Planet ISKCON

His Holiness Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami visiting New Zealand from Saturday 10th- Monday 12th August 2013, please join us to gain wealth of transcendental knowledge and bliss..

“Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura shows us extraordinary determination. We see that even in the life of such a great devotee, empowered with Gaura shakti, still the material world is no rose garden — although we long for it to be so. We hope, in our neophyte mentality, that by our performing bhakti Krishna will make the material world nice. It seems an appropriate trade, yes? As Srila Prabhupada explains in the seventh canto in relation to when Lord Nrsimhadeva offered Prahlada Maharaja benedictions, the desire for the fulfillment of one’s lusty desires in exchange for one’s devotional service is quite common. So, we can take that to heart. What would we have done facing the obstacles that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura faced? We might have just accused Krishna, ‘Why have You let this happen to me? What is this? I have taken up the process of bhakti, and now look.’” — Devamrita Swami

Vaisesika Dasa
Devamrita Swami
Giriraj Swami

From: Meenal Manikantan

Is it ok to ask for a specific wish in our prayers, like good conduct of your wards, good health and devotional inclination of your family?

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From Sushant:

Isn't it unfair?Aren't we neglecting the basics of humanity for the sake of our spiritual advancement?

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From Manoj P

The father, spiritual master or husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death.

Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.18 purport

After the Czech summer camp, Kadamba Kanana Swami paid a visit to the holy land of India, more precisely to the topmost of holy places, Sri Vrndavana Dham. It was for just under a week, so the stay was short but still fully transcendental. On almost a daily basis, Maharaja participated in the 24 hour kirtan. Enthusiastic young devotees, whose only service is to be present in the kirtan for at least six hours a day in order to keep the continuous chanting alive, anticipated in the five o’clock slots, hoping for Maharaja to show up and to share in his ecstatic kirtans. And he did! For your pleasure, recordings of all these kirtans are available below for download.

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part I – 27 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part II – 27 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part III – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part IV – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part V – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part VI – 30 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part VII – 30 june 2013 in Vrndavana

Apart from leading kirtan, Maharaja presented several lectures: a Bhagavatam class, a talk based on the Bhagavad-gita that was given in Prabhupada’s quarters and a lecture to the resident brahmacaries to inspire their path in spiritual life and to fix them in strictly following the principles of brahmacarya. To the 24 hour kirtan party, Maharaja gave a talk in Aindra Prabhu’s quarters in the brahmacari ashram, stressing the importance of deep absorption in chanting and serving the holy name of the Lord. Since a group of young students from Delhi were visiting the Krsna-Balarama mandir, Maharaja took the opportunity to address them and help them understand the importance of following the path back to Godhead. All these classes can also be found and downloaded below by right-clicking on the title and “save target as”.

KKS – Brahmacari Class – 28 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – S.B. 4.29.51 – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – Talk in Aindra’s room – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – Student Talk – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – B.G. 14.22-25 – 02 July 2013 in Vrndavana

Further to his preaching efforts, Maharaja took many walks in the area around the temple and paid visits to devotee friends. The whole stay is captured in a slide-show below. In case you cannot view it then just visit flickr.

After the Czech summer camp, Kadamba Kanana Swami paid a visit to the holy land of India, more precisely to the topmost of holy places, Sri Vrndavana Dham. It was for just under a week, so the stay was short but still fully transcendental. On almost a daily basis, Maharaja participated in the 24 hour kirtan. Enthusiastic young devotees, whose only service is to be present in the kirtan for at least six hours a day in order to keep the continuous chanting alive, anticipated in the five o’clock slots, hoping for Maharaja to show up and to share in his ecstatic kirtans. And he did! For your pleasure, recordings of all these kirtans are available below for download.

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part I – 27 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part II – 27 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part III – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part IV – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part V – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part VI – 30 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part VII – 30 june 2013 in Vrndavana

Apart from leading kirtan, Maharaja presented several lectures: a Bhagavatam class, a talk based on the Bhagavad-gita that was given in Prabhupada’s quarters and a lecture to the resident brahmacaries to inspire their path in spiritual life and to fix them in strictly following the principles of brahmacarya. To the 24 hour kirtan party, Maharaja gave a talk in Aindra Prabhu’s quarters in the brahmacari ashram, stressing the importance of deep absorption in chanting and serving the holy name of the Lord. Since a group of young students from Delhi were visiting the Krsna-Balarama mandir, Maharaja took the opportunity to address them and help them understand the importance of following the path back to Godhead. All these classes can also be found and downloaded below by right-clicking on the title and “save target as”.

KKS – Brahmacari Class – 28 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – S.B. 4.29.51 – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – Talk in Aindra’s room – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – Student Talk – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – B.G. 14.22-25 – 02 July 2013 in Vrndavana

Further to his preaching efforts, Maharaja took many walks in the area around the temple and paid visits to devotee friends. The whole stay is captured in a slide-show below. In case you cannot view it then just visit flickr.

After the Czech summer camp, Kadamba Kanana Swami paid a visit to the holy land of India, more precisely to the topmost of holy places, Sri Vrndavana Dham. It was for just under a week, so the stay was short but still fully transcendental. On almost a daily basis, Maharaja participated in the 24 hour kirtan. Enthusiastic young devotees, whose only service is to be present in the kirtan for at least six hours a day in order to keep the continuous chanting alive, anticipated in the five o’clock slots, hoping for Maharaja to show up and to share in his ecstatic kirtans. And he did! For your pleasure, recordings of all these kirtans are available below for download.

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part I – 27 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part II – 27 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part III – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part IV – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part V – 29 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part VI – 30 june 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – 24-h kirtana Part VII – 30 june 2013 in Vrndavana

Apart from leading kirtan, Maharaja presented several lectures: a Bhagavatam class, a talk based on the Bhagavad-gita that was given in Prabhupada’s quarters and a lecture to the resident brahmacaries to inspire their path in spiritual life and to fix them in strictly following the principles of brahmacarya. To the 24 hour kirtan party, Maharaja gave a talk in Aindra Prabhu’s quarters in the brahmacari ashram, stressing the importance of deep absorption in chanting and serving the holy name of the Lord. Since a group of young students from Delhi were visiting the Krsna-Balarama mandir, Maharaja took the opportunity to address them and help them understand the importance of following the path back to Godhead. All these classes can also be found and downloaded below by right-clicking on the title and “save target as”.

KKS – Brahmacari Class – 28 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – S.B. 4.29.51 – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – Talk in Aindra’s room – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – Student Talk – 30 June 2013 in Vrndavana

KKS – B.G. 14.22-25 – 02 July 2013 in Vrndavana

Further to his preaching efforts, Maharaja took many walks in the area around the temple and paid visits to devotee friends. The whole stay is captured in a slide-show below. In case you cannot view it then just visit flickr.

BY GOLOKA CANDRA DASA

ORIGINAL ARTICLE 

KUALA LUMPUR - Industrialised cities and factories are the opposite of what Srila Prabhupada desired and preached: "Simple Living, HighThinking". Srila Prabhupada said that these cities and factories would be eventually finished and he wanted the devotees to undertake farming and cow protection, and teach the people how to live on the land and practice Krishna-consciousness. Unfortunately too many of our members themselves are entangled in working in factories etc to even think about changing that kind of life. Perhaps they will be jolted to think out of the box by news like this, that Detroit, one of America's biggest and most industrialised cities, has gone bankrupt and its people are moving away in droves to re-settle elsewhere. It serves to remind us that it is always better to put our faith in Srila Prabhupada's instructions than in the mundane material system. Hare Krishna!

Detroit has lost a quarter of a million residents in the past decade. Continue reading the main story

The US city of Detroit in Michigan has become the largest American city ever to file for bankruptcy, with debts of at least $15bn (£10bn).

State-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr asked a federal judge to place the city into bankruptcy protection.

If approved, he would be allowed to liquidate city assets to satisfy creditors and pensions.

Detroit stopped unsecured-debt payments last month to keep the city running as Mr Orr negotiated with creditors.

He proposed a deal last month in which creditors would accept 10 cents on the dollar of what they were owed. Mr Orr suggested at the time there was a 50-50 chance of the city needing to file for bankruptcy.

In a letter accompanying Thursday's filing, Michigan's Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, said he had approved the request from Mr Orr to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.

Gov Snyder said: "Only one feasible path offers a way out," adding that residents needed a clear exit from the "cycle of ever decreasing services".

"The only way to do those things is to radically restructure the city and allow it to reinvent itself without the burden of impossible obligations.

"It is clear that the financial emergency in Detroit cannot be successfully addressed outside of such a filing, and it is the only reasonable alternative that is available".

Mr Orr has said that the city's long-term debt could actually be between $17bn and $20bn.

The former manufacturing powerhouse's finances have struggled for some time, driven by a number of factors, including a steep population loss.

The city government has also been hit by a string of corruption scandals over the years.

Declining investment in street lights and emergency services have made it difficult to police the city.

The city lost 250,000 residents between 2000-10.

The countdown is almost over!

Tomorrow is New Vrindaban’s annual Ratha Yatra Ceremony.

It starts at 11 A.M. at Vani and Rupanuga’s house and will end up at the temple for a big kirtan and vegetarian feast.

See you there!

Sri Sri Radha Giridhari Jhulana Yatra Starts from Saturday 17th  - Wednesday 21st August with celebration of Balaram Jayanti on Wednesday 21st August

Mahavishnu Swami Morning Lecture Before Gothenburg Ratha Yatra

1. Cook White rice and keep it aside
2. Have some raw corn, green peas and spinach ready
3. Heat pan with some oil
4. Crackle black mustard seeds
5. Add Hing
6. Add Turmeric
7. Add the 3 veggies and cook (don’t overcook and make it all mushy!)
8. Towards the end, throw in the cooked rice along with salt
9. Add butter too – it’s good !
10. Serve with crispy poppadums if you have any.

Takes about 10 mins to make.

“Krishna is present in my heart. That means he has the best vantage point to catch all the wrongs that I do.” If such fears bother us, that’s usually because we have mistakenly divorced Krishna’s inner presence from his overall purpose.

Such a mistake may happen because we may carry into our devotional life past conceptions of God as a strict judge. Or we may project on to Krishna our past unpleasant experiences with a nagging elder.

To prevent such misconceptions, Gita wisdom integrates the fact of Krishna’s indwelling presence into an endearing vision of God as the supremely loving and lovable person. Krishna loves us so much that he descends repeatedly for inviting us to his personal abode for a life of eternal love. And he share Gita wisdom to explain the supreme glory of divine love and the ultimate futility of everything else.

To help us assimilate this message of love he becomes our constant inner companion, as the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) indicates. His purpose is not to catch us when we do wrong, but to coach us for doing right. He desires the best for us – even more than we desire it for ourselves. The only catching he looks forward to do is to protect us when we fall,  just as a loving parent expertly catches a beloved child who is about to fall.

He coaches us through flashes of inspiration and through the voice of conscience regularly. More importantly, when we show him our intention to love him, he transforms life into a living classroom wherein the events of daily life become demonstrations of spiritual truths.

Life with such a loving coach is a life of ever-growing wisdom and ever-deepening devotion – a life worth cherishing, not at all a life worth fearing.

***

I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

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From Aravind P

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