The TOVP 2024 Marathon – His Grace Braja Vilasa Message
- TOVP.org

This urgent and exciting message from His Grace Braja Vilasa das, Co-Chairman and Director of Development of the TOVP, expresses the importance of opening the temple on time in 2024 for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and our acharyas. Please watch and take advantage of this historic opportunity by sponsoring one of the new TOVP seva options on the TOVP 2024 Marathon page.

 

 

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ISKCON Scarborough-We welcome you to Krsna Janmastami and Vyasa Puja celebrations this Friday/Saturday
→ ISKCON Scarborough

Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!


We at ISKCON Scarborough will be celebrating Sri Krsna Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada’s appearance day on Friday August 19th 2022 and Saturday August 20th 2022 respectively.

We invite you, your family and your friends to join us in these wonderful celebrations on Friday and Saturday.

The Spiritual programs on Friday will start at 5 am with Mangala Arti, followed by Tulasi Arti, Chanting on Maha Mantra, recorded Srimad Bhagavatam  class by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanata Swami Srila Prabhupada followed by amazing Kirtan


Wonderful programs are also arranged on Friday evening from 6 pm until midnight when the Arti will take place

Programs for Saturday –Srila Prabhupada’s appearance day celebrations will be from 6 pm to 9 pm:



Sri Krsna Janmastami

The auspicious day of the appearance of Lord Krishna is celebrated all over the world as Sri Krishna Janmastami. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Shraavan. Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared in Mathura as son of Vasudeva and Devaki.


“As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities, are all transcendental, and one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. “ –Chapter 3: Birth of Lord Krishna, Krishna Book by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.


Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad gita, Chapter 4 text 8 describes the reason of His appearance as follows:

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāḿ

vināśāya caduṣkṛtām

dharma-saḿsthāpanārthāya

sambhavāmi yugeyuge

" To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium."



Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja

Vyasa-puja means “worship of Vyasa,” Vyasa being the compiler of the Vedic scriptures and thus the original spiritual master.

Devotees honor Srila Prabhupada - our Param Guru on the spiritual master’s appearance day (a respectful term for “birthday”) because he authentically transmits the teachings of Vyasa.

Although ISKCON has many spiritual masters, or acaryas, Srila Prabhupada, the founder-Acharya, holds a permanent position of special esteem. So just as when he was physically present (1965 through 1977), each year devotees gather on his appearance day to praise him and recall his glories.


With best wishes from,


ISKCON Scarborough

3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,

Scarborough, Ontario,

Canada,M1V4C7

Email Address:

scarboroughiskcon@gmail.com

website:

www.iskconscarborough.org

Thursday, August 11, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Anchorage, Alaska

Second Day in AA

Down Raspberry Rd., Krishnadas and I did go, at 6 am, for a five-kilometre trek and back. It was on our way that we met moose, a very young one, but the new addition of wildlife to view in Alaska was a bald eagle perched high in a tree. It peered down at us with super whitish feathers. We were reminded of our God, Balarama, who’s remembered today for His birthday. One way to celebrate this day is with meaningful walking and meaningful chanting.

By afternoon we were committed to hold kirtan in the downtown at the corner of 4th Avenue and F Street. Tourist were there. So were the homeless. So were the gnats. Somehow or other, those pesky little flying critters are really drawn to the colours of a swami. They didn’t attack Krishnadas in the least.

Speaking of swamis or saffron monks, the local mushrooms that bear that bright orange coulor are something we are fascinated by. They are called fly agaric mushrooms or, in Latin, amanita muscaria. Apparently, they can absorb toxins and are unadvisable to eat. Some people use them for psychedelic purposes. Also, not advisable. They sure look pretty, especially with what looks like sprinkled oatmeal on top. When you look at them you might think they were fallen monks in their previous lives.

While here in Alaska we are meeting nature, people and opportunities for outreach. All is good, especially with Balarama.

May the Source be with you!

12 km





 

 

Wednesday, August 10, 2022
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Anchorage, Alaska

North to Alaska

My God siblings, Krishnadas, Paurnamasi and I landed at Anchorage Airport where we were happily greeted by residents Sudevi and Ryan, a sweet couple, whom we had never met but are connected to culturally. It is our first time to Alaska and I would say everything you read or see about the place is magically true. The couple showed us the downtown, the views of the bay with Mount McKinley in the background and then there is Kincaid Park, which Krishnadas and I explored.

I was under the impression, initially, that we would be enwrapped in boreal forest but was surprised to be in the company of poplars, birches, aspens and a whole assortment of vegetation, amongst the horse tail, raspberries and even dandelions. We sighted moose – a mother and two calves – as well as other animals and watched an amazing tide come in at the bay. There is a popular location where the public views planes and their dissension and ascension. It gets quite loud. Remember that Alaska is very remote and flight is the main means of supplies coming in as well as carrying passengers, such as tourist.

Our purpose in visiting has more to do with assessing the area to see if features are favourable for establishing a community here; for developing higher consciousness. So far so good as we depend somewhat on our hosts in the endeavor to shape such a thing.

We all took to sitting by the beach near where the planes land and takeoff, to engage in kirtan and pass out books on transcendence, authored by our dear, Prabhupada. It was a fantastic welcome to Alaska.

May the Source be with you!

7 km






 

Tuesday, August 9, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Port Coquitlam, BC

Two Good Books

It is always a pleasure to give a message based on either book, the Bhagavatam or the Bhagavad-Gita. A Zoom call for the morning brought listeners to the world of Vrindavan where village and tribal women are drawn, like a magnet, to the personality of Krishna. After all, Krishna literally means “the all attractive one.” So handsome is He that all eyes are on Him and very little distractions can take place. There are His looks, His moves and His charisma that somehow bedazzle the villagers. Depictions of Him in the form of two- or three-dimensional objects do not actually do justice. We are left to somewhat imagine this epitome of beauty.

Lust is the word used to describe the sensations of the women. That trait, found in all of us, can be directed to the Supreme Male; Mr. Right.

My second message today references chapter three of the Gita, which emphasizes the importance of yajna, sacrifice. Actually, you can’t live without it. Sacrifice reaps benefits. Lack of it leads to temporary alleviation of stress but, in the end, breeds misery. The sacrifice has an intent to expressed gratitude to the suppliers of nature. The bounties that are supplied come from the devatasor demigods; cosmic department heads.

All who listened appreciated that gratitude is an essential ingredient in leading a happy life. So, let’s get happy and start expressing thanks.

May the Source be with you!

0 km


 

Monday, August 8, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Green Concern

A kind Sarva Rasa from Vancouver and his friend, Bharat from California, scooped me up at Vancouver’s airport and delivered me to Port Coquitlam for some recording on a “Green” initiative that’s chalked out by the ISKCON leaders of North America. Environment should be a top concern for everyone, especially for those on the spiritual path.

My hosts in this town are Janakijivan and Nandi Mukhi and I have to thank them for one of the better rests I’ve had in months. Their place on Manning Street is a quiet one, and in a neighborhood close enough to nature. In fact, bears frequently visit their home, usually at night, to see if their belly can get some satisfaction. It happens often enough but one at a time. I asked Janaki if he could please wake me up, even in the middle of the night, if you hear or see one scrounging around near the garbage. “I won’t mind the interruption. I like bear darshan.”

Yes indeed, it is great to have some tranquility. The last few days were of a high-pressure type; many appointments and getting stuck in traffic. I am simply reminded why I gave up my driving license years ago. While automobiles assist us in so many ways, they have also proven to add to the stress of life. There are just too many of them and it is hard to imagine any reverse of culture. I abhor the thought of future human mobility in the form of cars that fly. Ultimately, when such a thing occurs there will be, with no doubt, increased challenges placed upon the environment. This kind of concern should be taxing us all.

May the Source be with you!

3 km


 

Sunday, August 7, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Hamilton, Ontario

In the Heat of the Day

Temperatures are up. Early thirties Celsius. Lots of moisture in the air.

My challenge for the morning was two interviews that require the AC unit to be off. Too much noise.

During one hour I went through the joy of being interviewed by Kaustubha, of “Wisdom of the Sages.” Some technical glitches, but otherwise good. The theme was marathon walking and its correlation to monkhood. Kaustubha stayed right on topic and also added a message about my artistic side and the plays I do.

Personally, I love what he and Raghunatha do with their discussions; an overview on alternative lifestyle. Congratulations guys, on your show.

The second interview was with Paul of Eastern Europe. “What is Ratha Yatra?” This question centered on the summer chariot fest. “How does such an ancient event become relevant to today’s world?” Paul was also great with interviewing. Focused. It was tough though; again, no air ventilation or very little. We survived. The project is an upcoming documentary.

In the sweaty heat of the afternoon, Roman drove Ryan and I to Gage Park in Hamilton. We engage in kirtanand it was so great to have godbrother, Bhumna there. In fact, between chanting sessions he had our group quite immersed in history lessons. It took some ease off a humid day.

May the Source be with you!

2 km


 

Saturday, August 6, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Welland, Ontario

Visit

As soon as I saw the edible wild plant, lambs quarters, also known in India as bathua, I pulled two of them, stems and all, out of the ground. There they were, waiting to be consumed, right in front of the Vimala’s home, a condo in the burbs of Niagara, and before you know it, it was part of our scrumptious meal. Truly this is an amazing dish full of iron, tastier than spinach. In fact, it’s sometimes called white spinach.

Our healthy lunch at Vimala’s place, with his wife, mother-in-law and young six-month-old, Nadia, was followed by a visit to Welland and a one-year-old birthday event for Nimai. His mom and dad recently moved from Connecticut and secured a beautiful home half a kilometer from the famous Welland canal.

Several families participated including Chris and Amy from Hamilton, as well as the neighbors next-door; a happily married couple from Newfoundland. It was a jolly program with upbeat kirtanand the “Tales From Trails” presentation. Comments came afterwards, that the talk was very appropriate for newcomers. It takes time for people to take to Eastern ways. Some folks are just not ready for a powerful dose of Krishna Consciousness right off the bat.

All went well and then I had to ask our driver wile enroute to our temple ashram, to pull over and give me at least 4 km length of sidewalk to get some pedestrian pleasure in for the day. He complied.

May the Source be with you!

4 km



 

Friday, August 5, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Mississauga, Ontario

Merging and Submerging

I was asked to give the class to the members of the Bhakti Academy Toronto and with gladness I’ve delivered. The theme from the first canto of the Bhagavatam was on overcoming the ills of a dark age, referred to as kali. What is always good about degradation, as we observe in these times, is the opportunity to bring on brightness. Of course, to do that takes a little more than switching on a light. It takes solidarity of purpose – a combined determination to overcome weakness. Cohesive Kirtan, all together celebration. A united force that creates a turnover. These things came to mind and were thus delivered.

A second class, this time on the Bhagavad-Gita, was more of a facilitation with ten families converged at the home of Rahul. I have been having regular classes on Zoom with alternate times between two groups. Tonight, we merged and agreed to work together in our studies.

Our focus was on chapter 2, verses 13 and 14, which are prime messages expressing the concept of transmigration of the soul and traveling through different situations while remaining fixed. Like the morning session, great questions arose at this Friday night gathering. I simply reflected on the good fortune that communities can come together for a recharge of bhakti, and introspection on the self, life, the universe and the power behind it all.

I’m a lucky dog to be part of it all.

May the Source be with you!

0 km


 

Annada Ekadasi and the TOVP, 2022
- TOVP.org

Annada Ekadasi, also known as Aja Ekadasi, is observed during the waning phase of moon (Krishna Paksha) in August/September. The importance of this Ekadasi was mentioned by Lord Krishna to Yudhisthira and is found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana. It is believed that a person who observes this Ekadasi becomes free from the reactions of his/her sinful activities.

It’s recommended to chant extra rounds and stay up all night chanting and hearing the Lord’s glories. It is also auspicious to donate to Vaishnavas and Lord Krishna’s service on ekadasi and we invite our readers to consider this Annada ekadasi to donate towards the Give To Nrsimha 2023 Fundraiser. We are focusing on the completion and opening of the entire Nrsimhadeva hall and altar by the Fall of 2023 as a forerunner to the Grand Opening of the TOVP in 2024 when all the Deities will be relocated into Their new home. Please go to the Give To Nrsimha 2023 Fundraiser page TODAY and help complete this offering to the Lord.

  NOTE: Annada Ekadasi is observed on August 22 in the U.S. and on August 23 in India. Please refer to your local calendar through www.gopal.home.sk/gcal.

  View, download and share the TOVP 2022 Calendar​.

The Glories of Annada Ekadasi

From the Brahma-vaivarta Purana

Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh Janardana, protector of all living entities, please tell me the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September).” The Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna, then replied, “Oh King, hear me attentively. The name of this sin-removing, sacred Ekadasi is Annada. Any person who fasts completely on this day and worships Hrishikesh, the master of the senses, becomes free of all reactions to his sins. Even one who simply hears about this Ekadasi is freed from his past sins. Oh King, there is no better day than this in all the earthly and heavenly worlds. This is true without a doubt.

“There once lived a famous king named Harishchandra, who was the emperor of the world and a person of great truth and integrity. His wife’s name was Chandramati, and he had a son named Lohitashva. By the force of destiny, however, Harishchandra lost his great kingdom and sold his wife and son. The pious king himself became a menial servant of a dog-eater, who made him guard a crematorium. Yet even while doing such menial service, he did not forsake his truthfulness and good character, just as soma-rasa, even when mixed with some other liquid, does not lose its ability to bestow immortality.

“The king passed many years in this condition. Then one day he sadly thought, ‘What shall I do? Where shall I go? How can I be delivered from this plight?’. “In this way he drowned in an ocean of anxiety and sorrow. One day a great sage happened to pass by, and when the king saw him he happily thought, ‘Ah, Lord Brahma has created brahmins just to help others.’ “Harishchandra paid his respectful obeisances to the sage, whose name was Gautama Muni. With joined palms the king stood before Gautama Muni and narrated his pitiful story. Gautama Muni was astonished to hear the king’s tale of woe. He thought, ‘How has this mighty king been reduced to collecting clothes from the dead?’ “Gautama Muni became very much compassionate toward Harishchandra and instructed him on the process of fasting for purification.

“Gautama Muni said, ‘Oh king, during the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada there occurs an especially meritorious Ekadasi named Annada, which removes all sins. Indeed, this Ekadasi is so auspicious that if you simply fast on that day and perform no other austerity; all your sins will be nullified. By your good fortune it is coming in just seven days. I urge you to fast on this day and remain awake through the night. If you do so, all the reactions of your past sins will come to an end. Oh Harishchandra, I have come here because of your past pious deeds. Now, all good fortune be blessed to you in the future!’ “So saying, the great sage Sri Gautama Muni immediately disappeared from their vision.

“King Harishchandra followed Gautama Muni’s instructions concerning fasting on the sacred day of Annada Ekadasi. Oh Maharaja Yudhisthira, because the king fasted on that day, the reactions to his previous sins were completely destroyed at once. Oh lion among kings, just see the influence of this Ekadasi fast! It immediately vanquishes whatever miseries one may be suffering as a result of past karmic sinful activities.

“Thus, all Harishchandra’s miseries were relieved. Just by the power of this wonderful Ekadasi, he was reunited with his wife and son, who had died but were now revived. In the heavenly regions the devas began beating on their celestial kettledrums and showering down flowers upon Harishchandra, his queen, and their son. By the blessings of the Ekadasi fast, he regained his kingdom without difficulty. Moreover, when King Harishchandra left the planet, his relatives and all his subjects too, went with him to the spiritual world.

“Oh Pandava, whoever fasts on Annada Ekadasi is surely freed from all his sins and ascends to the spiritual world. And whosoever hears and studies the glories of this Ekadasi achieves the merit gained by performing a horse sacrifice.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Annada Ekadasi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.

 

 

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Srila Prabhupada’s 2022 Vyasa-puja Book Available for Free Download
→ Dandavats

by Dravida dasa As in the fifty-three Vyasa-puja books that preceded it, in this year’s book you’ll find a selection of leading and rank-and-file devotees expressing their gratitude to Srila Prabhupada, along with glorification, remembrances, and prayers. One remarkable thing about this year’s book is that, despite the two-year-long-and-counting deadly COVID-19 pandemic, an ongoing war
Read More...

Krishna Consciousness and Mental Health
→ Dandavats

By Dr Rupali Chadha.

Over the years I have been approached by many a devotee in distress. Though I grew up in ISKCON and have been slowly cultivating my own Krishna consciousness, I am very much a neophyte. I was blessed by Krishna’s will in that I became a physician. I went forward to specialize in general and forensic psychiatric medicine. It is for this reason, I am often approached by devotees when their emotional life becomes overwhelming. Often they are told to chant better rounds or seek shelter of Krishna. Well, perhaps Krishna guides them in their heart to talk to someone like me. One of my two mentors in ISKCON, Badrinarayan Swami, has been telling me since I was eight years old, that yes, we trust in Krishna, but if we have a broken leg, we must address that with modern medicine. When I chose psychiatric medicine as my path, he told me the same is true of some mental disturbances that come from brain diseases. Continue reading "Krishna Consciousness and Mental Health
→ Dandavats"