Planet ISKCON

As this year Yom Kipper coincided with Radhastami we went with the Tel Aviv devotees to a Kibbutz in the Jordon Valley, next to the Dead Sea. Respecting our tradition, the local people allowed us to sing, dance and prepare a wonderful feast for the Queen of Vrindavan Read more ›

“Radhadesh” is a spiritual community based in a 19th century chateau in the Belgian Ardennes. There are presently around eighty people living in the community, which was founded about 1980. In the Château, which has been beautifully renovated by the present inhabitants, you can see a gorgeous temple-room which is unique in Belgium and the Netherlands. Yearly we have about 40.000 visitors. Radhadesh is the main center for ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in the Benelux. Read more ›

You just know that when Janananda Maharaja, Parividha, Parasuram and Madhava prabhus are there it's going to be blissful. Lord Indra sent early morning rain to clean the streets but as soon as Lord Jagannatha, Balaram and Subhadra arrived before Their Chariot, the Sun greeted and stayed with Them the rest of the day. All glories to all of the devotees who worked so hard to make the Festival a sucess Read more ›

Baku-Azerbaijan is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region Read more ›

From Lilaprem P

Answer Podcast

From Lilaprem P

Answer Podcast

Dear Brijabasis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the community members and temple devotees who made the Janmastami Festivals, Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Day and Labor Day weekend a big success. Many pilgrims approached me to express their heartfelt thanks for the experience New Vrindaban offered them.

I will not name each individual devotee herein as I am unable to recall each and everybody who has served so nicely over the last week and do not wish to risk omitting anyone.

I would especially like to thank the Pujari Department for the exquisite dressing of Their Lordships on Janmastami morning – the darshan was mind blowing. Thanks also for the wonderful Flower Outfit at midnight. It was simply overwhelming.

Thank you to those who created the astonishing set up for Srila Prabhupada’s vyasasana on his Appearance Day.  At 2 am in the morning of Vyasa Puja, I was thinking that I am the last one wandering around the temple, only to be surprised a small crew of dedicated devotees who were hard at work decorating the vysasana.

Thank you for the hard work in the Kitchen over these days. Dear Community Members, please accept our sincere apologies that we were unable to cook a proper feast on Srila Prabhupada Appearance Day. As a result, we hear with pleasure that some of the extraordinary NV Maharathi Cook Elder’s (heroes) have agreed to take care of Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day feast.

Thank you to the CD department for their hard work in contacting so many donors for the Janmastami Festivals, for the incredible program on the festival days as well as the team spirit they have developed. A number of guests recognized and appreciated the nice cooperation.

Thank you to the Lodge crew and manager who handled all challenges very smoothly over the festivals and made our guests feel comfortable.

A round of applause to the Restaurant Crew who once more managed to properly serve a very large number of guests, keeping them satisfied.

The Palace of Gold crew has done a fantastic service by giving an incredible number of tours. I do not remember seeing so many cars parked around the Palace over the last three years.

The Rose Garden and the flowers around the Palace are currently in full bloom and touch many hearts. Thank you the glorious garden crew for this wonderful gift to Srila Prabhupada on his Appearance Day.

Last, but not least: the Goshalla Team of cow herds has shown their wonderful care by presenting our new baby bull, Pundarikaksa, with his mother Surabhi to our guests on different festival days.

Thanks to all of you for participating in the festivals. Many devotees and Prabhupada disciples (a new record over the last three years) participated in his Appearance Day celebrations in the morning at the temple as well as at his Palace of Gold later in the evening.

I am very grateful that more community members are participating in festival celebrations, contributing to a new team spirit that is slowly developing at the temple.

I request your blessings that I may continue as your servant,

Jaya Krsna das
Community President
ISKCON New Vrindaban

 

The post Radhastami Abhishek Gallery appeared first on Mayapur.com.

From Krishna Dhan P

Answer Podcast

Iskcon Atlanta: We sincerely invite you to join us in any of our programs, especially our Sunday program. If you have any questions, please call us at 404-377-8680. or email at info(at)atlantaharekrishnas.com. Please don't forget to register with us to receive email announcements about special events at our temple. Read more ›

ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple 5462 Marine Drive, Burnaby, BC Canada Read more ›

Temple Grounds ISKCON Vancouver temple complex consists of a Temple Building, Govinda's Community Hall, Apartment Blocks, Garden & Forest. Read more ›

In Vrndavana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Lord Krsna. Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature Read more ›

Lecture Podcast

2013 09 08 Radhashtami Festival Reason for Radharani’s Appearance Bhakti Purshottam Swami ISKCON

Welcome to the Atlanta Hare Krishna Temple, a spiritual home cultivating and inspiring people of all religions, nationalities and cultures in devotion of God, Krishna. Read more ›

ISKCON Baltimore is also known as New Kulina Gram The current temple located at 200 Bloomsbury Avenue in Catonsville, Maryland was formerly an old age home when the devotees purchased the property Read more ›

Singapore's Spiritual Dynamism... You are @ Singapore's Hare Krishna center. A place to realize & share value of Vedic wisdom; promote peace, harmony and prosperity by spreading the message of divine love & fraternity. Address: 13 Cuff Road, Little India (S-209724) Read more ›

“A person is not considered a great sage unless he disagrees with another sage”. This adage suitably describes the career of La Mettrie, whose contentious writings during the eighteenth century were almost universally reviled by his contemporaries during the age of the Enlightenment. Read more ›

A conversation took place between a senior devotee and a young, active devotee youth member (initiated). The senior devotee said that previously, devotees were more surrendered to Iskcon, to which the younger devotee replied by saying that today’s congregation are just as surrendered, but in different circumstances. Can we compare and quantify such surrender? Read more ›

A Rooted Routine

East End, Saskatchewan

Daruka and I routinely sing a bhajan in honour of the guru while we’re on our route to the spot from where I left off the day before. We used no instruments. Of course, he can’t, he’s driving. We just rely on our voices to sing what is an integral part of our morning. We apply as much devotion as possible.

It’s also a good idea, particularly today, to start off on the best note, given what 9/11 means to a lot of people. Out here in the Prairie, for the people we meet, the anniversary of New York’s twin tours descent, appears rather irrelevant. Here we are far removed from an urban world.

I could clearly see what’s called Cypress Hills. They are beautiful smooth, rounded hills with coulees – a bit barren and looking like the badlands, but most interesting. Sage plants are all about “dry as a bone” would be an appropriate expression to describe some of the area. It’s great being away from billboards and retail strip fast food joints. Here it’s more or less raw nature, pastures and wheat fields, but a true sense of rawness.

A bus driver pulled over and offered words of thanks, “We appreciate the inspiration you are giving to humanity.” Then a newspaper delivery man came to walk his dog with me, also a woman by the name of Wendy came with a bag of apples from her backyard tree. A family also came to trek with me for a while in a very remote section of the highway. A farmer loading his hay for the winter’s feeding of his cows, stopped, and asked for prayers, “Rolin’s, the name. My wife is Susan. Please pray for us,” (of course I’ll oblige). Then Brenda Furerstein came to our inn for the evening. She assisted her late husband, George, in a translation of the Bhagavad Gita. She also gave me a copy. She will gather friends for mantra meditation with us for tomorrow.

And speaking of the Inn, Ed Sanford, owner/proprietor of Riverside Inn, so kindly let us stay for as long as we need. We invited Ed in for our kitcheri dinner, which we prepared in the kitchenette. This dish is great for travelling. Ed, also loved it. We consecrated it, in other words, made it prasadam. A mellow fellow, big hearted person, this Ed is. We will tag him on to our growing list of new friends.

Please remember, the pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realists adjusts the sails.

31 KM

Many senior devotees from various centers and temples were present including Hg Radha Gopinath Pr and Hg Govinda Pr (Temple Presidents ISKCON Chowpatty) Read more ›

Hare Krishna!

Thank u for inspiring me to chant. If i feel low at chanting i open my japa group mail and read different quotes and realizaions and get recharged to chant.
THANK Q . Haribol!

If you simply hear and hear in the class of Krsna consciousness, and go outside and forget, oh, that is not nice. That will not make you improve. Then what is? Kirtitavyas ca: "Whatever you are hearing, you should say to others." That is perfection.

Therefore we have established Back to Godhead. The students are allowed, whatever they are hearing, they must be thoughtful and write. Kirtitavyas ca. Not only simply hearing. "Oh, I am hearing for millions of years; still, I cannot understand"—because you do not chant, you do not repeat what you have heard. You have to repeat.

Srila Prabhupada
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture in San Francisco, USA on March 23, 1967

Sometimes we see a picture of Atlas holding the globe on his shoulders; he seems to be very tired, holding this great earthly planet. Such an image should not be entertained in connection with Krsna’s upholding this created universe. He says that although everything is resting on Him, He is aloof. The planetary systems are floating in space, and this space is the energy of the Supreme Lord. But He is different from space. He is differently situated. Therefore the Lord says, “Although they are situated on My inconceivable energy, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead I am aloof from them.” This is the inconceivable opulence of the Lord.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 9.5 purport 

When things go wrong, we may appeal to Krishna for help. If no help appears forthcoming, we may doubt Krishna: “Why doesn’t he help me?”

The problem is not that Krishna doesn’t help, but that we demand his help on our terms. We overestimate our intelligence and underestimate his intelligence.

When faced with problems, we often assume that we know the solution. All we need from Krishna is to implement that solution. We want him to use his omnipotence to fix things up as per our plan. Thus we seek only Krishna’s power and not his intelligence. By  overestimating our intelligence, we deprive ourselves of the growth opportunities hidden in problems.

Problems come upon us due to our own past karmic misdeeds. But Krishna expertly orchestrates problems so that they can also become growth opportunities. Provided we make the right choices, of course.

If we are to make those right choices, we need to open ourselves to Krishna’s guidance internally and externally. Empowered by his guidance, we can unleash our latent potentials as spiritual beings and grow.

In the Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter, Arjuna wanted to solve his problem on his terms. He wanted Krishna to support and implement his plan. But soon Arjuna realized that his own intelligence was getting him nowhere. So in the Gita (02.07) he surrendered to Krishna and asked for guidance. And thus he was blessed by Gita wisdom, which enabled him to discover his hidden potentials as a spiritual being, as a part of Krishna. By tapping into both Krishna’s intelligence and power Arjuna gained emotional and spiritual strength to use his abilities for individual and social wellbeing.

We too can similarly discover of our hidden potentials if we stop seeking Krishna’s help on our terms and instead open ourselves to his guidance.

***

02.07 - Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.

 

 

BG 03.43 No Tiger Divorce Court 2013-07-21

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

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The post September 13th, 2013 – Radhastami Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

By the causeless mercy of the holy name, sometimes even a neophyte devotee can experience deep spiritual emotions in the association of advanced devotees during congregational chanting. This gives us an impetus to go on in our devotional life and achieve love of God.

Five hundred years ago in India, Kalachandji, literally translated as "the beautiful moon-faced one," was worshipped as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by thousands of devotees. Impeccable craftsmen constructed an elaborate temple for Him; famous artisans decorated it. Accompanied by drums, cymbals and tambouras, His followers filled the halls with melodious prayers throughout the day, and the air was sweet with myriad varieties of richly fragrant incense. Read more ›

His Holiness Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj, An Author of book name “Srimati Radharani”, speaks on the significance of the appearance of Radharani, on this auspicious Radhastami day. www.bpswami.com  

The post HH Bhakti Purusottama on Radhastami appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple (Hare Krishna Temple) places the bustling suburb of Chatsworth on the map as a tourist destination. Situated approximately 20km south of the Durban City Centre, its three domes of white and gold rises above a dazzling octagonal roof. The temple has been acclaimed as an architectural masterpiece – a spiritual wonderland. Although, designed and constructed in the 1980′s, its design is a combination of the traditional, contemporary and futuristic; and simultaneously a fusion of concepts showcasing “east meets west”. The ancient “vastu purusha mandala” formula is imbibed in its geometrical lay-out with shapes such as circles, triangles, squares and octagons, holding great spiritual symbolism and philosophical meaning enhanced by its unique setting in the midst of a moat of water and water features, surrounded by a sprawling luscious lotus shaped garden. Read more ›