Planet ISKCON

Podcast:

<iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay” src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/962345977&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true”></iframe><div style=”font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;”><a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan” title=”Chaitanya Charan” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Chaitanya Charan</a> · <a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan/the-monks-podcast-88-with-kaustubha-prabhu-sharing-bhakti-in-contemporary-america” title=”The Monk&#x27;s Podcast 88 with Kaustubha Prabhu – Sharing bhakti in contemporary America” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>The Monk&#x27;s Podcast 88 with Kaustubha Prabhu – Sharing bhakti in contemporary America</a></div>

Summary Podcast:

<iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay” src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/962347942&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true”></iframe><div style=”font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;”><a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan” title=”Chaitanya Charan” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Chaitanya Charan</a> · <a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan/kaustubha-p-sharing-bhakti-in-contemporary-america-the-monks-podcast-with-kaustubha-p-summary” title=”The Monk&#x27;s Podcast 88 with Kaustubha Prabhu Summary – Sharing bhakti in contemporary America” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>The Monk&#x27;s Podcast 88 with Kaustubha Prabhu Summary – Sharing bhakti in contemporary America</a></div>

Video:

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The post The Monk’s Podcast 88 with Kaustubha Prabhu Summary – Kaustubha P Sharing bhakti in contemporary America appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

One afternoon, Srivasa Pandita came to hear Devananda Pandit’s recitation of the Bhagavatam. Hundreds of students were seated nicely around the Pandit. Srivasa Pandita was a very advanced Devotee and thus, when the sweet nectar of the Bhagavatam entered his ears, his heart became softened in love of God. He started to cry and roll […]

The post Remembering-Devananda Pandita 9th Jan 2021 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

“If one protects the tender creeper of devotional service nicely, then gradually it will produce the fruit of unalloyed love for God. Unalloyed love for God means love that is not tinged by desire for material benefit, for mere philosophical understanding, nor for fruitive results. Unalloyed love is to know, ‘God is great, I am His part and parcel, and therefore He is my supreme lovable object.’

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The beginning of the New Year was indeed a blessed one, starting from 31st night, devotees took to different platforms in glorifying the names of the Lord. In Mayapur we had the opportunity of participating in all night Kirtan. Several devotee chanters took turns in glorifying the names of the Lord immensely, while others dance […]

The post New Year’s Shubharambha Festivities! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

A film depicting the pastime of King Yudhisthira's gambling mishap from the Mahabharata, set in the present day. Lessons that are still relevant

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“Please always follow the four regulative principles and chant minimum sixteen rounds per day. Study my books very carefully and prepare yourself fully for going back to home, back to Godhead.” Srila Prabhupada Letter to Arjuna - Dallas, 20 May 1973Read More...

As we wrap up Live to Give 2020 here is a quick look back at the incredible campaign we have journeyed on together as One World Team!

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Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!


Date: 10th Jan 2021
Day: Sunday
Time: 11 am to 12 noon
Topic: "Krsna Consciousness, the Supreme Dharma" - Part 1
Speaker: H.G. Dravida das



Link to join the class from your desktop or laptop:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9150790510?pwd=Wk5GYXVRMkJmdk84MzZJRXBKYUgwUT09



H.G. Dravida das


A disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Dravida dasa joined ISKCON in 1973 and has served as an editor and proof-reader for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust for over 45 years. From 1983 to 1989 he was part of the team that completed Srila Prabhupada’s magnum opus: a commentated English translation of India's jewel of Vedic wisdom, the 18,000-verse Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also helped produce the revised editions of Srila Prabhupada’s Isopanisad, Krsna Book, Caitanya-Caritamrta, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and he is part of the team that produces Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja book every year. In addition to his editing work, he teaches Bhakti Yoga classes at ISKCON’s San Diego temple and other centres in North America.


Throughout all this immersion in transcendental literature, Dravida Dasa developed a love of the Sanskrit language, and especially the elaborate verses of the Bhagavatam and other works of bhakti literature.



His devotion and expertise in chanting form a marvellous combination. He has a been Brahmacari throughout his devotional career.



ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,

Scarborough, Ontario,

Canada, M1V4C7

Website: www.iskconscarborough.org

Email:

iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

scarboroughiskcon@gmail.com

Podcast:

<iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay” src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/959929624&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true”></iframe><div style=”font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;”><a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan” title=”Chaitanya Charan” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Chaitanya Charan</a> · <a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan/those-eighteen-days-day-9″ title=”Those eighteen days – Day 9″ target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Those eighteen days – Day 9</a></div>

Video:

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The post Those eighteen days – Day 9 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

It’s said that we live in an unfortunate season of time; a time when simple living and elevated thinking give way to complicated entanglements and diminished reasoning, when purity gives way to pollution, mercy gives way to malevolence, and truthfulness gives way to falsehood.  It’s a time when people are needlessly quarrelsome, consistently misguided, unlucky, […]

The post The Power of Truthfulness appeared first on ISKCON News.

Seekers of the truth would be wise to look beneath the surface of the social diseases to the spiritual amnesia that gives rise to the affliction of misidentification; the illusory perception of the eternal spirit soul as the temporary material body. 

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purāṇānām artha-vettā śrī devānanda-paṇḍitaḥ 
purāsīn nanda-pariṣat-paṇḍito bhāgurir muniḥ

The scholar Devananda Pandit knew the meaning of all the Puranas. Previously, he was Bhaguri Muni, the scholar in Nanda Mahārāja’s court. 
(Gaura gaṇoddeśa dīpikā 106)

Devananda Pandit was a scholar and an ascetic who had been indifferent to the world from an early age. Although he had won a reputation for his erudition, he nevertheless had no feeling of devotion to Kṛṣṇa and so failed to understand that bhakti is the ultimate purport of the Śrīmad Bhagavatam. Being a mumukṣu, or one who seeks impersonal liberation, mokṣa, Devananda Pandit praised dry austerities and renunciation, and did not speak devotional purports to Śrīmad Bhagavatam.

One day, Srivas Pandit came to hear a Bhagavatam recital at Devananda Pandit’s house. As he listened to the text of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Srivas Pandit became absorbed in a mood of loving devotion and started to cry. Devananda Pandit’s faithless disciples threw him out of the assembly for causing a disturbance. Since Devananda Pandit did not object to the action of his students, he was responsible for their offense to a devotee. For this reason, Mahāprabhu was thus angry with him.

The Lord said: “Whoever recites Śrīmad Bhāgavatam without glorifying devotional service is an ignorant fool who knows nothing. This rascal recites Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and never mentions bhakti. I will go and tear up his manuscript, just watch Me.  
(Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.21.20-21)

Some time after Devananda Pandit committed this offense to Srivas Pandit, Mahāprabhu passed nearby his house and saw that he was engaged in giving a discourse on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He became angry and rebuked him severely for his lack of faith in the Vaiṣṇavas. Just as blasphemy of the devotees makes one deprived of the Lord’s mercy and destined for downfall, glorifying them and engaging in their service is the best way to find the mercy of the Lord and become freed from all sinful and offensive activity.

“Listen, Brahmin, if you want to be cured after consuming poison, you must ingest ambrosia through the very same mouth you took the poison. In this way, not only will the poison be digested, but your body will become immortal through the ambrosia’s divine power.” 
(Chaitanya Bhagavata 3.3.449-50)

Through great good fortune, Mahāprabhu’s dear associate Vakresvara Pandit came to stay at Devananda Pandit’s house. Because Devananda took excellent care of Vakresvara Pandit, Mahāprabhu softened towards him. Previously, Devananda Pandit had been completely without any faith in the Lord, but when he heard of Mahāprabhu’s glories from Vakresvara Pandit, his attitude changed. Through the association of the Lord’s devotee, he began to develop a taste for pure devotional service.

Mahāprabhu told Devananda to explain Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in terms of devotional service. It was Devananda Pandit’s great fortune that he was able to receive the mercy of the Lord in the form of a chastisement.

Devananda Pandit was a great pious soul, for Mahāprabhu verbally punished him. The chastisement of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is the greatest pious act. Even if one should die as a result of the Lord’s punishment, he still goes to Vaikuntha.  
(Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.21.77-8)

Devananda Pandit received this mercy due to living in Kuliya or Koladvipa, the place where offenses are forgiven. Gopal Chapala was also forgiven his offenses in Kuliya.

Devananda Pandit’s disappearance day is celebrated on the Kṛṣṇā ekādaśi of the month of Paush.

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Yamuna Devi, an ISKCON pioneer, one of the first disciples of Srila Prabhupada, and a much loved and deeply inspiring figure for devotees all over the world, passed away on December 20th, 2011. Now, as a tribute to her on this ninth year of her passing, Dinatarini Devi, Yamuna’s companion in devotional life for 37 […]

The post Yamuna Devi’s Original Deity Book “Yamuna Devi: A Study of Seva Puja” to be Published appeared first on ISKCON News.

Coming this Spring, the historical gem details Yamuna Devi’s studies in Deity worship from the early 1970s, including her extensive India studies with temple sevaites and her later years of worship of Sri Sri Radha-Banabehari.

A Hare Krishna Community Radio station based in Alachua, Florida had a soft launch on Christmas Day, broadcasting a series of devotional programs on the holiday as well as over four days at New Year’s. The project, run by Sudharma Dasi, aims to grow into a full-time digital radio station and eventually to reach out […]

The post Alachua’s Hare Krishna Community Radio Soft Launches on Christmas Day appeared first on ISKCON News.

A Hare Krishna Community Radio station based in Alachua, Florida had a soft launch on Christmas Day, broadcasting a series of devotional programs on the holiday as well as over four days at New Year’s.

At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Duryodhana assesses the strengths of the two armies assembled on the Kurukshetra batl (01.02-01.10). Therein,  he mentions the principal warriors on both sides, but forgets to mention Krishna. His neglecting Krishna is understandable because Krishna had declared he would be a non-combatant. So, Duryodhana thought that Krishna’s presence wouldn’t […]

The post Avoiding the Duryodhana Delusion appeared first on ISKCON News.

A video by Sivarama Swami. 

A video by ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning Team.

A video by ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning Team.

"This song is perhaps best described as a revolutionary bhakti journey on wings of orchestral and choral Hindustani and Reggae chanting with incredible world percussion and an occasional tip of the artistic hat to Bollywood," Vishvambhar explains.

In previous ages – or just in previous centuries – kingdoms were ruled by kings; kings with real executive power, not just ceremonial heads of state: “Formerly everywhere, all over the world, the monarchy was prevalent.” Srila Prabhupada says, “Even up to date some of the countries, they are maintaining monarchy, but only in name […]

The post Monarcophiles of the World, Unite! appeared first on ISKCON News.

 For many, these darkest days of the year have traditionally been celebrated as the Season of Light, or Advent, or Hanukah. Yet during this time of global pandemic, many of us are feeling and observing a collective unconsciousness in our world – a heavy or negative energy surrounding us.  Some are experiencing a paralyzing fear; […]

The post Darkness in the Season of Light appeared first on ISKCON News.

The chaos and crisis that exploded in America’s capital yesterday was not the result of one man, or a few thousand crazed vigilantes. It was the result of years of vitriol, of planting seeds of divisiveness and hate, of reveling in the unfair and unlawful treatment of others for selfish and materialistic gains.

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(CNN)India has introduced a nationwide "cow science" exam to "infuse curiosity" about the bovine, according to officials, in the latest promotional push by the country's Hindu-nationalist government that critics say politicizes the sacred animal.

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New Year Bhajans for 2021 (with Varuni)

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By Dravida dasa

Dear follower of Srila Prabhupada, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! This is our final reminder to kindly submit your homage to Srila Prabhupada for his Vyasa-puja book by April 7. In addition, if you're a direct disciple of Srila Prabhupada, please check out www.sptributes.com to learn about a Vyasa-puja book open to all his disciples. The deadline for submission to this book is April 15. Continue reading "Final call for Homages for Srila Prabhupada’s 2021 Vyasa Puja Book
→ Dandavats"

Mahaprabhu’s mood in Jagannath Puri (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Jananivasa ...Read More...

Mahaprabhu’s mood in Jagannath Puri (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Jananivasa ...Read More...

Rosedale, Toronto

 

Destiny

 

These days I’m missing Argentina, Cuba, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, India, South Africa, Mauritius as well as parts of the US and Canada, which are all my regular places of visitation. Woe is me! Like so many people on this planet, Earth, we are bound.

 

My peers, some of which are sannyasis(full-fledged monks), gurus and sages, both men and women, are all in the same boat. Most of us have established a home-base.

 

But we have considered carefully what is our actual home, and are we moving in the direction of being "homeward bound," as Simon and Garfunkel might say. We have a word in Sanskrit which reflects that ultimate place, Vaikuntha. "Vai" means without and "kuntha"refers to misery. So we are looking at what is referred to as the ultimate abode; where there is no distress. Can you imagine such a place?

 

During a virtual memorial on behalf of Indira Nayee, that took place in our local area today, devotees from their individual living spaces 'Zoomed' in to express some words of glorification. Several of the speakers used the safe phrase, "a better place," not specifying Vaikuntha. It is really hard for anyone of us to judge a soul’s destination, even if she or he lead a life of piety. Who are we to judge a person’s destiny? That is not our job, however, we can make some wholesome generalizations based upon a person’s overall behavior while on this planet. The general rule of karma holds that where there are kind acts a good next life is determined, and if our actions are dubious and shady then some term in darkness is the outcome. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?

 

May the source be with you!

3 km

 

 

Brickworks, Toronto

 

Book Walk Celebration

 

We were outside and kept our distance. We walked the trails, or rather "crunched" along, over the surface of icy snow. We made our noise and made it clear, with the sound of our footsteps, that we were present. There could not be louder footsteps even if we tried.

 

The "we" referred to are the Patel clan, from Muskoka. A dozen of us had arranged for a purely outdoor event, in a separated formation, simply through walking and celebrating.

 

What was the celebration all about?

 

Well, in early December, I asked the group from what is known as "cottage country," if they could participate in the book marathon, more particularly in the distribution of Bhagavad-gitasin their community. The goal set was for three hundred Gitas to be sponsored and distributed during the month of December in 2020.

 

The happy group, that was so driven to get out the mercy of Krishna's divine words, reported to me that they reached the grand total of fifteen hundred. It was an occasion for cheers! Instead of popping bottles of champagne our approach to success of going over the goal was via a walking party.

 

Just imagine that, taking in a piece of nature and moving through it as a way of merry-making? Well, it was done and I admire them because they are a united group and they exude a strong sense of community. Wait till Covid is over and then there may be more intense celebration, such as soul-touching

kirtan—chanting sessions. For now it took the shape of walking and making the crunching sound under the feet.

 

May the source be with you!

4 km

 

Podcast:

<iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay” src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/959928253&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true”></iframe><div style=”font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;”><a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan” title=”Chaitanya Charan” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Chaitanya Charan</a> · <a href=”https://soundcloud.com/chaitanya-charan/those-eighteen-days-day-8″ title=”Those eighteen days – Day 8″ target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Those eighteen days – Day 8</a></div>

Video:

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The post Those eighteen days – Day 8 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Food for Life London marked a milestone this Christmas by introducing the UK’s first fully electric food distribution van to serve Londoners. The project has relentlessly continued to serve the needy during the pandemic and the nationwide lockdowns, remaining to be one of the few charities still providing free food to the homeless in Central […]

The post London’s Food for Life & Govinda’s Restaurant Launches UK’s First 100% Electric Food Van appeared first on ISKCON News.