Planet ISKCON

Varsana: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skd360/sets/72157639016592973/ Govardhan Hill: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skd360/sets/72157639114717753/

Govardhan retreat with Bhakti Caitanya Swami -- Read more ›

11-12-2013 SB 12.2.6 The Symptoms of Kali Yuga 1, Beau Bassin, Mauritius.mp3

Kali Yuga series 11.

The post Oil massage anyone? And about sacred places, hairstyle, the goal of life, lawyers, good housekeepers and ritualists appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

In the Fall 2013, ISKCON News Website called out to Krishna devotee videographers to send their short videos of inspiring Krishna-conscious people, stories, interesting Krishna-conscious projects, events or activities, or their Krishna-conscious music videos. There were over 50 contestants applied from 14 different countries, and shared their inspiring short films of various subjects, including festivals, spiritual retreats, Deity worship, outreach and artistic programs. -- Read more ›

Video Invitation For Shivaji Park Rath Yatra 2014 -- Read more ›

1968 December 28: "Such practices are against the principles of Krishna Consciousness. I want that all my students should always be ideal in character and not discredit our Society. For Krishna we can execute any activity, but this is not free license to act whimsically."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1970 December 28: "In India everyone is a devotee. They have simply been mislead by politicians. By Lord Caitanya's mercy we are again reviving their dormant Krishna Consciousness, just as we are doing in our centers all over the world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 December 28: "I wanted we should print such leaflets, but they have not done - simply trying for equaling Dai Nippon, consuming money like Dai Nippon, and producing nothing. Our Society means books, if there are no books, how can we preach?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1971 December 28: "We have been there for so many years, only now you are printing the first book? Produce profuse books, spend all your time translating, organizing, printing and distributing, then you will be able to improve the situation."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1971 December 28: "Wherever there is preaching strength there is success, pandal, making members, traveling Sankirtana, whatever it may be - just maintain our strong position of purity and preach and distribute literature, that's all."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1972 December 28: "If you want to make progress in kicking out maya from your life, then help me to push on this Krishna Consciousness movement all over the world. You have got now the golden opportunity and it is no accident that you have got now your Spiritual Master. Now the rest is up to you."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1974 December 28: "I am always praying to Krsna that my disciples will not fall away from the path of Krsna Consciousness. Always pray to Krsna so that He may keep you engaged in His transcendental service. Avoid the service of Maya like poison."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 December 28: "Simply with mrdanga and karatala, traveling and chanting Hare Krsna, preaching simply Srimad Bhagavatam philosophy, this is the process. Don't add anything. It will only be a distraction."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

An Interview with Krsna dasi from England

Dec. 20, 2013

Lilasuka dasi:  Krsna dasi, what made you think of coming to New Vrindaban?

Krsna dasi: Many reasons, really. But the main reason was that New Vrindaban was a very dear project to Srila Prabhupada. If I was going to go anywhere outside of my home country, it’s New Vrindaban because it was so dear to Srila Prabhupada.  Actually, I saw an advertisement online in January this year from Jaya Krsna inviting people to come to New Vrindaban. I was working at the time, so I couldn’t go right away. But I did come here as soon as I got a chance.  New Vrindaban is a major historic project for ISKCON – the perfect place to spend some time.

LD: There are parts of New Vrindaban’s past history that aren’t so pleasant. Did you know about this and did you decide to come anyways?

KD: Yes, I knew some of the history and had heard bits of things, but I deliberately didn’t catch up on it.  I wanted to experience New Vrindaban as it is today, first-hand.  I didn’t care to know about the history.

LD: What was the actual impetus that made you finally decide to come?

KD: I replied to Jaya Krsna that I’d like to come and volunteer for a few weeks for whatever was needed.  I told him that I could do things like office work, or cooking.  He replied, “Yes! Sure! Please come!”

LD: So you’re had some experience cooking for Krsna?

KD:  Yes.  I cooked back home in 1987.  Then, from 1987 to 2000, I used to cook at the Sunday feast at whatever temple I was visiting. I had visited many temples in Europe.  After I came to New Vrindaban, I got to cook for a Sunday feast once. I think it’s great when a Sunday feast has lots of sweets, so I cooked sweets for the feast.  I like to bake.

LD: What do you like about New Vrindaban?

KD: Wow! That’s a big question. The first thing is that New Vrindaban is an old ISKCON project that Srila Prabhupada really wanted. This is important to me.  Also, there are lots of older devotees from the early days that stuck with New Vrindaban. That’s inspirational.  Finally, everywhere you go in America, you pretty much know that you’re in America. But here, it is a world apart.   And everything you need to live is here!   At least, that’s my experience.  You don’t even have to leave once you’re here.

Also, we can have the association of all different kinds of devotees, with different backgrounds and experiences.  In the summer time, especially, lots of young, enthusiastic devotees come and stay for a while and serve.  New Vrindaban is really vibrant.  There’s a great morning program with a lot of devotees attending.  I mean, compared to some temples where I’ve been, sometimes there are only one or two devotees attending, and if you are not a singer, it’s very difficult.

LD: Tell me more.  I’m getting enlivened just listening to you!

KD: Well, there’s a real sense of community here. One thing is that so many devotees take breakfast and lunch together, which reminds me of the old days.  It’s really nice.

It’s a busy place where everyone is always busy with so much service to do.  When you see that everyone is engaged either in pujari work, cooking, gardening, wood chopping, the restaurant, the lodge, whatever – it’s encouraging.

I also like the way the kitchen is set up, with all stainless steel.  Obviously it needs a bit of work, but it’s easy to cook in and I love the big double ovens. It works!  I love the scenery in New Vrindaban.  I’ve always loved walking.  At home, I walk six and a half miles to work every day, which takes about one hour and 10 minutes.  So I love going for long walks here too.

LD:  I understand you’re leaving in a few days. Are you planning to come back?

KD: If I’m allowed!  I would like to. I love it here.  I’ve always felt welcome.  The devotees look after me and the ashram is quite comfortable.

LD: You make New Vrindaban sound like Utopia!

KD:  Well, I especially like the service I do when I come here.  A person can get engaged in their own propensity. It’s such a big place so no matter what you like to do, there’s something here for you.  As a matter of fact, I have thought of services for some of my friends if they would ever come here.  I know exactly where they’d fit in.  I’ve also asked my son and daughter to come here. They’d love it.

LD: Thank you very much, Krishna dasi.

 

Indradyumna Swami: My doctor advised me to start exercising by taking short walks. So taking my camera I went with a small group of devotees by taxi to Radha Kunda and walked two times around the sacred lake. It took 30 minutes. By following the doctors orders hopefully my health improved and surely I got unlimited spiritual benefit. All glories to Sri Radha Kunda! So happy to be back in Sri Vrindavan dhama -- Read more ›

Tomorrow, Saphala Ekadasi, is the second anniversary of Yamuna Devi’s departure from this world. Some years ago, she wrote me, “I remember when Dina and I visited you in your house in Vrindavan. We asked you one question, and you took three hours to answer it! -- Read more ›

After three military tours in Vietnam as a photographic interpreter, Shanka das returned to his hometown in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1969. Sometime later, his brother, who was living at the Boston Temple, gifted him a Krishna Book and four pictures of Visnu -- Read more ›

Devotees try to make their mridanga sound be heard even better! -- Read more ›

H.H Giriraj Swami – Disappearance of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur

The post December 28th, 2013 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

From Vikas Kumar:

AS YOU SAID THAT WHEN DRAUPADI CHEER HARAN WAS HAPPENED AT THAT TIME \"VIKARANA\"SAID WHEN KSHATRIY COMES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING , DRINKING , WOMENISING,THEN HE LOST HIS INTELLIGENCE ,SO DONT CONSIDER HIS ACTIONNS......
BUT AS IN BHAGWAD GEETA IT IS WRITTEN THAT , WHEN OTHeR KSHATRIYA INVITES OTHER FOR GAMBLING, FIGHT THEN OTHER HAS TO GO....THEN THESE TWOO THINGS SEEMS CONTRADICTORY TO ME.. PLEASE CLEAR ME.

Answer Podcast

From Vikas Kumar:

Answer Podcast

From Srikar

Answer Podcast

From Srikar

Answer Podcast

From Ravikumar Shukla

Someone might argue that, after death, we also leave our present form, and may get another form, lets say a form of a dolphin.
That means our present form is not real, similarly the next form of dolphin is also not real, since it will get destroyed by time factor.

Now, can someone say that forms are not real because they get destroyed by time, but we are real because we don't get destroyed and hence we are truth.
For substantiating the above point, this people take the support of Srimad Bhagvad Gita, chapter-2, verse-16.

In which they claim that,
that which is false is always destroyed (forms)
And that which is true is never destroyed (soul)

Hence they conclude by saying that , soul is formless

How to understand this with Gaudiya Vaishnav commentaries in a better manner.please suggest

Answer Podcast

"We have so many things to do just to survive that sometimes we feel we have to sacrifice Japa and prayer as mere luxuries. Here again a balance is required, but we owe it to ourselves not to be forced into a situation where we find "no time" for basic daily devotions."

From Vandanam
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

"Those who desire riches suffer, while those who have riches suffer even more."

Ekachakra brahmin at whose house the Pandavas were residing, Mahabharata translated by Krishna Dharma Das

I told you yesterday about Fuji discontinuing their B&W Polaroid film (FP-3000B). I also mentioned the Polaroid Big Swinger 3000 that could only shoot 3000iso film. Now that the film is discontinued and I’ve shot my last pack (the photo above being the last photo), the camera is now obsolete. It’s sad, but I didn’t let it get me down (too much).

I loved the BS3k. The blur around the edges was magical, and I had always wanted to shoot color with it. because of the size of the aperture (shutter, actually), it was impossible. But what I could do was remove the cheap plastic lens and put it in another Polaroid.

This was easier said than done, but I did it. I used a Polaroid Colorpack II. As I soon discovered, this was the wrong camera to try it upon. The lens system was built like a tank. Where most are plastic, this was metal with glass lenses. I made this discovery when the broken glass (I was using a hammer to remove the lens) cut my thumb. A bunch of blood later, and the lenses were removed.

I’ve been able to put the old BS3k lens inside it, securing it best I could by screwing down the focus of he CPII. The quandary is that I have no idea where the focal point might be – or even if there is one. With only one lens, what sort of depth of field will I have? Will everything be blurry? Will everything be in focus?

I don’t yet have the ability to focus (the BS3k was fixed-focus), but if the preliminary trials go well, I might try to find a way to make it a more permanent thing that will allow me to adjust the lens. We shall see. I’ve not yet loaded film into it, but it should take only a few shots to have my answers. I bet I’ll post the results.

The camera will be called Polaroid Colorpack Swinger (I suppose).

The post December 27th in Krsna Valley appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Kali Yuga series 10.

The post In Kali Yuga you are unholy without money, virtuous if a hypocrite, married by agreement alone and fit to be seen by a bath alone appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

1968 December 27: "When I put on the hat sent by you on my head, everyone says that it is brilliant, and because one has to dress according to the taste of friends this hat has become an important factor of my dressing."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1972 December 27: "That is advancement, to stick tightly to the orders of the Spiritual Master. Because my Guru Maharaja ordered it, I am also ordering it. Go on preaching, spread this Krsna Consciousness all over the world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

I meditate on wonderful Vrindavana, where there are millions of lakes, ponds, and wells, all filled with water as sweet as transcendental nectar, where there are many gardens filled with blossoming transcendental flowers and fruits and unlimited wonderful trees and vines, where there are numberless transcendental deers and other animals who move here and there, and where there are many beautiful transcendental groves.

Verse 18 from the Sri Vrindavana-mahimamrita Shataka (Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrndavana-dhama) by Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura.

Please click here for more Deity photos …..

 

1974 December 27: "What is this alone? Vaisnava is never alone. When I first came to your country I was alone for one year. But I never felt alone. I always felt the presence of my Guru Maharaja."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 December 27: "Under all circumstances you must remain in the association of devotees. Continue to make nice milk preparations for the Deities. When I come in the spring I will be glad to accept them three times a day."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 December 27: "I can come immediately. Try to arrange many programs with respectable gentlemen, philosophers, scholars, etc. If you can arrange nice programs in Brazil then I will be very pleased to go there also."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 December 27: "Thank you very much for installing the very nice Radha-Krsna Deities. So do like that in every village and town. The matter is in the American hands. It must go on very nicely. That is my desire."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974