Planet ISKCON

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ONLY EVER suggested that those who out of ignorance kill animals risk His wrath if they interfere with the activities of His samkirtan devotees. He overlooked the killing of animals by those in ignorance. He was unforgiving of anyone who tried to impede the samkirtan movement. Srila Prabhupada told me personally that the devotees should prepare Kachories "First Class- cooked in ghee!" and then with this they would "lose their taste for meat". Srila Prabhupada never called for the "execution" of the ignorant. Just the opposite. He called out "If anyone is hungry, please come and eat!!!" Read more ›

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Swarupganj is a Village in Nabadwip Block in Nadia District of West Bengal State, India. It belongs to Presidency Division . It is located 13 KM towards west from District head quarters Krishnanagar, Nadia. 2 KM from Nabadwip. 109 KM from State capital Kolkata Read more ›

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

We have so many meetings—congressional meetings, United Nations meetings and altruistic meetings. They are trying to solve the problems of this world. Sometimes they can create some relief. But because there is still greed, pride, lust, envy, anger and illusion within the hearts of men, there is no question of peace. The disease remains. Read more ›

Book Distribution Story from Nitai Gaurasundara, Temple President, ISKCON Paris Read more ›

Heroic Servant Pulls Krishna’s Swan Boat Through The Water After Motor Goes “Kaput”!

by Gauranatraj das

Hare Krishna,

I am writing on behalf of the Congregational development team. Saturday June 22nd, we had the first swan boat festival of the of the season. All of us had given up hopes because of the weeds in the lake and the issues with the motor. But “Krishna” had other plans.

For almost 4 days the lake cleaning was going on but the amount of weeds had made it look as though this week it would be impossible to have the swan boat. We had a full house on the 22nd and a bus party eager to watch the swan boat. We also had someone sponsor it.

Finally we brought the dieties onto the boat and the boat started, somehow after a little hitches and stops it reached the other end where the guests and devotees lead by Parampara prabhu were ecstatically chanting. As the boat turned I noticed that there was one person behind the boat in the water and was moving along with the boat and he was none other than our hero “Josef” prabhu who was actually pulling the boat from the swan boat house to the ghat!!!!

Everyone was ecstatic, the sponsors were performing puja . I went up to Parampara prabhu and said , “Did you know, looks like our motor failed and Josef prabhu pulled the boat all the way by swimming in the water” as I said both me and Parampara pr had tears in our eyes. He then pulled the boat back all the way back to the swan boat house.

On the way back Jaya Krsna prabhu asked Josef prabhu “What happened” and Josef prabhu replied “Motor KAPUT!!!!” the motor was dead… and we had a human motor pushing the boat and the dieties. There are no words to describe this wonderful service by Josef prabhu.. He truly is the inspirational head of the congregation development team in New Vrindaban.

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HG Bada Haridas Prabhu’s kirtan at Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda Temple 4.11.2013

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

From the New York Times

Whole milk from organic dairies contains far more of some of the fatty acids that contribute to a healthy heart than conventional milk, scientists are reporting.

A study shows that drinking whole organic milk is more likely to lessen the risk factor for heart disease than conventional milk.

The finding, published Monday in the journal PLOS One, is the most clear-cut instance of an organic food’s offering a nutritional advantage over its conventional counterpart. Studies looking at organic fruits and vegetables have been less conclusive.

Drinking whole organic milk “will certainly lessen the risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” said the study’s lead author, Charles M. Benbrook, a research professor at Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“All milk is healthy and good for people,” he continued, “but organic milk is better, because it has a more favorable balance of these fatty acids” — omega-3, typically found in fish and flaxseed, versus omega-6, which is abundant in many fried foods like potato chips.

Under government requirements for organic labeling, dairy cows must spend a certain amount of the time in the pasture, eating grassy plants high in omega-3s; conventional milk comes from cows that are mostly fed corn, which is high in omega-6s. Nonorganic cows that graze in pastures also produce milk with greater amounts of omega-3s.

The research was largely funded by Organic Valley, a farm cooperative that sells organic dairy products. But experts not connected with the study said the findings were credible — though they noted that the role of milk in a healthy diet and the influence of fatty acids in preventing or causing cardiovascular disease are far from settled.

“I think this is a very good piece of work,” said Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a nutritional neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health.

The researchers looked at 384 samples of organic and conventional whole milk taken over 18 months around the country. Although the total amount of fat was almost the same, the organic milk contained 62 percent more omega-3 fatty acids and 25 percent fewer omega-6s.

The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the organic milk was 2.28, much lower than the 5.77 ratio in conventional milk. (The figures do not apply to nonfat milk, which strips away the fatty acids.)

Nutrition experts broadly agree that omega-3 acids offer numerous health benefits. That was the impetus for the United States Department of Agriculture to urge people to eat more seafood when it revised its dietary guidelines in 2010.

But experts disagree sharply whether omega-6 consumption should be reduced.

In ancient times, people ate roughly equal amounts of the two fatty acids. Today most Americans now eat more than 10 times as much omega-6, which is prevalent in certain vegetable oils and thus also fried foods, as omega-3.

While omega-6 is essential, some health studies suggest that such a wide disparity is associated with many ills, Dr. Benbrook said. A shift to drinking organic whole milk — and raising consumption from the currently recommended three servings a day to 4.5 — would take a big step to lowering the ratio, he said, although adjustments would have to be made elsewhere in the diet to offset the added calories of the milk fat.

Donald R. Davis, another of the study’s authors, said the longstanding assumption that the saturated fats in whole milk raise the risk of cardiovascular disease has been questioned in recent years.

Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, did not question the underlying data in the study. But he said the conclusions and recommendations were based on the “false assumption” that omega-6 fatty acids are harmful.

Dr. Willett said omega-6s were actually associated with a lower risk of heart disease, and he called the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s “irrelevant.” People should try to eat more of both, he said.

And he noted that milk was not essential to a healthy diet; adults in many countries drink little or none. “We don’t know all the long-term consequences, so I think the best strategy given current knowledge is to keep intake low to moderate (as in the Mediterranean diet) if it is consumed at all,” Dr. Willet wrote in an email.

But Dr. Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health, who has conducted research on the effects of fatty acids on heart disease, said animal studies showed that high levels of omega-6s interfered with omega-3s.

At the same time, though, he cautioned that the mix of omega-3s in milk is different from that in fatty fish. The simple ratio, he said, “is not as meaningful as we would like it to be.”

Still, he endorsed the organic milk recommendation. “You’re heading in the right direction,” he said.

Organic Valley uses independent milk-processing companies around the country, allowing the researchers to compare samples of organic milk with conventional milk from the same region.

The company provided $45,000 for an independent laboratory to measure the fatty acids, and it is a corporate sponsor of Dr. Benbrook’s program at Washington State. The university spent $90,000 to analyze the data and prepare the paper for publication.

George Siemon, chief executive of Organic Valley, said he was hoping to gain a better idea of how organic foods differ from conventionally produced ones.

“Organics have lacked a science base,” Mr. Siemon said. “I just wanted to know.”

Filed under: Cows and Environment, Health

From Muralidhar P

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The Lord is not like the mundane lord. The mundane master or lord never enjoys equally with his subordinates, nor is a mundane lord immortal, nor can he award immortality to his subordinate. The Supreme Lord, who is the leader of all living entities, can award all the qualities of His personality unto His devotees, including immortality and spiritual bliss. In the material world there is always anxiety or fearfulness in the hearts of all living entities, but the Lord, being Himself the supreme fearless, also awards the same quality of fearlessness to His pure devotees.

-       Srimad Bhagavatam 2.6.18 purport 

Isvara prabhu, formerly from the UK, now living at New Govardhana for the last 25 years, heads up a weekly Harinam party that chants from Byron Bay to the Gold Coast. There are also other kirtan parties that leave the farm twice a week for other areas.

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot com

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Rasa Rasika dasa

Alachua Kirtan Mela with Madhava & Mayapuris Read more ›

A daily routine …. “One must make it a daily routine to chant for an hour in the company of saintly Vaisnavas in a sacred, undisturbed place. Noting the Vaisnavas devotional attitude and their relish for the holy names, the neophyte should emulate this mood and gradually rid himself of all apathy while chanting. Step [...]

While recuperating here in South Africa I am focusing on chanting the holy names – which are in and of themselves the best medicine. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s instructions in this regard are important: “Advanced Vaisnavas advise that chanting is best performed in the presence of Tulasi devi and in a place of Lord Krishna’s pastimes. [...]

As I convalesce after my recent illness here in South Africa I take shelter of the instructions of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in his Harinam Cintamani: “The devotee should make it a regular practice to spend a little time alone in a quiet place and concentrate deeply on the holy name. He should utter and hear [...]

When life is treating us good and all is going well, we often don't feel a need for God in our lives. Our material acquisitions -- money, property, friends and family -- become our crutch. As long as we have these things in place, we feel comfortable and don't have a strong need for a spiritual practice. However, when these things start to fade, we feel a sense of fear and panic come over us Read more ›

with Jayapataka Swami Read more ›

The highest prayer is the prayer to become a selfless instrument in God’s hands. As Saint Francis prayed, “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.” He prayed not to receive, but to give.

Jose Mujica, dubbed the "world's poorest president" for his significant contributions to the needy, considers himself anything but.

It's quite natural for those of faith to turn towards God during difficult times. Even if one has a regular spiritual practice, their practice can increase and improve during times of difficulty.

Aniruddha dasa, a second-generation devotee leader from Nigeria died as a result of a car accident a few days ago. His passing is a great loss for the Vaishnava community and especially for the Hare Krishna devotees in West Africa and the Communications Ministry world-wide Read more ›

ISKCON of Alachua, Florida -- the largest Vaishnava community in North America with nearly 500 congregational families and three generations of devotees -- has began work on a new Master Plan for its future development Read more ›

Kali Yuga series 7.

The post In this age wealth is the sign of good birth, proper behavior and fine qualities and justice is received on the basis of one’s influence appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.