Planet ISKCON

1970 February 2: "Why should you be afraid? They are very insignificant organizations in the face of genuine Krishna Consciousness Movement. Everyone says what that Mission could not do in 80 years, we have done many times over in three years."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 February 2: "So nobody can check this genuine movement of Krishna Consciousness by artificial means of bluff. Any sincere soul, serious in the matter of self-realization, will certainly be attracted by our Movement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 February 2: "Your name is Dindayal. Din means poor and dayal means merciful. This world is very awful. So we have to chant Hare Krishna Mantra regularly being humbler than the straw and more tolerant than the tree. Then Krishna, Who is Dindayal, will bestow His Mercy upon us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1975 February 2: "Thank you for distributing my books. Try to increase. Why don't you ask your GBC man for some brahmanas so you can spend more time preaching and distributing books. A temple president should have more time for preaching. That is important."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 February 2: "With record distribution alone, the result is temporary. They will hear it for some time and throw away. Book distribution is solid. Even if they do not read, simply by touching they are benefited. It is so much powerful."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 February 2: "Use your education very nicely in the service of Krishna. Go ahead with obtaining PhD and presenting our books and philosophy in your thesis. Become a learned scholar in the science of loving Krishna."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

14-01-2014 SB 3.20.38 Song and Dance, ISKCON Vilnius, Lithuania.MP3

On New Year’s Day, devotees at ISKCON Baltimore in Maryland, USA set a group goal to read 100,000 pages of Srila Prabhupada’s books by the end of the year, as an offering to the ISKCON founder. Within two weeks, they were already on track to beat their goal, and had set a new goal of nearly twice as much -- quite a start to the New Year! -- Read more ›

Dhanesvara Das: These photos are taken while I was staying with Radhika Ramana Semibokov and his family at Altaiskoye. -- Read more ›

Indradyumna Swami: This afternoon we again left the oasis of the temple and went with our camel caravan into the desert of material existence to distribute the refreshing nectar of Krsna's sweet the holy names. Chanting and dancing along the hot pavement of Vadodara's streets we invited the inhabitants of the city to our festival this evening. [ All photos by Ananta Vrindavan das ] -- Read more ›

Every year I make my personal finances public. Attached is an accounting of my finances for 2013.

Jayadvaita Swami 2013 financial report

The post My personal finances, 2013 appeared first on Jayadvaita Swami.

Niranjana Maharaja’s closing Bhagavatam class.

The post Leadership sanga Day 4 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Words cannot express a humble and peaceful province in Visayas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda last November 7, 2013 noted as the Worlds strongest tropical cyclone landfall in history. In spite of this hearth breaking tragedy our mission is to spread the holy name yuga dharma Harinaam Sankirtan in Tacloban Leyte ki Jaya!! -- Read more ›

Answer: ....Vrindavan!! -- Read more ›

Devotee Appreciation for Book Distributors,BBT Leaders, Sankirtan Strategy, Sankirtan for everyone and more! -- Read more ›

New Vrindaban is hosting a  Family Weekend February 15-17th 2014

The weather is getting better every day, so come visit and bring your family.
Contact: (304) 843-1600 ext. 111 or 120
• Kids will learn spiritual songs, do arts and crafs and perform a spiritual drama.
• Parents have the option to participate – it is a good way to strengthen family ties.
• Experienced teachers will conduct the sessions in 3 di?erent age groups.
• A fun weekend for the whole family in a spiritual realm.
• A good way to hand down Indian heritage to the next generation.
• Costs: book your hotel room at the Palace Lodge. Donations welcomed for the kids program
and the prasadam.
• Schedule: Saturday 15th evening 5 pm to Monday 17th morning 11 am

I was leaving the main drag of Elm Grove and headed to an on ramp to get on 1-70 on my way to dialysis. It’s a 4 lane street and I was in the left lane to turn onto the on ramp. I was about a car length behind a pickup truck in the right lane when he signaled a turn and started slowing down bringing my front bumper about even with his rear bumper. I was going about 30-35 MPH (50-60 Kph).

Suddenly a car filled my lane. It was already there by the time I perceived it. If I had taken  a millisecond to process what was happening I would have plowed right into it but my instinct seized control and I cranked the wheel hard left then as I was now heading straight to the curb had to crank it hard  right to not crash into that.

It  all happened so fast I didn’t even get scared or excited until I was at dialysis 5 minutes later, then it sunk in what had happened.  I realized why the car pulled out. I was screened from the driver’s view by the truck so s/he never saw me. Since they saw him slowing down and signalling a turn s/he thought it was safe to pull out.

How did that instinct come to the surface and save me?  From soccer (futbol).

I took up soccer at age 45 and played until I was 54 and my liver failed hence no more stamina. I wasn’t the greatest  ball handler but I had quick accurate feet from decades of dancing so I could play passable defense. As a matter of fact at a pickup game once with high school and college players they started calling me The Wall because no one was getting by me

When I coached defense to my kids I emphasized the 4 Ps – Pressure,  Position , Posture, and Patience.

Pressure means to get on the ball handler quickly. Position means where you are in relation to the ball handler.  Turn 45 degrees to his shoulders so he can’t pass between your legs, you should know which is his strong foot so be on that side putting the ball on his weak foot,  and knowing his burst speed give him enough of a cushion so you can have time to pivot in the direction he moves  if he tries to get by you. Posture is  knees bent and 60% of your weight  on your rear leg so you can pivot on it to  follow the direction he moves.  Patience means don’t stab at the ball because as soon as you shift your weight he will be around you in the opposite direction. Wait for him to make a mistake and maintain your cushion

So as you wait for him ignore his foot movements they can be a feint, ignore his head movements and watch the hips, hip movement is a commitment to a direction.

This happens so fast you don’t have time to analyze and decide — you have to hone your reactions to react immediately without taking the time it takes for a sensory impression to travel to the brain and back to your muscles  — you basically connect from eyes  directly to the muscles.

I know that isn’t scientific but it is the mediation I  used to jack up my reaction time.

This happens many times in a game  so through repetition it starts to become ingrained. Which is why when the car pulled in front of me the reaction just kicked in  and saved me from a major car collision.

Thank you soccer.

Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever, Sports

Radhadesh Mellows Kirtan 1/25/2014 Acyuta gopi Mataji-

Brother, do you know for certain when you will die? Do you think the maha-mantra will check the powerful death? Do you think that death will patiently wait and allow you to die at the time you prescribe? Is it for these reasons that again and again you fearlessly leave Vrndavana?

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-50 Translation.]

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By determination and persistance the mind will actually surrender and naturally focus on the sound without us having to be consciously aware of it...until then it's a battle...but a battle that can be won.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31 July 2005)

For a sannyasi to associate with mundane persons is like willingly drinking poison! And not only for a sannyasi but for a devotee too. One should not associate with women who are addicted to lusty desires nor should one associate with men who are addicted to such women. This is not recommended for one who is serious about going back to Godhead because it is said that sex life is the chain, maithunya argara, it is the chain that binds us in the prison of material existence.

“But it is natural, it is natural, what can we say? You cannot be artificial. It is one of the natural inclinations of the body just like hunger and thirst! It is also not only that… it is like a means to express affection and love.”

Yes, one must also make a distinction between the gross lusty activities which, for example, are going on in the red light district of Amsterdam and the exchanges in a loving relationship. That is also a fact. A distinction is made and therefore Krsna says, “Yes, between a husband and wife.” Then that is a different thing. In the Vedic culture, a husband and wife would together go for spiritual life but nowadays that is not always there. Spiritual life, if it is at all there, is something symbolic and for most, it is something in the background. It is not a very prominent thing. But in Vedic culture, spiritual life was in the foreground. It was an important element in life – prominent and it should be! Therefore, sex life should be within religious principles, within marriage.

For all of us, it is not beneficial to associate with people who are in the grip of lust. At least not intimately. If one becomes very friendly with mundane people then after some time, we also become mundane.