1968 January 15: "Less intelligent persons cannot take to Krishna Consciousness. He should not have been initiated, but I have given him a chance to improve. Next time I will only initiate someone who is recommended by the leading members of our society."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 January 15: "I am much grieved to learn the news of our revered god-brother. I am so glad to learn that he passed away in full consciousness chanting 'Krishna, Krishna'. Everything will be tested at the time of death so it is glorious that he has so gloriously passed away."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 January 15: "We have lived there for the last three years and we may live there for another three years, it does not matter, but our Sankirtana program must be executed very nicely. Our most important place is on the street."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 January 15: "We require hundreds of bona fide students. The world is in need of this. People are going to hell for want of proper guidance. You must train your contemporaries in such spirit of alertness, then we shall be able to open hundreds of centers."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 January 15: "It is now confirmed that any of our members who are strictly following the regulative chanting process, observing the restrictions and serving the Lord faithfully will have natural ministerial status and as such will not be called up by the Draft Board."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1975 January 15: "Your idea sounds very nice. It is a good proposal. Is it practical? Can you do it? If you think it is practical and you can do it, then it could have very nice results. Work nicely and see what can be arranged."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 January 15: "How to please Krishna? - by following all the regulative principle that I have given you, chanting sixteen rounds and reading my books scrutinizingly. Everyone must do these things, otherwise they cannot understand Krishna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

Parasuram das: The Bhagavad Gita being honoured at London's Houses of Parliament The appearance day of the Bhagavad Gita is to be celebrated every year from this time forth at the House of Commons. Can you imagine just 100 years ago the topic would have been "how to turn India away from it's primitive books", and last year in Russia there was the concept of banning the Bhagavad Gita. -- Read more ›

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The post Kirtana at the Kirtan-yoga night in Cardiff appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Bhaktivedanta Manor is a Gaudiya Vaishnava temple set in the Hertfordshire countryside of England in the village of Aldenham near Watford. -- Read more ›

I am vegetarian and i have lived in India and been to other Hare Krishna restaurants around the world but this is special! First of all the hall where the round tables are(you eat with other people)looks so luminous and you feel instantly relaxed.I chose the menu (salad, vegetable rice, mixed veggies and a dessert) and you can help yourself forfree with another portion. You are served with a smile and there is soft Indian music while you eat.at the entrance A very nice and advisable experience...and the location is central (not far from Duomo)!. You neeed to pay a membership fee at the entrace but it is valid for 1 yr.and they give you the choice of a book for free. Visited June 2013 -- Read more ›

The post January 15th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

32 Ways Not To Chant Japa in 2014! Although Srila Prabhupada has told us if we cannot accomplish anything else in a day, the most important thing is to chant at least chant 16 rounds of Hare Krishna mantra japa. The quality of our chanting can become compromised in various ways, if we are not attentive. -- Read more ›

Every weekend we hold a Sunday feast. Come and join us for an evening of chanting, dancing, music, talks and a delicious vegetarian feast. -- Read more ›

The day has come. The suspense is over. After over a year of correspondence, negotiations and near failure, the blue marble has finally been ordered.

There are only three countries in the world which have this color marble, and Bolivia holds the jewel of them all. Understandably, such a rarity is in high demand but the TOVP was relentless in the pursuit to procure a ration. Fortunately, the quarry owner is a follower of Shri Sai Baba and is inclined to contribute to a project aimed at empowering the spiritual evolution of the world. He even joined the devotees for prasadam.

The blue marble is going to be used in the finishing work on the altars. It’s warm tones will beautifully contrast with the sterling white Vietnamese marble on the floors. The entire temple will be ornamented in the finest decorative elements. This acquisition landmarks an important stage in the artistry the TOVP will be renowned for.

ISKCON Chowpatty Drama Festival – Gajapati

 

Please click here for more photos

Significance:

1. The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father & son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but inspite of any difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet each other on this day. Father in fact himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of special relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers dream and the continuity of the family.

2. From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.

3. It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terrorism of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.

4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.

We salute such a great devotee & benefactor of his ancestors. One who can express such gratitude to his ancestors, work with tireless resolve to redeem the pride, pledges & resolves of his forefathers, alone possess a personality, which the history reveals to be a true benefactor of the world too. A person who has severed his own roots gets soon rooted out in the flow of time. Moral of the story is to see to it that the roots of the tree of ‘our’ life are not only intact but nourished well, thereafter alone the tree blooms & flourishes.
There is another spiritually symbolic aspect of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar represent our thoughts, who become dull & dead-like because of uncultured & blind ambition. Redemption of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, brought down ‘to’ & later ‘from’ the Himalayas with great tapasya. This represents dedicated hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya, which alone enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of anyone.

5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to the higher realms beyond.

 

It’s completely silly to think that the way we dress doesn’t affect the way we feel. Completely silly. The way we feel, more or less is our consciousness. So its completely silly to think that how we dress doesn’t affect our consciousness.

So, if we want to develop divine love, its helpful for us to dress in a way that makes us feel like we are divine lovers. Young unmarried boys and girls do their hair, take care of their faces, work on their curves and bumps, and dress up because they want to attract a mate. The way they look (a) affects how attractive they feel, and (b) affects how potential mates feel about them. Similarly, if we want to attract bhakti into our hearts – why would we think that the way we dress, etc. has no bearing whatsoever on that endeavor?

I think, to be perfectly honest, we think it doesn’t matter how we dress because we aren’t really that interested in attracting our soul-mate.

For Gaudiya-Vaiṣṇavas, there really isn’t a book more śāstric and authoritative on the subject of how to attract our soul-mate than the Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu of Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī. He mentions the importance of external appearance by including it as one of the 64 limbs of sādhana bhakti. In other words, Śrī Rūpa says that keeping a devotional external appearance is not just “important” its an actual limb of sādhana, its a way, in and of itself, of cultivating bhakti!

He lists it as the 21st practice of sādhana: vaiṣṇava cihṇa dhṛtiḥ - which literally means “bear the marks/ insignias/ signs/ brands/ symbols of a Vaiṣṇava.”

This doesn’t mean that we have to dress exactly as encoded and endorsed by whatever the current version of the currently authorized Bhaka Handbook currently distributed by the current government of the current International Krishna Movement. But it does mean, quite simply, that we should adorn ourselves with symbols, clothing, marks and so on that are indicative of devotion to Krishna.

In other words, it doesn’t have to be a sikha, or an official “mātājī” braid, or a kurta and properly “tailed” dhoti, or a sari etc. etc. etc. but it does have to be something.  We have to dress and make our appearance in such a way that it reminds us of Krishna bhakti. Whatever that happens to be for you, go for it.

Arguing with simple and obvious things like this doesn’t really portend well.

This conversation continues here.

“Without protection of cows, brahminical culture cannot be maintained; and without brahminical culture, the aim of life cannot be fulfilled.”Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.5

The discussion of whether devotees should use industrial milk currently has 3 schools of thought.

1. Use it and ok if it is offered .

Advantages: Fulfills Srila Prabhupada’s (ACBSP) instruction use milk to develop finer brain tissues

Fulfills ACBSP’s instruction to use milk to lure meat eaters to prasadam

Scaleable as what is needed can be purchased as needed

Cheap and abundant

Cow unknowingly benefits from having milk offered to Krsna

Disadvantages: Requires animal slaughter to subsidize cheap price

Cows lives shortened unnaturally and generally raised in poor unnatural conditions

Lose credibility with animal rightists and situational vegans

Creates complacency in not following ACBSP’s instruction to get from protected cows

2. Become a vegan

Advantages: Not implicated in animal slaughter or suffering

Credibility with animal rightists and situational vegans (preaching to Westerners programs   double size when menu shifts to vegan)

Disadvantages: Most devotees can’t/won’t perform the austerity

Doesn’t fulfill ACBSP’s instructions to use milk

Creates complacency in not following ACBSP’s instruction to get from protected cows

3. Drink milk only from protected cows

Advantages: Fulfills ACBSP’s ideal

Credibility with animal rightists and vegans

Cows live full life naturally and reciprocate loving relationship with devotees

Better quality safer milk

Major step towards varnashram

Disadvantages: Benefit (milk) short term but obligations (care for cows up to 20 years) long term

Capital intensive – up to 6 times more expensive than industrial milk

Requires dedicated milker(s)

Requires 20+ year commitment to calves born

Requires enforcement mechanism so money collected now is there for cow’s old age

 Not easily scaleable – good for small groups not peak events or increasing numbers

 Complex logistics to supply devotee and well wishers diaspora

Requires oxen program to be true cow protection

A fourth alternative has been discussed, Milk Offsets. It is based on the widely accepted concept of Carbon Offsets which is applied a couple of ways. One is when renewable energizes are produced they are given credits that utilities purchase to fulfill state law mandates that they produce a % of their energy from renewables. They are also offered to individuals paying their electric bill to pay a premium over what they owe and the extra used to buy renewable energy credits offsetting their individual usage.

  4. Milk Offsets

 Advantages: Anyone anywhere can do it requires no authorization

Use of industrial milk and its disadvantages offset by donation to cow protection program

Donation is used by programs to expand cow protection

Milk is used and a cow is protected

Scaleable as Krishna Consciousness spreads and for peak events

Concept accessible to animal rightists and vegans who tend to be environmentalists

Disadvantages: Cows still suffer

Requires financial sacrifice

Not understood by persons unfamiliar with current environmental practices

References:

Carbon offsets

Srila Prabhupada on why devotees should protect cows

 European GBC discussion of the milk

Filed under: Cows and Environment

That is the question or actually the choice we have during Japa....to listen to the mind or listen to the Mantra. It's a subject we discussed recently on Skpe Japa. Srila Prabhupada expressed the importance of hearing as a solution for the wandering mind in a morning walk conversation:

Devotee: "Srila Prabhupada, it's very difficult to control my mind when I chant. It wanders."
Srila Prabhupada: "So what is the controlling of mind? You have to chant and hear. That is all. You have to chant with your tongue, and the sound you hear. What is the question of mind?"

Please click here for all photos

All glories to Sri Vrindavana which, with single particle of its glory, which cannot be understood even by Laksmi, Siva, Brahma, and all the leaders of the demigods, makes numberless kamadhenu cows, kalpa-vrksa trees, and cintamani gems appear insignificant.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-36 Translation ]

Venugopal Prabhu, from New Govardhana, is a devotee of more than 40 years standing. He has been a temple president in Brisbane and Cairns where he served in those roles with distinction.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2011)

I was in one temple and they had a big office, full of computers and all the devotees were typing these letters.
Suddenly, I was thinking, “Are they perhaps writing these letters to me!?”
I got thirty mails after breakfast! And people, they complain, “He is not answering my emails!”

I always say that if I don’t answer your email then that is very good because then, there is a good chance that I’m actually chanting my rounds and reading Srimad Bhagavatam.

When I answer all my emails very faithfully then you should doubt about my chanting because it is not humanly possible to answer to all those emails.

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

This is example of the disease of the bodily conception of life, a case of mistaken identity.   Our body is always changing in this life.  The body we had as child is no longer around and the current body that we have is composed of completely different cells and molecules.  It is a vehicle and we are the passenger.  As a passenger we have existed before the vehicle and shall exist after the vehicle's destruction.  Yet by the deluding power of avidya we ignorantly see the body as the self.  In this illusion we try to fulfill the needs of the self by placating the desires of the external vehicle, the subtle mind and physical body.  We may give the body comforts and give the mind profit, adoration, and prestige.  Yet despite such attempts towards satisfaction one remains not satisfied.  Only by loving connection to the Supreme does the self experience fulfillment.

Change directed towards the factual self is of value.  Ideologies for or against change based of the temporary bodily conception of life are of no real consequence.

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

How do you assess the complex legacy of Nelson Mandela?

There are so many ways to get into this question. So, let me start with these three quick summaries of his long journey:

In a powerful and controversial move as president, he set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission after apartheid officially ended. The commission allowed those who testified about crimes in the apartheid era to step forward and tell the truth without fear of retribution. The sins of the past were acknowledged in exchange for individual amnesty.

On the other hand, Mandela was part of a group in the early 1960s that decided to take up arms against the apartheid government. They decided that rising up militarily against their oppressors was the best strategy. Of course, that was not the non-violent approach that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Mahatma Ganhdi embraced.

And then there was this revelation in Bill Keller’s obituary of Mandela in the New York Times:

Mr. Mandela said he regarded his prison experience as a major factor in his nonracial outlook. He said prison tempered any desire for vengeance by exposing him to sympathetic white guards who smuggled in newspapers and extra rations, and to moderates within the National Party government who approached him in hopes of opening a dialogue. Above all, prison taught him to be a master negotiator.

There are many aspects of his long, storied and complicated fight for justice. So, let me stop here and ask you:

What do you make of Nelson Mandela’s complex legacy?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

Undoubtedly his most powerful contribution is "culturally many, spiritually one."

It is a fact that on the bodily level, all people are different. But those who can see the spiritual spark in other beings, as beings that are qualitatively one with oneself, they can make great progress in moral standards and leadership.

Those who have no inkling of this information may try to do good but only succeed in hurting others. For without such vision what is there to unify us?

There will always be a group discriminated against because of the color of their skin, their sex, their species, their position within or outside the womb. The understanding of how we are all spiritually one, that the symptoms of life indicate the presence is the soul, is the beginning of spiritual life

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

Preaching that is so dear to our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada -- Read more ›

We distribute prasadam two days a week to more than 2000 poor and needy villagers from the area in and around Mayapur -- Read more ›

Lecture Podcast

On December 22nd, 2013, Radhanath Swami addressed a gathering of over three thousand guests at Pune’s New Vedic Cultural Centre (NVCC) including visitors from all over the State of Maharashtra. The NVCC is a project initiated and completed under the guidance of Radhanath Swami’s student and disciple Radheyshyam das. It was inaugurated in February’ 2013 with the President of India, Mr Pranab Muinkherjee attending as a guest of honor. -- Read more ›

19-12-2013 SB 1.9.13 Bhismadev on Time Providence and Suffering Part 2, Flacq, Mauritius.mp3

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1966 January 14: "I am requesting you to allow me the place for use of the International Institution For God consciousness at least for some time. If I can start the institution immediately certainly I shall be able to get sympathy locally and in that case I may not be required to get money from India."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1968 January 14: "My guidance means Krishna's guidance. The bona fide Spiritual Master is the transparent via media between Krishna and the devotee. The devotee has no access to Krishna without such a via media."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1968 January 14: "There are two gurus. The internal Guru is Krishna Himself seated in everyone's heart, and the external Guru is the bona fide Spiritual Master. The internal Guru Krishna dictates, but the thing has to be confirmed by the external Guru then it is all right."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1970 January 14: "Although I was not very enthusiastic to carry out my Spiritual Master's order He forced me circumstantially to accept. I always think about this exalted personality coming directly from Vaikuntha World and we had the great fortune to meet Him."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 January 14: "The business we have taken on is neither your business nor my business but it is the business of Lord Caitanya and His bona fide servants like my Guru Maharaja. It is the duty of all of us to execute it as nicely as possible."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970