HH Gopal Krsna Goswami Visit – This Week!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

This weekend, we will have the great opportunity to have the association of HH Gopal Krsna Goswami! As part of his annual visit to Canada, he will be enlivening all of us through the discourse this Sunday Feast as well as Lord Balarama's Appearance Day.

HH Gopal Krishna Goswami, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, is presently GBC of many countries throughout the world including parts of Russia, America, Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, and India and has many disciples world wide. HH Gopal Krishna Goswami was living in Toronto when he first met with Srila Prabhupada in June 1968 and soon after, took formal initiation from him. He is actively spearheading and involved with many of ISKCON projects globally and we are very excited to be welcoming him for his annual visit to Toronto.

Please join us this Sunday for what will be a riveting discourse!

02.58 – To minimize weariness, maximize wariness
→ The Spiritual Scientist

If we had to do everything that everyone wanted us to do, we would soon become exhausted. That’s why we learn to say no to those things that aren’t high on our priority list.

This principle of learning to say no applies to our inner life too. Most of the desires entering our mind are intruders that prey on our time and mental energy. But because they seem to come without anyone’s external persuasion, we tend to think of them as our own desires. Frequently however, they are not our own desires; they are simply delayed external persuasions.
Our past exposures to external temptations have created impressions in our mind. When we are off-guard, those impressions impel us to do things that are unimportant, unnecessary or even undesirable. When our energy gets dissipated on such things, then we find ourselves overworked, stressed and frustrated. In one word, weary.
To minimize such weariness, we need to maximize our wariness about inner desires and outer temptations.
1. Inner desires: Instead of uncritically identifying the desires coming in our mind as our desires, we can cautiously evaluate them: “Is this important for me? If not, let me neglect it, or better still, reject it.”
2. Outer temptations: Even when external temptations don’t seem to provoke us, still we can minimize our exposure, knowing that the consequent impressions may provoke us in the future. Why court trouble?
The Bhagavad-gita (02.58) recommends such wariness when it urges us to withdraw our senses from the sense objects.
Over time, the struggle to be wary may itself make us weary. That’s why we need to complement our wariness of the negative with eagerness of the positive – devotional stimuli centered on Krishna. The resulting remembrance of Krishna will fill us with spiritual energy and drive out our weariness.

**
One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.

By serious And Proper Chanting
→ Japa Group


Today I realized the power of just relaxing and allowing the Lord to take control. In materially stressful situations, we tend to come under the lower modes - thinking we are the doer and forgetting that Krsna i the controller.

By serious and proper chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, we can remember the Lord in all situations - good or bad. When He sees we are serious and sincere about chanting His Holy names, He will reciprocate and make arrangements for our spiritual advancement.

Train the mind to make it unable to remember anything other than Krishna
→ The Spiritual Scientist

At the time of death, the mind and intelligence of a living entity create the subtle form of a certain type of body for the next life. If the mind suddenly thinks of something not very congenial, one has to take a corresponding birth in the next life. On the other hand, if one can think of Krishna at the time of death, he can be transferred to the spiritual world, Goloka Vrndavana. This process of transmigration is very subtle; therefore Srila Rupa Gosvami advises devotees to train their minds in order that they will be unable to remember anything other than Krishna.

Nectar of Instruction 8 purport

7th Annual Gopinath Kids camp at ISKCON Toronto on Saturday- August 24th 2013
→ ISKCON Scarborough


Hare Krsna!
Please accept our humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!


The Gopinath Kid's camp will he held on Saturday August 24th for kids aged 4-12.

Please read the information below from ISKCON Toronto and register on-line through the hyper link below


Imagine a day full of games, laughter, delicious prasadam, chance to make new friends and especially, NO PARENTS! ISKCON Toronto is providing just that and more for the younger members of our community with the 7th Annual Gopinath's Kids Camp!

This year, the 7th Annual Gopinath's Kids Camp will be held on Saturday, August 24th from 8:30am-6:00pm, strictly for kids aged 4-12 years. The purpose of this one-day camp is to provide an opportunity to ignite the spiritual spark in our children while doing fun and interactive activities that they enjoy. In addition to outdoor games, some of the primary activities being planned for the day are a Mega Scavenger Hunt, fun cooking classes, learning how to play different musical instruments, sumptuous prasadam and many fond memories.

 All this and much more for registration fees of only $25! You can register at the temple or use our online form by clicking here (last day to register is August 17th). For further information, please don't hesitate to email us at info@torontokrishna.com. 



Fear and doubt
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 July 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Spirit Matters Program)

Question: Do you have any nice words to remind us not to have doubt whenever we have fear or doubt?

GN vrndavan_4 augustThere are two types of doubts. One type of doubt comes from sinful activity and attachment to sinful activity. The other type of doubt comes from intelligence because we are also investigating something and cannot just accept everything blindly. So, there is also a healthy doubt. In the third canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Kapiladev explains to his mother these two types of doubt.

About the other doubt, the one coming from sinful activities, one senior vaishnava said that instead of thinking about my doubts, I think about my faults. And when I try to improve my faults then my doubts go away!

 

 

 

Swift Deliverer
→ travelingmonk.com

“For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Partha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.” [Bhagavad Gita, [...]

Personal Pondering Reflections
→ simple thoughts

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I’ve spent the past few weeks quietly reflecting on things which I do from time to time

During a visit to a sanga in London several upon seeing me asked one question, are you doing the transfers in the morning? It made me smile for the past few years during my visits to The Manor the devotees have allowed me to do the early morning transfers something I’ve grown fond indeed look forward to doing.

I’ve been pondered the fact that when first taking up on this seva their was a promise added, sadly that promise never transpired but there is some confusion as I’m not bitter; indeed I’m a little relieved although there is again a conflict as I’ve also not hid my desire to become a pujari at The Manor.

As I reflect it occurred to me that those unqualified like myself believe wrongly that their most qualified, unchecked this can cause problems; indeed I started to question my ulterior motive is the desire enough to justify being able to take up the pujari service?
What is my true qualification?

Not based upon my own appraise of self but upon those whom know the standards, indeed there is one thing doing these early morning transfers and having the amazing association of extraordinary devotees is that in my own case there is plenty to be desired, many gaps in knowledge and understanding, and many gaps in practice of Krishna Consciousness.

I’m pleased that for the second year running their will be a Diwali celebration held for the local community groups I’ve been working with and pondering also how best to give them the best experience of Krishna consciousness this year we will also be sending out a flyer again a challenge for me; my realization is in both cases I’m out of my depth.

My aim is to increase the school visits in the local area, it was nice during the holidays to have some of the children I’ve visited shout out “Hare Krishna” much to the amusement of the parents which has actually led to some interesting conversations and Yes they took a book; but again my realization is that I’m lacking key skills and organization in this it could be much better.

Looking more closely at the seva done at The Manor there is a desire to increase which is always a fine balancing act between that of the needs of work and that of spiritual progression; and in many ways I’ve been fortunate in getting the extra time off for community/school visits and monthly visits to the Manor which is negotiated at the start of each year. And so looking and planning for next year’s negotiations which we will enter into in December, this means that as in the past two years my visits to the Manor will be agreed and I’m hoping to be able to continue with those wonderful early morning transfers.

But more so the time pondering has reminded me of the importance of reading, listening to Srila Prabhupada’s tapes, taking association of devotees and diligent and attentive chanting.

I hope that you’ve also enjoyed the postings I’ve put up on behalf of HG Parsharam Das theirs been some amazing videos to view along with a small story behind them and HG Vicaru Das which always includes wonderful passages to reflect on. It is nice to have to wonderful devotees sending me such wonderful e-mails and engaging me in such an amazing way.

I’m also sure it gives good balance to my blog. And pray that by the loving care of the devotees I will be around and continuing making good progress for many many years to come.

TEXAS FAITH 109: Would you want to live to 120 years old?
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

Would you want to live forever?

Okay, maybe not forever. But what do you think about what’s called “radical life extension?”

The Pew Research Religion and Public Life Project recently polled Americans about how they feel about efforts to keep people living well past 100. Not so surprisingly, the answers broke down into different categories when the researchers looked at this question by religious group.

For example, more than 50 percent of white evangelicals, white mainline Protestants and white Catholics thought “radical life extension” was a bad thing. But more than 50 percent of black Protestants thought it was a good thing. And 49 percent of those who believe in an after-life also thought this was good.

To me, that latter finding was the most interesting part of the survey. More people who believe in an after-life liked the concept than those who don’t believe in an after-life. (Fifty-eight percent of the latter thought extending life up to 120 years or so is not a good thing.)

So, what do you think of “radical life extension?”

Are we “cheating death” as the title of an Atlantic piece suggests? Or are we merely availing ourselves of all the advancements in science and medical technology?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

I am sorry to say, but this is a scam, a post-dated check and a grant plea.

The science community would like us to believe that they can solve all problems of life including the major ones such as death, disease, and old age. This is much like the Ford horseless carriage advertisements of the 1900s that claimed automobiles could solve America’s pollution problem. It would rid the streets of horse manure. Yet still people will invest and despite scientific advancements the death rate in America remains a steady 100%.

Back to the question. In the ancient Śrīmad Bhāgavatam it is stated. “What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.”

This material world is like a hotel. When staying overnight at a hotel a wise person does not remodel his room. Similarly those who are wise to not try to make permanent plans to stay in the temporary material world. They are invested in the eternal for they are eternal. That which is eternal can never be satisfied with the temporary.

This issue of chasing after the temporary goes back to the root problem of life: People misidentify the self/soul with this temporary ever changing material body, this is called ignorance.

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

extra comments:

"49 percent of those who believe in an after-life also thought this was good."
I would like to add in regards to this excerpt. That most people who believe in the afterlife do not have a very clear picture as to what it is. If you were ask those believers what exactly is the afterlife like? What does that place look like? How do you spend your time there? What are the relationship between the various persons who are there and what exactly is one's relationship with God there? Would most people be able to answer?
Therefore because most religious people do not have scriptural details of the afterlife it would seem better to invest in that which we know something about, this life. It is like spending money to go on a vacation to an unknown destination.

It is like the bird who is afraid to leave his cage (the temporary body) because it is fearful of what is beyond the cage.