Planet ISKCON

Niranjana Swami at Kirtan Mela Mayapur 2014 Day 1

ISKCON Dallas - 03.24.2014

ISKCON Dallas - 03.24.2014

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 13.32.

“When we were little we went to the amusement park, and there were little cars that children would drive. As small children we were in the illusion that we were driving the cars independently, that we were going to crash into this one or bump into that one, but actually all the cars were on tracks. So what Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta are saying here is that there are tracks laid out and all we have to do is get in the car. We may imagine that we are driving and that this calamity is coming and that calamity is coming—that we can crash like bumper cars—but actually it is all prearranged. Some architect has planned the whole thing. And you are in this little car thinking that you are the doer.

“The initial impetus that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave to the Krishna consciousness movement—the sankirtan movement—set in motion something that will spread all over the world and all over the universe. And we have the amazing opportunity to take part. Although in his purport Srila Prabhupada does not really mention himself directly, what he did with this initial impetus from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is practically unimaginable.”

—————————————

Maha Gaura Purnima, Laguna Beach, 2014

Certainly many, many people have very confused ideas about this.

• Strictness
• Renunciation
• Learning and Knowledge

Many think that these are sure signs of advancement in bhakti-yoga. Some are so dull that they actually think “tenure” (how many years you’ve stuck around) is a measure of advancement. Others are of such a brick-n-morter mentality that they actually seem to think numbers can describe advancement: number of devotees in a temple, number of disciples, number of books sold and so on…

Why should we care at all for any of these confused ideas? So many people might be so confused about what constitutes advancement in bhakti yoga, but its really not confusing at all:

Bhakti means love, particularly love for Krishna. Therefore the more love you have (particularly for Krishna), the more you have progressed in Bhakti-yoga. It’s that simple.

But how do you measure or recognize love? Leaving aside instinct as overly subjective and prone to bias, there is a simple method: the more love you have for something, the more attracted to it you are. So, the more you love Krishna the more you are attracted to Krishna. Again, it’s simple. Attraction to Krishna is the measure of advancement in Bhakti-yoga.

But how do we measure or recognize attraction to Krishna?

In this world (i.e. in the sādhaka-deha) there is no tangible way to express that attraction to Krishna except through the 64 limbs of sādhana. The essence of the 64 limbs is constant remembrance of Krishna, and there are five essential mechanisms of that remembrance – the two most essential of which are hearing Bhāgavatam and performing Krishna-saṅkīrtana.

Therefore the only true measure of our advancement in bhakti-yoga is the extent to which our mind gravitates magnetically towards learning about Krishna (directly, Krishna himself) from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and in how much taste we have for performing Krishna-Saṁkīrtana – especially Krishna-nāma-saṁkīrtana.

We can thus easily assess our own progress on the path. If there is a need to assess the progress of others, we measure the same principle by observing how easy or difficult it is to move the person away from discussion of Krishna (Krishna himself, directly – not stuff-remotely-connected-somehow-to-Krishna-because-of-x-y-z). We can do this by observing how much or how little time the person remains enrapt in Kīrtan and discussion of Krishna.

A person who is always deeply enrapt in Krishna Kīrtan and Kathā is a very advanced Vaishnava, they are very easy to engage in kīrtan and kathā for a long time with enthusiasm, and are very slow to moving the topic of discussion or celebration away from Krishna.

Certainly many, many people have very confused ideas about this.

• Strictness
• Renunciation
• Learning and Knowledge

Many think that these are sure signs of advancement in bhakti-yoga. Some are so dull that they actually think “tenure” (how many years you’ve stuck around) is a measure of advancement. Others are of such a brick-n-morter mentality that they actually seem to think numbers can describe advancement: number of devotees in a temple, number of disciples, number of books sold and so on…

Why should we care at all for any of these confused ideas? So many people might be so confused about what constitutes advancement in bhakti yoga, but its really not confusing at all:

Bhakti means love, particularly love for Krishna. Therefore the more love you have (particularly for Krishna), the more you have progressed in Bhakti-yoga. It’s that simple.

But how do you measure or recognize love? Leaving aside instinct as overly subjective and prone to bias, there is a simple method: the more love you have for something, the more attracted to it you are. So, the more you love Krishna the more you are attracted to Krishna. Again, it’s simple. Attraction to Krishna is the measure of advancement in Bhakti-yoga.

But how do we measure or recognize attraction to Krishna?

In this world (i.e. in the sādhaka-deha) there is no tangible way to express that attraction to Krishna except through the 64 limbs of sādhana. The essence of the 64 limbs is constant remembrance of Krishna, and there are five essential mechanisms of that remembrance – the two most essential of which are hearing Bhāgavatam and performing Krishna-saṅkīrtana.

Therefore the only true measure of our advancement in bhakti-yoga is the extent to which our mind gravitates magnetically towards learning about Krishna (directly, Krishna himself) from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and in how much taste we have for performing Krishna-Saṁkīrtana – especially Krishna-nāma-saṁkīrtana.

We can thus easily assess our own progress on the path. If there is a need to assess the progress of others, we measure the same principle by observing how easy or difficult it is to move the person away from discussion of Krishna (Krishna himself, directly – not stuff-remotely-connected-somehow-to-Krishna-because-of-x-y-z). We can do this by observing how much or how little time the person remains enrapt in Kīrtan and discussion of Krishna.

A person who is always deeply enrapt in Krishna Kīrtan and Kathā is a very advanced Vaishnava, they are very easy to engage in kīrtan and kathā for a long time with enthusiasm, and are very slow to moving the topic of discussion or celebration away from Krishna.

"The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna maha−mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds."

Sri Caitanya caritamrta
Antya−lila 11.24

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

Because we are in the spiritual world, we are not really here in this material world. We’re only here because the spiritual world is covered by some cloud of illusion and it seems that we are in the material world, but actually we are not. We are actually in the spiritual world.

We see that Srila Prabhupada had that kind of consciousness and became very tolerant and sort of unaffected by material things. Prabhupada was so focused on Krsna that he didn’t identify so much with the material world. Hari Sauri, who was Prabhupada’s personal servant, described that Prabhupada had a swollen cheek one day.

So Hari Sauri said, “Prabhupada, you have a toothache?”

Prabhupada said, “Yes, yes. Some discomfort”.

And that was all! He never mentioned it again. Prabhupada never brought it up again. I mean, you try that when you have a toothache. You know, it is not so easy. I mean, every three minutes you sort of have to go like, “Sssssss,” and everyone goes like, “Oh! You have a toothache?”

We need this sympathy, you know what I mean!? We need all the people around us to sort of suffer with us. We need that constant support, that emotional support, that people share our suffering. So we are like, “Mmmm, aaaah, ooooh”. We get into it, “This cheek and it’s swollen and the tooth is throbbing!” The mind just becomes a tooth, right. The mind is just a tooth. The whole consciousness is in the tooth. There is nothing else. The universe has become a tooth!

But we can see for Prabhupada that was not the case, that didn’t happen. His mind didn’t go into the tooth. His mind stayed with Krsna and therefore he could tolerate it, without painkillers and anything, which to us, is inconceivable. An intense toothache without painkillers is very tough but Prabhupada could do because he was so absorbed in the spiritual world.

So that is the idea which Bhagavatam is waking us up to. Bhagavatam is awakening that kind of vision, the vision of the spiritual world, the spiritual reality and one begins to see like that. So in this way, the Bhagavatam is more than just a book, it gives us an outlook.

 

When will I renounce all material duties, cut off all contact with the affairs of the material world, and alone enter the abode of Va?nda?vane to pass my time absorbed in the topics of Sri Krishna, Vrinda?vana’s master?

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-97 Translation.]

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19-03-2014 SB 5.13.26 Jada Bharata and Maharaja Rahugana, ISKCON Mayapur, West Bengal, India.mp3

Greetings from the Garden:

After a few weeks spending time in the garden I have now seen its huge potential. Many hours have been spent trimming, pruning, and doing a thorough pest investigation of  the blackberries and red raspberries. I found raspberry crown borer. The borer lives in the roots and crown of the plant.  It can be identified by knots at the base of the canes and sawdust like material around the plant base. The swelling at the base of the cane is the most common way to identify. There is also a cane borer that lays the larva in the cane of the plant. It is also identified by knots or bulges in the upper sections of the cane. The infestation can kill prima canes (first year growth). The removal of damaged canes and crowns is the most efficient and organic method for the removal of borers.  Now they are just about ready for spring.  Our next project will be building the trellis to make for easier picking and better sunlight for the fruiting canes.  Right now is a great time for anyone to catch up on winter pruning especially for brambles.

Plans for the season are starting to develop. Many of my goals will be focused on providing food throughout the season. This will be achieved with multiple plantings, up to four times, of the same crop.  I am planning on three plantings of green beans, multiple plantings of beets, lettuce, kale, and more.  I will be trying some new plants such as yellow watermelon and pumpkin eggplant. Also, for both their beauty and their bounty of edible seeds I am planning on a large plating of sunflowers. Looking forward to our first spring plantings. This week I would like to end with a quote by Francis Bacon~ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures.

The salt, wind blown waves of the sandy shores of Jagannath Puri dham await us all in an unlikely yet familiar place—at the 61st Vyasa Puja ceremony of our dear Guru Maharaj in Radhadesh, Belgium.

This year we will take a trip to the transcendental realm of Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes with the Lord of the Universe and try to fix our hearts in the form of the Lord that drove Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mad! So please bring your Jagannath Deities with you, to put them in the “Jagannath temple” altar that will be created in the community hall.

Guru Maharaj’s Vyasa Puja event is taking place on April 24th – 26th, Guru Maharaj himself will be staying in Radhadesh until May 1st. There is now an official flyer already on the KKS blog.

Here is the finalized SCHEDULE of the festival:

Thursday 24th          - Arrivals and Cultural Program

Friday 25th                - Vyasa puja ceremony and Initiations

Saturday 26th         - Kingsday harinam in Amsterdam

Sunday 27th             - Departures

 

If you haven’t registered yet please do so: www.kksblog.com/vyasapuja/register/ but please do not register twice.

 Entertainment 

The Cultural Program is on the evening of April 24th (Thursday), the first day of the festival.

 The Vyasa puja team is hoping that devotees of the various yatras (different countries) have something they would like to present. We were hoping to have around 4 yatras represented. What we are looking for:

• 20 – 30 min skit/drama/slideshow/presentation

• It must be related to the theme of the Chaitanya Charitamrita, topical or something personal to do with Guru Maharaj

• The Vyasa Puja team should be asked for approval first.

*One idea for a skit inspiration: www.kksblog.com/2010/03/hypocrisy-in-the-heart/ This is a class that Guru Maharaj gave that could be acted out in some way?

Cultural Program Schedule 

17:30 – 18:30 Welcome message and “icebreaker” by Sutapa das

18:30 – 20:30 Entertainment

20:30 – 21:20 Bhajans (possibly in the temple room with Guru Maharaj) 

 

A few requests

1) If you are planning on staying in Amsterdam after the Kingsday please NOTIFY us now so we can make a count to let the temple management know in advance.

2) If you have not yet signed up for service on the Google Drive document please do so now. If you do not have access to Google Drive, or you do not know how to use it – please let us know what service you are interested in or if you would like to do service or we can assign you something! To sign up for service please use this link: Service list

Fundraising

We are happy to announce that we slowly reaching the desired fundraising goal, thank you! You are very welcome to donate if you have not yet.

If you are able to contribute financially, please contact Gopali  at  gopali.dasi.kks@gmail.com or send your contributions directly via paypal or bank account. This is direct link to donate by paypal.

Bank account details: Please contact us.

 

If you have any FURTHER QUESTIONS contact us at:

 vyasapuja@kksblog.com or savitri@radhadesh.com

Your servants,

Uddhava das

Gopali dasi

Anasuya devi dasi

Savitri devi dasi

Kumari Kunti

Gita Govinda

 

 

What can really be a better occupation than glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the chanting of His Holy Names! Read more ›

1966 March 24:
"Chaturthi. The temple house seems to be occupied. Do not know whether sold or rented out. I am mortified. Let Lord Sri Krishna's wish be fulfilled. But it is a great shock to me if it is now gone to others. Captain Pandiya with Mrs. Pandiya came to see me. They are happy and I was so pleased to see them. They will come tomorrow again. Three ladies and three gentlemen besides the captain and his wife attended the meeting today. Mr. Robert brought some fruits & grains for me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1969 March 24: "You should change your habits. You have lost now a good soul. If he does not like to live with you, he may come at once and live with me personally so when he comes back you can send him to me wherever I may be."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 March 24: "We should not offer to the Deity things which are prepared by nondevotees. We can accept from them raw fruits, grains or similar raw things. So far cooking and preparing, that should be strictly limited to the initiated devotees."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 March 24: "It is very satisfying that you have introduced public Sankirtana Party. By such activities my Guru Maharaja is certainly very pleased upon us. So whatever progress we are making by the grace of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, we must stick to them and make further progress."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 March 24: "In the streets, Rathayatra and in the city, a Temple - such great achievements of your Yatra party. The Christians do not like our advancement in preaching. Never mind, we shall depend upon Krishna and march on progressively."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 March 24: "It will be a great achievement for our movement if in each and every automobile factory you can open a center. Certainly we shall make circumstances favorable so that there will be no strike or dissension. So try to introduce this program."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1973 march 24: "We are negotiating the purchase of the Bombay property and will require a loan from our New York building fund so kindly make the necessary arrangements, and await our final instructions through telegram. You will be refunded the loan with interest by the Mayapur Fund. The Bombay project will in turn pay the Mayapur construction expenses."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 March 24: "You may chant on their beads and hold a fire yajna. As GBC you must see that all the devotees are first of all chanting at least 16 rounds on beads. Be sure they are aware of the ten offenses to chanting, and that they remain enthusiastic about improving their devotional service in that way."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

It is amazing to see how the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and his faithful followers have influenced the lives of so many persons on this planet! They have given up all other duties and engage soul, mind and body in the Sankirtana Yajna of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! Read more ›

Lord Krishna once overheard a conversation about how His dearest devotees, the cowherd maidens of Vrindavana, were lamenting in His absence. When He heard these accounts of overwhelming love in separation, the Lord’s hair began to stand on end, His eyes opened wide and filled with tears, and His arms and legs contracted as He went into a state of spiritual ecstasy. Seeing Lord Krishna in this condition, His elder brother, Balarama (Baladeva), also began to feel ecstatic symptoms and displayed similar features. When Their sister, Subhadra, arrived at the scene, she too became consumed with ecstatic joy. Thus the sublime deity forms of Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Baladeva represent this sweet pastime. The festival of Ratha-yatra represents Lord Jagannatha’s longing to reunite with His dear devotees in Vrindavana, foremost among them, Srimati Radharani. According to tradition, the Lord gets lovesick once a year just prior to the festival. To cheer him up, His servants arrange for Him to go on a lavish procession to meet up with His devotees. Read more ›

New Temporary ISKCON Temple Opens in Moscow. 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 ›

The post Bhanu Maharaja makes a presentation on how Guru-daksina should be managed in ISKCON appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Devotees of Lord Krishna perform public chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord inban attractive way, to raise God consciousness to the fortunate visitors of that big park of Moscow. Read more ›

Answer Podcast

Answer Podcast

Jahnavi Devi Dasi & Radhika Devi Dasi at Kirtan Mela Mayapur 2014 Day 1

Kagbeni is one of the furthest places foreigners can journey in Nepal, as Tibet and China are not far away.Before leaving we took a walk around to see the ancient sites and meet the inhabitants of the village. We also took one last darshan of the Kali Gandhaki river, which now flows with the ashes [...]

Yesterday I placed the ashes of my dear friend Bimal Prasad das in the Kali Gandhaki river. It was his final request to me. As I watched the ashes flow down the sacred waters my heart was full of mixed emotions; sad that I would not see him again in this lifetime, but happy that [...]

ISKCON Dallas - 03.23.2014