Planet ISKCON

1975 February 6: "Every volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as Caitanya Caritamrta must be fully complete with an index, list of references, glossary, Sanskrit pronunciation guide, and index of Sanskrit verses. This will be best."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 February 6: "Thank you for distributing my books everyday. This is a nice program for the press workers to increase enthusiasm. I will be glad to see all 15 of you in Mayapur for our festival."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

All the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s happiness does not equal an atom of the gopis happiness when their eyes plunge in the ocean of Radha’s lover’s pastimes. If someone aspires to attain this incomparable good fortune, he should let his body perish in the spiritual realm named Vrndavana.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-54 Translation.]

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2014, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)

Devotional service is given to us by devotees. You cannot take devotional service. Devotional service is a gift and because that element comes in, that a superior vaisnava asks 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 will I offer to Krsna?’

No, what the vaisnava asks us to do, we will do! It is here that we can overcome selfish motivation. Of course, even if we do some service to Krsna and there is some personal motivation, it does not matter because the service is still absolute and it will purify our heart from personal desire. So over time, the personal desires will diminish but if we quickly want to rise above it, then we must serve the superior vaisnava and that is the trick!

 

 

 

Krishangi Radhe Dasi: As I look to the year ahead, I feel my daughter's excitement as she anticipates her entrance into 'big school'. On the other hand, as a parent I view the next twelve years as a daunting reality of mixed emotions as my little girl enters the reality of homework, long school hours, pressure of tests and exams, physical and emotional challenges and a host of other unexpected scenarios. -- Read more ›

1966 February 5: "Srila Prabhupada wanted such temples in foreign cities such as New York, London, Tokyo, etc and I had personal talks with him when I first met Him at Ultadingi in 1922. Now here is a chance for me to carry out His transcendental Order."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1968 February 5: "This was appearing in the very popular magazine New Yorker, and even they are chanting Hare Krishna in mockery, still, it doesn't matter. So long they are chanting Hare Krishna, that is the success of our mission."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1968 February 5: "In mockery the Kazi's men chanted Hare Krishna, and thereafter, their tongues could not stop. Our tongues should be like that, unable to ever stop chanting Hare Krishna. We practice, and someday it will be like that."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 February 5: "If we can appoint one sales agent in each city, selling an average of only 100 copies of Back to Godhead, the total comes to 30,000 copies. This is not an Utopian idea. It is completely practical. Simply we have to arrange and organize."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 February 5: "MacMillan will publish the first canto to see the result. If their experiment is not successful, then let us go on printing all other cantos as usual. This is my decision, and you can arrange accordingly."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1972 February 5: "Because we stand solidly on philosophy, and because we are strong in that way, no one can refute or defeat us, so we are wiping out sentimental religion wherever we penetrate."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1974 February 5: "Krsna is Bhavagrahi Janardana so your decision to improve the plan is certainly very much appreciated by Him. Krsna has many Temples big and small so all our plans are under the jurisdiction of Bhavagrahi. Let us fulfill the job as soon as possible."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 February 5: "Now, you must become very serious to meet death without fear. Everyone has to die, but most men your age are thinking, 'I will live another fifty years.' Take advantage of this advance notice and prepare yourself to go back to Godhead."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.12 at the Juhu Beach temple.

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 ›

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

It is with much sadness that The Cow Shed Crew informs our readers that Bruce the Goose left his body recently. The cause of his death is not clear. According to Brhat Mrdanga dasa who found him injured the day before he died, Bruce may have sustained injuries to his back and neck. -- Read more ›

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 ›

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 ›

The post February 5th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

(Automatically translated from Russian) Vasanta panchami often associated with the name Saraswati, patron of knowledge and arts. And by knowledge is meant not primarily "the granite of science", and highly moral and at the same time accessible to everyone, cultural attitudes to life in this world, which was now an acute shortage -- Read more ›

The post Wishing Govinda Maharaja a happy birthday from the Manor temple room appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Skype conference in Russian.

The post How devotee friends relate to each other and other questions appeared first on SivaramaSwami.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 ›

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 ›

H.G. Bhurijana Prabhu (Caitanya Lila) Day 1

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, [...]

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.]

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Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever

Everyone is invited!

BHAJANS

FRIDAY FEB 7, 2014
5:00 PM
GOPA’S HOUSE

 

Spiritual 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 first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna maha mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds."

Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Antya 11.24

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

Devotional 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.

Ananta Vrindavan dasa from Australia arrived two days ago to spend a week with our festival tour here in Gujarat. His photography is a work of art. He perfectly captured the mood of our festival in Vadadora the other night.