Planet ISKCON

1975 January 14: "Distribute millions and millions of books but at the same time be very careful in your dealings. You may refer to the letters I have written in regards to the recent controversies about book distribution methods."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 January 14: "Everyone must rise early, take bath, attend mangala arati, chant at least 16 good rounds, attend class, and follow the principles strictly. Anyone who does not accept the regulative principles staunchly will have to fall down."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 January 14: "Regarding your fasting, if you are sick, then fasting is the best medicine. For disease and unwanted guests, if you do not give them food, they will go away."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

The post January 14th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

ISCOWP recently rescued a beautiful Holstein Cow from going to the slaughterhouse. She is not even 4 years old and was going to be slaughtered because she could not get pregnant again.

She is settled in now and is giving about 3 gallons of milk daily, much more than the ISCOWP crew can use.

We would like to offer members of the community Cruelty Free Milk at $8.00 a gallon and also Panir (curd) at $8.00 as each bag of Panir will be made from a gallon of milk.

Please check out our Youtube video [link below], starting with Jeanne arriving at the ISCOWP Farm. Jeanne’s name has been changed to Vegan Indira by ISCOWP members.

Looking forward to being of service to you all.

My cell phone is 304-281-2689

Home 304-843-1658

ys, Balabhadra das

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

HG Bada Haridas Prabhu’s kirtan in Puskar 31.10.2013

Please click here for all photos

O friend, please control your mind and senses and go and live in Vrndavana, which is a mine of nectar, and which is so glorious that even millions of books by the greatest poets and philosophers cannot describe a single ray of light from the host of the jewels of its virtues.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-35 Translation]

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Please help our devotee friend, Jahnavi to complete her upcoming music album – an acoustic mix of devotional prayers and kirtan from the bhakti yoga tradition. Her indegogo page has full information on the project, donation amounts and what you will get in return.

 

http://igg.me/at/jahnavialbum

"I have to learn to give myself plenty of time to chant and then go within myself and chant Krishna’s names with awareness that I am with Krishna Himself in the sound vibration. It’s not just a counting time but a time to be with the most wonderful person in all the universes."

From Bhajan Kutir #432

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 December 2013, Soweto, South Africa, Lecture)

In this world, we may think that some people are enjoying and that some people are suffering. We may think, “Some people in the world, they are the lucky people, they have everything. The other people in the world, they have to suffer.” We may think like that but I tell you, this is not true! Everybody suffers in this world because the world is a jail. We are locked in the jail and our body is the cell. We are locked in this body, we cannot get out, we cannot escape it! We may try to enjoy it; try… try… try!!

I like the example of The Rolling Stones, ”I cant’ get no satisfaction and I tried and I tried…”  They are still trying. Mick Jagger must be eighty by now or something like that and he is still trying, he never stopped. The Rolling Stones, they pumped so much drugs into their veins that every once in a while, they would go on a kidney machine (dialysis) to clean their blood so that they could do it again. All right but still not enough; still not satisfied!

You may have one woman, not satisfied; you may two women – not satisfied; three – not satisfied! Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur, he lived one-hundred years ago, he said, “A man may have all the women in the world but still not satisfied.” What can be done!? The mind is not satisfied and this is why we are in jail because of our mind. We are in jail, wherever we are, it does not matter. No money in your pocket, still in jail. Lots of money in your pocket, still in jail, still not free. It is difficult! So this Hare Krsna movement, this chanting of Hare Krsna, is giving us a chance to get free!

Srila Prabhupada describes a story. He described that there is a bird which had lived his whole life in a cage. The one day, they took the cage, put it outside, in the field, and opened the door. The door was opened and out the bird went. The bird was flying around a little bit in the sky but then, he turned around and flew back into the cage. Who is the bird? Are we the bird? The door is open, we can fly out; we have been in the cage so long, ”Actually I like my cage. It is a nice cage. There are many good things. I have different levels where I can sit and tasty things which also I like. It is a comfortable cage, beautiful also. Got a good view from my cage. Ah yes! I like this cage, too much.” It is the body, that is the cage and we keep on trying to enjoy, this way and that way, ”Oh, it is so good!” But why are we not satisfied, if it is so good!? It brings you suffering. Not only we are not satisfied but it brings so many complications.

It is like a man wants a woman and the woman wants a man. The woman wants children and so many things. You have one and then you cannot go anywhere. The thing cries all the time. Get someone to take care of the kid, “Your turn. Who is going to change the nappy today?’” These kinds of scenarios… But what does it all lead to? Then we have a beautiful house, then we have so many bills and then we sit in that beautiful house and it feels just like a cage! Still nothing satisfies us. So the point is why waste our time?

 

18-12-2013 SB 1.9.12 Bhismadev on Time Providence and Suffering Part 1, Flacq, Mauritius.mp3

Nityananda Chandra: Every we are visited a blissful group of young students from the ages of 7-13 along with their supportive parents and youth leaders. The students and parents always ask very nice and intriguing questions following by a lovely kirtan. After the program we always get a lot of thanks about how they enjoyed the presentation and everything else. -- Read more ›

Houston, Texas

Bad News

It is an integral part of a Krishna monk’s daily life to do some listening to words of wisdom.  Then, he reciprocally relays what he heard to someone else after due process.  This method is called sravanam kirtanam (hearing and then repeating what’s worthwhile).

Great revelations came from today’s speaker in our class.  Anuttama, the speaker, was telling us about the downtime necessary for the intense devotional practitioner.  He compared it to slowing down when motorboat racing through shallow waters.  What really took away my breath was something not so analogous or philosophical, it was something else. 

As communications director for our worldwide community, Anuttama relayed a story of one of his trainees.  Aniruddha was a 28 year old bright, vivacious African man who’s life abruptly came to an end in an untimely death in an auto accident.  This is not the first time to hear of a personal friend who lost his life to our roads.  I recall having this Nigerian whose name is Aniruddha, act as the character Duryodhan from the Mahabharat in one of the dramas I directed.  It was a pleasure to work with such a talented and enthusiastic man whom I worked with on several occasions. 

Receiving the news of a good soul I’d known being sacrificed to road traffic once again, I liken to war time announcements of countrymen who died in action while in battle.  This recurring unfortunate way to exit (automobile accidents) is in my opinion, epidemic in our community.   And if you were to talk to practically just anyone, don’t be surprised to hear the same story – testimonies from people who have had dear ones gone to car casualties.  I wouldn’t be stunned if the average person could count up to a half a dozen to even a dozen departed souls who are family or acquaintances that died this way. 

We may pass it all off as karmic play, truth be told, yet we do have the power to choose for proactiveness for all we do.  My word of caution would be two fold, number one, avoid driving or passengering if possible, and number two, if you must drive, do so defensively.  I took a serious walk in dedication to Aniruddha’s soul and chanted maha mantras in his honour.  I hope to see you back, Aniruddha, and if providence wills, perhaps in the next life, we could delight in stage production again for the future.  So long, Aniruddha.

May the Source be with you!

6 KM

Once there was a young American martial arts student, who became fascinated by the discipline of Shaolin.  Shaolin temples are famous for the methods of teaching martial arts and it made it more intriguing because of its secrecy.  It was no surprise that he found himself in China, the home of ancient warriors. He arrived at the temple but there was no one to be found except an old sweeper

1968 January 13: "I thank you for your nice letter and your kind appreciation. I will always be so pleased with your sincere service as I am so much happy with you. Yes, the ecstasy of separation of Spiritual Master is even greater ecstasy than meeting with Him."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1968 January 13: "The Serpent-like feature of the Lord is another expansion of the Lord, to provide His Place on the Ocean. So long we have got materialistic view the serpent is fierce. But He is not at all fierceful to the devotees."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 January 13: "You are so fortunate to be the servitors of Sri Sri Jagannatha Deva installed by your forefathers. To increase your affection for Them you should take only the prasadam of Jagannatha Deva. This facility you have got in this life and it should not be missed."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 January 13: "There is no need to explain your recent traveling; the reason is you are restless. Any place you want to live, that is all right - but just concentrate your mind on utilizing your talents for Krishna's service."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 January 13: "Sometimes the authorities are checking us but we have not stopped, neither have we any intention to stop this Sankirtana Movement. Things are improving daily and I hope they will continue to improve on and on."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1974 January 13: "Krsna Consciousness means blissful life. It is very pleasing to me that you are so happy in your service to the Deities. Make the atmosphere so blissful that many persons will be attracted to come and live with us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 January 13: "I have arranged for the opening on Sri Ram Navami. I wish to know whether your Holiness will kindly install the deity properly according to Hari bhakti Vilasa. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh has also kindly consented to join us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 January 13: "You must follow these four principles at all times, under all circumstances. Reject anyone who advises you otherwise. Such persons are worse than poison. Without the regulative principles there is no spiritual life."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

Presentation to senior health workers at the amazing Peacock Clinic in Nottingham.

The post How knowledge of the soul is relevant to health (Part 3) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Sunday the 12th kirtan at Bhaktivedanta Manor appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The project has entered a new phase of construction beginning the new contract for laying the brick on the walls and on the floors. Maintaining the TOVP standards, only India’s finest brick was chosen. This layer will form a solid base upon which the marble and decorative cladding works will be added. Furthermore, the walls will serve as weather protection for all of the structural elements. The brickwork reveals a new dimension of progress as the sterile construction site becomes gradually transformed into a recognizable temple. If looking closely, one could perhaps already see hundreds of devotees dancing in ecstasy as the sounds of mridangas echo triumphantly throughout the ether. -- Read more ›

The post January 13th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

 

Restoration Work Underway at Palace of Gold in New Vrindaban.

by Madhava Smullen

Today, as they did four decades ago, devotees at ISKCON New Vrindaban are embarking on a labor of love.

They’re undertaking the restoration of the Palace of Gold, home to Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya, to continue spreading his glories to the world.

Devotees began building the Palace with their own hands back in 1973 as a simple residence for Srila Prabhupada, who enjoyed the peace and spiritual atmosphere of New Vrindaban during his visits.

But as construction progressed, their plans became more and more ambitious. Srila Prabhupada was frequently expressing his desire to retire from the active management of his growing movement to focus on his translation work, and he often cited New Vrindaban as the place to do this. So his disciples wanted to create a home truly befitting him there.

Working with no pay and very little experience, they trained themselves in traditional artisanal skills. Designer Bhagavatananda said he didn’t have the slightest idea whether or not he was breaking architectural rules – he and the other devotees just worked from inspiration. The results, straight from their hearts, were stunning, as workers spent hours painstakingly handcrafting each piece.

Throughout, Srila Prabhupada’s love and encouragement kept them going.

“Regarding New Vrindaban I was very happy when I was there,” he wrote to Kirtanananda on October 5th, 1974. “Not only myself but all devotees and GBC members all enjoyed the atmosphere of New Vrindaban, especially the cow protection scheme. May Krishna give more facilities to advance the cause of New Vrindaban, and I am expecting very soon to go there and live in my proposed palace at least for some time.”

But Srila Prabhupada would never stay at his Palace while he was physically alive. He passed away in 1977 before it was completed. Yet this only fueled his disciples’ determination to construct a singularly beautiful monument to their beloved guru, his astounding achievements and the gifts he had given the world.

After all, the guru never dies but is always present in his instructions – so Srila Prabhupada still resides in his Palace in spirit as long as he is remembered and honored there by his followers.

In 1979, Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold officially opened its gates to the public. Thousands of tourists, as well as one thousand devotees from all over the world, flooded in to see Prabhupada at his New Vrindaban home.

One of them was Gopisa Das, who arrived at New Vrindaban to help finish the Palace’s wrought iron gates and cook for the festival. Now, thirty-four years later, he is ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Director of Facilities and also the acting project manager for the Palace restoration.

“I was absolutely overwhelmed when I first saw the Palace,” he says. “It was so beautiful. But what was most exciting to me was the spirit of cooperation, to see so many devotees working together for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.”

With its gold-leafed domes rising above the emerald West Virginia hills, Prabhupada’s Palace is an impressive feat of architecture. Visitors can walk through the award-winning Palace Rose Garden and up the steps to the Palace, pausing before they enter to marvel at the picturesque views from one of the four corner chattras, or domed lookouts.

Inside, sunlight pours in through thirty-one stained glass windows, made from over 1,500 pieces. The walls and floor are made from fifty-two kinds of marble, each piece cut, polished and set with loving care.

And the rooms, originally designed for Prabhupada’s personal use, include a bedroom, a bathroom, and a study where a life-sized replica of Prabhupada leans over his desk, translating his books. For devotees and visitors, this is a place where they can sit, spend time with him and feel his presence as he executes his most cherished service to his own spiritual master.

Finally, in the temple room, a murti form of Srila Prabhupada sits on an ornate gold-leaf throne, beneath a domed ceiling made from over 4,000 pieces of crystal.

With all this, it’s no surprise that the Palace has long been one of West Virginia’s biggest tourist attractions, dubbed “The Taj Mahal of the West” by the New York Times and drawing up to 60,000 visitors a year at its peak in the 1980s.

Over the years, that number has declined. But the Palace managers, led by Tripada Vibhuti Das, continue to work closely with the Marshall County Tourist Board, and still receive twenty to twenty-five thousand tourists annually. Media coverage still abounds, with the July 2012 edition of CNN Travel selecting The Palace of Gold as one of the eight religious wonders to see in the United States. And guests on all the Palace tours learn about Srila Prabhupada and his amazing efforts in bringing Krishna consciousness to the Western World.

 

“Through the tour people really appreciate Srila Prabhupada, as well as the love that went into making the Palace for him,” Gopisa says.

Of course, for devotees, Prabhupada’s Palace is much more than a tourist attraction. It is a holy place of pilgrimage, one of only three samadhis, or official memorials, to Srila Prabhupada in the world, along with his Samadhi Mandir in Vrindavan, India, and Pushpa Samadhi in Mayapur.

“And of course, being the only official memorial dedicated to Srila Prabhupada here in the West,” Gopisa says, “It does provide a focal point for devotees to offer their respects and see him in this very beautiful rural setting, which he very much appreciated.”

A dedicated crew of devotees still steadily worship Srila Prabhupada at his Palace, cooking offerings at Sri-Sri RadhaVrindabanchandra’s temple and taking them up to him. Some visit for Mangal arati early in the morning, or go to hear senior devotees speak about Srila Prabhupada in the early days of ISKCON. And of course, Prabhupada’s appearance day and disappearance day are observed at the Palace.

But still, the Palace has not been celebrated amongst ISKCON devotees as much as it deserves in recent years, partly due to the fact that New Vrindaban temporarily parted ways with ISKCON from 1988 to 1998. At the time, many devotees felt as if the heart of Srila Prabhupada’s society had been ripped out, and in some ways New Vrindaban and ISKCON North America have never been quite the same since.

Another reason for the current lower awareness of Prabhupada’s Palace is the visible disrepair as a result of novice construction methods, signs of which began to show as early as the late 1980s. Today, chunks are missing from the outer wall, wrought iron pieces are rusting, the chattras and other cast concrete pieces are crumbling, and the granite on the steps leading up to the Palace is shifting from faulty concrete underneath.

Over the years, in the same loving spirit that infused the original builders, devotees like Tripada Vibhuti have patched up and painted what they could.

 

But lack of funds prevented a full restoration, until mid 2009, when an inspired Ramesvara Das joined forces with GBC Malati Dasi and other senior disciples to form the Palace Restoration Committee.

The group researched several architectural firms and selected Kayafas Architects of Wheeling, West Virginia, a local firm with an excellent reputation for historic preservation, to assess what needed to be repaired.

Fortunately, engineers concluded that the core structure of the Palace was sturdy and showed no indications of stresses or cracking.

Meanwhile, plans were put in place to repair the outer wall, the portico railing, the steps and the chattras as quickly as funding allows — the project is expected to cost around $1 million.

Some of these elements will be completed by the 50th anniversary of ISKCON’s founding in 2016, while others will be ready by the 50th anniversary of New Vrindaban in 2018.

Although the project will employ professional consultants, much of the actual construction work will once again be done by devotees, in keeping with the legacy of the Palace.

“We’re older and smarter now,” Gopisa says, grinning. “And we have more training and information. When the Palace was first built, there was a real push to get it done as quickly as possible, and shortcuts were taken. We won’t make those same mistakes again. The materials we use will be tested to make sure that they’re of the proper standard and quality before they’re installed.”

Beyond 2018 is a larger, $5 to $7 million plan for the Palace’s expansion, which will take at least ten years to complete.

The final vision will see visitors pull into a larger parking lot, and first enter a welcome center and gift shop. They’ll then be guided through a museum about Srila Prabhupada where they will see different artifacts connected to the ISKCON founder.

Next, they’ll view a multimedia presentation on Srila Prabhupada’s life, and on the history of his Palace of Gold. Finally, they’ll take a tour through the Palace itself, culminating in a visit with Srila Prabhupada’s murti in his temple room.

With Gopisa Das already fully occupied as facilities manager, and Tripada Das tasked with the day-to-day running of the Palace, ISKCON New Vrindaban is currently searching for a dedicated project manager to realize this grand vision.

“We’re hoping that there are devotee professionals out there who would consider taking this up as their life’s work,” Gopisa says. “The applicant would require a background in many different fields of construction and would have to have the experience necessary to oversee a large multi-million dollar, multi-year restoration project such as this.”

Meanwhile other devotees can help by donating, or by visiting Srila Prabhupada at his Palace and doing a few days or weeks of service there.

 

This support is key, for many believe that restoring Srila Prabhupada’s Palace will symbolically show that New Vrindaban is once again rightly situated, and will raise morale throughout ISKCON North America.

A restored Palace, of course, will also create new interest amongst the public in Srila Prabhupada’s unique contribution.

“Without Srila Prabhupada, we would not have Krishna consciousness in the Western World,” Gopisa says. “His significance and contribution cannot be overstated. So having this focal point in the West where people can come and learn about him is very important.”

“In the future, we hope that the Palace will be restored beyond its former glory,” Gopisa concludes, “And that many thousands more will come and truly appreciate Srila Prabhupada, and the devotion that went into building this Palace for him.”

To donate towards the restoration project, please visit palaceofgold.com.

To apply for the position of Palace Project Manager, please contact Jaya Krishna Das at jaya.krsna.sns@gmail.com.

Gujarat Festival Tour: Ahmedabad Jan 10-17 Anand Jan 18 - 19 Bhavnagar Jan 21 - 22 Rajkot Jan 23 - 24 Dwaraka Jan 25 - 27 Jamnagar Jan 28 Baroda Jan 29 - Feb 2 Bharuch Feb 3 - 4 Surat Feb 5- 9 -- Read more ›