Overview of Gaura Purnima Festivities
→ Mayapur.com

Please view the following galleries: Darshan Abhishek Boat Festival Ganga Puja Ratha Yatra Hati Procession Maha-Abhishek Kirtan Mela This year we had a wonderful Gaura Purnima Festival that was unmatched like any previous years. Each year more and more devotees are coming for the festivities, and we are becoming more prepared. We had our newest guesthouse […]

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Seeing the Good in Everyone
→ Dandavats.com

Haridasa Thakura Dasa: It's easy to pick out people’s faults. We subconsciously keep track of all the flaws of all the people in our lives. Whether someone is vain, self-centered, arrogant, petty, bitter, or obnoxious, we can easily slap a label on every person we meet. We see the faults of politicians, celebrities, and criminals, but we also know the flaws of people in our everyday lives, whether our family members, friends or co-workers...we've got them nailed. It’s our nature to evaluate the person in front of us, to figure out if we can trust them or if we should be on our guard. We should try to see people as God sees people. God looks at people differently than we do. He sees the entire life history of that person and knows every thought, motive and feeling and how he/she has changed over time. Most importantly, He sees them, heart and soul. Read more ›

To be or not to be… vegan?
→ Dandavats.com

We don’t take their milk, okay… (booming voice), “If everyone becomes vegan and like millions and millions of people in the world don’t drink milk, then the milk industry will feel it and milk consumption will go down and less cows will have to suffer for all this. That reduces the temporary suffering of the cows! Yay! We got some temporary benefit for the suffering of those cows”. But what if we take the milk and offer it to Krsna? We give those same cows eternal benefit that cannot be destroyed by anything. Let devotees take all the milk, as much as possible, and offer it all to Krsna! In this way, give the cows as much eternal benefit as possible. The rest of the world should become vegan (laughing). We should have lots of milk, lots of it and we give milk sweets to the vegans :-) Read more ›

New Temporary ISKCON Temple Opens in Moscow
→ ISKCON News

The buildings at Dinamo where Vaisnavas worshipped Krishna for ten years have been recently demolished after the devotees had moved all their belongings to their new temple. 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.

ISKCON and Hinduism in Indonesia
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Many years ago, Indonesia and much of Southeast Asia today was a part of India and its Vedic heritage. Much resemblance of India and its culture is seen in Indonesia. This includes the moral structure, the language, the arts and to some extent, the religion. As Indonesia only recognises six official religions, all religious organisations has to be linked to either one of them. 

New Vrindaban’s New Garden Blog
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

by Kacey Orr

Greetings from the garden….

TEACHING GARDEN

My name is Kacey and I will be in charge of the Garden of Seven Gates.  I am looking forward to producing many varieties of vegetables and fruits this year.  I have come here from my own small organic farm in Dallas Pike. Each week I will be providing an update for the garden and volunteer opportunities.  We also have plenty of space if there is anyone interested in having a personal plot within the garden.  Even in this late winter season there is something new and wonderful in the garden each day.

Currently garden activities include:

-   Bramble pruning and thinning

-   Asparagus preparations

-   Greenhouse seeding (flowers, tomatoes, peppers)

-   Spring bed preparations

-   Planting Perennial Bushes

-   Garden Planning

Relationship issues
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.8)

1381419_10201969419258271_2048511000_nOne should never think that we possess anything in this world, not even our children. Our children, they are independent from us; living beings on their own destiny who are placed under our care for sometime, that is all. It is not that they are part of us, ”Something of me lives in this child.” That is illusion.

Genetically, it can be proven, fine! But genes have nothing to do with our identity, absolutely nothing – they are simply part of our bodies. The soul is not determined by genetic clumps in any way. The soul is completely aloof and therefore, why single out one living entity over another and get very affectionate towards one particular living entity and not affectionate towards another.

Maybe if it is based on devotional service, then that criteria is right, that we feel particularly affectionate towards one living being because that living being is very much eager to serve Krsna. That is when we are free from illusion otherwise when we are bound by all kinds of different affections in this world – deep, emotional, we feel it so strong. If it is due to temporary relationships then we are in illusion – we are in maya!

 

Texas Faith 126: How do we forgive?
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

Three days after police found the body of 17-year-old Ivan Mejia in the woods in Garland, his father, Flavio, offered forgiveness to those responsible for the young man’s murder. It was the family’s first public statement.

Two of Ivan’s classmates are in custody for the murder, something police say occurred because of a fight over a girl.

Forgiveness is central to so many faiths. But how do we forgive? And what does forgiveness do for the one who forgives and the one who is forgiven? Can true forgiveness come so quickly as the Mejia family offered it, or must it come through time and grief?

Below is Flavio’s statement.

First, we want to thank you on behalf of our family for
respecting our privacy and our silence. We want Ivan to be remembered as a good servant of society who sought the well-being of others and gave a friendly hand in very humble ways and without pretensions. Also he held in high esteem his faith and his passion for Jesus.
It is because of the faith that we profess and that we instilled in Ivan that we hold no grudge toward the people involved in this unfortunate event. We pray for their families because we understand that just like us they are going through a very unpleasant time. We thank God for his strength, for his care
of our family. We thank from our heart our congregation El Lugar de Su Presencia, the community, friends and relatives who have been of help and blessing in these moments that are so difficult for our family.
We have the certainty that our Ivan lived each moment of his life impassioned by his Creator and we know that he did it as a good soldier of Christ. Like the word says in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”
Thanks for your attention. We bless you in the name of Jesus.

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

In the Vedas is said that the beauty of a saintly person is their forgiveness.  It is the quality of those who trying to advance their spiritual consciousness.  It is described that that the chief of all demigods, Brahmā achieved that post because of his superb quality of forgiveness.  Krishna, God Himself, becomes please with those who are forgiving. 

This quality of forgiveness is realized when one understands that God is the supreme controller.  One should not be upset with the instruments of one's own karma.  So for one's own pains a person should be tolerant.  This is personal forgiveness, if others are harmed a person should do their part to protect. This is especially in regards to those who are in leadership, who have the duty and nature to protect others.  Such persons should not avoid corrective methods for the abusive behavior of the unrepentant. 

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

Lord Chaitanya’s Moon Is Rising
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Dear Maharaj/Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This clip was taken from a Harinam in London the day before Gaura Purnima.

It is interesting to note that in the beginning the young people are really just interested in goofing around to the kirtan, but later they start reading the mantra and join the kirtan.

Lord Caitanya is very merciful and the Holy Name has the ability to liberate one and all, the goofers, the chanters and the devotees.

Sankirtan leader is Govinda Prabhu,

Your servant
Parasuram Das

Street Sankirtana Must Go On
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Dear Maharaj/Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances all glories to Srila Prabhupada,
Harinam in Chinatown London, March 2014.

HG Giridhari Prabhu leads the chanting.

On that particular day there was a choice of 5 Harinam parties in and around London.

Enjoy the movie,
your servant
Parasuram Das

New Vrindaban Boards Sign Gas Leases for Utica Shale
→ ISKCON News

The boards of ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban, the two landholding entities in New Vrindaban, voted on February 20th and February 23rd, respectively, to sign leases for the Utica Shale, a deep natural gas formation.  In 2010, both boards signed similar leases for the Marcellus Shale.  As with that decision, this one was fraught with controversy.

Temple Profile: Kiev, Ukraine
→ ISKCON News

Today, Ukraine is all over the news for the civil unrest in its capital Kiev. But devotees are safe, and doing what they can to assist those affected. The crisis has, however, affected the Bhakti Sangam festival, which draws thousands of devotees and is the biggest ISKCON festival in the Ukraine and one of the biggest in the world. The festival was held every September in the Crimean Peninsula on the coast of the Black Sea, an area which became Russian territory in late February.