Sunday, August 28, 2022
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Niagara Falls, Ontario

It’s No Wonder

It was a smooth drive with Gabriel behind the wheel from Ottawa, but looking at the rest of my day I asked myself, “When will I get the chance to put in some walking?” Before reaching ISKCON Toronto I asked Gabriel to drop me off at Bayview and Rosedale Valley Road. “I’ll complete this journey on foot.”

The trail, along a fairly busy road, is actually in a ravine with plenty of shade. Pleasant! But from where I began, I noticed the most healthy growth of poison ivy patches. I stayed on the trail and enjoyed the towering trees on both sides. But trouble began when seeing the tents of the homeless. The problem is the garbage that’s left around. Nature is usually nice and so are people. However, there is another side to both nature and humans. Let’s take note.

Also on my agenda for today, was a drive to Niagara and a presentation there, to celebrate the belated Janmastami, Krishna’s birth. This journey was an austerity. The Queen Elizabeth Way, the route to the town of the dynamic waterfalls, is somehow cursed. It has become a bumper-to-bumper culture. Very aggravating.

Peace was achieved when we finally became stationary and I spoke from the Gita, quoting six verses that address Krishna’s coming to the world — His intent, His timing, and its auspiciousness. There was shanti, calmness, in this delivery and, to some degree, that tempering contributed to keeping some peace with the horrendous traffic on our return. It’s no wonder I like walking.

May the Source be with you!

4 km


 

Saturday, August 27, 2022
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In Ottawa

Sandy Hill, Ottawa

This is the first year of a Chariot Fest, on more of a grand scale, in Canada’s Nation Capital. The chariot, so well constructed and conserved by competent craftsman from Montreal, Abhuy Charan, came in on the scene in this residential student area of Ottawa University. The route of the procession also took us along the Rideau River, where you have many embassies situated from around the world.

Starting from Templeton Street, the chariot and its people-power procession made its way in a counter clockwise fashion to the end of Sandy Hill community Park. The annual and iconic Ratha Yatra also takes place near the sandy district of the Bay of Bengal, in Puri, India.

Several hundred devotees participated in this charming and wholesome chanting session. Drums, symbols and tambourines dominated the student zone of the city. The truck, elaborately painted, was my location for leading the chant. The vehicle was used as a source of sacred sound throughout and it was the technique that more or less worked at the chariot fest earlier in the summer, in Saskatoon.

My other area of participation was on the stage, or rather on the shaded grass, for laughter-yoga, dance-yoga and chant-yoga. It was the last item on the agenda for the day.

I would like to thank the leader of the Krishna community in Ottawa, Krishna Dulal, for an excellent job executed.

May the Source be with you!

0 km


 

Friday, August 26, 2022
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Yonge St., Toronto

On a Podcast

Kushal Mehra is host to a regular podcast from India who found out about me as a Canadian monastic and marathon walker. It was this morning that he arranged for a recording on the Charvaka Project.

Our guru, Prabhupada, used to bring to our attention a person by the name of Charvaka Muni, whos philosophy propounded that you beg, borrow or steal ghee and enjoy life. Ghee, clarified butter, was a symbol of wealth, so the message was to be the mundane enjoyer. Nothing else matters too much. There’s no God in control. In other words, those to prescribe to this philosophy are non-believers.

In any event, Kushal was a gracious host and asked all the right things about my journey, both as a monk and how I got into pilgrimage. There was no attack on my theism. In fact, at one time during the hour and a half interview, I got into discussion on God’s presence in the heart as paramatma, supersoul, and about the soul’s transmigration. At least for me, it was a sweet dialogue.

At the end of the interview Kushal, who personally attested to the glories of walking, asked if I had a final message to deliver to the listeners. I closed with the message of service; that service is the prime activity for all humans. It is in givingthat we truly enjoy life.

Kushal expressed on the show that he would surely walk some kilometers with me on his next visit to Canada.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


 

The Passing of Her Grace Kalindi Devi Dasi
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It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Her Grace Kalindi Devi Dasi. In her absence, our heart is burning by the constant raining fire. Her loyalty; her dedication was as firm as the stars and faith in Guru and Krishna was as firm as the mountains. Words fail to describe her […]

The post The Passing of Her Grace Kalindi Devi Dasi appeared first on ISKCON News.

Release of the Chaitanya Charitamrita In Malayalam
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His Holiness Jayapataka Swami (second from left), first copy in the hands of the Tantri (Center), Mr V Muraleedharan (second from right), His Holiness Bhakti Vinoda Swami (extreme right)   Srila Prabhupada had said that he feels like an “emperor” every time one of his books gets published in a new language. Crowning him once […]

The post Release of the Chaitanya Charitamrita In Malayalam appeared first on ISKCON News.

Save Earth Now – Join the Bhadra Purnima Campaign
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The Srimad-Bhagavatam at 12.13.13 states, “If on the full moon day of the month of Bhadra one places Srimad-Bhagavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a gift, he will attain the supreme transcendental destination.” We are only a few days away from Bhadra Purnima, which falls this year on Sep 9/10 in different parts […]

The post Save Earth Now – Join the Bhadra Purnima Campaign appeared first on ISKCON News.

Radhastami in Seattle
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The divine appearance day of Srimati Radharani, the eternal consort of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Radhastami is a very special day for all the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, as by obtaining the mercy of Srimati Radharani one can easily achieve Krishna-prema. Radha is Krishna’s dearest servant, and is His pleasure potency.

Srimati Radharani’s glorious birth occured on the eighth day of the bright moon in the month of Bhadra. Although generally not full on that day, the moon appeared full to celebrate Radharani’s appearance in this world. Among all of Krishna’s consorts in Sri Vrindavana, Srimati Radharani is the greatest. In fact, She is the queen of Vrndavana. 

On Radhasthami day, devotees meditate on the exalted position of Srimati Radharani and offer prayers to her.

tapta-kanchana-gaurangi
radhe vrindavaneshvari
vrishabhanu-sute devi
pranamami hari-priye

‘I offer my respects to Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the queen of Vrindavan. You are the daughter of King Vrishabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna.’

ISKCON Vancouver Holds First Sage of the Earth Event
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  ISKCON Vancouver hosted the inaugural Sage the Earth (not a typo!) event on June 25, 2022. The five simultaneous fire sacrifices, complete with kirtan yajna of the holy names and prescribed mantras, were offered to reverse global incongruities: climate disturbances, wars, and racial violence.      The presence of sages such as Bhaktimarga Swami, […]

The post ISKCON Vancouver Holds First Sage of the Earth Event appeared first on ISKCON News.

Rathayatra festival in the park
→ Ramai Swami

The second day of the Seattle Rathayatra festival continued in the park at Redmond Shire. Thousands of people came through on both days to enjoy stage kirtana, dance and delicious prasadam.

There were stalls featuring Srila Prabhupada’s books, Deity darshan, changing bodies exhibit and various paraphernalia products. There was a pen where people could feed the cows and a local Hindu group performed a sequence with drums brought from India.

ISKCON Relief Ukraine Financial Report
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Devotees from Europe and other parts of the world have tirelessly continued their sincere endeavor to help devotees from Ukraine find shelter, care, and support. The following figures are for week 16 of this devotee care/relief effort. Please find attached a report on the service of the ISKCON Europe Relief Team, established by the Euro […]

The post ISKCON Relief Ukraine Financial Report appeared first on ISKCON News.

ISKCON Seattle Rathayatra
→ Ramai Swami

Every year on the Labor Day weekend, the devotees from Seattle organize a Rathayatra parade and festival for Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in the Redmond area of the city. I was asked to start off the kirtan and after a while my god-brother, Hari Vilasa prabhu took over.

All Rathayatras are blissful and the Seattle devotees were ecstatic chanting and dancing before Their Lordships. I met one devotee who came all the way from Calgary, Canada to attend. The numbers grew as the parade went on and finally it ended at a Redmond city park.

Her Grace Kalindi Devi Dasi is no more
→ Dandavats

We are sorry to bearers of saddest news that, the founder of ISKCON, Abhaya charanarabinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Shrila Prabhupad’s dear Disciple Shree Shrimat Shubhag Swami Gurumaharj’s beloved disciple and our dear God sister who was also a devotee of ISKCON Gour-Nitai temple, HG Kalindi Devi Dasi is no more. In her absence, our heart is
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Love Conquers All
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Hare KrishnaBy Radhanath Swami

“The Latin poet Virgil, has written, ‘Love conquers all’. The second part of what he wrote, in many ways is instrumental. He said, ‘Love conquers all, so let us all be conquered by love’. This is the principle of bhakti. The first and great commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and the natural consequence of that is that you will love your neighbor as yourself. And according to the Bhagavad-gita you will see every living being as your neighbor.” “But that actual ecstasy of loving God really comes when we become conquered by God’s love. Krishna, who is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the one God who has many names and has descended into this world many times, in his fullest expression, comes once in a day Brahma to this world. Sri Radha comes with him. The one Supreme God is ever as two personalities, Krishna, the Supreme object of love, and Srimati Radharani, who is the ultimate supreme lover.” Continue reading "Love Conquers All
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