If we feel grief-struck on losing a loved one, how do we relate with Krishna thereafter?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Tamil Mani P

Supposing a loved one dies early as a result of a disease or some unnatural causes, how can we remain equipoised, when even Krishna’s greatest disciple, Arjuna, mourned the death of his son? How do we compensate (or relate to Krishna) for having shown our feelings of distress at the death of a loved one?

Answer Podcast

Rescued Dairy Cow Comes Home
→ Life With the Cows and Land



Jeannie (now named Vegan Indira) came home Saturday (December 7, 2013). She was living at a dairy and she could no longer produce enough milk for her owner to make a profit and therefore keep her. She was headed for slaughter when Judy, who works at the dairy, asked us to take her. Now she will never be sold for meat. Help us save more cows at this Link

Thank you! and in the meantime browse our web site for more info at the: ISCOWP Website

The Universe, According to ŚB 2.5.14
→ The Enquirer

Capture

Brahmā Jī explained the contents of the universe to Nārada: First of all there is jīva – life force, conscious will. Then there is sva-bhāva - the psychological nature of consciousness, with particular inclinations and desires. This sets kāla in motion – time, the underlying matrix upon which activity (karma) can proceed. From activity, various treasure objects (dravya) are obtained.

These five are the essential principles of the universe, and all of them are directly the energy of Hari.

 


Short Documentaries
→ Bhakti Lounge - The Heart Of Yoga in Wellington

Here you’ll find short video documentaries exploring some of the philosophy of Bhakti Yoga.

“Why do we have this ability to question?”

Featuring our very own Tuesday yoga teacher!

Special thanks to Devamrita Swami, a world traveling monk, teacher and author, for answering this ‘ultimate question’.

Music by Bhakti Shakti, check them out on our audio page!

(You can watch this video in HD)

What would you do if you had a constant headache for 20 years?

Special thanks to Muni Cari, our Wednesday yoga teacher.

Here you’ll find short video documentaries exploring some of the philosophy of Bhakti Yoga.

Those who are the happiest are those who do the most for others… But how to really help people?

Background music by DJ Avatar.

Special thanks to Devamrita Swami, world traveling monk, teacher and author.


Giving credit to others
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 September 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.36)

How can we always remain appreciative in association of devotees? Sometimes we lose it so how can we stay always in the correct mood?

kks-seminarBy thinking that we are not appreciating devotees enough and that we are always falling short in appreciation. As soon as we start thinking, ”Yes, I am appreciating the devotees.” I think that is where we go wrong but when we think, ”I am not appreciating the devotees enough.” Then we can maybe stay a bit more alert. Anyway, it is only a theoretical answer because I am not appreciating devotees enough and that is a problem.

If we do not appreciate the devotees enough, then we get corrected. I wish I could tell you that my spiritual life was just ideal, that it was beautiful from day one and everything was just perfect and that I always appreciated the devotees very much.The truth is I did not and I get purified again and again, either by arrangements of Krsna or he sends me some association just at the right time! Krsna is there to look after us and that is our saving grace.

We must appreciate that we are not appreciating the vaishnavas enough, that will help and for the rest where we fall short, just wait awhile, Krsna will make an arrangement – sometimes sweet and sometimes hard like a thunderbolt! Anyway, giving credit to devotees is the key. Give credit to other devotees and do not take any credit ourselves.

Govardhana Retreat, Questions and Answers, December 5, Govardhana
Giriraj Swami

05.12.13_1.GovardhanRetreat——————
“Srila Prabhupada always spoke about anxiety in Krishna’s service as being spiritual. In relation to the Juhu temple, when construction materials were being stolen, he said, ‘How can I eat?’

There is a spiritual anxiety at the center of which is pleasing Krishna, and there is a material anxiety which is about pleasing me. And if one is in anxiety about anything, then, as Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Simply worrying is not good enough: one must act. The Lord helps those who help themselves.’ So if we are in anxiety—’Will I have  enough time to chant my rounds?’—one should immediately think, ‘What is my next action step? What can I do so that I will have enough time to chant my rounds?’ Don’t get caught just swirling around in your mind with anxiety. Act. Because the Lord helps those who help themselves.” —Bhurijana dasa

Questions and Answers
Sacinandana Swami on the Govardhan Retreat Project

The First 50th
→ NY Times & Bhagavad Gita Sanga/ Sankirtana Das


IMHO, as ISKCON makes plans for 2016, equal attention should be paid to the 50th anniversary of Prabhupada’s momentous journey to the West in 2015. In the public eye, the story of individual effort always trumps the story of an organization.  People can certainly make a more visceral connection with Srila Prabhupada since they would be natural inspired by a his struggle against great odds.  (Look at how the world has responded to the story of Nelson Mandela) And now especially as baby boomers head into their senior years (myself included), Prabhupada’s accomplishments will seem even greater. His is an important story to honor and to share.

To win the hearts of people in general one has to understand the potency of STORY. STORY is a valuable tool.  This has been my personal experience as a professional storyteller and workshop leader for over 25 years.

And Prabhupada’s is a remarkable story.  He came with practically nothing save for the three volumes of first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam he had prepared for the West.  He hitched a ride on a freighter, braved a month long voyage and struggled through a New York winter to present an ancient and venerable teaching to the West. And sociologically speaking, he came at a remarkable time when young people in the West were dissatisfied with materialistic culture and rejected the unprecedented wealth and education available to them.

This is the time for devotees to develop  projects as an offering for Srila Prabhupada in 2015.   I know Yadubara is doing a film and you may want to support that if you don’t have time to develop a project of your own.  But there should in fact be hundreds and even thousands of events and projects manifested in 2015 as a way to individually and collectively honor Srila Prabhupada for his selfless and untiring efforts to help humankind.


See www.Mahabharata-Project.comabout my new book – Free shipping in Dec.

Gita Jayanti – The appearance day celebration of Srimad Bhagavad Gita
→ Welcome to the official site of ISKCON Perth

Dear Devotees and Friends,

We would like to invite you all for the Gita Jayanti celebration.

Friday 13 December is Ekadasi and it is Mokshada Ekadasi, It is the day Lord Sri Krishna spoke Bhagavad Gita to His dear friend and devotee Arjuna at Jyotisar in Kurukshetra.

We are planning to recite the whole Gita ( 18 chapters (700 Verses)). Different devotees will be reciting a chapter each and the devotees can respond. We are planning to start by 4 PM. So please join us even for a shortwhile and enjoy the chanting of Bhagavad Gita.

Another opportunity is as this the special month of Lord Krishna speaking the Gita, we are trying to distribute as many Gitas as possible. You can buy few copies and give them to your friends as gifts OR you can sponsor them and we can distribute them to Libraries etc., on your behalf

 

Special price of Hard cover Bhagavad Gita is  $15.00 ( Regular price $20)

4 Copies —- $ 55.00

8 Copies  –  $100.00

10 Copies — $120.00

Please reserve your copies by contacting me at the above e mail address or on 0422 045 525.

All the sponsors names will be read to the Their Lordships on the Sunday feast 15 December.

Gita Jayanti Programme

Day:  Friday

Date: 13 Decmber 2013

Venue: 159 Canning Road, Kalamunda

Time: 4 PM till 9 PM

Please come and chant the whole Bhagavad Gita along with the devotees leading chapter by chapter on Mokshada Ekadasi ( Friday 13 December)

There will be Ekadasi prasadam served after the whole recitation.

Come, chant and receive unlimited blessings by the Supreme Lord by chanting the entire or part of the Gita.

Sita Rama Lakshmana Das

New Vrindaban’s Early Morning Classes This Week
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

The schedule for this week’s early morning Srimad Bhagavatam classes in the temple  is:

Wed Dec. 11 - HG Ananda Vidya Prabhu  – Will speak on glorification of the Bhagavad Gita and Book Distribution as preparation for Gita Jayanti and going out on harinama sankirtan, chanting in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Thursday.

Thurs Dec. 12 - Gita Jayanti –       HG Vrinadavan Prabhu –  Topic for his class will be the same as Wed’s class.     ** Let’s take advantage of the special day-Gita Jayanti, anniversary of the Advent of the Bhagavad Gita- and receive the extra mercy by distributing it and reciting the Bhagavad Gita.**

**Meet at the temple at 10 A.M. to go to Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park in Oakland until 3:00 P.M. Then back to the temple to recite Bhagavad Gita in the evening.**

Reading sacred scriptures in the forest with holy men.

Reading sacred scriptures in the forest with holy men.

Fri Dec. 13 – HG Rupanuga Prabhu

Sat Dec. 14 - HG Kripamaya Prabhu

Sun Dec. 15 – HG Sankirtan Prabhu

Mon Dec. 16 – HG Lalita Gopi Prabhu

Tues Dec. 17  - Srila Prabhupada recorded class

Indradyumna Swami’s health update
→ Dandavats.com

Govinda Swami: He had a biopsy last week and his results were negative. So thats good ... real good. Then a few days after the biopsy he developed a septicaemia infection. So thats bad ... real bad. Septicaemia is when you get a huge amount of bacteria gushing through your body at once. If you don't catch it fast it can be fatal Read more ›

Monday, December 9th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Meeting in the Snow

Burnaby, British Columbia

It’s becoming rather routine, every time I take to the trail here to a section of what is Canada’s largest allotment of urban gardening, I meet this guy standing by the bus stop.  While waiting for his bus en route to his workplace, he’ll often light up a cigarette.  It’s interesting, he’s waiting there, and I’m walking near him.  It happens every time I come here.  And of course we “shoot the breeze” just long enough that it puts my walking on pause.  Each time we contact each other like this, I feel a friendship is building up.  Each time I’m able to give him an installment of neighbourliness which I hope will lead to words of a greater spiritual significance.   The fellow is younger than me and taller than me and he is Caucasian.  He greets with a smile.  I believe we shook hands for the first time this morning as snowflakes were a twirl making their descent to the ground we were standing on.

My second encounter with someone today on a second walk was Doug.  I felt the need to loosen up the limbs after many hours of mainly listening to people, indoors.  I took the same route, that quite urban gardening place, which I had learned had been a Japanese internment camp decades ago.  It was Doug who resembles Santa somehow, but with a beard blonder than the snow around us, and who told me about the internment.  After the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Canada became highly suspicious of Japanese settlers in the country, so they were confined to these special supervised camps.

Doug and I didn’t dwell on this too long, we conversed more about other things such as Krishna.  At my mention of the word, he said, “Oh yeah, the movie ‘Airplane’, that’s how I know you guys.  Have you seen it?”

“No, I only heard about it.”

Doug, who was brushing the snow off his car’s windshield outside his tiny bungalow, proceeded to tell me the scene where the devotees of Krishna have their moment on the silver screen.  This popular film apparently gets rerun on television quite often, and for many people, it’s their reference to Hare Krishna.

“Doug, please come to visit our temple sometime.”  He’s going to try.  I hope that my encounter with Doug will also become routine.  I’m not set out to change his life, but I’m there to give him an opportunity.

May the Source be with you!

8 KM

Who Enlightened Brahmā?
→ The Enquirer

Generally we think Krishna enlightened Brahmā, and that’s a fine basic summary of what happened. But here is a little more detail.

First of all, Brahmā was confused – being born into solitude and universal darkness with no one to teach or guide him. Then he heard a sound, “tapa.” He thought is was his own thoughts, but then he heard it again, “tapa.”

“There is no one else around, so it must be a communication from a greater being trying to help me.” He thought. He concentrated on the sound, and intuited the meaning as “concentrate with discipline.” So he sat to do so.

Who produced that sound?

Generally we think it was the Puruṣa, Garbodakaśayī Viṣṇu. But it may have been someone else on behalf of the Puruṣa. It may have been the primordial divinity of speech/intellect, divya-sarasvatī. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.4.22 says, pracoditā yena purā sarasvatī vitanvatājasya satīḿ smṛtiḿ hṛdi. “In the beginning, Saravatī enlightens the unborn Brahmā’s heart with faithful recollection of knowledge.”

The Brahma Samhita (particularly 5.24-28) elaborates on this and explains that it was in fact “Divya Sarasvatī” (an expansion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī) who came to Brahmā in the universal darkness – perhaps just after he had heard “tapa” and was attempting follow the directive by meditating. She gave him a kāma-gayatrī mantra (kṛṣṇāya govindāya gopī-jana-vallabhāya). By elaborately meditating on this mantra, Brahmā realized it’s source, the flute of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The 28th verse implies that at this point he had darśan of a mādhurya imbued Hari in Vaikuntha, surrounded by Lakṣmī’s just as he had meditated. The Bhāgavatam (Canto Two, Chapter Nine) describes this quite elaborately, including the concise four verses of instruction he received from Hari (which is famous as the four-verse-Bhāgavatam).

So it appears that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, expanded in the form of primordial Sarasvatī, helped Brahmā attain darśan with Hari, by which he was completely enlightened.

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