture and science in history had a plethora of extremely convincing  evidence and proof to substantiate their world view. This is because reality is subjective. We do not perceive reality, we perceive our own version of reality – and our own version of reality almost always makes perfect sense, to us. Reality has not suddenly ceased to be relative just because we can use computer graphics to illustrate our points these days.

If Neil DeGrasse Tyson represents the newest generation of science, then the newest generation of science sucks – I’m sorry to say. Give me a previous generation, please. I’ll take  the reruns of Carl Sagan and Albert Einstien over the new-school vendettas of Tysons and Hawkings.

- Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com


Join us for A Special Sunday Feast @ 10.45am with a Very Special Guest.
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON

**IMPORTANT **
Due to Initiation Ceremony  Sunday feast program will start at 10:45am. Please  check Program Schedule below for more information.



Sunday Love Feast

When?
Sunday, March 30th
Program starts at 10.45 am

Where?
6 George Street South
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 1P3, Canada
Park underground(free) @ City Hall
Phone:416-648-3312

New! Listen
Click here to listen to previous class recordings on our blog
Make a Donation
 Bhagavad-gita As It Is 3.13
yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat
 
TRANSLATION
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
 
Program Schedule: 
10.45- 11.00(am)     Tulsi Puja                                           
11.00 - 11.15(am)     Guru Puja                                            
11:15 –11:40(am)     Aarti & Kirtan                                      
11.40 - 11.45(am)    Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers                  
11.45 – 1:15(pm)     Vedic Discourse + Harinama Diksa Ceremony 
  1:15 –  1:30(pm)      Closing Kirtan

HH Bhakti Marga Swami(Portfolio)
 To ISKCON devotees everywhere, the name Bhaktimarga Swami conjures up images of powerful, out-of-the-box stage productions; and of energetic kirtans, full of stomping dance moves and jubilant smiles.With a background in fine arts, Swami also developed a passion for the performing arts even in the course of his duties as a monk.Casting, scripting, and directing morality theatre takes him annually to venues from North America to India and Africa.Swami is a consistent feature in “The Longest Road”, a recent National Film Board documentary detailing the history of the people who shaped or were shaped by the Trans Canada Highway, the world’s longest continuous maintained road.he went the way of a pilgrim and walked on foot across country from west to east and then back for a return journey for atleast four times.
COMING UP AHEAD
Kamada Ekadasi
Fasting on:           Thu April10th,2014
Dvadasi/Breakfasti on: Fri April11th,2014 b/w 6.55-11.06(am)
every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.
Youth Program
On April 5th,2014 @ 12.00pm
Brampton's youth program is back. Everyone is welcomed to come and participate.This program is being fcilitated by Bhaktin Samita Sarkar.The main focus of this program is Harinama Sankirtan and to learn the instruments used for this purpose.
Ramanavami[Appearance Day of Lord Ramacandra]
On April 8th,2014
Fasting till sunset
If you'd like to help with this event,please ask Prema Gaurangi Devi Dasi how.
To sponsor/finance this event contact Krsna Smaran Devi Dasi in person or via kavitabalram@yahoo.com.
Details of the program will be posted shortly.  
ON GOING EVERY SATURDAY        
Bhagavad-Gita Classes 
Join Bhagavad Gita Course with His Grace Vaisnava Dasa from 9.00am-12.00pm and get certified from Bhaktivedanta College at the completion of this course towards Bhakti Sastri Degree. To register please contact Vaisnava Dasa Prabhu in person or via email[vaishnavadas@icloud.com]
ON GOING EVERY SUNDAY
Govinda'sNatural Foods Snack Bar
Govinda's has always been a giver of love and friendliness, food with a home cooked feel, Check out this Sunday your own Govinda’s Snack Bar at ISKCON Brampton for dine in or take out. This snackbar definitely has the best selection of cruelty-free eats with a bang for your buck.
Nutrition Help & Diet Tips
Mother Rashmi Ahuja is offering free one to one consultations and development of Individualized Nutrition Plans on Sundays between 1:30 - 3pm. Please contact (416)569-6373 or (905)488-7272 to book an appointment.
Sunday School
The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him.
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).
 
Please note that ISKCON Brampton is a nut free environment in order to support those with allergies. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Chant and Be happy!

The purpose of Bhagavatam
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.50)

krsnas fluteWhen we speak about the eternal, in the opening verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam, we find the reference to the paraṁ satyaṁ, the Supreme Absolute Truth which is eternal but it is not clear what that Supreme Absolute Truth really is.

So Srila Prabhupada explains in the introduction of the Srimad Bhagavatam that the purpose of the Bhagavatam is to explain that the paraṁ satyaṁ is Parameśvara. Therefore, the purpose of the Bhagavatam is to describe the Parameśvara which means the Supreme Controller. Krsna is the supreme controller – a personality. The essence is to understand that there is a personality behind everything. We are seeing that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very personally involved with everything. He expands himself and in a personal way, he is involved with the material energy.

We are never looking at the impersonal universe or an impersonal eternal manifestation. The origin of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that is the essence of the Srimad Bhagavatam, the purpose of the Srimad Bhagavatam!

The Lesser Known Pastimes
→ travelingmonk.com

I am in the jungles of Orissa with a small group of devotees visiting some of the lesser known places of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. I was inspired to come here by Srila Prabhupada’s purport in Caitanya Caritamrta, Antya-lila, 4.211 where he writes: “Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in a song (Saranagati 31.3): gaura amara, ye saba [...]

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ March 28, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

01

I would rather reside in Vrinda?vana, even as an insect, than reside in any other place as a liberated soul with a blissful spiritual body. I would rather reside here in Vrinda?vana, even as a poverty-stricken beggar, than reside in any other place as a person possessing wonderful, endless wealth. I would rather reside here in Vrinda?vana, even as a person completely devoid of the slightest trace of devotion to Lord Hari, than reside in any other place as a person overwhelmed with the desire to attain the happiness of serving the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, the lover of the gopies.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka 2, Text 1, Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

Returning to my roots, follow up on book distribution
→ simple thoughts

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Continuing on the theme of returning to my roots of door to door ministery and knowing that for some any thought outside of a percieved norm is seen as anti-iskcon I’m going to add fuel to their fire.
Listening in and also noteing questions during classes on book distribution their is a running theme follow up, so many books but when it comes to what happens after that it’s more hit or miss.
During one of my discussions about my time as a Jehovah’s Witness on the door to door ministery I make one notation emphasis, for iskcon it’s book scores and laxmi points all well and good. As a JW I had to put in my book score but also one other piece of information how many home bible studies an follow up calls, laxmi points never is asked.
Indeed a whole evening class is dedicated to developing and studying for the door to door ministery, covering public speaking and how to present the books. The main emphasis always remained follow up and gaining and holding a home bible study.
A philisophical shift which can be achieved from door to door ministery service making follow up easier as you know were the person lives, something that is more difficult to do when in book distribution on streets.
I’m encouraged that some are moving to this more personal form of book distribution but in the back of my mind alarm bells ring, mindset is still book score laxmi focused and so a great opportunity for me is lost, so my mind is focused on this: door to door ministery with the sole aim to gain a home Gita study.
But then what?
phase two
Krishna West, yep I’ve just said them impersonal non-iskcon words krishna west
I’m again basing it on over 20 years house to house ministery work as a JW and here is the rational.
Home bible study develops the person makes steady progress but not committed enough to go to the Kingdom Hall but their is a need to increase the persons exposure and association with others within the movement.
Bible study groups for an hour one evening a week same format as the home bible study so it’s a slow progress with a long term aim, getting the individual more involved whilst keeping a distance, as friendship and trust grows eventually the person makes the leap to the kingdom hall and eventually onto book distribution.
My aim is simple from a home bible study to a small sanga group with the aim of full integration to a temple enviroment.
In this results driven society in general I’m sure many will want a fully fledged congregation by the end of the year and for me tha would be awesome but realistically it will take lots of time and hours.
After all at one stage I held 15 home bible studies of which only 2 became baptised so is that succesful or not?
But for me I want to see a change of emphasis from books and laxmi points to follow up.
But as always I end with this queston, what’s your thoughts?

Devotees Discover Prabhupada’s Belongings at Delhi Residence after they unlocked it for the first time in 25 years!
→ Dandavats.com

Devotees overseeing the restoration of the Delhi temple where Srila Prabhupada stayed in the early 1960s before leaving for the US have discovered a treasure of his personal belongings. Breaking open the locks on a door that had not been opened for 25 years, they were amazed to find the items still in his room at the Chippiwada Sri Sri Radha-Vallabha Mandir in Delhi’s busiest market, Chandni Chowk, after so long. The items included Srila Prabhupada’s harmonium and the original covers of the first canto of his Srimad-Bhagavatam translation and commentary, which he later brought with him to the US. On the photo: Srila Prabhupada's room just after devotees unlocked it for the first time in 25 years. The pyramid in the center is a sacred dome indicating that the Deities' altar is directly below. Read more ›

Festival of Colors Explodes Across North America
→ ISKCON News

Festival of Colors, traditionally known in India as Holi, is a spring festival inspired by Lord Krishna’s pastimes 5,000 years ago, when He and the cowherd girls and boys of Vrindavana playfully celebrated with colored dyes. While the festival has not historically been a part of ISKCON’s large repertoire of spiritual festivals, it has gradually become more and more of a staple especially in North America

The Southernmost Ratha Yatra in the World
→ ISKCON News

Pucón is a city in the south of Chile nestled in the middle of majestic landscapes of volcanoes, lakes and forests. Its population of 22 thousand people icreases to 60 thousand in the summer due to its strong tourism, which fills the streets with foreigners and locals captivated by the native environment. This year, for the third consecutive year, was held the Festival of India Ratha Yatra through the main streets of the city.