When cows are souls who were cow-killers in their past life, why is killing them considered so sinful?
Why do we glorify George Harrison so much when he was not chanting 16 rounds or following the regulative principles?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
SB 8.3.5 Let the darkness around become the impetus to seek the undiminishing light
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Do we need to chant 25 rounds on Ekadashi?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Spiritual irresponsibility plunges us into an ocean of reproachment
→ The Spiritual Scientist
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.
Visiting Sri Vrndavana Dham
→ KKS Blog
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, Mah
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.
Visiting Sri Vrndavana Dham
→ KKS Blog
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, Mah
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.
Visiting Sri Vrindavan Dham
→ KKS Blog
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, Mah
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.
22 July 2013 – Guru (Vyasa) Purnima
→ ISKCON Desire Tree
22 July 2013 – Disappearance Day of Sanatana Goswami
→ ISKCON Desire Tree
22 July 2013 – Guru (Vyasa) Purnima
→ ISKCON Desire Tree
22 July 2013 – Disappearance Day of Sanatana Goswami
→ ISKCON Desire Tree
THE AIM OF LIFE
→ Gita Coaching
http://vedabase.com/en/bg/2/2
THE AIM OF LIFE
→ GITA COACHING
http://vedabase.com/en/bg/2/2
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:54:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:50:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:48:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:46:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:45:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:43:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:33:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2013-07-19 13:30:00 →
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
Detroit Becomes Largest US City to File for Bankruptcy
→ ISKCON Malaysia
BY GOLOKA CANDRA DASA
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.
Detroit in decline
- Population has shrunk from a peak of 2 million in the 1950s to 713,000 today
- Highest violent crime rate of any major US city, with 15,245 reported incidents in 2011
- Some 78,000 abandoned and blighted buildings
- 40% of street lights do not work
- Only a third of the city's ambulances are in service
- Just 53% of owners paid their 2011 property taxes
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.
Only One Day Left until New Vrindaban Ratha Yatra
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
Balaram Jayanti on Wednesday 21st August 2013
→ The Hare Krishna Movement
Always be Krishna Conscious
→ HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami
Temple of The Vedic Planetarium Update
→ ISKCON Melbourne, AU

The team writes, "The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is not another preaching center, but actually Mahaprabhu's home...2016 is ISKCON's 50th anniversary and we would like to complete this temple and offer this to Prabhupada as our collective Guru Dakshina to him: gratitude for giving us this wonderful ISKCON society for the last 50 years."
You can read more at TOVP.org.
Mahavishnu Swami Morning Lecture Before Gothenburg Ratha Yatra
→ Gouranga TV - The Hare Krishna video collection
Mahavishnu Swami Morning Lecture Before Gothenburg Ratha Yatra
324. 15 sec cooking video : Quick mixed rice and spinach dish
→ 9 Days, 8 Nights
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.

15.15 – Krishna’s inner presence is to coach us, not catch us
→ The Spiritual Scientist
“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.
SB 8.3.4 Philosphical contemplation on the Lord’s position stabilizes our inner position
→ The Spiritual Scientist
How can we ensure that honest communication doesn’t become Vaishnva apradh?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
From Aravind P
The Green Wheeling Initiative
→ The Yoga of Ecology
West Virginia is hurdling towards local foods. The day is coming when grocery store shelves will be stocked with blueberries from Beckley rather than Beijing. Kudos to the ag. economists, policy makers in state government, NGO think tanks (like The Hub) and the growing numbers of pioneer-spirited, small scale farmers and gardeners statewide. That's the good news.
Now the bad news. Most West Virginians aren't paying attention. They reside in urban and rural food deserts where affordable healthy food is out-of reach. They suffer from junk food malnutrition, buy inexpensive processed food, drink large amounts of soda and are reducing their life expectancy. Their diseases--chiefly diabetes and obesity--are not preventable without lifestyle change from the bottom-up.Simply stated, the local foods movement is out-flanked and out-financed by the titans of the fast food industry. Following Big Tobacco's lead, fast food advertising is targeting youth, the poor and the uninformed. No number of feasibility studies or private foundation grants can usher-in a local food economy from the top down. Why? Because the food choices and self destructive eating addictions that drive West Virginia's health crises are the result of policies favoring commodity-based agriculture over community-based agriculture. It currently takes approximately 25 acres of land to satisfy the average West Virginian's appetite for an animal-centric diet.Our vision of the future? Home economics classes returning to the public school curricula. Small scale organic "farmetts" dotting the suburban, city and small town horizons. Food mentors, not armed guards, in every school, every day-care and every housing project with the skills to teach every child the basics of a healthy-food lifestyle.
Our mission is to build a local food production and distribution system that saves energy, creates jobs and circulates more money into the local economy. We partner with local farmers, community gardeners, schools and businesses to make fresh food available and easily available. We are Wheeling's green future.
The Green Wheeling Initiative
→ The Yoga of Ecology
West Virginia is hurdling towards local foods. The day is coming when grocery store shelves will be stocked with blueberries from Beckley rather than Beijing. Kudos to the ag. economists, policy makers in state government, NGO think tanks (like The Hub) and the growing numbers of pioneer-spirited, small scale farmers and gardeners statewide. That's the good news.
Now the bad news. Most West Virginians aren't paying attention. They reside in urban and rural food deserts where affordable healthy food is out-of reach. They suffer from junk food malnutrition, buy inexpensive processed food, drink large amounts of soda and are reducing their life expectancy. Their diseases--chiefly diabetes and obesity--are not preventable without lifestyle change from the bottom-up.Simply stated, the local foods movement is out-flanked and out-financed by the titans of the fast food industry. Following Big Tobacco's lead, fast food advertising is targeting youth, the poor and the uninformed. No number of feasibility studies or private foundation grants can usher-in a local food economy from the top down. Why? Because the food choices and self destructive eating addictions that drive West Virginia's health crises are the result of policies favoring commodity-based agriculture over community-based agriculture. It currently takes approximately 25 acres of land to satisfy the average West Virginian's appetite for an animal-centric diet.Our vision of the future? Home economics classes returning to the public school curricula. Small scale organic "farmetts" dotting the suburban, city and small town horizons. Food mentors, not armed guards, in every school, every day-care and every housing project with the skills to teach every child the basics of a healthy-food lifestyle.
Our mission is to build a local food production and distribution system that saves energy, creates jobs and circulates more money into the local economy. We partner with local farmers, community gardeners, schools and businesses to make fresh food available and easily available. We are Wheeling's green future.
Is the Buddha mentioned in the Bhagavatam different from the historical Buddha?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
From Hari Katha P:
Thank you for your nice reply but some where I feel the answer is still missed that whether Lord Buddha's mention was prophecy or history. In this regard, I have done little research and found that According to Srila Jiva goswami- the present known Buddha is not the same Lord Buddha mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam (purport of Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.37). The actual lord Buddha appeared in different kali yuga.There are three types of Buddha. the prince Siddharth Gautam (Gautam title from gautam rishi kul) obtained "buddhatva" through meditation. I have even more references from Madhvacharya and Gaudiya Sampradaya. If you permit I can post it or send to your e mail.
Daily Class – Gangesvara Prabhu
→ ISKCON Melbourne, AU
How and Who decides that the involvement in the stock markt is cautious and won’t effect the mind?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
From Ashutosh P
How and Who decides that the involvement in the stock market is cautious and won't effect the mind? I can get involved thinking I am quite careful but in reality it may be just opposite. So how to define it??
Remaining fixed
→ KKS Blog
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 April 2013, Stockholm, Sweden, Bhagavad-gita 10.9)
Nothing could ever distract the mind of Prahlada. Prahlada always remained fixed on the Supreme Lord, even in difficulty. It is said that at one point, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his father, did not like that Prahlada was becoming a devotee and showing interest in Krsna and so on. Therefore, his father took action against him and decided that it was time to remove this ‘poisonous element’ from his family. Just as a rotten tooth has to be pulled out – it is a little painful but it must be done. Therefore, Hiraṇyakaśipu decided that Prahlada needed to be eliminated and tried various ways to do so. One of the ways was to throw Prahlada into a pit of snakes! Prahlada passed that test of being in the pit with snakes in an amazing way. Prahlada was never for a moment distracted. Never for a moment was Prahlada distracted from remembering the Supreme Lord!
Now, any of us also might also remember Krsna when we are in a pit of snakes but our mood might be different to that of Prahlada. We might also be chanting but probably out of total fear! Once I had that experience myself on a tiny little plane which had a nickname The cigar. I was on the cigar, flying, and we had bad weather. And that plane was thrown to the sky like anything! It was a one-hour flight and I chanted sixteen rounds in that hour. I never did that again but I did on that plane – sixteen rounds in one hour! I mean I was so scared!
But Prahlada was transcendental. Prahlada was not affected. And therefore, Prahlada left his destiny entirely on the Supreme Lord. If he was meant to die by snakebite then let it be so as that is the desire of the Lord!
Remaining fixed
→ KKS Blog
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 April 2013, Stockholm, Sweden, Bhagavad-gita 10.9)
Nothing could ever distract the mind of Prahlada. Prahlada always remained fixed on the Supreme Lord, even in difficulty. It is said that at one point, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his father, did not like that Prahlada was becoming a devotee and showing interest in Krsna and so on. Therefore, his father took action against him and decided that it was time to remove this ‘poisonous element’ from his family. Just as a rotten tooth has to be pulled out – it is a little painful but it must be done. Therefore, Hiraṇyakaśipu decided that Prahlada needed to be eliminated and tried various ways to do so. One of the ways was to throw Prahlada into a pit of snakes! Prahlada passed that test of being in the pit with snakes in an amazing way. Prahlada was never for a moment distracted. Never for a moment was Prahlada distracted from remembering the Supreme Lord!
Now, any of us also might also remember Krsna when we are in a pit of snakes but our mood might be different to that of Prahlada. We might also be chanting but probably out of total fear! Once I had that experience myself on a tiny little plane which had a nickname The cigar. I was on the cigar, flying, and we had bad weather. And that plane was thrown to the sky like anything! It was a one-hour flight and I chanted sixteen rounds in that hour. I never did that again but I did on that plane – sixteen rounds in one hour! I mean I was so scared!
But Prahlada was transcendental. Prahlada was not affected. And therefore, Prahlada left his destiny entirely on the Supreme Lord. If he was meant to die by snakebite then let it be so as that is the desire of the Lord!