Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Surya Dev personally heats Mayapur’s cold water, for free! Guests staying at Mayapur’s largest and new guest house, Ishodyan had the privilege of having their morning shower with hot water heated by Solar power. This was possible with the first ever solar heating system installed at ISKCON, Mayapur ,inaugurated on the 4th of March by […]
The post Solar Heating in Mayapur appeared first on Mayapur.com.
New Kulina Gram Dham: Community of Krishna, Vaishnava devotees, seekers in the greater Baltimore, area. Read more › 
Lord Nrsimhadeva Deity Installed in New Vrindaban – Back to Godhead Magazine – July 1986.
At a recent festival in New Vrindaban, devotees installed the Deity of Lord Nrsimhadeva and His eternal associate, Prahlada Maharaja. The seven-foot black Deity of Lord Krsna’s half-man, half-lion incarnation is the first full-size Deity of Nrsimhadeva installed in the U.S. At the Hare Krsna farm in the Bavarian Forest, West Germany, devotees worship the Society’s only other full-size Nrsimhadeva Deity.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Vedic literatures elaborately describe the activities of Lord Nrsimhadeva. When the demoniac Hiranyakasipu continually harassed his five-year-old son, Prahlada, a pure devotee of the Lord, Nrsimhadeva burst from a stone pillar and effortlessly killed the powerful demon. Lord Nrsimhadeva represents death personified for the demons, but the devotees worship Him with love and devotion as their dear-most protector.
Soma dasa, whose many’ sculptures adorn the New Vrindaban community, carved the Nrsimha Deity. Soma dasa, consulting regularly with Sampat Kumar Bhattacarya, head of the famous Vyenkatesvara temple in Tirupati, India completed the Deity in only three months. The Deity is modeled according to descriptions of Nrsimhadeva given in the Vedic literature.
The installation ceremony lasted three days. with devotees from throughout the U.S. and Canada participating. Australian-born Gaura-kesava dasa, a brahmana priest fully trained in South India, performed the installation.
Darshan of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath, ISKCON Temple,Chowpatty,Mumbai;2nd Mar. 2014
Let us worship the Person more splendid than a blue lotus and sweeter than the nectar handsomeness of all other forms of Godhead, who wanders in a forest filled with nectar from Radha’s feet.
[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-84 Translation.]
Please click here for more photos
The most advanced devotees in the Gaudiya Vaishnava teachings are the gopis, or simple village girls, of Vrindavan. Also, Jahnavi Devi, the wife of Nityananda Prabhu, took the role of an acharya, or teacher, after her husband left this world.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam we see many great women devotees, such as Queen Kunti, Draupadi, Mother Yashoda, Devahuti, the wives of the yajnicbrahmanas, the naga-patnis or wives of Kaliya, and many more. Even Pingala, who was a prostitute, was able to attain self-realization by her devotional service.
A woman sincerely and seriously serving the Lord in whatever capacity she chooses should be honored and encouraged. In his Purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12, Prabhupada writes, “Everyone should be allowed to render service to the Lord to the best of his ability, and everyone should appreciate the service of others. Such are the activities of Vaikuntha [the spiritual world]. Since everyone is a servant, everyone is on the same platform and is allowed to serve the Lord according to his ability.” ( Lec. by Srila Prabhupada)
A little later, in the spring of 1970, when Srila Prabhupada was forming the Governing Body Commission (GBC) as the management arm of ISKCON, he included women on the list of disciples he was considering for the position.
When asked if a woman could become a temple president (Chicago, July 5, 1975), Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, why not?” and then explained that a woman should remain dependent on either her first-class father, first-class husband, or first-class son. (In the final analysis, only the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, is independent, but Vedic culture specifically enjoins that women should remain dependent on their intimate male relation.)
Here Srila Prabhupada states that a woman may be a temple president, but he also says that she also must be dependent. Is this contradictory? To gain some insight, we can turn to a conversation between Vallabha Bhatta, Advaita Acarya, and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
One day Vallabha Bhatta said to Advaita Acarya, “Every living entity is female [prakriti] and considers Krishna her husband [pati]. It is the duty of a chaste wife, devoted to her husband, not to utter her husband’s name, but all of you chant the name of Krishna. How can this be called a religious principle?”
Advaita Acarya responded, “In front of you is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the personification of religious principles. You should ask Him, for He will give you the proper answer.”
Hearing this, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “My dear Vallabha Bhatta, you do not know religious principles. Actually, the first duty of a chaste woman is to carry out the order of her husband. The order of Krishna is to chant His name incessantly. Therefore one who is chaste and adherent to the husband Krishna must chant the Lord’s name, for she cannot deny the husband’s order.” (Caitanya- caritamrita, Antya-lila 7.103-7)
Similarly, under the guidance of her spiritual master, a chaste, Krishna conscious woman encouraged by her Krishna conscious father, husband, or son may render whatever service she’s qualified to do, whether as a mother, a cook, a temple president, a GBC, or a spiritual master.
In the Hare Krishna movement, Srila Prabhupada trained men to see all women except their own wife respectfully as “mother,” and women to see all men except their husbands respectfully as their “sons.” As the son’s duty is to protect his mother, so one of the duties of Srila Prabhupada’s men is to protect Srila Prabhupada’s women. A devotee-woman leader is protected by her husband and her “sons.”
Therefore in the Lord’s spiritual society and for His pleasure, a woman may do whatever service is suited to her. While this principle may seem straightforward and clear, to some it is a point of great controversy. They believe that a woman’s birth precludes her from doing certain services for the Lord, even though she may be qualified for them. Sometimes such thinking is culturally based. For example, traditionally in India women don’t perform certain Deity services in the temple—a standard Srila Prabhupada respected there. But often the thinking comes from the male ego, which Srila Prabhupada identified as “the temperament of always wanting to be in a superior position.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.3.10, Purport).
To function successfully in such a difficult milieu, a woman spiritual leader must be astute, guileless, sensitive, soft-hearted, clear-headed, and fixed in Krishna consciousness, seeing herself as a servant of all. Her saving grace is her natural, humble service attitude, as well as her gracious and urgently needed contribution to Srila Prabhupada’s society.
Let us be enlightened by the perspective Srila Prabhupada reveals in this conversation:
Srila Prabhupada: In the spiritual platform there is no such distinction—man, woman, or black, white, or big or small. No. Everyone is spirit soul. Panditah sama-darshinah. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini shuni caiva shva-pake ca panditah. One who is actually learned is sama- darshinah. He does not make any distinction. But as far as our material body is concerned, there must be some distinction for keeping the society in order.
Woman: The women could become panditas, then?
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Te ’pi yanti param gatim. Not only become—she can also attain perfection. There is no such restriction. Krishna said.
Woman: Do you have any panditas in the Western movement?
Prabhupada: There are so many Western women, girls, in our society. They are chanting, dancing, taking to Krishna consciousness. Of course, because superficially, bodily, there is some distinction, we keep women separate from men, that’s all. Otherwise, the rights are the same.” (June 18, 1976, Toronto)
[Source : krishna.com]
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 December 2013, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.10.24)
One small anecdote comes to mind about Srila Prabhupada. It was late in the evening and Srila Prabhupada sat down to do translation work, at eleven o’ clock at night. So he invited a devotee, a brahmacāri to come and sit with him.
He said, “Come and sit with me while I’m translating”.
He said, “Srila Prabhupada, it’s very late now. I have to go to bed. I’m very tired, so if I can be excused, I would appreciate it.”
And Prabhupada said, “But I’m not going to sleep, I’m not going to sleep. Why do you have to sleep?”
He said, “You are a pure devotee”.
Then Prabhupada said, “Why are you not a pure devotee?”
So this should be our meditation. This should be our constant meditation. Why I am not a pure devotee? What is in the way? And how long am I going to take? Slow and steady wins the race… very slow (laughing). I mean if you calculate the average lifetime and how many years we have left, and how much have we already achieved so far, then at this pace, are we really gonna make it? Then we are going to go a little bit of the way and we need a lot of mercy to make up for the rest. That is risky, to rely that much on mercy.
Both factors are there ultimately, in deciding whether this life will be successful or not. We should put a little more on the side of endeavour because devotional service is transcendental. It is part of the hladini-shakti, the pleasure potency. It gives pleasure to Krsna. Therefore devotional service never goes unnoticed. So, therefore, in the Krsna book, it is mentioned that Krsna is known by the name of Acutya or one who never fails to notice the smallest service rendered, even the smallest service rendered. Krsna notices and he appreciates.
I would like to share with you some incidents from today’s distribution of Life’s Final Exam at ISKCON Los Angeles.
Giriraj Swami, my guru maharaja, had graced a weekend festival at New Dvaraka, celebrating the disappearance of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja on Saturday and Maha Siva-ratri on Sunday. His new book, Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective, was officially launched during the Sunday festival. Aditi, Nikunja Viharini, and I had set up a book table outside the temple. Many special souls approached the book table and bought Guru Maharaja’s books, and some made especially inspiring comments:
A disciple of Srila Prabhupada said to a visitor who was curiously inspecting Watering the Seed: “First there was Planting the Seed, and now there is Watering the Seed. You should take this book! I read it—it’s a good one!”
A gentleman visiting Los Angeles from Finland was scheduled to return in three days. He was a consular officer at the Finnish Embassy in Los Angeles in the early ’70s. At first he was not sure if he would buy any of the books, but he returned after taking prasada, bought a copy of Life’s Final Exam, and requested Guru Maharaja to sign it, saying proudly that the book was going to Finland.
A Bengali lady who lives near the temple walked by the book table and gazed at the display of Life’s Final Exam. She stopped abruptly and exclaimed, “Death really is the final exam. I must read this book.” While getting an autograph for her book, she told Guru Maharaja that the front cover of the book was what had caught her attention, because her aging mother lives in an ashram in Benares, hoping to leave this world beside the Ganges River.
A young corporate law student from Ontario, Canada, was visiting the temple for the first time. He was on his way to catch a flight back to Canada, so he took a copy of Life’s Final Exam and exclaimed that now he had divine prasada to eat and a nectar book to read on his flight!
A graduate student from Brisbane, Australia, studying at the California Institute of Technology, one of the top science and engineering universities in the world, had already read Many Moons and was happy to get a copy of Watering the Seed. But tonight he was especially elated to meet the author of the two books in person.
In less than an hour, one full box of Guru Maharaja’s books were bought.
Thank you. Hare Krishna.
Your servant,
Krishna Kirtan Das
Niranjana Swami: Yesterday, March 7, 2014, you left this world surrounded by so many loving devotees, loudly chanting Krsna's names. As I was standing next to you, chanting and simultaneously hearing the kirtan, chanted so loudly and with such great fervor, I was reflecting on the letter you wrote to me early last year.
Among the many beautiful thoughts you shared with me in that letter, you mentioned a conversation you had with a devoteee in Kolkata, the same day you were diagnosed with cancer. Although this devotee knew nothing yet about the diagnosis (because other than yourself and your husband, nobody else was told what the doctors had said) he asked you the following question:
"Where were you born?"
In your letter, you wrote that you replied, "Oh, it is small place near Herson. No one knows it. I was born there, but it is not important. What is important is where I'll die, I hope not at the place where I was born. I hope I'll die in Mayapur." Read more › 
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"Even if I have the opportunity to bath in the ocean of pure love of Krsna, and even if I have the pure devotees of the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead as my associates, I will not consent to live for even for a single moment in any sacred place other than Vrajabhumi. Even if the residents of Vraja appear to be ordinary, and even if they fill my ears with useless gossip, I pray that I may remain amongst them, eternally residing here in Vraja." [ Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami ] Read more › The post Kirtana on the roof, March 7th appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
The post Parikrama with Hungarian pilgrims around our ISKCON campus (see pictures) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Hare Krishna Prabhus,
As many of you know in 2013 we had eight sat sanga programs at Srila Prabhupada’s Palace.
During these gatherings devotees shared memories and realizations about Srila Prabhupada and the positive moments in New Vrindaban’s history.
The schedule for our first sat-sanga of the year at the Palace is as follows:
Saturday, March 22nd, (the next weekend after Gaura Purnima )
5:45 p.m. Bhajans
6:00 p.m. Excerpts from Srila Prabhupada’s writings.
6:10 p.m. Stories and Realizations shared by keynote speakers
7:00 p.m. Arotika for Srila Prabhupada
7:30 p.m. Prasadam
The Keynote Speakers For March: Chaitanya Mangala das, Tamohara das
If you have any suggestions on who else we can invite to speak at these sat-sangas, please let me know.
Your servant,
Kripamaya das
Bhagvatam class by H.G.Govinda Dutta Prabhu
I worship two splendors who are more handsome than millions of Rati-Kamadevas, who have stolen the glory of millions of Laksmi-Narayanas, whose forms are effulgent as gold and sapphires, and who enjoy pastimes in the forest of Vrndavana.
[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-83 Translation.]
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 September 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.36)
When we engage in pious activities, the result is that our consciousness becomes pious and then our thoughts and our actions become pious. When we engage in purifying activities then gradually the result is that our consciousness changes, obviously. It is said,
aprārabdha-phalaṁ pāpaṁ pūtaṁ
bījaṁ phalonmukham krameṇaiva
pralīyante viṣṇu-bhakti-ratātmanā, (Padma Purana)
In the Padma Purana, it is stated that there is aprārabdha-phalaṁ within the heart – unmanifest karma. Many reactions and too many activities are stored within the heart, and the result is that these are like seeds that are within the heart (bījaṁs). These bījaṁs create a particular inclination. So, because we have so many past sinful activities, there are so many sinful bījaṁs within the heart and therefore, the inclination towards sin is there and therefore, there are thoughts which are sinful.
Fortunately, it is mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam, in the chapter where Maharaja Pariksit is stopping kali from entering the kingdom, at that point, there is a purport which mentions that thoughts in the age of kali are free – you can think whatever you like and there is no reaction. That is a bit of relief. Let us be frank, I mean sometimes what comes into the mind!? We killed a few people! What to do? It happens. There is a bad driver for example. What to do and what not to do; and so many other things may happen within the mind but fortunately, there are no reactions for thinking it. But of course, if we contemplate sinful activities then it may lead to sinful actions,
dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ
saṅgas teṣūpajāyate, (Bhagavad-gita 2.62)
Because contemplation causes attachment and then from the attachment comes the desire to act.
Mayapur: The Spiritual Capital of the World! Read more › 
Five hundred years ago, at the time of Lord Chaitanya, there lived a very wonderful devotee named Jagadish Ganguli. His residence was in a small village near Mayapur. Although he was advanced in age, every year he would go on the 900 kilometer journey to Jagannath Puri on foot to associate with his master Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, take darshan of his beloved Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi, and participate in the all-auspicious Ratha-yatra festival.
One day, less than a month before his scheduled departure for Puri, Jagadish’s plans were foiled. He was stricken with a terrible disease that left him completely blind. Because he was optimistic by nature, this did not dampen his desire to make the yearly padayatra to Puri. He would no longer be able to see the divine, all-merciful forms of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Jagannatha, that was for sure. But still he could relish the sound of sweet kirtana and discourses given by exalted Vaishnavas. Read more › 
This site has been revamped, with a new look and new functionality. Now it works well on tablets and phones. (And on my side, it’s also easier to use.) My thanks to my grand-disciple Uddhava Dasa (assisted by Ragalekha Devi Dasi) for all the work involved. Hare Krishna.
The post Digital reincarnation appeared first on Jayadvaita Swami.
Compound Words: These nifty creatures are two in one. Take two separate words, fit them together and Voila! You get a brand new word!But compound words get tricky for 2nd graders when they have to learn to spell them! Two different words have different rules for spelling and its double the work.
So, we made it a game. We ‘hid’ each word on multi-colored Post-It notes all around the class. Students had 3 minutes to gather the different notes, put the words together, and write a sentence with the meaning.
Ready, Set, Go! I sat back and watched as they played and learned.
The post Parikrama with Hungarian pilgrims around our ISKCON campus appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Vladivostok is a city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia, located at the head of the Golden Horn Bay, not far from Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Read more › 
Amalaki Ekadasi
Maha Clean-up for Gaura Purnima
Offerings for Mahaprabhu on Gaura Purnima
Sponsor Kalash for Maha-Abhiseka