Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Just want to make an announcement that Sadbhuja prabhu has typhoid and COVID. This is a double infection.
Ask everybody, please, pray for his speedy recovery. And come back to his service again.
By Kamalini Devi Dasi We're seeing Krishna at every moment. We're just not aware of it. There's nowhere Krishna is not, so it's really amazing that we can't see Him. At the same time, we can't see very much with our material eyes, so we shouldn't be surprised that we can't see Krishna—the source of all that exists—personally. Even with sufficient light, we can only see what's within the visible color spectrum. Without light, we can't even see our hand in front of our face. Continue reading "The Eyes to See Krishna (video)
→ Dandavats"
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.2-3, Speaker: HG Harisauri Prabhu, ISKCON Mayapur
Podcast:
Summary podcast:
Video:
From: akash
vedas say that if you worship this god you will get rain, that god you will get this etc. and if you don’t if will be bereft of those benefits, rains will be less etc. Now if we look at almost whole of western world, they have almost everything they need, even without any sacrifices, or worship etc. How is that to be understood.
To hear the answer, please click here
To hear the Hindi answer, please click here
ANSWER: It is a misperception, that the west has almost all that it needs. All of us have probably heard about devastating hurricane and storms. We have heard of hurricane Katrina, few years ago, and also there was a big storm right in the New York City, which is the economic and social capital of America, the pride of America. When the storm came up, the whole American government was helpless . To some extent people were told, flee from here. If we look at the overall situation of nature in America, it is at times quite furious, and there are times when throughout the year, for many months, one is just not able to go out of the house because of heavy snowfall. This may not happen in all parts of America and it certainly does not happen in those parts of America which we see in television or movies. But it does happen in real America. So, first of all the idea that the America is getting everything that it needs, is not true. Similarly, in Europe there have been farce heat waves. Also, in India we had tsunamis , earthquakes, famines etc., but the frequency and the ferocity of the regular hurricanes in America are much more severe. The heat wave that hit Europe few years back was much fiercer than the occasional heat waves, or cold waves or excessive rains that come in India. So rather than going into the intricacies of comparison of natural calamities and l problems that we face in India and America, the underlining principle is that, things are not as rosy in the west as are portrayed in our media and TV. They are quite grave in many ways. Yes, if people do not worship and perform yajgya then the result is, not just that they don’t get rains; rather they don’t get rains in proper way. We should not be naive and simple in understanding that if someone is performing yajgya or is following dharma then suddenly the rains start coming. No that is not completely correct. That is just a causal connection between the two. But this causal connection is much more broader and deeper. You can read the article “artificial rains, imaginary gains, real pains” to get the broader understanding of this.
The general principle is that, the yajgya, the sacrifice, that are performed and dharmic activities that are done are like the taxes that are paid to the government. If the taxes are not paid, the governmental facilities will not come. If we do not pay the water tax then the water may be cut off. But with respect to the nature if the taxes are not paid, things happen in a more subtle and complex way. Sometimes when people do not pay any tax in terms of not doing any yajgya then the result may be less rain or sometimes the result may be heavy rains. Devotees sometimes have a very simplistic understanding that, ‘ Becausewe are doing kirtan, that’s why the rain came’. This is a very superficial understanding because the skeptic may argue, when too much rains come, “Oh, you have done too much kirtan, stop the kirtan now, and the rains will stop”, No. We should not encourage such simplistic and naive misunderstandings and caricatures of the Vedic philosophy. Yajgya in one form, in one way is like paying of taxes, but along with that there is consideration whether all the citizens are following the rules of the state or not. Hence, the citizens have to live according to the rules of the state and they have to pay the taxes, then they will get the facilities from the state. Similarly there are basic principles of morality and spirituality which all human beings are expected to follow. When human beings don’t follow that then they get the reactions and those reactions come in various forms. One of the forms is disruption in natural conditions and natural supplies. This disruption may be in terms of shortage of rains, or it may be excess rains. It may be excess cold or it may be excess heat. If you look at the world today , it’s not just the matter of India or the west, everywhere we are seeing, because people are not living according to the principles of morality and spirituality. Because people are not performing sacrifices, that’s why the natural supplies are increasingly being destructed.
At the time tsunami came I wrote an article called “nature boomerangs”. In that article I had given statistics, how, if we compare 1950s with 2000, the frequency and the ferocity of the natural calamities that have hit the world have increased manifold . Because over the last fifty or sixty years, the world has given up religious morality and spirituality in a major way and we have embraced the course of materialism in an entirely unrestrained manner. Therefore, it is producing its reactions. That’s why all over the world, in the west and in India, because of non performance of yajgya and because of non adherence to morality and spirituality, there is disruption of natural supplies and there are disturbances in nature, which are, in the form of karmic reactions is coming to all of us.
Thank you
Transcriber: Amit Agrawal and Nidhi Agrawal (Noida)
प्रश्न – कोई भी यज्ञ पूजा किये बिना पश्चिमी दुनिया अपनी आवश्यकताओं की पूर्ति सरलता से कैसे कर पा रही है?
उत्तर – हमें ऐसा लगता हैं कि पाश्चात्य देशों के पास सभी भौतिक सुविधाएं सरलता से उपलब्ध हैं। जबकि पाश्चात्य देशों के लोग कोई भी यज्ञ पूजा आदि नहीं करते हैं।
पर हमारी यह धारणा गलत है।
हमने पाश्चात्य देशों में आने वाले प्रचंड आंधी तूफानों के बारे में तो सुना ही है। कभी-कभी वहां पर प्रकृति बेहद उग्र और भीषण रूप ले लेती है। न्यूयॉर्क अमेरिका की आर्थिक और सामाजिक राजधानी है। एक बार न्यूयॉर्क में भयंकर आंधी आई थी जिसमें बहुत अधिक क्षति हुई थी और सरकार एकदम असहाय हो गई थी। अमेरिका के कुछ स्थानों पर इतनी अधिक बर्फबारी होती है कि लोग महीनों तक घर से बाहर तक नहीं निकल पाते हैं।
हम फिल्मों और टेलीविजन में जिस अमेरिका को देखते हैं वहां पर कोई भी प्राकृतिक आपदा नहीं दिखाई जाती। इसलिए हमारे मन में यह छवि बन गई है कि अमेरिका को बिना कुछ किए सब कुछ मिल रहा है परंतु यह सत्य नहीं है।
इसी प्रकार, यूरोपीय देशों मे आने वाली भीषण गर्म हवाऐं (heat waves) भारत में पड़ने वाली ठंड या अत्यधिक वर्षा की तुलना में कहीं अधिक भयंकर होती हैं।
पूजा यज्ञ आदि नहीं करने का अर्थ यह नहीं कि वर्षा नहीं होगी। इसका परिणाम यह भी हो सकता है उचित मात्रा में वर्षा न हो। कहीं वर्षा बहुत कम हो सकती है तो कहीं बहुत अधिक। इसके विपरीत यह सोचना कि यदि कोई पूजा-पाठ करता है तो तुरन्त वर्षा होने लगेगी। ऐसा भी नहीं है। यह इतना सरल नहीं। यज्ञ और वर्षा में सम्बंध अवश्य है किन्तु यह कहीं अधिक गहरा है।
सिद्धांत यह है कि हम जो धार्मिक गतिविधियां करते हैं वह हम ईश्वर रूपी शासक को कर के रूप में देते हैं। राज्य के सभी नागरिक नियमों का पालन करते हुए जब कर भरते हैं तभी राज्य नागरिकों को सुविधायें उपलब्ध कराता है। जैसे बिजली या पानी का बिल नहीं भरने पर शासक आपूर्ति रोक देता है, उसी प्रकार धार्मिक गतिविधियां न करने पर प्रकृति व्यवस्था में विघ्न उत्पन्न करती है।
यह केवल भारत या पश्चिमी देशों की बात नहीं है। विश्व में सभी जगह लोग नैतिकता और आध्यात्मिकता के सिद्धांतों के अनुसार जीवन यापन नहीं कर रहे हैं। लोग यज्ञ नहीं कर रहे हैं। जब नियमों का पालन नहीं किया जाता तो प्रतिक्रिया होती है जो कर्म फल के रूप में हम सब पर आ रही है और हम सब उसे भोग रहे हैं।
इसलिए यह आवश्यक है कि विश्व के सभी व्यक्ति अपने अपने नैतिक और आध्यात्मिक धर्म का पालन करें।
End of transcription.
Заметьте, у нас не было ни усилителей, ни каких-то других музыкальных инструментов, лишь одна старая мриданга и две пары каратал. Но ах! Что это были за времена! По девять часов в день – шесть дней в неделю – мы раздавали сладкие святые имена Кришны на улицах Кали-юги ( извиняюсь за свои башмаки )
Paris, France: 1974. Notice we had no sound system and no musical instruments other than one old mridanga and 2 pairs of kartalas. But Ah! Those were the best of times! Nine hours a day, six days a week, sharing Krsna’s sweet holy names on the streets of Kali Yuga. [ Apologies for my big boots! ]
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219463027229301&set=a.3707173840886
Just got informed that Nandanandana Das Acbsp left the body on April 3, 2021
By Jaya Gaursundar DasaLook brothers! What can this plague do to you? What real harm can the plague do by ending this useless life? If you desire some benefit, learn a lesson from the plague. If you are caught by the plague, then your life is over. Imagine where your wealth and happiness will go! Therefore, without wasting your time uselessly, constantly and sincerely chant hari-nāma with devotion. Then billions of plagues cannot do anything to you. Continue reading "Share and care among Krishna Devotees
→ Dandavats"
By Lavanga Lata Devi Dasi Two days ago there was a raid in Moscow and 3 harinama parties were arrested at the same time and were charged with illegal rallies and obstructing pedestrian movement. Last summer in the same way the harinama party was arrested in my hometown, but we have won all 18 cases in court with the help of Maha Balram prabhu. We have the right to practice freedom of religion in gatherings, and it has been recognized by the courts in many cities. But if we lose the 48 cases now being tried in Moscow, not only will the devotees face heavy fines, but the precedent of loss of the suit in the capital will put our movement under threat of a ban on public chanting throughout Russia. Please in the next 2 weeks, pray to dear Lord Narasimhadev for the protection of the Harinama devotees, especially in Moscow, and for special strength for Maha Balaram prabhu, our glorious lawyer, that we will win and no one can ban Lord Chaitanya's movement in Russia. Continue reading "A new threat in Russia
→ Dandavats"
Braja Vilasa prabhu takes the I Love Mayapur YT Channel video crew and family on a wonderful tour of the TOVP
Prayers needed for Our Dear Godbrother and Goddister Pancharatna Das who has Covid and Attitaguna Devi who has Covid and typhoid, Mayapur Dham is in need of Prayers for all its residents at this fragile time. May Lord Nrsringhadeva protect everyone. As also Krpanidhi Prabhu's wife Karunamayi Dasi.
Room at 243, Toronto
Can and Cannot View
Calls continued to come from well-wishers. Thank you!
I spent a good chunk of the day reviewing the draft manuscript for “The Saffron Road,” which details my walking experiences throughout the US and Canada, as well as a host of other countries; mostly more tropical. Then there’s Ireland – very moist.
So, we are moving along and getting closer to the book’s release and I’m hoping you will all be looking forward to it’s reading. Frankly I feel that it was almost a previous life that I am looking at, since being, on lockdown and isolated. There’s little scope for walking right now. Stretches will suffice. My legs are feeling quite good and perhaps are getting rejuvenated from the break – the relaxation.
You cannot imagine how many doctors are out there. I mean to say every person I talk to has a formula and a subscription. Unofficial guidance. All done with love, of course.
Now while I’m in this isolation I’m deprived of dharsan(viewing) of the local deities of Krishna who go by the name, “Radha Ksirachora Gopinatha”. They are lovely. Fortunately, I am able to see them through the webcam. It’s interesting. Those lovely deities are merely 2 metres away from that perfect view but it is a line that, at the moment, I can’t cross.
May the Source be with you!
0 km
Room at 243, Toronto
RAM
On the 21st of this month we will celebrate the birthday of Ram. This is my latest poetical rendering. It is in his honour.
RAM
Ram possesses all the qualities of a superhero
Royal traits of ultimate prince, monarch or pharaoh
Reverent to all, eager to help and listen
With a service attitude acting on what’s given
His build is admirable, countenance grave
A task he’ll tackle meant only for the brave
He never moves suddenly at a reckless whim
No wonder his father, the emperor, adores him
Ram is a heartthrob for many a woman
He also has a striking brother with name Laksman
Of all the ladies, lovely Sita won Ram in a tournament
These three leave an indelible mark, a footprint
Literally so, on a forest floor at Chitrakoot
In a fateful exile they meet an ogress — not cute
Smitten with desire the ogress solicits Ram
He declares loyalty, not yielding to this love bomb
This invokes a fury in the lustful jungle lady
Who attacks Sita, for all she does is shady
Lakshman draws his dagger making a clean cut
Off comes nose and ears disfiguring her somewhat
The wounded ogress flees to gain retaliation
Fourteen thousand aggressive ogres assail, adding aggravation
Ram single-handedly put their lives to completion
The ogress reaches her cannibal king, Ravan, to petition
In revenge, this ten-headed villain uses trickery and hoax
A mystic becomes a golden deer who goes to coax
Fair Sita away from the guard of her husband
Ravan’s plot triumphs, stealing Sita, Ram’s diamond
To Isle Lanka he flies with captive Sita by his side
Devastated is Ram with his love companion denied
A vulture, a bear, a monkey offer solace
As allies they pledge to regain the goddess
Battles are conflicts to avoid if possible
When negotiations fail with bridges not crossable
Speaking of bridges, monkey Hanuman cleared the ocean
With one leap to Lanka on the strength of devotion
Crossing a new causeway, now the means to go
Is a simian army wielding weapons, for Ram it’s a bow
A clash between mean man and monkey is a fierce fight
Casualties are plenty as all exhibit such might
The turning point — a fatal arrow hits Ravan’s navel
The only bodily location Ram finds unstable
The ten-headed fiend’s legion is completely defeated
But what now of Sita, has her life been depleted?
All this while it appears Sita’s in captivity
In a grove of ashaka trees devoid of festivity
Surprisingly the goddess in despair is a mere phantom
Putting a twist to the story, interesting to fathom
When Sita was abducted she prayed to the fire god
He gave her protection, for this we must applaud
Then and illusory Sita was suddenly manifest
The joke was on Ravan who thought he had the best
But then we wonder, did Ram too get tricked?
The drama plays out so emotions can be gripped
Ram, Sita, Laksman end a fourteen-year ordeal
Hanuman joins, they return to Ayodhya to reveal
More divine and sweet pastimes of a mystical kind
Tales of Ram are for a happy heart and happy mind
-Composed by Bhaktimarga Swami, The Walking Monk©
May the Source be with you!
0 km
Room at 243, Toronto
Sunny Spots
I’m receiving a lot of sympathy calls and mail. How sweet it is! Thank you all!
My peers do the same! Some of it’s fun, like the message I received from Devamrita Swami, regarding recovery:
“Some have written praying that you walk over the Covid. Other say no, “trample it.” I pray, Dance out of it, in your signature Vaishnava-Motown style!”
Thank you, dear Devamrita Swami. You lift my spirits.
Two more sunny spots of the day I’ll describe and brief. For a Halifax group I Zoomed in to deliver a summary on the second chapter of Bhagavad-Gita. A briefing of the summary went something like this:
“Arjuna, the warrior, is a broken-down-man; a nervous break-down really. He admits to his wise friend, Krishna, “I can’t do it!” Krishna won’t take that for an answer and retorts, “You have to, I’m afraid.” Let’s put aside frailties and tears. Gain your identity. Gain steadiness of mind. Ignore the senses. Follow those who are great. Here’s what you look for to detect the great.”
The second Zoom was to a Calgary group on the topic of Jesus & Haridas. Being that it’s Easter, Jesus comes into the picture. I drew some parallels to one of our saints, Haridas. Both were fearless during their arrests. Despite being tortured, they behaved like martyrs and also saved a prostitute in danger. Both were saints.
May the Source be with you!
0 km
As per a health update dated 11 April, the CT Scan conducted on Pankajanghri Prabhu confirmed that the coronavirus has reached his lungs. His coughing is worst than before and he is having high fever and breathing problem. He is taking IV medicines and oxygen with the help nebulizer. He has been advised diet and rest by doctors.
Braja Vilasa prabhu, TOVP Vice Chairman and Director of Development takes the I Love Mayapur YouTube Channel video crew and family on a wonderful tour of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, the largest modern Vedic Temple in the world located in Mayapur, West Bengal, India.
The temple is a project of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and has been under construction since 2009, and is scheduled to open in 2023.
Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
Follow: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch: www.youtube.com/c/TOVPinfoTube
View at 360°: www.tovp360.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOVP2022
Telegram: https://t.me/TOVP_GRAM
WhatsApp: https://m.tovp.org/whatsapp
Instagram: https://m.tovp.org/tovpinstagram
App: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Store: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
By HG Drutakarma Prabhu - Vedic Friends Association
For the past decade I've had the fortune of facilitating japa retreats and workshops and I can honestly say that I have never seen anything quite like this in Iskcon. I witnessed over and over devotees having intense experiences with Krsna’s holy names – and those experiences having a powerful impact on their spiritual lives.
By Sankirtana Das So, those in a position of authority have a grave responsibility. There has been so much criticism of police behavior lately. Angry complaints of injustice. With all the demonstrations and unrest, the leadership is trembling, trying to figure out what is the best course of action to take. No one wants to handicap or penalize the police force. Yet, how can we prevent racism from filtering into their ranks? Basically, this has to be addressed in the training and education the police receive. For the police to do their job properly, they need the holistic education that Lord Krishna's teachings in the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedic paradigm provide. Continue reading "The Bhagavad Gita and the Path to Justice
→ Dandavats"
The Maha Mantra is composed of Divine names: ‘Hare’ – the divine feminine; ‘Krishna’ – the all-attractive; ‘Rama’ – the reservoir of all pleasure. These divine names clean the mirror of the heart, removing the dust and grime of misconception and false identity; allowing us to see our true reflection. The divine names are compared […]
The post Jahnavi Harrison Maha Mantra [OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO] appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Maha Mantra is composed of Divine names: 'Hare' - the divine feminine; 'Krishna' - the all-attractive; 'Rama' - the reservoir of all pleasure. These divine names clean the mirror of the heart, removing the dust and grime of misconception and false identity; allowing us to see our true reflection. The divine names are compared to a monsoon cloud, deep, beautiful and heavily laden with cooling rain, able to fully extinguish the ‘maha-davagni’ the blazing forest fire of material suffering. In the same way that monsoon rains quench the parched earth and bring verdant life back to the forests and plains, the sacred names revive the heart that has been thirsty for time immemorial. The saint and divine avatar, Shri Chaitanya, compares the heart to a Kairava flower: a night blooming lily that opens as the moon rises. As the beautiful moon of the divine names arise within the inner sky, the heart naturally opens, revealing its natural beauty and releasing its beautiful fragrance. The vibration of the sacred names awakens the innate beauty of the soul and uncovers our deepest potential.
Welcome to Episode Two of Off The Altar Podcast, with our very special guest Dhanya Rico. Dhanya Rico is a 2nd generation practitioner of Krsna Consciousness. She was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Dhanya holds a Master’s degree in Counselor Education and holds a Specialist’s degree in Couples and Family therapy. She is passionate […]
The post Off the Altar Podcast with Dhanya appeared first on ISKCON News.
Welcome to Episode Two of Off The Alter Podcast, with our very special guest Dhanya Rico. Dhanya Rico is a 2nd generation practitioner of Krsna Consciousness. She was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Dhanya holds a Master’s degree in Counselor Education and holds a Specialist’s degree in Couples and Family therapy. She is passionate about developing therapeutic tools that incorporate Bhakti principles and practices as means of reconnecting with our essential nature. Dhanya is also a singer/songwriter and kirtan artist who has traveled the world sharing the message of Krsna Consciousness, performing her original musical compositions as well as collaborating with the renowned Kirtan group, Mayapuris. She currently lives in Alachua, Florida, as part of the ISKCON New Raman Reti community, where she serves as a member of the local Child Protection Team.
Bhagavat Seva, an ISKCON Silicon Valley project with the motto “Distributing Ancient Wisdom Through Education” is offering online Sunday School, and using the course fees to distribute full Srimad-Bhagavatam sets. Coordinators also hope that the program can be replicated by devotees in their local areas first nationwide, and eventually internationally. Sukhesvari Dasi, who runs the […]
The post Bhagavat Seva Sunday School Uses Course Fees to Distribute Bhagavatam Sets appeared first on ISKCON News.
Bhagavat Seva, an ISKCON Silicon Valley project with the motto “Distributing Ancient Wisdom Through Education” is offering online Sunday School, and using the course fees to distribute full Srimad-Bhagavatam sets. Coordinators also hope that the program can be replicated by devotees in their local areas first nationwide, and eventually internationally.
Bhakti Sastri – the systematic in-depth study of Srila Prabhupada’s books Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Sri Isopanisad, Nectar of Devotion and Nectar of Instruction – is designed for serious practitioners of Krishna consciousness. The program is intended to help students not only to understand the contents of Prabhupada’s books, but also to digest the philosophy […]
The post Largest Group Yet Passes Bhakti Sastri Online Amid COVID-19 Lockdowns appeared first on ISKCON News.
For many years, Bhakti Sastri has been offered in person by organizations such as the Mayapur Institute for Higher Eductation (MIHE). Amid COVID-19 lockdowns around the world, however, a team led by GBC and ISKCON guru Bhakti Chaitanya Swami taught the course online, resulting in the largest number of graduates from one cycle of Bhakti Sastri yet.
On the morning of 9th April, Buckingham Palace in London announced that Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, has died aged 99. A statement issued by the Palace spoke of the Queen’s “deep sorrow” following his death at Windsor Castle. Prince Philip (also known as the Duke of Edinburgh) was the longest-serving royal consort in British […]
The post A Letter of Condolence from ISKCON UK on the Passing of Prince Philip appeared first on ISKCON News.
On the morning of 9th April, Buckingham Palace in London announced that Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, has died aged 99. The community of ISKCON in the UK and around the world are saddened by the loss, and deeply admired his remarkable life of dedicated service.
On March 7th, 2021 a puja was held at the site of the new Krishna’s Home, a devotee-centered Adult Care / Assisted Living Haven for ISKCON Devotees. Krishna’s Home ACT is being constructed into a ten-bed assisted living facility. It was designed with Vastu Vedic alignment in mind, with one area of the large house […]
The post Krishna’s Home – A New Adult Care Center in Tucson appeared first on ISKCON News.
On March 7th, 2021 a puja was held at the site of the new Krishna's Home, a devotee-centered Adult Care / Assisted Living Haven for ISKCON Devotees. Krishna's Home ACT is being constructed into a ten-bed assisted living facility. It was designed with Vastu Vedic alignment in mind, with one area of the large house designated for men and another for women's personal space, bedrooms, and bathrooms. People will gather in the spacious living room and dining room, which also has a separate space for worship. Construction on the project is set to begin immediately.
Jahnavi Harrison released her latest single, “Divine Maha-mantra” on March 28th (Gaura Purnima). This latest offering will be the artist’s 4th single release since her 2015 album Like a River to the Sea. Jahnavi Harrison was raised in a family of Bhakti-yoga practitioners at Bhaktivedanta Manor, one of England’s most important spiritual landmarks. As a […]
The post Jahnavi Harrison Unveils Captivating New Single “Divine Maha-mantra” appeared first on ISKCON News.
Jahnavi Harrison released her latest single, “Divine Maha-mantra” on March 28th (Gaura Purnima). This latest offering will be the artist’s 4th single release since her 2015 album Like a River to the Sea.
