Jagannath Rath yatra by ISKCON kanpur on 4th feb (Album 40 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Resting on the banks of the River Ganges is “Kanhapur”—the city of Lord Krishna—presently known as Kanpur. Before going to the West, Srila Prabhupada had preached actively in Kanpur. In 1970, when Srila Prabhupada came back to India along with his Western disciples, Kanpur was on his mind. He requested his disciples to establish an outstanding ISKCON temple here and hold massive festivals to benefit the people -- Read more ›

The definitive way to verify anyone who claims to be “God”
→ The Spiritual Scientist

In order to guard against the invention of unauthorized incarnations of God by the fanciful, less intelligent persons, the name of the father of the bona fide incarnation is also mentioned in the authorized revealed scriptures. No one, therefore, can be accepted as an incarnation of the Lord if his father’s name, as well as the name of the village or place in which he appears, is not mentioned by the authorized scriptures. In the Bhagavata Purana the name of the Kalki incarnation, which is to take place in almost four hundred thousand years, is mentioned along with the name of His father and the name of the village in which He will appear. A sane man, therefore, does not accept any cheap edition of an incarnation without reference to the authorized scriptures.

- Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.2 purport

Bhakti Yogis Graduate at New Govardhana
→ Dandavats.com

The three-month long Bhakta Training Program at New Govardhana, concluded on 24 December with six graduating students receiving certificates. Course facilitator, Uddhava Priya dasa, held classes three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4.00 pm - 6.00 pm. A dozen participants attended, including new bhaktas, congregational members and WWOOFers. -- Read more ›

Lively Sunday Love Feast in ISKCON São Paulo, Brasil (Album 22 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

First held in 1966 at the request of Srila Prabhupada (founder of the Hare Krishna Movement), the Sunday Love Feast has evolved as an integrated celebration of Lord Krishna’s pastimes: chanting, hearing spiritual knowledge, dancing, eating, fellowship and generally sharing the bliss of God’s presence. A Sunday Love Feast is now held in hundrends if not thousands of Iskcon temples worldwide. Anyone can come regardless of beliefs as we welcome all into an experience of Love. -- Read more ›

Meet the glorious Department Heads of New Raman Reti and their strategic plannings for improvement!
→ Dandavats.com

Temple Department Head Meeting: At the beginning of each year the New Raman Reti Management Board has a strategic planning meeting to set priorities for the coming year. This year we decided to go in a different direction since our priorities seem to be set: building a new Goshala and Eco Farm, guest cottages, and making plans for a new temple and conference center complex. Instead, we invited each Temple department head to meet with us. They shared their achievements, challenges and ideas for succession with the Board members and with each other. It was so enlivening and eye opening for all of us that we decided to hold this as an open meeting at the beginning of each year from now on. -- Read more ›

Humans of Krishna Lunch project funds renovations, unites eaters (Album 63 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Krishna Lunch has launched a feature on its Facebook page called Humans of Krishna Lunch as a part of its campaign to fund the Plaza of the Americas renovations. The posts include pictures of people eating with quotes about their experience. Photographer and Krishna Lunch employee Amy Hollis said the project aims to connect members. “We wanted to collect stories not just for the fundraising campaign but to help the Krishna Lunch community grow,” she said. “These Krishna Lunchers are all individuals all doing the same thing every day but don’t really know each other.” -- Read more ›

Bimal Prasad
→ travelingmonk.com

Bimal Prasad das, a wonderful disciple of Srila Prabhupada and a good friend of mine, passed away a few hours ago. In Memoriam If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I’d walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again. Few farewell words were spoken, so little time to say goodbye, [...]

Quiet Adventure
→ Seed of Devotion

Sometimes adventures come of the quiet kind. Here in Hawaii with my parents, I have ventured inward into deep and quiet terrain. Lots of reading, writing, walks, dance practice. Connecting with my parents, connecting with myself.

In outward ways, I am surrounded by majesty every day, which I find is an adventure just to behold. 

flying in



waiting to perform


The Rathayatra cart in Honolulu, getting ready for the parade


The Pancha Tattva in Honolulu

the Honolulu temple's backyard banyan tree

Honolulu Rathayatra



sunset from my back porch


Hawaiian snow on Mauna Loa (above) and Mauna Kea (below)




the Lords of my parent's home, Sri Radha Raman

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ February 4, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

01

They who are very unfortunate will not take shelter of Vrndavana, where the wonderfully handsome fair and dark divine couple eternally enjoy amorous pastimes and plunge Their friends into the great nectar of intense bliss.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-53 Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

An auspicious destination
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture)

 

kks airportSpiritual life immediately leads to fearlessness. Leaving it up to Krsna. Trusting in Krsna that Krsna will protect us. Krsna will take care of us. Krsna is not going to forsake us. Krsna is surely going to give us an auspicious destination, so what is the problem!? Everything is fine and he will decide when and where and how and this and that…

 

The greatest gift
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2013, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)

12600monks_mainDevotional service is given to us by devotees. You cannot take devotional service. It is a gift. And because that element comes in, that a superior vaisnava is asking us to do a service and then we do that service. This is where the selfless element comes in. We just do what the superior vaisnava wants. Not that we think, ‘What I will offer Krsna.’ No, we do what the vaisnavas ask us to do. And it is there we can overcome that selfish motivation.

Of course, even if we do some service to Krsna and there is some personal motivation, it doesn’t matter because the service will purify our heart from personal desire. So overtime, the personal desires will diminish. But if we quickly want to rise above then we must serve the superior vaisnava and that is the trick!

Appearance Day of Advaitacharya
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

Wednesday, February 5th marks the appearance anniversary of Advaitacharya, one of the foremost teachers of bhakti in the Hare Krishna tradition. On this day we fast till noon in his honour.

Advaitacharya appeared some sixty years before Lord Chaitanya’s own advent, over 500 years ago. It was Advaitacarya who asked Lord Chaitanya to descend. Before Lord Chaitanya’s advent, Advaitacharya had already begun chanting Krishna’s names in the streets with devotees and discussing scriptures on devotional service to Krishna. Advaitacharya’s name indicates that He is nondifferent (advaita) from Lord Hari (Krishna), and He is called acharya (spiritual master) because He taught bhakti.

To read more about Advaitacharya click HERE!

The Mathematics of Charity
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brahmana. If the money is given in charity to a non-brahmana (without brahminical qualification) the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion. If it is given in charity to a half-educated brahmana, even then the money is returned double. If the money is given in charity to a learned and fully qualified brahmana, the money is returned a hundred and a thousand times, and if the money is given to a veda-paraga (one who has factually realized the path of the Vedas), it is returned by unlimited multiplication.

- Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.17 purport

Jagannath Rath Yatra @ Vasai 2014 (1 min promo video)
→ Dandavats.com

The route of the Ratha Yatra: Manickpur Ground – Pandit Dindayal Nagar – Navyug Nagar – Sri Govardhannath Haveli -- Samta Nagar – 100 Feet Road – Vidhyamandir Marg -- Ambadi Road – Gurudhwara – Station Road – Manickpur Ground. Highlights of the Festival: 1. Special Darshan Lord Jagannath and Cow Protection Theme 2. Lunch and Dinner Prasadam for everyone 3. Maha aarti & 56 bhoga offering to Their Lordships 5. Distribution of Vedic literature 6. Anand Bazar (Food Mela) 7. Question and Answer booth 8. Spiritual fun & fair for children 9. Prasad distribution (Maha Prasadam) -- Read more ›