Planet ISKCON

Srila Prabhupada: Infected or disinfected. In the material world we are all infected. This is the disinfecting process: simply remembering Krishna—yah smaret pundarikaksam. This initiation is to teach how to always remember Vishnu and Krishna. As soon as we hear this Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, we immediately remember Krishna, His speech in the Bhagavad-gita, His form, His name, His qualities, His pastimes. Everything comes. So we have to practice that. Then we remain always uncontaminated.

And if you forget Krishna, then there is chance of . . . Just like in the medical science, if there is some epidemic disease, they give some vaccination. I think in Los Angeles you gave me some vaccination? What is that, fluss?

Hayagriva: Hong Kong flu.

Srila Prabhupada: Ah. Hong Kong flu. Yes. So, everyone took that vaccination. Our Hayagriva Prabhu took me also. “All right, let us have.” So there was no attack. Fortunately, there was no attack. Similarly, this world is Hong Kong flu. Maya is always ready to attack. Always. So we have to take this injection, this anti-vaccine, Hare Krishna. Enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi’. [“I have brought the medicine to eradicate the disease of illusion. Now pray for this Hare Krishna maha-mantra and take it.” (Bhaktivinoda Thakura)] That song, Jiv Jago, Jiv Jago. “I have brought this medicine for killing this Hong Kong flu of maya.” Enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi’, hari-nama maha-mantra lao. Now you take. This is the greatest contribution of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, to fight against this attack of material influence. Everyone is subjected. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya (Gita 7.14). [“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.”] Under the three modes of material nature people are entangled. So, to get out of this entanglement of constant transmigrating from one body to another, this is the mantra, simply . . . Yah smaret pundarikaksam. Pundarikaksam means Krishna. So if you chant Hare Krishna, you’ll be forced to remember Him. As soon as the word Krishna is there, and the more you are practiced to this habit, then simply we’ll see Krishna, Krishna, Krishna—nothing else. Sarvatra sphurti tara ista-deva murti (Cc Madhya 8.274). [“The maha-bhagavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, everywhere he immediately sees manifest the form of the Supreme Lord.”] As you make advancement, you’ll see a tree, but you’ll see Krishna; you’ll not see the form of the tree. Because one who is conversant with the science of Krishna will know how His energies are working in so many ways; therefore he’ll be sympathetic. That is universal vision. That is universal love. If you love Krishna, then there will be universal love. Otherwise it will be simply talk.

So, yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantara. He is always in the uncontaminated stage, noninfected stage. So this is very nice. One should take it seriously. One should try to understand it seriously. Your life will be sublime. The meaning of this om apavitrah pavitro va sarvavastham—any condition. We don’t make any condition. There is no condition. Why shall we . . . ? Anyone can accept. Sarvavastham: any position. There are only two positions: contaminated or uncontaminated. That’s all. So, supposing everyone is contaminated. The medicine is there. You make immediately uncontaminated. Sarvavastham gato ’pi va. It doesn’t matter what is your position. You take simply to this Krishna consciousness, and your life will be sublime. That is the initiation.

Now chant.

—Initiation Lecture, June 4, 1969, New Vrindaban

Recently we sent out the official announcement about the Second Annual #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser which you can read here. This event starts on April 26 (Akshaya Tritiya) until May 6 (Nrsimha Caturdasi) and is poised to raise over $300,000 to help the completion of Lord Nrsimha’s entire East Wing and altar in the TOVP for the opening ceremony during Gaur Purnima 2021.

In this video His Grace Pankajanghri prabhu speaks about the importance of this fundraiser for completing Lord Nrsimha’s temple wing and altar by 2021.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to the disastrous effects of the Corona virus pandemic worldwide and the 21 day lock-down in India, ISKCON Mayapur is experiencing a serious financial crisis. On account of this emergency situation, Ambarisa and Braja Vilasa prabhus from the TOVP have decided to help ISKCON Mayapur by creating an extension campaign to the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser called the TOVP Care Emergency Matching Fund Campaign. Ambarisa will match 10 cents for every dollar raised for the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser (online only) and donate it to ISKCON Mayapur.

For more information go ​here​.

Please download and share the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser flyer below.

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
View us 360° at: www.tovp360.org
App at: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts at: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/

The post H.G. Pankajanghri Prabhu Speaks About the #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Answer Podcast

The post When we see that devotees aren’t being cared for, how can we see it positively and what can we do about it? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

A deep fear about losing family and friends… but are we as worried about how we relate to them while their alive?

While the nation has been affected by the Coronavirus crisis and is observing a lockdown, millions have been stranded with no food and shelter

With the streets outside so quiet, devotees have started to hear birds singing sweetly again, parrots landing on the lower branches of the trees, and peacocks calling.

These days, by a reversal of fortune, we are the ones that are locked in like zoo animals, while they are the ones that can roam free. 

These days, by a reversal of fortune, we are the ones that are locked in like zoo animals, while they are the ones that can roam free. Good for them. They have deserved some break after all the millennia of mistreatment and abuse they had to suffer by our hands. 

In Vrindavan, on September 13, 1975, Srila Prabhupada spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11:

na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis
tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih
yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais
tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam

“By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord’s names, which reminds one of the Lord’s fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes, and paraphernalia.”

He explained:

Every one of us who is in this material world is sinful. So we have to be purified. The best purification process is devotional service. And the purification process begins when you have no more any material desires (anyabhilasita-sunyam). Then the purification begins. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam. [“Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.”] Nirmalam. Malam means sinful reaction. If you want to become completely free from all contamination of this material world . . . Contamination means associating with the different modes of material nature—sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Even if you are associating with sattva-guna, it is still contamination—what to speak of the others, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Those who are contaminated by rajo-guna and tamo-guna are fully engaged in lusty desires and greediness. Tada rajas-tamo bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye. (SB 1.2.19) Kama, lobha, rajas, tamah. The whole world is infected with rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Therefore people are simply absorbed in kama and lobha, lusty desires and greediness. Not that only the poor man is hankering after money. Even the richest man in this material world is also hankering. Lobha: “I want more. I want more.”

Krishna assures that yoga-ksemam vahamy aham. (Gita 9.22) [“Those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.”] Tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham: “If one is fully surrendered, I supply him personally; I carry his personal necessities” (yoga-ksemam vahamy aham). “Not that I ask somebody, but I carry Myself.” He is giving assurance. So why we should be hankering after other things to become happy? It is foolishness. Krishna assures, tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham.

This is the special mercy for the unalloyed devotee. “Unalloyed devotee” means anyabhilasita-sunyam. (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11) [“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krishna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.”] Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.2) Upadhi means [designation,] artificially “I am the husband of this wife.” “I am the father of these children.” “I am an inhabitant of America.” “I am American.” “I am Hindu.” “I am Muslim.” “I am Christian.” “I am brahman.” “I am fat.” “I am thin.” “I am white.” “I am black.” So many things. These are all upadhis. So, one has to become free from these upadhi. “I am not this. I am not that. I am not this.” Then what you are? Gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasa. (Cc Madhya 13.80) [“I am not a brahman, I am not a kshatriya, I am not a vaishya, or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmachari, a householder, a vanaprastha, or a sannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis.”] When one becomes like that—“I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, gopi-bhartuh”—this is called parampara system. This is our real identification. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. So if you want to be happy, you cannot become happy by your so-called endeavor, by tidbits: “This I will do and I will be happy.” No, this is all nonsense. You can be happy only when you fully surrender to Krishna without any abhilasa.

Even the big, big karmis who are able to perform big, big costly sacrifices . . . Karmis do big, big. You will find even nowadays . . . Of course, there are no yajnic brahmans at the present moment. Still, if you advertise, “Here there will be big yajna,” you will get lots of brahmans immediately: “Oh, there will be yajna.” But in the Kali-yuga there is no yajnic brahman. No yajna will be successful. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. (SB 12.3.52) Makha means yajna. You cannot perform yajna now. It is not possible. Where is the ghee? Where is the grain? People are starving without food grains. How you can . . . Formerly tons and tons of food grains and ghee were sacrificed. That is yajna. So, this is not possible. Up to Treta-yuga it was possible. Krte yad dhyayato visnum. Meditation—this is a farce. So many foolish people are misled by rascals: “meditation.” What meditation? Meditation is such an easy thing? Valmiki Muni meditated for sixty thousand years. Then he got perfection. So who will get that opportunity? It is all farce. Meditation is farce. Yajna, so-called yajna, is also a farce, because there is no yajnic brahman. The yajnic brahman would ignite fire by mantra, not matches. So where is that yajnic brahman? So, this is not possible.

krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
      (SB 12.3.52)

[“Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Visnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”] This is the shastric injunction. You have to take this process. If you want to be perfect, you have to take the shastra-vidhi. If you don’t take,

yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
     (Gita 16.23)

[“He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.”] If you don’t accept the injunction in the shastras, especially when Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is instructing you in the Bhagavad-gita, the essence of all shastra. You take that, then you will be happy. Otherwise not.

Here it is said that aghavan, the sinful man, cannot be purified by simply these ritualistic ceremonies, atonement, or keeping some vow, vratah. Then how it is possible? Yatha harer nama. Therefore it is recommended, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva—the same thing.  [“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.”] You will never find the injunctions of the shastra contradictory. In the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is said, and in Srimad-Bhagavatam also the same thing. The Brhan-naradiya Purana says, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, and here in Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, yatha harer nama-padair udahrtaih tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam. Harer nama means the chanting of the holy name. That is simple. But when you chant harer nama, gradually you understand what is Hari, what is His form, what are His qualities, what are His activities. Then you can understand.

Because without harer nama your heart is dirty. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. (Siksastaka 1) Unless your heart is cleansed, you cannot understand what is Hari, what is His name, what is His form, what are His qualities, what are His activities. You cannot understand. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih. (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234) If you utilize your blunt nonsense senses, you cannot understand Krishna. Therefore people are not understanding Krishna, neither they are understanding the value of hari-nama. Because their senses are blunt, contaminated with these mayic qualities, they cannot understand. But this is the only way—ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. You have to be purified, and this is the only method: chant Hare Krishna. Then you will be gradually purified. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. (SB 1.2.17) [“Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”] If you hear, if you chant about Krishna, Uttamasloka, as it is said, tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam, so many benefits are there.

So, the Hare Krishna movement is so important that everyone should take it very seriously. Kirtaniyah sada harih.

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
   (Siksastaka 3)

[“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”] This is the instruction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Difficult . . . It is padam padam yad vipadam—danger at every step. (SB 10.14.58) In this material world there is only vipada; there is no sampada. Foolishly we think, “Now I am very nice.” What is nice? You have to die next moment. What is nice? But these foolish people say, “Yes, I am nice.” You ask anybody, “How are you?” “Yes, very nice.” What is that nice? You are going to die tomorrow. Still nice. This is going on. So, it is padam padam yad vipadam They are making scientific research to become happy, but these rascals, they do not know how to stop death. So what is the nice? But they have no brain to understand. Krishna says, “These are the problems, My dear sir. You scientists, you are trying so many things.” Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. (Gita 13.9) “First of all find out what is your problem.” Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi: you have to take birth, you have to die, you have to suffer from disease, you have to become old. Stop these first of all; then talk of scientific advancement. Otherwise you are nonsense.

A video by Bhakti Lounge Sydney.

Amidst the coronavirus crisis and the consequent lockdown India’s tribal people are facing double difficulties - scarcity of food and lack of awareness about the preventive measures to curb spreading of the deadly disease.

A video by Daisy Creek Farms with Jag Singh.

Watch and Inspire others too - Madhavas Rock Band

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 1 December 2019, Brisbane, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.20)

We see that brahmanas in Vedic culture would refuse to simply take up a job. They just lived from teaching scriptures and glorifying scriptures. People would bring them some rice and other things and in this way they lived their whole lives; it was very simple, “My wife makes this very nice soup. We have a tamarind tree in our yard and my wife uses its leaves to cook this nice soup with the rice. I am very happy!” So like this, it was a virtue in Vedic culture; the highest class people were the most simple. Nowadays, the highest class people have the biggest house, the biggest car, the biggest everything – “Very high class, very aristocratic family, big house, three cars, expensive ones!” You know, we can see that the garage alone has like three doors (laughter) “Oh yes sir! They are very high class. We worship their feet!”

Krsna, on the other hand, worshipped the feet of His friend Sudama. Sudama, who lived so simple, came to Krsna after his wife was not satisfied that her husband was suffering from so much poverty. So she pushed him and said, “Krsna is your old school friend. Go to Him. He will give you something.” So Sudama went, not because he wanted to ask Krsna for something, but just because his wife had reminded him that Krsna was his old friend and he thought, “Let me go and see Krsna.” He never asked Krsna for anything but Krsna gave him anyway. 

So, brahmanas were not going to compromise. They were simply going to be Krsna conscious and ultimately that is the direction where the devotees will also have to go. Of course, if you by nature, are making money very easily, then you may live in more opulence. But if it is difficult, alright, then be satisfied to be a little simple because ultimately, why does it matter? Big car, small car. Alright, it is a little crowded in the small car. It is not as comfortable, but you still get there. So in this way, life can still go on fine. Prabhupada said that Krsna consciousness and spiritual life are like hard wood. You have to carve out Krsna; we have to somehow or other carve out time for Krsna, time for the Bhagavatam and so on.

The article " Carve out time for Krsna " was published on KKSBlog.

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur Disappearance! Today is the disappearance day festival of Srila Vrindavan das Thakur, the author of Sri Caitnaya Bhagavata. At MODADRUMA DVIPA of Navadvipa dham is the birthplace and ancestral home of Srimati Malini devi, wife of Srivasa Pandit. Sri Vrindavan Das Thakura’s mother’s name was Sri Narayani Devi. Narayani Devi was […]

The post Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Answer Podcast

The post On seeing other devotees’ grow spiritually, how can we avoid feeling bad that we are spiritually stagnating? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur was born in Mamgachi in Navadwip, West Bengal. His mother was Sri Narayani Devi, the niece of Srivasa Pandita, an ardent follower of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Vrindavana Das Thakur’s father, Vaikunthanatha Vipra, was from Sylhet in East Bengal. However, it is said that his father died before he was born so his mother moved to the house of Srivasa in Mayapur. In his youth Vrindavan Das Thakur took initiation from Lord Nityananda, one of the main associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and he was apparently his last disciple.

In 1535, Srila Vrindvan Das Thakur wrote the Chaitanya Bhagavata, a biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Initially, the Chaitanya Bhagavata was named Chaitanya Mangala. However, the poet Locana Dasa also wrote a work with this title. Therefore, the leading Vaishnavas in Vrindavan met and decided that henceforth Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur’s book would be known as the Chaitanya Bhagavata, and Locana Das’s book would remain as the Chaitanya Mangala.

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur was considered by Gaudiya Vaishnavas as the Vyasa of Chaitanya’s pastimes, since he was the first to reveal that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was God himself and not just an incarnation of Godhead. As Srila Vyasadeva told Sri Krishna’s pastimes in Bhagavatam and other Puranas, Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur described Chaitanya lila in Chaitanya Bhagavata.

Recently we sent out the official announcement about the Second Annual #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser which you can read here. This event starts on April 26 (Akshaya Tritiya) until May 6 (Nrsimha Caturdasi) and is poised to raise over $300,000 to help the completion of Lord Nrsimha’s entire East Wing and altar in the TOVP for the opening ceremony during Gaur Purnima 2021.

In this video His Holiness Radhanath Swami speaks about the importance of this fundraiser for completing Lord Nrsimha’s temple wing and altar by 2021.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to the disastrous effects of the Corona virus pandemic worldwide and the 21 day lock-down in India, ISKCON Mayapur is experiencing a serious financial crisis. On account of this emergency situation, Ambarisa and Braja Vilasa prabhus from the TOVP have decided to help ISKCON Mayapur by creating an extension campaign to the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser called the TOVP Care Emergency Matching Fund Campaign. Ambarisa will match 10 cents for every dollar raised for the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser (online only) and donate it to ISKCON Mayapur.

For more information go ​here​.

Please download and share the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser flyer below.

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
View us 360° at: www.tovp360.org
App at: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts at: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/

The post H.H. Radhanath Swami Speaks About the #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Answer Podcast

The post When Lord Chaitanya destroys demonic mentality, not demons, why did the person who threatened devotees constructing the Juhu temple die? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

As some of you know I have mainly been recycling older blogs and slightly modifying them to represent some of my current struggles in my treatment protocols. With this offering I am writing afresh, having to discontinue my treatment due to the lockdown here in Vrindavana, though I present similar themes to what I teach as a result of facing possible death for the last 4 ½ years as well as intense headaches and other pains for the last year. I still consider personal or horizontal growth work important for those contemplating the shortness of their life which includes getting our inner (emotional/mental) and outer (physical) house in order.

Why? The simple reason, according to my understanding from personal experience, is that the trauma, disappointment, wounds, and pain from this life and previous lives negatively impacts our practice of bhakti by taking energy away from our focus on loving devotional service and tends to cause us to make offenses to others by our reacting to them based on our past emotional pain and trauma. Progressive spiritual life, and even a successful material life, requires changing unthinking patterns of behavior that don’t serve us or anyone else.

Part of progressive endeavor comes through intense, threadbare introspection, to let us understand our negative patterns or habits of thinking and acting. There are many processes that can assist us in such work and help us be more focused and present spiritually, which is the greatest necessity. We are advised to accept whatever is favorable for our bhakti and give up what isn’t, and that can open up possibilities we might not have considered before.

read more

As some of you know I have mainly been recycling older blogs and slightly modifying them to represent some of my current struggles in my treatment protocols. With this offering I am writing afresh, having to discontinue my treatment due to the lockdown here in Vrindavana, though I present similar themes to what I teach as a result of facing possible death for the last 4 ½ years as well as intense headaches and other pains for the last year. I still consider personal or horizontal growth work important for those contemplating the shortness of their life which includes getting our inner (emotional/mental) and outer (physical) house in order.

Why? The simple reason, according to my understanding from personal experience, is that the trauma, disappointment, wounds, and pain from this life and previous lives negatively impacts our practice of bhakti by taking energy away from our focus on loving devotional service and tends to cause us to make offenses to others by our reacting to them based on our past emotional pain and trauma. Progressive spiritual life, and even a successful material life, requires changing unthinking patterns of behavior that don’t serve us or anyone else.

Part of progressive endeavor comes through intense, threadbare introspection, to let us understand our negative patterns or habits of thinking and acting. There are many processes that can assist us in such work and help us be more focused and present spiritually, which is the greatest necessity. We are advised to accept whatever is favorable for our bhakti and give up what isn’t, and that can open up possibilities we might not have considered before.

read more

Recently we sent out the official announcement about the Second Annual #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser which you can read here. This event starts on April 26 (Akshaya Tritiya) until May 6 (Nrsimha Caturdasi) and is poised to raise over $300,000 to help the completion of Lord Nrsimha’s entire East Wing and altar in the TOVP for the opening ceremony during Gaur Purnima 2021.

In this video His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami speaks about the importance of this fundraiser for completing Lord Nrsimha’s temple wing and altar by 2021.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to the disastrous effects of the Corona virus pandemic worldwide and the 21 day lock-down in India, ISKCON Mayapur is experiencing a serious financial crisis. On account of this emergency situation, Ambarisa and Braja Vilasa prabhus from the TOVP have decided to help ISKCON Mayapur by creating an extension campaign to the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser called the TOVP Care Emergency Matching Fund Campaign. Ambarisa will match 10 cents for every dollar raised for the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser (online only) and donate it to ISKCON Mayapur.

For more information go ​here​.

Please download and share the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser flyer below.

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
View us 360° at: www.tovp360.org
App at: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts at: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/

The post H.H. Bhakti Caru Swami Speaks About the #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

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Video:

The post Gita key verses course 16 – If God is good why does he allow evil to exist? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Sri Abhirama Gopal Thakura  was also known as Sri Rama Das. He was a great Devotee of Lord Nityananda.  On the order of Nityananda Prabhu, he became a great acharya and preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. 

He was a very influential personality, and atheists and blasphemers were very much afraid of him. Empowered by Nityananda Prabhu, he was always in ecstasy and was kind to all fallen souls. It is said that if he offered obeisances to any stone other than a shalagram-shila, it would immediately burst into pieces. 

According to Gaura-Ganodesa-Dipika  (12) in Krishna-lila he was Sridama, one of the 12 prominent boy cowherd friends of Sri Krishna. He was Nityananda’s dear-most devotee. Abhirama Gopal’s wife’s name was Malini devi.

Abhirama Thakura had a bullwhip that was imbued with divine power. Its name was “Jayamangal.”  Whoever was struck with this whip became filled with Krishna Prema.  

One day Srinivasa Acharya went to take darshan of Abhirama Gopala.  At that time, Abhirama Gopal touched him three times with Jayamangal. The Thakur’s good wife, Malini, cried out, “My Lord! Do not touch him again. Calm yourself. Srinivas is only a boy. If you touch him again he will lose consciousness.” As a result of coming in contact with the whip of Abhirama Thakura, Srinivasa Acharya became filled with Sri Krishna Prema.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Nityananda Prabhu to preach in Bengal, he sent Abhirama Gopal and Gadadhara Das along with him. His disappearance day is on the seventh day of the dark moon in the month of Chaitra, and on that day a great festival attended by thousands of devotees is held every year in Khanakula-Krishnanagara. 

With the UK now about to go into its fourth week of lockdown, people who would be struggling from one week to the next during normal times are now running out of money. Many are also sick or completely isolated in their homes without any family members. In this environment, more and more community groups are calling for free meals to help those in need. 

The Lives Inside Our Head

It gives me great pleasure to introduce the stars working in the capacity of Architects and Designers who institute the Architecture office in Pune and Mayapur.

The Corona virus put the world on standstill, and Pune still worse. No meetings, no travels, no outdoor movements. This is no impediment for the TOVP Architects, as they find ways and means to remain connected and working virtually.

This report captures snippets of weekly works undertaken by each individual member.

Click here to see it in your browser or download a copy to your desktop for offline reading.

The post TOVP Architecture Department Report Architecture at the Moment – April 2020 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

“We see that because of the Coronavirus, more and more people are losing their jobs, and running out of money,” says ISKCON Hungary spokesperson Gandharvika Prema Dasi. “And they have no support. So the number of people in need has been growing.”

Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to Dr. W. H. Wolf-Rottkay, June 18, 1975:

Biological evolution is taking place on account of the soul’s desire. It takes place because of infection. If a man has smallpox virus, then he is subjected to smallpox. It is not that everyone is infected and everyone is attacked with smallpox disease. Only the person who is infected, he is attacked.

In this connection, Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan karanam guna sango ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Gita 13.22]. Purusa means the living entity, or the soul. He is subjected to be infected by the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, raja-guna, tama-guna. And when they are mixed up, they become 3 x 3 = 9, and 9 x 9 = 81, and in each quality, there are millions of forms. Therefore the total number of forms is 8,400,000.

So, the diseases are there, and the forms of disease are also there. Material form means diseased form. Therefore, one has to change this form—death. And he carries with him the infection, and he develops another disease. In this way, the soul, although part and parcel of God, in diseased condition is forced to change body. That is transmigration of the soul from one body to another.

To be more clear, the disease is there. Just as the smallpox disease is there. One has to become diseased, being infected. Similarly, the forms of the body are there. One has been infected by the form and it develops. Karanam guna sango ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. Because he is infected by different diseased forms, therefore he is developing different forms of body. There is no such case of smallpox changing into malaria. Smallpox is smallpox, and malaria is malaria. By the desire of the living entity, he becomes infected with a certain disease or body. Krishna consciousness is the vaccine for all the diseases (different forms of material bodies).

Krishna says,

mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
                       [Gita 14.26]

Brahma-bhuyaya is the immune stage, or Krishna Conscious stage, when one is always fixed in Krishna. When one reaches this perfectional stage he no longer has to accept these different types of diseases, or bodies.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

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