Just Because
→ 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.)
photo Just-Because-My-Eyes-Dont-Tear_zps86fa1102.jpg
Just because something is
doesn't mean it should be.

Just because a poem is written
doesn’t mean it’s good.

Just because I have a manuscript
doesn’t mean it should be published.

Just because I don’t like a universal law
doesn’t mean it isn’t good, or I can break it.

Just because I own something
doesn’t mean I should keep it.

Just because it’s a cool techno gadget
doesn’t mean I need to buy it.

Just because I want to be humble
doesn’t mean I don’t need appreciation.

read more

Memories of Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindaban – Rasa lila dasi
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

 

Memories of Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindaban – Rasa lila dasi.

My initiation [in July 1974] was a wonderful moment.  It was one of those moments that Srutakirti describes – when you’re so bewildered you can’t remember even your own name.  To be in front of Srila Prabhupada for the first time was that kind of a feeling.

The devotees in New Vrindavan had put Prabhupada’s vyasasana on a landing about halfway up the stairs leading to Kirtanananda’s cabin [at Bahulaban].  To get your beads from Prabhupada, you had to climb up those stairs.  It was very dramatic.  The moment was so awesome you felt like you were climbing Mount Sumeru.

The night before, my husband, Narada Muni prabhu, had jokingly said, “And you better get a nice name from Srila Prabhupada.”  I said, “Well, yeah, I hope so.  I’ll try, what can I say?”  So, when I went to get my beads, the sounds system was reverberating and I could barely hear His Divine Grace’s words.  Besides that, I was practically stunned anyway.  I thought I heard him say that my name was Rasa Lila but I wasn’t sure.  I heard all the devotees gasping and cheering.  In those days we were studying Krishna Book intensely and we had contests and quizzes about it.

When Prabhupada spoke my name, I experienced what he describes about the gopis during the rasa-lila – that as they sang and danced, their movements, their smiling , their clothes, their earrings, and their hair with flowers combined together to appear like clouds, snow, thunder and lightning.  That passage flashed through my mind.  When he said my name it was an experiential moment.  Even though I wasn’t positive what he had said, that was what I experienced.  I walked down the stairs stunned and asked someone, “What did Prabhupada say my name is?”  It was incredible.  In one moment Prabhupada can reveal the spiritual world to you.  That’s his potency.

50th Anniversary
→ Ramai Swami

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One of the seminars at the ISKCON Leadership Sanga was how to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ISKCON’s incorporation.

Srila Prabhupada came to Mayapur in 1965 to seek the blessings of his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. He then sailed to America and incorporated ISKCON in 1966.
After the presentation a lively discussion ensued and many ideas were put forward to the International Committee coordinating events with the temples around the world.
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New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ February 22, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

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Don’t, don’t harbor illusions about your body, home and everything else! Know that death will thwart all your plans! O friend, run, run to Sri Vrndavana! Don’t make your heart harder than a thunderbolt.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-70 Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

Feeding our desires
→ KKSBlog

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

pani-puriSrila Prabhupada said that we can measure our advancement by how much we are becoming free from material desires. The tenth offence, in the matter of chanting the holy name, is to maintain material desires. Having material desires is one thing but we should not feed them. If we keep our material desires like a pet and you feed it, the thing becomes big and fat like some ugly fat little dog!

So, we do not feed our material desires, then they will go away very quickly. If you want to get rid of unwanted guest, then do not feed him and then he will go away very quickly. So the problem is not so much having material desires, the problem is feeding material desires.

 

 

 

Will Be Protected
→ Japa Group

One who cultivates the four qualities of:

1) Humility
2) Tolerance
3) Pridelessness
4) Respect for others

....will be protected from committing the ten offences. The third verse of Sri Caitanya’s Siksastaka, which should surround one’s neck like a garland, describes these traits.

trnâd api sunîcena, taror iva sahisnunâ
amânina mânadena, kîrtanîyah sadâ harih

"One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord."

Vyasa-puja Book deadline
→ KKSBlog

vp-vyasapuja-bookThe Vyasa-puja festival en Kingsday are slowly approaching. Soon it will be the end of April. Are you ready to engage yourself in the service of Kadamba Kanana Swami? If you like to come you can register here. And every year we collect your writings, offerings and other poetic endeavours and publish it as a Vyasa-puja book. This will be presented to Kadamba Kanana Swami during the festival in Radhadesh. Sutapa and Yudhistira prabhu’s are working hard on the editing, designing and publication of this very book. The book publication will take almost 1.5 month. But without content the book would be empty, so we are depending on your written contributions.

Please send your texts before the 10th of march. That means you have 17 days to send it. Or 408 hours.

You can send your texts to : vyasapujabook@kksblog.com

Send your offering directly

Use the contact form below. If you cannot see the form then visit this page.

[contact-form]

Join us this Sunday Feast and Hear about "The importance of chanting" from Her Grace Prema Gaurangi Devi Dasi
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON


Sunday Love Feast

When?
Sunday, February 23rd
Program starts at 11 am

Where?
6 George Street South
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 1P3, Canada
Phone:416-648-3312

New! Listen
Click here to listen to previous class recordings on our blog
Make a Donation
 Bhagavad-gita As It Is 5.29

Peace Formula
bhoktaram yajna-tapasa
sarva-loka-mahesvaram 
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam 
jnatva mam santim rcchati

 
     TRANSLATION
The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.

             PURPORT
Program Schedule:
11.00- 11.15               Tulsi Puja                                           
11.15 - 11.30               Guru Puja                                            
11:30 –11:55               Aarti & Kirtan                                      
11.55 - 12.00              Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers                  
12.00 – 1:00               Vedic Discourse 
  1:00 –  1:30                Closing Kirtan

 

ON GOING EVERY SUNDAY
  

Govinda's Natural Foods Snack Bar

Govinda's has always been a giver of love and friendliness, food with a home cooked feel, Check out this Sunday your own Govinda’s Snack Bar at ISKCON Brampton for dine in or take out. This snackbar definitely has the best selection of cruelty-free eats with a bang for your buck.
 
Sunday School
 The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him.
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).

 
 

  COMING UP AHEAD

 
Fasting for Vijaya Ekadasi
On Tuesday,feb 25th.
Dvadasi/Breakfast on wed,feb 26th b/w 6.59-10.40 am

( Those interested in advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must observe Ekādaśī-vrata regularly by not eating grains,beans,legumes,cereals etc.)


Gaura Purnima[Appearance day of Mahaprabhu]
On march 16th
Fasting till moonrise
Mangala arati @ 5.00 am
Evening program @ 7.00 pm
                                                                                                     


Maha Clean-up for Gaura Purnima

Please join us for the Maha Clean-up of the temple on march 9th after prasadam,everyone is welcome.

You can be helpful in so many different ways with this festival if you wish,please do ask Prema Gaurangi Devi Dasi.
To sponsor/finance this festival,please contact Krsna smaran Devi Dasi in person or via[kavitabalram@yahoo.com]

 (We'll keep you updated for more details of this festival coming up shortly)
                                                                                            
Please note that ISKCON Brampton is a nut free environment in order to support those with allergies. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Chant and Be happy!

Friday, February 21st, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapura, India

Fabric of the Gods

Anywhere that you roam in India, village or city, you are like to see cloth blowing in the wind.  It could be on someone's person, a woman's sari's end flapping in the wind or even a man traditionally dressed in dhoti or lunghi doing the same.
 
What I like about wearing cloth that may be caught in the hands on an airy day is that from a distance the ongoing and onleaving motorists see more of you.  In my walks through Canada people have been able to see me from a distance.  The cloth is an extension of yourself.  In volume there is more of you.  My mission is to strike a controversy so the monk's attire helps apart from the unique colour.
 
Now I'm bringing up the topic of material as in fabric, because cloth was used like crazy today.  In our delivery of the "Gita Concise" the drama held in the Nama Hatta Building, an aqua with silver thread fabric was used to portray creeks, a much more expansive strip of cloth conveyed an ocean.
 
The play went exceedingly well, the evening session of cloth took the shape of a mellow fashion show, the first of it's kind in Mayapura.  Shukala from Australia and Mandali from Croatia are both fashion designers, who put together a VANDE supported event, "Fabric of the Gods".  Maybe we should describe it as a fabric show instead of a fashion show.  It was a marvelous display of Vaisnava attire from different sectors of India showing the diversity of style.  Colours were vibrant.  Cloth was sick.  The models were modest.  There was no cat walk.  How did I get involved?  And being a monk?  Well as chair person for VANDE, an initiative for promoting the arts, I've got an in.  Besides I was requested to be at least one of the hosts introducing the scenes along with friend Kripomoya from England.  Organizers felt that if a sanyasi monk would back the show it would give the stamp of approval.
 
The venue, the Samadhi Auditorium, was packed even though there was minimal promotion.  It just goes to show there are social needs even within a spiritual community.  In my opinion it was a 'clean' show.  Licentiousness was not an issue otherwise little old me 'monk' wouldn't tolerate.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Thursday, February 20th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapura, India

The Innovative Monk

He was very strict with himself.  It was his birth anniversary today.  Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is the guru of our guru and had been celibate all his life, that would make him a life long monk.
 
This morning we heard not about his austere nature but more about his innovation and creativity in drawing the masses towards spirituality.  Born in the eastern part of India, Orissa, he had established from that section of India a mission called "Gaudia Math" ending up with 64 branches or chapter.  When it comes time to 'display' or put on exhibits on spiritual life he taught big and did big.
 
Imagine a carnival set up for a fair which was inclusive of the latest pop music (we are talking about the 1920s), a popular theatre troupe with professional entertainers, wrestling, boxing and innocent amusements.  All featured on a square mile lot near the Ganges, this secular entertainment constituted half of the space while the second half demonstrated spiritualism.  There was also a luxury cruise arranged for dignitaries and along there were books on display by gurus of various denominations and followings.  Meat was also served and ready for the VIPs, he had just about everything in place to lure the masses.  Successful he was.  Outgoing with ideas? Yes very much so.
 
Bhaktisiddhanta was not just a monk he was an intellectual.  When it came time to deal with Britished ruled India, his eloquent use of the English language surprised statesmen and VIPs from that community with his use of language and erudition.
 
British imperialism was the strong hold in India and the social political climate of the time was to have the British leave forever.  Subash Chandra Bose also known as Nettaji was a powerful revolutionary at the time and he approached Bhaktisiddhanta about his recruiting so many bright young men and that they would be much better put to use in the army.
 
Bhaktisiddhanta, however, refuted any attempt by others to discourage the mission of spreading higher consciousness.  He also had a reputation as the Simgha Guru (Lion Guru) as challengers of philosophy and theology would be intimidated by him.  He was a powerful speaker and physically was a towering figure as well.
 
He stood up for the truth in the most absolute way.  He was staunch with himself and liberal when communicating in a growing world of liberalism.  We have the greatest reverence for him.  His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura "harmony is possible only when one has attained a firm footing in the dharma or the function of the soul".
 
May the Source be with you!
 
6 KM

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-02-22 12:24:00 →

1972 February 22: "On the carbon-copy contract you neglected to initial the last clause. Also I have added to Section XII: 'As well as the 48 pages of illustrations for which the Author reserves the right to publish for any purpose he may determine." So when MacMillan Co. has duly signed, then the thing is done, I am satisfied."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Radhapati prabhu’s Samadhi Inauguration (Album 50 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

H. G. Radhapati Prabhu Disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Radhapati Prabhu loined in Hawaii and who volunteered to go to Brazil to start the first temple. He then served in LA protecting the sankirtana devotees distributing books in LAX. He suffered several injuries in Viet Nam prior to his surrender to Srila Prabhupada. One of the injuries he received in Nam left him with a brain tumor that caused epileptic seizures. He came to Vrindavan about 16 years ago prepared to leave his body. He is a devotee of Sri Yamuna Devi. He served in Food for Life and Care for Cows for many years and served many local Vrajabasis selflessly. He is a person who is free from greed and is offenseless. He is in the loving hands of Sri Krsna. Read more ›