Planet ISKCON

A millionaire young lady who became vegetarian introduced the reporter to the Krishna Valley Iskcon ecological farm as "The Best Eco-community in Europe" Read more ›

Indradyumna Swami – Day 3 of Polish Woodstock 2013

ISKCON of Houston, Texas has faced major challenges recently in its efforts to introduce a huge new Vedic-style temple to the local community and to the world. An estimated 20,000 devotees, congregational members, and well-wishers including local politicians and celebrities were expected for the temple’s grand opening Read more ›

This year World Holy Name week was celebrated between September 19th and September 26th. In Bali, the devotees decided to extend it an extra week up until October 2nd. The Balinese devotees are very attached to kirtan and there’s a Hari Nama samkirtan party that goes out every day of the week to different locales around Bali.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu could have liberated all the three worlds in an instant, if He had desired to do so. But He wanted His pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada, to do it because He takes pleasure in making His devotees famous.

People often ask: “What is the use of remembering Krishna?”

It acts as a shelter and as armor.

As a shelter, it helps us rest and recover after life’s exhausting battles. By remembering Krishna, we get spiritual energy to recoup and regroup, thereby preparing us for future battles.

As armor, it provides inner stability and clarity amidst life’s battles. When we pray or chant and seek Krishna’s help amidst moments of pressure, we feel an inner presence that steadies and illumines.

Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (18.57) urges us to do all our activities for him and also cultivate his remembrance. These two gifts of remembrance of Krishna – shelter and armor – are symbiotic; each depends on the other and also enhances the other.

So, we need to seek shelter to wear the armor. That is, only when we practice remembering Krishna exclusively on a regular basis will we have the strong spiritual reflexes to connect with Krishna substantially amidst the world’s passions. Otherwise, amidst danger we won’t call Krishna or we will call superficially and nominally. Either way, we won’t be able to access the protective effect of remembering Krishna.

Conversely, we need to use the armor to feel the shelter. That is, only when we earnestly and intensely remember Krishna will we feel his reciprocation as inner peace, warmth and strength. If when faced with problems we tackle things only at the material level, then we will be like warriors who don’t use the armor and so get wounded – needlessly.

The more we practice remembering Krishna, the shelter and armor will overlap till we relish his rejuvenating, protecting presence everywhere. That constant Krishna consciousness is life’s supreme security and success. It is as good as Krishna’s eternal abode and it will eventually take us there.

**

18.57 - In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.

 

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23 during the Sunday festival in Houston.

“In other words, Lord Sri Krishna is the property of His pure unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Krishna to another devotee; Krishna is never obtainable directly. Lord Caitanya therefore designated Himself as gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah, or ‘the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopi damsels at Vrndavana.’ A pure devotee therefore never approaches the Lord directly, but tries to please the servant of the Lord’s servants, and thus the Lord becomes pleased, and only then can the devotee relish the taste of the tulasi leaves stuck to His lotus feet. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that the Lord is never to be found by becoming a great scholar of the Vedic literatures, but He is very easily approachable through His pure devotee. In Vrndavana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Lord Krishna. Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krishna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association. The conclusion is, therefore, that one should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one’s doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived.” —SB 2.3.23 purport

SB2.3.23 Sunday Houston

Although a man who has fallen in the ocean may struggle very hard and may be very expert in swimming, he cannot save himself. But if someone comes and picks him up from the water, then he is easily rescued. Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee from this material existence. One simply has to practice the easy process of Krsna consciousness and fully engage himself in devotional service. Any intelligent man should always prefer the process of devotional service to all other paths.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 12.6-7 purport

"I don’t want to chant mechan­i­cally. I want to feel the mean­ing of the Hare Krishna mantras as I repeat them. Please engage me in your ser­vice. Please reveal the essence of Nama to me. This seek­ing and cry­ing has to be there, beyond the accu­mum­la­tion of num­bers of rounds."

From Japa Transformations
Satsvarupa das Goswami

The post September 28th, 2013 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

13-09-2013 Radhastami 3 With Partha Sarathi Maharaja and Medhavi Prabhu, Durban, South Africa.mp3

13-09-2013 Radhastami 2, Durban, South Africa.mp3

13-09-2013 Radhastami 1, Durban, South Africa.mp3

Please visit ISKCON New Vrindaban’s new Palace Lodge and Govinda’s Restaurant website!

It has often been said that it is easier to count the number of dust particles on the surface of the earth than to count the number of holy places in Mathura. Each of the ghats, for instance, has its own Krishna story (like Visram-ghat where He rested after killing his evil and tyrannical uncle, King Kansa) Read more ›

The Yuga Dharma was happily embraced by the people in Cali. The got up to dance, and joined us on stage! Santiago de Cali, normally referred to as simply Cali, is a city in western Colombia and the capital of the Valle del Cauca department. With a population of 2.5 million, Cali is the third largest city in the country Read more ›

ISKCON Hare Krishna Land, Baroda, is a place where the ancient cult of Vaishnavism - worship of the Diety forms of Lord Krishna, specifically Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, Sri Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadradevi, and Sri Sri Gaur Nitai, is observed on a daily basis Read more ›

Janmastami 2013 Brisbane – Drama – The Killing of Kamsa

Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

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

Like others, I always look forward to quotes and inspirational words regarding japa. Today I thought to share.

I realized that sometimes its hard to chant so attentively because the holy names are so powerful. Perhaps because we're conditioned to want to be self sufficient, as soon as the nectar and focus becomes too much about about Sri Krsna, I shy away.
For example, I know that I have terrible days when I chant late, this is a practical realization of my dependence on the holy name.

This is also another reason why we are so thankful for Sri Krsnas pure devotee Srila Prabhupada, because he shared his life with us, he won our trust and facilitied our surrender to Sri Krsna.

If you would like a quote, I also like this one:

maharṣīṇāṁ bhṛgur ahaṁ
girām asmy ekam akṣaram
yajñānāṁ japa-yajño 'smi
sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ

Of the great sages I am Bhṛgu; of vibrations I am the transcendental oṁ. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [ japa], and of immovable things I am the Himālayas.

BG 10.25


Hare Krsna,
Your aspiring servant,
Bhakta D*****

“A gentleman came to Srila Prabhupada and said, ‘Swamiji, Swamiji, please save me! Only you can save me!’And Prabhupada replied, ‘I cannot save you; you have to save yourself. But I can give you the method by which you can save yourself.’ He gives us the instructions, and he prays for us, but we have to at least try to follow the instructions. At least that much. After one lecture in which Srila Prabhupada emphasized the importance of sincerity, a disciple asked him, ‘How do we become sincere?’ And Prabhupada replied, ‘By following all the spiritual master’s instructions — however big or small.’ Once I was discussing the point of sincerity with Brahmatirtha Prabhu, and he quoted Srila Prabhupada: ‘To become sincere, you should associate with sincere devotees.’ Then Brahmatirtha Prabhu added, ‘I like that one. That’s why I associate with Rtadhvaja Swami.’ ”

Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival in America

In a fixed match, things are orchestrated to produce a predetermined result. Is life a fixed match? Is everything destined?

No, indicates the Bhagavad-gita (18.63) through its call to “do as we desire,” which implies that we have the free will to be conscious choosers. And our lived experience confirms our capacity to choose. For example, you can choose whether to go on reading this, as you can choose many other things.
Yet we aren’t entirely free. We can’t choose the family in which we were born. Nor can we choose the weather. Nor most importantly can we choose whether to grow old, get diseased and die – these will be thrust upon us.
Or will they?
The Gita indicates that these affect only the body, not the soul. They traumatize us as long as we identify with the body.
Fixing things means setting them right. Krishna can help us fix things in our life by setting right the fundamental wrong of our bodily misidentification. When we follow his guidance to fix our mind on him, he gives us a nonmaterial enrichment that raises us above bodily misidentification.
Krishna also fixes things by making a devotee’s life into a fixed match – a match in which the devotee will ultimately win the battle against illusion and suffering. In a fixed match, whoever seems to be winning or losing during the course of the match, the final result is fixed. Similarly, in a fixed devotee’s life, whether there appears success or failure during the course of life, the final result of the devotee attaining Krishna is fixed.
Unlike match-fixers who are often shady, Krishna is supremely trustworthy. He’s a time-tested life-fixer. Why unfix what he’s fixing by neglecting to fix the mind on him?
***
18.63 - Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.

Holy Name meditation podcast

Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in the best interest of the living entities. It is not for the interest of the Supreme.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is purport 18.63 purport

Vaishnavis chant melodiously in a choir the glories of Shri Krishna Read more ›

Huge Harinama in New York's Times Square area creates purified atmosphere and engages many souls in the chanting and dancing! Read more ›

This morning myself and Bada Haridas left the Russian Festival on the Black Sea. It was difficult to go. The Russian devotees are so sweet and really relish Krsna katha and kirtan. After spending tonight in Moscow, we leave early tomorrow morning for another adventure: Bulgaria.

He concluded by asking everyone to chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra which he said was a very potent way to overcome angry emotions. He stressed that sincere meditation on the sound vibration of the mantra has a calming effect on the mind and will purify one's consciousness and will have the effect of eliminating unwanted emotions such as anger Read more ›

Varsana is situated 42 km north from Mathura and there is 7 km long parikrama road around it. It was a residence of king Vrsabhanu and his family. Read more ›

Indradyumna Swami: The Russian devotees are so sweet and really relish Krsna katha and kirtan. Read more ›

Janmastami 2013 Kirtan – ISKCON Brisbane