Chanting the Lord’s Names and dancing with joy in Surat’s streets, Gujarat (Album 136 photos)
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Indradyumna Swami: In December, 1970 Srila Prabhupada visited Surat, Gujarat for two weeks with 25 of his western disciples. Following in their illustrious footsteps we went on Ratha Yatra the very day we arrived in Surat. We could feel Srila Prabupada's mercy as we chanted and danced through the streets. We will have 5 festival programs in Surat; two in the same place Srila Prabhupada held his public lectures during his visit there. Our hearts are beating in great expectation! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! [ Photos by Ananta Vrindavan dasa ] -- Read more ›

Mistaking the Maidservant as the Master
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Just as a father gives some playthings to the crying child to satisfy him, the whole material creation is made possible by the will of the Lord to allow the bewildered living entities to lord it over things as they desire, although under the control of the agent of the Lord. The living entities are exactly like small children playing the material field under the control of the maidservant of the Lord (nature). They accept the maya, or the maidservant, as all in all and thus wrongly conceive the Supreme Truth to be feminine (goddess Durga, etc.). The foolish, childlike materialists cannot reach beyond the conception of the maidservant, material nature, but the intelligent grown-up sons of the Lord know well that all the acts of material nature are controlled by the Lord, just as a maidservant is under the control of the master, the father of the undeveloped children.

- Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.5.32 purport

SJMKL’s First Harinama Sankirtana for 2014 – Kundang, Selangor, Malaysia
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BY HARINAMA TEAM

PHOTOS BY MULAKARANAM DASA

KUNDANG - Sunday 2nd February proved yet another milestone for SJMKL, Headquarters for ISKCON Malaysia. It marked the launch of the year’s first harinam event for 2014. Devotees can rest assured that this shall be the precursor of many more events across the state and at a national level too.

This event represents a seamless continuum from 2013 of a series of harinams, meticulously planned by SJMKL. The quest to continuously fulfill the wish of Lord Caitanya to spread the movement to every town and village of the world and Malaysia in particular shall continue, unabated.

This harinam was particularly memorable in that the kirtan was led by Dina Bandhu Prabhu, a disciple of Founder Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. He hails from Vrindavan, India. It is the grace of good souls like him and the congregational team from SJMKL that helps serve the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the modern age.

The palanquin of Their Lordships, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabu and Nityananda were adorned with the facial figurines of Baladev, Subhatra and Jagannath; a blissful opportunity to pay one’s obeisance to all Their Lordships at one glance.

Kundang refers to an area in the state of Selangor, West Malaysia. It is located approximately 33 km north-west of Kuala Lumpur. Its racial composition is mixed but with a predominant Chinese community who were found to be warm; responding positively to the harinam and its distribution of prasadham, books, chanting beads and the distinct recitals of the maha mantra.

The tally at the end of the harinam was as follows:

59 Tamil and English books (small books)

5 Tamil Bhagavad Gita and 1 English BG

53 small Chinese books

60 devotees from SJMKL participated

300 full meal prasadam were served to the respective households

50 households rendered offerings to their lordships in the form of fruits, flowers and prayer items.

33 households registered their interest to continue their association with SJMKL.

“Vaishnava Janato” by Narsinh Mehta
→ View From a New Vrindaban Ridge

We heard how Raghupati Raghva Rajaram was one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite bhajans. Here is one he used  in his daily prayers.

Vaishnava janato is a popular Bhajan, written in the 15th century by the poet Narsinh Mehta. It is in Gujarati and the bhajan was included in Mahatma Gandhi’s daily prayer. The bhajan speaks about the life, ideals and mentality of a Vaishnava Jana (a follower of Vishnu or Krishna).

Here’s the translation:

One who is a Vaishnava (one who is a devotee of Vishnu)
Knows the pain of others
Does good to others, especially to those ones who are in misery
(even if he does good to others), he doesn’t take pride about his act.

A Vaishnava, Tolerates and praises the entire world
Does not say bad things about anyone
Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure
O Vaishnava, your mother is blessed

A Vaishnava sees everything equally, rejects greed and avarice
Considers some one else’s wife/daughter as his mother
Will never speak lies with his/her tongue,
Does not even touch someone else’s property

A Vaishnava does not succumb to worldly attachments
Who has devoted himself to staunch detachment to worldly pleasures
Who has been addicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram
For whom all the religious sites are in his own body

Who has no greed and deceit
Who has renounced lust of all types and anger
The poet Narsi will like to see such a person
By who’s virtue, the entire family gets salvation


Filed under: Poetry

Hearing Purely
→ HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami

27-­‐11-­‐2013 SB 4.31.24, Hearing Purely, Vrindavan, India om namo bhagavate vasudevaya! So we are hearing today from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4, chapter 31: Sri Narada instructs the Pracetas, text 24. te ‘pi tan-mukha-niryātaḿ yaśo loka-malāpaham harer niśamya tat-pādaḿ dhyāyantas tad-gatiḿ yayuḥ Translation: Hearing from Nārada’s mouth the glories of the Lord, which vanquish all the [...]

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental “Throwback Thursday” – 02/06/14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

NV TBT 02-06-14

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental “Throwback Thursday” – 02/06/14.

Each week we highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

This week’s super challenge: We step outside the realm of our usual offerings and ask you to identify these two young boys.

Extra Credit: How many ways can you connect this photo to the one from last week?

Post your guesses on the “who, what, when & where” in the comment section at the New Vrindaban Facebook Page.

Technical stuff: We share the photo Thursday and confirm known details Sunday. Let’s keep it light and have a bit of fun!

We Need Your Help! If you have a photo showing New Vrindaban devotees in action, share it with us and we’ll use it in a future posting.

Deepening the connection
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2011, Mayapur, India, Caitanya Caritamrta Seminar Part 11)

KKS_Bangladesh 2011In the presence of guru, we can be focused a lot on what we are getting from guru. But in the absence of guru, we have to start focusing on what we can do for the guru, in the sense of what we have got from him and then apply that. So the focus changes – now it is clearly our turn to do something! Either by following what he gave or by preaching in his mission. We do something for him and then, as much as one tries, the connection will be deep and strong.

 

 

Following In Their Footsteps
→ travelingmonk.com

In December, 1970 Srila Prabhupada visited Surat, Gujarat for two weeks with 25 of his western disciples. Following in their illustrious footsteps we went on Ratha Yatra the very day we arrived in Surat. We could feel Srila Prabupada’s mercy as we chanted and danced through the streets. We will have 5 festival programs in [...]

Chanting Techniques
→ Japa Group

Chanting Techniques

a) "Sit properly." Yoga sastras proclaim that sitting straight facilitates concentration: "Right posture makes the mind calm" Tantra-raja-tantra 27.59

b) Chant without interruption. Once in Los Angeles, disciples asked Srila Prabhupada what would please him most. "Chant sixteen rounds of japa at one sitting without interruption!" said Srila Prabhupada.

c) Be careful to clearly and distinctly pronounce the holy names.

From Art Of Chanting Hare Krsna
by Mahanidhi Swami

Flatulent cows start fire at German dairy farm
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flatulent cows

Source

Flatulent cows contributed to a fire at a German farm Monday, police said. The gas had built up inside a shed, causing an explosion.

BERLIN — Methane gas from 90 flatulent cows exploded in a German farm shed on Monday, damaging the roof and injuring one of the animals, police said.

High levels of the gas had built up in the structure in the central German town of Rasdorf, then “a static electric charge caused the gas to explode with flashes of flames,” the force said in a statement.

One cow was treated for burns, a police spokesman added.


Filed under: Cows and Environment