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Sunday feast online class given by HG Kalakantha Prabhu from Gainesville, Florida. He is a senior vaisnava and a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He coordinates one of the most successful outreach projects in ISKCON called "Krishna House".
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!
Nityananda Trayodasi, the auspicious appearance day of Lord Nityananda falls on Thursday, February 25th this year.
To speak on the glories of Lord Nithyananda, we have a very special guest - Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami who will be speaking to us live on Sunday 28th Feb 2021 from Mauritius.
Date: 28th Feb 2021
Day: Sunday
Time: 11 am to 12 noon
Topic: Glories of Lord Nityananda
Speaker: HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami
Link to join the class from your desktop or laptop:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9150790510?pwd=Wk5GYXVRMkJmdk84MzZJRXBKYUgwUT09
ISKCON is grateful for the support and service that Narayana Maharaja offered to Srila Prabhupada over the years," said Anuttama dasa, ISKCON's Minister of Communications. "We offer our respects and humble obeisances to His Holiness Narayana Maharaja and his followers on the auspicious occasion of his centennial celebration.
Tomorrow we shall be celebrating the appearance anniversary of Varaha avatar. Varaha is Krishna appearing in the extraordinary form of a gigantic boar—gigantic enough to carry the Earth on His tusks. Sound amazing? It is. And why should the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead be anything less than supremely amazing? Koladvipa is an […]
The post Varaha Dwadasi – 24th February 2021! appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Today is Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha’s appearance day. Srila Prabhupada spoke on this occasion in Los Angeles on February 18, 1970:
“Today is the incarnation day of Lord Krishna’s appearing as the Boar. He lifted the world when it was submerged within the water of Garbhodaka Ocean. The universe which we are seeing is only half. The other half is filled with water, and in that water Garbhodakasayi Vishnu is lying.
“So, one demon, Hiranyaksa, pushed this earthly planet within that water, and Lord Krishna delivered this earthly planet from water in the shape of a boar. So, that auspicious day is today, Varaha-dvadasi. On this day [we] sing,
vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna
sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
kesava dhrta-sukara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare
jaya jagadisa hare, jaya jagadisa hare
‘O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of a boar! All glories to You! The earth, which had become immersed in the Garbhodaka Ocean at the bottom of the universe, sits fixed upon the tip of Your tusk like a spot upon the moon.’ (Dasavatara-stotra, 3)
“This Varaha, boar, or hog, delivered this earthly planet by the tusk, and He kept the whole world on His tusk. We can just imagine how big He appeared. And the world at that time appeared just like the moon disc with some marks on it. So kesava dhrta-varaha-sarira. The poet says, ‘My dear Lord, You have appeared as the great boar. So let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.’ ”
May Lord Varaha bless us, protect us, and uplift us all.
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
By Vaisesika Dasa. Vaisesika Dasa travels widely to teach the tenets of devotional service and the great art of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books
By Vaisesika Dasa. Vaisesika Dasa travels widely to teach the tenets of devotional service and the great art of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books
Podcast:
The year 2021 marks the centennial celebration, the 100th appearance anniversary, of Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. A disciple of Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Maharaja—himself one of the foremost disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur—Narayana Maharaja served the Gaudiya Vaishnava community as a sannyasi for fifty-eight years. From 1996 to 2010 when Narayana Maharaja left this world, he circled […]
The post Centennial Celebration Marked for Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja appeared first on ISKCON News.
The year 2021 marks the centennial celebration, the 100th appearance anniversary, of Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. A disciple of Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Maharaja—himself one of the foremost disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur—Narayana Maharaja served the Gaudiya Vaishnava community as a sannyasi for fifty-eight years.
One of ISKCON’s best friends and scholarly supporters, Professor Thomas J. Hopkins, passed away the morning of Saturday, February 20, 2021, at the age of ninety-one. Dr. Hopkins was Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Franklin and Marshall College, USA, and an expert in the study of Caitanya Vaishnavism. Professor Hopkins met Srila Prabhupada and […]
The post Professor Thomas J. Hopkins, Scholar and Friend of ISKCON Passes Away appeared first on ISKCON News.
One of ISKCON's best friends and scholarly supporters, Professor Thomas J. Hopkins, passed away the morning of Saturday, February 20, 2021, at the age of ninety-one. Dr. Hopkins was Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Franklin and Marshall College, USA, and an expert in the study of Caitanya Vaishnavism.
Дорогой Шрила Прабхупада,
Искренне, с любовью возношу вам свою молитву: чтобы мне всегда быть на вашем поезде милости Vaikuntha Express, который возвращается домой, обратно в духовный мир. На каждой его остановке я буду изо всех сил вдохновлять присоединиться к нам новых пассажиров!
“Что касается твоих вопросов, осведомлены ли духовный учитель и вышестоящий Духовный Учитель о молитвах искренне любящего Их преданного? Вот ответ: ни одна сознательная молитва не напрасна. Без сомнений, все они передаются. Любая молитва, которую вы предлагаете своему духовному учителю и следующему духовному учителю, передается Кришне. Искренние молитвы не напрасны».
Твой вечный благожелатель,
А.Ч.Бхактиведанта Свами
[ письмо Махананде, Лос-Анджелес, 26 апреля 1970 г. ]
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10219173494871173&set=a.3707173840886
Dearest Srila Prabhupada:
My sincere prayer offered to you in love, is that I may always be on your train of mercy, the Vaikuntha Express, as it winds its way home, back to the spiritual world. At every stop, I’ll do my best to encourage new passengers to join us!
“Regarding your questions, are the spiritual master and the grand Spiritual Master consciously aware of the prayers of a sincere devotee who prays in love to Them? The answer is that no conscious prayers go in vain. They are transmitted positively. Any prayer you offer to your spiritual master and superior spiritual Master is conveyed to Krishna. No sincere prayers go in vain.”
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
[ Letter to Mahananda, Los Angeles, April 26, 1970]
By the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada , ISKCON Mayapur is pleased to announce the First-ever Virtual Ekachakra Parikrama on the most auspicious Nityananda Trayodasi on the 25th Feb, 07:30 PM IST onwards. You will be taken on the complete tour of the Ekachakra Dham; visiting all the pastime places of the most merciful, Nityananda […]
The post ISKCON Mayapur brings The First ever Online Ekachakra Parikrama appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Arcita das: The Srila Prabhupada murti in the New Dvaraka Bhagavad-Gita (FATE) Museum is actually the first in ISKCON.
By the Ministry of Education “As a matter of principle, devotees should read, speak and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam persistently, twenty-four hours daily if possible. That is the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu” Srila Prabhupada Srimad Bhagavatam 5.6.16, Translation and Purport Continue reading "Interview with Her Grace Malati Devi – Books are the Basis (video)
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Today is the disappearance anniversary of Sripada Ramanujacharya, the principal acharya in the Sri, or Lakshmi, sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacharya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the Mayavadi philosophy.” (letter 22.11.1974) And in the early days of ISKCON in India, before we had Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Hindi, Prabhupada would refer people to read the Hindi edition of the Gita with Sri Ramanujacharya’s commentary.
Srila Prabhupada often told a story about Sri Ramanujacharya’s merciful, compassionate nature. As he related it in Ahmedabad in 1972, “The servants of Krishna take all risk for Krishna’s sake. Just like Ramanujacharya. Sri Ramanujacharya’s spiritual master said, ‘My dear son, the mantra which I am giving, you chant silently and you will be delivered. It is so powerful. Don’t chant this mantra loudly so others can hear.’
“Ramanujacharya thought, ‘If this mantra is so powerful that if others hear it they’ll also be delivered, then why not?’ He immediately went to the market and began to chant the mantra. So, his spiritual master became very angry, that ‘I told you not to chant loudly, so others may not hear.’ And Ramanujacharya replied, ‘My Lordship, I have done offense unto you. That’s all right. For this I am prepared to go to hell. But if this mantra is so powerful, I must speak it to everyone.’ ”
In this mood, following in the footsteps of Sripada Ramanujacharya, Srila Prabhupada broadcast the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita everywhere, to everyone.
We pray and aspire to follow in their footsteps.
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
In this video you will see the progress of the temple exterior embellishments on the Nrsimhadeva wing and Chatris, many of which have been completed with balustrades and peacocks surrounding them.
You will also have a glimpse of the pink sandstone Jaipur Jali work on the outside windows as viewed from both the inside and outside. Finally, we will present a sample of the exquisite night lighting on the Chatris.
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HH Giriraja Swami unveiling the inside insight of 1970s ecstatic era with Srila Prabhupada.
How can we best address and combat the global problems of climate change, desertification, loss of natural habitat, loss of biodiversity and extinction of species?>Read More...
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There is only one word to describe the Next Generation Leadership conference – excitement. There was a buzz felt throughout the two-day virtual conference, by youth and youth leaders that lingered on after in group chats and social media. Over Valentine’s holiday weekend, February 13-14th, 2021, just under 100 devotee youth leaders and youth workers […]
The post Sharing the Love: ISKCON 3.0 Leadership Conference Series appeared first on ISKCON News.
There is only one word to describe the Next Generation Leadership conference - excitement. There was a buzz felt throughout the two-day virtual conference, by youth and youth leaders that lingered on after in group chats and social media.
Fulfilling Srila Prabhupad’s instructions. No1 within 10miles of temple should go hungry....Read More...
Ramanuja was born in India during the year 1017 A.D. when, according to astrological calculations, the sun was in the zodiacal sign of Cancer. His parents were Asuri Keshava and Kantimati, both from aristocratic families. Rumanja passed his childhood days in Shriperumbudur, the village of his birth. At the age of 16 he was married to Rakshakambal.
Ramanuja’s philosophy became known as vishishtadwaita or qualified non-dualism. Accordingly, the living entities are believed to be qualitatively one with the Supreme and at the same time quantitatively different. Ramanuja’s assertion was that the quantitative difference means that the fragmentary parts of the Supreme are dependent on the Supreme but they cannot become the Supreme.
The fame of Ramanuja continued to spread far and wide. One day as Ramanuja sat in the solitude of his study, a venerable saint named Yamunacharya came to his door for alms. Extending his full courtesy, Ramanuja welcomed the saint into his home.
Ramanuja learned that Yamuna was from Shri Rangam, the famous Temple of Vishnu. In the course of their discussion, Ramanuja soon realized that Yamunacharya was a qualified spiritual master of the science of devotion. Overwhelmed with ecstasy and jubilation, Ramanuja fell at his feet and asked to be accepted as his disciple.
Although he lived for many years as a successful householder, Ramanuja was destined to accept the path of renunciation. Eventually he took up the renounced order of life, sannyasa, by going before the Deity in the Temple and praying to be exclusively engaged in the service of Godhead.
From that day forward Ramanuja always wore the the symbol of Narayana on his forehead, dressed in saffron cloth, and carried the renunciate’s three-sectioned staff, which signified service to God by body, mind, and words.
Ramanuja continued living at Shri Rangam, serving the Deity of Narayana and imparting enlightenment to whoever came to him until he was 120 years old. One day while worshipping the Deity, he prayed, “dear God, whatever I could do to preserve the essence of the Vedas, to uplift the fallen souls, and to establish the shelter of Your lotus feet as the supreme goal in life, I have done. Now my body has grown tired after many years in this world. Kindly allow me to depart from this mortal world and enter Your supreme abode.”
Ramanuja remained on Earth for three more days. Keeping his head on the lap of Govinda and his mind fixed in spiritual trance, relinquished his mortal body and entered the realm of Vaikuntha.
Queen’s Park, Toronto
Dark Brown Chutney
Today I learned how to make tamarind chutney. It goes good as a dip for samosas or pakoras, although probably not good for monks. There’s just too much sugar in it, although jaggery is a natural sweetener.
At this time of year in India the sap comes out of date-ras trees. The substance is collected, then boiled down to a crystallin form. The weather is so perfect in India right now. Mayapura is the place, a four-hour drive from Kolkata, where the action is currently. On this day a bhaktiluminary was born, Advaita Acharya, and he was a contemporary of monk Chaitanya.
I’m sure people of that era, 500 years ago, must have relished preparations made with the abovementioned hardened tree sap. Such items would be most appropriate as offerings for Krishna to become prasadam.
Now, how did I make tamarind chutney under the guidance of our cook, Dwarkanatha? Here is the procedure, without detailing the quantities:
1) A chunk of tamarind was put to soak in a bowl of water.
2) After the pulp loosens you blend this soft substance.
3) Then strain it to separate all the strings and pits.
4) Boil the substance and add generous amounts of jaggery.
5) Roast coriander seeds, then fennel, cumin and black pepper.
6) Blend the spices with water and add the mixture to the pot.
7) Salt is added.
8) Let chill.
The end product was divine.
May the Source be with you!
3 km
Please view our new film, Rolling the Dice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3legHdMgI
Cary, North Carolina
Sometimes Eyes Have a Cold Nose
There is no disputing the benefits of walking – walking increases cardiovascular health, reduces the chance of developing heart disease, lowers blood pressure and helps with stress management. Now imagine you are a person who is blind or visually impaired. Not only does exercise-walking become more difficult but walking for everyday activities, such as going to the grocery store, getting to work, and meeting up with friends, becomes difficult if not impossible.
I knew by the time I was a teenager I wanted to train dog guides for the blind. Becoming a dog guide trainer requires people to complete a three-year apprenticeship. It’s very competitive to get the position (one slot will have 50-100 applicants). During my interview for an apprenticeship slot I was asked, “This job involves walking 8-10 miles a day, are you up to that?” Not only was I “up to that” but it sounded wonderful to me! I always prefer to be active rather than sitting.
I have now been a dog guide trainer for the past 18 years. I’ve trained hundreds of dogs and walked hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. What I love the most about this job is every individual dog is different; I learn something new with every dog I train. There was Caper who was so naughty in puppy placement (he ate the drywall in his puppy raiser’s kitchen), but was one of the easiest dogs I’ve ever trained. He was too smart to be a pet dog, he needed a job. Then there was Natty, whom I affectionally called “Miss Goody Two-Shoes” because she never wanted to do anything wrong. She was the sweetest dog ever and was placed with a woman who is a teacher for kids with disabilities. Then, of course, there was Princeton. He was a male German Shepard and the biggest momma’s boy. I ran into him and his “person” several years after they completed training. He spotted me from across the room and started howling at the top of his lungs. He was loyal.
The world of dog training has changed a lot, and for the better. Now the highest level of training uses positive reinforcement methods. Dogs are regularly referred to as sentient beings or beings that are capable of experiencing a range of feelings and emotions such as joy and depression. Anyone who has owned a dog knows this is true. It’s my hope that one day other animals will also be seen in this light.
Written by Vishnu Priya dd
Disciple of HH Bhaktimarga Swami
Please view our new film, Rolling the Dice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3legHdMgI
https://youtu.be/JlfbZMK9bvM
“This human life is meant for understanding Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is real education.” (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 3.27, Madras, January 1, 1976)
In the mood of visiting the Dham when you can't physically go to the Dham, GBC Strategic Planning Team (SPT) is bringing the Dham to you. To honor the upcoming Lord Nityananda's Appearance Day, urging you all to fire up your phone or computer and join us on a special tour to the Birth place of Lord Nityananda with Chandan Yatra Das.
“Those friends who show affection but are self-absorbed at heart are not friends in the truest sense. They simply play a part in mutual self-interest. They would never show their love unless there was some profit they could take advantage of. Oh slender-waisted gopis, others love without concern for what they have to gain from love or get back in return. Such people may be parents, friends or saints, but you can tell that they are truly friendly and wish everybody well. Still others don’t or can’t give back the love that they receive. They don’t love friends or kinsfolk—what to speak of enemies. Such people might be self-contained, in spirit or in wealth, ungrateful, or just hateful toward those better than themselves.
By Garuda Das I write to inform all of you that one of the ISKCON Movement's best friends and scholarly supporters has just passed away in the morning of Saturday, February 20, 2021. I have known Tom Hopkins for decades and he has been such a supporter of devotees and well-wisher of the Movement. He met Śrīla Prabhupāda and the early devotees in 1966 at 26 Second Avenue, and purchased his first set of Śrīla Prabhupāda's "Delhi" Bhāgavatams at that time (those volumes are currently in my possession). At one point, Tom even arranged for Śrīla Prabhupāda to teach a course at Franklin and Marshall College, where he was a professor. In the end, Śrīla Prabhupāda declined the generous offer of Tom because Śrīla Prabhupāda was too busy establishing the ISKCON and its temple-centers.
Continue reading "Tom Hopkins, one of the ISKCON Movement’s best friends and scholarly supporters has just passed away
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By the GBC SPTDiving deep into the core elements of our philosophy as expounded in the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, GBC Strategic Planning Team (SPT) invites you to join us for an enlivening talk by Kadamba Kanana Swami. Continue reading "The theology of Lord Caitanya (video)
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Sri Madhvacharya was born in the year 1238 A.D. on the Vijaydasmi day of the month of Aswayuja in a village about 3 miles from Udupi in South Canara. His father was Madhyageha Bhatta a pious Brahmin belonging to Bhagavata Sampradaya. He was named ‘Vasudeva’ during the namakarana ceremony.
Even as a child he exhibited many miraculous powers like clinging to the tail of a bull grazing in fields for several hours, converting tamarind seeds into gold and clearing the debts of his father, spending several days in a Narayan temple in the forest all alone, and correcting a Brahman pandit who was reciting the Puranas wrongly and so on.
Not even had Vasudeva attained his teens when he had the urge to take the holy orders and took sannyasa diksa. from Achutapreksha, the pontiff of a monastery at Kare near the modern town of Udupi. He was given the new name ‘Purnaprajna’.
Madhva began to preach his own philosophy according to which the world is real, the individual souls are different from Brahman, and Vishnu is the highest entity in the Universe. Madhvacharya advocated dualism and realism. Many scholars of other schools of philosophy debated with Madhvacharya but were defeated by him and converted to his own views.
Madhvacharya next made a pilgrimage to North India where he visited the famous place of Badrikasrama and met Vedavyasa who lived there with his disciples. He received instructions about the true meaning of the Brahma-sutras and also Mahabharata and the Pancharatra Agamas, all of which were composed by him to establish the glory of Narayana.
The Madhvacharya founded the famous Sri Krishna temple at Udupi and established eight mutts. He had discovered the image of Sri Krishna which lay imbedded in a huge lump of mud (called gopichandan). After washing it, he himself carried it to his monastery.
After many years and having intuitively felt that he had finished his work, Madhvacharya is said to have mysteriously disappeared from his seat, while teaching the Attareya Upanishad to his disciples, leaving a big heap of flowers on it.
