Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Nearly 200 ISKCON managers, teachers, child protection volunteers, bhakti-vrksa leaders, and others who serve in positions of trust or authority throughout North America gathered for the largest online child protection training to date. On Saturday, December 9th, the Child Protection Office (CPO) for ISKCON North America offered the CPO Basic Training course to leaders from […]
The post CPO North America Holds Largest Online Training Ever appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Bhaktivedanta Medical Association (BMA), a global healthcare committee with more than 220 devotee doctors dedicated to providing comprehensive care to devotees on a virtual platform free of cost, successfully launched its first-ever health camp on November 25, 2023, at the ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Manor. There were about 700 registrations, with 350 devotees attending the three-hour-long […]
The post The Bhaktivedanta Medical Association Launches its First Health Camp in UK appeared first on ISKCON News.
Podcast:
Transcription
Question How can should they go swimming be a moonest as the baba mentions if he was rather aunties parrot in his previous life. And he monitors don’t get attracted to the Lord so how how did he become attracted towards the Lord?Also from part translates as a great devotee.
But then he also says he’s a bonus. So how do you understand this?
Yeah these I don’t think there is any easy answer but. My understanding is that.
What once passed has been does not necessarily immediately reflect in this life, that means say for example. We had the example of Jaya, Vijay there is a total associate of the Lord but they act as demons we can see that’s because of a curse that’s true, but still their past doesn’t immediately reflect in their lives, this would be Bhakti Vinod Thakur he was a manjari but then if you look at the way his life journey is when he very appears at a particular time he appears within that cultural and it literally cause and then he outgrows that cultural intellectually thoughts. So he becomes a respected member of the Bhadra loca and then he goes beyondtThe orientation of the Bhadra loca either look down at India traditional culture or to look only towards universalist holistic impersonalist kind of tne non literal metaphorical kind of readings of that tradition. He becomes a Gaudiya Vaishnava. So similarly that Sukadeva Goswami is a eternal associate of the Lord as a parrot of Radharani,that reality doesn’t have to necessarily reflect immediately in the way he appears in this world.
By the Lord’s arrangement, for teaching particular particular people at particular times or at what is a particular lessons the if the Lord’s devotee might appear to be covered in particular ways and their journey of uncovering of their conditioning can become the guiding light for others. So Bhakti Vinod Thakhur journey from Bhadra loca member to a Gaudiya Vaishnava and inspired many others also to at least explore Gaiduya vaishnavism if not commit to them.
So similarly, in general the impersonalist tendency is the the common tendency especially among those who are renounciates without common it is still there. So for those who are of that orientation when they hear about Sukadeva Goswami’s journey from impersonalism toward personalism, then they become inspired by that.
So the manifestation of the unconditioning or the manifestation of the removal of the conditioning is what is indicative of the journey in this life not It’s a journey of the soul over multiple lifetimes.
So for us condition souls, our unconditioning if we use that unconditioning word or removal of conditioning continues or multiple lifetimes but for great devotees, in this life they are going to some condition and then they come out of their condition so it cannot even call conditioning in the normal sense of the word because it is by the Lord’s arrangement and not because of one’s own misuse of freedom.
So now, How did he have attraction to the Lord? Well monists in the sense of Bramhavadis are not offensive. Krishna talks about them in 12.4 and 12.5 in BG,
te prapnu vanti eva, Krishna says sarva bhute hite ratah, they too attain me.
Commentators explained that, they attain me can refer to their attain to impersonal manifestation of Krishna, which is also non different from Krishna or if they are fortunate enough to get some association of devotees then they may also attain Krishna, ultimately. So we know also know that Sukadeva Goswami heard Krishna katha from who had heard from Vyasadev, that’s how you he got attracted that’s how you ultimately attain Krishna. So similarly there is a journey over there and because of Bramhavadis are not offensive about the seed of bhakti cans sprout in their heart and manifesting into prema.
As far as Prabhupada’s specific translation is concerned sometimes Prabhupada talks about things in terms of their essential conclusion or their essence not necessarily in terms of technical precision. So Prabhupada is talking about Sukadeva Goswami has a great devotee in the sense that he is at that particular time he might not be a great devotee but he is his defining identities as a great devotee. And it’s a manifestation of Prabhupada’s devotion that he’s able to see devotion even in places where it may not yet be manifest it’s lecture than a Mahaprabhu just like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when he was on the way to Vrindavan, he saw every forest as Vrindavan, every river to Jamuna, every hill to be Govardhan. How those who are not actually speaking those things.But it is the glory of his vision.
Similarly we see it as glory of Prabhupada’s devotion, that he doesn’t just see things in their particular particularities isolated from the bigger context ,he sees things almost everything in connection with ultimate conclusion. At the same time that doesn’t mean he obscures what the thing is in itself, that’s why the apparent contradiction of having both monist and great devotee it presently a monist but eventually or eternally he’s a great devotee.
Thank you.
End of Transcription.
Arjundas Adhikari Das (Andrew Horn), author, impresario, and Indian theatre expert, shares with The London Economic his early life as a Hare Krsna monk, an inside look at temple life, his pursuits across multiple artistic mediums, writing projects, and more. To read the full article, visit The London Economic feature here.
The post Devotee Featured in The London Economic Shares His Hare Krishna History and Latest Projects appeared first on ISKCON News.
I have attended Rathayatra festivals in Perth for over 30 years and was fortunate to be visiting when this year’s parade was held. For many years we were over at Fremantle but the last few have been held downtown in the Murray Street Mall.
It was a beautiful day and Their Lordships, Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra rode majestically through the mall while devotees chanted and danced in ecstasy. The festival carried on with kirtan and dance on stage and many stalls served prasadam, sold books and paraphernalia.
ISKCON’s GBC Statement Against Domestic Abuse from 2020 says, “Domestic abuse is indefensible, often illegal, and never acceptable within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Any interpretation of Vaishnava religious or social teachings that condones, endorses, or justifies domestic abuse is rejected by the North American Governing Body Commission (GBC).” – see GBC Resolution […]
The post Moving from 16 Days of Activism to 365 Days of Action appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON resumed its regular online meetings on Wednesday, 6 December, after the Kartik break. Two significant topics were discussed at this meeting: 1) CPO Directorship An important topic discussed was the strengthening of the international Child Protection Office (CPO), including future and succession planning. The discussion grew out of […]
The post Latest ISKCON GBC Meeting Report appeared first on ISKCON News.
The New Bhulavana Cueramaro Community on the stairs of their new temple. Nestled in the picturesque landscape of Cueramaro, Guanajuato, Mexico, a transformative vision is taking shape—a vision that not only embodies the spirit of devotion and community but also lays the foundation for a harmonious blend of spiritual and studious living. The New Bahulavana […]
The post A Stunning Temple and Community is Manifesting in the Heart of Mexico appeared first on ISKCON News.
Cyclone Michaung (pronounced mig-jaum) struck the southern coast of India this week, bringing devastation and widespread flooding from its high winds and rainfall. Over a dozen have lost their lives in the city of Chennai, much of which is submerged under several feet of water, including the ISKCON Chennai Temple. “Despite devotees’ best efforts to […]
The post ISKCON Chennai Temple Flooded by Cyclone; Devotees Evacuated appeared first on ISKCON News.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), one of the specialized agencies of the UN with a membership of 192 countries and several dozens of associate partners, recently had its biennial (one in two years) full body meeting at its headquarters in Paris, France which included Member States and Associate Members, together with observers […]
The post UNESCO adopts the 150th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur appeared first on ISKCON News.
Annually, the Prabhupada Marathon unfolds as a transcendent occasion for benevolence across ISKCON communities on a global scale with the “Live to Give” Campaign. This year, the BBT MCI Team (Marketing, Communications, and Innovation), under the expert leadership of Vaisesika Dasa, has set the goal of distributing 3.7 million Bhagavad-gitas worldwide between September 30th and […]
The post “Live To Give” Campaign 2023 Aims to Distribute 3.7 Million Bhagavad-Gitas appeared first on ISKCON News.
The TOVP Team is extremely pleased to announce that all devotees who help build the Nrsimha Wing in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will go to Vaikuntha!!!
“O devoted one, one who builds a beautiful temple for Lord Nrsimhadeva will be freed from all sinful reactions and he will enter the Vaikuntha planets.”
Nrsimha Purana
This statement of shastra cannot be taken lightly. Rather, like all Vedic injunctions and texts, it is to be taken as direct evidence of the fact being stated. There are many other Vedic declarations to the effect that building a temple for Vishnu, such as the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, will award the builder and his family for many generations residence in the spiritual world:
“I will now describe the fruits of making temples for the residence of Vasudeva and other deities. He who attempts to erect temples for gods is freed from the sins of a thousand births. Those who think of building a temple in their minds are freed from the sins of a hundred births. Those who approve of a man’s building a temple for Krishna go to the region of Acyuta [Vishnu] freed from sins.”
Agni Purana
“Having desired to build a temple for Hari, a man immediately takes a million of his generations, past and future, to the region of Vishnu…..Vishnu is identical with the seven worlds. He who builds a temple for Him saves the endless worlds and himself attains immortality. As long as the bricks will last, the maker [of the temple] will live for so many thousands of years in heaven. The maker of the deity attains the region of Vishnu and he who consecrates the installation of the same is immersed in Hari.”
Agni Purana
“Having desired to build a temple for Hari, a man immediately takes a million of his generations, past and future, to the region of Vishnu. The departed manes of the person who builds a temple for Krishna live in the region of Vishnu, well adorned and freed from the sufferings of hell. The construction of a temple for a deity dissipates even the sin of Brahmanicide. By building a temple one reaps the fruit which he does not even gain by celebrating a sacrifice. By building a temple one acquires the fruits of bathing at all the sacred shrines.”
Agni Purana
“He who has built a temple for Vishnu reaps the great fruit which one gains by celebrating sacrifices every day. By building a temple for the Lord he takes his family, a hundred generations past and a hundred to come, to the region of Acyuta.”
Agni Purana
“Just by starting the construction of a temple for Lord Krishna, sins committed in seven births will be wiped out and one will deliver his forefathers who are suffering in the hellish planets.”
Skanda Purana
“By building a temple of Sri Madhava, one can attain the eternal spiritual world (Vaikuntha). One who offers a garden laden with fruits and flowers for the service of the deity will attain heavenly pleasures.”
Skanda Purana
Srila Prabhupada himself personally said:
“If you build a temple of Lord Krishna in this world, He will build a palace for you in the spiritual world Vaikuntha.”
“If you all build this temple (TOVP), Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.”
With the above in mind, we request our readers to Give To Nrsimha and go to Vaikuntha. Help complete Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Temple in the TOVP, the largest Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world, scheduled to open during the 2024 Gaura Purnima Festival during a three-day celebration from February 29 – March 2.
Miracle in the Making ~ Home of Our Divine Protector
Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOVP2022
Telegram: https://t.me/TOVP_GRAM
WhatsApp: https://m.tovp.org/whatsapp7
Instagram: https://m.tovp.org/tovpinstagram
App: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Store: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Recently, Amala Kirtan Das was honored for 15 years of presence and active participation at the Nova Gokula Kirtan Fest in Brasil. The honor was given on November 2023 by Vaikuntha Murti Das. Since 2008, he has been performing beautiful kirtans and contributing in many ways to the success of the Kirtan Fest. Amala Kirtan […]
The post Amala Kirtan Das’ Incredible Journey in Kirtan appeared first on ISKCON News.
Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura was born at Shri Khanda. Shri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami describes that the residents of Shri Khanda formed a branch of the desire tree of love of God. “Shri Khan davasi (the residents of Shri Khanda) Mukunda and his son Raghu nandan were the thirty ninth branch of the tree, Narahari was the fortieth, Chiran Jiva the forty first and Sulochana the forty second.
They were all big branches of the all merciful tree of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They distributed the fruits and flowers of love of Godhead anywhere and everywhere. [Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-lila 10:78-79] Shrila Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaj once stated – “Navadwip is the abode of Goloka. Vrindavana is the abode of Gokula. And Shri Khanda is the abode of Vaikuntha.”
Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura participated in all of Shri Gaurasundara’s pastimes. Bhakti Ratnakara states: “Shri Sarkar Thakura’s glories are most uncommon. In Braja he is known as Madhumati, whose good qualities are unlimited.”
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) will start its new series of the Bhakti-vaibhava course from 4 January to 5 April 2024. The course will begin from Canto 1 and be held on-site in Sri Vrndavana Dhama. Apart from the regular classes, there will be classes for the memorization of verses, group work, and […]
The post New Series of Bhakti-vaibhava to begin at the VIHE in January appeared first on ISKCON News.
Mayapur Clean and Green team with devotee volunteers at Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj’s place of chanting. Mayapur Clean & Green, an environmental initiative led by Murari Mohini Devi Dasi, recently welcomed new devotee volunteers who enthusiastically contributed to the cleaning activity for several days and helped raise funds for the laborers. Their service highlights the […]
The post Mayapur Environmental Initiative Seeks Support for Growing Challenges in the Dham appeared first on ISKCON News.
ISKCON Malaysia Headquarters, Sri Jagannatha Mandir in Kuala Lumpur, achieved a record during the 2023 Damodara month with 222,709 lamps offered and 19,821 plates of prasadam shared. Out of this, a team of devotees conducted the Damodara Program, also known as Deepa-Damodara Program, at 25 local primary schools (ages 5-12), facilitating the offering of 104,747 […]
The post ISKCON Malaysia Reaches Thousands with Creative School Initiative During Damodara appeared first on ISKCON News.
Good to be back at Perth temple and have darshan of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada. The deities are beautiful as is the temple room with its octagonal shape. We are out in the Kalamunda hills, which is about 30 minutes from downtown and it’s a nice atmosphere.
The devotees have purchased a bigger property at High Wycombe and have plans for a bigger temple, function hall and ashrama. It is hoped that over the upcoming years at least stage one will be completed for Their Lordships. In the meantime, many programs are going on at our current temple.
This year’s Festival of the Holy Name, held over Thanksgiving weekend (November 24-25, 2023) in Alachua, Florida, was another spiritual success, welcoming hundreds of devotees to the two-day kirtan event. The annual gathering is “fully organized and subsidized by second-generation devotees; the festival attracts every member of our local temple community as well as friends […]
The post Festival of the Holy Name Welcomes Hundreds to Annual Alachua Kirtan Event appeared first on ISKCON News.
All the honorary citizens of “Pro Urbe Budapest” Award. Bhakta Vatsala Dasa (front row, far right). Photo credit: index.hu Food for Life Hungary reached a historic milestone on 17 November when the head of the humanitarian program, Bhakta Vatsala Dasa, received the “For the City of Budapest” award from the capital’s mayor, Gergely Karacsony. The […]
The post FFL Hungary’s Leader and His Team Receives “Pro Urbe Budapest” Award appeared first on ISKCON News.
By Vijaya Dasa October was another milestone for book distribution. In the Large Temple category, Chowpatti had the largest increase: 153%, with 17,408 book points. In the Medium Temple category, Mexico City took the cake: a 227% increase, with 2,583 book points. A surprise in the Medium Temple category area was San Diego, with 8,106 book points, which made them the number the one temple. In the Small Temple category, Odessa in Ukraine had the largest increase: 617%, With 1,811 book points. The Maha-small temple Brahmapur had the highest increase: 390%, with 992 book points, while Halifax was No. 1, with 1,415 book points. Nice to see the very small temples doing well in book distribution. Continue reading "World Sankirtan Newsletter October 2023
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The Issue At Hand I imagine some Americans were quite concerned with the 2009 Newsweek article by Lisa Miller. Its title proclaimed, “We Are All Hindus Now.” Miller’s first sentence underscored this point: “America is not a Christian nation.” The author even goes on to quote the Rig Veda. Since then, heeding the warnings of […]
The post Making Krishna Consciousness Relevant: A Hare Krishna Perspective on Christian Nationalism appeared first on ISKCON News.
Join us in Sri Jagannath Rathyatra!
The Queen Street event will be held on:
Date: Saturday 16th December 2023 at 11AM
Location: Starting point is at the corner of Queen and Shortland Streets
See below for local Rathayatra's
Staff and well-wishers join Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s global Minister of Communications, to celebrate the opening of the new office; asking for Srila Prabhupada’s blessing. The ISKCON Mayapur Communications Department, which temporarily closed due to budget constraints and the challenges posed by the 2019-2020 COVID-19 crisis, has officially reopened in Room Number 204 of the Lotus […]
The post Renaissance of the ISKCON Mayapur Communication Department appeared first on ISKCON News.
Amit and Neetu Sharma had moved into a new apartment in a developing suburb of Canberra. He works for the federal government and told me that the family only arrived in Australia five years before.
Taking advantage of the month of Margasirsa, November/December, which according to Bhagavad-Gita is Krsna’s favorite month, he asked the devotees to come over and bless his house. I was in Canberra at the time and led with a kirtan, talk and arati. This was followed by a sumptuous feast.
Countless books have been written on both pride and sectarianism individually and also their often-insidious connection. In the human condition, we are so deeply connected to our material egos (fragile as they are) that we instinctively want to be “right” and be part of whatever “right” means to us. This manifests itself in countless ways. […]
The post Coming of Age #10 – Pride and Sectarianism appeared first on ISKCON News.
Earlier this year, devotee Texito Langa released his latest musical offering, a single titled “Oh Afrika!” that is a poignant call for collective spiritual awakening and intentional unity to overcome the many struggles that plague the continent. This musical endeavor not only reflects Texito’s personal journey but also carries profound significance for the broader International […]
The post Texito Langa’s Krishna-Conscious Musical Journey appeared first on ISKCON News.
My dear devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
In a letter to me dated December 1971, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “Go on increasing books and go on increasing my pleasure.” December is a special opportunity to focus on Srila Prabhupada’s desire that we distribute books—and thus increase his pleasure. As he wrote in the same letter, “I am most pleased especially to hear that you are distributing many books.”
tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo
yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api
namany anantasya yaso ’nkitani yat
srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah
“That literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung, and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.” (SB 1.5.11)
Now let us cooperate to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s desire, which is the desire of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the parampara, and distribute such transcendental literature for the benefit of all—and be blessed by their sublime mercy.
Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami