South Africa’s diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds offers unique opportunities to demonstrate the genuine efficacy and universal relevance of Krishna consciousness. Due to our conditioned nature and influenced by our different racial, cultural, socio-economic backgrounds and genders, we sometimes fall short in our expression of Krishna consciousness, especially in our dealings with […]
The program's goal is the "creation of an ISKCON culture and leadership that celebrates and protects diversity and inclusion, making all devotees feel at home."
A precious photo of the room in Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s house on Grand Road in Jagannatha Puri where Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati appeared in this world.
"Once heard, the story of Narottam das Thakur’s life is hard to forget. A young prince, consumed by love for God, embarks on an epic quest leaving his royal life behind in search of the saintly company he has craved for so long. His story is tender, enchanting, exciting, and right with insight for anyone trying to walk the path of devotion. This vivid retelling has been a labour of love for Sitala Dasi, and I wholeheartedly recommend diving in without delay!" — Jahnavi Harrison
Neither you nor your men can conquer the most powerful Bali. Indeed, no one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead can conquer him, for he is now equipped with the supreme spiritual power [brahma-tejas]. As no one can stand before Yamarāja, no one can now stand before Bali Mahārāja. Continue reading "With A Little Help From My Friends (video) → Dandavats"
The crux of the issue is this: Will I serve the Lord with whatever money He has allotted to me, or will I use it to try to please myself. My consciousness, and not on the amount of money I have, determines my decision. Prabhupada explains: "Materialism does not mean that one has to possess so many things. The actual fact is one may be a perfect transcendentalist or spiritual man by possessing the whole world, and one may be a gross materialist without possessing a farthing. So this distinction can be made on the basis of consciousness. When one is Krishna conscious while possessing everything in the world, he is a perfect spiritualist, and one may have renounced everything in the world, but lacking in Krishna consciousness, he is a gross materialist." (Letter, April 23, 1970) Continue reading "Can a Householder Save For Future Security? (video) → Dandavats"
During the time when Srila Prabhupada was personally present, and he traveled worldwide to his many flourishing ISKCON temples, devotees would have marathons preparing for his arrival. They would build new vyasasanas, paint the temple, clean the building from top to bottom, and sometimes spend sleepless nights arranging things as perfectly as possible for his service. These acts of love and devotion to Sakshad Hari, the representative of God, did not go in vain, and Prabhupada reciprocated in loving kind by bestowing his blessings and blissful association.
This mood is what we are trying to recapture with the momentous installation of the new, one-of-a-kind, worship-pose Prabhupada murti in the TOVP in October, especially this year which commemorates his 125th Appearance Anniversary Year. We want to create an ecstatic and heartfelt worldwide WELCOME to our Founder/Acharya as he enters his most beloved project for the first time. This attitude will bring his blessings upon all of us, the pioneers of this massive project, as he sits in the TOVP to watch over the completion of the temple. And finally, he will continue to remain there to watch as generations of Vaishnavas and visiting pilgrims from all corners of the world enter the gates of ISKCON Mayapur.
Even if you can’t be physically present, you can be a part of this glorious combined welcome by sponsoring an abhisheka for Srila Prabhupada. Five kinds of abhishekas are available to sponsor beginning with the Sacred Water abhisheka consisting of water from 125 sacred rivers, celebrating Prabhupada’s 125th Appearance Anniversary Year. Every family member can individually sponsor one of these abhishekas. Special 100% copper, sliver, gold and platinum coins will also ‘bathe’ Prabhupada, and these can be sponsored and received after the abhisheka.
A great yogi aloof from politic pollution At the ceremony there was mantra and sound Dance and all good things to be found All present there took to a comfortable seat After a pleasant and very warm greet However, at one point, all turned bitter And a battle of words made it no better Someone from the ranks had an axe to grind Towards Shiva who's of a gentler kind Our story, a tale of an in-law sort Tells of Shiva's wife's father, quite the bad sport His name, Daksha, a progenitor of man He came a guest of honour as was the plan What happens to Shiva's wife? An intriguing question A sorrowful tale of domiciliary rejection Continue reading "SATI SHIVA SAGA → Dandavats"
“Your love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate to keep this institution together after I am gone” Devotees from a small preaching centre in the UK, ISKCON South London, have taken the spirit of Srila Prabhupada's words to heart. They have embarked on an ambitious project to show that the spirit of co-operation is well and truly still alive in ISKCON, 125 years after Srila Prabhupada's appearance.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 April 2020, Durban, South Africa, Vyasa Puja Lecture)
Srila Prabhupada would describe how sometimes during the rainy season in Mayapur, the Ganga is flooding its banks and the entire area goes underwater. And sometimes, Mayapur is almost two months in a lockdown underwater, imagine that! I remember spending some time in that flood during a year and it was quite an experience. We would have to swim from one building to another and we were not the only ones swimming. There were also cobras swimming to add some excitement. Some had rubber boats and the pujaris were taking the water and just using it by filtering it through the cloth and bathing the deities during the abhisekha on Radhashtami.
So I remember that flood vividly, and I also remember how Srila Prabhupada described that the floods in Mayapur symbolise the mercy of Lord Caitanya flooding the entire world. And that mercy of Lord Caitanya has reached everywhere. That mercy came through the disciplic succession, through the six Gosvamis, to Krsna das Kaviraj Gosvami, Narottama das Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura and so on, up till the present date – Srila Prabhupada – and here we are! That knowledge has touched the lives of so many people and everything has changed. Suddenly, everything has become auspicious. Suddenly, we are walking on the blessed path. Even those who are touched only a little, they become blessed!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 April 2020, Durban, South Africa, Vyasa Puja Lecture)
Srila Prabhupada would describe how sometimes during the rainy season in Mayapur, the Ganga is flooding its banks and the entire area goes underwater. And sometimes, Mayapur is almost two months in a lockdown underwater, imagine that! I remember spending some time in that flood during a year and it was quite an experience. We would have to swim from one building to another and we were not the only ones swimming. There were also cobras swimming to add some excitement. Some had rubber boats and the pujaris were taking the water and just using it by filtering it through the cloth and bathing the deities during the abhisekha on Radhashtami.
So I remember that flood vividly, and I also remember how Srila Prabhupada described that the floods in Mayapur symbolise the mercy of Lord Caitanya flooding the entire world. And that mercy of Lord Caitanya has reached everywhere. That mercy came through the disciplic succession, through the six Gosvamis, to Krsna das Kaviraj Gosvami, Narottama das Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura and so on, up till the present date – Srila Prabhupada – and here we are! That knowledge has touched the lives of so many people and everything has changed. Suddenly, everything has become auspicious. Suddenly, we are walking on the blessed path. Even those who are touched only a little, they become blessed!
We are happy to report that Ambhoda devi dasi has completed the painting of the 15’ Jaya murti for the entranceway of the temple. This video shows you the final application of tilak on his forehead.
After eight months of lockdowns in India last year due to the pandemic, the TOVP resumed construction in September and has been steadily increasing the work pace. We will be providing regular updates and reports from our Project Management Consultancy (PMC), Cushman & Wakefield, and below is the first photo update showing progress in the following areas:
Outdoor Hydrant Erection
Sprinkler Completion
Storm Drains
Electrical Wiring
Air Conditioning Ducting
Audio/Video Cabling
Coffered Ceiling Progress Continue reading "TOVP Project Management Consultancy (PMC) Photo Update → Dandavats"
On 10th February 2006, the beautiful temple of Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan ji, Krishna Balarama and Gaura Nitai was inaugurated in the auspicious presence of many GBCs, sannyasis and senior devotees of ISKCON. HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja had constructed this beautiful marble temple in a very short time of 9 months and 20 days, which is an unbeatable record in itself. Some people say just like the time a child takes to get shaped in the womb of a mother, this beautiful temple took shape in the heart of Ujjain in garbha-kala. Continue reading "ISKCON Ujjain’s 15th Anniversary and Mega Youth Event ‘UDDIPAN’ Attracts 10000 Participants → Dandavats"
Pictorial journey into the life of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura with Pancharatna Das and Aradhya Bhagavan Das. Pancharatna dasa joined ISKCON in Toronto, Canada as a brahmacari in 1970. He went on to serve in ISKCON New York in various capacities until 1976 when he moved to Sri Mayapur. There he accepted many responsibilities including building construction and establishing the Bengali language division of the BBT. Continue reading "Pictorial journey into the life of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura (video) → Dandavats"
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed to Lord Caitanya to send him an assistant and a successor from the Lord’s personal staff of preachers. Answering the prayer of the Thakura, a son was born to him on February 6th, 1874 while he was serving as the government magistrate in the holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa. Through various signs the Lord showed Thakura Bhaktivinoda and his good wife that this was the great soul that had been sent by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to carry on the preaching work that Bhaktivinoda Thakura had started.
It was witnessed by all present that when the child came out of the womb, his umbilical cord was wrapped around him like the sacred thread worn by brahmanas. Everyone was very amazed by this sign. Six months later at the annual Jagannatha Puri Rathayatra festival, the Jagannatha cart, being pulled by hundreds of people, came to a stop in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house.
When all the people were trying to get the cart moving again, Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s wife took the opportunity to take the child, whose name then was Bimala Prasad, out to see Lord Jagannatha and because she was the wife of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, who was the manager of the Jagannatha temple, everyone respected her and she was allowed on the cart for darshana of the Lord.
She then placed the child at the lotus feet of the Jagannatha deity and immediately one of the huge flower garlands hanging around the neck of the Lord fell down and encircled the child. Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s heart was filled with joy, for he knew beyond all doubt that this child was the answer to his prayers.
As the boy grew, the Thakura instructed him in the science of Krishna Consciousness. At the age of only seven Bimala Prasad Datta, who was later to be known as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, had memorised all seven hundred verses of the Bhagavad-gita and could explain each one.
One day the boy took an unoffered mango from the room of the family Deity and ate it. Thakura Bhaktivinoda chastised him for it and told him that it was not proper Vaishnava behaviour to eat food that had not first been offered to the Lord. At that time Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, taking his father’s words very seriously, made a vow that he would never eat mango again. Through his whole life he kept this vow very faithfully. Whenever someone would offer him a mango he would say, “No, I cannot take, I am a great offender”.
At the age of ten, while attending the Serampore Missionary School, he was initiated by his father into the Hare Krishna mantra and a Narasimhadeva mantra. In school he invented a novel kind of phonetic alphabet which he called Bikranti or Bicanto. Later on he attended a special Sanskrit college where he became expert in Sanskrit grammar, Vedic shastra and different views of philosophy.
Due to his lifelong celibacy he had such a clear memory that even in his last days he could reproduce word for word any passage of any book he had read fifty years back.
In 1901 Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura requested his son to become initiated in the Gayatri mantra and accept a spiritual master. Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was a very renowned Vaishnava saint of Navadvipa. It was therefore he who the Thakura requested his son to take initiation from. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura then approached the babaji for getting initiated, but Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, who hadn’t any disciples, out of his infinite humbleness refused to accept such an erudite pandita as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
Disappointed, Sarasvati Thakura went back to his father and related to him what had happened, but Thakura Bhaktivinoda sent him out again, and again Srila Bhaktisiddhanta came back with the same news. So this time the Thakura told his son, “Unless you take initiation from Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji your life is useless and no longer may you enter this house.”
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati then set off with great determination, and meeting Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji on a bridge along the road told him that he would jump off the bridge and kill himself if the babaji did not accept him as a disciple. He said to him, “My father has told me that human life is worthless without a spiritual master, so if you refuse to accept me as your disciple I must kill myself”. Upon hearing that and seeing the young man’s sincerity of purpose, the babaji accepted him as his only disciple.
From that year, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta traveled with Thakura Bhaktivinoda in his pilgrimages to all the principle holy places in India. During this time he compiled a Vaishnava encyclopaedia named Vaisnava-manjusha. In 1900 he was staying in Puri where he began to publicly preach the holy precepts of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In 1904 Srila Sarasvati Thakura traveled in East Bengal. In 1905 he travailed to the far southern provinces of India, lecturing, preaching, writing, debating, fully absorbed in the fire of propagating the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
One time a big impersonalist Vedanta society in Calcutta invited him to a debate, on the condition that he could not use Srimad-Bhagavatam as scriptural evidence and so he agreed to come to the debate. Then after a short time they called him again and said he could not speak on Mahabharata, Ramayana, or any of the Puranas or Pancharattnas. He also agreed to come on those conditions. Then they called him and said that he could not use as evidence any of the Vedas, Upanisads or smriti texts, but could speak only from the Vedanta-Sutras. And so he agreed to that also. Then they called him up and said that he could not come at all.
In 1914 on the disappearance of Thakura Bhaktivinoda from this mortal world, the task to carry on the movement of Sri Caitanya now lay in the hands of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada. He took over as the editor of his father’s journal, the Sajjana toshani, a monthly Vaishnava paper in Bengali. Later on in 1927 he converted it into an English fortnightly called the Harmonist.
In 1918 at the age of fourty-four, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati accepted the title Gosvami Maharaja by taking the renounced order of life, sannyasa. On that same day he established his first Vaishnava monastery, the Caitanya Math at Sridhama Mayapura, which became his preaching headquarters.
At the time of his passing from this world he had opened sixty-four Gaudiya Maths for the propagation of spiritual life and Bhagavata philosophy. In all these maths he established the worship of the archa-vigraha (Deity) form of the Lord so that his disciples wouldn’t become impersonalists. This deity worship was executed according to the principles of Sanatana Gosvami’s book of Vaisnava activities, Sri-hari-bhakti-vilasa.
A prominent sun dominated the sky and when it was time for it to make its ever so graceful exit a reigning powerful king in the form of the moon set itself firmly in the heavens.
During the hours of light devotional activities prevailed at the temple, beginning with a guru-puja; honouring of the guru just after darshan; the viewing of the deity of Krishna. As the sun rose I was feeling gratitude to the devotees from the Atlantic zone for sending that sun to us. The sun enlivens.
I thought of our younger couple stationed at their bhaktipost in Saint Johns, New Brunswick, and their kind gesture of reaching out to all of us. Nakula and Sara are doing a marvelous job at connecting with the local Maritimers.
On my mind also was Gaurachandra and Vani Priya, from Calgary, who submitted some great messages through today’s Instagram frame for The Walking Monk.
I also conducted an interview with god brother, (Go Bro) Yajanahotra, from Vancouver, who told me about his life story — in brief — about his being raised in Winnipeg and his first meeting devotees in Regina. Coincidentally a group of five to six brahmachari monks had occupied the rented house where he had lived with his parents and sister previously. How neat!
What really shone today was the spiritual luminary, of whom today was His birthday. His name is Nityananda and He’s from the 15th century. He is the epitome of kindness. Virtual presentations were made in memory of this divine soul.
Much of the snow has turned into water, trapped between heaps of white and bordered by slush. The reason is the mild temperature. It got up to 8°C and that meant wrapping my jacket around my left arm, leaving a full orange cloth exposure. People noticed. It stands out; especially with snow patches as a backdrop. It’s been a while since I strolled into the daytime. There’s a lot more pedestrians out.
“Hey, that attire really is something,” said one service/repair person.
Monks are rare. Period. I sometimes wonder if I’ll be a last Mohican. I do keep in touch with some single men by phone — men who hold a thorough interest in Krishna Consciousness, who are potential monk material. However, they are not ready for the long-haul of renunciation. Maybe monk for a month, a week or a weekend?
I do keep in contact with some fairly mature persons who are in a relationship or who are married and at the same time they maintain some level of higher consciousness. It is very gratifying for me and I hope, mutually for them, that a certain segment of their life can be channeled toward the spiritual component by our communication.
The style or colour of garment is rather irrelevant to the person wearing them. State of mind is what is permanent. It is known in Sanskrit as Param, which means supreme.
Param drstva nivartate from The Gita is defined as enjoying a higher taste.
Tuesday afternoon is my time for an in-depth look at the Bhagavad-Gitaand currently my two other callers from the Stratford/London, Ontario district are looking at chapter four.
Chapter four opens with the topic of parampara, which translates as a school of thought. Sometimes it is referred to as a chain of thoughtful teachers; a disciplic succession. When broken this chain becomes reconnected by Krishna Himself. Apparently, at the time of Kali Yuga’sdawn, Krishna manifests to reset this chain. About five millennia ago Krishna was born for three main purposes. 1) to give support to devotional people 2) to subdue dark forces and 3) to establish this wisdom of dharma that runs along this chain we are talking about.
Truth does become obscured in time by the sheer nature of the world, which becomes clouded in avidya, ignorance. We are definitely living in unenlightened times. Instead of operating on a chain of succession steeped in a disciplined love, what very much is the case today is linking with the “Chain of Fools” (Aretha Franklin).
The lyrics to that song of soul are very simple. They echo the voice of one being used. And “used” we are, because that is the nature of a whimsical, directionless, confused life.
I urge you all to be in the link, the parampara, a chain of an illustrious company of angels and saints.
My balcony pacing continues, usually in the evening and from either of the three arch-shaped windows. I can see the weather conditions quite clearly on this west end of our building. What is there to be seen these days?
The street lights reveal, at least the last few evenings, snow flurries coming down like pretty little avatars descending from the heavens. They come down in the multitudes and contribute to a kind of merging whiteness; always with a soft landing.
Through the day I am more stationary, at work for Krishna, seated in our guru’s quarters. From there I can observe the compounding and diminishing layers of snow. Pedestrians are not deterred by the soft assault. They go about their business; to work, to the skating rink, to shop or just to walk.
It really is a full view that I can capture each day even from this arched window. I used to be able to see the gigantic CN Tower at a distance. It still ranks as the second tallest structure globally. More recently a condo building came up, blocking the view of that tower of glory. It wouldn’t be so bad if the high-rise itself was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Instead, this squarish edifice adds to what could become a depressing skyline. That condo to the right is just plain bland.
I was able to share the snow scene through the window over this morning’s Zoom call with a Miami group. It’s another world down there. That one hour with them, by phone, however, harmonized our efforts and thoughts as we reflected and spoke about one of the very best passages from the book Bhagavatam, 1.8.21. Check it out!
After eight months of lockdowns in India last year due to the pandemic, the TOVP resumed construction in September and has been steadily increasing the work pace.
We will be providing regular updates and reports from our Project Management Consultancy (PMC), Cushman & Wakefield, and below is the first photo update showing progress in the following areas:
Mahatma Prabhu is well known in ISKCON for his recorded and live music, most notably his recording of Brahma Samhita, but also for his workshops on such essential topics as Japa, Forgiveness, Humility, Vows and Marriage.
This is a current working video report on the temple room relief panels.
There are four major relief panels in the TOVP temple room. Two are completed and two are in the process of being made. This is a video of the third panel work over the course of several days. I hope you like it. Another report about the next stage of progress is forthcoming.
Сегодня благоприятный день явления Шрилы Бхактисиддханты Сарасвати.В своих комментариях к Шри Чайтанье Шикшамрите он пишет:«В учении Шримана Махапрабху всего два принципиальных наставления: развивать вкус к воспеванию святых имен и проявлять сострадание к падшим обусловленным душам».
Today is the auspicious appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. In his purports to Sri Caitanya Siksamrta he writes:
“In the teachings of Sriman Mahaprabhu, there are only two principle instructions: develop a taste for chanting the holy names and display compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.”
Due to the lock-down in the UK as a precaution against the Coronavirus, unfortunately, the community of Bhaktivedanta Manor in the UK could not have a 'physical festival' this year. However, amongst other events, a stage program was broadcast live on Mayapur.TV and the Manor's media website.
Many years ago a great Krishna Bhakti teacher, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, penned the following 4 principles of community building: 1. Treat everyone you encounter as if the success or failure of your spiritual life depends on the quality of your interactions with them. 2. Think of the person you love the most and aspire to treat everyone with that same quality of love. 3. View all conflicts as your own fault first. 4. Realize that people in your present environment might very well be the people with whom you will live out your life and who are likely to be with you at the time of death. Continue reading "Strengthening Vaisnava relationships for community building (video) → Dandavats"
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo ‘stu te namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. I offer my respectful obeisances to Srī […]
By Brahma Tirtha Das
By Kalakantha Das
By Bhaktimarga Swami
By the TOVP
By Ramcharan Das
By GBC SPT
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By GBC SPT