"I look in the mirror /  And I see this body / With this color / That I am supposed / To give up identifying with / But somehow, / I can’t seem to see / Beyond the brown."

Nearly two dozen African nations are now committed to build and maintain the “Great Green Wall,” a chain of forests and woodlands spreading across the entire continent.

  Many ISKCON members are aware of the formation of the Revisions Review Panel (RRP), but they may not be informed of how it came about and exactly what its task is. This article I hope serves to communicate more of these details.  In February 2019, the BBT/GBC Relations Committee conversed about meeting with the […]

The post BBT Revisions Review Panel to Examine Changes In Prabhupada’s Books appeared first on ISKCON News.

The aim of the RRP is to examine all proposed and previously accepted text changes to Srila Prabhupada’s books in the English language—a painstaking service being approached by panel members with commitment, time, and critical analysis. However, the emphasis will be on reviewing any posthumous editing or particularly controversial edits.

“When the lockdown started, nobody thought we could distribute books, and everybody was worried about what would happen,” says Shyama Mohini Dasi, co-sankirtan leader at ISKCON Toronto, Canada. “But Vaisesika Prabhu encouraged us to think differently, and innovate.” Every year since 2007, devotees at Toronto, ISKCON Silicon Valley, and other temples – inspired by Global […]

The post North American Teams See Book Distribution Increase During COVID-19 Marathon appeared first on ISKCON News.

“When the lockdown started, nobody thought we could distribute books, and everybody was worried about what would happen,” says Shyama Mohini Dasi, co-sankirtan leader at ISKCON Toronto, Canada. “But Vaisesika Prabhu encouraged us to think differently, and innovate.”

Hera Panchami is a unique festival associated with famous chariot festival of Puri. ‘Hera’ means to ‘see’ and ‘Panchami’ means the ‘fifth day’. It is celebrated at Gundica temple on the fifth day from the start date of the chariot festival. 

This festival is dedicated to Mahalaxmi and is also known as a ritual of Mahalaxmi. The temple of Lord Jagannath is known as Sri-mandira. “Sri” means Laxmi, so the name of the temple as “Sri-mandira” signifies the fact that Mahalaxmi is the principal Goddess of the Grand Temple. This ritual highlights the separation of Mahalaxmi from Lord Jagannatha.

On the festival day, Lord Jagannath leaves the Jagannatha temple and goes to Gundica temple for 9 days with his siblings. His consort Mahalaxmi is left behind in the main temple. Lord Jagannatha promised his wife that He would return the next day, but Lord Jagannatha did not return the next day. Mahalaxmi waited for 5 days but Lord Jagannatha did not return to the temple.

After waiting for 5 days, she became impatient and worried. At last, she made up her mind to meet Lord Jagannatha at the Gundica Temple where He had based with His brother and sister. 

At night the representative deity of Mahalaxmi (known as Subarna Mahalaxmi) went to Gundica temple in a beautifully decorated palanquin via Bada Danda (the Grand Road) in a colourful procession of splendour, accompanied by her servitors, to meet Lord Jagannath and ask Him why he had not returned yet. 

The servitors, who were part of the procession of Mahalaxmi, sang the Hera Panchami song. The Hera Panchami song expresses Mahalaxmi’s anger toward Her husband. When Lord Jagannatha found out that Mahalaxmi was coming to meet him with anger, He asked his servitors to quickly lock the door of Gundica Temple.

Mahalaxmi became very angry due to this activity and made some satirical remarks to Lord Jagannath by saying, “My husband! You have become more attracted to your brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra than me? Is this the reason you locked me out of the Gundica temple?” 

Mahalaxmi felt insulted and to teach Her husband a lesson She asked her servitors to break a part of Nandighosa Ratha, the chariot of Lord Jagannatha. On her return, She avoided the direct route via Grand Road, and secretly returned to the Jagannatha temple via Hera Gohiri Sahi of Puri. The unique ritual is enjoyed by a large number of devotees of Lord Jagannatha.

A video by Avelo Roy (Ajita Das).

Over 1,000 people attended Mantra Fest in Moscow, Russia on September 1st, 2019 at the Green Concert Club.

Evoking a deeply affecting mixture of regret and hope, Gopagana Dasa’s new album “A Surge of Bhakti to the Heart” might be the perfect soundtrack to these difficult times for humanity.  Recorded in Vrindavana, India in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Gopagana produced the album with minimal equipment, programming all the instruments by […]

The post New Album ‘A Surge of Bhakti to the Heart’ Delivers On Title’s Promise appeared first on ISKCON News.

Evoking a deeply affecting mixture of regret and hope, Gopagana Dasa’s new album “A Surge of Bhakti to the Heart” might be the perfect soundtrack to these difficult times for humanity. 

  Every reversal can teach us something. Every adversity has hidden lessons.  If only we are willing to listen! The times are changing. The world is changing. Question is are we going to change? This 200 years old industrial civilization is entering a decisive phase as the curtains of karma start coming down.  Party has […]

The post If The Pandemic Was A College What Could It Possibly Teach Us? appeared first on ISKCON News.

How about some humility? How about admitting that we are not the supreme controllers, at least as of now? How about admitting that we don’t yet fully understand the mysteries of the universe. 

As I write this article there are pictures on the news of hundreds on people lying on the ground simulating the unjust death of George Floyd, a black man, by an officer of the law. People on the streets all over the country are demanding  action, demanding that the police be reformed, defunded and/or disbanded. […]

The post The Bhagavad Gita and the Path to Justice appeared first on ISKCON News.

 In the news, some of the talking heads are saying it’s “a few bad apples” and others warn of a more systemic problem. Is it individuals on the police force or the institution itself? Will new laws, like no “chokeholds” etc, mean anything at all?

Bloor West, Toronto

The Way Krishna Lived

Well, the fancy bars and dining rooms are open for business again. It’s as if nothing had ever happened to startle clients from Covid 19. The same laughing and giggling goes on as before and the sounds of liquor bottles and glass containers—no less than champagne glassware—are making their music. So, there’s more going on than just line-ups happening outside bubble tea joints. Anyways, it all took me by surprise to see the streets such as Avenue Road, Soto and Bloor in a shape of vibrancy again, as I paced along in a mode of passion. I was definitely plodding along.

“Hey, monk!” Shouted a young cyclist across the street. At medium speed he was showing off the twirling of his closed umbrella. Impressive it was. It added to the street’s liveliness. I reached the park at Christie Pitts to meet Vishal and talk to him about what’s going on in his mind.

“The male cows!” he said.

“You mean the bulls?” I asked, needing to confirm. He knows I was raised on a hobby farm. We had cows on our farm, however, bulls were rare unless born from a cow that received artificial insemination. Basically our conversation went the way of cruelty toward bulls, and the bovine in general—the slaughter industry.

So Vishal and I are planning to visit a farm north of the city to see what another Vishal is doing with his Gir cows from India. In truth, we were two city boys talking about a better life in the countryside; something like the way Krishna lived as a cow-herder.

May the source be with you!

6 km

Brampton/Mississauga

Nice Talk at the Dentist’s

I did walk a piece today. I did wait a piece today—in the dentist clinic waiting room. A woman in front of me, age sixty, brunette to red hair—ponytailed—at the inquiry desk, left her queue to sit down. I followed.

“So you’re a monk?” she began.

“Yes!”

“What order?”

“Hare Krishna!”

“Oh yeah! Why the colour?”

“This saffron tone is reserved for celibate monks. It’s a colour worn before one’s married, and after retirement. I never got married. I’ve had this colour all these years.”

“When did you join?”

“Age twenty.”

“It was your calling?”

“Definitely,” I said.

“My father was a minister. It was his calling. He knew at age fourteen. He ministered in Kenya. Everyone thought he was crazy. A Scotsman he was.”

I was curious. “Was he Presbyterian?”

“He started off but then he became non-denominational.”

“Interesting.”

The dialogue went on.

“I adopted kids from Africa. I have a few.”

She definitely was no monk, or nun, but a conversationalist, yes. I wanted to continue on but was asked to go for my dental cleaning.

“Well, I’m being called. Nice to talk to you!”

“Likewise!” she said.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

The video has been made to energise, enthuse and share important information through the medium of comedy and entertainment, you might see the uncanny resemblance to a British Airways safety video. All characters are fictitious and no offence is intended. 

Over the past few months I’ve been thinking about the Joy of Devotion; it’s a term we use a lot but I was wondering what that actually means in reality.

So I was sent a few pictures from the Jehovah’s Witnesses assembly and it brought back many fond memories, indeed a highlight of the year and one of the few times I had real freedom and helped out in the attendant’s department, indeed my first experience of the joy of service.

I pondered the many opportunities of seva in my time with the devotees and indeed each has been positive one truly experiences joy in doing devotional service. Indeed one service had a very pacific time and things had to be done in a pacific way, no compromises.

Indeed I work in an area that has many rules and legislations that all have to be adhered to, and because of the joy the job gives these rules appear easy to follow; indeed for those coming into health care the joy of the job has to be there for one to be effective in the job.

The joy of devotion has to be there, and if the joy is there the rules become easy to follow, but if we focus solely on the rules the joy is zapped out. INDEED in each service I have undertaken the rules have been secondary to that of enjoying the service, for me this is the key to devotion.

But times changed and sadly from a personal perspective I’ve seen a sea wave of change, the focus has gone from the Joy of service ti that of rules, the rules take presidency. Boxes have to be ticked and the one that if missing is the most vital, are you having joy in the seva.

The best service was actually the high clean in the temple room, at the top of the ladder you are are aware more of how amazing the deities are but also of the comings and going of devotees undertaking there service (the joy in cleaning)

There is even joy in giving class, I recall all those given as a Jehovah’s Witness and those as a devotee; the ones as a devotee gives the greatest pleasure and joy especially the questions afterwards, the best is the small groups and the intimacy it brings always makes the most interesting discussion.

So during lockdown I’ve enjoyed having more time with my own deities and finally working on the small alter; but also undertaking my guru Maharaja instructions on using the health care to not only look after the physical body but also the spirit soul. Seeing individuals taking to the chanting of the Holy name’s and reading the Gita has been amazing, especially the questions.

My own personal realisation is this, rules are important (there’s no getting away from this), but upmost is this the most important is THE JOY OF DEVOTION)

When speaking to those who leave any devotional service or organisation one of the main factors is that the joy has gone, but more so that they are overcome with rules.

The rules become the focus, that’s a big mistake

The joy becomes the focus, one wants to remain in the seva, and if they leave the person misses both the seva and those they associated with.

Let’s refocus on propagating the Joy of Devotion.

my experience is if there’s joy rules are easy to follow, if the rules are there and no focus on Joy then there is an inevitable outcome.

Please join us for this next TOVP TALKS webinar with His Holiness Jayapataka Swami speaking about the fulfillment of the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprahu, The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us for our second webinar with His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja speaking about Srila Prabhupada’s role in ISKCON now and into the future. Below are the time details and direct ZOOM registration link.

Zoom Registration Information :

TOVP TALKS Webinar #3 – July 5
7:30pm IST/11:00am US EST/4:00pm UK
His Holiness Jayapataka Swami
Topic: TOVP – The Desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Fulfilled
ZOOM Registration: https://m.tovp.org/jayapatakamaharaja

Program Description

No one can speak with more conviction and authority on the subject of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium than His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaja. In this interview Maharaja will explain both the practical reasons and preaching vision Srila Prabhupada had for the project, and the sublime, esoteric roots of the TOVP going back to Lord Nityananda and our acharyas. Join us for this remarkable journey into the transcendental realm of Mahaprabhu’s mission and how it is manifesting in the world today.

NEW Kirtaniyah Sada Harih Book & Jarikhanda Album
by Kadamba Kanana Swami
are in stock!

Kirtaniyah-Sada- Harih is an ideal companion for the sincere chanter.

In this book, Kadamba Kanana Swami is taking us on a pleasant and truly transformational adventure, full of spiritual nectar, inspiration, hope, and light. During this profound trip, we learn what really means to chant, how to develop a firm faith and awaken our love for Krishna, how to connect with the Holy Name, how to maintain this connection and develop the strength to conquer our mind. Along the way, we will also go through our personal reflections and much more! Are you ready to begin the most fulfilling ride of your life?

In this era of Kali, the age defined by quarrel and hypocrisy, there is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way than chanting the holy name.

Kadamba Kanana Swami is kindly sharing with us extremely useful tips and instructions based on his personal reflections and experiences on how to reawaken our original love for Krishna. May all living entities become calm and peaceful by practising Bhakti Yoga.

Besides the book, Kadamba Kanana Swami has also released a new album called Jarikhanda which is absorbed in ecstatic love of God. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wandered through the forest. A tiger was laying on the path and Mahaprabhu touched its head with His lotus foot. The tiger jumped up and loudly started chanting the holy name of Krsna. Then the forest animals began to dance, and the deer and tigers embraced one another.

Jarikhanda stands for empowerment beyond limits by the Lord’s mercy. These days we live in city jungles and people have become like prey and predator. May all chant, dance and embrace one another. May the world unite in kirtan.

Please visit the links below to get a copy of your book and album:
Book Hardcopy – https://www.kksblog.com/shop/kirtaniyah-sada-harih/
Ebook – https://www.kksblog.com/shop/kirtaniyah-sada-harih-ebook/
CD – https://www.kksblog.com/shop/jarikhanda-cd/
Digital Album – https://www.kksblog.com/shop/jarikhanda/

The article " Media Update! " was published on KKSBlog.

When somebody is canned from their job, that means they are dismissed, often unceremoniously. Our conscience is our inner watchdog that sometimes gets canned, even without our awareness. 

Our conscience’s job is to alert us whenever we attempt to do something wrong and to applaud us when we try to do something right. If we don’t carefully process our action, then we end up acting wrongly, sometimes discreetly and sometimes brazenly. When we get angry at a subordinate on making a mistake or when we chastise our child on being untidy, that could be out of genuine concern for others. But that could also be because of our own insecurity about not being competent or effective. 

When our actions arise from our own insecurity, they make us lose our sense of perspective. If we give in to such anger once, twice, thrice, then eventually we might find ourselves giving in to a disproportionate explosion as a reaction to a minor provocation. If our conscience is still active, we might regret that explosion. Otherwise, if the repeated past minor expressions of anger have deadened our conscience, we might justify our angry explosion and thus essentially our conscience will get canned. It won’t be able to do anything because by giving in repeatedly to the lower forces of illusion, we have let our conscience become numbed and dumbed. And once our conscience is canned, we will do wrongs nonchalantly, even horrendously. 

How can we prevent our conscience from being canned? By learning to regularly scan our consciousness. Through such inner vigilance, we will be able to detect the forces of desire and anger as they start rising and learn to tolerate them, thereby progressing toward spiritual realization and satisfaction (Bhagavad-gita 05.23). 

One-sentence summary:

If our consciousness is not scanned, our conscience will get canned.

Think it over:

• How might our conscience get canned?
• How can scanning our consciousness protect our conscience?
• How can we scan our consciousness regularly?

***

05.23: Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is well situated and is happy in this world.

To know more about this verse, please click on the image
Explanation of article:

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Christie Pitts, Toronto

It’s All Good

This particular cyclist really gets around. I’ve met him now on so many different streets. I guess it’s mutual. I also get “out and about,” as the expression goes. My friend, on his two wheels, was telling me of his new program—a fast consisting of only water. He also mentioned a second abstinence—violence.

“I’m not listening to the news and not watching violent films like Thor or Captain America,” he said.

I assumed he feels light-hearted and more at peace with himself. He concurred when I asked him. Surely, when on that bike as frequently as he is, with feet off the ground, and moving not quite at the speed of light but moving quickly, he must find it to be liberating. When stationary he says he works on his kundalini.

“I wish you the best of days,” I expressed, bidding a good-bye until next time.

Actually it was already night time. I was held up on a zoom conference with local organic farmers. To be more accurate I was online with farmers who have all taken on eco-friendly lifestyles and who are Krishna Conscious.  On-board-presenters included people from as far west as Saranagati, in British Columbia, and as far east as Quebec. It is very impressive to see the development of these places.

Some people get high on a bike and others while working the land and animals. It’s all good!

May this Source be with you!

6 km

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBx1067g6pD/

Owen Sound, Ontario

A Bunch of Fathers

We departed for our walk at 6:00 a.m., and turned north onto Yonge Street, going block after block through midtown Toronto, and then uptown Toronto—quite a stretch of 8.9 kilometres. It was a sunny, early Sunday morning. We took to the east side of the street for shade, as the edifices were blocking the beginning of a blistering sun. As we moved farther from the lake (Ontario), it became a steady, rather doable ascent. At York Mills, by the valley of the west Don River, our driver, Nanda, waited at the gas station. He was ready to take us on what was a rare trip out of the city for Aisvarya, of Trinidad, Krishna Chandra (a.k.a. Corrado), and myself.

Owen Sound was the town of our destination, and we made as good time on wheels, as we had earlier on our feet.

I received a call from one of our leaders at ISKCON Brampton.

“Radha Gopinath here.... Can you do a video for our community wishing a ‘Happy Father’s Day?’”

I complied.

So, before we went out for a swim—that we had been hankering for—in the bay at Lake Huron, Vita, a friend of our host family, took my camera, and, on the first take, filmed the four of us dads. Each had something to say. One of us, Garuda, who was my support person when I walked across Canada, has recently become a great-grandfather. Nanda Maharaj is a proud father of two. So is Tulasi.  And I, being a monk, act as a father to humanity, in some small way.  Aisvarya, from Trinidad, is still single, but is also a father. And Krishna Chandra, whom I predict will be a life-long monk, will eventually be a father for a community. 

Vita is very talented and captured us on camera quite well.

May the Source be with you!

9 km

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBu60WwAasL/

Toronto, Ontario

A New Official Monk

I’ve known Corrado for a number of years, since he first started coming to our temple/ashram. He first met one of our exemplary devotees, Shyama Mohini, who has a passion for distributing the books of our guru, Prabhupada.  This happened on a street in Toronto.  Corrado is indebted to her for being his initial contact.

From then on, Corrado began attending bhakti-yoga gatherings, held at the Bhakti Lounge. He experienced a growing interest in the process of chanting, philosophizing, eating great vegan food and considering himself a devotee of Krishna. He has a background in dance, in the genre of ballet. He is also qualified as a yoga teacher.

Some time back, while cycling on Yonge Street, he got into a serious accident—a collision with a car—and that experience became somewhat of a catalyst for him to get more serious about life. He spent a year at the Yoga Farm, at Gita Nagari, in Port Royal, Pennsylvania, before joining me in India this spring when we worked on a production titled, “Grandsire: The Life of Bhisma,” which was highly appreciated by our audience in Mayapura.

Thank you, Corrado, for bringing that touch of professionalism to the dramatic piece.

Today he has accepted initiation, diksha, and took on the name “Krishna Chandra,” which means the Krishna Moon. He also began wearing saffron clothes, suitable for a practising monk. Congratulations!

May the Source be with you!

0 km

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBsU9Q6gIuo/

Answer Podcast

Video:

The post QA on racism Q 10 How do we as spiritualists manifest empathy (para-dukha-dukhi)? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Sri Svarupa Damodara is an eternal associate and friend of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Previously his name was Sri Purushottama Acarya. He lived in Navadvipa. He always stayed with Mahaprabhu.  

When Sriman Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, he became half-mad.  He went to Varanasi and took sannyasa from a sannyasi named Caitanyananda, who ordered him to study Vedanta and teach it to the people in general.

Sri Purushottama Acarya did not accept the dress of a sannyasi, but only gave up the sikha and sacred thread. His name became Svarupa. After this, taking up the order of his sannyasa-guru, Sri Purushottama Acarya went to Jagannatha Puri. At that time, he again met with Sri Caitanya. 

Svarupa Damodara would sing for Sri Caitanya the songs of Vidyapati, Candidasa, and Gita-Govinda, and this gave the Lord much pleasure. Svarupa Damodara could sing like a Gandharva, and he knew the scriptures like Brihaspati, the guru of the gods. No one was a greater soul than he. He was most dear to Advaita and Nityananda and the life and soul of the devotees headed by Srivasa Thakura.

Sri Caitanya used to call him Damodara, because of his expert singing and musical skills. The name Damodara was given by Sri Caitanya and added to the name given by his sannyasa guru. He was therefore known as Svarupa Damodara.  He compiled a book of music called Sangita-Damodara.

In the daytime, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to perform kirtan with his devotees. At night, in the company of Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodara, he would relish the truths about the pastimes and mellows of Radha and Krishna. In the same way that Lalita and Visakha are the internal confidantes of Sri Radha, Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda Raya are the internal confidantes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

At the time of Sri Gaurasundara’s final pastimes, Sri Svarupa Damodara was constantly with the Lord.  Sri Svarupa Damodara’s right hand was Raghunatha Dasa Goswami.

On the second day of the day of full moon in the month of Asharh, Sri Svarupa Damodara Goswami passed away from this earth and entered into the Lord’s unmanifest pastimes.

Video – SB 3.4.27 Tombstone pulled for the Golf Course 2014-07-26 #Timisoara

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