Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Remembering this catchy melody sung by a local sadhu who arrived with his friends upon the invitation by His Holiness Sacinandana Swami at Govinda Kunda near Varshana (India) in Dec 2012.
More at : https://www.youtube.com/user/9Days8Nights
From Manoj
My newest book is now available in print and Kindle editions!
To Dance in the Downpour of Devotion
A Summary Study of Mādhurya Kādambinī
Exactly following Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakur’sMadhurya Kadambini, this book provides an inspirational and practical guide to each step along the road from ignorance to bliss. It vividly and enticingly describes each of the 9 progressive stages of developing divine love, prema-bhakti.
It is written in clear, simple, no-nonsense English.
From Manoj
Here is an interesting video from the Bon Jovi gang trying out the much anticipated Google Glass product. You can see the world from their view point (on stage).
While watching it, I was thinking how cool it would be if our “harinamers” (devotees singing in the streets) had a pair and recorded their street activity for the world to see? I am sure it would hit the world news!
More info on Google Glass here – http://www.google.com/glass/start/
H.H. Jayadvaita Swami Srimad Bhagavatam Introduction Lesson 7. ISKCON Leicester 29.6.13
When we come to know that Krishna is everywhere, we may naturally wonder: “Why can’t I perceive him everywhere or, for that matter, anywhere?”
The answer, Gita wisdom says, lies in nature. We are by nature spiritual, but at present our desire to enjoy material things has placed us in material nature. To help us experiment with material things, we have been given a material mind-body apparatus. This psychophysical mechanism works under subtle but strong forces of material nature known as modes that provide roadways for the traffic of consciousness between the spiritual and the material.
As we wish to enjoy material things, the modes direct our consciousness towards those things, thereby concealing spiritual reality, including the supreme spiritual reality, Krishna, as the Bhagavad-gita (07.13) indicates. Though the modes conceal Krishna, they don’t contain him; in fact, he contains them, as the previous verse (07.12) categorically asserts. The implications of this statement are enlightening and empowering.
Enlightening because Krishna’s perceptions, motivations and actions are not conditioned by the modes, as are ours. He always acts only out of pure spiritual love, never out of material desire. He has none of the deficiencies and defects that mar all the persons we know. Thus, he is an entirely different kind of person – omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent. He is eminently, supremely lovable.
Empowering because Krishna being the master of the modes is the director of the director of the traffic of our consciousness. When we show him our sincere desire to love him, he intervenes in the traffic. He reveals the beauty of his names, words, Deities and other such accessible manifestations. By thus attracting us to these specific manifestations, he empowers us to see beyond the covering of the modes. Gradually, we start perceiving his endearing, enlivening presence everywhere.
***
07.13 - Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.
Question:
I was telling my friends that rains come due to kirtan and an atheist snapped back, "Now we are having too much rains, so that means you have done too much kirtans. So please stop it." How should I respond?
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 July 2013, Vrndavan, India, Bhagavad-gita 14.22 – 25)
Devotional service itself is the means to become absorbed. So, Gaudiya vaisnavas do not need to spend so much exercise in trying to control the senses. Therefore, Gaudiyas are not putting so much emphasis on austerity or renunciation. It is said that austerity and renunciation are preliminary activities. They are actually not directly part of bhakti. They are not one of the sixty-four limbs of bhakti.
One can be as renounced as one wants but it does not in any way increase our love of God. So one can fast very, very rigidly but that in itself is not bringing us love of God. Therefore our fasting is simply to create space for hearing and chanting. That’s it! If on these fasting days, we are not getting absorbed in hearing and chanting, then there is very little benefit to the austerity in terms of trying to make the mind neutral. Because if by such a technique, of austerity or renunciation, that one is trying to make the mind neutral, still the roots of the material enjoyment have not been removed.
kecit kevalaya bhaktya
vasudeva-parayanah
agham dhunvanti kartsnyena
niharam iva bhaskarah (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.15)
Only by devotional service, are the roots of material enjoyment actually removed. Otherwise, as we see in the fifteenth chapter (of Bhagavad-gita), the description of the banyan tree of material existence - it says that all our material activities, all these different activities become branches and this is the network that we build-up called our life. So many things we are doing and all that creates a huge network of activities and the fruits of those activities. So, one can minimize the fruits of these activities by renunciation, by tyaga, give them up. One can minimize his involvement in endeavouring for such activities by tapasya.
“No, I will not do it. Cushion comfortable? No, I will not take it, better sit on the hard floor. It’s all right.” That kind of mood will diminish the plant. That will diminish all the branches and the fruits of our activity but it will not cut the roots at all. It will only cut the plant and the roots still stay in the garden. And again, again… with time, another plant with many branches will re-emerge. That is the nature of it…
That is why we understand that devotional service is completely different, agham dhunvanti kartsnyena niharam iva bhaskarah, it destroys that root because it gives us something so much more wonderful, so much more wonderful that one let’s go naturally; when we are appreciating Krsna then who cares about all these material things!
Few Sundays ago we had a very nice visit from 2 members of the band, the 3 Kings. On a USA tour, these fellows are out to bring about a revolution in consciousness to Christ Consciousness. Their aim is to bring back positive messages back in the hip-hop scene with God-hop. The hip-hop scene for over the past decade has been dominated materialistic and egoistic material. The 3 Kings work on overcoming this negativity by bringing in non dogmatic God appreciation, the most positive element.
Some of their songs are Sadhana, and Darshan, and they can be seen on their album cover sporting japa beads. Hare Krishna!
All TKG Academy students are required to wear a uniforms and uniform patch with the TKG Academy logo. Here is the detailed information on what and where to buy. Please read the information carefully. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher, or Melanie Kelley, Communications Director.
Girls’ Uniforms* (Monday to Thursday)
* With the exception of the navy blue Punjabi pants, all of the above can be purchased in the School Uniform Shop at www.walmart.com. You may purchase school uniform items at any other location you find convenient. We ask that the purchases reflect the styles found at Walmart.com.
Recommended footwear: Clogs, tennis shoes, sandals. We do not recommend students wear flip flops or shoes with high heels.
Friday Devotional Clothing: Gopi skirts or saris. Please contact us if you need any help finding these items for your child.
Recommended P.E. Clothes: sweat pants, track pants, shorts longer than fingertips, T-shirts and sweatshirts
Boys’ Uniforms ** (Monday – Thursday)
** All of the above can be purchased in the School Uniform Shop at www.walmart.com. You may purchase school uniform items at any other location you find convenient. We ask that the
purchases reflect the styles found at Walmart.com.
Recommended Footwear: Clogs, tennis shoes, sandals. We do not recommend students wear flip flops or shoes with high heels.
Friday Devotional Clothing: Kurta with dhoti or yoga pants. Please contact us if you need any help finding these items for your child.
Recommended P.E. Clothes: sweat pants, track pants, shorts longer than fingertips, T-shirts and sweatshirts
Uniform Patches:
Here are pictures of the location of the patch and examples of Girls and Boys Uniforms.
Evening program in Budapest.
BY LAKSHMAN PODDAR
MALACCA - ISKCON Malacca at Malaysia celebrated the boat festival on 27th July 2013.
Significance of boat festival
The boat festival marks the symbolic event occurred between Radha and Krishna before 5000 years at Rajghat in River Yamuna. The Gopis often carried the milk products from Vrindavana and sold at Mathura to earn their living. The event was artfully portrayed in the Bhakti Ratnakara (sloka 1700-1712) when Raghav Pandita was describing the pastimes of the Lord to Srinivasa Acharya, Narottama Das Thakura and Shyamananda Prabhu during in Vraja-parikrama. Raghava Pandita says: See this place with beautiful spots, where Nanda Kumara (Krishna) always wanders. Let us discuss the glorious pastimes of the expansions of Lord such as Krishna, Balarama and Narasimhadeva. Reaching the banks of Yamuna, Srinivasa Acharya says, “Krishna started the boat festival from this Raj Ghat with the beautiful Radha and Her associates to cross the River carrying pots of milk products. See the amazingly beautiful face of Krishna. On the riverside remained Krishna on a worn out boat. Radha and Her associates urged to Krishna, “Please take us to the other side of River Yamuna.” Krishna rowed them down to some distance with great pleasure. Let us describe Krishna’s playful pastimes with them.”
When the old boat floated in violent waters, the Gopis said, “You are troubling we young girls. O Madhava, You reap the seed of all troubles and You alone can make us cross this River.” Krishna said, “All food you carry will be drowned. Please throw away all you carry in water including your unwanted clothing.” Even at this dreadful moment, Krishna was cutting jokes at the Gopis and clapped hands showing no worries. The Gopis said, “We desperately throw water from the sinking boat with our bare hands. Even if we escape from here, we will not surrender to You.”
The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) is not another preaching center, but is actually Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhus home.
The fulfillment of the desire of visionaries, saints and incarnations from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu down to Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the TOVP is a unique and ambitious project to make the vast culture and philosophy of the timeless Vedic tradition accessible to everyone. It will be a shining beacon to all aspiring spiritualists who are searching for answers to the questions of life.
Please join us on Saturday or Sunday to hear all about it.
From Manoj
HH Indradyumna swami 2011 Brazil
Our bad habits, our attachments to base material things, are often extremely difficult to give up. The resulting struggle may raise the question: “I am a soul who being conscious am superior to unconscious matter. How then can inferior matter bind me?”
Because our consciousness is captivated by inferior desires, answers Gita wisdom.
The Bhagavad-gita (13.22) indicates that we become entangled in matter due to the desire to enjoy material things (karanam guna-sangasya). This desire disconnects our consciousness from the spiritual reality to which we belong, thereby depriving us of the unending happiness we relish there in loving Krishna. We cannot live without happiness. When we lose our link to spiritual fulfillment, the urge for happiness propels our consciousness to control matter according to various culturally-induced fantasies with the hope of gaining happiness.
However, all material things are ephemeral, whereas our longing for happiness is perennial. That’s why the enjoyment from manipulating matter can never substitute for the fulfillment from reciprocating love with Krishna. Though we feel dissatisfied, we unfortunately misdiagnose its cause: “I haven’t been able to control matter well enough. Let me get the really good material things that I haven't yet got. Then I will enjoy.” This false hope makes us seek pleasure more fervently in the very matter that has taken us away from pleasure. Thus, the more we desire to bring matter under our captivity, the more we go into its captivity.
The way to freedom is through detachment, as the Gita (15.03: asanga) indicates. This detachment becomes easier to cultivate when we complement it by cultivating attachment to Krishna, for that restores our access to devotional joyfulness.
When we practice devotional service diligently and let ourselves become captivated by Krishna’s beauty, then matter can no longer captivate us.
***
15.03 - The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment.
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“One should practice bhakti-yoga with firm determination and faith and not be disturbed if there is a little delay in achieving the desired goal. In Srila Prabhupada’s commentary he quotes the verse:
utsahan niscayad dhairyat
tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato vritteh
shadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati
We have to be enthusiastic, and we have to be determined and patient. As we patiently chant the holy name — like we were doing tonight, it was wonderful. If you just let yourself be absorbed in the holy name, it is vey nice. We will get that higher taste. The higher taste comes slowly but surely. We just need to be patient. Patience is something that takes a little time to develop. And the determination — dridha-vrata — is only to chant the holy names of the Lord constantly.” — Rtadhvaja Swami
From Rupa Gaura P
If that Lanka was on another plane as you told in your answer, how is it that we see the Rama setu still there in the sea, from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka? Is it that just as size of people decrease in subsequent yugas, the earth itself shrinks, and so the distances too reduce?
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 June 2013, Vrndavana, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.16.34)
In the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, the word for mercy is prasad. Every time you read the word mercy, it means prasad. Of course, it is an advanced stage where everything becomes prasad. You have to be quite advanced to appreciate everything as prasad. We are still kind of selective.
So by the mercy of the Lord, gradually we appreciate that the mercy of the Lord is at the centre of everything, because the mercy is his love. His beauty is simply another aspect of his mercy, of his love and of his nature to capture. So behind it is all his love and mercy actually.
Everyone requires possessions such as food grains, clothing, money and other things necessary for the maintenance of the body, but one should not collect more than necessary for his actual basic needs. If this natural principle is followed, there will be no difficulty in maintaining the body.
