Registration Open For The 14th Annual Festival Of Inspiration May 9 – 11, 2014 (Mother’s day weekend)
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Festival of Inspiration website

Filled with inspiring lectures, seminars, workshops, entertainment, and dramas, the Festival of Inspiration has become the most spiritually inspirational and motivational event of the year. A uniquely wonderful opportunity to share chanting of the holy names in the association of vibrant and fascinating souls from all over the three worlds.

Join in for three consecutive days of tumultuous world-class kirtans, bhajans, dancing and feasting in the Appalachian foothills during the delightful mid-spring season in West Virginia!

We still have some onsite accommodation available. Please register as soon as possible by calling 304-843-1600 ext 111.

For more information Contact:

Vrindavana Das
Festival Coordinator
vrindavanadas@gmail.com
304-843-1600 ext 129

Nectar In New Zealand
→ travelingmonk.com

Bada Haridas and myself are enjoying the association of devotees in Auckland, New Zealand. Yesterday Kalasamvara prabhu showed us around ISKCON’s beautiful New Varsana community in the countryside. In the afternoon we went on harinam in the city with all the devotees. Krsna consciousness is expanding rapidly in the country known as the ‘long white [...]

Siva Ratri
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Srila Prabhupada: …observing Siva-ratri, Nanda Maharaja and all the cowherds men, they increased their attachment for Krishna. That is wanted.

Shiva, “The Auspicious One,” is one of the primal controllers of the material world. He is mentioned as the greatestVaishnava, devotee of Vishnu, and he is Krishna’s unique agent for overseeing the mode of ignorancewithin material creation.

He is considered one of the twelvemahajanas, authorities on devotional service to Krishna, and he is in charge of destroying the universe at the time of annihilation. He is the husband of Durga (a.k.a. Maya, Uma, Parvati, Sati, etc.), Krishna’s material energy personified.

Shiva is neither an ordinary living entity, jiva, nor a typical demigod. He is in his own category of existence, known as shiva-tattva. He is almost on the level of Vishnu, but because of his interaction with material nature he is not counted as vishnu-tattva, the category of Godhead.

Vaishnavanams yatha Shambu – Lord Shiva is the greatest devotee of Lord Vishnu.

Lord Krishna (Vishnu) is in this analogy considered to be likened to Milk. Milk is the origin of so many dairy products – Krishna tu bhagavan swayam, and so Krishna or Vishnu is the origin of everything. When Krishna wants activity overseen of the modes of Tamo guna He expands Himself transforming His supreme powers to act in that way, as no-one else could, and in that state He is Shambu – Shiva. So it may be seen that milk that is transformed becomes yogurt, but that yoghurt can never again become milk, this is presented in Brahma samhita 5:45.

ksiram yatha dadhi vikara-visesa-yogat
sanjayate na hi tatah prthag asti hetoh

yah sambhutam api tatha samupaiti karyad
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

TRANSLATION
Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Sambhu is a transformation for the performance of the work of destruction.

vrndavanavani-pate! Jaya soma soma maule
sanaka-sanandana-sanatana-naradedya
gopisvara! Vraja-vilasi-yugangri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupadhi namo namaste

“O gatekeeper of Vrndavana! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon, and who is worshipable by the sages headed by Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Narada! O Gopisvara (Shiva), desiring that you bestow upon me that prema for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dhama, I offer obeisances unto you time and again.”

last updated 16th February 2007

Shiva (Lord Shiva) and ratri (night), so Shivaratri means the night of Lord Shiva. Every lunar month on the 13th or 14th day of the dark half of the moon phase there is a Shivaratri but in the Vedic month of Phalgun (February-March) there is a Maha Shivaratri. This year it falls on the 16th or 17th February depending where you are on the planet. The ceremony takes place mainly at night. This festival observed in the honour of Lord Shiva, who was married to Parvati (Mother Durga/Mother Gauri) on this day.

Some dvevotees observe a strict fast on this day. Some really strict devotees perform a nirjal fast i.e. they do not even have a sip of water. They keep virgil the entire night. The Shiva lingam is worshipped throughout the night by washing it every three hours with milk, yogurt, ghee, honey and so forth, whilst chanting of the mantra “Om namah shivaya”, continues. Offering of bael leaves are made to the Lingam. Bael leaves are very sacred (as Tulsi to Lord Vishnu and dhar to Mother Durga are very pleasing to Them) and Lord Shiva becomes pleased with that offering. Many different hymns glorifying Lord Shiva are sung with intense fervour and devotion. Aspirants perform japa of the Panchakshara mantra “ Om namah Shivaya” (At the end of this article there is a very detail explanation of each syllable of this mantra.)

He who utters the names of Lord Shiva during Shivaratri with perfect devotion and concentration is freed from all sins that he/she have committed. He/she reaches the abode of Lord Shiva and resides very happily there.

The Story of King Chitrabhanu

In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma, whilst resting on a bed of arrows and discoursing on Dharma, refers to the observance of Maha Shivaratri by King Chitrabhanu. The story goes as follows.

Once, King Chitrabhanu was observing a fast with his wife, and it was the day of Maha Shivaratri. The sage Ashtavakra came on a visit to the king’s court. The sage asked, “ O king why are you observing a fast today?” King Chitrabhanu explained the reason, as he had the gift of remembering the incidents of his previous birth. The king said to the sage, “in my past birth I was a hunter in Varanasi (Kashi). My name was Suswara. My livelihood was to kill and sell birds and animals. One day, I was overtaken by the darkness of night. Unable to return home, I climbed a tree for shelter. It happened to be a bael tree. I had shot a deer that day, but I did not have time to take it home. I bundled it up and tied it to a branch on the tree. As I was tormented by hunger and thirst, I kept awake throughout the night. I shed profuse tears when I thought of my poor wife and children who were starving and anxiously awaiting my return. To pass away time that night I engaged myself in plucking bael leaves and dropping them down onto the ground. “The day dawned and I returned home and sold the deer. I bought some food for myself and for my family. I was about to break my fast when a stranger came to me, begging for food. I served him first and then took my food.”

 

“ At the time of death, I saw two messengers of Lord Shiva, they were sent down to take me to his abode. I then learnt for the first time of the great merit I had earned but the unconscious worship of Lord Shiva during the night of Shivaratri. They told me that there was a lingam under that tree and that I had dropped the leaves on that Lingam. My tears, which I had shed out of pure sorrow for my family, fell onto the Lingam and washed it. And I had fasted all day and all night. Thus, I unconsciously worshipped Lord Shiva on that most auspicious day.” “I lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for long ages. And now I am reborn as Chitrabhanu.”

Lord Shiva’s assurance

 

When creation was completed Lord Shiva and Parvati Mata went to live on the top of Mount Kailash. Parvati asked, “O adorable lord, which of the many rituals observed in your honour pleases you the most.” The Lord replied, “the fourteenth night of the new moon in the dark fortnight during the month of Phalgun, is my favorite day. It is called Maha Shivaratri. My devotees give me great joy and happiness by mere fasting than by ceremonial baths and offerings of flower, sweets and incense.”
“The devotee observes strict spiritual discipline in the day and worships me in four different forms during each of the four successive three hour periods of the night. The offering of a few bael leaves is more precious to me than precious jewels and flowers. My devotee should bath me in milk in the first period, in yogurt in the second period, in ghee in the third, and in honey in the fourth and the last. In the morning he should feed Brahmins (that is if this is possible), and after doing that he/she breaks his/her fast. No ritual can compare with this simple routine in sanctity.”
Parvati was deeply impressed by the words of her husband. She repeated this to her friends, who in turn passed it on to everyone else. Thus the sanctity of Maha Shivaratri was broadcast all over the world.

The Shivaratri fast is aimed at controlling a persons two great vices (rajas – the quality of passionate activity) and (tamas – that of inertia).

 

The entire day is spent on worshipping Lord Shiva. Continuous worship of the Lord necessitates the devotee’s constant presence in the place of worship. Ones motion is controlled and evils like lust, anger and jealousy, born of Rajas, are ignored and subdued. The devotee observes virgil throughout the night and thus conquers tamas also. Constant control is exercised over the mind. Every three hours a round of worship of the Shiva lingam is conducted and thus Shivaratri is the perfect vrat.

NOTE: the Vaishnava/ aspiring Vaishnava however, worships Lord Shiva on this day in order to receive His blessings to become a better devotee of Lord Krishna (Vishnu) and not to attain residence in the abode of Shiva.

[Source : krishna.com , Vaisnava Reminder]

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ February 28, 2014
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To they who, rejecting a thornless kingdom and beautiful women, thinking all material happinesses most bitter and renouncing education, noble birth, wealth, and fame, go to Vrndavana, never to leave, we offer our respectful obeisances.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-76 Translation.]

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Understanding integrity
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 December 2013, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.9.3)

prabhupada chanting and talkingHow can we understand what is integrity? For example, different people have different levels of behaviour. A brahmana and a candala cannot be treated in the same way. If some local resident of Vrndavan just pushes you aside in the temple and you cannot just fold your hands and say, “Brajbasi!”  But Jada Bharata could. If anyone would have pushed him, he would have just been pushed. But it is not that we always have to let ourselves be pushed.

We have different natures, some people are cool and some people are hot! When hot people always have to be cool, they explode; Krsna understands that! So, Krsna knows that there are hot people and sometimes they have to let a little fire from the mouth but that can be dangerous because when you too much fire out of your mouth then you yourself can become burnt by vaisnava apradha.

So we must be careful, we must try to tolerate, trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna, (Sikastakam verse 3). To be more humble than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree. At the end of the verse, it says to be respectful to all living beings, “My dear ant, excuse me for having such big feet. I am very sorry for having killed your grandmother so please forgive me.” That was the mood of Jada Bharata, he even cared about the ants…

So integrity goes very deep, it goes very far and the change of heart that we have to go through, also goes very far.

 

 

Vyasapuja celebrations of His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendra Nandana Swami (Album 98 photos)
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ISKCON Malaysia celebrated 75th Vyasapuja of His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendra Nandana Swami at its head quarters Sri Jagannatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur on 27 February, 2014. It was the second consecutive year that Maharaja was personally present at the temple for his vyasapuja. Maharaja has been the president for ISCKON Malaysia since 1980 and has been the pillar of ISKCON Malaysia throughout. Read more ›

New Vrindaban Boards Sign Gas Leases for Utica Shale
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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.

Prior to the Marcellus signing, New Vrindaban management and concerned residents arranged several meetings, complete with slide shows, guest speakers expressing opposing views, and vigorous debate on the philosophical, environmental and economic issues implicated.  This time around, similar meetings were also arranged.  In addition, the boards received questions and comments via e-mail from a newly formed resident group, the New Vrindaban Community Advocacy Sanga.  

Opponents of the Utica signing feared that the drilling would be inconsistent with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for the New Vrindaban community, would entail grave risks of air and water pollution and other environmental harm (as dramatically highlighted in the documentary film “Gasland 2”), and would damage the reputation of New Vrindaban in the eyes of the younger generation, potential new residents, pilgrims, and visitors.  Some residents were also concerned that the decision was being made by nonresident board members who were uninformed and/or underinvested as to these risks, or by resident board members who had ulterior financial motives in securing the signing.

The boards ensured that the decision-making process was robust.  They were vigilant to involve all directors (with the exception of those excluded based on a conflict of interest) in both the preliminary discussions and the final votes.  Many directors conducted independent research and shared those results with the full boards.  Finally, outside legal opinions confirmed that the boards’ procedures for dealing with directors with potential conflicts of interest were appropriate and consistent with all relevant laws and ISKCON standards.

After prolonged debate and discussion, the boards voted in favor because of the unavoidability of drilling in the vicinity, and the opportunity that signing gives us to both limit the potential for harm and to make the best use of a bad bargain.  

Approximately 98% of the land around and between INV and ECOV-owned properties has already been leased, most of it pursuant to 2 ½ page contracts providing little to no protection in terms of water and air pollution, traffic, or noise.  In addition, in the vicinity of the temple alone, there are 9 active wells and 4 new permits in process within a 2-mile radius, and 24 active wells and 67 new permits in process within a 5-mile radius.  Because the lands owned by INV and ECOV do not form one contiguous block, even a decision not to sign would not prevent wells from being drilled in our midst.  Rather, we would simultaneously be confronted with any accompanying risks, and yet lose our own gas to capture without deriving any financial benefit. 

The 19-page contract presented to the boards was negotiated by two devotee representatives and an environmental lawyer working with a smaller gas company.  It contains strong protections in regard to air and water pollution, noise, and traffic.  Thus, by signing, we have created an opportunity for our neighbors to also sign under these strong terms, rather than under weaker contracts that would bring any negative side-effects right to our borders. 

For ourselves, we determined that the potential risks of signing were significantly outweighed by the certain benefits.  Our investigations have shown that many of the concerns raised in high-profile media reports are not based on sound data.  In any event, in addition to the strong protections already mentioned, the contract also contains a provision that limits drilling to two uninhabited parts of New Vrindaban.  Finally, history has shown that the Marcellus signing did not deter visitors and devotees from continuing to support and visit New Vrindaban. 

The benefits, on the other hand, are both tangible and substantial.  The contract contains even higher payments for drill pads, royalties, and shut-in fees than those secured under the Marcellus lease, which were already higher than what other landowners in the area have been receiving. 

Proceeds from the Marcellus signing were used by INV and ECOV to:

 

  • install new roofs on the temple and guest lodge,
  • renovate the restaurant, the lodge rooms and residential ashrams,
  • upgrade the water system,
  • install solar panels at and renovate the main cow barn,
  • install filtered water stations around the temple and lodge area to reduce the use of plastic bottles,
  • plant food-bearing trees and berries throughout New Vrindaban,
  • construct a prototype rammed-tire cabin,
  • construct an irrigation system for the Garden of Seven Gates,
  • demolish dilapidated buildings on the Bahulaban site,
  • develop an architectural plan for restoring Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, and
  • fund Gopal’s Garden School.

 

Proceeds from the Utica signing will similarly be used, in a spirit of yukta vairagya, to implement Srila Prabhupada’s vision for New Vrindaban, including significant commitments from both boards to renovate the Palace, ramp up local food production, and develop an eco-village based on plain living and high thinking.

 

The decision to sign was not an easy one, or one that INV or ECOV board members took lightly.  Rather, after receiving input from concerned community members and soberly weighing the pros and cons, both boards ultimately decided that signing was, under the circumstances, in the best interests of New Vrindaban.  We pray that Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra are pleased with our efforts to serve Them, and that, for the sake of all well-wishers of the Dhama, the future will prove us right.

Your servants,

Dayavira dasa & Navin Shyam dasa,
as Board Chairpersons, on behalf of the ISKCON New Vrindaban & ECO-Vrindaban Board of Directors, respectively.

Little Hands….Colorful art
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Our little ones love arts and crafts. Their little hands get busy, coloring,  folding, cutting, gluing. They especially like to color “rainbow style” – where everything, even the sun, or a dog, or anything becomes as colorful as the rainbow! (Why should the grass be only green or a mouse all gray?) They are surely a joyful bunch!

 

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-28 11:43:00 →

1972 February 28: "We should always pray that Krishna may kindly provide me the intelligence to kill all demons of doubt, and because He understands the heart of His sincere devotee, immediately He gives assistance. I am absolutely certain that anyone who challenges me, I can defeat. Why? Because Krishna gives me the intelligence."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972