Planet ISKCON

“We could see that many Spanish and South American devotees didn’t have access to ISKCON world news, because they couldn’t speak English,” Baladeva says. “We also saw that English-speaking devotees didn’t know much about what devotees were doing in the Spanish-speaking world.” -- Read more ›

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

Sri Radha-Kund Mahabhoga Darshan 31/12.2013 -- Read more ›

“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.

On 31st Dec, 2013 many people gathered at Iskcon Detroit - The Bhaktivedanta Cultural Centre to welcome the new year 2014. We had dance, drama, cultural program and ecstatic kirtan whole night with sumptuous prasadam for everyone. -- Read more ›

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 ]

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

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. 

 

 

 

Today myself and Sri Prahlada, who is visiting me from Australia, went on a short parikrama of Vrindavan. Along the way we met my parikrama guru, Deena Bandhu prabhu, who we followed to the Radha Gokulananda temple. His love for Vrindavan is contagious!

Indradyumna Swami: Today myself and Sri Prahlada, who is visiting me from Australia, went on a short parikrama of Vrindavan. Along the way we met my parikrama guru, Deena Bandhu prabhu, who we followed to the Radha Gokulananda temple. His love for Vrindavan is contagious! -- Read more ›

Banka Bihari, a woman that I have known for thirty years since she first discovered the powerful message of Krishna, was relaying to a small group of us how she gets people to stop and hear her spiel at the mall -- Read more ›

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!

Learn how to cook healthy and quickly for Krishna. What I take every night for prasadam. My favorite :-) -- Read more ›

"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. 

2013 12 29 Sunday Feast Lord Caitanya Delivering From Top To Bottom Radhanath Swami Maharaj ISKC

1970 January 2: "Forty years before when two of my eldest God-brothers came to London with this mission they simply devoted their time in lecturing in some renowned public place and inviting some leading politician to preside over the meeting."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 January 2: "When I began my preaching work in New York I never followed this policy of lecturing amongst stereotyped politicians or society elites. If I had, I think I would have gone back to India without any success."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 January 2: "By the grace of my Guru Maharaja and Krishna, this policy of Sankirtana, Prasadam and Srimad-Bhagavatam has become successful in the practical field. Please follow this transcendental policy with heart and soul."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1972 January 2 : "In the spiritual world the center is one. If you draw innumerable circles they will not overlap. Similarly, whoever is rendering service, there is never competition or maliciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 January 2 : "Krishna Consciousness means practical living, not something utopian, idealistic or vague. We simply do the needful, whatever pleases Krishna most, that's all. That you will learn by studying our books."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 January 2 : "Krsna Consciousness movement rests upon the words of Krsna, so if people can read for themselves what Krsna is saying, then they shall understand. Otherwise it will be very difficult to convince them."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1973 January 2 : "So many big big lawyers, doctors, government ministers, professional men are there. So make many, many life members amongst this class of men, that will be your great contribution."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 January 2 : "When I was alone in India I introduced my books in so many libraries and schools. The American Library of Congress took 18 copies. If you try you will get also an order for 18 copies of all our books."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 January 2 : "An initiated disciple although he has respect for the Christian Bible, nevertheless must understand the Bhagavad-gita and must apply all study there and not spend time unnecessarily with other literatures."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 January 2 : "We should have a little common sense in all activities. Deity worship or lecturing in the colleges is just as important as book distribution. Not that we should do one thing at the sacrifice of another."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

Vancouver/ Toronto

Guidelines For Humans

Due to the time taken in air travel I found no opportunity to stretch either leg in the form of walking. My eyes did stumble, during a read, on the instructions on Bhismadev. Bhishmadev was the wise warrior whom we learn of in “The Mahabharata” epic and in the details of his passing from the book “Bhagavatam” wherein he offered his last words of guidelines for humans. This is an excerpt from 1.2.26 purport:

“The varnashrama-dharma is prescribed for the civilized human being just to train him to successfully terminate human life. Self-realization is distinguished from the life of the lower animals engaged in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. Bhismaedev advised for all human beings nine qualifications:

1) not to become angry

2) not to lie

3) to equally distribute wealth

4) to forgive

5) to beget children only buy ones legitimate wife

6) to be pure in mind and hygiene in body

7) not to be inimical toward anyone

8) to be simple and

9) to support subordinates.

One cannot be called a civilized person without acquiring the above mentioned preliminary qualities”

May the Source be with you!

0 KM
 

Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Nelson Mandela Etc.

“Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein all got impacted by this book.”  I was listening very carefully to these words, a selling point for the Bhagavad-gita. Banka Bihari, a woman that I have known for thirty years since she first discovered the powerful message of Krishna, was relaying to a small group of us how she gets people to stop and hear her spiel at the mall.  She was young at the time, hailed from Brantford, Ontario, and she was so eager to know about life.  Now years later, she reigns supreme in the Gita distribution category for the greater Vancouver area. Around the dining room table, with her husband Ramanuja to my side and Hadai, a family friend and a student of mine, we heard Banka Bihari tell of her success and challenges with sharing the knowledge of the Gita to the Christmas shoppers.  Every year a marathon is held world-wide for a pleasant push to acquaint the public with this treasure of knowledge.  The marathon referred to is the Prabhupada marathon, an initiative by ISKCON which has been running since the early seventies.  We were intrigued with Banka Bihari’s magic, what she says and how she says it when approaching pedestrians to or from the shop.  “They take the Gita,” she said, “and often come back for a second book related to bhakti.”  She sometimes mentions that this book influenced Gandhi, but there are mixed feelings as people then relate to the book as some religion.

On that note she defends it by saying the information is about life challenges and how to overcome them.  It’s not for any particular denomination.

Banka Bihari volunteers her time and as a sacrifice.  She has a young handicapped son, Nicholas. Between Nicholas’s father and mother they juggle time between home and work in the most co-operative spirit.  It is quite commendable that she extends herself to share the science of the self in the form of the Gita.

The family served me in their Langley home a grainless meal honoured every two weeks on what is a Vaisnava tradition called ekadasi.  The quinoa with veggies mixed in was mouth-gratifying. My second visit to a household was in Port Coquitlam.  The family, who run a security business, have been in Canada from their native India for a decade.  They are taking to bhakti yoga so naturally. They had so many questions on how to apply self-realization in their lives.  Naturally I obliged.

A final victory for the day was staging “The Little Big Ramayana” at Vancouver’s ISKCON centre.  The youth I worked with on this project did a bang on job as an offering to Krishna.  All in His service.

May the Source be with you!

8 KM

Surrey, British Columbia

The Great Past

Some of the members of the youth who volunteered themselves in the drama project of this weekend, have this unstoppable passion for kirtan.  One of our girls in Vancouver organized a twelve hour, uninterrupted kirtan, a chanting session, which has become very commonplace in bhakti-yoga communities.

I had mentioned to Radharani, the coordinator, in order to accomplish a traditional edge in a multi-houred chanting kirtan, you have no pauses, no breaks whatsoever.  “When one chanting group
completes their slot the next group to shuffle in, acts as a continuum.  There is a flow that should not be broken.  It needs to be the smoothest transition.”

Secondly, I suggested that since tradition has some merit then have the chanters stick to the maha-mantra.  I learned of these ways from my Bangladeshi and Oriyan friends.  This is their approach for
generations and is the method of showcasing “the mantra” Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare /Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, nothing else.  They call this kirtan “Ashta Prahar” an eight hour times three chanting period. Chanting is purging.  It generates camaraderie.  It is an opportunity to present one’s talent but more importantly it is a place and time for collective hearts to offer themselves to the one who leaves sound as a way to transform.  I did indeed put in some walking after leading the final kirtan, at which time the grand finale group got off their butts to dance in the course of chanting.  If we are at all to value antiquity, especially in the line of Chaitanya, then we might look to old levitation techniques, where you rise on your feet, then sway back and forth, raise arms and hands at times.  Tradition has it that you surrender not just your voice and hands (as in playing an instrument) but to engage the entire body, the entire being.  Whatever is great that the past holds let it be sustained for future benefits.

May the Source be with you!

5 Km