Planet ISKCON

What is the nature of the Lord's protection? What shall we do during crisis? Shall we put up our hands like Draupadi did, or fight like Arjuna? Action, or inaction is the proper way of surrendering? Watch this enlivening talk by Radhika Ramana Das (Ravi Gupta Ph.D.)

Most ISKCON members around the world are now in “lockdown” due to the corona virus pandemic, and struggling to maintain regular association with other devotees. However, due to modern technology, there are various daily live virtual classes, discussions, japa circles that devotees can take advantage of. 

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 Jayapataka 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​.

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. Jayapataka Swami Speaks About the #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The second annual #GivingTOVP 10 Day Matching Fundraiser will soon begin on April 26(Akshaya Tritiya) until May 6 (Nrsimha Caturdasi) to raise funds for the completion of Lord Nrsimha’s temple wing and altar for the opening celebration during Gaura Purnima 2021. However, we are all too aware of the disastrous effects of the Corona virus pandemic worldwide, even on ISKCON communities, preaching, book distribution and finances.

ISKCON Mayapur is especially struggling due to the 21 day lock-down in India which has all but halted many of the daily activities there, including work on the TOVP. Entry of any visitors or devotees, including the residential devotees in and around Mayapur, has been restricted to those engaged in the daily deity services and other direct temple related services. All guest houses are closed, restaurants and Maha Prasad stalls, bhoga bhandar and all sources which are meant for generating revenues are shut down. All income to ISKCON Mayapur has thus been stopped.

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. The potential is quite large considering that last year over $150,000 was raised, not including Amariasa’s match of $150,000.

These funds will be used for Deity Care, Devotee Care of 250+ full-time brahmacari residents, and Cow Care of the 300+ cows in the goshala. This is an opportunity to serve the World Headquarters of ISKCON in Sridham Mayapur which is struggling due to a financial breakdown.

We encourage devotees worldwide to support this combined fundraiser with one donation from April 26 until May 6 and help both the TOVP continue with financing our construction work and ISKCON Mayapur through this crisis. Please take responsibility for protecting Srila Prabhupada’s ‘Place of Worship’ and dearmost project. As he stated regarding the upkeep of ISKCON Mayapur:

“Just like I am trying to make some fund for Vrndavana and Mayapur. Even no contribution comes, it will go on. The seva-puja will not stop for want of money. So there will be no want of money. Still, I must make some provision, by the income the seva-puja will go on. Contribution may come or not. That provision should be made.”

Concerning the TOVP project specifically, we will resume construction as soon as possible and we pray devotees will also continue with their regular pledge payments. If construction stops for an extended period this will have severe ramifications on our scheduled Grand Opening in 2022. It will also increase the construction cost as re-starting work will be very costly for a number of reasons. Minimum work must continue at the least so our progress is not stunted.

Please go here to read more about the #GivingTOVP Fundraiser.

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 #GivingTOVP Matching Fundraiser & TOVP Care Emergency Fund Campaign appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

It was once again practically demonstrated that those who are practicing self-sufficiency either to the full extent or at least to some degree are definitely less vulnerable in times of upheavals.

In 1971, as a young devotee in Calcutta, Giriraja Swami approached Srila Prabhupada, “I have been trying to understand what your desire is, and two things seem to please you the most: distributing your books and building the big temple in Mayapur.” Prabhupada’s face lit up, his eyes opened wide, and he smiled, saying: “Yes, you have understood. If you all build this temple, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.”

Now that’s quite a statement from Srila Prabhupada! Building the TOVP was so important to him (and our acharyas) that he categorically stated, “You have understood”, and if you build this temple, “Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.” And hand-in-hand with the TOVP is book distribution. What more can be said? These statements are an indication of the heart and soul of Srila Prabhupada, our Founder/Acharya and most merciful master. Along with developing our love of God, which was his prime desire for us personally, fulfilling these two desires of his in the preaching mission are the cornerstone of pleasing him.

It may be unknown to many devotees, including those who actively distribute his books full or part-time, that for every book which is bought from the BBT and distributed to some fortunate conditioned soul, a percentage of that income to the BBT goes directly to temple construction as per Srila Prabhupada’s direct instruction:

“I specifically formed the BBT to invest in it exclusive rights for the printing of all literature containing my teachings, writings and lectures. In this way the collections are to be divided fifty percent for printing new books and fifty percent for construction of temples.”

Letter to all Temple Presidents 3/14/74

Several years ago the BBT Trustees unanimously decided that the importance of building and completing the TOVP exceeded the needs of any other temple construction project, and agreed to continue to remit annual funds for TOVP construction until the year 2022 when it is scheduled for completion. This landmark commitment by the BBT heralded the start of an unannounced pledge by the BBT to help build the TOVP through funds generated by book distribution. And every book distributor in the world was now an unsung hero in the “Raising of Lord Caitanya’s temple by the hands of every devotee.” To date the BBT and BBTI have given the TOVP over $2 million!

It may consequently be said that every book distributed builds the TOVP. Every book distributed is figuratively another brick on the TOVP. Books are, in fact, bricks. And in this way devotees can be further inspired and enlivened in their book distribution service to distribute even more books, knowing they are personally involved in the construction on a daily basis.

So, remember the Book Are Bricks Campaign for the next two years to the Grand Opening of the TOVP in 2022, and get the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur. They will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.

Book Are Bricks Campaign ki jaya!!!

The post Announcing – The BBT/TOVP Books Are Bricks Campaign appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

[Princeton University Hindu Life Program]

Podcast

Video:

The post Seeking Karuna Amidst Corona seminar part 2 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

With natural disasters, climate change and other calamities regularly harrassing us we may wonder: Is this it? Is the world going to end? A video by Bhakti Loungue Sydney. 

Talk of Town

The following is a report from the TOVP Architecture Department Head, Vilasini devi dasi, detailing the development of the Pujari Floor from concept to reality.

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

The post TOVP Architecture Department Pujari Floor Opening Report – March, 2020 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

From a talk by Srila Prabhupada on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 25.29, January 21, 1967, San Francisco.

The laws of nature are so strict that if you have to suffer, nobody can check it. That is realized by Prahlada Maharaja. There are so many evidences. Balasya neha saranam pitarau. (SB 7.9.19) [“My Lord Nrsimhadeva, O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily beneficial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffering patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot protect a drowning man.”]

There are many children, they have got their parents, but they are suffering. Actually, their parents take care. But in spite of their parents being present, they are suffering for want of food, want of proper management. Therefore it is to be understood that the father and mother are not actually the responsible persons to take care of the children.

Then, nartasya cagadam. Artasya, those who are suffering from disease—medicine is not all. Suppose one man is suffering: you give him all treatment and medicine. There are many rich men; they can spend like anything. But does it mean that he’ll be cured? No. He may not be cured. And even in the presence of parents, the children may suffer.

Udanvati nauù. And suppose you have got very good, nice ship. Do you mean to say that you’ll cross over the Atlantic Ocean safely? Oh, at any moment it can be drowned. There is no guarantee. You have got very nice jet plane; you are going to San Francisco. Oh, there is no guarantee that you will reach there. Therefore, unless there is God’s sanction, all these remedies, all these protections, are useless.

Therefore the best service to the humanity is to revive people’s Krishna consciousness, God consciousness. That will save them. Not this little hospital or this little foodstuff. No. That cannot save him. If God neglects one . . . There is a Bengali saying, two lines: rakse krsna mare ke, mare krsna rakse ke. If Krishna, God, wants to kill somebody, oh, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to protect him, oh, nobody can kill him. . . . Both ways.

One Dr. Ghosh told me—because I was in medical business. He went to see one patient. He explained, “He’s suffering from pneumonia, and he’s such a poor man, lying in such an unfavorable condition. Our medical science says he should have died. But I don’t see that he’s dying. He’s not dying.” I have tested this. One doctor at Gaya, a Muhammadan named Suvahi—I saw that many patients were surrounding him. So I congratulated him, “Doctor, you have got very good patients. Your practice is very nice.” “Sir,” he replied, “it is not my credit. If you want my practical experience, I’ll tell you that with confidence I prescribe somebody some medicine—it fails. And without any confidence, just to take a chance, I prescribe some medicine, ‘Oh, let me see . . .’ and, oh, it works nicely. So actually, I can take no credit.” So, he was an honest man to admit, “It is God’s grace that so many patients are being cured in my hand, but I say I have no credit.” This the reality.

So, we should not take any credit. Everything is under the laws of the Supreme Lord, through the agency of this material, external energy. Just like a government is working through different departments, similarly God is working through His different energies. He’s sitting with you, He’s seeing everything, and He knows everything. Vedaham samatitani. (Gita 7.26) [“O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.”]

[Princeton University Hindu Life Program]

Podcast

Video:

The post Seeking Karuna Amidst Corona seminar part 1 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Lord Caitanya says that one should always try to associate with saintly persons because if one establishes a proper association with a saintly person, even for a moment, one attains all perfection. Somehow or other, if one meets a saintly person and achieves his favor, then the entire mission of one’s human life is fulfilled. In our personal experience we have actual proof of this statement of Manu. Once we had the opportunity to meet Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, and on first sight he requested this humble self to preach his message in the Western countries. There was no preparation for this, but somehow or other he desired it, and by his grace we are now engaged in executing his order, which has given us a transcendental occupation and has saved and liberated us from the occupation of material activities. Thus it is actually a fact that if one meets a saintly person completely engaged in transcendental duties and achieves his favor, then one’s life mission becomes complete. What is not possible to achieve in thousands of lives can be achieved in one moment if there is an opportunity to meet a saintly person. It is therefore enjoined in Vedic literature that one should always try to associate with saintly persons and try to disassociate oneself from the common man, because by one word of a saintly person one can be liberated from material entanglement. A saintly person has the power, because of his spiritual advancement, to give immediate liberation to the conditioned soul.

—Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.22.5 purport

To help devotees stay safe and cope with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the GBC Strategic Planning Team has put together a global task force team that gathers and disseminate both spiritually uplifting and materially useful information. 

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 9 January 2017, Brisbane, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.6)

Srila Prabhupada makes an important point that hearing and explaining the scriptures is more important than reading them. Why is it so? Because when we simply read, some things are misunderstood by us and when we never hear, we perpetuate our own misunderstandings. This is until one day someone gives a lecture and explains the concept in a totally different way than we understood it all this time. Therefore, hearing from others gives us different insights and different angles into our scriptures. It is very important because it is by hearing that we can deeply understand the contents of the scriptures.

The article " The importance of hearing " was published on KKSBlog.

Today is the appearance day of Sripad Ramanujacharya.Sripad Ramanujacarya has also visited Navadvipa dhama & performed his bhajan at Vaikuntapur. Navadvipa dham Mahatmya narrates Ramanujacarya’s arrival to Navadvipa as follows: A great acarya once came to Puri and pleased the Lord with his verses. Jagannatha appeared before him and said, “go and see Navadvipa Dhama, […]

The post Sripad Ramanujacharya in Navadvipa dhama appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Ramanujacharya was born around 1017 in Sri Perumbudur village. His father was Kesava Samayaji and his mother was Kantimathi. He married Rashambal around 1036.

A few days after the wedding, his father died and He went with his mother and wife to Kanchipuram and settled there. He became a priest in the temple of Lord Varadaraja and began to expound the doctrine of devotional service to the Lord.

It is said that Ramanuja’s married life lasted until he was thirty, when he gave up worldly life. Ramanuja’s cousin, Govinda Bhatta was his closest friend and he played an important role in Ramanuja’s life.

He was also associated with Ranganatha temple where he establish the teaching that the worship of god and the soul is an essential part of the doctrines of the Upanishads on which the system of Vedanta is built, therefore the teachings of the Vaishanavas and Bhagavatas are not heterodox. He returned to Sri Rangam after 20 years and organised the temple worship, and founded 74 centres to disseminate his teachings. 

Ramai Swami the ISKCON GBC Chairman for 2020 speaks to the devotees about the COVID-19 situation and how to deal with some of their concerns.

Hare Krishna charity Food for All has been given government approval to serve free vegetarian meals to London’s homeless people during the UK’s Coronavirus lockdown.

This unprecedented environment has also created an unprecedented state of affairs for ISKCON, with all events cancelled, and temples across North America closed to the public, as well as to devotees except temple residents.

After two major earthquakes on the morning of March 22nd, all inhabitants of Zagreb ran out of their homes. Luckily, ISKCON's Nova Jaladuta temple building did not suffer any major damage, an the Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deities have been worshiped without disruption.

Dear Devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yesterday I realised that to get a bag of rice or dal was going to take at least 8 weeks, the supermarkets were sold out and the warehouse suppliers were sold out.

Krishna came to the rescue and this morning 10 pallets, 10 tonnes , arrived, Hari Bol.When these magical events happen we can feel gratitude to Lord Krishna and his pure devotee Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada alway felt great gratitude towards his disciples.
“And_you_are_all_helping_me_to_fulfill_the_order_which_Guru_Maharaja_gave_me._So_I_am_so_much_grateful_to_you,_and_I_am_sure_Krishna_will_bless_you_a_million_times_over,_for_doing_this_work”
Srila Prabhupada

Last night the whole U.K. openly expressed gratitude towards the NHS, ( UK hospital staff) The Co Director of Food for All Jenny Matthias: Hari Krishna to all our wonderful devotees in Krishna Consciousness. Last night saw the public come out in their droves on veranda’s and outside their windows, clapping their hands and whooping with much respect for our angels without wings; It’s usually in times of severe adversity that you see Krishna at work. The NHS deserve fully the accolade of a nations respect but more still needs to be done and so we are calling on you specifically to help us distribute Prasad, our world needs a spiritual solution and you’re it. Who’s up for the challenge??  Hari Krishna and much LOVE to you all from Jenne Bellestar

Matthias”The Bellestars felt really honoured that their version of The Clapping Song was chosen by Channel 4 for the musical backdrop that played tribute to our heroic NHS carer’s on and off the front line.

“If I can be cheeky , I have a Natco Foods invoice here for £4,421 , and Hodmedod Foods invoice for £9,500 , can anybody pay them please , will be grateful, Email : foodforalluk@gmail.com

Your servant

Parasuram das 

Composed by Sacchidananda Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, sung by Bhakti Charu Swami.

A video by KIRTANIYAS.

Someone asked me if we should pray for the protection of our loved ones – of course we should! But it got me thinking.

The first annual UP Devotional Arts & Film Festival, which took place on March 8^th at Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi Auditorium in Mayapur, focused on screening music videos by devotee artists from around the world. 

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

All day, we are talking about money. At work, money is the centre. That is what it is basically all about; doing all these things to make money. We make money, the company makes money. So money is all we are doing it for. Having a nice meeting – for money! Everyone is present – for money! That is all that is for.

At work, one is busy with money. But then at home, that is enough! How much time can we spend for money? Money comes anyway on it’s own accord. And its also to be remembered that one should just live according to his means – whatever comes naturally without going too far. That is what one should accept, his destiny. Not that we can go against destiny and that we want to be richer than we are meant to be and then we just somehow or other endeavour twelve hours, fourteen hours and so on. Because then, there is no more spiritual life left.

If someone says, “I have no more time for spiritual life”, then the first question is, “How much time are you spending just making money?” Prabhupada said once that about six hours a day is enough. Now you can tell your boss that; that is certainly going to be a complication (laughter). But at least we can try and minimize the time we spend just making money. This will mean that we have to live a little simpler, but that is fine!

The article " Live a little simpler " was published on KKSBlog.