The Village of Water
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Pani Gaon means the Village of Water. It is where the great sage Durvasa Muni had his asram 5,000 years ago in Vrindavan. Our parikrama party travelled for two hours in boats down the Yamuna river to visit the ancient and spiritually potent site. We had bhajan, class and prasadam. Then taking the blessings of [...]

When suitcases had no wheels
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.2-7)

old suitcaseWe can’t waste time trying to take away all the problems in our life; problems are built-in. I am going to tell you a fairytale – just listen carefully. Once upon a time, a long time ago my dear children, believe it or not, there was a time when suitcases had no wheels. Really!

And in those days, believe it not, people used to carry it by handle in the hand. They would have to hold the suitcase in one hand until the fingers were bent and couldn’t straighten… and then they tried the other hand for a while. Sometimes, they would put the suitcase on the shoulder, sometimes on their back and even on the head! In so many ways, people were carrying suitcases. Those were the days.

The austerity of suffering in the material world is like that. I had some realizations. Once, I was in the city of Amsterdam. It is a city in which it rains a little more than Melbourne; there is a bit more wind than Melbourne and the winter is a bit colder than Melbourne.

So, I was walking there on the street with a red nose and the eternal drop on the nose. I walked past this shop window and there was this poster: blue sky, blue ocean and beach! And somehow, before I knew it, I had bought a ticket to Kenya.

islandSo, Kenya, “Here I come,” and I went to the beach. I was there on the beach and there were coconuts everywhere and I was drinking coconuts and I was enjoying. There were cashews, not peanuts, that were very cheap. On the beach, it was HOT!

Hot at last but a bit too hot so I decided to go sit under the palm tree; the palm tree was there – from the poster. So, I was there, sitting under the palm tree and suddenly, “Bloph!” What was that – a scorpion!

Wow, I thought, wait until I get back home and tell them the story of how I single-handedly fought off this dangerous scorpion. This holiday is a big success and then, “Bloph!” Another scorpion, “God, you know. I’ll just go for a swim.” Then someone said, “You can’t swim now, it is high-tide!”

I said, “I’m from Holland. I can swim. No problem.”

They said, “No, you can’t because the sharks are coming over the reef in high-tide!”

Sharks! So, I couldn’t swim; I couldn’t sit under the palm trees. Finally, I was sitting on the beach with a towel over my head and realizing that the suitcase of karma had gone from one hand to the other hand. First, I was freezing and wet in the rain, and now I was roasting on the hot beach but my karma was simply still following me around.

That is the nature of the material energy, you try to fix a problem and it comes back in another way because karma is like that. Therefore, it is an illusion when we think that we are going to fix the material world.

 

 

Vrindavan is All-Pervading, November 15, Brahmanda Ghat, Gokul, Vraja, India
Giriraj Swami

11.15.13_03.VrindavanGiriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.60.

“Pradyumna Prabhu said that after reading so many Sanskrit and Bengali texts, he perceived that there was something different about Srila Prabhupada’s writings—Srila Prabhupada taught how to apply the principles of bhakti-yoga on a global scale. Generally the scriptures are taken to be for devotees, or aspiring devotees—how they can practice sadhana-bhakti and become purified. And, generally the scriptures are read and explained in relation to the individual practitioner. But Srila Prabhupada applied the same principles on a global scale. And that should be part of what we take with us from our time in Vrindavan. Of course, we want to keep the Vrindavan mood personally, we want the Vrindavan mood in our homes, we want the Vrindavan mood in our temples. But we should also try to encourage people to become Krishna conscious, so that the whole world can become like Vrindavan.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.60

Pani Gaon, the Village of Water. It is where the great sage Durvasa Muni had his asram 5,000 years ago in Vrindavan (Album 81 photos)
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Indradyumna Swami: Pani Gaon means the Village of Water. It is where the great sage Durvasa Muni had his asram 5,000 years ago in Vrindavan. Our parikrama party travelled for two hours in boats down the Yamuna river to visit the ancient and spiritually potent site. We had bhajan, class and prasadam. Then taking the blessings of Durvasa Muni we headed back up the Yamuna completely transcendentally satisfied Read more ›

Thursday, November 14th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

ATROCIOUS SCAMS ARE REVEALED TO THE WALKING MONK!!!
 
Gainesville/Orlando, Florida
 
Scams Galore!
 
Bare feet.  Sand.  Temperatures in the 30’s Fahrenheit.  The conditions are so alright.  Spurts of walking make the day perfect and complete.
 
Just before I delivered a class from the Bhagavatam at Krishna House, I had that great pleasure to trek some streets in Gainesville with a group of fresh air enthusiasts.  In Alachua, I had a brief jaunt to the future location of the Krishna.com distribution center which allowed my limbs to loosen after a rare massage session.  Then, after a fantastic meal at the home of Sesha and Madhumati, another short but sweet trek permitted an aid towards digestion.
 
Over the course of the last few days I have spent time with people of varying professions – legal and medical field as well as those in the pharmaceutical and including youth leaders.  I heard from them some spell bounding, if not hair raising, tales and remarks of self and public deception.  The remarks from the medical people were something like, “Clients in their 60’s, 70’s and even 80’s, some ready to pass on, are desperate for what they consider their saving grace, Viagra.”
 
Here’s another one.  Hing (asafetida) has animal byproducts in it.  Most of my friends love this spice.  They might tune out or turn off when they hear what this plant resin is cut with.  Tapioca is another food tainted with material you won’t want to hear about.  And ahimsa (non-violent) mrdanga drums that come from India, well, don’t trust the flyers, they are lying through their teeth.  The best hide for such a drum is sourced from young, defenseless calves who are not allowed to die naturally.  The reality is old cows don’t provide good drum heads.
 
“Scams galore!” might be a good way to describe some of what is going on.
 
It took a drive, and not a walk, to Orlando to contemplate the cheating that occurs.  In any event, the wrap up program for the day was held at the ISKCON Orlando Center where I was asked to speak on the benefits of seeing divine energy as personal versus impersonal.  “God is a person, someone to communicate with, and you can never label Him as a cheat as you could the people of this Earth.”
 
May the Source be with you!
 
6 KM

How do we see spiritualists who want to control others to maintain their own position?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Stoka Krishna P

It is observed that people try to control situations, other people so as to maintain their positions. This is also observed in spiritual institutions wherein people try to exercise control over others/situations so as to be recognised as great devotees or have leadership positions, despite practicing Spiritual Life. However we don’t find these people getting Angry.
Does this kind of Control fall in the category of Lust or is it manipulation/duplicity?
Does duplicity has any place in Spiritual Life?

Answer Podcast

If we get angry with our children while trying to guide them about right or wrong, is that due to controlling mentality? How can we best guide them?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Munish P

While growing children..we tend to loose temper quite often assuming we are helping them to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong..given the kind of exposure children have these days outside home. Would you equate that propensity also with tendency to control children and hence loosing temper very often. What alternative we can use while dealing with children? Pl help

Answer Podcast

341. Final Kartik month day 2013
→ 9 Days, 8 Nights

Today was the final evening of the Kartik month where devotees offer a candle to the Lord and sing the damodarastakam prayers for a month. Of all the ones I have attended over the years, this year was the one I took more seriously and sincerely. Was at temple everyday and got a chance to worship the Lord directly without fail. The evening todaywas accompanied by plenty of guests, devotees and kirtaneers! Sucharu Prabhu gave it all tonight :) My ears are ringing from the kartalas though….

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340. Harinam Planning
→ 9 Days, 8 Nights

Attended a super exciting and well prepared presentation by Nanda Mandir on the importance of Harinam in Melbourne city. Although, there have been a few devotees who roam the main city centre once or twice a week, the intention now is to step up with a more coordinated, well orchestrated, well-presented, better organized and covering more regions of Melbourne for 2014. Big dreams, big planning and a big team – how else can we enter every town and every village of Melbourne! Wish us all the best ! Jai !

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Srila Prabhupada Visits New Vrindaban – June 30th, 1976.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Srila Prabhupada at the Bahulaban Temple, 1976.

Srila Prabhupada at the Bahulaban Temple, 1976.

Srila Prabhupada Visits New Vrindaban – June 30th, 1976.

Excerpt from Hari Sauri’s Trancendental Diary.

Srila Prabhupada was not well again today and had an ashen pallor when he came out of his room. He took only a very short walk, and for class simply had Pradyumna read the verse and purport and then speak on it.

The verse was a good descriptive of the typical materialist. “O my friends, sons of demons! In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider, ‘This is mine, and that is for others.’ Thus they are always engaged in providing the necessities of life to their families in a limited conception of family life, just like uneducated cats and dogs. They are unable to take to spiritual knowledge; instead, they are bewildered and overcome by ignorance.”

After hearing Pradyumna give his explanation Srila Prabhupada added just a few comments. He said he had personal experience of how foolish people become when they claim ownership of their surroundings. “We have seen practically in India. During the partition days, when the Britishers left India, they gave a parting kick by dividing Pakistan and India. So I have seen in my own eyes there was fighting between the Hindus and Muslims for at least one week in Calcutta and heaps of dead bodies there were. So the fighting was between Hindu and Muslim, but when they died the body is piled up and it was taken for burning or to throw away. So the land remained there and these people fighting between themselves, that ‘this is mine, this is mine,’ they finished their life. The land remained where it was. So this is called illusion. Aham mameti, ‘it is mine, it is yours.’”

He spoke for only five minutes and returned to the house. When Srila Prabhupada is unable to discourse on Krsna conscious philosophy, it is a serious matter indeed.

* * *

There have been confusing reports about the ownership of the temple in Fiji. Upendra has written expressing his concern and he enclosed a draft copy of a trust document and constitution. Money is being collected in ISKCON’s name, but it is unclear whether the deed of the land is actually in ISKCON’s name or privately held by Mr. Deoji Punja, Vasudeva dasa. Dealings between the GBC and Vasudeva prabhu are said to be strained, and there is talk of a separate board of trustees being set up.

Prabhupada does not like what he calls “phish, phish, phish,” wispered rumors and idle talk, with nothing clearly stated. He therefore wrote directly to Vasudeva stating how things are managed in his ISKCON society and requesting him to clarify what his intentions are.

“My dear Vasudeva das,

“Please accept my blessings. In connection with our ISKCON project in Fiji, I beg to inform you that we are managing our Krsna consciousness movement by the Governing Body Commission, GBC. We have got about 20 GBCs looking after the whole world affair, and above the GBC I am there. Below the GBC there are the temple president, secretary, treasurer in every centre. So the temple president is responsible to the GBC and the GBC is responsible to me. In this way we are managing. But why you are proposing a separate trustee for Fiji? We have up to now no separate trustee. If this is for security purposes, that we can discuss.

“If you have got some new idea please explain to me how you want to manage. But I think Fiji temple cannot be managed in a separate way. But still I will entertain some idea. If you have difference you can write me explaining.”

He told Vasudeva that the deed to the property should be in favor of himself, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and could not be dedicated to any office bearer. Suggesting that Vasudeva could be president and Upendra secretary, he firmly stated there was no need for trustees.

“In any circumstance,” he said, “there cannot be a private property in the name of ISKCON. If you want to keep it a private property then the ISKCON name should not be utilised.

“I am very much anxious to get your clear reply to this thing. So many things are unclear, so let it be cleared up.” He requested that a copy of the deed be sent to him in New York.

To Upendra Prabhupada wrote, “Unless the temple is fully under our control, we are not interested. Then we shall call it back. I will decide on receipt of the reply to this letter to Vasudeva dasa (Mr. Punja). So far the Fiji constitution is concerned, where it says: ‘supplying needs to the sick, poor, and orphans, etc.’ That is not our program. We distribute prasadam to everyone, not particularly to the needy. We make no discrimination, rich or poor.”

* * *

After resting most of the morning Srila Prabhupada took his massage, and seemed to recover somewhat. Thus in the afternoon he gave an interview to Mike Darby, a young reporter and good friend of ISKCON, from the Wheeling Intelligencer. Mike had written to Srila Prabhupada in mid-February when he was still at high school for this interview. A thick set young man wearing a sleeveless vest and long sideburns, he was very respectful, genuine and had obviously been reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. Their short discussion touched on Christianity and material scientists, both of whom Prabhupada said were cheating — the so-called Christians by changing the instructions of Christ and the Bible, and the scientists for making false claims about chemicals producing life. Soft-spoken Mike fully agreed with him.

Mike asked Srila Prabhupada if he would tell him something about his spiritual master. Prabhupada didn’t reveal much, except to say in a very straightforward way, “This is spiritual master, one who is representative of God. And one who speaks what God has said, then he’s spiritual master.”
Mike was hoping for something more specific. “But I have never heard anything of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and I wondered if you would tell me a little bit about him, if you would.”

Prabhupada was reserved. “What shall I say? He was my spiritual master, and whatever he taught, we are speaking, that’s all. We don’t talk any nonsense.”

When Mike said that he had waited a long time to have this opportunity to meet, Srila Prabhupada was very touched and humbly thanked him. At the end of the interview Mike respectfully asked to have his photogragh taken with His Divine Grace and Prabhupada happily obliged. He had Mike come and sit next to his asana while Visakha clicked away with her camera. Prabhupada liked him and encouraged him to continue visiting New Vrindaban.

Prabhupada decided not to go out and allowed Mike to stay on while Pusta Krsna continued with the Bhavan’s Journal interview. They covered two more of the questions. One asked why many “savants” focus on jnana when the scriptures declare bhakti as the simplest and most direct way to attain spiritual realization. The other was on whether a guru was necessary for spiritual life and how can one recognize his guru. Prabhupada spoke extensively on both points before bringing the meeting to a close at eight o’clock.

PSYCHOLOGY, COACHING AND BHAKTI-YOGA
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An interview by a psychology student Mateja Balenović from Zagreb Croatia with Akrura dasa. Q: First af all, thank you for the idea to do this interview and for answering my questions on this all auspicious day of the appearance of Srimati Radharani. For starters, a topic at the core of comparing coaching with psychology and counseling. The first rule of counseling is never to give advice.

All Glories to Mother Cow – Gopastami Festivities in Mayapur (Album 92 HR photos)
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The devotees here in Mayapur, glorified mother cow with utmost respect, and devotion. There was a procession of cows, yajna, feeding the cows, and much more. “The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika is known by authorities as Gopāṣṭamī. From that day, Lord Vāsudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.” Read more ›

ToVP Exhibits Team on US and Europe Tour
- TOVP.org

This week, Hari Sauri Prabhu and Sridhama dasa of TOVP Planetarium and Exhibits team left for a tour of the US and Europe to attend conventions and visit planetarium service providers.

Their first port is Jena, a historical town in Germany. This one thousand year old town with a lot of history houses the headquarters of Carl Zeiss. Zeiss is popular for their optical part of the business – telescopes, microscopes, and brilliant camera lenses. But little is known about their interests in planetarium technologies. They happen to be the pioneers of planetariums in the world!

Demonstrations were specially held personally by the VP, Planetarium Division, Wilfried Lang in their unique R&D theater. The Powerdome II projection system with the Velvet projectors were on display with the promise of improved and extended software backend. The latest version of the Velvet projector showcased some breathtaking images with sharp colors and clarity. Wilfried personally discussed many facets of the system like the Show manager interface, web interface, extended integration of the uniview program package, auto calibration, and remote maintenance.

This was followed by a visit to the world’s oldest planetarium housed in Jena escorted by Lutz Miller, the manager for marketing and sales. Lutz discussed full dome systems and their attributes in detail with the exhibits team, including refurbishment of dome surfaces. The synchronicity between the digital and analogue systems were experienced by the team here – digital constellations or planets enriched by by a brilliant starry background created by an opto mechanical projector.

Over the next few weeks, the team will travel to Orlando in Florida to attend the IAAPA convention with HH Jayapataka Swami, then visit Salt Lake in Utah, Hamburg, Lucerne in Switzerland, and London before winding up the tour. After their return, the team will begin serious work on setting up a modern studio for content production.

More updates will follow as the tour progresses, so kindly keep visiting the TOVP website!

Prabhupada Marathon 2013
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

It’s that time of the year again!! The much anticipated Prabhupada Marathon will be launched tomorrow, Sunday November 17th, and will continue until the early hours of January 1st, 2014. What better way to end this auspicious month of Kartik that we have been celebrating with much gusto!

Srila Prabhupada's book distribution marathon is that time when hundreds of temples around the globe bring the holiday spirit alive by channeling their energy to sharing and distributing as many gifts as possible with the public. This may be in the form of a book, mantra card, lollypop, cookies, carolling, or just a smile!

Our target is steep and it gets steeper each year. We need over 20,000 books to meet our goal of 50,000 for the year 2013. It is no small feat. Your generous contribution each year, in line with our marathon slogan of, “EVERYONE Matters, Every BIT Counts”, has helped in many ways, including placing over thousands of these books in various shelters, hotels, and prisons in the GTA. Please continue to enthusiastically support us this season in our attempts to share this ancient and spiritual wisdom with all. There are many ways in which you can assist us- you can join forces with our teams heading out, set up book tables at prominent festivals, events and gatherings in your community or sponsor books. For further information, please speak to a friendly person at our book table.

Spoilers alert: Watch out for our beloved walking Bhagavad Gita!!

Here is our inspirational video from three years ago. It’s so heartwarming to know that our Marathon goal has quadrupled over the years!