Planet ISKCON

The second annual International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Law Department conference was conducted May 1st and 2nd, 2021, in a meeting attended by more than 50 devotees, with good representation from six continents. Following formal recognition of the Law Department by the GBC in 2018, the first conference of the Law Department was held […]

The post ISKCON Law Department 2nd Annual Conference – “Building the Law Department” appeared first on ISKCON News.

Is there such a thing as spiritual time management? Can we organize our schedule based on spiritual principles? At the biweekly student sangha of the Bhaktivedanta College in Budapest, Hungary, professor Syamasundara Dasa explored whether the Vedic scriptures have relevant answers to these questions in the 21st century. Spoiler alert: there is no such thing […]

The post The Secrets of Spiritual Time Management appeared first on ISKCON News.

Like so many parts of India, the holiest city of Vrindavan is suffering from the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic.  Due to the ongoing outbreak of the Corona Virus, ISKCON Vrindavan reports that it has recently lost five wonderful devotees who were a part of the community. Throughout the pandemic, if a Devotee of ISKCON Vrindavan contracts […]

The post News Brief – ISKCON Vrindavan Devotee Care Department Needs Donations appeared first on ISKCON News.

Dr Dwarkadhish Das is a postgraduate in medicine from Mumbai University. He's the Head of Department, one of the founder members and Trustees of the Bhaktivedanta Hospital and Research Center located at Mira Rd in Mumbai. His search for meaningful life led him to Krishna consciousness in 1982 during his undergraduate years.

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The Nectar Talks team interview Sanka Dasa about his lifetime of kitchen service. New podcasts from Hare Krishna Community Radio include the Story of Aghasura, Radio Rama, and Prayers for Love and Peace. And Janaki Dasi will teach a course on The Right Use of Power. For details on the above and more, please read on.

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“We have got so many books now and I want all of my disciples to read them carefully” Srila Prabhupada Letter to Upendra -- Nellore, 7 January 1976

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Hare Krishna Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada Greetings from Sri Mayapur We hope this meets you and the family in good health and sound devotional Service. With immense pleasure, we would like to invite you for this year’s Aksaya Trititya as well as the very special occasion of Narasimha Jayanti […]

The post Aksaya Tritiya / Chandan Yatra May 15th 2021 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Nectar Talks hosts, Amrita-Keli Dasi and Namamrita Das, interview Nanda Nandana Dasi, the manager of Krishna Lunch at UF, Gainesville. Get ready to hear how Nanda Nandana Dasi found Krishna in the hardcore scene! Fasten your seatbelts as she takes us on her adventurous journey through decades of outreach. Hear about her passion for Krishna Lunch.

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The Covid crisis continues to affect India and Bangladesh and the ISKCON communities there in a terrible way. We have lost many members of our extended ISKCON family, and people in the surrounding regions of our communities are struggling with the Covid disease and its impact on food supplies, financial security, and more. Continue reading "Urgent Appeal for Mayapur and Bangladesh Covid Relief
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The Covid crisis continues to affect India and Bangladesh and the ISKCON communities there in a terrible way. We have lost many members of our extended ISKCON family, and people in the surrounding regions of our communities are struggling with the Covid disease and its impact on food supplies, financial security, and more. Continue reading "Urgent Appeal for Mayapur and Bangladesh Covid Relief
→ Dandavats"

As most of you are aware, the pandemic continues to rage on and is now engulfing India. The situation is extremely dire and getting worse by the day as the second wave of the pandemic has hit India even harder than the first wave. This predicament is also heavily affecting ISKCON devotee communities in India […]

The post Sending Love from Canada – Live Covid-Relief Event appeared first on ISKCON News.

The Covid crisis continues to affect India and Bangladesh and the ISKCON communities there in a terrible way. We have lost many members of our extended ISKCON family, and people in the surrounding regions of our communities are struggling with the Covid disease and its impact on food supplies, financial security, and more.   ISKCON is […]

The post Urgent Appeal for Mayapur and Bangladesh Covid-Relief Donations appeared first on ISKCON News.

HH Indradyumna Swami: Dear devotees! Well, in our wanderings through Vrindavan''s forests, we have come to a very unique one: Radhavan. This lecture is entitled, "Radhavan - Sri Radha's Special Forest." We discuss a number of pastimes that take place there. Then we move on to a forest of Jasmine flowers where the gopis decorate Radha and Krsna only in flower ornaments! And finally, we visit 2 very special villages on the banks of the Yamuna river where a great saint instructs us on the intricacies of pure devotional service.

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Akshaya tritiya, according to the Vedic calendar, is a day considered to be conducive to success in any significant endeavour. Traditionally, those aware of Akshaya tritiya’s benefits schedule major life events—marriages, initiations, and business ventures, establishing a new place of residence—on this day.

The very word Akshaya means, “that which never diminishes”. Any service or charity one performs on this day will be paid back many times over. On this day, Sudama gave the Lord a tiny portion of chipped rice and was rewarded with untold opulence. 

Though Sudama never asked the Lord for any help, Lord Krishna blessed him with unlimited prosperity in return for his most humble offering of chipped rice. In spite of possessing great riches, Sudama remained a great devotee of the Lord and never forgot Him till the end of his life. Consequently, he attained the supreme perfection. Thus Akshaya Tritiya is also a festival of Lord Sri Krishna’s blessings for prosperity and devotion.There is no better way to ensure eternal prosperity than to make a spiritually charged beginning on this day. 

On the day of Akshaya Tritiya many large temple deities are covered with chandan paste. The deities are covered completely with chandan (sandalwood paste), which provides the Lord relief from the scorching heat of summer in the month of Vaisakha/Jyestha (May/June).

«Путешествие лишает вас дара речи, но позже превращает в рассказчика».

[ Ибн Баттута, мусульманский марокканский ученый ( 1304-1368) ]

Мой дорогой Бада Харидас, мой попутчик! Как я скучаю по нашим проповедническим приключениям! Жду  не дождусь тех дней. Это мы близ Лехи, исторической столицы гималайского царства Ладакх (Индия).

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Vintage Kirtan by Senior Sanyasis ( HH BB Govinda Swami, HH Niranjana Swami, HH Indradyumna Swami, HH Jayadvaita Swami, HH Radhanath Swami, HH Sri Krsna Caitanya Swami ) at ISKCON Chowpatty 2005

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What’s the Importance of this Day for Me? Results of activities done on this day will not diminish or perish. Rather, everything done on this day will yield auspicious ongoing results.

The day known as Aksaya-tritiya occurs on the third (tritiya) day of the waxing moon in the month of Vaisakha. Every second of this blessed day is completely auspicious, and so there is no consideration of any one period (muhurta) being better than another. Aksaya means “inexhaustible”; anything a person undertakes on the day of Aksaya-tritiya is bound to succeed, especially the performance of devotional activities, which guarantee inexhaustible benefit. Continue reading "Aksaya-tritiya
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The day known as Aksaya-tritiya occurs on the third day (tritiya) of the waxing moon in the month of Vaisakha. Every second of this blessed day is completely auspicious, and so there is no consideration of any one period (muhurta) being better than another. Aksaya means “inexhaustible”; anything a person undertakes on the day of Aksaya-tritiya is bound to succeed, especially the performance of devotional activities, which guarantee inexhaustible benefit.

It is said that Aksaya-tritiya is the day when Treta-yuga began and the river Ganges descended to earth. Also, the festival known as Candana-yatra starts on Aksaya-tritiya.

In the Madhva-sampradaya, Aksaya-tritiya is celebrated as the day of the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Parasurama. In the Sri Krishna Mutt monastery a special festival takes place during which the aksaya-patra, the marvelous pot gifted by the sun god to Draupadi, is worshipped. Srimati Draupadi was given the benediction that her pot would provide unlimited food at each meal, until she herself ate from it. It appears that the pot came under the custody of Sri Madhvacharya, and on Aksaya-tritiya it is worshipped and prasada is lavishly distributed throughout the day.

An interesting incident took place on Aksaya-tritiya in Nandagrama, where Sri Krishna enjoyed His childhood pastimes with Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda. When Nanda Maharaja established his residence in Nandagrama, he excavated a large lake, then known as Nanda Sarovara. Nanda Maharaja, his family members, and all the Vraja-vasis used to bathe in that lake. And it is said that while Nanda Maharaja and his family bathed at one end of the lake, Vrsabhanu Maharaja would occasionally come and bathe with his family at the other end. According to local tradition, Srimati Radharani and Krishna used to swim underwater to the middle of the lake and engage in pastimes.

One day, little Krishna noticed that instead of cooking the usual meal of rice, dal, subji, and chapatis, Mother Yasoda was making all kinds of fried preparations with dal, noodles, and flour. When Krishna asked her why she was cooking those things, she replied that Nanda Maharaja was going on a pilgrimage the next day and that the fried things she was cooking would last for several days without spoiling.

Krishna then asked where His father was going, and Mother Yasoda replied that he was going to Prayaga. Little Krishna went to Nanda Maharaja and asked him where Prayaga was and why he was going there. Nanda Maharaja explained that Prayaga was the sacred place where the three rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvati met and flowed together and that to take bath there was most auspicious.

The next morning was Aksaya-tritiya, the perfect day to start on a long journey. As usual, Nanda Maharaja got up early and went to take bath in his lake. When he got there, he saw a man he had never seen before—an imposing, regal person—rolling in the dust and laughing loudly. Every now and then he would get up and dive into Nanda Sarovara, and then again he would come out and roll in the dust and laugh, and again bathe in the lake.

Nanda Maharaja approached the kingly man and asked, “Maharaja, who are you?”

“Baba, I’m Prayaga,” the man replied.

“Prayaga? I don’t know anyone in Nandagrama with that name.”

“No. No. I’m not from here. I’m Prayaga Raja, the king of all the holy places (tirthas)!”

“And why have you come here today, Maharaja?”

“Baba, all year long people come and bathe in my waters and leave their sins there. So, every year, on Aksaya-tritiya, I come here, roll in the dust of Vraja, and bathe in this sarovara, because this dust and this lake have the potency to purify (pavana) one from all sins.”

Nanda Maharaja was amazed. Suddenly he noticed that on the other side of the lake were many beautiful ladies in silk saris embroidered with gold and silver threads. They were also bathing in the lake. Approaching them respectfully, Nanda Maharaja asked who they were.

One lady replied, “Baba, I’m Ganga.” Another said, “I’m Sarasvati.” And yet another said, “I’m Godavari.” They all responded with the names of different holy rivers: Kurujangala, Kaveri, Narmada, Brahmaputra, Mahananda, etc.

Then Nanda Maharaja asked, “And why have you come here today? I’ve never seen you before.” The ladies explained that all year long people put their sins into their waters and that every year on the Aksaya-tritiya day they came to Vraja to roll in its dust, bathe in the sarovara, and become purified (pavana).

After taking his bath, Nanda Maharaja went back up the hill to his residence. By that time, little Krishna was awake. Coming before His father, He asked, “Baba, are you going now?” “No, Lala. I’m not going.” “Why, Baba?” “Because today, all the places I wanted to go came to take bath in our lake and become purified (pavana). So why should I take the trouble to go to them when they all came here?”

From that day, Nanda Sarovara became known as Pavana Sarovara.

Hare Krishna.

243 Avenue Rd., Toronto

Happy Birthday!

Dharma Prana turned 72 today. Yes, the happy-go-lucky guy, who is actually a monk, had his birthday and we celebrated it in style – that is, in simplicity. Our cook put together a cheesecake, moderately sweetened, and presented it to Dharma in our modest eating space, the boiler room. Yes, renovations are underway and have been for a while with all the Covid hiccups happening.

Dharma is just the kind of person that everyone should be, a person who has a love for life. The fact that bhakti has been slapped onto his life, a choice of his own back in 1974, has made everything doubly joyful. He’s just great to have around. Everyone likes him, whether congregants or resident monks.

I spoke to his daughter, a mother of two kids, whose arranging for her dad’s vaccine. Yes, he’s going for it. Not everyone agrees with that course, but it’s his to take and this is definitely one way to respond to the aggressive virus that has come to humble us all. Incidentally major fundraisers are going on to ease the onslaught in current day India. Her red flag has been raised on the pandemic dynamic. Many of our community members have relatives or friends in India who have had their lives taken.

Condolences to you all!

In the midst of this globally ugly scenario of the pandemic, some light spots do spring up, like Dharma’s birthday. Happy birthday, buddy!

May the Source be with you!

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Yorkville, Toronto

Three Talks Before a Walk

In the morning the sun shot out to bless the sky and earth. By noon clouds closed the doors to a usually welcome sun.

But the sun did shine on my day in the form of three Zoom talks; the first on the topic of Vedic hero, Bhishma. Truly, he is one of my favourites. Moments for honoring him was possible by the request of Kirtan Vancouver, although I expected that the request for my conducting a discussion would probably be on the Mother’s Day theme. Bhishma was one of those noble men who looked after and protected women. I tried to highlight that point.

My second session for the day was with the Cleveland community. Here we did indeed focus on the glory of motherhood, addressing some outstanding women such as Radha, Sita, Lakshmi, Kunti, Parvati, etc.

It was a lively group.

Lastly the final discussion was with the group in Saskatoon. At the request of hosts, Vivek and Amy, I was addressing the three different levels of food as outlined in chapter seventeen of The Gita. The fact is that there is food which is conducive for spiritual development and there is food detrimental to both one’s health and spirit. What about the third level? Well, it’s actually in the middle. Called rajas, food in this category boasts hyper-activeness. The good Lord knows we really need to calm down and the proper food to achieve this is available. Make it prasadam. Have it blessed.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Ramsden Park, Toronto

Bright Yellow

The grassy green of the park is now spotted with the yellow of the dandelion. Yellow is a happy colour. In our culture we read about the striking yellows worn by Krishna and Vishnu, from the waist down. Also, I have a fond reflection of the colour yellow from the time I walked the prairies. The yellow tone of the canola (not my favorite plant) set against the endless blue sky is just absolutely stunning.

Rich colours overall. It can make your day.

There was more to my day than that long sit in the park in observation of colours. Today I spent some quality time on the phone with the Windsor group, speaking on The Gita, verse 9:30. The passage is most significant in that when one has a bleak moment in one’s bhakti, such as a “fall down,” one can be considered rightly situated by picking oneself up through actions of integrity. There are nine processes that one can take to for one’s rectification.

You see there is a bright spot, colour it yellow if you like, in life, or in the day.

A brilliant dynamic for me also came when meeting students from Sudbury; all happy and proud for having discovered bhakti. Their mentor, Darshan (can’t remember his initiated name) is training them well. It might sound strange but they looked like brilliant dandelions to me.

I also spent some time on the phone with Radhanatha Swami, another “yellow moment.” And, finally, I was so pleasantly touched by the heroic act of 18 km by the couple, Mahabhagavat and Arun Keshavi, who walked from their home to the destination point of our temple. Their son, Vittal rode his bike all the way. Not too bad for seven years old.

May the Source be with you!

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Some highlights of our recent visit to the Ahimsa Farm in Rutland.

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Communication is a basic human need. Our words can have deep lasting impressions on people. We can encourage or cut with our razor-sharp words. Compassion in the three modes of nature and spiritual compassion will be discussed. Srila Prabhupada’s compassion spurred a worldwide movement. Is compassionate communication a by-product of Krsna Consciousness? Tune in to find out and pick up some tools and tips for communicating compassionately! This presentation was organized by the Alachua EOL Team.

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Churning the Bhagavatam - Dashavatara 9 - Buddha - The Monk's Podcast with HH Krishna Kshetra Maharaja

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O learned brāhmaṇa, the transcendental activities of the Lord are all wonderful, and they appear inconceivable because even great endeavors by many learned scholars have still proved insufficient for understanding them.

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The May 7th GBC Directive has three parts: 1) To strictly follow the new West Bengal government mandates; 2) To strictly follow additional practices provided by a team of medical experts affiliated with ISKCON, and 3) To strictly follow the ISKCON Deity Ministry Covid health policies for temple worship. Regular reporting to the GBC is required to ensure the standards are strictly implemented. Continue reading "GBC Mandates for Improved Covid Health Protocols at Mayapur
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I have a PhD in cell biology and have been researching the subject of consciousness and its relation to the mind. The above verses intrigued me, and I wondered how they were related to our experiences of the world. In my research I came across a concept that provided valuable insights – the concept of subjective experience. I am an individual with my own likes and dislikes. My individuality, with its preferences, applies to all sectors of my life, to every single activity I do, be it in regard to my eating or clothing or colors or car – the list is endless. Continue reading "Knower of the Field: A Perspective on Consciousness
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In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna makes it clear that we have free will. We are not incapable, helpless pawns. After instructing Arjuna He says, “Deliberate on this fully and then do what you wish to do.” (Gita 18.63) As adults, each one of us has some ability to decide how we want to act; we have some self-mastery and personal power, and therefore we are responsible for our actions. Yet, at the same time and perhaps surprisingly, the scriptural view is that those of us who are not strong devotees of Krishna are victims – victims of Krishna’s illusory energy. We are adversely affected by Krishna’s material nature. Continue reading "Victims All?
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Bali Maharaja and Vamanadeva

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Room at 243, Toronto

The Power of the Gita

The Bhagavad-Gita, a divine conversation between a wise person and a confused one, is more relevant today than ever. This realization became evident today when a man called asking for a pocket book edition. Well, he comes to our Govinda’s Restaurant, which is open for takeout meals. A table is set in the middle of the room with devotional books, The Gita being one. Apparently, the fellow who reached out ended up not purchasing one. The soft bound version we have was just too big for his pocket.

Can anyone sew bigger pockets on his jeans and coat?

A second call from another person, actually someone who accompanied me on the first walk 25 years ago, from North Vancouver to Hope, B.C. He expressed, after not having seen him for years, how significant The Gita was for him; how it addresses the need for a confused population in this world. It is true, feeling lost is a strong feature of today.

An English man by the name of John Newton, who wrote the popular song, “Amazing Grace” was a bigoted slave trader who turned into an abolitionist. In the lyrics he admits to having been lost and then being found. He attributes the change to the principles of the unearned and unworthy grace or kindness that comes from above.

For those who expose themselves to the wisdom of The Gita, there is something there that is said to turn one’s life around.

May the Source be with you!

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Ramsden Park, Toronto

A Dangerous Situation?

Franck recognized me at the park and came up to the mound where I was sitting.

“India’s not doing too good right now,” he said in concern over the Covid situation.

“That’s right.”

“So, you walked all of Canada?”

“And the US from Boston to San Francisco. A few more small countries.”

Frank continued, “Were you ever in a dangerous situation?”

“Oh yes, bears, blackflies and sometimes people. That shouldn’t be too surprising – the people part.” I told Frank about what looked like right out of a movie, the standard lines, “Get off this land or we’ll shoot!” And that was said while on public property – the road.

Frank was intrigued and wanted to hear more about the purpose of the walking, although I did say I was encouraging pilgrimage. And. by the way, I interrupted his walking. I also had to go for a Zoom talk, which we have every Thursday afternoon. He went his way and I went mine.

Over that discussion we dwelt on verse 9:30 of The Bhagavata-gita, a significant verse since it addresses the topic of what happens to a person, who, once on the path of bhakti, commits some error. Will he/she be punished? Will, he/she be given another chance by the Creator? By Krishna?

May the Source be with you!

3 km