Planet ISKCON

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Drench and Dry

Nature was conjuring up a storm of water. Ominous clouds were ever present in the sky and lightning made its periodic flash, accompanied by the rumble of thunder. Hey, that’s the name of this place!

It was at this time, early afternoon, that I began my mere two kilometre walk (my physiotherapist suggested I reduce daily treks and work on stretches to counteract stiffness). In any event, I decided to go at strides at a critical hour of nature. I don’t mind the reminder to be humble. The elements can do that perfectly.

It was considered that the second day of the Festival of India would be rained-out. Just as I turned the corner at May Street, for what is called “The Colosseum”, H₂O, in mass, came down. The moisture hit me but I was just one minute shy of being fully-drenched.

Like a miracle, the rain stopped, eventually. At 4 pm, the scheduled time for this show’s beginning, we were on target. The stage had been cleared of water. Though soggy, the entertainers did their thing and motorist, with an average of two or three passengers per vehicle, began to punctuate the parking lot, armed with purchased bags of colour.

Regular colour throws happened between stage items. It was a redeeming display.

I met a local guy, middle-aged, who was part of the infantry in the Bosnian War. He was curious and told of his spiritual experiences when he was severely bedridden with cancer some time ago. This was a personal revelation. It was nice to see him standing there watching the show with his five-year-old daughter. We had a conversation that lasted to practically the end of the show, when Ananda and I wrapped up on stage with drum, movement and mantra.

May the Source be with you!

2 km

It is very easy to become a "sage on the stage" but difficult to become a "guide by the side". We go in the "sage on the stage" mode when it comes to guiding our "humble junior" devotees who look up to us as an advanced Vaisnava, but many times these "humble junior" devotees, because of their strong previous lifetime advancement and sincerity, go past us and we find ourselves in the mesh and mess of our previous conditioning—but are still forced to act as "sage on the stage", putting up a Paundraka-like facade of advancement. Continue reading "Sage on the Stage or Guide by the Side?
→ Dandavats"

Arcana as Yoga in the Vaishnava tradition

The Global Devotee Care Directorate is pleased to announce their next live conversation with Partha Das and Uttama Dasi on Devotee care in Grihastha Ashram.

"It's your decision: survive here or live there." By Russian devotee band Odnono. (In Russian) 

As part of an evening of sacred song and mantra at London's Shaw Theatre, Jahnavi Harrison and team payed tribute to the music of George Harrison, covering his song 'Give Me Love'.

Interviewer: Gauranga Das. A video by ISKCON GBC STrategic Planning Team.

Interviewer Deva Madhava Das. A video by ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning Team.

When Krsna and Balarama offered Their teacher, Sandipani Muni, anything he desired, he asked for the return of his son, who had drowned in the ocean at Prabhasa. The two Lords at once traveled there on Their chariot and ordered the ocean to return Their guru’s son.

Darshan of the beautiful deities and devotees of the New York Iskcon Temple

1. Recognition of God — The Supreme Owner. Act with the understanding that everything belongs to God. At best, we are careful stewards of God's resources, energies and talents. At worst, we are deluded and become cheaters and thieves who claim another's property as our own.

Shastrakrit Das: I was at a supermarket aisle and this nice young man passes by me, I just said hello. He goes “where have you been man? I have been looking for you!“ I thought he had mistaken me for someone else. He goes “no you, you gave me a Bhagavad Gita last year and I read it twice already, I want to come and chant with you guys” I gave him a card & sure enough he came today for lunch with his wonderful girlfriend, we spoke for a while and they took home a full set of Bhagavatam home. Prasadam + book!

Krishna Conscious family life is consistent with the teachings and example of Srila Prabhupada, which must be applied with consideration of time, place and circumstance. In the field of grihastha life, one should take into account the local culture with-out compromising Srila Prabhupada's teachings. One should not attempt to simply transpose practices from one culture to another without understanding the principles and values. underpinning them. Continue reading "The 12 Principles and Values of Krishna Conscious Family Life
→ Dandavats"

The life of the Krsna conscious society is nourished by these six types of loving exchange among the members. —Upadesamrta Provide pre- and post-marital counseling either done by trained devotees or through recommending specific people or organizations • At a certain level of community size, create a team of mature, successful grhastha trained to give premarital and post-marital counseling as well as giving help in finding spouses for devotees. Continue reading "Social Care for Vaishnavas
→ Dandavats"

International Shravanam Week

The essence of the complete Vedic scriptures carefully handed down through the disciplic succession, has become ever so nectarean, being touched by Srila Prabhupada’s own lips. Prabhupada said:

“The books are just like sugar doll. Anywhere touch – it is sweet.”

Besides attending Srimad-Bhagavatam class every day, Srila Prabhupada wanted reading to be an essential part of every devotee’s daily sādhana. He wrote:

“All of my students should read our books very diligently at least one or two hours daily and try to understand the subject matter from varieties of angles.”

ISKCON’s ministry of education has embarked on an initiative called “Books are the Basis” – an initiative to encourage devotees all over the world renew their commitment to reading Srila Prabhupada’s books regularly. 

The Ministry has branded this Srila Prabhupada’s Book Reading Week as the Sravanam Week. 

The Ministry of Education acknowledges that devotees face several challenges in reading Srila Prabhupada books, such as lack of time, taste, etc. To address such concerns and enthuse the devotees to wholeheartedly take to reading, the ministry has arranged resources for ISKCON leaders to celebrate this festival in their respective centers.

There will be inspirational videos, webinar on reading habits, live interviews with ISKCON leaders, and much more. This will be made available through social media and the ministry website www.ISKCONeducation.org. 

>Once, in the company of her maidservants, Queen Rukmini was personally serving her husband, Lord Krsna, by fanning Him as He relaxed on her bed. Rukmini’s quarters were extremely beautiful, boasting a canopy hung with brilliant strings of pearls, as well as effulgent jewels serving as lamps.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 September 2017, Camp de Masque, Mauritius, Sunday Program Lecture)

Remember our favourite song? What is the favourite song in the Hare Krsna movement? 

It is the prasadam prayers. 

sarira avidya-jal, jodendriya tahe kal,
jive phele vishaya-sagore
ta’ra madhye jihva ati, lobhamoy sudurmati,
ta’ke jeta kathina samsare

Very ecstatic! Most popular song in all of ISKCON. Without a doubt, number one (laughter). So if you allow me to translate it, these words say, “O Lord, this material body is a place of ignorance, and the senses are a network, leading to death …” So we are all very happy singing these words every time, just before taking prasadam. It is funny really, when you know the translation. But these words are a reminder that it is by the mercy of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, somehow or other, we can escape the senses. Because when all these senses are engaged in serving Krsna, and glorifying Krsna, and discovering Krsna’s unlimited qualities – then, we begin to love Krsna. It is inevitable!

The article " Saved by the senses " was published on KKSBlog.

His Grace Mathura prabhu joined ISKCON in the early eighties in PH and served in different capacities as temple commander, temple president, a good Sankirtan devotee etc. He was a sergeant in the Nigerian Air force when he joined. Diving headlong into Krishna Consciousness, he had assured his siblings that he was doing this for their own interest and benefit.

This is a second podcast with HG Govinda Prabhu, who is an exponent of Indian culture through the wisdom of Mahabharata, Ramayana and Bhagavatam. He has an experience of almost 30 years in Vedic education and counseling and travels extensively all over the world sharing his reflective knowledge and wisdom. Whether counseling children, guiding families or mentoring corporate and social leaders his profound insights are always practical, comprehensible and relevant to all cross-sections of the society

Maharaj was an amazingly good actor. When we did our course together in Vrindavana, we did some skits. We never rehearsed them, only discussed how the skit should go. Those who attended that class in 1993 may remember the skit, “Prabhupada’s Pizza Palace.” We played incompetent temple leaders who were going to take money destined for the BBT and use that money to open a pizza restaurant (one leader loved pizza and had the crazy idea that the world would become Krishna conscious through pizza). I was shocked how well Maharaja played his part. I thought I was a pretty good actor because I studied acting in college, but Maharaj was in another league. In fact, he was so funny that I couldn’t keep a straight face during the skit. Continue reading "What Gunagrahi Maharaja Taught Me That He Didn’t Know He Taught Me
→ Dandavats"

In the memories of those devotees who lived and served during the physical presence of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, the expression, “Prabhupada is Coming”, became the clarion call whenever he visited a temple. Devotees would become overwhelmed with ecstasy and stay up all day and night in preparation for his arrival.

When Prabhupada would finally arrive, the storehouse of love would break open as devotees showered him with flower petals from the roofs of temples, garlanded him with innumerable garlands, receive his merciful glances, wash his feet, and sing and dance in the most spiritually drenched kirtans imaginable. These moments have become etched forever in their minds.

This February 25-27, 2021 Srila Prabhupada is indeed coming again, in his murti form, to be installed in a grand three-day celebration in the TOVP. Five kinds of abhishekas are planned, including sacred waters and copper, silver, gold and platinum coins, as well as a maha installation yajna. The first two days will include the observance of Nityananda Trayodasi on the 25th, and the official opening of the samadhi of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja on the 26th. The ceremony will also commemorate Srila Prabhupada’s 125th Appearance Anniversary Year celebration.

February 25 – Nityananda Trayodasi / Worldwide Prabhupada Abhisheka

February 26 – Bhakti Charu Maharaja Samadhi Opening

February 27 – New Prabhupada Murti Installation

 
This unprecedented and historic event will bring Srila Prabhupada, our divine master and ISKCON Founder/Acharya to the forefront of the TOVP where he can personally observe, manage and direct our progress until the Grand Opening in 2022. It also represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all devotees to honor His Divine Grace being installed in the TOVP by sponsoring one of five kinds of abhishekas. It is a worldwide, combined Guru dakshina offering from each and every member of ISKCON in gratitude for his mercy and the eternal gift of Krishna consciousness he has given us.

Go to the TOVP website and make your offering by sponsoring an abhisheka, especially during the most auspicious month of Purushottama beginning September 18th.

Click here to go to the sponsorship page.

International Shravanam Week

Devotees in Vrindavan narrate their memories from HH Gunagrahi Swami’s devotional life including his glorious departure from this world, occurred under the most auspicious circumstances! Devamrita Swami commented the event as “Iskcon’s finest hour!”

You have always been most kind and a dear friend to me and so many others. When we met in 1978 you had established the beautiful San Diego temple and were transitioning to being the bhakta leader so you could concentrate on recruiting and training new devotees there. As I had the same service in Los Angeles, we naturally began visiting and calling each other regularly to compare notes. During those turbulent days in ISKCON following Srila Prabhupada's departure you were a calming presence in my life, unwavering in your focus on spreading Krishna Consciousness in fresh and innovative ways. Continue reading "My dear Gunagrahi Maharaja
→ Dandavats"

Podcast

Video:

The post The Monk’s Podcast 66 with Devamrita Maharaja – Pandemic – Reimagining the human project appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Video – SB 3.4.28 Bringing In Material Conceptions Into The Spiritual Realm 2014-07-27 GBCSPT

The post Video - SB 3.4.28 Bringing In Material Conceptions Into The Spiritual Realm first appeared on Prahladananda Swami.

Concealing Their innately perfect knowledge by Their humanlike activities, Krsna and Balarama went to Avanti to reside at the school of the learned spiritual master Sandipani Muni.

Sunday Feast Lecture- August 16,2020 by His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami

In this vlog I show a snippet of my morning worship and dressing services of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai at ISKCON-London.

(Hope against Hope)- His Holiness Devamrita Swami - Sunday feast lecture- August 30,2020

We were allowed to visit our elephants in Mayapur. With lots of love and care Hrimati mataji takes care of them.

The state of Sikkim is remotely located in North-East India amidst the Kanchenjunga ranges of Himalayas. Far flung from mainland India, Sikkim is endowed with Lord Krishna’s amazing enchanting natural scenic beauty and spectacular views of formidable majestic mountain peaks of Kanchenjunga. It is 100% organic state of India and is bordered by China, Bhutan and Nepal. Continue reading "Sikkim Yatra – North-East India
→ Dandavats"