Open House: "Krishna Conscious Education for Our Children
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

Education is a cornerstone of society and for our Hare Krishna community at large. Many parents are
interested in providing meaningful, spiritual knowledge to their children to ensure they have a nourishing childhood. Further, there has been a keen interest among the GTA community in exploring various options for Krishna Conscious education for our children, ranging from home-schooling, home-schooling co-op, a devotional day care and even a full-fledged school.

While some parents have been already researching these topics independently, we felt that it would be valuable to come together and share our ideas and experience as a group. With this intention, the ISKCON Toronto Education Team is organizing an Open House entitled, "Bringing Krishna Conscious Education to Toronto" on Saturday, April 19, 2014 from 10:00am - 12:00pm to discuss these very options. Our hope is that together, we can come up with some exciting opportunities for Krishna Conscious education in and for our community.

Open House Details:

Bringing Krishna Conscious Education to Toronto
Date and Time: Saturday, April 19, 2014; 10:00am - 12:00pm
Venue: ISKCON Toronto, Green Room

Lunch Prasadam (vegetarian meal) will be served after the event.

To RSVP for this event, please click here to register. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can email us at kids@torontokrishna.com .


Leaving Aside, or Letting Go, of the Unessential
→ Karnamrita.das's blog

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player is needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer; if you are using Google Chrome it will automatically play, so to not listen, mute your speakers.)
In the baby, the aged photo Quotes-by-Srila-Prabhupada-on-Death_zps3d887121.jpg
[Originally published on March 3, 2014--since we are now in the process of selling our house and letting go of more things this blog's theme is very appropriate]This morning, after rising, folding up my sleeping bag, and taking care of some natural necessities, I read some of Shri Chaitanya’s lila in Chaitanya Bhagavat. Such a nectar book of spiritual delight! Regular reading of scripture is one of my benchmarks for a successful day. I read about Lord Chaitanya’s (so-called) “birth,” heralded by the resounding chanting of the holy names, which was the custom during a lunar eclipse; how child Chaitanya, or Nimai, would cry and only stop when the ladies chanted the holy name; how mischievous he was as he grew older; how two thieves tried to take him away to steal his ornaments only to find themselves back in front of Nimai’s house; and how Nimai revealed his divinity to a visiting Vaishnava holy man staying with his family. These are very sweet lilas (pastimes), full of deep meaning, and providing me a great way to begin my day!

I have had continual interruptions, or necessary duties, in my regular attempt to write. Writing is a joy for me, but also a discipline; even though I find the effort relishable, setting priorities is required to make it happen—as we must, in the accomplishment of any valuable goal. Those who are devotees of a particular manifestation of God, or who have a spiritual orientation, will see the value of hearing about the activities of the Lord or great saints, and yet they are often understandably less interested in sharing about their own lives. However, everyone’s life is full of important lessons and inspiring events. We only need the right attitude to see this played out as we generally see what we are looking for. This is one of the reasons I write about my life—to show that even a regular person who is trying to live a devotional life has much of value to share. “Ordinary” or “extraordinary” are labels from a state of mind. We notice what we value, so what is going on in your life, right in front of you, that may be trying to get your attention?

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It Requires Great Determination
→ Japa Group

I have a good method on how to focus - it requires a spot to stare at and to not move your gaze from that place. It requires great determination, but when you see the effects and feel the benefits of total focus on the sound of the Maha mantra, it's all worth while.

Please try this and see for yourself - no matter what your mind tells you or the urges of the eyes to roam and wander, keep them firmly fixed there and just hear!

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ March 25, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

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When, having cut the chains of feigned affection and, not seeing the slightest trace in my heart of the arrow loved by the learned followers of the Vedic path, will I overcome with excitement, take shelter of Vrndavana?

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-98 Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

Recordings from Sydney, March 2014
→ KKSBlog

kks_sydney_2014Kadamba Kanana Swami visited Sydney from 6-13 March. You may read about his visit by clicking here. Audio recordings from the various programs are presented below.

 

 

 

 

KKS_Sydney_Govinda Valley_7 March 2014_Evening_SB   2.9.34

KKS_Sydney_Govinda Valley_7 March 2014_Evening Kirtan

KKS_Sydney_Hornsby_8 March 2014_Hall Program_BG 13.3

KKS_Sydney_Lecture_9 March 2014_SB 6.16.11

KKS_Sydney_Rouse Hill Program_9 March 2014_Lecture

KKS_Sydney_Sunday Feast Class_9 March 2014_BG 4.39

 

 

From India to Australia, 2014
→ KKSBlog

Various factors hindered regular updates of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s travels but we are happy to catch up now. On 5 March, Maharaj left India and travelled down-under to Sydney, Australia. Here is a report written by Smitakrsna dd.

So, in modern times, we have what people call “the buzz words”! We have our favourite words; I don’t know whether I should mention any (laughter); may be not, it gets too touchy. But someone stated that the person who has had the greatest influence on this age was apparently Sigmund Freud – on the surface, it is certainly so. We are living in the age of psychology and now, all the terms that we are using are also psychological, like “sharing”. I was somewhere and there was a whole debate,

“You can’t say preaching, no! It’s not for this age, you don’t say it. It is all sharing now.”

Of course, Srila Prabhupada said “PREACHING’’ and definitely didn’t say “sharing’’ although he was very kindly sharing many things with us…

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, July 2003, Caitanya Chandrodaya Nataka Part 2)

It was with the word “PREACHING” in mind that Kadamba Kanana Swami flew to Australia. First he visited Govinda Valley, a beautiful retreat venue located south of Sydney, where he inspired the resident devotees with his association and Krsna katha.

On Saturday, 8 March, Maharaj then travelled to Sydney Temple where the first program he did was at a hall. In his lecture, he mentioned that even though we were meeting at a hall, we were spending our time glorifying Krsna and that is the way a devotee lives. The audience consisted of many new-comers as well as devotees who came along with their friends; and they had many questions to ask. Maharaj encouraged everyone to walk the path of truth by following the rules and regulations.

kks_recording_aus_2014On the next day, Maharaj gave the morning Srimad Bhagavatam class at the temple and thereafter left for a programme at the house of a prominent devotee. The highlight of the programme was Maharaj  narrating in Hindi the story of a sadhu and a mouse to explain punar mūṣiko bhava, meaning that we become small like a mouse again and again, when pride kicks us.  Sunday concluded with more glorification of Krsna at the Sunday Feast lecture at Sydney Temple.

Kadamba Kanana Swami spent Monday in a recording studio with the Bhakti Yogis of Sydney to record his upcoming cd titled “Heart & Soul – 2014”. The cd will be made available digitally on KKS Blog. The writer of this report requests all our readers to keep their ears open for a complete new experience of beats and amazing tracks that were recorded at the Cronulla studio.

It is said that whoever sees or hears the madness of Lord Caitanya uproots the disease of repeated birth and death. While madness for others is a disease, the madness of kirtan of Kadamba Kanana Swami removes the influence of passion & ignorance of the conditioned soul and brings him or her to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.

On Wednesday, 12 March, devotees gathered for a Kirtan Night that was organised by the temple. Maharaj inaugurated the program by explaining that in kirtan we are singing & making an offering, and at the same time, Krsna is revealing himself to us – so two things are happening at once.  Everyone then absorbed themselves in the best form of glorification of Krsna in the way of chanting. Kadamba Kanana Swami then requested Sri Prahlad to lead kirtan and absorbed himself fully in the nectar of the transcendental holy name.

KKS_Melbourne_Gaura PurnimaThereafter, Maharaj left Sydney for Melbourne to inspire devotees and to attend the Gaura Purnima festival.

During his stay at Melbourne temple, Maharaj gave many Srimad Bhagavatam classes. The devotees went out on a harinam parade in the inner-city of Melbourne, to distribute the mercy of Lord Caitanya on His appearance day.  The auspicious day ended with more kirtan by Maharaj during the abhishek ceremony of the all magnanimous Lord Caitanya.

Brisbane was the third city of Australia that got soaked with the mercy of Kadamba Kanana Swami, who travelled from Melbourne just to be there on time for the Sunday Feast lecture. Maharaj enthused devotees with his wonderful classes and kirtan. On Friday, Maharaj departs Australia for South Africa.

Here are photos from some of the programs. If you cannot view the slide-show below, then please visit flickr.

 

 

 

Radha and Krishna come to life in this beautiful play! (9 min video)
→ Dandavats.com

Gaura Purnima Play by the kids in Laguna Beach, CA. Radha and Krishna come to life in this beautiful play. Lord Caitanya's Sankirtan movement is excellently portrayed by the children. Even Srila Prabhupada's book distribution is vividly enacted. This is a two camera shoot in Hi Definition with decent audio. Please share. We need more plays like these. Super inspiring! Read more ›

Krishna’s Mercy Comes Through His Devotees, Sunday, March 23, New Dvaraka, Los Angeles
Giriraj Swami

03.23.14_LAGiriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23 during the Sunday festival at New Dvaraka.

“It is a perfect system. But one must remain connected to the chain, the parampara. It is as if that chain is reaching down from the spiritual world into the material world for us. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said that just as a person extends his hand to pick up an object that has fallen on the ground, the Lord picks up the souls who have fallen into this material world by extending His hand in the form of the devotee, the spiritual master, the disciplic succession.”

SB 2.3.23, New Dvaraka

Nimai’s Puppy!
→ TKG Academy

Nimai’s Puppy! Aren’t they cute! Did you know that when Lord Caitanya was a boy he had a puppy? So it’s very natural that any little boy or girl would also like to have a puppy. But parents, these puppies are no trouble at all.

We made them for art class and listened to a devotional story to go along. They have movable floppy ears and front paws. Their spots are all different, just as each child and indeed every living entity is unique. This was a great project for helping young children further develop their fine motor skills and having fun at the same time. We even did some counting and talked about the specific names of other baby animals: deer-fawn, cow-calf, sheep-lamb  . . .

[slickr-flickr private=on search="sets" set= 72157641327072844]

[slickr-flickr private=on search="sets" set=72157641363761365 ]

 

Prasad Distribution in the “Land of Saint’s and Scholars”
→ simple thoughts

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Last week we took on the challenge of cooking subji and popperdoms for 5,000 people in Cork city; Our team consisted of Dharmatma Prabhu,Sanaka Prabhu, and Achintya Rupa Prabhu.

Srila Prabhupada says in the Srimad Bhagavatam: “The Krishna consciousness movement is based on this principle: chant the Hare Krishna mantra every moment, as much as possible, both inside and outside of the temple, and, as far as possible, distribute prasad. This process can be accelerated with the cooperation of state administrators and those who are producing the country’s wealth. Simply by liberal distribution of prasad and sankirtana,
the whole world can become peaceful and prosperous.”

SB 4.12.10 purport

The concept of the “Feeding the 5,000″ festival is to high light the food waste and attempt to divert that perfectly good food away from the landfills and back into the community. This project is up our street.

The Mayor of Cork came to help and all the media was there to report. These festivals are great preaching but also give our movement a good name. While looking on the Internet for media coverage on the event I came across an article in the “Independent” newspaper, titled “Why do so many people hate the harmless Hare Krishnas?” ‘ In a survey published last week,they were second only to drug addicts as the group we most want to avoid’.

Harinam and prasad is our way forward and if we get government help then we can move faster.

Enjoy the movie!

Your servant
Parasuram Das

Gaura Purnima Lecture – HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami
→ Mayapur.com

[Kindly transcribed by Sheela Ravishankar Mataji) Download the audio of this lecture here: Download From: Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir! Date: 16 March, 2014, Sri Gaura Purnima class 2/2 Speaker: HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami So all of you were enjoying HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj giving nice Gaura Katha. I could see they were all drowning in […]

The post Gaura Purnima Lecture – HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-03-25 09:49:00 →

1967 March 25: "There are so many Sanatana Dharma establishments in India but no body has tried to preach the principles of Bhagavad-gita in the Western countries. Swamis who came to the West before me manufactured their own ideology not in conformity with Bhagavad-gita. I am trying now to implement the truth of Bhagavad-gita in the Western countries and it is the duty of all Hindus and Indians to help me in all respects."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-03-25 09:43:00 →

1970 March 25: "There is no cause for being disappointed because of the demons being condemned by the Lord. I thank you very much for being compassionate upon the demons. The preaching work of Krishna Consciousness Movement is specifically meant for delivering the demons. And the Lord is so powerful that through His pure devotee anyone can be delivered, never mind how fallen or condemned they are."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

Pilgrimage to Muktinath, 3,710 meters above sea level (Album 150 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Indradyumna Swami: 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 of creation. Miraculously the flame is still burning. Then we paid our obeisances to the deity of Lord Narayana, established by Sri Ramanujacarya over 1,000 years ago. I prayed to Lord Narayana to grant my dear godbrother, Bimal Prasad das, entrance into the spiritual world where he could serve the Lord to his heart’s content. We then began the long trip down through the mountains to Kathmandu and on to India. Read more ›