Planet ISKCON

Conference with Russain devotees. (English/Russian)

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Preparing for the upcoming festivals.

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It is these devotees that make ISKCON the place it is; who inspire and encourage other to take up and do devotional service, who have picked me up when I am down who enthusiastically encourage my preaching work back home and charge up my spiritual batteries. Read more ›

Gauranga Travels, ISKCON Mayapur temple owned Travel Services added a new AC Scorpio car to its fleet of vehicles. In addition to the AC Scorpio, Gauranga Travels has an AC Innova, AC Tata Sumo gold, AC ambassador, 13 seat & 20 seat AC coaches to provide assistance to the guests. Most of our cars have [...]

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Yesterday on harinam we came across a group of mentally and physically challenged people.Despite their handicaps they joined in and relished the kirtan like everyone. It was so inspiring.Then last night they came to the festival and melted the hearts of all with their newfound enthusiasm to chant, dance and take prasadam. Lord Caitanya is so kind! Read more ›

5 photos: Balaram Jayanti!!! Radhadesh 2013 Read more ›

Spanish Fork • The Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple stands atop a hill in rural southern Utah County, its domes more fitting for India than the predominantly Mormon communities that surround it. Read more ›

2013 08 21 Festival Abhisekh of Krishna Balaram ISKCON Chowpatty

We Love You

Hirsch, Saskatchewan

I left the campsite and found myself moving under the blue moon. At 4:30 AM all was calm and in some way, all was bright. The coyotes really sang out in response to the moon god, that then stirred up the local dogs. The howls outdid the barking though. The coyotes won out for making noise.

All around there were massive gas torches at the summit of stacks. The road started picking up with traffic – mostly trucks en route to oil rigs. Southern Saskatchewan is in an oil boom period. Fortunately many of the oil workers are kind enough to honk or wave or stop and encourage in some way. It seems that maybe that this is their first step at self realization.

On that note, here’s an excerpt which I read to Daruka as he was fixing sandwiches in preparation for our break time:

“The very first step in self realization is realizing one’s identity as separate from the body, ‘I am not this body, but am spirit soul’ is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying, ‘I am not this body,’ but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first.

Although we are not these bodies, but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we become encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness and independence that transcend death we have to establish ourselves and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness.”

-From Beyond Birth and Death by Srila Prabhupada.

With death, well, it came to a close call. It was about 8:45 PM when a motorist was speeding. An officer came chasing madly after him. The driving offender registered at 149 km per hour. While the officer ticketed the driver he kept his flashing lights on which caused other traffic to slow down and to move on the highway’s shoulder where I happened to be. It was dark. The oncoming driver didn’t expect to see a pedestrian, let alone a monk. He got shocked out of his wits and reported to the police, “Who is that guy?” This was in earshot.

Once ticketing was done, the officer drove up to me, who has been accosted by a cloud of mosquitoes by the way. The guy was nice and went out of his way to drive me to our encampment, a good 20 kms away. He admired the walking project and expressed his appreciation as we were driving.

Such was the response from people in general today, “We love you,” is becoming a regular mantra.

So now where was Daruka all this time, my support person? It was a small slip up. His watch stopped, and that caused a deception of time.

35 KM

Answer Podcast

From Shalini M

Answer Podcast

Answer Podcast

Answer Podcast

On Lord Balarama’s appearance day, Giriraj Swami initiated Bhakta Shawn into Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual family, giving him the name Shyama Chandra Dasa. This sweet, intimate ceremony took place at the home of Bhrigupati Prabhu and Mother Chandravali. Giriraj Swami, Rtadhvaja Swami, and Bhrigupati Prabhu spoke at the ceremony.

“Now we have come to this stage, which has taken a number of years. There have been many trials and tribulations along the way, and many lessons have been learned. Sometimes lessons learned with great difficulty are more permanent. And the realization, or conviction, that there is no real happiness in the material world and that the only shelter is Krishna and His holy name is the prerequisite for really progressing in spiritual life. As long as we are thinking that this material thing or that material situation will make me happy — it’s like the tenth offense: not having complete faith in the chanting of the holy name and maintaining material attachments. But when you come to the conclusion that ‘nothing in the material world can make me happy,’ that ‘even if something makes me a little happy for a little while, it will not last and it will not fully satisfy me,’ you can actually progess. So, you have come to that conclusion. And that conviction will create the proper consciousness for further advancement.” — Giriraj Swami
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Brighupati Dasa
Rtadhvaja Swami
Giriraj Swami

Doing other things while chanting is not good. Still, sometimes out of expediency you do it. But you should try to put off so-called expedient actions until after chanting. Chant at a designated time and chant loudly. Let other things wait.

From the Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

"There exists a deep ecological tradition in Vedic culture by which human settlement, forests and water resources are carefully balanced. To achieve that balance, nature's welfare and human welfare cannot be separated each other. For this reason Vedic ecology teaches that the earth and the cow are to be loved and cared for as mothers. As such, culture -- including the cultivating of land for crops -- is an outward expression of spirituality. As a painting expresses the spirit of the artist, culture expresses the spirit of society. Vedic culture has lasted for many thousands of years and is still visible even today. It's a way of life that's lasts forever, is self perpetuating and regenerating."

"Whether you're reading the sagacious words of Wendell Berry, or the biting commentary of Vandana Shiva, their conclusions are the same: The skills, aptitudes and attitudes that were necessary to industrialize the Earth are not the same as those that are needed now to heal the Earth, or to build durable economies and good communities.

We agree wholeheartedly... but our analysis goes one layer deeper to include the spiritual dimension. Without recognizing the role spirituality has traditionally played in preserving our planet's delicate web of life, we're easily tricked into believing that secular science will come-up with a green techno-fix to save the day. It's those brainy scientist types, not the sages of yore who deserve our veneration, so goes conventional thought.

If Western education has driven the planet to a point of crises, what is wrong with that education? And secondly, can any current Western educational institution -- whether it's orientation is secular or Judeo-Christian -- identify what's gone wrong and offer courageous or inspired leadership?

What's needed is not more education but education tempered with wisdom--education the teaches the value of local, the interconnectedness of everything, cooperation over competition and conscience over efficiency. Let's do an about-face. Is there a model that can dismantle the scaffolding of ideas, philosophies and ideologies that constitutes the modern world view? Let's look to the East."

"No-Harm Mini-Farms will focus on food varieties that stress plant-based diets and plant-based protein sources, including milk from a resurgent family-owned dairy industry. Domesticated farm animals-especially cows-will reappear as welcomed additions to the rural and urban landscape. Animals will be protected and valued as co-authors in the revival of cereal grain production and soil fertility renewal."

"The real future of this whole thing is village life, where we develop ways to communicate and entertain and grow our own food, raise our children, educate, that is so location specific that it works. You develop loving, interdependent relationships with people, mutually interdependent relationships. That's our background actually. That's where were all actually coming from. That's what we're all looking for.

Defining relationships in this universe that are not competitive. They're cooperative. They're interdependent.The fact is that we're divine in origin. We are spirit souls. We are not bodies. We need a farming system and a philosophy that drives that farming system that recognizes the position of the soul and revers it as sacred. You're not completely non-violent, but it means how and when that violence is enacted. Its done very carefully.

Beyond being vegetarian is making a sacrament of your food, and in the Hare Krishna Movement this is called taking, or honoring prasadam. You re still karmically accountable for vegetables that are killed Its not as severe, but its there. You're taking life to maintain your life. How do you get out of that? I need to eat, but it always involves taking life. The way out is to make sacrament of the food. To take it from a source that's acceptable to be offered and the mentality, the consciousness of how you grow it, harvest it, store it, how you cook it, serve it, is done in spiritual consciousness. This is called honoring prasadam.

It is honoring the arrangement of nature by which all these things are given to us graciously for our sustenance so we can get on with our real business, which is self-realization."

A plethora of fresh green peppers.An oceanic bed of deliciously provocative jalapeños.Young tomatoes struggle through a wet and wily season of Appalachian weather to bloom and grow.The classic American weed-whacker we endlessly wrestle with so that we may endlessly wrestle with the endless weeds.Our flower patch, which is used to sumptuously decorate the altar at the Radha-Krishna temple at the New Vrindaban community.Fresh raspberries showing their colors.Terry temporarily dominates the mutant-weeds.Crossing the rubicon...

The Small Farm Training Center (SFTC) is a land based educational center and a hands-on working organic farm. Our purpose is to create community -- a web of supportive relationships -- by making locally grown organic foods readily available and affordable with the use of simple technology.

Although I've spent 30 plus years farming and gardening in Appalachia, I don't consider myself a "local." You might say I'm spoiled. My grandfather's farm in Northern Michigan, where I was raised, is both flat and fertile. West Virginia hillside farming is daunting. The soils here -- like the air, the streams and the people themselves -- have been used and abused for 150 years.

The "real" locals, those who can trace their heritage back for two or three generations, love Appalachia. That spark of original mountain culture permeates their very being, Unfortunately, their bodies tell a different story. Morbid obesity and diabetes are the norm. That's the price you pay when you no longer grow what you eat and eat what you grow. Like most Americans, their industrially grown food is starving them nutritionally while fattening them for the "big round-up" by the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries.

Something is out of balance. The Small Farm Training Center is one of many local organizations challenging this dying paradigm. We farm, we garden, we teach, we encourage, we improvise and most importantly we listen to input. We also call a spade a spade when it comes to identifying the political, economic, cultural and spiritual stumbling blocks to restoring the environment and securing a safe, stable food supply... We nourish both person and place.

All privately held corporations are living a lie. They believe we live in a world where capital has the right to grow and that right is higher than the rights of people, If you're one of those people who passively accept corporate domination of America's food supply and political life, be forewarned, we don't. Corporations are no more a part of the natural order than the English monarchy was 200 years ago. They want us to believe that industrial agriculture is the only way to feed the world. That's a lie. They want us to believe that it is cheaper to destroy the earth than to take care if it in real time. That's another lie. At the heart of their economic system and theory is the proposal that life is too expensive. We disagree. We choose life and we're going to tell our own story. We're looking for paradigm warriors who can expand the conversation and are fluent in the language of inclusion, kinship and possibility.

Learning by doing, and then teaching it to others -- that's how you earn your degree in bio-citizenship. Yoga, vegetarian cooking, and the care of farm animals -- especially milk cows -- are additional features of our curriculum. We also regularly distribute surplus organic veggies to soup kitchens and local charities. Turn off the boob-tube, shut down your laptop and pick up your hoe.

35 HR photos: Jhulan Yatra 2013 and 70 HR photos: Radha-Gokulananda 40th Installation Anniversary Abhishek Read more ›

Hare Krishna

Please accept my humble obesiances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Here are a few photos from the 2 Krishna Conscious trips I was very very very fortunate to have been on this year:

Pandava Sena Trip Villa Vrindavana;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/100637659@N06/sets/72157635187037631/

croatia

http://www.flickr.com/photos/100637659@N06/sets/72157635178856005/

your servant
dipak

Each year there is a merry bunch of truly amazing devotee’s who make the festivals at our temples such a awesome time for everyone who comes; they are indeed the unsung hero’s of the day.

Many are truly inspirational having worked a full day then head off to the temple to help with all the logistics needed to make it happen; then on the day give even more time to help with each of the different departments from cleaning, catering, running the stalls, ushering, meeting and greeting.

Many of these same devotees come and serve at the temple each and every week, for some only during festival times; it’s all good, each with a smile on their face and a mood of loving devotion to serve others.

So I had to laugh when looking at the band of devotees who have inspired and encouraged me during my visits; and the hat, an odd hat that always amuses the band of marry workers for Krishna.

It is these devotees that make ISKCON the place it is; who inspire and encourage other to take up and do devotional service, who have picked me up when I am down who enthusiastically encourage my preaching work back home and charge up my spiritual batteries.

We forget these unsung hero’s but if we truly want to understand ISKCON, devotional service and full surrender to Krishna then these are the people who you want to be around; for as strange as it is as much as they inspire and encourage you, you also encourage and inspire them and you will also be mesmerized by the varied discussions about devotional life.

I’m looking forward to having all your fine association during this Janmashtami week and may we have fine association together for many many years to come.

Tulasi aur Namarasa ki shaadi hogayi :-) Read more ›

For centuries, many Hindu rituals have been performed by male priests. But now a few institutions in Pune have begun offering courses to female priests Read more ›

The General Manager will ensure that ISKCON Educational Services, Bhaktivedanta Manor is firmly established to flourish and expand as the most credible and authentic UK-based supplier of educational resources on Hinduism. Since 1990, IES has specialised in organising temple visits, providing guest speakers to schools, supplying high-quality teaching support and selling authentic educational materials. Read more ›

Lecture Podcast

Many People

Oxbow, Saskatchewan

There’s a remarkable migration of tiny frogs attempting the journey over the highway.  Many casualties occur I’m afraid.  They’ve got guts doing this, boy do they ever have guts.

It’s people that I meet like crazy.  The first person stops his vehicle, raises his iPhone for a picture and asks, “What’s up?”

“I’m on a walk across Canada.”  The fellow was impressed, he was very poetic.

“Holy _____ !  Good luck!”  At least the words rhymed.

The walk was news to this guy who works in the oil fields which are all around.  Many other folks were quite aware though – the oil riggers, farmers, students on holidays, seniors on chores.  It seems that even though I pulled of the road over a month ago to attend Canada and US spiritual fests, there was a buzz lingering about a roaming monk, and so the reception was phenomenal.

At one point a heavy rain came.  83 year old Mr. Swayze pulled over and let me into his passenger seat until rain let up.  Mr. Swayze, although retired, took up work again.  He was on his way to getting a bridge constructed.  He told me, “If you do nothing you start to deteriorate.  Since I took up this recent assignment, my brains got sharp again."

Words of wisdom.

I walked through several towns, Glen Ewen was the name of one.  People were sitting outside a pub.  The owner offered water (of course, I won’t take hard drinks).  I went inside, so did all who were sitting in the sun.  They were curious.  All the walls were adorned with large pictures of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.  The owner, a woman, asked what I thought of Marilyn from a monk’s perspective.

“Overrated.  Not my idea of the emblem of true womanhood.”  The folks there respected my opinion.  They had oodles of questions.

“So, you’ve been celibate all your life?” asked the owner.  People were sipping beer and were in rapt attention.

“Yes.  When I was in high school I had one or two girlfriends.  I came close once but God said, ‘No, not now,’ (laughter).”

One fellow asked if he could be a monk and drink.

“You’d be a drinking monk (laughter).  No, as a monk, you learn self discipline.”

Back on the road again.  Numerous people stopped to talk.  It got to the point where it was hard to make progress as far as distance was concerned.  It was a nice problem, I’ll admit.

By nightfall, I got nearer to our campsite spot, an ideal location by the serene Souris River.  Daruka was anxious about my being late, so he went out looking for me.  A local woman, big hearted as anything, came on the search as well.  She figured out what we needed for our outdoor cooking.  She had gone home, brought rye bread, fruits, and a camp lamp to contend with the darkness.  Archie was her name.  The people I met were in great numbers, quite overwhelming.  Archie came at the end and showed an incredible level of devotion.  Thank you, Archie.

36 KM

Tucked away in a narrow by lane of Moopanpara, Chirakkal in Kannur is ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), a cradle of calm and peace. Finding your way to the temple can be a tricky affair with absence of any signage that could lead you towards it: no devotees, no meditating bhaktas or no boards announcing, ‘Yes, this is the way to the ISKCON Temple’. Read more ›

Lecture Podcast

We all have so many desires for so many worldly things.

However, because we live in a world of finite resources and a body with limited capacities, we can’t fulfill most of our desires.  But our infatuation with such desires and our frustration at being unable to fulfill them that we become blind to a fundamental reality. The reality that fulfilling such desires doesn’t bring fulfillment.

Why? Because those desires are peripheral to our identity as immortal souls, who are eternal parts of Krishna, as the Bhagavad-gita (15.07) indicates. Parts who become whole only by connecting with him through spiritual love.

To translate fulfilled desires into fulfillment, Gita wisdom urges us to cultivate desires for Krishna. The desire to be solaced and strengthened by his healing grace. The desire to share his love with the world. The desire to do justice to the gifts he has given us. The desire to bring glory to him by our conduct and character. And, most of all, the desire to please him, just as a lover desires to please the beloved.

The wonderful thing about such devotional desires is that they don’t have to be fulfilled to grant us fulfillment. Just cultivating those desires and striving to fulfill them takes us closer to Krishna, helps us remember him more and serve him better. And that enriched Krishna consciousness in and of itself brings great fulfillment.

No doubt, the more we become truly conscious of Krishna, the more we do all our activities with greater conscientiousness, seeing them as services to him. And that increases our chances of succeeding in those activities.

Nonetheless, irrespective of whether we succeed in fulfilling specific desires or not, cultivating Krishna consciousness guarantees us success in the generic mission of our life: attaining fulfillment. Fulfillment that lasts forever.

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The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

Questions and answers.

I live in Latvia, in a town named Lielvarde. I am a student, studying translation. I am now working on my Bachelor’s paper. The topic is the translation of Manu Samhita. I have chosen to connect my interest, the Vedas, with education. I was introduced to the Krishna consciousness movement about four years ago and was captivated by its goals, philosophy, personalities, and the fact that I could find all the answers I wanted. Read more ›

70 photos: Balaram Jayanti celebrations 2013 in London Read more ›

48 photos: Balarama App. Day 2013 at Bhaktivedanta Manor, 20/08/2013 Read more ›