Planet ISKCON – Page 1775 – Websites from the ISKCON Universe

CBC Radio Interviews Bhaktimarga Swami!
→ Dandavats.com

The public broadcaster caught up with our walking Swami as he made his way through Canada's prairie province and this nice little interview highlights yet another way that people across this wonderful country are being introduced to our wonderful, spiritual way of life! Read more ›

Thursday, December 19th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Saranagati Village, British Columbia

THE BEST PATH

I couldn’t resist referring to a Metro Newspaper article by Stefan Danis, author of Gobi Runner, regarding the topic of the straight path not always being the fast one. As a runner in desert areas like the Gobi, Sahara, or Atacama, He learned the hard way that mathematically, the simplest path between two points is not necessarily the straight one.

He details this in his writing based on his experience. For instance, with sand being soft, when wind picks it up, it causes a major hindrance while running. He found that if he ran a longer route with a degree off course by being at the advantageous side of a sand dune, where there’s more firm surfaces and rock sediments, he would arrive at the finish line earlier.

Stefan drew an analogy to life’s situation by posing the question, “Have you looked at all the alternative paths to overcome your challenges?” He added, “Ups and downs, twists and turns are the norm we all know.” I saw this in my trek with Gosh Thakur yesterday to get to the summit of a local mountain. We took to the road that was cleared out to make way for an internet tower. It was clearly a zig zag trail, a straight line approach would be impossible for vehicles and a hard one for walkers.

My stay in Saranagati Village, a Krishna community, has been scheduled with visits to various rustic houses with warm people. To reach those destination points, I have the choice to trudge through deep snow, through ditches, while dodging bush and sage brush, or take the road. The safest and quickest route in this case is to follow the snow plowed roads that run more or less on a grid, although less adventurous. I hate to say it, but maybe it’s the wimps trail.

One of the major lessons I’ve learned from walking through the Prairies, where land can be flat and roads being very straight, is that truckers really crave company because for them a straight line to drive on can be most monotonous. When I walked that very direct route in the past like the Trans Canada Highway, truckers commonly stopped to offer me a ride in order to deal with what is perceived as a boring run. Of course, I had to politely decline those offers. Winding roads are a little more exhilarating and can even get you to your destination faster.

Here in the valley I am lucky because when I go that distance from a home to the temple or to the school, I have two buddies, they happen to come along and make the walk more interesting. Ganga and Narashingha are two of the local dogs. The nature of a dog is to accompany you whether you beeline it or move in curves. God bless the loyal dog! And thank God for the safe and practical route.

May the Source be with you!

4 KM

Wednesday, December 18th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Little Mouse in the Snow

Saranagati Village, British Columbia

The first living entity I saw today was a spider I saw crawling along the base of a shower stall. I took extra care to angle the shower head in such a way that he wouldn’t get flushed down the drain.

The second creature for my eyes to meet seemed to be exploring territory. He was a tiny mouse. I first detected him after noticing an interesting trail of teeny footprints impressed into the freshly fallen snow. It was those hypnotic type of snowflakes coming down ever so light against the stark black sky. With flashlight in hand I kept eyes mainly on the white covered road in front of me. The little fella, the mouse, was scurrying along and leaving his mark. I just missed his small bodily frame when stepping along. I aimed my flashlight directly over the little guy and then got close to him as if to give him the spotlight. That certainly alerted him. Perhaps he momentarily liked the attention. Perhaps he froze from having stage fright.

I let him go on to venture at his whim as he likely was set out to search for food.

“Adios.”

I proceeded on to the location of the temple which is facilitated by an elder, Kulashekhar. After a shake off of snow, we conducted sadhana (spiritual practice) together. In the dim and mystic candlelit room, we sang the Guruvastakam along with other adjoining prayers before I trekked to the Venables Valley School for a second installment of mantras. This was followed by a devotional theatre workshop conducted by yours truly. That went down well, including the pizza prepared with love by devotees.

Much later, Gosh Thakur, my friend from Quebec, lead me to the summit of a mountain, the location of the recently installed internet tower. The sun, at this point, was hidden away when Gosh Thakur and I took the gradual but steady climb up. It was a heart pounding workout with healthy panting and puffing. We crossed the footprints of much wildlife – of mice (and not men), deer, coyotes and rabbits. At the very top, we paused to catch our breath and a great view as we sat restfully atop a log chatting. The world seemed quite awesome from our stance. We were high, although we were truly small, like the little mouse.

We will always be small, but carry large and hard driven dreams. We just want to make sure that our dreams line up with the wishes of the creator.

May the Source be with you!

7 KM

Tuesday, December 17th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Surprised and Stranded

Jackass Mountain, British Columbia

It took us by surprise. Peter and I were coasting along on Highway 1 which from the town of Hope runs parallel to the Fraser River, a vein of beautiful mountainous water, when an officer nabbed us. According to him we were over the speed limit by 50 KM.

“No way,” we thought. Peter tried to argue the figures, but the officer had his routine down for this stretch of the highway which is notorious for motorists call a speed trap. Knowing well the sudden downslope after leaving a tunnel through a mountain, a driver is practically helpless but to gain some speed. Peter was handed a $368 ticket apart from receiving the news of a 7 day impoundment on the vehicle we were driving. A tow truck was called by the officer and within minutes our vehicle was hauled to the nearby town, Boston Bar. To unimpound it after this period costs at least another $200. We ended up being stranded for hours in the town until someone from the village Saranagati came to our rescue. That leeway time of waiting, however, did permit Peter and I to explore this town which was formerly a trail during the old pioneer gold rush. I had trekked through this area two times before, but never throughout the town which is mostly populated by indigenous folks.

If you are ever grounded somewhere like we were, then you make the best of that time. Avoid groping and meet nature. We ventured by this vibrant river, the Fraser, explored its banks somewhat. With its trails and its fur and spruce trees, the aroma of their green needles sends you to heaven, while the wobbly nature of stones and the soft sands under the feet remind you of both the uncertainties and welcoming side of life.

Our ride finally arrived. Gosh Thakur, my French Canadian friend, came in time to help us reach our evening engagement – kirtan with the youth. It’s a Tuesday night regular event in the peaceful valley called Venables, an area the devotees of Krishna refer to as Saranagati, the place of ultimate surrender. By the warm stove of crackling fire wood, young voices chanted “Hare Krishna”, ‘twas nice.

Speaking of names, please take note of the place where our vehicle was towed from, Jackass Mountain. One thing is, always avoid speeding and this is an unlikely warning for pedestrians though. Walkers could never be ticketed for speeding. It’s always the safest mode of transport.

May the Source be with you!

10 KM

Monday, December 16th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

A Pleasure

Burnaby, British Columbia

It’s always a pleasure to sit down and hear something motivationally strong, coming from experience. My spiritual brother, Kriphanidi, spoke from the Bhagavatam, a text that by regular reading has the effect of shrinking that which is inauspicious in the heart – anger, envy, greed, etc.

Hearing the realizations of others enhances your own realizations. It’s also a pleasure to push the wheel chair of Padyavali, my godsister, on the ISKCON property, because she can’t do it on her own. When she, Manu and I, sit to talk or have lunch together as we did today, we have a blast at joking. It lifts our spirits. I recall this last summer, during the course of my fourth cross-Canada trek, pushing the chair of a middle aged handicapped native person to Tim Horton’s doughnut shop for a coffee, and then to church. This happened at a bridge in Winnipeg as he was waiting for someone to come along. I lost about a half hour of time from my routine walking, but I gained something through service.

It was also a pleasure to serve the guru by sitting in-the-round with administrators of ISKCON. Although topics can be grave and taxing, the challenges can excite you. You probe the brain and you tap the heart in search for answers. By nighttime, I sat in the director’s chair, so to speak, for a new take on Ram’s pastimes. ‘The Little Big Ramayan’ will be presented on the 29^th of this month. Along with cast and crew, we are starting to shape this production which is in its embryonic stage. It had me constantly leaping back and forth from chair to stage. It was a pleasure.

My final pleasure session of the day was a walk after all was done. It was damp and dark out, but the moon gave consolation. Around its fullness were massive rainbow rings; perfectly round concentric circles surrounding it. Awesome! Just awesome! What a pleasure! What a pleasure!

May the Source be with you!

6 KM

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 12-08-2013
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 12-08-2013

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban (Earth, Cows, Opportunities & Vrindaban Villages) is dedicated to cow protection, sustainable agriculture, self-sufficiency and simple living — all centered around loving service to Sri Krishna, as envisioned by the ISKCON New Vrindaban Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Participating Board Members: Anuttama (first half of meeting), Chaitanya Mangala, Madhava Gosh, Navin Shyam, and Ranaka.

Advisors present: Jaya Krsna

1. Garden of Seven Gates (G7G) manager & ECOV responsibility

WHEREAS: In line with its mission, the ECOV Board wishes to actively promote the production and use of food grown locally in New Vrindaban.

RESOLVED: The Board hereby authorizes the creation of a new management position, the Food Production Manager (FPM), whose duties and salary will be determined by ECOV management.

The need for an ECOV President or other general manager to oversee projects and overall operations was also considered. Further discussion will resume after the FPM is found, but it was recognized that the first step is creating a job description.

2. Madhuban grove

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to continue developing the Madhuban orchard.

RESOLVED: The Board authorizes up to $2,200 for continuing the maintenance of food-producing trees on the Madhuban site in 2014. The Food Production Manager will manage the project once that position is filled. In the interim, Rafael, the proponent of the project, will report to Ranaka and be advised by Madhava Gosh.

3. 2014 operating budget

This will be discussed at the Annual Meeting in January, along with review of the 2013 budget.

4. Bahulaban barn deconstruction

Gosh will follow up with an Amish group to get a quote.

5. Bahulaban utility building temporary repairs

Navin Shyam will contact Gopisa to ensure that this is moving forward.

6. Bahulaban pink building demolition

Completed.

7. Deity flower garden

The $341.40 2013 budget overage will be taken out of the manager’s discretionary fund.

Gosh is currently acting as the Project Manager, with involvement from Vidya dasi.

8. Garden of Seven Gates related grants: Irrigation, greenhouses & pole barn

The Board deferred consideration of the high-tunnel greenhouse and pole barn projects pending the hiring of the FPM. The irrigation project is nearly complete, but more funding has been requested.

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to maintain good relations in the greater Wheeling community, and to fairly compensate those who work on ECOV projects.

RESOLVED: The Board requests Ranaka to meet with Andy Reed of Apogee Design and authorizes him to offer Andy up to $1,100 for additional unanticipated labor performed on the Garden of Seven Gates irrigation project.

Payment will be contingent, however, on Andy providing the relevant ECOV and/or INV individuals with the following:

• Operator Manual with diagrams;
• Final field instructions;
• A list of spare parts;
• Names and locations of suppliers where we can obtain spare parts and materials required for any future expansion of the project;
• Any other training and/or documentation requested by INV or ECOV during the course of the project.

9. G7G prototype cabin

Varsana Swami will be engaged to do some backfilling. A gutter system also needs to be installed. The budget overage ($227.38 to date) will either be addressed using the management discretionary fund or an augmentation of the project budget itself.

10. Grain storage

Storage bin purchase and set up completed.

11. Valley barn roof repair

Completed.

12. Bulk grain purchasing

INV has begun exploring suppliers for purchases of rice and various beans.

13. Legal research

Completed. There will be a need to further engage our attorney when we hear back from the IRS in regards to the integrated auxiliary application. We anticipate this to be in about a year and will allocate the necessary funds at that time.

14. New Vrindaban Master plan completion

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to reallocate funds for any project that is not making regular progress.

RESOLVED: The Board hereby returns to the general fund the remaining $5K budget allocated for the completion of a New Vrindaban Master Plan.

It’s a Pizza Party Kind of Day! Join Us for Kirtan and Pizza Tonight!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

"You can lead a horse to the water but you can't make him drink; you can give a man the wisdom but you can't make him think."

The Friday seminar with His Grace Vaisesika prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula mataji was adorned with such pearls of wisdom, morning to night. Both the morning class as well as the evening seminar on "Finding the Perfect Balance" were phenomenal and very well attended worldwide!

What's on the menu today? Here's the itinerary:

Saturday, December 21st
7:30am to 9:00am - Second session on the Srimad Bhagavatam series, "Preaching is the Essence" (daily, until 24th Dec)

12:00pm - Honouring Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's Disappearance Day

1:00pm to 4:00pm - Downtown Street Sankirtan with Vaisesika Prabhu

6:30pm to 9:00pm - The famous Bhajan Night (a.k.a the pizza party; you don't want to miss this one)

For further information on this ecstatic festival, click here

*** ALL classes and programs to broadcast live at www.mayapur.tv (look for “Toronto” channel under Live Broadcast)

Your heart isn't dancing because it hasn't been there yet!

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 08:19:00 →

1967 December 21: "Be careful about your health. Not only you but all my noble sons. I am an old man. I may live or die it does not matter. But you must live for long time to push on this Krishna Consciousness movement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 08:11:00 →

1968 December 21: "Accelerate these school engagements and I am sure you will be very successful. When Krishna sees that we are trying very sincerely to preach His message He becomes very pleased and showers all blessings upon us. So please continue in this spirit."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 08:08:00 →

1968 December 21: "Mr. Harrison must join this Krishna Consciousness movement without hesitation. If Mr. George Harrison takes the lead in organizing a huge Sankirtana Party consisting of the Beatles and our boys surely we shall change the face of the world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 08:07:00 →

1972 December 21: "Yes, spiritual activities, even mentally performed, are beneficial. No, mental sinful activities do not cause a bad reaction. We do not suffer for thinking something sinful. Not in this age. That is a special concession for Kali-yuga."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 08:01:00 →

1972 December 21: "You are the pioneer preachers, you are paving the way. You will not stand by idly and listen to any nonsense ideas or Mayavadis. That is very nice. My Guru Maharaja was also inclined toward his bolder preachers."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 08:00:00 →

1974 December 21: "Print thousands of books and distribute everywhere, all over the world at the same speed. If we can get the masses of people in the Western countries to become Krsna Conscious, then the rest of the world will follow. That is a fact."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 07:59:00 →

1974 December 21: "By injecting our movement into the masses of people all over the world, especially in the Western countries, we can literally turn whole areas into Krsna Conscious nations. I am very glad to hear you have printed 100,000 copies. Now give them to everyone."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 07:57:00 →

1974 December 21: "I am very anxious to get that building in New York City. I like it very much, so I want you to take it immediately. Now keep the atmosphere very pure by holding regular classes and kirtan, morning and evening arati and ensuring that everyone chants their 16 rounds and follows the regulative principles without fail."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974