Websites from the ISKCON Universe
On February 9th, a most dear friend and Grihastha Vision Team member, Karnamrita Prabhu, left this world. Karnamrita was someone who cared about others in a deep meaningful way and devoted his life to make the lives of others better; someone who knew the meaning of love and lived it through his words and actions; […]
The post Karnamrita Dasa Tribute appeared first on ISKCON News.
On February 9th, a most dear friend and Grihastha Vision Team member, Karnamrita Prabhu, left this world. Karnamrita was someone who cared about others in a deep meaningful way and devoted his life to make the lives of others better; someone who knew the meaning of love and lived it through his words and actions; someone who made everyone feel relaxed, valued and accepted.
Song: Je Anilo Premo Dhana by Agnideva Das & Badahari Das
HH Lokanath Swami: It gives me great pleasure to present the second Kirtan Ministry Newsletter, Kirtan World. As the newsletter name suggests, many global kirtan events have taken place since the launch of the first publication in January 2021. This edition follows a similar trend in sharing a range of exciting events and developments as we travel through Nepal, Belgium, Hungary and India. The good news is that the Kirtan Ministry celebrated their first Ekadasi Sravana-kirtana Festival on 24 January. Japa-kirtan-talk is the current format of this festival which will be celebrated fortnightly. This program was well received across the world.
For hundreds of years, pilgrims have been doing Vrindavan Parikrama, especially on Ekadashi. Come along on this wonderful Parikrama around the town of Vrindavan with HG Deena Bandhu Das!
A true preacher is a true disciple. I believe all of us can agree that a thorough study of Srila Prabhupada’s books is so badly needed in our society in the age of Kali, the age of quarrel, hypocrisy and misinformation.
By Bhaktimarg Swami Karnamrita, a man who is missed A man who believed morals should persist For him family was at the top of the list A principal which in early days we'd resist Continue reading "KARNAMRITA
→ Dandavats"
On February 9th, beloved Grihastha Vision Team member and premarital counselor Karnamrita Dasa passed away after a long battle with cancer. Karnamrita Dasa was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1970. For fourteen years, he lived in various ISKCON temples around the world. In the beginning of his devotional service, he participated in street sankirtana and book distribution, and […]
The post Karnamrita Dasa, Who Lived to Give, Passes Away appeared first on ISKCON News.
Karnamrita was someone who cared about others in a deep meaningful way and devoted his life to make the lives of others better; someone who knew the meaning of love and lived it through his words and actions; someone who made everyone feel relaxed, valued and accepted.
The Hare Krishna Festivals program, started by the late Tribhuvanatha Dasa on the instruction of his guru Srila Prabhupada, has organized festivals in halls all over the UK to share Krishna consciousness, attracting many to spiritual life. Continued by Giridhari Das after Tribhuvanatha’s passing in 2001, the program has put on festivals for 34 consecutive […]
The post Hare Krishna Festivals Podcast to Virtually “Tour” the UK appeared first on ISKCON News.
With 2021 unfortunately again looking unlikely to allow festivals in the old model, the Hare Krishna Festivals team has now decided to start a video podcast, “Hare Krishna Festivals UK Tour,” which will “travel” virtually around the UK.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 April 2020, Durban, South Africa, Vyasa Puja lecture)
From doing things for Krsna to looking after people who were doing things for Krsna to looking after people for Krsna, all these things come up in devotional service. The mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offers us a golden opportunity that if somehow or other, we can take advantage in the service we do for this mission and in our personal behaviour and in our dealings with the vaisnavas, then surely we can go back to Godhead. As I said, in my youth, I was sometime careless in my dealings with others. But now I regret that as I realise now that every vaisnava is very precious. Even one relationship spoilt with one vaisnava is one opportunity to receive mercy blocked. So I am now regretful for my careless dealings and now I am trying to be more careful and more appreciative in my dealings of vaisnavas. I appreciate the mercy that comes from the vasinavas because this is directly the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The article " Every vaisnava is precious " was published on KKSBlog.
The TOVP currently has reps in several countries in the world who assist with fundraising and promotion. However, we have no one in the Spanish speaking countries. If you speak and write Spanish and English fluently and have some of the other qualifications below, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada’s most important project by assisting with our efforts to communicate with the Spanish speaking devotee community.
Here is what we are looking for:
This is a voluntary service and the time you spend is based on your availability.
If you have all or most of the requirements above please contact Sunanda das at tovp2016@gmail.com.
Fearing this plague is the mentality of a non-Vaiṣṇava. Look 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.
Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Vijaya Dasa at ISKCON SanDiego.
By Siddhanta Das He went out on Sankirtan book distribution, selling, giving away, Srila Prabhupada’s books for many years. In each book he sold he had a very personal encouraging letter printed out offering to correspond and answer any question, he would sign each letter and he had a substantial list of people he regularly diligently kept in correspondence with from each of these interactions. His personal touch inspired the people he met to share their life stories with him. Continue reading "In Memoriam – Karnamrita das (video)
→ Dandavats"
Podcast:
Video:
Shri Mukunda Dasa, Shri Madhava Dasa and Shri Narahari Sarakara Thakura were three brothers who lived in Shri Khanda. Shri Mukunda Dasa Thakura’s son was Shri Raghunandan Thakura. Mukunda Dasa Thakura was the doctor in the court of the muslim king. He was always absorbed in Krishna, whatever work he did.
Every year Mukunda Dasa, Madhava Dasa and Narahari Sarakara would go to Jagannatha Puri to take darshan of the holy feet of Shri Chaitanya and to dance and chant in Rathayatra kirtan. One day, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu affectionately asked Mukunda Dasa, “Mukunda! Between you and Raghunandan, who is the father and who is the son?”
Mukunda said, “Raghunandana is my father. Through him I have found Krishna consciousness, so he is really my father.” The Lord said, “Your judgement is correct. Whoever gives us Krishna-bhakti is our guru and our father.” The Lord ordered Raghunandana to serve the deity, without thinking of anything else.
In his home he became acquainted with the worship of Shri Gopinatha from an early age. One day his father, Mukunda Dasa, who was a doctor, had to go away on medical business. He called Raghunandana to his side. He told Raghunandana to see to it that their deity was served with great care and attention.
He told him to be sure and feed the deity. At the appointed hour, taking the order of his father on his head, Raghunandan went to peform the service. He took the offering of food into the deity. Raghunandan was just a little boy. He told the deity: “Eat! Eat!” When he saw that the offering appeared untouched, he began to cry. Not being able to resist the child’s intense devotion, Krishna ate everything on the plate, leaving no remnants.
When Mukunda Dasa returned, he asked the boy, “Bring me the prasada remnants of the offering you made earlier.” The boy said, “Father, listen. I made the deity eat as you told me to. He left no remnants. He ate everything on his plate.” Mukunda was amazed at what the child was saying.
Ordering the boy to offer food as before, Mukunda hid himself outside the house and watched through the window. Raghunandana, then, with great delight, offered Gopinatha a laddu. “Eat! Eat!” he said. The Lord ate half the laddu.
Meanwhile, Mukunda, who was watching from outside, beheld all this in great amazement. He could understand that since the deity had already eaten once, and had not left any remnants, his hunger was satisfied. As a result, he could only finish half the laddu.
He embraced his son and held him on his lap. His voice was choked with divine emotion. Tears poured from his eyes like rain from a thundercloud. It is said that even today that half a laddu may be seen in Shri Khanda, where it is kept in one of the temples there.
Nrsimhananda das: Here is an ecstatic opportunity for those who love to write to win 500,000 dollars to fund the TOVP or any ISKCON project (including the SABHA!). Devotees could take all three prizes.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219098924446959&set=a.3707173840886
“Lord Nrsimha is the sacred absolute truth. He is the Supreme Brahman. He has a lion-human form with a dark-reddish-brown countenance. He is a perfect brahmacari in His behavior. His eyes are terrifying to look at, yet He bestows auspiciousness on all. His throat is bluish and His face is like a burning red iron. Therefore He is known as Nila-Lohitam [ bluish with a glowing reddish effulgence ].
[ Nrsimha-tapani-upanisat, Purva, Upanisat 1. End of fifth paragraph ]
Sri Mayapur Community hospital needs your help to start Operation Theatre services: Dear Devotees, Please accept the blessings of Sri Sri Radha Madhava and our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. We are very grateful for your magnanimous support us during the COVID crisis. Through your encouragement help and support […]
The post Sri Mayapur Community Hospital Needs Your Help! appeared first on Mayapur.com.
2021 marks the 125th Appearance Anniversary Year of ISKCON Founder/Acharya His Divine A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Ambarisa prabhu and the TOVP management have decided to officially begin celebrating this most auspicious and blessed occasion on Nityananda Trayodasi, February 25th (24th in the U.S.), and simultaneously launch major promotion for the PRABHUPADA IS COMING! Campaign announcing the installation of the new Prabhupada murti in the TOVP in October this year.
Lord Nityananda Prabhu is the original spiritual master, being Lord Balaram Himself. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the spiritual master is the representative of Lord Nityananda, and thus it follows that to glorify our Founder/Acharya Srila Prabhupada and commence the observance of his 125th Appearance Anniversary Year on Nityananda Rama’s appearance day is most appropriate for the occasion.
The celebration will begin with the raising of a Victory Flag onto the TOVP and glorification of Srila Prabhupada by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, followed by other speeches and Prabhupada katha and ecstatic kirtan. Other festivities will continue throughout the day on the ISKCON Mayapur campus.
In conjunction with this event is the official launch of the PRABHUPADA IS COMING! Campaign promoting the grand installation of the new Prabhupada murti in October, and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sponsor one of five abhishekas. His Holiness Lokanath Maharaja personally named this campaign and is arranging to collect water from 125 sacred rivers for the abhisheka to honor the 125th Appearance Anniversary Year.
Every devotee in ISKCON is requested to participate in this most historic occasion and TOVP milestone by sponsoring at least one abhisheka according to their means. Even children can participate in this seva opportunity. Our worldwide goal is to raise a combined Guru Dakshina of $1 million for Srila Prabhupada. Every devotee who participates will also have their name read to Srila Prabhupada.
Additionally, the magnificent gold-leafed, 500 page TOVP Book of Devotion, from the makers of the largest Bhagavad Gita in the world and inscribed with the names of over 6,000 TOVP donors, will be offered to Srila Prabhupada on this occasion. To have your name included in this book you must complete your pledge by the new deadline of Gaur Purnima, March 28.
The birth of ISKCON Founder/Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is perhaps the most important event in the history of modern civilization. This year celebrates his 125th Appearance Anniversary and celebrations will commence in Mayapur on Nityananda Trayodasi, February 25th (24th in the U.S.).
But history is being made once again in October this year with the grand installation of a one-of-a-kind, worship-pose murti of Srila Prabhupada in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, specially made by ISKCON’s best Prabhupada murti maker, Locan das. This installation heralds the Grand Opening of the temple in 2023 and the relocation of our beloved world Deities Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimha into Their long-awaited new home. Srila Prabhupada will now be present to personally oversee the remainder of the construction and preparations for this momentous occasion.
Whether you have already donated to the TOVP or not, this installation represents a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combinedly welcome our Founder/Acharya to his new home by sponsoring one or more of five kinds of abhishekas in your or your family’s name. And simultaneously this will help with fundraising for ongoing construction needs. We have therefore set our sights on a $1 million Guru Dakshina offering to Srila Prabhupada for this auspicious occasion.
The water used in the Jal Abhisheka sponsorship will be gathered from 125 sacred rivers by the arrangement of His Holiness Lokanath Swami, who also personally named this campaign the PRABHUPADA IS COMING! INSTALLATION ABHISHEKA CAMPAIGN. The coins used in the bronze, silver, gold and platinum abhisheka sponsorships will be 100% pure, and donors will receive the coin used in the abhisheka. Sponsors of the Samstapak Acharya option will receive a 5” replica Prabhupada worship-pose murti, and this will also include a Jal Abhisheka sponsorship. Even a child can sponsor the Sacred Water abhisheka.
Every man, woman and child in ISKCON should, without any doubt or hesitation, participate in this celebration with heartfelt love, devotion and gratitude and sponsor an abhisheka according to their means. Help install Srila Prabhupada in his true glory as the Jagat Guru in his Jagat Temple.
Srimad Bhagavatam Class 01-01-01 by HG Gauranga Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty on 24rd jan 2021
Today, February 9th, a most dear friend and fellow Grihastha Vision Team member, Karnamrita Prabhu left this world. Karnamrita was someone who cared about others in a deep meaningful way and devoted his life to make the lives of others better; someone who knew the meaning of love and lived it through his words and actions; someone who made everyone feel relaxed, valued and accepted.
Seaton Village, Toronto
The Sun/The Darkness
The sun was beckoning me to come out in the afternoon. More than that, when taking east-west Dupont St. on the northern, warmer side of it the sun was saying “peel it off” as in “take off the jacket” which I didn’t do but certainly felt like I wanted to. The heat was on.
We have been lucky here in southern Ontario with bright days. I only wish I could see to some clear and warm japa. I am often not too proud of my japa chanting. I know I must be more attentive and it can be somewhat achieved even in the course of walking. It is a little bit like multitasking. You are chanting softly. You are walking. You are dodging people because of Covid. You’re also watching traffic as you cross the street.
Either you walk and chant as attentively as possible or you sit down and chant stationary and attempt to buckle down that crazy mind. Neither one nor the other is simple if you are talking about being alert to the sound of the mantra.
I crossed the street at Davenport and Dupont and my head turned at the sound of a man shouting “Ma...”. There was the source of the sound — a cyclist. Did he say “Maharaja” addressing me? No, I really think he said “moron” of someone else, a motorist. It looks like he got cut off by a car.
I could never understand why, on a day of brightness — of the sun’s warmth and pure white snow — how someone becomes so easily irritated. OK, someone made a mistake. Can’t you feel and see the sun — the bright side of life? Where is the scope for sattva guna, the mood of thoughtfulness? That is something we can all do a little more of.
May the Source be with you!
5 km
The Balcony, 243 Ave. Rd.
God Walks and Does Not
“The supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything.”
The above quote is referenced from mantra five of the text Sri Isopanisad. How may we analyze this mantra?
There are three aspects of God (the Absolute) — brahman, paramatma, and bhagavan. The first aspect or feature a God is a depersonalize feature of the Absolute. It would be hard to explain this feature which is defined as an all-pervasive presence of eternal light. There is no concept here of God having limbs such as arms and legs, what to speak of eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, anus and genitals. Devoid of senses all together this feature of the Absolute merely exists as an all-encompassing power. There is nothing human-like about this first feature of all-mightiness.
The second feature of Absoluteness is more personally predominant as paramatma, situated locally in all individual hearts, at the core of all living beings and ever present in each and every atom. If you see depictions of this param (Supreme) atma (entity) there are clearly human-like features of face, body, arms, legs and so on. This image of ultimate beauty is set mystically in the core of our being. He is stationary, does not move and functions as a sensitive witness of all our actions.
The final feature of God, known as Bhagavan, demonstrates all qualities of personal divinity. It is here that we appreciate Krishna as a remote powerhouse of personality who can eat, sleep, talk, walk and love and can be observed while in his remoteness. Although bearing legs, He, Krishna, possesses not one iota of physicality so we know it. He is DIVYAM, Divine.
May the Source be with you!
A few steps on the balcony
Ramsden Park, Toronto
Two Victories
Wow! So, one of our monks, a student of Bhakti Raghava Swami, Canadian monk extraordinaire, has accomplished something wonderful. At a length of 73 minutes, Krishna Chandra, broke the world record for reciting by heart the entire text, Bhagavad-Gita. There are 700 verses of wisdom that form the entire text; a poetic work of literary power.
Congratulations!
I would also like to express my thanks once again to Dwarkanatha for a daily brewing, steeping spices for a tea to combat the effect of the COVID-19 virus. Since restrictions were enforced in March or our cook has been steady at making it available at our ashram residents here in Toronto. He uses cloves, ginger, cinnamon, pepper and adds a dose of jaggery to sweeten it.
Regular consumption of this tea and adhering to social distancing has kept our ashram free of the virus, thus far. We would like to keep it that way. And I might add that catching fresh air outdoors, some vitamin D, if possible, and a good walk also is the type of protection we need.
I managed to catch our cook just as he was completing cooking the evening meal, comprised of cream of broccoli soup (the cream is from coconut milk), homemade bread, a curried mixed veggie prep and finally the chai (tea).
A meal like that plus a reading from the text ChaitanyaCharitamrta starts a closure to our evening.
May the source be with you!
2 km
Yorkville, Toronto
To Rochdale
I have a number of choices as to which direction to take when I step out the door for my night walk, that is if I don’t have a specific destination, such as picking up a donation for the temple at Subuddhi’s residence. Yes, she simply calls me and I fetch it at a given time.
So, there I stood at our Roxborough door entrance. Which way to turn? Enie meenie miney mo! Well, I don’t take that mantra too seriously. What really guided me, intuitively, at least this evening, was Avenue Road south.
Why?
One criterion which determines my direction is whether I want to be in the city lights or not and maybe find a few masked people (which is what most people are these days).
From there I went south on Avenue Road, crossed the corner at Avenue and Davenport and went down to Bloor, past the Music Conservatory, Rochdale and the old iconic statue, called “The Unknown Student.” The tragedy of the Rochdale project of the 60s has much to do with drugs. The building itself became known as the largest drug distribution warehouse in North America. Many deaths.
When I first joined the Hare Krishna mission in ‘73 several apartments on one floor were occupied by Krishna families. The rent was cheap and so was the drug culture. Krishna devotees play no part in that. Eventually the families left. I remember a group of us Krishnas coming from that floor after a brief chant and all the druggies as well as some students in the front of the building parted and gave way, out of reverence, I guess.
May the source be with you!
4 km
HH Radhanath Swami: When I was a little boy, my mother taught me a lesson. She always emphasized, more than anything else, the quality of gratitude. She told me, “If you are not grateful for whatever you have, you receive, you can never be happy. Because if you are not grateful, whatever you get, you expect something else, or you expect more, or you think that you deserved it. But when you are humble and grateful, then whatever comes to your life, the apparent fortune and misfortune, you can actually find happiness in that situation. We could actually be able to see the opportunity that there is to grow in that situation.”
Read More...
By Nartaka Gopala dasi Our dear Godbrother Vishal Prabhu passed away in Sri Vrindavan Dham sometime around February 8, 2021. He was 82 years old, almost 83. Vishal Prabhu was a legendary distributor of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Above is a photo of how I remember Vishal the most: wearing not one, but two book bags, criss-crossed in front of his chest, and going out to distribute every single day for the last fifty three years, whether he was in the US or in India. Continue reading "Remembering Vishal das, Harvey Dactor, disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
→ Dandavats"
This book shows how the plane’s earliest civilization lead the world in both material and spiritual progress. From the Vedic culture of ancient India thousands of years ago, we find the origins of such things as mathematics, especially algebra and geometry, as well as early astronomy and planetary observations, many instances of which can be read in the historical Vedic texts. Medicine in Ayurveda was also the first to prescribe herbs for the remedy of disease, surgical instruments for operations, and more. These and more are the developments that came from India, much of which has been forgotten, but should again be recognized as the heritage of the ancient Indian Vedic tradition that continues to inspire humanity.
Author: Stephen Knapp
Published: June 8, 2012
Book size: 374 pages
Formats: Kindle, Paperback
Citraketu said: My dear mother, with my own hands folded together I accept the curse upon me. I do not mind the curse, for happiness and distress are given by the demigods as a result of one’s past deeds.
Prabhupada: This has become a slogan, "Serving the poor." Where is the sastra? Where Bhagavad-gita it is said, "Serving the poor?" You are yourself poor. So how you can serve? This slogan has spread, "If I serve the poor..." And what you have got, you will serve the poor? You have to work like an ass to earn your livelihood, and you are going to serve the poor. Service to be rendered to the higher authority.
By Rupa Vilas Das Whenever Prabhupada would circumambulate the temple in the morning in Vrindavan, Vishal would be standing with his hands folded chanting prayers from the Bhagavatam and then give the English translations. On this particular morning there was water on the temple steps because it had just rained. Prabhupada just snapped at Vishal and said, "Do something practical," He said, "Clean this up." (laughs) So that was his response to the glorification. He ordered him to do some cleaning. Continue reading "In Memoriam Remembering Vishal (2 min. video)
→ Dandavats"
With snow in the air, freezing temperatures and Arctic winds howling, add that to an economy in crisis and you know a box of delicious hot Prasad, (rice, subji and pakoras) and essential foods will be greatly received.
Deena Bandhu Das: Please join us in prayers for my very dear older Godbrother, Vishal Prabhu, who was living here in Vrindavan. Devotees hadn't seen him for a couple of days, so just a half-hour ago, the police broke the door and found his lifeless body! Just happened so no details yet, but he was 85 years old. He constantly distributed Srila Prabhupada's books till the present day!
