Narsimha Caturdasi – This Friday!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

Festival season continues with Narsimha Caturdasi on Friday, May 24th 2013. This festival marks the appearance day of Lord Narsimhadeva, Krishna's half-man half-lion incarnation who appeared in order to protect the saintly child Prahlada who was being tormented by his father, Hiranyakashipu.

On Friday, May 24th, Toronto's Hare Krishna Centre will be celebrating Narsimha Caturdasi, starting at 6pm and will include an abhisheka (bathing ceremony) and amazing kirtan!

Schedule (subject to change):

6:00pm - 6:30pm: Kirtan (Arati)
6:30pm - 6:40pm: Welcome and Announcements
6:40pm - 7:25pm: Discourse on Lord Narsimhadeva
7:25pm - 8:00pm: Abhisheka (Bathing Ceremony)
8:00pm - 8:30pm: Kirtan (Arati)
8:30pm - onwards: Vegetarian Feast

Celebrations will include a special surprise so please join us on this auspicious occasion!

Planting Berry Bushes 101
→ Life With the Cows and Land




Springtime brings planting in the cow dung fertilized earth of ISCOWP farm. This year, besides vegetables, we are planting perennials of rose bushes, lilac bushes, berry bushes, lavender and even an almond tree. These plants are for the use of the ISCOWP staff but also to make products for our members and for sale to support ISCOWP's cow protection activities.

A little elementary instruction for a 4 year old and anyone who does not know much about planting is in this video.

Planting Berry Bushes 101
→ Life With the Cows and Land




Springtime brings planting in the cow dung fertilized earth of ISCOWP farm. This year, besides vegetables, we are planting perennials of rose bushes, lilac bushes, berry bushes, lavender and even an almond tree. These plants are for the use of the ISCOWP staff but also to make products for our members and for sale to support ISCOWP's cow protection activities.

A little elementary instruction for a 4 year old and anyone who does not know much about planting is in this video.

Higher Taste Restaurant
→ Ramai Swami

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The Wellington Temple Higher Taste Restaurant is in Willis Street in the Lampton Quay area. This is a very busy area of downtown, especially during lunchtime. It has been operating for over ten years and before that we had another restaurant just a few streets away.

Both these restaurants were started under the auspices of Jagjivan Prabhu, the Wellington temple president. There is a staff of 10 to 12 devotees working there in shifts between 11am and 9pm 6 days a week.

The menu is a fusion of western and Indian styles of food, which of course is offered to Their Lordships Gaura Nitai. I usually pop in for lunch when I’m in town and it’s always gratifying to see so many people enjoying the Lord’s tasty prasadam.

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Travel Journal#9.7: North Florida
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 9, No. 7
By Krishna-kripa das
(April 2013, part one
)
North Florida
(Sent from Dublin, Ireland, on May 17, 2013)

Where I Went and What I Did

The beginning of April was special for me with the visit of my friend Trevor, with whom I did harinamalast year in England, Scotland, Germany, and Poland, and kirtana programs in Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as traveled to the Ukraine festival and to Warsaw for Radhastami. He came with me to Tampa, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville, and really excelled at talking to the students, inviting them to programs, and interesting them in books about spiritual life. Eight devotees from Krishna House came to First Friday and a harinama at Springtime Tallahassee, and we had a great time sharing the holy name and spiritual books with others. New Raman Reti had their first holi festival (festival of colors), and it was very successful. I left Krishna House mid-month to go to New York City and ultimately to Europe, and I reflect on my experience at Krishna House this time.

In the matter of insights I share notes from my daily reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books, a beautiful prayer to Srila Prabhupada by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and notes from our classes in Krishna House on the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavatam, as we end the semester.

Thanks to Andrea Perez Del Solar, Tulasirani Devi Dasi, Krsodari Devi Dasi, Trevor Manton, Facebook User "Photo Is My Life," and whoever else I may have missed, for all the photos illustrating this issue

Tampa

Trevor came with me to Tampa this time, and we chanted and had a book table at the market day at the University of South Florida for five hours. Trevor, who is just a few years out of college, could easily relate to the students and speak to them about the limitations of the Western education he had experienced and encourage them to investigate Krishna consciousness. In Europe we had just chanted to together on the streets, but in Tampa I found he was very good at speaking to students and distributing books—five Bhagavad-gitas and about twenty small books for eighty dollars. Two people he spoke to came to our evening program behind the library, and one brought a friend. One Hispanic girl was very interested, and he talked to her for a while after the program. Also someone I talked to two weeks before came to the program for the first time. Thus in many ways our visit to Tampa was very successful, and Trevor was inspired by it.

Tallahassee First Friday and Harinamas

Enough of the Krishna House students were enthusiastic enough about First Friday in March that we returned to Tallahassee for the First Friday in April. In addition, we stayed over night and did a harinama with some local devotees and devotees from Alachua at the street fair after the Springtime Tallahassee parade, a parade that we did not participate in this year.


At First Friday Daru Brahma Prabhu and his helpers distributed lots of Krishna food.


Our party sang . . .

. . . and distributed books.


 In particular, Tulasirani Devi Dasi was very enthusiastic about book distribution.



I gave out invitations and talked to people who were looking at our kirtana party.

Hladini, a seventeen-year-old child of devotee parents, had some nice realizations. She was not feeling very well at all, but she distributed books anyway and transcended the pain. At one point, I noticed she got some people to sit down on the blanket and chant with us, and I later asked her how. She explained that she gave them a book but they had no donation and asked if there was anything they could do for her. She replied that they could sit down on the blanket and chant Hare Krishna with us, and so they did. Thus she distributed both a book and the holy name at once to those fortunate souls.

I missed over half of our Saturday harinama because one person forgot his drum, another forgot the invitations, and another suggested I get water for the party in the course of going back for the drum and finding the invitations. Thus a got sense of what you have to go through if you play the role of a leader of a party, something I rarely do.

The location was great for chanting. Many, many hundreds of people were wandering from one stall to another. Although there were dozens of Florida policeman guarding the event, miraculously none restricted our party of chanters with its amplified sound, and I was grateful about that. We visited a section set aside for children’ events, and several children took pleasure in watching and ultimately dancing with the devotees, generally to the approval of the parents. In fact, one mother we passed exclaimed to her two children, “They are such peaceful people!”

Daru Brahma Prabhu and the Tallahassee devotees served Ekadasi prasadam in a park at the end of the event, and my Krishna House friends returned to Gainesville, and Trevor and I stayed in Tallahassee to chant at Lake Ella on Sunday and the campus of Florida State University Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Trevor helped out by making some really great peanut butter cookies for distribution. He was so enthusiastic about chanting and talking with students and doing a book table, that on a couple days, he stayed out for two extra hours, past the three hours I generally do.

I had one nice experience myself there on the campus. One student had taken a small book the previous day and said she liked it. I asked which part she liked best. She described it, and I found the place in the book, and it was a part I also liked and I told her so. It is an excerpt from the Preface to The Nectar of Devotion, where Srila Prabhupada speaks about love:

The basic principle of the living condition is that we have a general propensity to love someone. No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in the human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can become happy. At the present moment the human society teaches one to love his country or family or his personal self, but there is no information where to repose the loving propensity so that everyone can become happy. That missing point is Krishna and The Nectar of Devotionteaches us how to stimulate our original love for Krishnaand how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life.

In the primary stage a child loves his parents, then his brothers and sisters, and as he daily grows up he begins to love his family, society, community, country, nation, or even the whole human society. But the loving propensity is not satisfied even by loving all human society; that loving propensity remains imperfectly fulfilled until we know who is the supreme beloved. Our love can be fully satisfied only when it is reposed in Krishna.”

Later another student was looking at the books, and I showed her that book and pointed to the same section of the book that the other girl had liked, and asked her to read it. She was attracted by Prabhupada’s description and took the book. I asked her for a donation, which I do not really like doing, but which Trevor was accustomed to doing, so I did it anyway, and she gave twenty dollars for a small book that people usually give a dollar for.

Trevor spent thirteen hours over the three days on the FSU campus, and he would invite people to our Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class and a special three-hour kirtana on Wednesday. As at Tampa, many students said they would come, but unlike Tampa, none of them did. I wondered why, and upon reflection, decided that because the Tampa program was on the campus itself, just behind the library, it was at a nearby and familiar place. Although our center in Tallahassee is just two and a half blocks from the campus, it was unknown and just a little inconvenient, and so none was willing to take the risk to come there. At Krishna House, I think we can learn a lesson from this. To reach more students we have to do some programs on the campus itself. Even though Krishna House is just three blocks from the University of Florida campus, we probably lose a few people by the little bit of distance and unfamiliarity.

We went to Garuda Prabhu’s yoga studio. Turns out that night he was just painting instead of doing his yoga program, but he engaged us in telling the story of Nrisimhadeva to his students while they painted, and Trevor had interesting conversations with students, encouraging one to get a Bhagavad-gita, as well as distributing more peanut butter cookies. I found a couple people interested in Daru’s cooking classes.

Thursday we went to Jacksonville where we chanted at the University of North Florida. We did not have the variety of books or a book table, so it was not as conducive for Trevor’s style of preaching. Still some students chanted with us briefly, and I got to introduce Amrita Keli Devi Dasi, who is organizing our outreach there, to a math professor friend who loves Krishna food from her graduate days at University of California at San Diego, where Bhakta Kevin would regularly distribute prasadam.

There was a lot of dancing at our UNF Krishna Club program this time, and some of students were really enchanted by it. Tulasirani and Alex, who came from Krishna House for the program, took Trevor and I back to Gainesville, thus ending our harinama excursion to Tallahassee and Jacksonville.

Holi (Festival of Colors) in North Florida



Holi, or the Festival of Colors, is becoming more popular within ISKCON and within human society. This year I heard of holi festivals at University of Florida in Gainesville and University of North Florida in Jacksonville, in addition to the first ever holi festival in Alachua.

In ISKCON, Caru Prabhu who has a temple in Utah, has a holi festival which attracts thousands of people to his temple there, many of the them local Mormons. In fact, one Mormon music major became so enchanted by Hare Krishna kirtana from that festival, she went on do her Ph.D. dissertation on Kirtana at Hare Krishna Festivals, and is planning to write a book on kirtana using the extra material she collected.



The Krishna House devotees catered a spaghetti lunch for the Indian students’ holi festival at University of Florida. And we chanted there as well.

Later we moved up to the stage and thirty or forty people danced with us for a while. I missed that part because I was talking to a student who became attracted to our initial chanting and wanted to know more.

At ISKCON Alachua, the holi festivalwas celebrated for the first time. Three devotee bands played on a stage near where the colors were thrown, Srikalogy, The Mayapuris, and TK and the Namrock Band. Many, many people participated, and the prasadam for lunch was wonderful. Devotees who work at Krishna Lunch noticed that many university students came and enjoyed the fun, and got more Krishna music, food, and association than usual, a cause for happiness. Both initiated devotees and students came from Tampa, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville for the event.

I wore a dhoti and kurta with holes that I was planning to throw out in case the dye did not come out.



Trevor, having recently traveled from India, had no old clothes and was worried about what to wear. He found a purple sari in the free clothes bin and ripped it in half to make a top and bottom piece. People who did not know him or the story behind his outfit wondered about his appearance, perhaps thinking he always dressed in such an eccentric fashion, but I just thought it was a little humorous.

Krishna House Farewell



With all the harinamas, the chanting in the temple, the outreach programs, and the classes, I felt I got to know and love the devotees at Krishna House more than usual during the three or four months I spent there. It was awesome for me to see a lot of young people with wonderful devotional qualities like such as appreciation of kirtana, appreciation of spiritually advanced personalities, enthusiasm to serve others, delight in cooking for Krishna and his devotees, and enthusiasm to share Krishna with others. I hope they are able to maintain and expand these assets throughout their glorious lives of service to Krishna and humanity. The leaders of the project were also exemplary in steadiness and concern for others, and truly inspirational. I felt happy to be involved with the project, and I look forward to returning in October for another three months. We are indebted to Kalakantha Prabhu for heading up the project, and devotees, like Hanan and Ballaba and Caitanya, who are very dedicated, spending years with it. Tulasirani devi dasi did a good job arranging classes and special events this year. Especially memorable was Gasparilla harinama,the 12-hour kirtana, and the First Fridays harinama in Tallahassee, and also the Ocala Rainbow Gathering harinama, which Caitanya organized.



When I leave each year, I know some of the people I will never see again, and thus I feel a little sad. It calls to mind a quote I read in Krishna book, Chapter 82, just last night where Krishna consoles his gopi friends, “Our separation was ordained by Providence, who after all is the supreme controller and does as He desires. He causes the intermingling of different persons, and again disperses them as He desires. Sometimes we see that due to the presence of clouds and strong wind, atomic particles of dust and broken pieces of cotton are intermingled together, and after the strong wind subsides, all the particles of dust and cotton are again separated, scattered in different places. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the creator of everything. The objects which we see are different manifestations of His energy. By His supreme will we are sometimes united and sometimes separated. We can therefore conclude that ultimately we are absolutely dependent on His will.”.

I want to thank Srikar Prabhu of Gainesville, who in addition to inviting me to a delicious lunch of doshas and coconut chutney, kindly bought me a camera so I can provide more illustrations in future editions of this journal.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi 16.8, purport:

Although Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees in disciplic succession can defeat all kinds of learned scholars, scientists and philosophers in arguments, thus establishing the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead, their main business as preachers is to introduce sankirtanaeverywhere. Simply to defeat scholars and philosophers is not the occupation of a preacher. Preachers must simultaneously introduce the sankirtana movement, for that is the mission of the Caitanya cult.”

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi Chapter 17 summary:

The attitude of Srimati Radharani is considered the superexcellent devotional mentality.”

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.1:

Let me offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by whose mercy even unclean yavanasbecome perfectly well bred gentlemen by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Such is the power of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

from
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.1, purport:

Even in the United States, when our devotees chant on the street, American ladies and gentlemen inquire from them whether they are actually Americans because no one could expect Americans to become such nice devotees all of a sudden. Even Christian priests are greatly surprised that all these boys from Jewish and Christian families have joined this Krishna consciousness movement; before joining, they never regarded any principles of religion seriously, but now they have become sincere devotees of the Lord. Everywhere people express this astonishment, and we take great pride in the transcendental behavior of our students. Such wonders are possible, however, only by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are not ordinary or mundane.”

from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 42:

That is the way of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord; when devotees are put into great difficulties—even like the Pandavas, as described above—they feel all their miserable conditions to be great facilities for serving the Lord.”

from
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.28, purport:

This practice of forbearance (taror iva sahisnuna) is very difficult, but when one actually engages in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, the quality of forbearance automatically develops. A person advanced in spiritual consciousness through the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra need not practice to develop it separately, for a devotee develops all good qualities simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra regularly.”

from
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.29:

Thus a Vaishnava should not ask anything from anyone else. If someone gives him something without being asked, he should accept it, but if nothing comes, a Vaishnava should be satisfied to eat whatever vegetables and fruits are easily available.”

from Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.26.21, purport:

If one accepts punishment as a reward dealt by the master, he becomes intelligent enough not to commit the same mistake again.”

from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 46:

The activities of a person, even if they are not very extraordinary, create an impression of wonder in the heart and mind of the person’s friends. But even very wonderful activities performed by a person who is not one’s friend will not create any impression. It is because of love that one’s wonderful activities create an impression in the mind.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from Calling Out to Srila Prabhupada:

O Prabhupada, who dressed always in saffron, who wrote affectionate letters to his disciples signed ‘Your ever well-wisher,’ who wrote to his leaders, ‘Never be a moment without thinking how to improve ISKCON,’ who encouraged each department of workers without discouraging another, who gave all of his life’s energy for spreading Krishna consciousness, who was empowered with success never achieved by previous acaryas,and who opened the door for the entire world to appreciate Gaudiya Vaisnavism as the eternal teachings of topmost love of God, we pray to always retain utmost respect for you and your teachings.”

Kalakantha Prabhu:

Although it appears odd that the devotee Akrura was employed by the demoniac King Kamsa, Akrura’s devotion to Kamsa ended when he left the palace.

Q (by Vaishnava das): Krishna is more famous as son of Yasoda than the son of Devaki, but he spent ten times more time outside of Vrindavana. Why?
A: Yasoda has a higher rasaof spontaneous love. Also it is considered that the feeling love separation is actually higher.

Mucukunda did not want the demigods to bother him to fight once again on their behalf thus he asked for the boon of burning to ashes whoever awakened him.

Neophyte devotees go up and down in their spiritual lives. When they associate with their devotional friends they become inspired spiritually, and when they associate with their materialistic friends they neglect their spiritual life.

comment by Bhakta Mike:

Although Krishna took pleasure in fighting Canura, because Canura was not trying to please Him but to kill Him, it is not counted as devotional service.

comment by Arjuna Prabhu:

The pastime of Vidura enlightening Dhrtarastra shows we should not become so attached to our dependents that we forget what is right and what is wrong.

comment by Rupacandra Prabhu:

It is interesting that although Dhrstarastra had the association of Narada, Vidura, and so many pure devotees, still he was not able to assimilate their instructions. That reminds me of the verse by Prahlada Maharaja, matir na krishne paratah svato va, mitho ’bhipadyeta griha-vratanam, adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram, punah punas carvita-carvananam. Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krishna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.30)

comment by Bhakta Paul:

Although some people were mystified, Krishna released Jarasandha after Balarama fought and bound him because He had a deeper plan.

comment by Dorian:

It seems to me Krishna had a sportive childlike mood, “Let’s make a fort and protect our friends. Then we can conquer the enemy.”

It is wonderful to see how the demigods are interacting with Krishna, showering flowers on Him when he is victorious in battle.

comments by students:

Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura describes that the demons get to see Krishna, but they do not see His sweetness. He also mentions that Akrura’s prayers reveal the consciousness a visitor of Vrndavana should have.

It is described that the day Akrura arrived at Vrndavana was Ekadasi and he was fasting, but when Balarama offered him a feast he eagerly accepted it.

The washer man who refused to give Kamsa’s clothes to Krishna and criticized Him instead is the same soul who criticized Rama for accepting Sita after she had lived in Ravana’s kingdom.

comments by Hladini:

When Balarama went to Vrndavana alone, Krishna stayed in Dvaraka because of compassion for its residents. He was worried that if he went to Vrndavana because of His great love for each residents there and they’re love for Him, He would not be able to return to Dvaraka.

Krishna did not abandon the game he was playing when heard of the blazing demon attacking Dvaraka, but merely sent his disc weapon to do the needful.

Dvivida was previously an associate of Lord Rama who made an offense and as a result was condemned to have the bad association of Narakasura and thus became demonic.

comment by Tulasirani dd: It is said Balarama has a complexion the color freshly churned yogurt.

Laksmimani Devi:

If you go to the campus and tell people we follow these four regulative principles and what they are [no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating, and no gambling], the students will not say, “How wonderful! You guys are so free!” Yet Srila Prabhupada called them the regulative principles of freedom.

We do not feel “I cannot eat meat” or “I cannot engage in intoxication.” Thus we can see we have made some advancement.

Sometimes we move forward in our spiritual life, sometimes we move backward, sometimes we stay the same. In time, we advance and become fixed.

We cannot alwaysunderstand a person’s advancement by their external situation.

We know we are not our body, until they serve something for breakfast that we don’t like and then we moan and groan.

When we are building a bridge we have to make sure it goes all the way across the water. We can use the Holi festival to bring people to Krishna, but we have to make sure we do not use it to increase our sense gratification.

Srila Prabhupada had so much faith in the holy name and prasadam. He felt it would purify us, and it did.

Sesa Prabhu:

The best thing in this life is to prepare for our next life.

We do not always understand the great fortune we have in this human form of life.

Khatvanga Maharaja thought although he had but a moment, it would be best used in achieving spiritual perfection.

Happily ever after” exists in the spiritual world but does not exist in this world.

Rohini Kumara Prabhu:

They say the Hope diamond was from King Yudhisthira’s scepter.

Krishna-kripa das:

I saw a girl on the campus wearing a T-shirt with the slogan, “One life. Many loves.” I was thinking that for us it is “Many lives. One love.” Lord Caitanya prays to Krishna in that way in His Siksastaka,Verse 4, “All I want is your devotional service birth after birth.”

Tulasirani devi dasi:

One jasmine tree at Srivasa Thakura’s house supplied all the flowers the devotees of Lord Caitanya needed for their Deity worship.

After Lord Caitanya came back from Gaya experiencing symptoms of the highest love of Godhead, He glorified Gadadhara Pandita’s lifelong devotion to Krishna while considering He Himself only recently saw Krishna once, but then He disappeared.

In His ecstasy when asked about verbal roots, Lord Caitanya explained elaborately that Krishna is the root of everything.

Lord Caitanya in His ecstasy could not think of anything without its relationship with Krishna. We, however, tend to see maya everywhere [instead of seeing Krishna everywhere].

Dina Bandhu Prabhu:

Because we are all part of Krishna we should be able find some common experience with everyone we meet.

People will be attracted just by prasadam, the maha-mantra and relationships with devotees.

comment by Tulasirani dd: When serving the devotees of the Deity I sometimes experience some satisfaction just acting in the position of serving them, and it is like that the Lord as paramatma is encouraging me to act in my original spiritual situation.

comment by Laura: Just being away from the devotees for two or three days, I find it harder to chant.

Hanan:

There is a story that a young man had a guru who told him to meditate an hour a day. He enthusiastically did that for some time but later life became more complicated, so he told his guru of the difficulty in doing his hour of meditation. The guru listened sympathetically and then advised him to meditate two hours a day.

Yamunacarya was originally born as Yamuna in brahmana family and studied in the gurukula. Once the king’s representative came to fine his guru because he was defeated previously by the king’s digvijaya pandita, Koladhar. Yamuna did not like to hear that his guru had to pay a fine. So he challenged that Koladhar was not actually learned, because his king who he represented was so proud, he must be proud, and pride is a symptom of ignorance. The king was upset about this. Thus it was arranged that Yamuna would debate Koladhar and prove that he was actually ignorant. Yamuna insisted he be personally transported to the capital for the debate, which upset the king even more. The king asked Koladhar to prove false three statements:
  1. My mother is not barren.
  2. The king is most pious and compassionate.
  3. The queen is most chaste.
Koladhar was stumped, and Yamuna solved the riddle.
1. Manu-samhitasays a women with just one child is barren.
2. The king takes on the one-sixth of the sinful reactions of his subjects so how can he be pious?
3. The king is described in the scripture to be identical to seven important personalities and thus the queen was in relationships with seven people at once, and could thus be called unchaste.
Thus Koladhar was defeated, and Yamuna won half the kingdom.

Trevor:

from comments after a class:

I tried chanting “Coca-Cola” for about ten minutes the other day. In the beginning it was alright but after five minutes it got worse, and by ten minutes it was unbearable. Yet in Vrndavana I was chanting Hare Krishna nine hours a day.

-----

anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krishna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate

When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Krishna, one is rightly situated above possessiveness.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 2.255)

Travel Journal#9.7: North Florida
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk


Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 9, No. 7
By Krishna-kripa das
(April 2013, part one
)
North Florida
(Sent from Dublin, Ireland, on May 17, 2013)

Where I Went and What I Did

The beginning of April was special for me with the visit of my friend Trevor, with whom I did harinamalast year in England, Scotland, Germany, and Poland, and kirtana programs in Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as traveled to the Ukraine festival and to Warsaw for Radhastami. He came with me to Tampa, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville, and really excelled at talking to the students, inviting them to programs, and interesting them in books about spiritual life. Eight devotees from Krishna House came to First Friday and a harinama at Springtime Tallahassee, and we had a great time sharing the holy name and spiritual books with others. New Raman Reti had their first holi festival (festival of colors), and it was very successful. I left Krishna House mid-month to go to New York City and ultimately to Europe, and I reflect on my experience at Krishna House this time.

In the matter of insights I share notes from my daily reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books, a beautiful prayer to Srila Prabhupada by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and notes from our classes in Krishna House on the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavatam, as we end the semester.

Thanks to Andrea Perez Del Solar, Tulasirani Devi Dasi, Krsodari Devi Dasi, Trevor Manton, Facebook User "Photo Is My Life," and whoever else I may have missed, for all the photos illustrating this issue

Tampa

Trevor came with me to Tampa this time, and we chanted and had a book table at the market day at the University of South Florida for five hours. Trevor, who is just a few years out of college, could easily relate to the students and speak to them about the limitations of the Western education he had experienced and encourage them to investigate Krishna consciousness. In Europe we had just chanted to together on the streets, but in Tampa I found he was very good at speaking to students and distributing books—five Bhagavad-gitas and about twenty small books for eighty dollars. Two people he spoke to came to our evening program behind the library, and one brought a friend. One Hispanic girl was very interested, and he talked to her for a while after the program. Also someone I talked to two weeks before came to the program for the first time. Thus in many ways our visit to Tampa was very successful, and Trevor was inspired by it.

Tallahassee First Friday and Harinamas

Enough of the Krishna House students were enthusiastic enough about First Friday in March that we returned to Tallahassee for the First Friday in April. In addition, we stayed over night and did a harinama with some local devotees and devotees from Alachua at the street fair after the Springtime Tallahassee parade, a parade that we did not participate in this year.


At First Friday Daru Brahma Prabhu and his helpers distributed lots of Krishna food.


Our party sang . . .

. . . and distributed books.


 In particular, Tulasirani Devi Dasi was very enthusiastic about book distribution.



I gave out invitations and talked to people who were looking at our kirtana party.

Hladini, a seventeen-year-old child of devotee parents, had some nice realizations. She was not feeling very well at all, but she distributed books anyway and transcended the pain. At one point, I noticed she got some people to sit down on the blanket and chant with us, and I later asked her how. She explained that she gave them a book but they had no donation and asked if there was anything they could do for her. She replied that they could sit down on the blanket and chant Hare Krishna with us, and so they did. Thus she distributed both a book and the holy name at once to those fortunate souls.

I missed over half of our Saturday harinama because one person forgot his drum, another forgot the invitations, and another suggested I get water for the party in the course of going back for the drum and finding the invitations. Thus a got sense of what you have to go through if you play the role of a leader of a party, something I rarely do.

The location was great for chanting. Many, many hundreds of people were wandering from one stall to another. Although there were dozens of Florida policeman guarding the event, miraculously none restricted our party of chanters with its amplified sound, and I was grateful about that. We visited a section set aside for children’ events, and several children took pleasure in watching and ultimately dancing with the devotees, generally to the approval of the parents. In fact, one mother we passed exclaimed to her two children, “They are such peaceful people!”

Daru Brahma Prabhu and the Tallahassee devotees served Ekadasi prasadam in a park at the end of the event, and my Krishna House friends returned to Gainesville, and Trevor and I stayed in Tallahassee to chant at Lake Ella on Sunday and the campus of Florida State University Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Trevor helped out by making some really great peanut butter cookies for distribution. He was so enthusiastic about chanting and talking with students and doing a book table, that on a couple days, he stayed out for two extra hours, past the three hours I generally do.

I had one nice experience myself there on the campus. One student had taken a small book the previous day and said she liked it. I asked which part she liked best. She described it, and I found the place in the book, and it was a part I also liked and I told her so. It is an excerpt from the Preface to The Nectar of Devotion, where Srila Prabhupada speaks about love:

The basic principle of the living condition is that we have a general propensity to love someone. No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in the human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can become happy. At the present moment the human society teaches one to love his country or family or his personal self, but there is no information where to repose the loving propensity so that everyone can become happy. That missing point is Krishna and The Nectar of Devotionteaches us how to stimulate our original love for Krishnaand how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life.

In the primary stage a child loves his parents, then his brothers and sisters, and as he daily grows up he begins to love his family, society, community, country, nation, or even the whole human society. But the loving propensity is not satisfied even by loving all human society; that loving propensity remains imperfectly fulfilled until we know who is the supreme beloved. Our love can be fully satisfied only when it is reposed in Krishna.”

Later another student was looking at the books, and I showed her that book and pointed to the same section of the book that the other girl had liked, and asked her to read it. She was attracted by Prabhupada’s description and took the book. I asked her for a donation, which I do not really like doing, but which Trevor was accustomed to doing, so I did it anyway, and she gave twenty dollars for a small book that people usually give a dollar for.

Trevor spent thirteen hours over the three days on the FSU campus, and he would invite people to our Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class and a special three-hour kirtana on Wednesday. As at Tampa, many students said they would come, but unlike Tampa, none of them did. I wondered why, and upon reflection, decided that because the Tampa program was on the campus itself, just behind the library, it was at a nearby and familiar place. Although our center in Tallahassee is just two and a half blocks from the campus, it was unknown and just a little inconvenient, and so none was willing to take the risk to come there. At Krishna House, I think we can learn a lesson from this. To reach more students we have to do some programs on the campus itself. Even though Krishna House is just three blocks from the University of Florida campus, we probably lose a few people by the little bit of distance and unfamiliarity.

We went to Garuda Prabhu’s yoga studio. Turns out that night he was just painting instead of doing his yoga program, but he engaged us in telling the story of Nrisimhadeva to his students while they painted, and Trevor had interesting conversations with students, encouraging one to get a Bhagavad-gita, as well as distributing more peanut butter cookies. I found a couple people interested in Daru’s cooking classes.

Thursday we went to Jacksonville where we chanted at the University of North Florida. We did not have the variety of books or a book table, so it was not as conducive for Trevor’s style of preaching. Still some students chanted with us briefly, and I got to introduce Amrita Keli Devi Dasi, who is organizing our outreach there, to a math professor friend who loves Krishna food from her graduate days at University of California at San Diego, where Bhakta Kevin would regularly distribute prasadam.

There was a lot of dancing at our UNF Krishna Club program this time, and some of students were really enchanted by it. Tulasirani and Alex, who came from Krishna House for the program, took Trevor and I back to Gainesville, thus ending our harinama excursion to Tallahassee and Jacksonville.

Holi (Festival of Colors) in North Florida



Holi, or the Festival of Colors, is becoming more popular within ISKCON and within human society. This year I heard of holi festivals at University of Florida in Gainesville and University of North Florida in Jacksonville, in addition to the first ever holi festival in Alachua.

In ISKCON, Caru Prabhu who has a temple in Utah, has a holi festival which attracts thousands of people to his temple there, many of the them local Mormons. In fact, one Mormon music major became so enchanted by Hare Krishna kirtana from that festival, she went on do her Ph.D. dissertation on Kirtana at Hare Krishna Festivals, and is planning to write a book on kirtana using the extra material she collected.



The Krishna House devotees catered a spaghetti lunch for the Indian students’ holi festival at University of Florida. And we chanted there as well.

Later we moved up to the stage and thirty or forty people danced with us for a while. I missed that part because I was talking to a student who became attracted to our initial chanting and wanted to know more.

At ISKCON Alachua, the holi festivalwas celebrated for the first time. Three devotee bands played on a stage near where the colors were thrown, Srikalogy, The Mayapuris, and TK and the Namrock Band. Many, many people participated, and the prasadam for lunch was wonderful. Devotees who work at Krishna Lunch noticed that many university students came and enjoyed the fun, and got more Krishna music, food, and association than usual, a cause for happiness. Both initiated devotees and students came from Tampa, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville for the event.

I wore a dhoti and kurta with holes that I was planning to throw out in case the dye did not come out.



Trevor, having recently traveled from India, had no old clothes and was worried about what to wear. He found a purple sari in the free clothes bin and ripped it in half to make a top and bottom piece. People who did not know him or the story behind his outfit wondered about his appearance, perhaps thinking he always dressed in such an eccentric fashion, but I just thought it was a little humorous.

Krishna House Farewell



With all the harinamas, the chanting in the temple, the outreach programs, and the classes, I felt I got to know and love the devotees at Krishna House more than usual during the three or four months I spent there. It was awesome for me to see a lot of young people with wonderful devotional qualities like such as appreciation of kirtana, appreciation of spiritually advanced personalities, enthusiasm to serve others, delight in cooking for Krishna and his devotees, and enthusiasm to share Krishna with others. I hope they are able to maintain and expand these assets throughout their glorious lives of service to Krishna and humanity. The leaders of the project were also exemplary in steadiness and concern for others, and truly inspirational. I felt happy to be involved with the project, and I look forward to returning in October for another three months. We are indebted to Kalakantha Prabhu for heading up the project, and devotees, like Hanan and Ballaba and Caitanya, who are very dedicated, spending years with it. Tulasirani devi dasi did a good job arranging classes and special events this year. Especially memorable was Gasparilla harinama,the 12-hour kirtana, and the First Fridays harinama in Tallahassee, and also the Ocala Rainbow Gathering harinama, which Caitanya organized.



When I leave each year, I know some of the people I will never see again, and thus I feel a little sad. It calls to mind a quote I read in Krishna book, Chapter 82, just last night where Krishna consoles his gopi friends, “Our separation was ordained by Providence, who after all is the supreme controller and does as He desires. He causes the intermingling of different persons, and again disperses them as He desires. Sometimes we see that due to the presence of clouds and strong wind, atomic particles of dust and broken pieces of cotton are intermingled together, and after the strong wind subsides, all the particles of dust and cotton are again separated, scattered in different places. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the creator of everything. The objects which we see are different manifestations of His energy. By His supreme will we are sometimes united and sometimes separated. We can therefore conclude that ultimately we are absolutely dependent on His will.”.

I want to thank Srikar Prabhu of Gainesville, who in addition to inviting me to a delicious lunch of doshas and coconut chutney, kindly bought me a camera so I can provide more illustrations in future editions of this journal.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi 16.8, purport:

Although Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees in disciplic succession can defeat all kinds of learned scholars, scientists and philosophers in arguments, thus establishing the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead, their main business as preachers is to introduce sankirtanaeverywhere. Simply to defeat scholars and philosophers is not the occupation of a preacher. Preachers must simultaneously introduce the sankirtana movement, for that is the mission of the Caitanya cult.”

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi Chapter 17 summary:

The attitude of Srimati Radharani is considered the superexcellent devotional mentality.”

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.1:

Let me offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by whose mercy even unclean yavanasbecome perfectly well bred gentlemen by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Such is the power of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

from
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.1, purport:

Even in the United States, when our devotees chant on the street, American ladies and gentlemen inquire from them whether they are actually Americans because no one could expect Americans to become such nice devotees all of a sudden. Even Christian priests are greatly surprised that all these boys from Jewish and Christian families have joined this Krishna consciousness movement; before joining, they never regarded any principles of religion seriously, but now they have become sincere devotees of the Lord. Everywhere people express this astonishment, and we take great pride in the transcendental behavior of our students. Such wonders are possible, however, only by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are not ordinary or mundane.”

from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 42:

That is the way of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord; when devotees are put into great difficulties—even like the Pandavas, as described above—they feel all their miserable conditions to be great facilities for serving the Lord.”

from
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.28, purport:

This practice of forbearance (taror iva sahisnuna) is very difficult, but when one actually engages in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, the quality of forbearance automatically develops. A person advanced in spiritual consciousness through the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra need not practice to develop it separately, for a devotee develops all good qualities simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra regularly.”

from
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 17.29:

Thus a Vaishnava should not ask anything from anyone else. If someone gives him something without being asked, he should accept it, but if nothing comes, a Vaishnava should be satisfied to eat whatever vegetables and fruits are easily available.”

from Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.26.21, purport:

If one accepts punishment as a reward dealt by the master, he becomes intelligent enough not to commit the same mistake again.”

from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 46:

The activities of a person, even if they are not very extraordinary, create an impression of wonder in the heart and mind of the person’s friends. But even very wonderful activities performed by a person who is not one’s friend will not create any impression. It is because of love that one’s wonderful activities create an impression in the mind.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

from Calling Out to Srila Prabhupada:

O Prabhupada, who dressed always in saffron, who wrote affectionate letters to his disciples signed ‘Your ever well-wisher,’ who wrote to his leaders, ‘Never be a moment without thinking how to improve ISKCON,’ who encouraged each department of workers without discouraging another, who gave all of his life’s energy for spreading Krishna consciousness, who was empowered with success never achieved by previous acaryas,and who opened the door for the entire world to appreciate Gaudiya Vaisnavism as the eternal teachings of topmost love of God, we pray to always retain utmost respect for you and your teachings.”

Kalakantha Prabhu:

Although it appears odd that the devotee Akrura was employed by the demoniac King Kamsa, Akrura’s devotion to Kamsa ended when he left the palace.

Q (by Vaishnava das): Krishna is more famous as son of Yasoda than the son of Devaki, but he spent ten times more time outside of Vrindavana. Why?
A: Yasoda has a higher rasaof spontaneous love. Also it is considered that the feeling love separation is actually higher.

Mucukunda did not want the demigods to bother him to fight once again on their behalf thus he asked for the boon of burning to ashes whoever awakened him.

Neophyte devotees go up and down in their spiritual lives. When they associate with their devotional friends they become inspired spiritually, and when they associate with their materialistic friends they neglect their spiritual life.

comment by Bhakta Mike:

Although Krishna took pleasure in fighting Canura, because Canura was not trying to please Him but to kill Him, it is not counted as devotional service.

comment by Arjuna Prabhu:

The pastime of Vidura enlightening Dhrtarastra shows we should not become so attached to our dependents that we forget what is right and what is wrong.

comment by Rupacandra Prabhu:

It is interesting that although Dhrstarastra had the association of Narada, Vidura, and so many pure devotees, still he was not able to assimilate their instructions. That reminds me of the verse by Prahlada Maharaja, matir na krishne paratah svato va, mitho ’bhipadyeta griha-vratanam, adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram, punah punas carvita-carvananam. Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krishna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.30)

comment by Bhakta Paul:

Although some people were mystified, Krishna released Jarasandha after Balarama fought and bound him because He had a deeper plan.

comment by Dorian:

It seems to me Krishna had a sportive childlike mood, “Let’s make a fort and protect our friends. Then we can conquer the enemy.”

It is wonderful to see how the demigods are interacting with Krishna, showering flowers on Him when he is victorious in battle.

comments by students:

Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura describes that the demons get to see Krishna, but they do not see His sweetness. He also mentions that Akrura’s prayers reveal the consciousness a visitor of Vrndavana should have.

It is described that the day Akrura arrived at Vrndavana was Ekadasi and he was fasting, but when Balarama offered him a feast he eagerly accepted it.

The washer man who refused to give Kamsa’s clothes to Krishna and criticized Him instead is the same soul who criticized Rama for accepting Sita after she had lived in Ravana’s kingdom.

comments by Hladini:

When Balarama went to Vrndavana alone, Krishna stayed in Dvaraka because of compassion for its residents. He was worried that if he went to Vrndavana because of His great love for each residents there and they’re love for Him, He would not be able to return to Dvaraka.

Krishna did not abandon the game he was playing when heard of the blazing demon attacking Dvaraka, but merely sent his disc weapon to do the needful.

Dvivida was previously an associate of Lord Rama who made an offense and as a result was condemned to have the bad association of Narakasura and thus became demonic.

comment by Tulasirani dd: It is said Balarama has a complexion the color freshly churned yogurt.

Laksmimani Devi:

If you go to the campus and tell people we follow these four regulative principles and what they are [no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating, and no gambling], the students will not say, “How wonderful! You guys are so free!” Yet Srila Prabhupada called them the regulative principles of freedom.

We do not feel “I cannot eat meat” or “I cannot engage in intoxication.” Thus we can see we have made some advancement.

Sometimes we move forward in our spiritual life, sometimes we move backward, sometimes we stay the same. In time, we advance and become fixed.

We cannot alwaysunderstand a person’s advancement by their external situation.

We know we are not our body, until they serve something for breakfast that we don’t like and then we moan and groan.

When we are building a bridge we have to make sure it goes all the way across the water. We can use the Holi festival to bring people to Krishna, but we have to make sure we do not use it to increase our sense gratification.

Srila Prabhupada had so much faith in the holy name and prasadam. He felt it would purify us, and it did.

Sesa Prabhu:

The best thing in this life is to prepare for our next life.

We do not always understand the great fortune we have in this human form of life.

Khatvanga Maharaja thought although he had but a moment, it would be best used in achieving spiritual perfection.

Happily ever after” exists in the spiritual world but does not exist in this world.

Rohini Kumara Prabhu:

They say the Hope diamond was from King Yudhisthira’s scepter.

Krishna-kripa das:

I saw a girl on the campus wearing a T-shirt with the slogan, “One life. Many loves.” I was thinking that for us it is “Many lives. One love.” Lord Caitanya prays to Krishna in that way in His Siksastaka,Verse 4, “All I want is your devotional service birth after birth.”

Tulasirani devi dasi:

One jasmine tree at Srivasa Thakura’s house supplied all the flowers the devotees of Lord Caitanya needed for their Deity worship.

After Lord Caitanya came back from Gaya experiencing symptoms of the highest love of Godhead, He glorified Gadadhara Pandita’s lifelong devotion to Krishna while considering He Himself only recently saw Krishna once, but then He disappeared.

In His ecstasy when asked about verbal roots, Lord Caitanya explained elaborately that Krishna is the root of everything.

Lord Caitanya in His ecstasy could not think of anything without its relationship with Krishna. We, however, tend to see maya everywhere [instead of seeing Krishna everywhere].

Dina Bandhu Prabhu:

Because we are all part of Krishna we should be able find some common experience with everyone we meet.

People will be attracted just by prasadam, the maha-mantra and relationships with devotees.

comment by Tulasirani dd: When serving the devotees of the Deity I sometimes experience some satisfaction just acting in the position of serving them, and it is like that the Lord as paramatma is encouraging me to act in my original spiritual situation.

comment by Laura: Just being away from the devotees for two or three days, I find it harder to chant.

Hanan:

There is a story that a young man had a guru who told him to meditate an hour a day. He enthusiastically did that for some time but later life became more complicated, so he told his guru of the difficulty in doing his hour of meditation. The guru listened sympathetically and then advised him to meditate two hours a day.

Yamunacarya was originally born as Yamuna in brahmana family and studied in the gurukula. Once the king’s representative came to fine his guru because he was defeated previously by the king’s digvijaya pandita, Koladhar. Yamuna did not like to hear that his guru had to pay a fine. So he challenged that Koladhar was not actually learned, because his king who he represented was so proud, he must be proud, and pride is a symptom of ignorance. The king was upset about this. Thus it was arranged that Yamuna would debate Koladhar and prove that he was actually ignorant. Yamuna insisted he be personally transported to the capital for the debate, which upset the king even more. The king asked Koladhar to prove false three statements:
  1. My mother is not barren.
  2. The king is most pious and compassionate.
  3. The queen is most chaste.
Koladhar was stumped, and Yamuna solved the riddle.
1. Manu-samhitasays a women with just one child is barren.
2. The king takes on the one-sixth of the sinful reactions of his subjects so how can he be pious?
3. The king is described in the scripture to be identical to seven important personalities and thus the queen was in relationships with seven people at once, and could thus be called unchaste.
Thus Koladhar was defeated, and Yamuna won half the kingdom.

Trevor:

from comments after a class:

I tried chanting “Coca-Cola” for about ten minutes the other day. In the beginning it was alright but after five minutes it got worse, and by ten minutes it was unbearable. Yet in Vrndavana I was chanting Hare Krishna nine hours a day.

-----

anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krishna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate

When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Krishna, one is rightly situated above possessiveness.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 2.255)

H.H Rtadhvaja Swami Visits
→ TKG Academy

On May 15th, 2013, His Holiness Rtadhvaja Swami visited the school!  It was a wonderful end to the school year.

He immediately engaged all 23 students with questions and jokes.  You could tell he had been a teacher for many years!   “How many of you can spell my name?”  He ever-so-patiently guided the kids in the correct spelling, allowing almost every student to try.

Allowing the students to establishing sweet relationships with such generous and advanced devotees is something we truly aspire for at TKG Academy.  We’re so thankful to Rtadhvaja Maharaj for visiting us and sharing his guidance and wisdom.

Sunday Feast with His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu (H.G.). H.G Vaisesika Prabhu at ISKCOn Brampton
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON'S BLOG

Sunday Feast, May 19th @ 11:00am 
We are pleased to invite you to the Sunday Feast with His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu (H.G.). H.G Vaisesika Prabhu, a world-renowned Book distributor will be visiting ISKCON Bramptonthis Sunday, May 19th 2013. He is a senior disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, and a veteran book distributor who has inspired devotees all around the world in creating and sustaining book distribution. Through his Vedic discourse H.G Vaisesika Prabhu will enlighten, encourage and empower us to become the agents of spiritual change by sharing this timeless knowledge.

The program consists of arati, kirtan (devotional chanting), philosophical discussion and prasadam.  Please come, get inspired and inspire others through your desire to share Krsna Consciousness!


Program Schedule:
11:00 am - 11:30 am Guru Puja
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Arati & Kirtan
12:00 pm – 12:05 pm Narasingadev Prayers
12:10 pm - 1:00 pm  
Vedic Discourse by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu
1:05 pm - 1:20 pm Tulasi Puja
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm Prasadam (Vegetarian feast)



Upcoming Events:

Nrsimha Caturdasi - Appearance of Lord Nrsimhadeva

Please mark your calenders for this upcoming event. ISKCON Brampton would be celebrating this festival with an evening program starting at 7:00pm on Friday, May 24th 2013.

7:00pm Guru Puja
7:15pm Main Aarti
7:30pm Narasimha Pranam
7:35pm Welcome Announcements
7:40pm Glories on Appearance of Lord Narsimha Dev by HG Vaisnava Dasa
8:20pm Abhishekam
                 Recitation of Brahma Samhita
9:00pm Sunday School performance
9:30pm Sringar Aarti & Closing kirtan
9:45pm Honouring of Prasadam

In this appearance Lord Vishu assumed the form of half man half lion, at twilight, manifesting himself from a pillar to kill the demon Hiranyakashipu. Pralad, son of Hiranyakashipu is a very devoted soul and always absorbs his mind, words and actions in the devotional service of Lord Vishnu so much that the Lord appeared personally to give him protection from his demon father who was trying to kill him..

The Personality of Godhead assumed the form of Nrsimha Dev in order to vanquish the great fears of the demigods. He killed the king of the demons [Hiranyakashipu], who challenged the Lord with a club in his hand, by placing the demon on His thighs and piercing him with His nails, rolling His eyebrows in anger and showing His fearful teeth and mouth.

ISKCON Brampton always appreciates your constant support in so many different ways that you are doing to help us carry on Srila Prabhupada's mission of spreading the message of Holy Bhagavad Gita all around.

Maha abhiseka..............................$51[per family]
LakshmiNarasimha maha feast.....$251
LakshmiNarasimha maha aarti.....$108
Florals and garlands......................$108
For sponsorships, please contact Mother Krsna Smaran (
kavitabalram@yahoo.com).

Please contact Acarya Thakur Prabhu [
alexf108@gmail.com]or Mother Prema Gaurangi [premagaurangi.jps@hotmail.com] for any festival related matters. Your valuable comments and suggestions to improve the festivals are always welcome and appreciated.

Sunday Feast with His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu (H.G.). H.G Vaisesika Prabhu at ISKCOn Brampton
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON'S BLOG

Sunday Feast, May 19th @ 11:00am 
We are pleased to invite you to the Sunday Feast with His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu (H.G.). H.G Vaisesika Prabhu, a world-renowned Book distributor will be visiting ISKCON Bramptonthis Sunday, May 19th 2013. He is a senior disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, and a veteran book distributor who has inspired devotees all around the world in creating and sustaining book distribution. Through his Vedic discourse H.G Vaisesika Prabhu will enlighten, encourage and empower us to become the agents of spiritual change by sharing this timeless knowledge.

The program consists of arati, kirtan (devotional chanting), philosophical discussion and prasadam.  Please come, get inspired and inspire others through your desire to share Krsna Consciousness!


Program Schedule:
11:00 am - 11:30 am Guru Puja
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Arati & Kirtan
12:00 pm – 12:05 pm Narasingadev Prayers
12:10 pm - 1:00 pm  
Vedic Discourse by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu
1:05 pm - 1:20 pm Tulasi Puja
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm Prasadam (Vegetarian feast)



Upcoming Events:

Nrsimha Caturdasi - Appearance of Lord Nrsimhadeva

Please mark your calenders for this upcoming event. ISKCON Brampton would be celebrating this festival with an evening program starting at 7:00pm on Friday, May 24th 2013.

7:00pm Guru Puja
7:15pm Main Aarti
7:30pm Narasimha Pranam
7:35pm Welcome Announcements
7:40pm Glories on Appearance of Lord Narsimha Dev by HG Vaisnava Dasa
8:20pm Abhishekam
                 Recitation of Brahma Samhita
9:00pm Sunday School performance
9:30pm Sringar Aarti & Closing kirtan
9:45pm Honouring of Prasadam

In this appearance Lord Vishu assumed the form of half man half lion, at twilight, manifesting himself from a pillar to kill the demon Hiranyakashipu. Pralad, son of Hiranyakashipu is a very devoted soul and always absorbs his mind, words and actions in the devotional service of Lord Vishnu so much that the Lord appeared personally to give him protection from his demon father who was trying to kill him..

The Personality of Godhead assumed the form of Nrsimha Dev in order to vanquish the great fears of the demigods. He killed the king of the demons [Hiranyakashipu], who challenged the Lord with a club in his hand, by placing the demon on His thighs and piercing him with His nails, rolling His eyebrows in anger and showing His fearful teeth and mouth.

ISKCON Brampton always appreciates your constant support in so many different ways that you are doing to help us carry on Srila Prabhupada's mission of spreading the message of Holy Bhagavad Gita all around.

Maha abhiseka..............................$51[per family]
LakshmiNarasimha maha feast.....$251
LakshmiNarasimha maha aarti.....$108
Florals and garlands......................$108
For sponsorships, please contact Mother Krsna Smaran (
kavitabalram@yahoo.com).

Please contact Acarya Thakur Prabhu [
alexf108@gmail.com]or Mother Prema Gaurangi [premagaurangi.jps@hotmail.com] for any festival related matters. Your valuable comments and suggestions to improve the festivals are always welcome and appreciated.

Mayapuris May 2013 Newsletter!
→ Mayapuris.com

Hey Remember Us?!

We’re that group of Krishna kids that were dancing and chanting with you some time ago and somehow you signed up to our Enewsletter. Yeah, we’ve been slacking on the newsletter but not without a good excuse. While the members of the Mayapuris aren’t flying around the world with Kirtan capes on, we lead semi-regular lives (except for Kish who never takes his cape off). Vrinda and Vish are busy expanding the Mayapuris troupe: they’re expecting a baby in August.  Bali is in pharmacy school getting ready to deal drugs and his wife Dhanya just graduated in psychology so she can provide much needed counseling to the rest of the group. Meanwhile of course Kish continues to be Kirtan Super-Man.

In between these alter-ego lives, Kirtan continues to be the eternal thread that holds us together. We just returned from touring the North-East. We had a Kirtan Rave Party at Rutgers University in New Jersey with 700 wild dancing students and faculty (glow-sticks and all) and then we took part in the Spring Ecstatic Chant Weekend at OMEGA in upstate New York. In between, we played at Yogamaya in New York City. It’s so much fun to travel with the crew including Gaura Vani and play kirtan together every evening. We’re very grateful to all the kind yoga studio owners, festival coordinators, and hosts who take such good care of us while we’re on the road.

Now, we have some exciting projects coming up that we’d love to share with you:

- A Recording Studio: we are building our own recording studio in our hometown of Alachua, Florida. The studio is called “The Hanuman House” and is practically completed. Our vision is to have a facility where we can streamline our projects which include: albums, music videos, recording collaborations, festival organization, and empowering conscious youth. We need your support for this project, especially since we are now collecting recording equipment. We need mixers, microphones, monitor speakers, cables, mic stands, and a variety of recording paraphernalia.  If you have any equipment you’d like to donate or would like to give a monetary donation for this project, please contact Vish or Kish. In return, we will send you presents!

-Retreats: we love hanging out with fellow bhaktas and kirtan enthusiasts, so we’ve organized a few retreats that are coming up this year:

Himalayan Adventure, India – Going to the Source of Two Holy Rivers. Vish is facilitating a group tour to India, June 20-July 2. Early Bird Special $2500 extended til June 1st. Don’t miss this escapade to the sacred and picturesque mountains! Find Out More or Sign Up!

Thanksgiving Kirtan Retreat – Thanksgiving is a beautiful time in Florida. We are proud to be hosting a 4 day retreat in our hometown, Alachua FL. We’ll show you around to our favorite spots, go swimming in the beautiful crystal clear fresh water springs, eat healthy vegetarian food and do yoga and pranayama. Each member of the Mayapuris will offer unique workshops on The Art of Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga. The culmination of the retreat will be a deep immersion into kirtan, taking part in the annual Festival of the Holy Name. Listen to kirtans from the past festivals. Sign Up

Kirtan Camp with Jai Uttal and Vish: finally, at the end of the year, join Vish and Vrinda (and their soon-to-be-born-newborn baby) in Costa Rica for Jai Uttal’s Yoga and Kirtan Camp at the beautiful Blue Sprit Retreat Center. Jai and Vish will lead us in the ancient practice of Kirtan, or chanting, the heart and soul of devotional yoga. Together they will guide us in a heart- opening adventure through breath, movement and sacred sound, blending these traditions in a deep and playful way.  Find Out More

For more updates visit: www.mayapuris.com


Give to Live (The Book)
→ Karnamrita.das's blog

Author: 
Karnamrita Das

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer)
 photo P1030184.jpg
[Originally published on 05-16-2013, I'm reposting it now, as I want to share the book with new readers who like my blogs. It is still available in many places in the world.] This was originally the introduction for Give to Live, but we decided to cut it, since the size of the front matter and whole book, had to be reduced. Still, I think it gives a good introduction for the book for those of you who don’t have a copy. Additionally, there is a 15 minute video at the end giving a glimpse into the journey of creating the book.

As an introduction to my book, Give to Live, I am thinking about the blessing (or curse) of being a writer. Part of being a writer is the desire to share experience, which is equally true of photographers, artists and the like—people who try to share their perceptions, feelings and thoughts with others through some different medium of one or more dimensions. Yet, sometimes thinking of an experience (or extracting the creative angle) as it is happening makes one less present in the moment. I have taken photos and videos at some temple functions, and felt like I missed the whole thing!

My usual means of sharing experience is what you are reading—words. I think I am very balanced in my “observer’s eye” in that I really have to work at turning it on. It doesn’t come that naturally for me like with some writers. A friend sent me a book about a poet/gardener now in his 90’s who has always loved words, and writing about nature and his garden. His mood of observation and being in the moment is very impressive to me, as I was such a dull, unobservant, and uncreative child. In my current “later years” I am much more present than I could have ever dreamed as a child, though still very inferior to this poet! It is always good to take the humble position regarding our Krishna-given abilities. We are always dependent on His mercy and help in any endeavor and yet we will always find people much better than we are in anything we do. Never the less, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to use our talents and desires in the service of the Lord, his devotees, and people in general.

read more

Give to Live (The Book)
→ Karnamrita.das's blog

Author: 
Karnamrita Das

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer)
 photo P1030184.jpg
This was originally the introduction for Give to Live, but we decided to cut it, since the size of the front matter and whole book, had to be reduced. Still, I think it gives a good introduction for the book for those of you who don’t have a copy. Adding further to the mystery of this piece of writing is that somehow it disappeared after being posted last week. So I am reposting it again. Do keep an eye on it for me. Additionally, there is a 15 video at the end giving a glimpse into the journey of creating the book.

As an introduction to my book, Give to Live, I am thinking about the blessing (or curse) of being a writer. Part of being a writer is the desire to share experience, which is equally true of photographers, artists and the like—people who try to share their perceptions, feelings and thoughts with others through some different medium of one or more dimensions. Yet, sometimes thinking of an experience (or extracting the creative angle) as it is happening makes one less present in the moment. I have taken photos and videos at some temple functions, and felt like I missed the whole thing!

My usual means of sharing experience is what you are reading—words. I think I am very balanced in my “observer’s eye” in that I really have to work at turning it on. It doesn’t come that naturally for me like with some writers. A friend sent me a book about a poet/gardener now in his 90’s who has always loved words, and writing about nature and his garden. His mood of observation and being in the moment is very impressive to me, as I was such a dull, unobservant, and uncreative child. In my current “later years” I am much more present than I could have ever dreamed as a child, though still very inferior to this poet! It is always good to take the humble position regarding our Krishna-given abilities. We are always dependent on His mercy and help in any endeavor and yet we will always find people much better than we are in anything we do. Never the less, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to use our talents and desires in the service of the Lord, his devotees, and people in general.

read more

Society of cheaters and cheated
→ Servant of the Servant

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaj is quoted as saying this human society (referring to modern society) is a combination of the cheaters and the cheated. Maharaj also is famous for saying that this material world is not a fit place for a gentleman.

Therefore, the only way a man can live "happily" in this world is if he is blind, ignorant and selfish or if he is a cheat himself. If a man is blind to other people's suffering, ignorant to the real problems of this world and selfish always worrying about his own needs and wants, then such a man can successfully and happily live in this world. Otherwise, the only other option is to cheat himself.

Any sane gentleman with an ounce of self-respect and gentlemanliness cannot and will not tolerate the modern day society of living- so much quarrel- so much hypocrisy. Therefore, the only recourse for such a gentleman is to become Krishna conscious. Krishna conscious means God conscious!

Hare Krishna

Society of cheaters and cheated
→ Servant of the Servant

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaj is quoted as saying this human society (referring to modern society) is a combination of the cheaters and the cheated. Maharaj also is famous for saying that this material world is not a fit place for a gentleman.

Therefore, the only way a man can live "happily" in this world is if he is blind, ignorant and selfish or if he is a cheat himself. If a man is blind to other people's suffering, ignorant to the real problems of this world and selfish always worrying about his own needs and wants, then such a man can successfully and happily live in this world. Otherwise, the only other option is to cheat himself.

Any sane gentleman with an ounce of self-respect and gentlemanliness cannot and will not tolerate the modern day society of living- so much quarrel- so much hypocrisy. Therefore, the only recourse for such a gentleman is to become Krishna conscious. Krishna conscious means God conscious!

Hare Krishna

Human Skull with World’s Oldest Successful Brain Surgery discovered in India
→ Vedicarcheologicaldiscoveries's Weblog

May 14, 2013
        Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest known case of a successful human brain surgery after unearthing a 4300 year old skull from the site of the ancient Harappan Civilization site in India. This discovery was done by the scientists from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) who found evidence pointing this to be the oldest known case of Trephination in the world meant to treat a skull injury.

       Trephination is the process of drilling holes in the damaged skull to remove shattered bits of bone from a fractured skull and clean out the blood that often pools under the skull after a blow to the head.

The 4,300 year old Skull which underwent brain surgery. Image Courtesy: Current Science

Around 40 years ago similar skull evidences discovered in nearby locations had indicated towards trephination being performed during the times of the ancient Indian Civilization. However, the current discovery gives a concrete proof about this being a case of a successful brain surgery. The damages to the skull which looks like was caused by a strong blow on the head, and the areas of the surgical incursions performed with healing skull structures clearly show that the person survived the surgery for a considerable time after the brain operation.

Much older Trephination cases have been found across the world. However, this one clearly points towards a case where the person who underwent the surgery had survived the drilling of his skull.

References


Classes with HG Vaisesika Prabhu – LIVE!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

***  UPDATE - MAY 16TH - Daily Readings are cancelled for Thursday, May 16th and Friday, May 17***

Schedule (May 14th - 19th):

**Theme: Practical Applications of Srimad Bhagavatam**
Tuesday, May 14th - Sunday, May 19th: Srimad Bhagavatam Classes (7:30am - 9:00am)
Tuesday, May 14th - Friday, May 17th: Daily Readings from Srila Prabhupada's Books (4:00pm - 5:00pm)
These evening readings are also available by phone at 1-877-860-3058; pass code 837956
Tuesday, May 14th: Tuesday Sangas (at ISKCON Toronto) (6:30pm - 9:00pm)



Classes with HG Vaisesika Prabhu – LIVE!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

***  UPDATE - MAY 16TH - Daily Readings are cancelled for Thursday, May 16th and Friday, May 17***

Schedule (May 14th - 19th):

**Theme: Practical Applications of Srimad Bhagavatam**
Tuesday, May 14th - Sunday, May 19th: Srimad Bhagavatam Classes (7:30am - 9:00am)
Tuesday, May 14th - Friday, May 17th: Daily Readings from Srila Prabhupada's Books (4:00pm - 5:00pm)
These evening readings are also available by phone at 1-877-860-3058; pass code 837956
Tuesday, May 14th: Tuesday Sangas (at ISKCON Toronto) (6:30pm - 9:00pm)



His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu, Her Grace Nirakula mataji and His Grace Rohinipriya prabhu will be at ISKCON Scarborough this weekend!
→ ISKCON Scarborough


Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

We are very excited to inform you that H.G.Vaisesika das prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula mataji will be coming to ISKCON Scarborough this Friday - 17th May 2013 and His Grace Rohinipriya prabhu will be coming to ISKCON Scarborough this Saturday - 18th May 2013.

CC Madhya 22.54

The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.34

Even a moment's association with a pure devotee cannot be compared to being transferred to heavenly planets or even merging into the Brahman effulgence in complete liberation. For living entities who are destined to give up the body and die, association with pure devotees is the highest benediction.

The schedule for Friday is as follows:

6.45 pm to 7 pm- Tulasi Arti

7 pm to 8 pm- class by H.G.Vaisesika das prabhu

8 pm to 8.30 pm- Arti

8.30 pm to 8.45 pm- Chant 1 round of Hare Krsna Maha Mantra together

8.45 pm - free vegetarian feast

HG Vaisesika das prabhu, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada is a veteran book distributor who has inspired devotees all around the world in creating and sustaining book distribution.Through classroom lectures and on-field training, Vaisesika prabhu has enlightened, encouraged and empowered several thousand devotees to become the agents of spiritual change. Prabhu’s association is infectious, and everywhere he goes a circle of enthusiastic hearers and chanters springs up around him.

The schedule for Saturday is as follows:

6.45 pm to 8 pm- Srimad Bhagavatam class by His Grace Rohinipriya prabhu

8 pm to 8.30 pm- Arti

8.30 pm to 8.45 pm- Chant 1 round of Hare Krsna Maha Mantra together

8.45 pm - free vegetarian feastHis Grace Rohinipriya prabhu is a is a senior Brahmacari serving at the ISKCON Cowpatty temple in Mumbai, India


A warm invitation goes out to you and your family to come and associate with advanced devotees coming Friday/Saturday.

With best wishes from,


ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7
Phone: 647-955-0415

Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
http://www.iskconscarborough.com

His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu, Her Grace Nirakula mataji and His Grace Rohinipriya prabhu will be at ISKCON Scarborough this weekend!
→ ISKCON Scarborough


Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

We are very excited to inform you that H.G.Vaisesika das prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula mataji will be coming to ISKCON Scarborough this Friday - 17th May 2013 and His Grace Rohinipriya prabhu will be coming to ISKCON Scarborough this Saturday - 18th May 2013.

CC Madhya 22.54

The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.34

Even a moment's association with a pure devotee cannot be compared to being transferred to heavenly planets or even merging into the Brahman effulgence in complete liberation. For living entities who are destined to give up the body and die, association with pure devotees is the highest benediction.

The schedule for Friday is as follows:

6.45 pm to 7 pm- Tulasi Arti

7 pm to 8 pm- class by H.G.Vaisesika das prabhu

8 pm to 8.30 pm- Arti

8.30 pm to 8.45 pm- Chant 1 round of Hare Krsna Maha Mantra together

8.45 pm - free vegetarian feast

HG Vaisesika das prabhu, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada is a veteran book distributor who has inspired devotees all around the world in creating and sustaining book distribution.Through classroom lectures and on-field training, Vaisesika prabhu has enlightened, encouraged and empowered several thousand devotees to become the agents of spiritual change. Prabhu’s association is infectious, and everywhere he goes a circle of enthusiastic hearers and chanters springs up around him.

The schedule for Saturday is as follows:

6.45 pm to 8 pm- Srimad Bhagavatam class by His Grace Rohinipriya prabhu

8 pm to 8.30 pm- Arti

8.30 pm to 8.45 pm- Chant 1 round of Hare Krsna Maha Mantra together

8.45 pm - free vegetarian feastHis Grace Rohinipriya prabhu is a is a senior Brahmacari serving at the ISKCON Cowpatty temple in Mumbai, India


A warm invitation goes out to you and your family to come and associate with advanced devotees coming Friday/Saturday.

With best wishes from,


ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7
Phone: 647-955-0415

Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
http://www.iskconscarborough.com

08 Follow Your Nature – His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami
→ Successful Vaisnavas – Personal Development for Hare Krishnas

Follow Your Nature In this week’s episode we discuss varnasrama and following your nature then using it in Krishna’s service. There is a quick recap of some personal experiences from Krsnendu dasa that inspired this topic. The main feature of the show is an excerpt from a teleclass given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami answering […]

The post 08 Follow Your Nature – His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

08 Follow Your Nature – His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami
→ Successful Vaisnavas

Follow Your Nature

In this week’s episode we discuss varnasrama and following your nature then using it in Krishna’s service.

There is a quick recap of some personal experiences from Krsnendu dasa that inspired this topic.

The main feature of the show is an excerpt from a teleclass given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami answering the question,

“How do we know our varna?”

Bhakti Charu Swami Follow Your Nature

Upcoming Live Online Event

Be sure to register for the Google + Hangout being held on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 7:30pm NZ time (8:30am UK time)

A hangout is an online interactive live event where you can see me and my computer screen. You also get to ask questions.

I will be talking about the MAYAPUR Framework™ for Krishna conscious personal development.

Visit http://SuccessfulVaisnavas.com/hangout to register and for more details.

In the comments below tell us:

“What do you think is your special talent?  

How are you using it (or how can you use it) for Krishna…”

Entomophagy
→ Servant of the Servant

In the Isopanishad, it is said that God the Supreme Being is complete and perfect and all His creations are complete and perfect. It implies that there should be no food shortage or food poverty in His creation. People should not go hungry for want of food. Nature is so perfect and unlimited that man can use Nature's bounty to sustain and grow himself. Why then is there food poverty? It is not because nature is inadequate or incomplete, it is because man who has the freedom to control, misuses his control out of greed and takes more than he needs thus creating a an artificial gap between resources, and people. Such unscrupulous leaders and guides of society who have the power to control the resources are the main culprits behind food poverty.

Despite the mismanagement of natural resources, the UN has taken a bizarre step to reduce food poverty. It is recommending human beings to eat insects. Gradually, the so called leaders of society are leading the way for people to degrade into animalistic lifestyle (mode of ignorance or tamo guna) . Human beings are meant to eat grains, fruits, roots, nuts, and milk products (mode of goodness or satva guna) and not animal flesh or insects. It is the grossest form of food habit. However, by planting the seed to eat insects, down the road, perhaps in two or three generations this sort of cuisine will be a normal practice.

Below is the article where insect eating is recommended.

The 200-page report, released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, on May 13 at the organisation's Rome headquarters, called for restaurants, chefs and food writers to promote the eating of insects, in a bid to fight world hunger and global warming.

"Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly," the FAO said, adding they leave a "low environmental footprint."

They provide high-quality protein and nutrients when compared with meat and fish and are "particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children".

Insects are "extremely efficient" in turning feed into edible meat, converting feed mass into meat four times more effectively than cows. The report suggests this would allow food to be produced more cheaply, with fewer emissions. Insects are high in protein, and can also be rich in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc.

Entomophagy, or the practice of eating insects, has a long history, and is currently practiced by two billion people world wide. The report counts around a thousand edible insect species, from the small grasshoppers served "toasted in a little oil with garlic, lemon and salt" on the streets of Oaxaca, to the fly eggs, gathered from stagnant water, that Montezuma enjoyed for breakfast, which the report optimistically terms "Mexican caviar".

The FAO admits that consumer disgust will remain a barrier to their adoption into the Western diet.
However, squeamish westerners may already be practicing entomophagy unawares. Some degree of insect contamination is considered inevitable in large scale agriculture. The United States Food and Drug Administration considers wheat flour with an average of 75 or fewer insect fragments per 50 grams, and tomato juice with no more than one maggot per 100 grams, appropriate for human consumption.

Source: The Telegraph

Hare Krishna

Entomophagy
→ Servant of the Servant

In the Isopanishad, it is said that God the Supreme Being is complete and perfect and all His creations are complete and perfect. It implies that there should be no food shortage or food poverty in His creation. People should not go hungry for want of food. Nature is so perfect and unlimited that man can use Nature's bounty to sustain and grow himself. Why then is there food poverty? It is not because nature is inadequate or incomplete, it is because man who has the freedom to control, misuses his control out of greed and takes more than he needs thus creating a an artificial gap between resources, and people. Such unscrupulous leaders and guides of society who have the power to control the resources are the main culprits behind food poverty.

Despite the mismanagement of natural resources, the UN has taken a bizarre step to reduce food poverty. It is recommending human beings to eat insects. Gradually, the so called leaders of society are leading the way for people to degrade into animalistic lifestyle (mode of ignorance or tamo guna) . Human beings are meant to eat grains, fruits, roots, nuts, and milk products (mode of goodness or satva guna) and not animal flesh or insects. It is the grossest form of food habit. However, by planting the seed to eat insects, down the road, perhaps in two or three generations this sort of cuisine will be a normal practice.

Below is the article where insect eating is recommended.

The 200-page report, released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, on May 13 at the organisation's Rome headquarters, called for restaurants, chefs and food writers to promote the eating of insects, in a bid to fight world hunger and global warming.

"Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly," the FAO said, adding they leave a "low environmental footprint."

They provide high-quality protein and nutrients when compared with meat and fish and are "particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children".

Insects are "extremely efficient" in turning feed into edible meat, converting feed mass into meat four times more effectively than cows. The report suggests this would allow food to be produced more cheaply, with fewer emissions. Insects are high in protein, and can also be rich in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc.

Entomophagy, or the practice of eating insects, has a long history, and is currently practiced by two billion people world wide. The report counts around a thousand edible insect species, from the small grasshoppers served "toasted in a little oil with garlic, lemon and salt" on the streets of Oaxaca, to the fly eggs, gathered from stagnant water, that Montezuma enjoyed for breakfast, which the report optimistically terms "Mexican caviar".

The FAO admits that consumer disgust will remain a barrier to their adoption into the Western diet.
However, squeamish westerners may already be practicing entomophagy unawares. Some degree of insect contamination is considered inevitable in large scale agriculture. The United States Food and Drug Administration considers wheat flour with an average of 75 or fewer insect fragments per 50 grams, and tomato juice with no more than one maggot per 100 grams, appropriate for human consumption.

Source: The Telegraph

Hare Krishna

A Flurry of Special Guests!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

With spring upon us, many special guests are making their way to Toronto to enliven and inspire everyone with seminars and more!

Making one of their many trips to Toronto's Hare Krishna Centre are none other than His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula mataji! They are truly members of our large community and we are very excited to have them once again to encourage our many sankirtan initiatives. Sankirtan refers to the process of sharing our spiritual culture through book distribution.


The schedule is jam-packed with different events that will surely entice everyone!

Schedule (May 14th - 19th):

**Theme: Practical Applications of Srimad Bhagavatam**
Tuesday, May 14th - Sunday, May 19th: Srimad Bhagavatam Classes (7:30am - 9:00am)
Tuesday, May 14th - Friday, May 17th: Daily Readings from Srila Prabhupada's Books (4:00pm - 5:00pm)
Tuesday, May 14th: Tuesday Sangas (at ISKCON Toronto) (6:30pm - 9:00pm)
Saturday, May 18th: Harinam Sankirtan in downtown Toronto (11:00am - 2:00pm)
                                    Bhajan Evening (7:00pm - 9:00pm)
Sunday, May 19th: Sunday Feast!


Please don't miss out on an amazing week!


A Flurry of Special Guests!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

With spring upon us, many special guests are making their way to Toronto to enliven and inspire everyone with seminars and more!

Making one of their many trips to Toronto's Hare Krishna Centre are none other than His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula mataji! They are truly members of our large community and we are very excited to have them once again to encourage our many sankirtan initiatives. Sankirtan refers to the process of sharing our spiritual culture through book distribution.


The schedule is jam-packed with different events that will surely entice everyone!

Schedule (May 14th - 19th):

**Theme: Practical Applications of Srimad Bhagavatam**
Tuesday, May 14th - Sunday, May 19th: Srimad Bhagavatam Classes (7:30am - 9:00am)
Tuesday, May 14th - Friday, May 17th: Daily Readings from Srila Prabhupada's Books (4:00pm - 5:00pm)
Tuesday, May 14th: Tuesday Sangas (at ISKCON Toronto) (6:30pm - 9:00pm)
Saturday, May 18th: Harinam Sankirtan in downtown Toronto (11:00am - 2:00pm)
                                    Bhajan Evening (7:00pm - 9:00pm)
Sunday, May 19th: Sunday Feast!


Please don't miss out on an amazing week!


New Vrindaban Rebuilds, Sees Bright Future Ahead
→ Seeking The Essence

New Vrindaban Rebuilds, Sees Bright Future Ahead

Originally posted by Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 9 May 2013

New Vrindaban Board Members with Srila Prabhupada in his Palace of Gold

Established in 1968 in West Virginia, New Vrindaban was ISKCON’s first rural community.

Over the following years, the pioneer community made a series of  well-documented mistakes in its early attempts, going through some of ISKCON’s  darkest and most difficult times. Resources were affected, but most of all  people—many of whom left the community.

Still, a skeleton crew remained through the toughest times, working through the repercussions and doing their best to correct the errors of the past.

In more recent times, there has been renewed energy to rebuild New Vrindaban and to turn it into the exemplary self-sufficient, Krishna conscious community  that Srila Prabhupada envisioned.

New key personnel have been brought in to help with the transition, including  community president Jaya Krishna Das. Formerly the administrative director for  Bhaktivedanta College, Belgium, Jaya Krishna took up his new post in spring 2011  and has been working hard since to help New Vrindaban grow into a thriving,  attractive community.

During an annual board meeting on the weekend of April 20th and 21st, New Vrindaban devotees discussed some exciting developments in the first phase of  the community’s transition.

ISKCON Governing Body Commisioners Anuttama Das, Malati Dasi and Tamohara Das  joined board members from two non-profit organizations at the meeting—ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECOV, which focuses on the community’s self sufficiency  efforts.

“Everyone came in looking for ways to answer the question: how can we better  serve the devotees of New Vrindaban, and improve the overall community spirit?” says Chaitanya Mangala Das, a second generation devotee and member of both boards.

Answers fell into two categories. The first was improving the physical  environment, an effort that’s already in progress in a big way.

Early this year, for example, the residential quarters for devotees in the  Radha Vrindabanchandra temple building were completely renovated.

“The wood paneling that had been on the walls since the early 1980s was  removed, and the rooms were sheet-rocked,” says Chaitanya Mangala. “They also  put in new windows, and fully furnished each room with basic living amenities  such as a bed, chair, and desk. The floor mats and sleeping bags of the past are  done away with, and it’s been made a more comfortable environment for  residents.”

Standard capacity for the residential quarters is fifty-four devotees, but  they can accommodate ninety-six at full capacity during festivals.

Meanwhile rooms at the community’s guest lodge are also being completely  remodeled in time for the Festival of Inspiration on May 10th, 11th and 12th  this year. The old bunk-bed style lodgings of yesteryear are gone, to be  replaced with queen beds and motel quality accommodations. Altogether the rooms  will have a total capacity of 130 persons.

The New Vrindaban Welcome Center is also receiving a full do-over to create a  warm, inviting atmosphere for guests.

In addition the community’s snack bar is being transformed into an elegant  Govinda’s Vegetarian Restaurant with sit-down menu service as well as a full  buffet. After a partial opening for the Festival of Inspiration, it will be  fully functioning by the end of May.

Restoration work is also beginning on Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold,  which has been a sacred place of pilgrimage and major tourist attraction for New Vrindaban over many years but  had fallen into disrepair.

The full cost of all needed renovations falls somewhere between three and  five million dollars. While the community does not have these funds and is  discussing ways to raise them, devotees are already getting started on  renovations with the funds they do have.

Work has already begun on the stairs leading up to the Palace, and will  commence on the entrance walk-way in the summer.

“Then as more funds are raised, additional repairs will be ongoing for as  long as it takes,” says Chaitanya Mangala.

New Vrindaban is also planning to tear down old and unsightly buildings.  During the meeting, board members took a walking tour of Bahulaban, where  devotees resided in the early years before moving to the current location in the  mid 1980s.

Bahulaban was essentially closed down after the move, and the three main  buildings there have not received any maintenance for two decades. One building  is salvageable, but the other two, a barn and an old guesthouse that was damaged  by fire in the 1990s, are not. Both are eyesores and visual reminders of darker and sadder days at New Vrindaban, and will be taken down.

Materials from them such as oak beams and concrete, however, will be recycled  into other projects. This is evocative of the “green” way in which New Vrindaban is approaching its renovations.

For instance, the guest lodge has been remodeled using low volatile organic  compound paint, energy saving CFL bulbs and non-toxic floor underlayment. And water-filling stations are being installed throughout the property, with reusable metal water bottles being made available to guests. Eventually, the community hopes to completely eliminate the use of plastic water bottles.

There are other self-sufficient initiatives, too. A team of devotees will  soon be producing cream, yogurt, butter, ghee and other milk products for the  Deities’ daily offerings using only milk from New Vrindaban cows.

And the garden crews are busy. They’re planting seedlings for the Deity Flower  Garden with a goal of providing all of the temple’s flower needs throughout the  2013 summer growing season.

They’re also planting 100 fruit trees, 50 nut trees, 110 berries, 20 grape  vines and a variety of perennial vegetables. And they’re installing three green houses to expand agricultural production by starting the growing season earlier  in the spring and extending it later into autumn.

Meanwhile New Vrindaban’s unique festivals are exploding with popularity.  There’s the Festival of Inspiration, now in its thirteenth year; the 24 Hour  Kirtan, held every June; and the brand new Festival of Colors, which drew over  1,000 youthful and energetic college students for its inaugural event last September.

“The long range goal is to eventually fill up every weekend from May through  September with a different festival that attracts different types of crowds,” says Chaitanya Mangala.

But with all these projects, the New Vrindaban board members are not  forgetting that people are the most important part of a community.

“In our meeting we discussed how to improve community spirit, so that the  devotees are feeling strong in their relationships with each other and inspired,  enthusiastic and supportive of one another,” Chaitanya Mangala says.

Ideas included taking lessons for success from other devotee communities,  developing devotee care, training leaders to become better servant leaders, and strengthening the relationships amongst devotees.

The latter includes developing an underlying assumption of goodwill amongst  the community members.

“Disagreements are going to come up no matter what,” says Chaitanya Mangala. “Prabhupada would say, ‘People who believe in Utopia are impersonalists.’ There  is no such thing as a perfect scenario in this world. There are always going to be challenges and disagreements. But the mindset in which you approach them can make all the difference in the world.”

At the end of the meetings, board members also invited community residents for an afternoon in which they presented what they had discussed, then opened up  the floor for questions and concerns.

Overall, they’re feeling very positive that New Vrindaban can progress on  from its past into a very bright future.

“We’re blessed to be able to participate in manifesting Srila Prabhupada’s  grand vision of New Vrindaban,” Chaitanya Mangala says. “Along the way, we all fall short and fail at times to live up to all of the ideals. But as long as we  continue to participate and perservere, through that process we become stronger, and eventually we do succeed.”


Temples for Krishna
→ TKG Academy

I’m always amazed by Mother Savitri’s Classroom Management skills.  She has 10 little energetic students in her class – ages 4 to 6, yet they seem to always be busy and quietly working on their work.  I rarely hear discord or craziness coming from her classroom!  So I decided to stop by and see what it is that the students are doing.

It was in the afternoon, and all the students had their art supplies, sequins, paintbrush, water cups, scissors and more.  They were absorbed, happily creating little temples for the picture Deities that were to go inside.  They had designed their own temples, and were peacefully placing the decoration pieces on the construction paper.  Learning how much glue to use, where to place the sequins, how big to cut the doors.. all of these skills are important for hand-eye coordination and even just for learning how to do projects as they reach upper levels.

Here are some pictures!

t1 t2 t3 t4 t5

An inner still voice
→ Servant of the Servant

I have a belief - a belief based on personal experience and introspection. Although this belief stems from my experience in life, hence very much subjective to myself, still, I also believe this could be true to every single being in this creation - A generalization that breaks all norms of modern scientific rigor.

Although I still find it hard to accept certain things that happened to me in my life still somewhere I know it was and is the perfect arrangement of destiny. Over the many years, I have had my share of misgivings which has led me to intense burst of anger and anguish followed by remorse and inner contemplation. In my phase of contemplation, I most often than not agree to how things pan out, even though painful. I invariably agree to the perfect arrangement simply because of the realization I get at the end. The final realization I always get benefits me in my spiritual realization of God. Such realizations are perfect thus making the incidents perfect because to realize God is the ultimate purpose of human life.

When we accept the ideal of God realization as the ultimate purpose of human life, then, whatever good or bad happens to us, we will gradually learn the art of not finding fault with our immediate causes of our problems. In the same vein, we will also not be passionate about seeking solutions to our problems, Rather we will cultivate the tolerance to accept our situation as it is and in that peaceful state of mind introspect our inner self. During this time of introspection or contemplation, we will hear an inner voice reverberating -a voice solacing us, guiding us, and ultimately teaching us the real principle of human life. This inner voice cannot be the mind or intelligence because in a bad situation, the mind and intelligence is disturbed, and beyond this disturbance, we will hear an undisturbed still voice.

Personally, I believe this inner still voice to be the voice of God Krishna. I believe every living being gets this inner voice especially during the time of despair. This still voice of God has a purpose - a deeper purpose beyond all the temporary duties of this world. God loves us so much He guides us in many ways. He will send a messenger, speak through the scriptures, come Himself and/or ultimately guide us from within. We only have to be ready to listen and take guidance in a humble manner without our own dictation, and when we do, our life incidences' will be signposts guiding us towards one purpose - that is - back home to the loving arms of God Krishna.

All our problems pale in front of God's oceanic love for us.

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

To show them special mercy, I (Krishna), dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.- BG 10.11

Hare Krishna

An inner still voice
→ Servant of the Servant

I have a belief - a belief based on personal experience and introspection. Although this belief stems from my experience in life, hence very much subjective to myself, still, I also believe this could be true to every single being in this creation - A generalization that breaks all norms of modern scientific rigor.

Although I still find it hard to accept certain things that happened to me in my life still somewhere I know it was and is the perfect arrangement of destiny. Over the many years, I have had my share of misgivings which has led me to intense burst of anger and anguish followed by remorse and inner contemplation. In my phase of contemplation, I most often than not agree to how things pan out, even though painful. I invariably agree to the perfect arrangement simply because of the realization I get at the end. The final realization I always get benefits me in my spiritual realization of God. Such realizations are perfect thus making the incidents perfect because to realize God is the ultimate purpose of human life.

When we accept the ideal of God realization as the ultimate purpose of human life, then, whatever good or bad happens to us, we will gradually learn the art of not finding fault with our immediate causes of our problems. In the same vein, we will also not be passionate about seeking solutions to our problems, Rather we will cultivate the tolerance to accept our situation as it is and in that peaceful state of mind introspect our inner self. During this time of introspection or contemplation, we will hear an inner voice reverberating -a voice solacing us, guiding us, and ultimately teaching us the real principle of human life. This inner voice cannot be the mind or intelligence because in a bad situation, the mind and intelligence is disturbed, and beyond this disturbance, we will hear an undisturbed still voice.

Personally, I believe this inner still voice to be the voice of God Krishna. I believe every living being gets this inner voice especially during the time of despair. This still voice of God has a purpose - a deeper purpose beyond all the temporary duties of this world. God loves us so much He guides us in many ways. He will send a messenger, speak through the scriptures, come Himself and/or ultimately guide us from within. We only have to be ready to listen and take guidance in a humble manner without our own dictation, and when we do, our life incidences' will be signposts guiding us towards one purpose - that is - back home to the loving arms of God Krishna.

All our problems pale in front of God's oceanic love for us.

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

To show them special mercy, I (Krishna), dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.- BG 10.11

Hare Krishna

ISKCON Scarborough – Special Mother’s day program coming Sunday- 12th May 2013‏
→ ISKCON Scarborough


Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

On Sunday, a special Mother's day program will take place at ISKCON Scarborough. On this day, we would like to take the opportunity to honor and thank the Mother's for their selfless, tireless and unconditional service rendered by them.

We warmly invite all the devotees with their friends and family members to ISKCON Scarborough on Sunday 12th May 2013 at 10.30 am to thank the Mother’s for their love and support.

With best wishes from,

ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7
Phone: 647-955-0415

Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
http://www.iskconscarborough.com

Special Treatment
→ Tattva - See inside out

“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” - Goethe (German poet)

Each one of us has the potential to bring out the best or worst in others. When we focus on people’s faults, stick labels on them, and then subsequently treat them with suspicion and reservation, we actually block their progress. By forcing people into a defensive mode, we distract them from doing the deep internal work that can give birth to their divine and innate potential. It’s not that we are simply passive and powerless victims of other peoples (mis)behavior. We are often party to it.

Great saintly teachers have shown how an approach of encouragement, appreciation, and loving discipline can create miraculous change in others. Swami Prabhupada was one such example. Having spent his entire life amidst refined and immaculate spiritual culture, he arrived in New York’s skid row and lived side-by-side with bohemians, acidheads and hippies. He saw beyond their difficulties, frustrations and problems, and detected the spark of genuine spiritual enthusiasm and sincerity. He fanned that spark, and ignited a fire that could incinerate their inner issues. Convinced that every soul is amazing, he worked hard to enliven that spirit.

Bringing out the best in others does require immense spiritual depth. We have to stop taking things personally. We have to develop a character of forgiveness and kindness. We have to be patient, and value progress above perfection. We have to avoid overreacting in provoking situations. We have to remain fixed in our values and principles despite the irrationality of others. We have to avoid the temptation to ‘hit back’ and hurt others simply for immediate relief and gratification. A tall order. I hope that one day I’ll develop the spiritual depth to conduct myself in this way. We may think that remaining sane, healthy and happy in our own life is good enough. The principle of being genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of others, however, is innate to our own progress. By bringing out the best in others, we bring out the best in ourselves.

Special Treatment
→ Tattva - See inside out

“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” - Goethe (German poet)

Each one of us has the potential to bring out the best or worst in others. When we focus on people’s faults, stick labels on them, and then subsequently treat them with suspicion and reservation, we actually block their progress. By forcing people into a defensive mode, we distract them from doing the deep internal work that can give birth to their divine and innate potential. It’s not that we are simply passive and powerless victims of other peoples (mis)behavior. We are often party to it.

Great saintly teachers have shown how an approach of encouragement, appreciation, and loving discipline can create miraculous change in others. Swami Prabhupada was one such example. Having spent his entire life amidst refined and immaculate spiritual culture, he arrived in New York’s skid row and lived side-by-side with bohemians, acidheads and hippies. He saw beyond their difficulties, frustrations and problems, and detected the spark of genuine spiritual enthusiasm and sincerity. He fanned that spark, and ignited a fire that could incinerate their inner issues. Convinced that every soul is amazing, he worked hard to enliven that spirit.

Bringing out the best in others does require immense spiritual depth. We have to stop taking things personally. We have to develop a character of forgiveness and kindness. We have to be patient, and value progress above perfection. We have to avoid overreacting in provoking situations. We have to remain fixed in our values and principles despite the irrationality of others. We have to avoid the temptation to ‘hit back’ and hurt others simply for immediate relief and gratification. A tall order. I hope that one day I’ll develop the spiritual depth to conduct myself in this way. We may think that remaining sane, healthy and happy in our own life is good enough. The principle of being genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of others, however, is innate to our own progress. By bringing out the best in others, we bring out the best in ourselves.