WE HAVE POWER BACK IN THE TEMPLE!!!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

It was an eventful 57  hours, but the temple finally has power back in the building!  A collective cheer rang through the temple as the lights flicked on just before 12pm today!  Actually, the temple was just preparing to shut off the water in the building to help avoid the pipes from freezing and then bursting!  Luckily though, the power came on mere minutes before we were about to shut off the water !

Even though at times it was brutally cold in the temple and there was no hot water, lights or heat, spirits remained very high and all the devotees worked together to make the best of the situation.

From morning programs using flashlights to the unforgettable Candlelit Sunday Feast (pictures coming soon), it was a crazy 57 hours!  A HUGE thank you to all the devotees in our community who helped out during this difficult time.

If anyone in our devotee community still does not have power, heat and/or hot water at home, please feel free to contact the temple and we would be happy to help in any way possible.

We will still try to post updates on our Twitter feed (below); or you can check it out to relive some the moments during the power outage!

Touching Story
→ View From a New Vrindaban Ridge

This was recently shared with me via email.

Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life. As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late.

I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played “Amazing Grace”, the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head was hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I never seen nothing like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”

Apparently I’m still lost….it’s a man thing.


Filed under: Jokes

We are not these bodies
→ Servant of the Servant

We are not these bodies - reincarnation is a law of nature. We are spiritual beings encased within these bodies. When we die, depending on our consciousness, we acquire another body.

Dr. Jim Tucker is a medical doctor & scientist studying past life memories of children using genuine scientific methods. He has written books on this subject matter clearly documenting the memories of children of their previous lives. From a spiritual perspective, it is a clear evidence to show that the consciousness survives the death of the body and moves on to other realities. Why then are we obsessed with our body? All social, economic, religious and political problems stem from a bodily concept of life.

For more information on Dr. Jim Tucker and reincarnation, please visit his site - Dr. Jim Tucker

Hare Krishna

New Vrindaban Daily Darsan @ 23 Dec 2013
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

May my eyes become overwhelmed with ecstasy by seeing the nectar waves of Vrindavana’s beauty. May my intelligence drown in the nectar ocean of Vrindavana’s glories. May my body become agitated by the swiftly moving currents of ecstatic bliss and thus roll about on the ground of Vrindavana. Falling down like a stick, may I offer my respectful obeisances to all the residents of Vrindavana. 01

Vaishnava donated to the Library of Foreign Literature copy of the new edition of the famous works in English Jiva Goswami “Shatsandarbhi”
→ Dandavats.com

The President of the Moscow Society for Krishna Consciousness and the head of public education project, "Vaishnava University" Sriman Radha-Damodar Prabhu donated to the famous All-Russian Library of Foreign Literature copy of the famous work outstanding Indian religious leader and educator Sri Jiva Goswami "Shatsandarbhi" in English. -- Read more ›

Congratulations to All the New Graduates of Iskcon Alachua!
→ Dandavats.com

Congratulations to all the new graduates in Iskcon Alachua community: Congratulations to Jahnavi Harris who just graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a degree in Environmental Engineering. Congratulations to Rajasana Wilhoit who graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a degree in Computer Science and was just hired by Amazon.com. Congratulations to Naitaicharana Ely from the University of Florida with a degree in Psychology. Congratulations to Bhaktin Lacey from Krishna House Congratulations to Mukunda Rico, graduated from Evergreen College in natural healing We give these graduates all blessings to fulfill their goals and engage in devotional service with their many talents. -- Read more ›

Christmas Retreat by HH Romapada Swami on Dec 21 ( video)
→ Dandavats.com

During July of 1971 Romapada Swami received first initiation from Srila Prabhupada at the temple located on Henry Street in Brooklyn, New York. One year later, during the summer of '72, Romapada Swami received second initiation. At the time he was fully engaged as the Sankirtana Leader and the Temple Commander in a temple of 150 devotees. During that same summer, Their Most Beautiful Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Govinda, arrived in New York -- Read more ›

Damodarashtakam (08)
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Preview of Candlelight Sunday Feast Pics!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

It was an incredibly beautiful Sunday Feast program tonight, with soft candlelight providing a beautiful backdrop for an evening that was highlighted by the presence of HG Vaiesesika prabhu!  We had some special cameras, which had been adjusted to accommodate the low lighting, set up to snap some photos.  We will post pictures of the program soon, but here is a sneak preview!  Check out these stunning photos of our Deities as they are bathed in the soft light of candles!








Friday, December 20th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk


Saranagati, British Columbia

BEST TESTS

My host in Saranagati Village, Mahidhar, was half joking when he asked me to bless the van.  His Ford Escape was to be the means of transportation back to Vancouver.  So, to ensure a safe journey I did take his recommendations seriously.

At 5:30 AM I was out the door, ready for a walk towards the city in anticipation to be picked up by Mahidhar and Peter.  I stood in front of the vehicle, chanted some mantras, and even circumambulated the van before heading off down the quiet snow packed country road.  The two valley dogs, Ganga and Narasingha, accompanied me until we reached the cattle barrier called a cattle guard.  Cattle dare not cross the ground level metal frame at the end of the road that junctures at Highway 1, the Trans Canada Highway.  My two canine comrades also could not cross this barrier.  A human with careful footing can succeed, however.  I crossed over it and then went directions west with the Hare Krishna mantra and snowflakes to keep me from being lonely.

Six O’Clock passed, the projected time for Mahidhar and Peter to pick me up.  No sign of them.  7 o’clock passed and again no sign of them.  8 o’clock passed by and still no one showed up.  8:30 rolled along, no Mahidhar and no Peter.  “Something happened, I’m sure.  My blessing the vehicle didn’t work.  I hope they are alright,” I thought.

Ten minutes later, and with 12 KMs under my feet, finally a van pulled over.  It was Peter and Kulashekhar in another vehicle that had come to pick me up with the news that there was an accident.  Apparently the Ford Escape slid off the icy road, went over the edge, and into a gully, and finally being wedged in place by a stump and a log.  No one was hurt and the vehicle appeared to be miraculously operable.  After some endeavor one helper, Stanur, got behind the steering wheel and successfully freed the van from being stuck.  He drove it forward into a field, but then hit a rock that destroyed the oil pan.

Meanwhile a nasty snow storm blasted through the whole south of BC.  By the forces of nature, we were not going to go anywhere.  Unfortunately, we had to cancel out on a major satsang (spiritual gathering) held in Vancouver.

One thing that I pondered, before embarking on the journey back to Vancouver, I had recited protective mantras as an offering to our dear Sri Krishna.  Obviously not all occurrences pan out so smoothly, even when asking for a blessing.  The blessing, nevertheless, does come to the recipient, but not always in the format as anticipated.  In such circumstances, patience and tolerance have the chance to play out within one’s self.  The best tests in life do come unsought.

May the Source be with you!

12 KM

The best of Instructions
→ travelingmonk.com

“Srila Haridasa Thakur advised that we concentrate deeply on the holy names of Krishna. Lord Caitanya’s teachings on this matter are found in the Caitanya Bhagavata, Madhya 23.650 where it is stated: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The Lord said: ‘This is the maha-mantra. [...]

The best of Instructions
→ travelingmonk.com

“Every day one must complete his prescribed number of rounds, according to his vow. One should chant sincerely being careful not to sacrifice his quality of chanting in his eagerness to complete his vow. One should strive to improve the quality of chanting, rather than increase his number of rounds for show. The name of [...]

Striving for perfection in japa
→ travelingmonk.com

“Inattention arising from laziness prevents a person from relishing the nectar of the holy names while chanting japa. He is slow to chant and remember the holy names. Even after trying, he soon finds the effort unendurable and wants to sleep or otherwise engage himself in frivolity. “Advanced devotees are cautious against such an offense. [...]

Rocks that God Can’t Lift
→ The Enquirer

In logic’s flashier moments, it tries to play with ideas like, ‘if God is all-powerful, can he make a rock too heavy for him to lift?’ A similar topic came up in a discussion between Nārada and Brahmā, recorded in Bhāgavata Purāṇa, 2.6.36. Here is a draft of an English rendition, from my soon-forthcoming Volume 2 of Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive.

“Do you perfectly understand Hari?” Nārada probed.

“Who can perfectly understand him?” Brahmā exclaimed. “Despite my efforts, my unique qualification as the original being and the source of all other sources in this universe, and despite the exalted goal I achieved, I still cannot perfectly understand Hari. That is the nature of Hari. Even he does not perfectly understand himself!”

“But the he is omniscient,” Nārada inquired, “How can he not fully know himself?”

“Because he is unlimited!” Brahmā said.

“It seems like a contradiction,” Nārada said: “he is unlimited, but he cannot fully know himself.”

“Consider space,” Brahmā suggested. “Space is an unlimited substance – all other substances exist within it. Can we say space is not unlimited because it does not contain its own limit?”

It is meaningless to say something is not unlimited just because it lacks a limit. Hari lacks limitation – that is the very nature of being unlimited. A lack of limitation is not a “lack” in the common sense. The inability to exhaustively comprehend an unlimited topic is therefore not a flaw in the comprehension, it is the very nature of the comprehension. Perfection is a dynamic thing.

Here logic begins to fear that it will melt. But if we approach the topic humbly, respectfully, and carefully – the logic of it will shine with an unparalleled molten brightness and clarity.

Here's quite a few rocks lifted rather easily ;)

Here’s quite a few rocks lifted rather easily ;)