Friday Cooking Class
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This weeks theme is Vegetarian Italian Cuisine This popular cooking class is back this Friday 15th Nov starting 6 till 8pm. Acyuta bhava and Kasi priya are heading up an amazing evening, where you will cook, learn and taste. Book now or ring to confirm 021 039 3708 or 09 379 7301. Waged $25 and Student [...]

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Thursday, November 7th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Going South
 
Toronto/ Miami/ Buenos Aires
 
My brahmachari assistant, Maha Mantra, and I got to experience the air of the airport in these three cities before our nostrils hit the out-of-doors in Buenos Aires. Walking wasn’t much; whatever you go through in the corridors of the airport is the sum total of your steps.
 
“Watch my luggage, will you?” I asked Maha Mantra in Toronto, “While I pace a bit back and forth.”  So, I went off in Terminal 3 to pass by shops, passengers and officials, waiting or busy. On the news, monitors display the ground breaking broadcast highlighting Toronto’s mayor admitting to taking crack. You get a little tired of hearing about all the blunders. By the time I reached another screen, another new item covered the one before about a victim of some oppression and how now some healing took place. It appears media occupies itself in so many sob stories, they will be repeated to death again and again.
 
Our flight was pleasant enough. We took to reading the book “Ramayana Smarana” the book “Bhagavatam” on his iPad. It shows you the difference in generations. There were many hours to kill on this jet flight so we treated ourselves to watching a movie - `”Jobs” about Steve Jobs, the technical visionary who passed away two years ago. It is a known fact that Steve used to travel on foot to have his vegetarian meals at the Hare Krishna Temple, and in the film he is shown to be at the campus lawn to hear some Indian pundit speak. Now I have not read on his life story but it would be my speculation that he was in regular contact with Krishna on some level.
 
We came for a landing at Buenos Aires. Temperature is great. The screen showed a comfortable just below the 20 Celsius mark. But before we hit the outside a young woman in the airport the boutique was selling perfume. She was tall, beautiful, and sported a golden smile. As Maha Mantra and I were about to pass by her she, raised her palms in pranams and said “Hare Krishna”.
 
What a welcome.
 
May the great Source be with you!
 
0 KM

Wednesday, November 6th, 2013
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Cutting Edge Guru
 
Toronto, Ontario
 
November 14th, 1977, by the lunar calculation corresponds with today’s solar projected date. It is a significant mark on the calendar for those of us who observe the anniversary of our teacher`s passing. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our guru, left his body for a divine destination 36 years ago. He also left behind thousands of mourning followers who were confronted with the classic question,  “Now that our leader is gone, what will happen? What’s next?”
 
Naturally, such a prime query had arisen amongst some of us prior to his departure. His personal assistants for instance (not me) contemplated the consequence. Mixed motivation ranging from selfless to selfish shadowed and gave light to the quest.  The history thereafter got interesting as his family is enjoying a current maturation or at least a sorting of things. Today, fortunately, is a reflection time of all the positive transformational occurrences that happened in the lives of the monks, nuns and members of the Krishna Conscious family. Facetiously we sometimes speak of personal transition within house terms such as demon-to-devotee, hippie-to happies and punks-to-monks.
 
In addition to our personal miracles we can credit His Divine Grace to be a remarkable cutting-edge guru, as the one who insisted on a vegetarian culture, a fore-running advocate of the science of reincarnation, one who openly challenged Darwinism, one who introduced to the west ancient festivals of the east, one who spearheaded the kirtan mantra culture. His writings, commentaries on the ancient Vedas of India, baffled scholars of a philosophical capacity for his mammoth insight (I am sure I am missing something from the list - I have my limitations).
 
Today I have decided to pace back and forth in the temple ashram in order to feel close to him in the form of his murti (icon) situated at the rear of the sanctuary. A small group of us kick started our morning with a devotional song honouring the guru, Guruvastakam. It`s what we do every day, yet today is different because today marks the day we count the endless contributions by a person who really was so influential and yet who is so humbly set in the background. When you ask the average person who Swami Prabhupada is, they may be embarrassed to respond. It's not necessarily a bad thing. He is Krishna’s, we are confident that he has the attention of the person that counts.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Kartik meditations – Part V
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Home Program)

Damodarastakam, Verse 2

(Seeing the whipping stick in His mother’s hand) He is crying and rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which is marked with three lines like a conch shell, is shaking because of His quick breathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is bound not with ropes but with His mother’s pure love, I offer my humble obeisances.

kusum-sarovarNow we can see how the Supreme Lord is just completely reciprocating with his devotee. For Yasoda, he becomes a child. He is the Supreme Lord, the all-powerful Supreme but for Yasoda, he becomes like a child and he acts like a child. And she cares for him like a child, she is teaching him like a child. But then of course, when she saw him like that, in fear, what could she do? She could not do anything. She could not punish him, that was not possible.

It is like that because Yasoda’s only interest is Krsna’s happiness and nothing but that. She is simply thinking, “I have to make sure that he does not become spoilt.” She is thinking, “I am giving him the best at home. Special cows that are fed special grass are producing special milk and from this special milk, the best yogurt and the best sweets are made. Still, this lusty boy goes to other people’s houses to steal! Incredible! Everyone is saying: ‘O Nanda, your son is so wonderful.’ But actually, he is a problem child, stealing everywhere!”

So in this way, we see how much this Damodar-lila is very wonderful. How the Supreme Lord can act like this – the same one who is the controller of the universe is now acting like a child. That is extraordinary! Who can imagine that? So this Damodar-lila is quite extraordinary and for one month we are meditating on this whole mood of Krsna. We see that the whole meditation of the month is how to capture Krsna.

Yasoda is capturing Krsna – how can WE capture Krsna? So that is the aim of every devotee – how to capture Krsna. Not how to capture money, not how to capture power, not how to capture stability in one’s post or how to capture a beautiful lady or a handsome husband, no, no, no, none of these things! We are only interested in Krsna and all other things should be put aside, that is the idea.

When we go to Vrindavan, we may not be pure devotees but in Vrindavan, we must be pure, in Vrindavan you cannot do any nonsense. Vrindavan is not for that. If one commits nonsense in Vrindavan then the reactions are much stronger than anywhere else. So in Vrindavan, one must be pure. Therefore it is said that if one is not able to be pure, then one should stay three days only because three days everyone can manage. For three days: no tea, no smoking, nothing! It is possible – it is difficult but can be done. Even three days brahmacari, alright! Then back to maya but one who is more serious in spiritual life, he can stay three months. One who is very serious can stay thirty years, so the whole life. Vrindavan is like that. This month is also for that, it is a month to just be serious and why can we not do that? The Muslims are doing Ramadan quite seriously – that is the one thing they really do. Whatever else they may do but they do Ramadan, they do their fast, they are serious about their dharma. So they get blessings for that actually. So we cannot be so weak that we say, “One month, oh how can I do one month!?” No, no – if they can do, we can also do.

 

Radha’s Tears
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The lake of Mansarovara was formed by the tears of Radharani when She was angry with Krsna for arriving late at the Rasa Dance. The natural scenic beauty of the spot was perfect for our bhajans and discussions on the pastime. We all enjoyed a surprise visit by Deena Bandhu prabhu who enlightened us with [...]

Our Natural Tendencies, November 10, Juhu Beach, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami

11.10.13_04.JuhuGiriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.53.

“The only thing that matters to Krishna is if we want to serve Him with love. So there is no point trying to change the type of work that we perform according to our natures, because we will be forced to perform that type of work anyway, and Krishna does not discriminate between different types of service. He accepts all types of service equally. What He does consider is the mood of devotion—the purity of purpose. That said, there is a special service that Krishna especially appreciates—the service of preaching. In the Bhagavad-gita He says that for one who explains the confidential science of the Bhagavad-gita to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Him. Lord Krishna says, ‘There is no servant in this world more dear to Me, nor will there ever be one more dear.’ And that service can be done by anyone. It is the same process of sravanam kirtanam performed by every devotee, but instead of doing it alone one does it with others.”

11.10.13_01.Juhu11.10.13_02.Juhu11.10.13_03.Juhu11.10.13_05.Juhu
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SB 6.1.53 Juhu Beach

Radha’s Tears (Album 128 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Indradyumna Swami: The lake of Mansarovara was formed by the tears of Radharani when She was angry with Krsna for arriving late at the Rasa Dance. The natural scenic beauty of the spot was perfect for our bhajans and discussions on the pastime. We all enjoyed a surprise visit by Deena Bandhu prabhu who enlightened us with his deep knowledge of Sri Vrindavan Dhama. Read more ›

Back to the Streets: New York’s Hare Krishna Movement Grows! (5 min video)
→ Dandavats.com

Lilah, a student at NYU, frequently walked past our chanting party at Union Square. Her mother remembered seeing the devotees chanting in the 1970s. Lilah decided to do a video story on the return of Hare Krishna chanting to the streets for a school project. Her friend Ronan was her cameraman. For hours she interviewed devotees involved in the harinama party and in the Brooklyn temple and produced this brief video Read more ›

Honoring Srila Prabhupada’s Departure
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Please view the following galleries: Abhishek Offerings Evening Dipa Dhan Srila Prabhupada’s day of departure from this world was celebrated in grand style here in Sri Dham Mayapur, beginning with Srila Prabhupada’s procession to the Samadhi Mandir. Everyone then assembled in Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi auditorium to watch an enthralling class by Srila Prabhupada. The […]

The post Honoring Srila Prabhupada’s Departure appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Srila Prabhupada Visits New Vrindaban – June 29th, 1976.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindaban.

Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindaban.

Srila Prabhupada Visits New Vrindaban – June 29th, 1976.

Excerpt from Hari Sauri’s Trancendental Diary.

Despite his complaint of heart strain yesterday Srila Prabhupada did go out on a walk today. He didn’t speak much and he kept it short. At the end of his walk he visited Radha-kunda. Then after greeting the Deities and receiving guru-puja he went to the large hall in the new building. Although there are no doors or windows fitted — just gaping holes — the marble floor is laid and the devotees had hung flags and festoons from the thick wooden roof beams, ready for a grand initiation ceremony.

Prabhupada’s asana was set up at one side with a fire pit in front. From there he gave a very brief class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.16. Prahlada Maharaja criticizes those whose only goal in life is to accumulate money. In support of this Srila Prabhupada reiterated one of the sections of Bhagavad-gita we read during evening darsana. Then he told us that our philosophy is communism — but a different type than the politically-based one.

“If we become too much attached for getting money, that is the material world. There is no satiation. Idam praptah, that Bhagavad-gita word: ‘I have got so much money, now my bank balance is so much, and I shall get further money and my bank balance will be like this.’ This is the demonic mentality. We shall require money, whatever is absolutely necessary, that much money I must get. That is an order.

“We cannot take more than what is necessary. This is actually spiritual communism. If everyone thinks that ‘Everything belongs to God and I am son of God, so I have got right to enjoy the property of my Father — but as much as I require, not more than that,’ this is spiritual communism, bhagavata communism.

“So a grhastha, of course, required to accumulate some money because he’s living with family, but so far brahmacari, vanaprastha and sannyasi is concerned, they should not keep any money. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so strict that His personal servant, one day he was taking after eating a little, haritaki. So one day he was giving and Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, ‘Where you got this?’ So he said, ‘I kept it from yesterday.’ ‘Oh, you are stocking?’ He immediately criticized him. ‘This is not good.’”

Srila Prabhupada is not a theoretician, espousing impractical ideals. He lives according to what he speaks. “Of course, even if we do not stock, don’t think that we’ll starve. Krsna has provided. But we should be depending on Krsna. There is no anxiety. We have experienced this. I was alone for many years but not a single day I was starving. No, there was food.”

Right after his discourse, he awarded initiation to the waiting candidates grouped around the fire arena. Devotees from many temples were in attendance — St. Louis, Buffalo, Cleveland, Baltimore — and there are seven Radha-Damodara buses and vans. As the initiates began to come forward one by one to receive their japa beads, Prabhupada stopped the proceedings and wanted to know why they did not have new neck beads on. He said that they should have been put on at the beginning. Then he paused a second time and chided a boy for wearing only one strand, saying that there should ideally be three and at least two. He reproached the temple presidents for not knowing this.

* * *
Cleveland Ratha-yatra was held in the middle of last week and was a big success. The parade route took Their Lordships and Their entourage through the main business districts and many people crowded the windows of the buildings to see Them. Visakha had gone to take photos and do an article on it for BTG and the day after Prabhupada called her in for a detailed report on it.
Pradyumna’s wife Arundhati dasi and son Aniruddha arrived a day or two ago. They were en route to India from Los Angeles but will now join Srila Prabhupada’s party. Pusta Krsna Maharaja has been complaining of too great a work-load, what with his secretarial duties and tape transcribing. Because Arundhati is an expert typist and experienced in transcribing Prabhupada’s tapes, Srila Prabhupada has agreed that she should travel with us and assist her husband.
Pusta Krsna Swami appears to be having some personal problems. He half-jokes about “being in maya” and makes oblique remarks as to how difficult it is to control the senses and the mind. His sadhana has become very irregular, and he is oversleeping and still not chanting all his rounds. He had excused himself to Balarama in Melbourne that he was overworked. Now it appears that there is more to it. He has approached Pradyumna for advice and today Pradyumna prabhu discussed his situation with me. We both agreed that something practical must be done and so we decided that the best thing, rather than disturb Prabhupada, was to get Tamal Krishna Goswami to talk to him when we arrive in New York.
* * *
Giriraja prabhu wrote from Bombay. He informed Srila Prabhupada that the Gita Pratisthan meeting has been postponed until later in the year to enable Srila Prabhupada and others to attend. He reported some progress with the construction efforts. In fundraising several important men have pledged large donations for the construction of the gurukula and the library. As far as the building work itself goes, the twin towers are scheduled to be finished by December but Srila Prabhupada’s rooms on the top floor could be ready to use in August. However, he said the elevators would not be ready until February next year because they have to be custom — made and installed.
On other matters, Gopala Krsna is going to pursue having our case raised before the Parliament in Delhi.
He also enclosed a lengthy questionnaire, sent by Bhavan’s Journal, the most prestigious and popular of India’s religious magazines. They posed twenty-one questions, which they are presenting to every major guru and holy man, soliciting their opinions on the decline of religion, the current state of Hinduism, how can it be revived, etc. He said Bhavan’s is eager to receive Srila Prabhupada’s response and they will print it as the last in the series of interviews.
Prabhupada is keen for the visa problem to be dealt with and he outlined once again to Giriraja some of the arguments to use. “Concerning our proposal to be presented to the Parliament, anyone coming from ISKCON should be given permanent residence. India’s original culture and religion is being spread all over the world, and out of their religious feeling if they come to stay in Vrindaban especially, why the government should harass them.
“Our Goswamis have said: nama-gane sada rucih, pritis tad-vasatisthale. (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.3.25).
“A devotee is very much anxious to chant Hare Krishna and to live in that place where Krishna has His pastimes, generally Vrindaban, Mathura, Dvaraka, like that. All of our men who are coming to India for this purpose, they are properly initiated and following the regulative principles. In this connection, the certificates of the S. Indian authorities gotten by Yasodanandan Swami can be used, where in they certify that our ISKCON men are proper vaishnavas, decorated with tilaka in twelve places, etc., etc.”
As for the fundraising he stated his pleasure that Mr. Brijratan Mohatta is willing to help. Apart from his own wealth, Prabhupada said he could help us in other ways also. “Personally he may give what he wants but let him help collect funds. He is such a big man in Bombay. What I know is that if he likes he can help us, and he is favorably inclined to our movement. Rs. 25,000, he can collect from at least 100 men in Bombay. So he can collect and help raise 25 lacs very easily, although we require about 10 lacs. To pay Rs. 25,000, there are thousands and thousands of men in Bombay who can very easily do it. Bombay is the richest city in India.”
For the questionnaire, Prabhupada told Giriraja he was in the process of answering the questions and he would send it as soon as it is completed.
* * *
Prabhupada decided to present his answers to Bhavan’s Journal in the evening darsanas. He is giving it serious attention and today Pusta Krsna, taking the role of interviewer, put the first seven questions to him, in front of an audience of devotees. Prabhupada’s answers were a lengthy, critical analysis, not just of the population in general, which is the subject of most of the questions, but of the questionnaire itself. It speaks in terms of “Hinduism,” a concept of recent origin which is foreign to the Vedas. The real religion he said, is sanatana-dharma, which is for everyone, not just the so-called Hindus.