Planet ISKCON

“From his front room at 6 Sita Kanta Banerjee, Abhay conceived, wrote, edited, and typed the manuscript for a magazine. He designed a logo, a long rectangle across the top of the page. In the upper left-hand corner was a figure of Lord Chaitanya, effulgent with rays of light like rays from the sun. In the lower right were silhouettes of a crowd of people, in darkness but groping to receive light from Lord Chaitanya. And between Lord Chaitanya and the people, the title unfurled like a banner— BACK TO GODHEAD. In the lower right corner was a picture of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati seated at his writing, looking up thoughtfully as he composed. Above the logo ran the motto ‘Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no Nescience.’” - Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, a six-volume biography by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami.

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Back to Godhead!
Srila Prabhupada once wrote of Back to Godhead magazine, “This paper is the beginning of my spiritual life.”
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
To commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of Back to Godhead, we present Srila Prabhupada’s opening article of his first issue of the magazine, which he launched on the appearance day of his spiritual master in 1944. The world was at war, and Srila Prabhupada discusses that harsh reality in light of the purpose of the magazine.

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Lecture given on July 16, 1969, in Los Angeles. A talk given on the occasion of the installation of the deities Sri Sri Rukmini Dvarakanatha.

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History made in British Parliament (1 min. video)
History made in British Parliament – With Bhagavad Gita As It Is!
Radha Mohan Das: The reelected Member of the British Parliament for Harrow East, Mr Bob Blackman made history this week.
During the traditional swearing-in ceremony within Parliament’s main debating Chamber, in his right hand, he took a copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, along with the traditional King James Bible.
Bob Blackman MP is a Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Group Conservative Friends of India.

Was Dylan empowered to sing of the coming of the Acharya of the Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu line of disciplic succession? As crazy as it sounds, at least to some disciples it makes perfect sense that he could be the prophetic voice of a minstrel who was planted by the will of the Supreme Lord into the crowd of the day’s social rebels. In his song “Lay Down Your Weary Tune”—reminiscent of the Bhagavata’s 2nd canto of describing the Supreme Lord in Nature—he sang of God’s endless orchestra in the sky and ocean. Many devotees consider that his “Mr. Tambourine Man” is a prophecy of the coming of Shrila Prabhupada and of the sankirtana movement. His “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” speaks of the hopelessness of modern civilization.

Srila Prabhupada’s books in Arabic now distributed in sets!
Arabic book sets going out in NYC! We hope to make these stacks larger soon with the addition of the Arabic SSR and Sri Isopanisad!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 8 April 2019, Amritsar, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.6.37)

Prabhupada told us the story of the old Bengali lady, who while on her death bed, is being forced by her son to chant ‘Hare Krsna!’

The son says to his mother, ‘chant! chant! Hare Krsna bolo!’ but the mother is simply not chanting. The son then pushes her a little stronger and finally the lady says a full sentence, “I am dying, can’t you see? What more do you want me to say?” The lady says this whole sentence but still she could not say Hare Krsna! Why?

This is because the lady has not seen how chanting this mahamantra will bring her eternal happiness. The son continues to force his mother to chant, but if the son were to show her how this chanting will bring happiness, then she would be able to chant.

Therefore, somehow or other, we must be able to show people that there is happiness coming from the chanting of the mahamantra. And of course, this is easiest through kirtan because kirtan brings everybody happiness.

The article " Show people happiness " was published on KKSBlog.

By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

So the Krishna consciousness movement is not for the persons who are envious. It is a movement to train people how to become non-envious. Yes, it is very first-class scientific movement not to become envious. Any religion system, if there is jealousy, it is not religion. We should understand what jealousy is. Jealousy means that you are rightful owner of something; I won't allow you to take it. This is jealousy; try to understand it. Continue reading "Religion of Non-envy
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By Guru das

About the Vrindavan days from my book "By his example". The entourage included the Maharaja of Bharatpur, two queens, the prince, various relatives, zamindhars (landowners loyal to the king), agents, a doctor, and eight soldiers dressed in Jat military uniforms, part of the Maharaja’s private army. Twelve servants carried the supplies and the largest incense sticks I have ever seen. These sticks were twelve feet high and thick as a python. Servants, beautifully dressed in long, silk robes, carried large torches ahead of the party so we could see. Continue reading "“By his example”: GOVARDHAN HILL
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By Damodar Nityananda Dasa

Nedzad was born in a family of practicing Muslims in the city of Tuzla in present day Bosnia in the year 1965. His father was from Tuzla, but his mother was born in Montenegro. His father was not very strict in his practices and was into music. But his mother was a very strict Muslim and she had attended Muslim school. “My mother was from a strict family tradition wherein the girls were trained in high standards. They were much regulated with no illicit sex even in mind and they knew even as a child that they were meant to be married to and stay loyal to one man throughout the life,” Nedzad quips. Continue reading "Nedzad and his amazing Sankirtana experiences
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Answer Podcast

The post Why did Srila Prabhupada call his Gita commentary As It Is? (Bhagavad-gita) appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

“More consultation, dialogue and interaction can be conducive to better, wiser and more acceptable decisions,” the group writes in its manifesto.  The idea stemmed from the GBC’s own Organizational Development Committee, which was established and mandated to thoroughly review ISKCON’s current leadership model.

A holly jolly parody that celebrates the joy of blending holiday traditions. No matter how you celebrate the season, Happy Holidays!

Historically, ISKCON Brooklyn, New York, was perhaps the greatest center of book distribution in the world. The huge amounts of books distributed from Brooklyn, meanwhile, contributed much of the funds to build flagship ISKCON centers such as the Juhu temple in Mumbai, and Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir. For the past twenty years, however, book distribution came to a complete standstill in Brooklyn.

Our "Paramahamster" comic strip follows an enthusiastic devotee as he navigates a 9 - 5 work day in the corporate world. Please check back weekly for new episodes!

With an objective of making lasting changes in inmates' behavior by igniting the love for God in their hearts, devotees from ISKCON Chandigarh visited the Central Jail of Chandigarh and Model Jail Ambala (Haryana). 

In 1994, Priyavrata das, working under the guidance of Mukunda Goswami, wrote and published the first edition of the Food for Life Training Manual. Mukunda Goswami wrote the foreword to the manual, praising its importance to the preaching and success of the Krishna Consciousness movement.  

The well adored Sanskrit Bhajan composed from the Brahma Samhita in praise of Lord Krishna, performed by Sufi Soul Sangeet lead by Tahir Qawwal. Tahir is a world renowned Sufi Qawwali singer with his ensemble Fanna-Fi-Allah. Though a practicing sufi & qawwal by profession, he is also devoted to sharing sincere devotional wisdom from all spiritual paths reaching beyond the boundaries of conflicting belief systems. This cultural bridge building is one of the essential principals of the sufi way.

During the traditional swearing-in ceremony within Parliament's  main debating Chamber,  in his right hand he took a copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, along with the traditional King James Bible.

 ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) recently ended a lengthy, detailed consideration of the Vaishnavi diksa guru question that has been under consideration since 2003. The Vaishnavi Ministry welcomes the new resolution, which upholds important spiritual principles and Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition while accommodating concerns about local communities having different cultural standards.

The ISKCON Communications Ministry hosted the Fifth Annual Vaishnava Christian Dialogue in India, December 16-18. The Dialogue is part of a global effort by the Ministry to promote understanding between members of ISKCON and other major religious communities.  

Indian origin lawmakers take oath on Bhagavad Gita in UK’s House of Commons.
Two UK lawmakers Alok Sharma and Rishi Sunak took oath on the Bhagavad Gita while swearing-in as members of the parliament in the new House of Commons on Tuesday. Alok Sharma is a minister in the British cabinet, Rishi Sunak is the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

"Can I walk the world in grace, in anonymous  humility, offering myself to selflessly give, as an invisible guide, like the scent of roses?"

Backyard Bhakti.
Backyard Bhakti, a group that emerged from the Community Development Initiative (CDI), is committed to assisting people begin and maintain a small home garden. For the cost of materials and some pay-it-forward participation, the Backyard Bhakti team will conduct a workshop at your home on constructing, filling and planting a 4 x 8 foot raised-bed garden (just add water and bhakti). Like to have a garden at your house?
In 2018, from the Alachua Hare Krishna Temple Community Development Initiative, several Action Teams were formed to develop Focus Areas identified as interests/needs of the community. Backyard Bhakti is focusing on the vision of a community where members live a simpler, more natural way of life as taught by Srila Prabhupada.
The team’s mission is to encourage and facilitate a collaborative culture in the community for learning and implementing sustainable agriculture and cow protection.
How can YOU get a garden???

* Participate in helping install TWO Backyard Bhakti gardens at someone else’s home first. Contact Michael Peattie or see the posts telling when the next garden party is scheduled. Once you’ve done this you can sign up for a garden.

* Fee of $108 to cover cost of lumber, soil, fertilizer and seeds for a 4’ X 8’ garden

* Help promote participation and education by inviting your friends!
For more information see https://www.facebook.com/groups/backyardbhakti

Black Forest Cake - No Chocolate No Egg Recipe - Dessert - Iskcon Recipes (video)

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By Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

>When we started our OCHS journey twenty years ago, I was focused on the study of my own Hindu denomination. I thought it time for that tradition to engage in a critical assessment of itself. We should use the apparatus of scholarship to compare its perspectives with those of other world views, and provide a basis for discussion and dialogue in a more public and global context. In the association of wonderful scholars, such as Prof. Keith Ward, Peggy Morgan, and Prof. Richard Gombrich, we realized that the field of my focus and its wider context – Hindu Studies per se – remained greatly unexplored. And so the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies was born. After twenty years we now see young scholars, from many Hindu denominations, inspired by the same impulses that motivated our approach. They are opening up fields of study, based on objective research and critical scholarship, with the support of their communities. This is a historic development and is complemented by OCHS scholars who do not share a Hindu practice. Together, these reflections create a holistic and balanced discourse Continue reading "Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies – Annual Report 2019
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By Kaunteya das

Interviewing His Grace Kalakantha Prabhu (ACBSP), the director of ISKCON Gainesville on the approach of Krishna House, a replicable model for attracting youths. Kalakantha Prabhu is going to present a seminar on these topics at the ILS, in Mayapur, February 2020 Continue reading "Krishna House in Gainesville, Florida, an outstanding model for making devotees and caring for them
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[Online Gita key verses course]

Podcast

 

Podcast Summary

 

Video:

The post Gita key verses course 1 – What is the Gita? How is the Gita relevant today? Gita 1.1 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post Is the Gita a later insertion in the Mahabharata? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The devotees in Bali always enjoy kirtan, whether at the temple, on harinama, or at home programs. The TP of Jagannatha Gauranga temple invited me to a program at his new shop in Sanur.

The atmosphere was surcharged with chanting and I also gave a lecture extolling the virtues of the holy name of the Lord. Everyone was happy and at the end there was wonderful prasadam.

Srila Prabhupada’s quarters in Vrindavana prior to his coming to the West
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Been serving for so long but still… not even the aroma of Krishna?
BB Govinda Swami: Sometimes devotees say: “Oh, He has forgotten us. Oh, I’ve been chanting Hare Krishna for five years, so much sincere service I’m doing, but still…. not even the aroma of Krishna. What to speak of seeing Krishna! Has He forgotten us? Is He hard-hearted? Is He indifferent? Why doesn’t he respond? Why doesn’t He reciprocate with us?

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 8 January 2017, Brisbane, Australia, Govinda’s Program Lecture)

The material world is dominated by lust. That is what this world is all about; lust somehow or another in so many varieties and forms. The spiritual domain however, is dominated by love. 

Lust is self-centred; lust is ultimately asking, “What is in it for me?” Love on the hand is giving, love is aiming to please others. So that is spiritual consciousness, pleasing others. That is the essence of the spiritual world. This mantra that we are chanting, it comes directly from the spiritual world. And it is this mantra that leads us to the spiritual world, it lifts us up. At first a little, and then more and gradually fully to the spiritual platform, where we begin to understand that giving is the essence of existence. That is the only way we will be satisfied. And it is at this point that we realise that service to the Supreme Lord is really what our existence is all about. That is the perfection of life. 

The article " From lust to love " was published on KKSBlog.

Chandelier Model of the Universe

Architecture lies where science and spirituality meet. This nexus endures the aesthetic impressions coupled with functional propositions. Our unprecedented chandelier has taken the entire team on a beautiful journey, which has finally arrived at the brink of reality.

Special gratitude to Antardwip Prabhu who has consistently poured his heart, talent, and intelligence into this mind-blowing venture for years.

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

The post TOVP Architecture Department Report – December, 2019 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

So the conclusion is if Krishna saves, nobody can kill; and if Krishna wants to kill, nobody can save. Therefore our conclusion should be that we should always be under the protection of Krishna. Avasya raknibe Krishna this is saranagati, or surrender. Surrender means, “I am surrendering to Krishna with full faith that He is quite competent to give me protection.” This is called surrender. Continue reading "Krishna’s Presence Ensures Protection
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By Gautam Saha

Every civilized person is familiar with the concept of seva or service. Service can be of different types and of different qualities. At home, every member of the family is serving everyone else. Traditionally, the father traditionally earns for the family and is therefore known as the “breadwinner,” while the mother takes care of the home itself by cooking, cleaning, and creating a comfortable and congenial atmosphere. The children obey their parents and perform basic chores or run minor errands, according to the desires of the parents. Continue reading "The Highest Charity
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By Krishna Dharma Dasa

I remember years ago my sister arguing with my mum and dad. "How can we eat animals? Isn't it cruel?" Don't be silly, she was told; they are meant to be our food. What else is the point of their existence? But the Vedas tell a different story. Like any human, animals are living beings in this world trying to enjoy. Just our bodies differ, but our basic desires are the same. We all want happiness. Sometimes, due to the nature of our desires, we may be obliged to accept an animal body. In fact the word used in the Vedas for meat is mamsa, which means, "you shall be me (if you eat me)." Continue reading "Poor Cows
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