Planet ISKCON

US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard in her message to celebrants of Gita Jayanti explains the the importance of the Bhagavad-gita in her life.

At the European Leaders’ Meetings this fall, ISKCON leaders discussed a common dilemma for devotees today: do we drink milk, an important staple of the ISKCON diet? Or do we avoid it, since today’s store-bought milk supports the slaughter industry? The answer, is to drink milk from our own protected cows. Unfortunately, there are few ISKCON dairy farms in the world today -- but there are some. 

Kali Yuga series 14.

The post Look down. What do you see? Look in the mirror. Are you wrinkle free? appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

SRS: Are you one of those overweight? bbc.co.uk/news/health-25576400

The post Obesity quadruples to nearly one billion in developing world appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

On the 21st and 22nd of December 2013, 45 youth from all over Bali, Indonesia, gathered for a retreat to study the Bhagavad-gita. Surprisingly, none of them had to even open their Bhagavad-gitas as the entire knowledge, practical applications and philosophy of the Gita was taught through games, dramas, presentations, kirtan and moments of contemplations. 

On the 21st and 22nd of December 2013, 45 youth from all over Bali, Indonesia, gathered for the Nava Yauvana Sanga 2013 to study the Bhagavad-gita in a unique way. A video by Premakanda Dasa.

Due to the continuous help and incoming of donations, ISKCON’s Food for Life (FFL) activities are still going on and reaching the victims of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The dedicated Food for Life team has been working in Tacloban city since Christmas day, and they prepare hot meals and deliver them to different areas of the city every day.

While hundreds of thousands cheer in Times Square, hundreds of New Yorkers will gather not far away to pass the waning hours of 2013 without a word.

"Humanitarian organizations should collaborate in setting up an international court to judge cases of animal cruelty."

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”  – C.S Lewis.

Each year, over 15 million people worldwide suffer from a stroke. Fortunately, a familiar nutrient can drastically reduce the odds of it occurring.

Gary Yourofsky is a non-compromizing and charismatic advocate for animal rights. This video is his inspirational speech held at Georgia Tech in summer of 2010. 

ISKCON News, the official news agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has launched the Spanish version of its website on January 1st, 2014. The website opens ISKCON News’ reach to a vast extent: Spanish currently has 410 million native speakers, and is a second language for a further 60 million, while it is the official language in 21 countries.

H.H Prabodhananda Saraswati Swami – SB 5-1-24

Lecture Podcast

It’s not that my official guru does not have an official guru, who also has official guru, and so on, all the way back to Gadadhara Paṇḍita. But more importantly the philosophy and guidance my guru gives is not contrary to, and only serves to elucidate the philosophy and guidance he or she obtained from his or her guides and teachers, and so on, all the way back to Krsnadasa Kaviraja, Jiva Goswāmī, Rupa Goswāmī, and Sanatana Goswāmī.

But still, let me ask you this – if the official initiation ceremony is so darn important, then why should we bother asking questions about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupāda or Srila Bhaktivinode Thakurji and so on. Why don’t we just cut to the chance and cross examine the original head of the whole Brahmā Madhva Gaudiya sampradaya!? Did Brahmā Jī get a “proper initiation”?

If so, from whom? The Bhāgavata and Brahmā samhita say that he received his “krsnaya govindaya (etc)” mantra from divya-sarasvati. Did she give it to him with a “proper initiation ceremony”? If so, how – since nothing in the universe was even assembled at that time (Brahmā himself in Canto Two admits that it was impossible to perform any ceremonies until after he was enlightened, comprehended the universal form, and constructed ingredients from it). Or maybe you should rethink your idea of what a “proper initiation ceremony” is, in essence.

Please see the link for all photos …
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114809389518597520995/albums/5964315255724496369

When, patiently tolerating hundreds of kicks, millions of insults, and the constant onslaught of hunger, thirst, cold, heat and hundreds of other sufferings, penniless, agitated, shedding a great shower of tears, and calling out the names of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in a piteous voice, will I wander in this land of Vrndavana?

[ Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrndavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-24 Translation ]

The Meredith Music Festival is a three-day outdoor music festival held every December at the “Supernatural Amphitheatre”, a natural amphitheatre located on private farmland near the town of Meredith in Victoria, Australia.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 December 2011, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.13.46)

When Krsna puts jewels on his body, the jewels get more beautiful. Usually it’s the other way around, you know what I mean, but in the case of Krsna, the jewels get more beautiful. Therefore devotees are interested in Krsna. In Jiva Goswami’s writing of the Gopala Campu about Krsna’s pastimes, some details are a little different or a little extra.

He writes about that Aboriginal lady who had a basket with fruits. Krsna, as a small child, he saw how people were bartering and how they just would go from the house, bring some grains, give some grains to this lady and then she would give some of the fruits that she picked from the forest.

Krsna wanted some fruits so he came with some grain but because he is very small, he dropped all the little grains from his little hands along the way. So by the time that he had reached the lady, he had dropped all the grains. But the old lady, she didn’t mind at all. She just gave him so much fruits. She just piled him up with fruit and Krsna was very happily walking away with all the fruit. Then the old lady, she saw that her basket had filled up with jewels and that is where the story in the Krsna Book ends.

But then Jiva Goswami continues… that old lady was walking away with all these jewels and she hadn’t even noticed it. Then after a while, she looked in her basket and she saw that the basket was filled with jewels and do you know what she did with them? Well, she she went back into the forest which was her home and there, she decided just to throw-out these jewels. She just threw them out of the basket and filled-up the basket with fruits because she wanted to see that smile of Krsna again when he was getting all those fruits. So she got more fruit and went back because that was more valuable than the jewels.

So she became a pure devotee who became more attached to Krsna than the material world. That is the simple nature of the paramahamsa. The paramahamsa more attached to Krsna than the material world and therefore the paramahamsa can say, “Anyway, you know, forget this material world. Jewels are alright but Krsna’s smile is so much better.” That is priceless. 

Conversation.

The post Without Gaura and Nitai, where would we be? appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental “Throwback Thursday” – 01/02/14.

Happy New Year everyone!

We have yet another opportunity to highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

There are at least a dozen devotees who could be identified in the photo.

This week’s challenge is to see who can correctly name the most.

Post your best 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 have a bit of fun and see who knows their New Vrindaban history!

"Ring out the false ring in the true." A Happy New Year song released by the former Beatle just prior to New Year's Eve 1974/75.