Attentive Japa Opens One’s Hear
→ Japa Group


"Chanting attentive japa opens one's heart to higher and higher stages of loving God, just as natural forces make a lotus unfold or the moon seem to wax.
We japa chanters often begin a japa session dull, anxious, or bewildered. We leave it strong and focused. Why? Not because our breath becomes regulated or our minds numb; we change during japa because, however awkwardly, we are associating with Krsna by chanting His name."

From Japa And The Opening Heart
by Kalakantha dasa
BTG Magazine #42 2008

05.26 – The greatest danger is the danger of forgetting the danger
→ The Spiritual Scientist

During a war, a wily enemy often induces in a well-equipped opponent a false sense of victory – and then fells the unprepared opponent with a fast and furious blow. That’s why, in a war forgetting the danger can be the greatest danger.

When we practice spiritual life, we declare war against the immoral and anti-devotional desires that have held us hostage for many lifetimes. These desires have kept us deprived of the everlasting devotional joy that is our spiritual birthright as the beloved parts of the all-blissful Supreme Being, Krishna. Only by combating and conquering such hostile desires can we reclaim our right to real happiness.

In this inner war, the process of devotional service to Krishna provides us the firepower necessary for victory – it bestows a higher happiness that makes lower pleasures unappealing.

To counter our devotional advantage, the wily forces of illusion often deceive us into believing that we have already conquered our lower desires – and so we don’t need to remember Krishna carefully. And when we are off guard, those forces allure and ensnare us.

To protect us from this deception, the Bhagavad-gita (05.24) urges us to tolerate the urges of desire and anger till the moment we become liberated from the body (prak sharira vimokshanat), that is, lifelong for as many lifetimes as need to attain liberation. Lest this seem too demanding and discouraging a prospect, the Gita assures two verses later (05.26) that conscientious practitioners (vidita-atmanam) will attain final liberation in the very near future (abhito brahma-nirvanam).

The best way to be vigilant is not by focusing on the desires to be avoided but on the devotion to be cultivated. As devotional remembrance of Krishna brings the ultimate fulfillment, the mandate for vigilance makes us not paranoid, but satisfied – supremely satisfied.

**

05.24 - Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.

Here is what people think about New Vrindaban!
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Results of the WVU “Branding” Survey for New Vrindaban   Aug. 2013

or What exactly is New Vrindaban’s image?

Cabin by the Lake

Cabin by the Serene Lake

In many conversations and letters, Srila Prabhupada lovingly explained the different aspects of his dream for New Vrindaban.  He told us that his vision was, of course, based first and foremost on developing our love for Krsna. Fixed on this solid foundation, he spoke of four other categories, one of which is New Vrindaban as a holy place of pilgrimage.

Following Prabhupada’s lead, we wanted to find the most efficient ways to present the community as a holy place of pilgrimage.  New Vrindaban engaged some students and professors on the West Virgina University  (Morgantown, WV) community design team for different projects during the master planning in 2012, one of which was this branding survey.  Some pleasantly surprising results came out of their project.

The survey covered two main topics in detail, namely how the members of New Vrindaban see themselves, and how pilgrims and visitors see New Vrindaban.

The goal of the survey was to identify the main elements of the community brand and then to verify if the brand was consistent with both the community’s internal identity and the image from outsiders.  It turned out that the three main structures in New Vrindaban found to be most important to both residents and guests are: Palace of Gold,   the Temple, and the Deities (statues) in the temple.

Prabhupada's Palace beautiful Rose Garden

Prabhupada’s Palace beautiful Rose Garden

The things that people valued most about New Vrindaban was that it was a very spiritual place, with a peaceful atmosphere amidst scenic beauty.  Curiosity was another thing that makes people visit.

It was happily noted overall that the survey-takers found the devotees to be hospitable and that the devotion and the spiritual atmosphere are priorities in people’s eyes.

A vast majority of people heard about the community through word of mouth. It was very favorable to note that more than 80% of the pilgrims want to visit again, plus they want to recommend New Vrindaban to their friends.

There are certain challenges that the community could improve on, such as the sanitation of the facilities, road signage and directions.

Some words that people used to describe New Vrindaban are  “spiritual”,” simple living”, “hospitable”, “peaceful”, and “beautiful”.

The survey was headed by Professor Kudzayi Maumbe, Ph.D.,  of the dept. of  Recreation, Parks & Tourism Resources , WVU.

We learned from this branding survey that a popular opinion is that New Vrindaban is a peaceful and spiritual place of pilgrimage where plain living and high thinking are emphasized.  The community will strive to strengthen the areas that need improvement.

In front of the temple

In front of the temple

the bhakti experiment
→ everyday gita

Verse 4.20: Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings.

As someone who spent numerous years studying Science, the scientific method is ingrained in my head. You start off with an objective, follow it up with a hypothesis, design the tests and run the experiment, collect and analyze your observations and draw a conclusion.

You can imagine my surprise when I realized that the process of bhakti yoga is actually very scientific! Specifically, the teachings of the Gita. What may throw readers off, as I personally discovered, is the fact that sometimes the expected results are given before the objective is presented in said text. It's important to remember at such times, that this is due to the fact that Arjuna was already following the path of bhakti and that's why Krsna didn't need to get into all the details.

It's kind of like coming into a conversation when you haven't heard the beginning. You can get an idea and start to surmise what the gist of it is, but if you don't have someone walk you through the background, you'll never get the full picture. For anyone who has read the Gita on their own and tried to make sense of it, perhaps you are nodding your head in agreement.

Again, this only serves to reiterate the need for a teacher who has themselves been taught the Gita and is practically applying it in their own lives. In fact, as we will hear shortly, the need to evaluate a genuine bhakti teacher is done by observing their behavior and noting the results.

Here the conclusion obtained from performing the bhakti experiment of "working without being attached to the results" is given: one feels ever satisfied and independent. Independent from what? From the rolling waves of happiness and distress. One instead feels peaceful and calm.

Now for anyone who has worked in or run labs, you'll remember that you need to perform the experiment a minimum of three times and get the same result three times for it to be valid. From personal experience, I'll tell you - it's very rare to get the same result three times in a row! That's because the procedure needs to be followed exactly and the conditions have to be replicated perfectly. The same holds true for the bhakti experiment of working without attachment to the results.

If one doesn't follow the methods and conditions outlined in the Gita, then it is only natural that the result will not be the same. Practically this translates to: don't give up! If the experiment doesn't work for you, it could mean that something is off. Don't blame the method (as any lab researcher/scientist will tell you!), but go back and analyze what you did.

The outcomes from this bhakti experiment vary depending on what you put into it. So if you sincerely want to get the results outlined in the Gita, such as those of peace, satisfaction and happiness, you have to follow the method given accurately. Good luck and feel free to share what you come out with in the comments below!

Huge statue made from pure gold of the cosmic Vishnu was discovered in a temple in South India
→ Dandavats.com

Garuda das: This absolutely beautiful large solid gold statue of the cosmic Vishnu was discovered in a temple in South India. Its sheer weight in gold is worth over a billion dollars, and furthermore, it is one of the most exquisite works of sculpture in the history of Indian art. Note the deity of creation, Brahmā, rising out of the navel of Vishnu on the blossom of a lotus flower! Read more ›

Janmastami Photos!
→ Mayapur.com

Please view the following galleries: Abhishek Samskaras Darshan Night Darshan Our temple room was packed with devotees that were anxious to see the abhishek of the Lord, and perform abhishek of there own. The day was filled with programs to engage the devotees in keeping their minds fixed upon the activities of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava. [...]

The post Janmastami Photos! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Krishna’s Funskool Begins This Sunday!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

Would you like to have your children learn Vedic culture in a fun-filled, hands-on atmosphere? If yes, then bring them to Krishna’s Funskool! The Hare Krishna Temple in Toronto has been offering Sunday classes for children ages 5-12 for several years. Lessons are based on the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Srimad Bhagavatam and other Vedic literatures. The Sunday School program is designed to give the children a rich experience of the Vedic culture. 

When does the new session begin?
Sunday, September 8th

What time? 
Classes will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:20 p.m.

Where?
 In Govinda’s Dining Hall.

What classes are taught?
 Children will learn a variety of spirtual topics, including “Devotional Practices,” “What Makes Someone God?” “The Material World and the Spiritual Sky,” “Who Am I?” “Bhagavad Gita,” “Vaishnava Behavior,” and “Animals in the Vedas,”to name a few.

Registration Information
• One Sunday School session lasts 2 months. There are 5 sessions per year.
• Registration fees are $15 per child per session, $10 for the second + child.
• No new registration is allowed in the middle of a session. Parents can enroll
   their children for the following session.

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity for your children to strengthen and reinforce their Vedic upbringing. The students develop positive, spiritual friendships with other children and learn how to make Krishna Consciousness part of their everyday life. For more information about registration or classes, please contact us at kids@torontokrishna.com.

Sunday, September 1st, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

What About Compassion

Limerick, Saskatchewan

Just a short horse’s ride from where Chief Sitting Bull came to rest during his efforts to fight for his people, I had been walking. What an honour.

With the previous evening’s rain, and night time darkness, many salamanders came out of their areas to make a migration over the ruthless road. Blotches of their remains stain the highway. When I saw one fellow trying to make his way across, I felt I owed him one, given I had caused one of his maybe cousins to curl, squirm and squeal with my umbrella’s tip the other day. In my curiosity and exploration, I believe I gave him some pain.

“Let me treat this new guy nicely,” I thought. And then I remembered having a chat with a newspaper journalist who had come to interview me in 2007. He relayed how he was trying to do something “karmically safe” when in a grumpy mood he kicked severely a neighbours dog. He felt terribly guilty after that and decided to purchase a dog of the same breed and to look after him just to make amends.

With the same sentiment I thought I would approach the salamander and be nice to him. I stretched my body fully lying on the road (it was a quiet hour), I gave him a stroke on his head, then his back, tail and belly. He seemed to like it to the point where he remained stationary for the petting. He even closed his eyes. He then moved toward me to get more affection.

Because of this little exchange I was compelled to try it on two other guys. They reciprocated the same way. It looks like the non violent approach really works. I earned the title ‘Ghandi’ today from a motorist who shouted out the name even though he was unaware of what I had done previously.

In the afternoon it was in Regina at the ISKCON Center that I gave a talk from the Bhagavad Gita verse 5.20 which reads:

“A person who neither rejoices upon acheiveing something pleasant, nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self intelligent, unbewildered, and he knows the science of the Absolute is to be understood to be already situated in transcendence.”

This is not to say that there are to be no feelings of compassion, but one must appreciate the neutral stance we benefit from in dealing with the dualities of this world.

I’d like to thank Justin Crann of the Moose Jaw Time Harold, who got us on the front page of the long weekend issue. In the picture I am portrayed chanting and playing on the dolak drum. The caption in bold reads, “On The Long Road To Enlightenment”. Thanks, Justin.

33 KM

Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja Celebration, August 29, ISKCON Silicon Valley, Mountain View, California
Giriraj Swami

photo-3photo-4
—————————————————————————————–
“I think of the many gifts Srila Prabhupada gave us: the holy name, the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other scriptures, the temples and deities — but I am also thinking now of the association of devotees, especially close friends. The association of peers is so important. One devotee commented that when you are in a position of a superior you have to be on good behavior, to set a proper example and do the right things. And when you are with superiors, you also have to be on good behavior, because you are with a superior — you have to be at your best. So with whom can you actually reveal your mind — your doubts, your questions, your confusion, your misgivings, your weaknesses? There can be an element of friendship with superiors, but it is mainly with peers. And that friendship is most precious.” — Giriraj Swami

Offerings by devotees:

Mahaguna dasi
Akruranatha dasa
Kanka dasi
Trai dasa
Nirakula dasi
Rtadhvaja Swami
Jagarini dasi
Satyadeva dasa
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami
Bhumi dasi
Srila dasa
Giriraj Swami
Malini dasi

asking the tough question
→ everyday gita

Verse 4.19: One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reactions of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.

Why is it so difficult to put things into practice? We may theoretically understand so many things and accept them on an intellectual level, but when it comes to the practical application, many of us face a block.

For those who are trying to live a life of simultaneous gratitude and unattachment, this is often a conundrum. When we read bhakti texts like the Gita and hear from those who live such lives, we feel inspired and hopeful. We too can do it! But when it comes to actually putting in all our endeavours and efforts and offering it selflessly to the Divine as a token of our appreciation, something powerful interrupts us. These things can cause us to promptly fall back into our old way of thinking and doing things which is often that of - I perform x activity and expect y result.

One such challenge can come in the form of doubt. When doubt steps in, it can cause us to question what will happen if we let go of our attachment to the results of our endeavour. "Maybe I'll become too spiritual! What if I just stop caring about everything? I want to be normal and if I start actually becoming unattached, I might not be able to relate to others." Such types of conversations can start to take place in our mind.

When these doubts start to cloud our consciousness, it's very easy to become apprehensive. It causes us to become fearful of the unknown - in this case what will happen to us if we actually live a life of gratitude and detachment. Ultimately, it can be a vicious cycle that leads to more doubts and more apprehension.

Ultimately though, the root cause of all these misgivings is fear. The fear that our efforts to express gratitude and appreciation will go unrecognized. Although we may believe in a Divine power and personality who is giving us everything, do we really and truly believe?

The practice of performing akarmic work is more than just attitude. It prompts us to ask the tough questions and really look inside our hearts. Do we have unshakable faith that there is something greater than us and that the Divine is there ready and waiting to reciprocate with us? When we are able to answer that question honestly, irregardless of whether it is a no, yes or somewhere in between, then we can truly start to live a life of gratitude and selflessness.

The Krishna consciousness movement is meant for global peace and happiness
→ The Spiritual Scientist

At the present moment practically the entire world is afraid of rogues and nondevotees; therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started to save the world from irreligious principles. Everyone should cooperate with this movement in order to bring about actual peace and happiness in the world.

Letter Of Appreciation
→ Japa Group


From time to time I get messages and feedback about the Japa Group website. Today I received one of those messages from a 55yr old devotee - name truncated for privacy reasons.

"This website has inspired such an old (55) aspiring devotee! I live 2 hours from the nearest temple so this keeps me intouch with the "work" of Krishna around the world. Keep up the good work and chanting your rounds - it makes a difference."

I hope you had a good week of quality chanting of the Holy names.

New Gokula Janmastami
→ Ramai Swami

IMG_0374

IMG_0376

New Gokula is a very beautiful farm situated two hours north of Sydney and one hour west of Newcastle. The deities of Radha Gokulananda are wonderful and They looked even more so on the occasion of Krsna Janmastami, which was celebrated this year on Thursday August 29th.

I had the good fortune of attending two Krsna Janamstami’s, one at the Bhakti Centre and one at New Gokula farm. Even though it was a week night with work the next day, still, over one hundred guests came to honour Sri Krsna in the evening of the anniversary of His divine appearance.
IMG_0375

05.11 – Purity transforms the roads to misery into the roads to ecstasy
→ The Spiritual Scientist

When we travel along a road, we usually ask ourselves: Where will this road take me?

Just as we travel physically along various roads, we, or more precisely, our consciousness, travels along the roads of our senses. Whatever our senses focus on, we start thinking, feeling and willing in relation with that thing, eventually transferring our whole being into acquiring and enjoying it. Yet we rarely ask ourselves the sober question: “where will this road take me?”

We are lethargic because our culture aggressively advertises the answer: “It will take you to destination enjoyment” and we unquestioningly believe its answer.

Gita wisdom frees us from this blind faith by activating our intellectual faculty. By pondering its message, we understand that as eternal souls we want everlasting happiness, whereas the senses can offer at best fleeting titillation. Moreover, the senses also entangle us in bodily consciousness and karmic consequences. Thus the senses stand exposed as roads to misery.

Thankfully, Gita wisdom doesn’t stop with this gloomy view of the senses. It offers positive engagement for our senses in devotional service of Krishna. We can use our tongue to connect with Krishna’s holy names and sanctified prasad; our eyes, with his gorgeous Deities; our ears, with the sound vibrations glorifying him and so forth. As our devotion to Krishna increases, these sensory engagements yield supreme satisfaction. Thus the roads to misery become transformed into the roads to ecstasy.

We may not relish this devotional joy right now because our impure desires obstruct us from connecting with Krishna and distract us towards sensual pleasures. That’s why at our level, we need to engage our senses in spiritual activities for the purpose of purification, as the Bhagavad-gita (05.11) indicates. When purity arises in our heart, ecstasy will soon follow.

***

05.11 - The yogis, abandoning attachment, act with body, mind, intelligence and even with the senses, only for the purpose of purification.

Inspection
→ Seed of Devotion

My room here at the Bhakti Center was a tornado zone for quite a long time. So much moving had my life in a whirlwind. Boxes, luggage, piles of clothes and bags lay everywhere.

When I had a day off work, immediately I scheduled a trip out of town to buy organizational stuff at a Wal-Mart.

After many hours I came back, holding a long box and laden down with all of my organizational stuff in my suitcase. I stepped out of the elevator onto the sixth floor. In the hallway I encountered a huge crowd of residents.

"Hey guys, is there a party going down?" I called out, jolly.

Virabhadra grinned at me. "We're here to greet you, Bhakti lata!"

"Ha ha, nice. No seriously, what's up?"

Just then, all heads turned to the apartment door 6W and everyone fell a little quiet - Radhanath Swami emerged.

"Oh, haribol Maharaj," I said.

"Bhakti lata, where have you been?" he asked.

"I was at Wal-Mart. I bought a lot of organizational stuff for my room."

His eyes went wide. "Can I come see your room?"

"God no, Maharaj," I replied with a little laugh. "It's a tornado zone."

"No really, I'd like to come see your room,"

I laughed again, still thinking that he was joking. "Ah, sorry my dear gurumaharaj, but my room is a mess."

Radhanath Swami took up the handle of my rolling luggage. My eyes went wide.

"Let's go," he said.

I walked forward towards my apartment, my feet becoming heavy with each step. Maharaj rolled my luggage behind me. My mind raced - my room, my room, God forbid was there anything embarrassing lying around, like underwear? Sure, I could've firmly said no, but this seemed to be very important to Maharaj. He had been inquiring about my living situation from the moment he had reached the Bhakti Center.

We entered apartment 6E and I walked towards my room. My friend Nanda joined us. "Maharaj, I just bought all this organizational stuff, I swear!"

He just smiled, maneuvering my luggage over some shoes on the floor. Then with a pounding heart, I slowly opened the door to my little room. He came over and peeked inside. Nanda also came and we exchanged nervous looks. My room was a madhouse. My stomach dropped.

Maharaj turned to me and lifted his brows, then stepped inside to turn on the lamp. He peered around and then stepped even deeper into my room, standing in the very center of the chaos. "Hm, no windows..."

I held bated breath. Then he came around and peered into other crevices of the tiny room, leaving no spot unobserved. I felt like I was getting X-rayed.

He emerged.

"Calling this room a mess is like calling the ocean a puddle," he remarked, then laughed, his eyes twinkling.

Only Radhanath Swami could make a poetic analogy out of this. I laughed too.

Maharaj then systematically went through the rest of the apartment, observing the piles of bags in the hallway, the unswept floors. He seemed to be catching us off-guard - who we were when no one was looking. There was something stinging and yet also relieving about him being there, like hydrogen peroxide cleaning a cut.

At the end of his inspection, he turned to me and said, "Bhakti lata, I would do anything for you,"

I fell silent, and my heart echoed with the unspoken words, Please just let me be near Radha Murlidhar. Please let me be here or nearby.

Then Maharaj turned around and said, "Well, we had our pastimes," then he chuckled and left apartment 6E.

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What to do when we feel attracted to holy names other than the mahamantra?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From: Latha
Hare Krishna prabhu , before coming to ISKCON I was reciting many slogas. But after understanding the philosophy, now I am able to accept that Lord sri Krishna is supreme personality of godhead and need to worship Him by chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra. but when chanting the mantra so many doubts arise in the mind like Is this holy name only powerful..... why cant we chant just ram or Krishna,, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, sita ram, etc... I feel I understand that this mahamantra is the only hope for this kali yuga.... but still mind is wandering. how to get the firm faith that hare Krishna mahamantra is everything

Answer Podcast

 

Homage to Shrila Prabhupada, in the presence of his followers
→ Karnamrita.das's blog

Author: 
Karnamrita Das

Shrila Prabhupada's "crew" coming to America photo JaladhutapoweredbyGodinhismanydifferentforms_zpsd13e2c61.jpg

Someone asked me to share my Vyasa-puja (as the appearance day of one's guru is called in Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition) offering. While I didn't write a formal one this year, and mainly recalled the times I spent with him, I looked up an old offering I wrote on behalf of the Baltimore temple in 1998, and found it still expressing my deep feelings, though today, with even more urgency, not only for ISKCON devotees, but for all those who follow the teachings of Shri Chaitanya. Like my last "blog" on the modes of nature, this entry is rather long, but I hope you will keep with it, and that you will find it relevant. It expresses my hopes and prayers for deep and meaningful devotee relationships and the spirit of cooperation and understanding based on the teachings of our guru(s), saintly person's input (sadhu), while confirmed by Vedic scriptures (shastas) and one's purified heart.

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet, O great savior of the fallen souls. All glories to you and your divine mission, which we have been entrusted to carry out!

Though there are many holy days to inspire us, today is a day like no other. This anniversary day of your appearance in this world also reminds us of your appearance into our lives, as well as who we have become because of you. Though we follow the bhakti path imperfectly, somehow we are in Krsna's loving network. How amazing! Amazing grace! If you had not compassionately, valiantly, and determinedly come to the West, where would we be today? Upon what would the foundation of our lives rest? What standard would we use to evaluate the value or use of anything? Where would our consciousness be and in what direction would we be going? After our body's demise, what would be our ultimate destination -- the sum total of our life's endeavor and thought? We can only shudder to think!

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