No mercy, austerity and cleanliness in this age (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by HH Guru Prasad Swami in ISKCON Vrindavan

One evening Harikesa and Saurabha got to talking about Prabhupada’s plans for the Mayapur project. Harikesa, appreciating Prabhupada’s genius—how, from Mayapur, God-centered cities with temples, educational institutions, and proper social organization would spread around the globe—became so excited that he ran all the way from the construction office to Prabhupada’s apartment. He bounded up the stairs and, without even knocking, burst into Prabhupada’s room and threw himself on the floor and paid full dandavats.

Prabhupada was in the middle of eating a sandesa and a puri. He looked at Harikesa with big eyes, then went back to eating.

“Srila Prabhupada!” Harikesa exclaimed, “You’re a genius!”

Prabhupada looked up and said, “Oh?”

“Your plans for taking over the world. This is wonderful, this is fantastic—how you’ve made this plan for Mayapur and everything is so perfectly arranged.” Harikesa went on and on.

Prabhupada smiled and said, “Thank you very much.” Then he said, “Come here.” He broke the sandesa he was eating in half, gave Harikesa one half and the rest of his puri, and, still smiling, said, “Thank you very much.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

In Focus with Glenn and Kate Harrison.
by Dandakaranya das.
Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and how you both come to practice bhakti-yoga?

We have agreed to continue our dialogue and will meet again in a few months. We do so realizing that the more we listen and try to understand the issues that separate us, the better chance we have to find common ground.

Bhaktivedanta Manor and CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
The UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk of coronavirus in the UK from low to moderate. Bhaktivedanta Manor is currently open; however, regard will be had to the most recent and up-to-date medical advice available, including updates provided by the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE). The approach taken by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) with respect to Coronavirus will be measured and proportionate to the risks identified. We are regularly monitoring the risks and the potential impact this may have on worshippers or visitors to our Temples.

Mayapur GBC meeting (Album of photos)
Ramai Swami: After the ISKCON Leadership Sanga finished, the GBC meeting in Mayapur continued on. As always, there were a lot of different subjects and issues to discuss and luckily, by Krsna’s mercy, we were able to finish off nicely.

Today Pushkar Tirtha invited the Parikrama at its banks. There 3 small boys from the Bhaktivedanta Gurukul, played the pastime which took place there few thousand years before Mahaprabhu’s appearance. As Pancharatna Prabhu narrated in dramatic ways the boys gestured and moved in pure sincere ways. Even though they were a little more than 1,20 […]

The post Navadvipa Mandal Parikrama: Day 3 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The temple Hari Hara, was the first place to receive the devotees. HH Maha vishnu swami led the devotees into the adequate mood by singing the song : “ mahadeva panca mukhe rama rama hare hare”. There the first katha was held. We had the special presence of HG Pankajanghri Prabhu. Several speakers flooded the […]

The post Sri Navadvipa Parikrama Day 2 -Surabhi Kunja appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Bhaktimarga Swami: Gaudiya Dasa ACBSP from Ontario, Canada, passed away this morning at 1AM ...

It has come! It has come! After a whole year Sri Navadvipa Parikrama has come once again inviting all devotees to enter its prema filled islands. Around 6 am, in the hazy morning of the 26th , vaishnavas and vaishnavis from all walks of life and of multifarious cultural and ethnical backgrounds gather at the […]

The post Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Adhivas and Day 1 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Food for life program at Sonitech, Kenya (Album of photos)
Hare Krishna! Dandavat Pranam to all. Today’s Food for Life program at Sonitech, Kenya. Kirtan followed by prasadam serving. Jaya Prabhupada!
Find them here: http://bit.ly/2vvqvah

The ocean of the material world (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Vaisesika Dasa in ISKCON Silicon Valley

The Mayapur temple won last year, for the year 2019, but look out Mayapur! It looks like New Delhi is taking 2020 real seriously by getting a big head start. It did 145,921 book points in January. In second place this January was a temple in the small-temple category. That's right, passing all those big temples in the large category, Surat (India) took second place, with 39,708 book points. Continue reading "WSN January 2020 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats"

This is a transcript and translation of a recorded message sent (in Spanish) by Guru Prasad Swami to his disciples, regarding the online petition asking the International GBC reject Dhanurdara Swami’s request to be reinstated in ISKCON.

—————————————————————————-

“Hare Krishna.  Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.  I am in the middle of GBC’s meetings, but I know that you and other devotees are giving opinions regarding Dhanudhar Maharaja. I am sending this message, then you can share it. Not in Facebook, but with those devotees who have been commenting. Because it is my duty to oversee that my disciples and devotees in general do not commit offences against vaisnavas.

I know Dhanudhara Swami since 1975; every time I visited Vrindavan, I used to stay with him at gurukula’s accommodation; I saw his behavior, how he contributed academically, I saw his brahminical nature. Almost everything they are saying about him is not true; there was another devotee, his name was Raghunath. He hit devotees sometimes. He was the person who pushed a devotee against a column and broke his nose. He was the person who hit devotees. He was the person who chastised using sticks. He was the person who forced devotees to eat vomit.  Dhanudhara Swami didn’t do anything like that.

He committed some mistakes.  His mistakes were: Once, maybe twice, he pushed a devotee. That devotee fell and hurt his arm a bit, but that was not his intention.

And those children were out of control, coming from broken families, carrying very serious psychological issues; I saw them.  He told me about them, he asked me what to do with them. Some of those families didn’t care for their children.

He also made the mistake of censuring the exchange of mail communication with their families, to avoid having the children expose the situation of the gurukula.  His intention was to solve everything internally. That was his mistake.

He did many mistakes, but he didn’t do these things they are commenting.  I believe that those who are criticizing him, really don’t know him and are committing offences.

Dhanudhara Swami brought to ISKCON, two hundred or two hundred fifty persons in USA, India and Italy. Highly qualified people. His followers are more qualified than followers of any other preacher.  They are bank managers and powerful executives. The quality of his preaching is incredible.

So, I am just warning, please be careful, better you put more emphasis and attention chanting the Maha Mantra, spending less time on Facebook giving opinions regarding situations that you don’t know about. Many times, the information from the internet is exaggerated or false. Please be careful.

Thanks.  I hope you are well.  Receive my blessings from Mayapur.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada, Sri Guru and Gauranga.”

—————————————————————————-

This transcript from Guru Prasad Swami is an extraordinary synopsis of the false narrative Dhanurdhara Swami has been sharing with his followers.

It’s not new. We’ve heard bits and pieces of this dog whistle and gaslighting commentary for nearly three decades.

What’s unique is this is the first time we have verifiable proof this is what they’ve been saying.

Let’s analyze a few key parts.

1. Here’s what Guru Prasad Swami says about Dhanurdhara Swami:

“I know Dhanurdara Swami since 1975… Almost everything they are saying about him is not true… Dhanudara Swami didn’t do anything like that… He committed some mistakes…  His mistakes were: once, maybe twice, he pushed a devotee… I believe those that are criticizing him don’t know him and are causing offenses…”

Juxtapose that with a 2006 report from ISKCON’s legal counsel, who worked on the bankruptcy case for six years:

“As a result of the litigation in Texas, and the 600-plus claims filed in the bankruptcy court, we now have a vast body of information (evidence) that was not available in 1999. Although much was known with respect to allegations of physical and mental child abuse by Dhanurdhara Swami at the Vrindavan gurukula, we now have even more information than we had at that time. Based upon this additional information, it is now unequivocally clear to ISKCON’s legal team that the damage inflicted by Dhanurdhara Swami was significantly greater than that which was known in 1999. In fact, Dhanurdhara Swami is named as an abuser in the bankruptcy claims far more than any other person.”

For emphasis, I’ll repeat the last sentence to make sure we catch the significance:

“In fact, Dhanurdhara Swami is named as an abuser in the bankruptcy claims far more than any other person.”

The report concluded:

“We have seen and reviewed firsthand the claims filed in the bankruptcy court documenting the severe abuse inflicted on the Vrindavana gurukula children by Dhanurdhara Swami, as well as the CPO information. From a legal standpoint, we have no doubt that these claims are legitimate.”

2. Guru Prasad Swami says this about the pioneer generation of children raised in ISKCON’s Gurukulas:

“And those children were out of control, coming from broken families, carrying very serious psychological issues; I saw them. He told me about them, he asked me what to do with them. Some of those families didn’t care for their children.”

Here’s a small sampling of what Srila Prabhupada said about these same children:

“If we are able to make a whole generation of our children into fine Krishna Conscious preachers, that will be the glory of our movement and the glory of your country as well. But if we neglect somehow or other and if we lose even one Vaisnava, that is very great loss.”

“These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused. Your duty is very clear.”

In Guru Prasad Swami’s statement, we can see how the former students of the Vrindavan Gurukula are presented as damaged beyond repair, easily cast away and forgotten by leaders who place their priorities and values elsewhere.

3. Contrast that with Guru Prasad Swami’s glowing descriptions of Dhanurdhara Swami and his disciples:

“I know Dhanudhara Swami since 1975; every time I visited Vrindavan, I used to stay with him at gurukula’s accommodation; I saw his behavior, how he contributed academically, I saw his brahminical nature.”

“Dhanudhara Swami brought to ISKCON, two hundred or two hundred fifty persons in USA, India and Italy. Highly qualified people. His followers are more qualified than followers of any other preacher. They are bank managers and powerful executives. The quality of his preaching is incredible.”

4. I would like to give attention to the following sentence:

“Because it is my duty to oversee that my disciples and devotees in general do not commit offences against vaisnavas.”

I’ll briefly circle back to an earlier point.

Again, those who Srila Prabhupada affectionately referred to as his “Vaikuntha children,” have little or no value to Guru Prasad Swami who, by saying this, inflicts even more damage to the already severely abused Vaisnavas.

Meanwhile, the individual responsible for hundreds of documented vaishnava-aparadas and also “named as an abuser… far more than any other person” in ISKCON’s history, is made out to be the victim and – tragic hero – in Guru Prasad Swami’s faithful retelling of Dhanurdhara Swami’s false history.

5. Next, I’d like to point out something quite revealing.

In one sentence there’s an assumption embedded so well, at first, I missed it:

“Dhanudhara Swami brought to ISKCON, two hundred or two hundred fifty persons in USA, India and Italy.”

Rather than be subject to GBC lifetime restrictions against holding any leadership position, including that of initiating guru, Dhanurdhara Swami left ISKCON in 2006, and has operated outside the organization ever since.

In 2020 Dhanurdhara Swami petitioned the GBC for re-admittance into ISKCON. The North American GBC and CPO both issued public statements declining his request. Rather than face the likelihood his request would also be denied at the international level, Dhanurdhara Swami withdrew his appeal, and remains outside ISKCON.

Knowing that, why would an ISKCON GBC member state “Dhanurdhara Swami brought to ISKCON two hundred or two hundred fifty persons?”

The best answer I can come up with is Guru Prasad Swami is one of the ISKCON leaders who publicly profess “Dhanurdhara Swami is out,” and privately act as if he’s really in.

6. And, as I conclude this analysis, here’s one more thing I’d like to highlight:

I am floored by the audacity of Guru Prasad Swami, a senior Prabhupada disciple, ISKCON guru, swami and GBC, who holds several of the most respected and influential positions in our Society.

In the opening sentence he says, “I am in the middle of the GBC meetings…”

If you listen to the audio, he wasn’t kidding.

He was literally sitting in the 2020 Annual Mayapur GBC meetings, recording a message to his disciples, spreading a patently false narrative, in an ongoing effort protect and defend Dhanurdhara Swami, the #1 child abuser in ISKCON’s history.

Looking forward, here are some of my questions:

Does this represent the ISKCON we want to be a part of?

Does this reflect the best ISKCON has to offer?

Are we ok with this untenable behavior from ISKCON leaders?

What more can we do to make ISKCON a Society we are proud of?

After the ISKCON Leadership Sanga finished, the GBC meeting in Mayapur continued on. As always, there were a lot of different subjects and issues to discuss and luckily, by Krsna’s mercy, we were able to finish off nicely.

I chaired most of the meeting, which sometimes was not easy because of the many who wanted to speak. In the end, all the devotees who helped facilitate the meeting with office paraphernalia, drinks and snacks etc. were thanked by the GBC body.

My godbrother Bhagavata Asraya Prabhu told me the following story, which he heard from our godbrother Gunarnava Prabhu.

Srila Prabhupada was visiting Bombay for what turned out to be one of the last times. Although the building was still under construction, at his request his quarters had been hastily prepared, and he had moved in.

Srila Prabhupada was by this time in poor health, and everything was a great effort for him, but still he was giving darshan to some devotees and guests. At one point an Indian man stood up in the midst of it all and, making something of an exhibition of himself, folded his hands and requested, “Swamiji, give me your blessings.”

Srila Prabhupada fixed the man with a stare that lasted long enough for the man and everyone in the room to start to feel uncomfortable. When the situation seemed to reach the point where it was intolerable, Srila Prabhupada began to speak. Addressing everyone, he said, in effect, “Such a big organization, this ISKCON . . . worldwide organization . . . with so many problems. All coming on my head. Every day all problems coming to me . . . so many letters from all over the world. All on my head.”

He gently tapped his head a few times, saying, “You don’t know the headache I have.” Then he gave the man another look and said, “So, if you want my blessings, you take some of my headache.”

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

ISKCON’s temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, is situated in a prominent area of town, and occupies a central and very visible location. Immediately across from the temple is a Bus Stop that has had the name of ISKCON Cross Road BRTS Bus Stop for a long time.

More and more people in the world celebrate Gaura Purnima as the most important holiday of the year. Gaura Purnima is a happy time when Lord Caitanya, the golden avatar, appeared on earth five hundred years ago. He is also called the most gracious avatar. He gives an invaluable gift - love to God for everyone. According to His prediction, Mahamantra Hare Krsna is heard throughout the world. On the day of His appearance, the whole planet was freed from the oppression of the age of Kali, so everyone on earth received the opportunity to be liberated simply by chanting the holy names.

Mlecchas and yavanas!
Srila Prabhupada sent some American and European disciples to one of his sannyasi godbrothers’ ashram in India in the late 60s’. However, this sannyasi forbid them to cook or to perform arotika; they were Westerners and were thus too fallen to perform these services. Prabhupada never forgot this insult to his disciples: half a decade later, when that sannyasi asked Prabhupada for a contribution, Prabhupada replied as follows.

Iskcon devotees, including HG Mahatma prabhu ACBSP (in the photo), spent a morning collecting garbage thrown carelessly in the streets of the Holy Dhama of Sri Mayapur. There is a plan for the stores in Iskcon Mayapur to be using primarily products with biodegradable packaging but is not applied yet. There are also other policies thought out in order to prevent pollution like for example placing signs everywhere: 1000 RUPEE FINE FOR LITTERING and then get all the chokidars to enforce it. Eventually, these and other norms of this effect will be applied, as the nearing of the completion of the international project of the TOVP becomes imminent.

The benefit of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam classes (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by HH Prahladananda Swami in ISKCON Vrindavan.

Our retreat-hosting cancer charity, Smiling Soul, recently evolved from an initiative originally set up by Janakinath dasa (JD), a resident monk for over a decade at Bhaktivedanta Manor. JD cannot, unfortunately be with us today. The man affectionately known as ‘The Smiling Monk’ was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer early in 2017. Continue reading "S.M.I.L.E.
→ Dandavats"

The most extraordinary story ever told, who actually is Srila Prabhupada? His message & mission is the most crucial & critical message for humankind in the history of the world, Srila Prabhupada seemed to know that he would have temples filled up with devotees. He would look out and say: “I am not a poor man, I am rich. There are temples and books, they are existing, they are there, just time is separating us from them.” Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada; No Ordinary Guru, No Ordinary Acarya (video)
→ Dandavats"

Harinama in Rishikesh with 50 Iskcon devotees (3 min. video)
Indradyumna Swami: If you ask me what is my favorite service, this is it. Speaking to the people in my favorite “temple”: the street corner of every town and village. Jaya Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

ISKCON devotees all over the world!
Iskcon Winneba Ghana, Africa.

How to Honor Prasad When a devotee distributes prasada, remnants of food offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in order to maintain our spirit of devotional service we must accept this prasada as the Lord's grace received through the pure devotees. Nectar of Instruction (Text 4 Purport) 01. Remember that Krsna prasadam is non-different from Krsna.

It is by knowledge of the Absolute Truth that people can become free of their suffering. There are so many universities, so many libraries, so many books, so many web sites—so much information available today. But where is the knowledge by which a person can be freed of ignorance and attain full satisfaction? That knowledge is found in the teachings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.

This evening, accompanied by Ganga dasi from Madrid and Bhakta dasa from Los Angeles, I visited Rajani Priya dasi (Rose Forkash) at her home in Carpinteria, California. She is six months away from her one hundredth birthday, but she is mentally and spiritually alert, and we all felt enlivened by her association. She described her first visits to the Los Angeles temple, how peaceful she felt and how much she appreciated the chanting. “The more I chanted, the better I felt,” she said. “And so I chanted more and more.” As we were leaving, she spontaneously broke into singing the Hare Krishna mantra, lifting her hands from her walker and waving them in the air as she led us in kirtan. What a special, blessed soul!

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

We are not the controllers! (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Shikhi Mahiti Prabhu in ISKCON Vrindavan.

Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama
It has come! It has come! After a whole year Sri Navadvipa Parikrama has come once again inviting all devotees to enter its prema filled islands.

This is not an official ISKCON presentation. I became concerned when I saw many devotees, especially in the west, becoming vegan, without looking for alternative solutions, such as developing farms with protected cows. These are my personal views based on my understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Veganism is a broad topic, in this presentation we mainly discuss about milk consumption. Continue reading "Should ISKCON Devotees become Vegan?
→ Dandavats"

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 June 2015, Gita Nagari, United States of America, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.8)

At the time of initiation, even if the vows are taken sincerely, how deep is our sincerity? Even in the best scenario, when the disciple very sincerely from the heart says, “I am going to give my life to you”, how deep is that sincerity anyway? By the definition of Kunti Devi:

janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir
edhamana-madah puman
naivarhaty abhidhatum vai
tvam akincana-gocaram 
(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.26)

Kunti Devi points out that unless one is materially exhausted, unless one has no more attachment to one’s position on earth and unless one is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaḿ (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 19.170) – free from all sense of designation, of deriving some prestige from birth, from learning, from wealth, from beauty and all these things; unless one is free from these things, how can one even have sincerity?

So here we are and many changes have to be made. The spiritual master has to invest more and more, plant more and more seeds in the heart of the disciple; make that disciple increase his commitment to Krsna otherwise, we just go on auto-pilot. The tendency to go on auto-pilot is very natural because everything becomes routine. In the beginning, it is brand new. It is so exciting and then, “You know, just finished chanting rounds from yesterday, actually. Oh God, it has started already again! Whew. Will it ever end… and what is the result of this chanting?” The result is more chanting and it will never end! It goes on eternally. If you think about it, is that what we really want? Do we really want to chant eternally? Whew! Sixteen rounds… Ping! Finished! Very convenient. But, we have to go in depth, to get out of this shallow state of consciousness where emotions are just happening on the mental plane.

Srila Bhaktsiddhanta Saraswati Thakur explains how we are hovering on the mental plane because when the spirit soul becomes embodied, that spirit soul goes into a dormant state and the natural functions of thinking, feeling and willing – which are actually the functions of the soul – get stolen by the mind. The mind takes over these functions of thinking, feeling and willing and all our experiences are on the mental platform. The mind likes one thing and the mind does not like the other. Sankalpa vikalpa – accepting and rejecting. The mind is always hovering on the mental plane; that is actually the case.

The soul, where real thinking, feeling and willing is meant to take place and where such feelings are deep and meaningful, is in a dormant state and then, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 22.107), by hearing, chanting and devotional service to the holy name, the soul gradually awakens. That is the business of the spiritual master; to somehow or other awaken some eagerness in the disciple to take it a step further.

We can never be routinely engaged in devotional service. Pure devotional service is a very high level. It is not so easily attained. It takes a great effort. It is like we are wanting the highest and wanting it for free, if possible. So, the number of rounds is not the issue. The number is not the focus. It is not about the number. It is about the absorption. It is about the energy that we put into our activities. It is where we make Krsna a priority. This is there where we experience a breakthrough.

The article " Experiencing a breakthrough " was published on KKSBlog.

There are many ways to try to find it, but only one will give us the full enjoyment and complete freedom we're looking for

Lord Siva and the devotees of Lord Krishna (video)
From a recent class in Bhaktivedanta Manor

Srimad Bhagavatam in the center!
Shastrakrit Das: If we want good marriage we put each other first and if we want great marriage we put Bhagavatam in the center!

Prabhupada: The only one who told us the truth! (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by HH Dhirasanta das Goswami in ISKCON Mayapur.