Planet ISKCON

Fremantle, Western Australia, is a port suburb 30 minutes south of the city of Perth. It was settled in 1829 and was named after Captain Fremantle who was the commander of the HMS Challenger. It has a lively shopping area, as well as golden beaches that lead out to the Indian Ocean.

After our month-long parikrama finished, I just kept walking … [ Photos by me :) ]

We know that healthy marriages produce healthy, happy children who grow up to live in healthy societies Read more ›

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

The procession started at 5:00pm and ended at 9:00pm at the nearby Taman Medan centre. The Brahmacaris led the kirtan throughout the procession which climaxed at the end with ecstatic kirtan and dancing within the centre. It was evident that the devotees and congregation members were all tired after 4 hours of walking and performing different sevas; however the effect of chanting,devotee association in the cause of serving-out the call superseded the pain, discomfort and tiredness. Read more ›

One cannot calculate the amount of loss there is in wasting valuable time. Whether materially or spiritually, one should be very alert in utilizing the time which he has at his disposal. A conditioned soul lives in a particular body for a fixed measurement of time, and it is recommended in the scriptures that within that small measurement of time one has to finish Krsna consciousness and thus gain release from the influence of the time factor. Read more ›

The post “By fully concentrating on distributing books for Krsna, one is fully absorbed in Krsna. This is samadhi.” appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Cc Adi 1.15

जयतां सुरतौपंगोर्मममन्दमतेर्गति।
मत्सर्वस्वपदाम्भोजौ राधामदनमोहनौ।।

jayataṁ suratau-paṁgor mama-manda-mater gati
mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madanamohanau

I am crippled, and my mind has become slow,
But they are my best friends, and their lotus-like feet
Are everything to me.
May the sweetly romantic couple,
Rādhā-Madanmohan,
conquer all!

The word Suratau means a dearly beloved. In the sense that it applies to the author, it means “best friend.” In the sense that it applies to the divine couple it means “sweetly romantic.”

The author Krishnadās Kavirāja was extremely old when he wrote this. He is not being flowery, he really feels that he has become crippled and his mind has become slow – but is so greatful that Śrī Śrī Rādhā Krishna still dance within his heart, and that he has not lost the sense of absolute dedication to and adoration for their smallest qualities and needs (“lotus-like feet”)

16
दीव्यद्वृन्दारण्यकल्पद्रुमाधःश्रीमद्रत्नागारसिंहासनस्थौ।
श्रीमद्राधा श्रीलगोविन्ददेवौ प्रेषठालीभः सेव्यमानौ स्मरामि।।

dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ śrīmad ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-stau
śrīmad-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi

My thoughts dwell on
Śrīmad Rādhā-Govindadeva
Seated on a couch
In a cottage of beautifully opulent jewels,
Beneath a wishing-tree
In the effulgent forest of Vṛnda,
Lovingly attended by their dear friends.

“Smarāmi” – this means I remember, I contemplate. We should contemplate Śrīmad Rādhā-Govindadevau in this way… they are on an opulent couch (siṁhāsana – or you can see it as a throne). The couch is in a cottage / bower (āgāra) made of beautifully opulent (śrīmat) jewels (ratna). Where does all this costly material come from? It is at the base of a wish-fulfilling tree! (kalpa-druma-adhaḥ) in divine/effulgent (dīvyat) Vṛndāvana.

They are being lovingly attended (sevyamānau) by their dear friends / sweethearts (preṣṭhālībhiḥ). That can be our “point-of-entry” in this meditation.

17
श्रीमान्रासरसारम्भी वंशीवटतटस्थितः।
करषन्वेणुस्वनैर्गोपीर्गोपीनाथः श्रिये’स्तुनः।।

śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ
karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥ śriye 'stu naḥ

May we be blessed
By Gopīnātha
As the sounds of his flute
Collect all the Gopīs
And bring them to him,
Standing beneath the Flute-tree on the riverbank
Thus declaring the commencement of the Rāsa Dance

We should adopt the authors point of view. Thus we should want to be blessed by Gopīnātha. What sort of blessing is that? It is none less than the bblessing to participate in the Rāsa Dance!

We want to be blessed with the opportunity to be a Gopī whose heart is forcibly dragged by the flute song out to the riverbank, to meet Krishna beneath the tree where he plays his enchanting song and is about the begin the Rāsa dance. The rāsa dance is "Rāsa-rasa" - In other words, Gopīnatha is above to begin enjoying the ecstatic mellows (rasa) of the Rāsa-līlā (rāsa).

We want to be blessed by this Krishna: Gopīnātha, the enjoyer of Gopīs, who is about to call us to his festival.

Considering the three poems together, you'll find that the first to Madana Mohan expresses the beginning of a relationship with Krishna - the establishment of a friendship with the Divine Couple, even from the limited and crippling state of material existence. Then you will notice that the second poem calls us to engage in the loving service of the Divine Couple. And the third poem defines the blessing of doing so: to participate in Gopīnātha-Krishna's Rāsa Līlā.

Therefore the three deities are addressed by Śrīla Krishnadās Kaviraja as representing each of the three phases of philosophy: Madanmohan, in the first verse, represents sambandha-tattva - wherein we establish our relationship with the Divine Couple. Govindadeva, in the second poem, represents abhideya-tattva - wherein we practice loving service to the Divine Couple. Gopīnātha, in the third verse, represents prayojana-tattva - the desired objective of our loving service: to love Krishna in the height of his pleasure. To participate in the highest expression of loving service - which occurs at Rāsa-līlā.

These topics are infinitely more profound than either the speaker or the listener realizes. It is our greatest fortune to even be able to touch the external letters of these three poems. We have recieved this fortune by the mercy of Śrī Guru. Hare Krishna.

1968 November 20: "Bhaktivinoda Thakura was associating with impersonalists for sometime and then he manifested himself as pure devotee. So there is no misunderstanding. Everything must be understood through the transparent via media of the bona fide Spiritual Master."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 November 20: "We do not mind if there is no savings. Our policy should be to collect millions of dollars and to spend also millions of dollars or sometimes more. But we should be very careful that we may not be extravagant."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1971 November 20: "My Guru Maharaja used to say, 'Anything material, if it is used for the service of Krishna, it is a mistake to give it up.' Because I understood this principle, he used to appreciate me in front of my godbrothers. Why you big leaders do not understand?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1974 November 20: "So we should not be confused. A big nation, a big worker, a big ascetic, and all similar big attempts, if they are devoid of bhagavad-bhakti, then such big qualities are exactly like the decoration of a dead body."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 November 20: "Produce just enough for our own use. If you start trading business, then so many problems will be there. Trading leads to envy and jealousy and cheating, then everything is lost."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 November 20: "Why increase business? This is not required. He came to India simply for business so I gave him sannyasa and now he is finished with all business. Business should be discouraged, our business is simply book distribution."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 November 20: "Personal example - this is our process of preaching - not that we preach something and then do something else. That is called cheating and we are not that kind of cheater."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

Sri Sri Radha Gopinath – Tulsi arti

1975 November 20: "Whatever is suitable, that you should do. This is the meaning of plain living and high thinking. But if the chanting of Hare Krsna is not there, then no high thinking will be there."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

Don’t See But Know

Toronto, Ontario

Flight 1485 American Airlines was somewhat rough in its landing at Toronto Airport.  Coming underneath the clouds gave passengers a surprise with the strong air current.  The wind, you can’t see, but you could feel it.  Ask the survivors in the Philippines.

The same can be said of the soul’s presence.  It can’t be seen, but felt through various symptoms.

I did, after landing, take advantage of a walk downtown.  I have forgotten that Christmas fever starts early in recent times.  It means the city is lit up more than usual in the night.  On occasion I had looked up at the glorious moon when a high-rise would allow it.  It made me wonder once again about the powerful presence of the elements and of matter, of energy, and where it all comes from.

Before resting, I took a few moments to relax my mind with some reading material before my eyes.  In the publication “Easy Journey to Other Planets” by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I revisited the following passage:

“Matter itself has no creative power.  When it is manipulated by the living energy, material things are produced.  Matter in its crude form, is therefore, the latent energy of the Supreme Being.  Whenever we think of energy, it is natural that we think of the source of energy.  For example when we think of electrical energy, we simultaneously think of the powerhouse where it is generated.  Energy is not self sufficient, it is under the control of a superior living being.  For example, fire is a source of two other energies, namely light and heat.  Light and heat have no independent existence outside of fire.  Similarly, the inferior and superior energies are derived from a source which one may call by any name.  That source of energy must be a living being with a full sense of everything. “

May the Source be with you!

7 KM

Liberation means getting out of the slumber of forgetfulness and becoming situated in the real loving service of the Lord.

-Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.1 purport

Lecture Podcast

Lecture Podcast

From Vinayak:

Answer Podcast

From Abhijit:

Answer Podcast

Answer Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

tava-kathāmṛtam tapta jīvanaṁ
kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham
śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmadātataṁ
bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ

Discussion of Śrī Krishna is immortal nectar for the tormented soul.
Poets have put it into beautifully elaborate words.
Hearing them casts out all distress, and expands all auspiciousness.
Those who vibrate these words in this world,
Are the most beneficent of all people.

 

The post November 20th, 2013 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Chanting is Not Just a Process, it’s a Relationship.

• We are repairing a broken relationship with Krsna
• When we chant, we are crying to Krsna, begging, “Please accept me, please accept me.”
• This kind of chanting makes us aware that we once turned away from Krsna, and that we still have the tendency to turn away from Krsna.
• We chant with remorse for having broken this relationship and with a prayerful desire to reestablish this relationship.

From Japa Workshop Principles
by Mahatma dasa

I still have a ton of film and Polaroid negatives to scan in and post from this past summer. But instead, last week, I grabbed the Polaroid 220 and spent a rainy afternoon shooting bits of Seattle. It’s been so long since I’ve taken pictures of anything, I just wanted to get back into it. Honestly, not much turned out, but this one made me pretty happy.

It’s the underbelly of the Monorail terminal near the Space Needle. The entire Seattle Center is usually the domain of tourists, but I always enjoy visiting.

I’ve got a few more that I’ll get around to scanning and posting this week, I hope. My scanning computer died a horrible death and though I’ve gotten a new one, I’m still getting used to the ridiculousness of Windows 8. Usually I run Linux, but I don’t like the Linux software for my scanner (Epson v500).

A heads up to everyone! Roxborough will be closed for certain times over the next two days!  Please plan accordingly!

Verse 4.28: Having accepted strict vows, some become enlightened by sacrificing their possessions, and others by performing severe austerities, by practicing the yoga of eightfold mysticism, or by studying the Vedas to advance in transcendental knowledge.

The Olympics. Although I rarely think of the Olympics when they aren't on tv, by the time they roll around I am hooked and gripped in Olympic-fever.

These talented individuals not only make everything they do look easy but they do so with such focus, determination and confidence. Although the external draw may be the palpable drama and uncertainty of not knowing who will win the gold, there's a huge lesson that we can learn from these individuals.

Everyone has the potential to be great; it just requires proper coaching, faith and focus.

These three elements are necessary for success in all endeavors and even more so when specializing and trying to excel.

1. Proper coaching - this one element could arguably be the most important component to achieving success. Everything else stems from it. Not only does a coach, teacher, guru or guide enable one to learn and hone their skills, such persons provide a support system which is something we all need and crave.

As living beings, we are inspired by loved and encouragement and that's exactly what a qualified coach provides. They also serve as motivators who push us to do more than we ever believe ourselves to be possible of. This is why the concept of guru or a qualified teacher, is brought up again and again in the bhakti texts. It is not only integral to yoga but to life itself.

2. Faith - without having strong conviction that our pursuits are worthy and that we are capable of accomplishing them, it's extremely easy to get distracted and quit. That's why it is important to remember that our faith must constantly be fed. It's not a one time thing! When we associate ourselves with individuals who not only believe in us but are also pursuing a similar path or goal, our faith naturally increases. That's why like-minded association is invaluable.

3. Focus - focus is the result of having a solid foundation of support (through coaching) and faith. It's what allows us to sacrifice and set aside our short-term desires for the long-term goal. Similar to faith, it is something that has to be constantly fed and one of the ways to keep it alive and well is by controlling the mind. The Gita specifically talks about this at length and gives the answer to how we can become focused - through practice and detachment. We continue to do our very best everyday and if we become distracted, we do not dwell on it but pick ourselves up and get back on track.

It's important to remember though that these principles which can lead one to greatness are not reserved for a selected few but are available to everyone. The fact is we all have the potential to be great and are meant for greatness!

Varsana Swami is the author of the book Sri Gaura Lila Read more ›

I have benefited so much from my stay here in Sri Vrindavan Dhama. But today I realised that to obtain the love of God I aspire for I must leave Vrindavan soon and preach again in the west, for Srila Prabhupada writes: “Maya’s is all these newspapers. Preach that throughout the whole world. Sitting alone [...]

Arman Dzidzovic, from CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, is working on a story about Food for Life at Tompkins Square Park to be released around Thanksgiving. Here are some sneak preview pics! =) Read more ›

We have collected £5,000 of the much needed £10,000 for purchasing the land for our upcoming Cow Protection Goshalla project in Uganda. Please help if you can by donating for this exciting and important project for Africa!

http://mahavishnuswami.com/please-help-with-cow-protection-and-conservancy-for-krishna-in-uganda/


Please help with Cow Protection and Conservancy for Krishna in Uganda. | Mahavishnu Swami
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Please help with Cow Protection and Conservancy for Krishna in Uganda.Posted on 15 November, 2013 by admin Cow Protection and Conservancy for Krishna, Uganda.First of all I want to thank Jai Nitai Prabhu and the ISKCON London Temple Congregation for their support and also inviting me to make this... Continue reading →