Planet ISKCON

A video by Ananta Vrindavan.

Progress on Prabhupada’s Bridge (Album of photos)
Sadbhuja Das: Progress is being made on Prabhupada’s Bridge that connects the TOVP with Srila Prabhupada’s samadhi. This all-important bridge symbolically as well as practically connects our Founder-Acharya to his most important and magnificent project.

Freedom from clutches of maya behind the bars of jail - Bhakta Adam met Wayne in Shepherds Bush the other day and he shared his life story how he ended up in prison and there he found in the prison library the classic ‘Veda’ book. He felt that Srila Prabhupada helped him in need and Wayne decided to continue his journey by reading the Bhagavad Gita.

By Guru Prasad Das

I am a devotee of Krishna and have been one for the past several years. I am also of Indian origin, and my story is a typical one. I have been living in North America since I was nine years old. My parents came here to complete their higher education, and upon completion of their doctorates, they decided to settle down in this, their adopted country. As the family grew, came careers, households, mortgages, etc. Along with this material, success came several perplexing questions: How to relate to a materialistic western society without losing Indian values; how to bring up children here and yet protect them from the excesses of this culture; how to teach children something of their cultural background, and finally, to decide what' goals to follow themselves and what to transmit to their children. Continue reading "The genius of Srila Prabhupada
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Answer Podcast

The post If misery is an undeniable reality, then is its opposite – joy – also an undeniable reality? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Students of Govardhana Academy in Saranagati, Canada have baked and distributed 5,500 prasadam cookies to businesses, services and friends in the surrounding towns as a gesture of goodwill this Christmas season.

They went to India in the 70s to find purpose of life and to find god. But they fell in love with Indian culture and stayed there forever. Watch these two remarkable women speaking from their heart about Indian religious texts, India's rich heritage, culture and traditions.

5244 years ago, on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna delivered the most confidential and topmost knowledge to Arjuna, a warrior prince, and to humanity at large, in order to help all devotees understand the purpose of life.

In 2014, ISKCON Seattle started a novel way of reaching out to the homeless through "burrito sankirtan". Every Saturday, the devotees go to University of Washington (UW) area and distribute hot burrito prasad along with kirtan and book distribution. The program attracts the homeless and UW students alike. The efforts have grown further now. The temple acquired a food truck, which goes out every Saturday and serve out hot prasad for free. 

Love for the Lord is inherently present in us but due to our diseased condition we are not able to exhibit it or experience it now. 

Jayadev's Mantra Crew, which features on lead vocals John Richardson founder of the Rubettes is back on Sobel Nation Records after their debut single "Ganesh" which hit #1 on the charts.

A video by Veuwr Kirtans.

Bhaktivedanta Manor School is a unique independent primary school which aims to develop a child's full academic, spiritual and moral potential. We believe in delivering a high standard of education and preparing pupils to become individuals of sound character, behaviour and competence. The was shot in 2012, produced by Karuna Productions (www.karunaproductions.com)

ISKCON-London Community Newsletter.
We are delighted to share the latest edition of our ISKCON-London newsletter.

Spiritual Mentorship System - Interview with Vamsivata Dasa. Here is an interview with Vamsivata dasa who is in Murli Manohara dasa’s mentee group. Recently, he took second initiation from HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami. He has also taken on the responsibility as Assistant Head Pujari at ISKCON-London.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 7 January 2017, Brisbane, Australia, House Program Lecture)

Kadamba Kanana Swami: What happens when you chant Hare Krsna? There is a change if you chant Hare Krsna. You look at me, everyone looking? Okay, look now, “Hare Krsna!” Did you see any change?

Devotees: Yes.

Kadamba Kanana Swami: Okay, what did you see? 

Devotees: “Happy!” “Lots of energy!” “Enthusiasm!” “Blissful!” “Positivity!” “You made us all chant!”

Kadamba Kanana Swami: No, you got it all wrong, sorry. No, what really happened is that the subtle body has changed. Yes I may smile, but I don’t always smile when I chant Hare Krsna. But the subtle body has changed! And if we keep on chanting, then the subtle body will change very fast! And if we keep on chanting, we don’t have to wait until the next life to change, because already we have now changed. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The subtle body is changing and becoming purified. And just like that, we lose all that contamination from past births which gave us a low birth, a compromised birth. 

The article " What happens when we chant? " was published on KKSBlog.

Bhaktivedanta Manor community Newsletter - October to December 2019.
Radha Mohan Das: Please note that the latest edition of the Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter is now available at the link below.

Yesterday Badrinarayan Swami and two other devotees from San Diego spent the afternoon with us in Carpinteria, and I had a wonderful time with him. Associating with him outside a temple setting, I became aware of many wonderful qualities and abilities in him for the first time. He is brilliant and truly a great asset to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, to which he is completely committed and devoted. And he has a real taste for Krishna consciousness.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

By Mathuresha Das

NARADA MUNI is exalted in Vedic texts as one of the twelve mahajanas, or great authorities on eternal truth. Details of his life and teachings are recounted in the Narada Purana, the Padma Purana, and throughout Srimad-Bhagavatam. So advanced is his level of spirituality that in these texts he is even sometimes called "Bhagavan," a term usually reserved for the Supreme Lord, and in the Bhagavad-gita (10.26) Lord Krsna Himself says, "Of the sages among the demigods, I am Narada." Continue reading "Narada Muni – The Father of Devotional Service
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By Damodar Prasad das

The recognition of our dependence on a higher source for our very existence is also central to Srila Prabhupada’s argument. This higher source is referred to as intelligence: “Intelligence gives one direction like some higher authority, and the living being cannot see or move or eat or do anything without the use of intelligence” (SB2.2.35, purport). But this intelligence is beyond our control, and refers, in this context, to a super self, a portion of God that maintains our existence. Continue reading "From “I am” to “God is”
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By Syamananda Dasa

The great sage Narada Muni while advising his disciple, the great Vyasa Maharaja says, "Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry." This means even a field like pure mathematics should be used to make others aware about the greatness of God. Continue reading "Letter from an Indian Clerk
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Answer Podcast

The post Will some future event dramatically increase the number of devotees in the world? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

“Praying to the Lord is a way of conversing with Him,” Maha Hari Prabhu explains, “the way you would converse with a dear friend”. In […]

Gutenberg Press and Advaita Acharya. Seeing all around Him the growing tendency for people to abandon their spiritualpractices for the pursuit of wealth and short-lived materialistic gains, Advaita Acharya felt greatly pained. He wondered how the masses would ever be liberated.    It is said Advaita Acharya prayed fervently to the Lord for several months–He worshipped His shaligram shilas lovingly with sacred Tulasi leaves and Ganges water calling out aloud to the Lord to manifest and show a way to the worldly people to reach the eternal spiritual abode.

By the momentum of his spiritual fervour, his loud cries pierced the coverings of the material universe and echoing through the transcendental Vaikunta lokas, reached the ears of Sri Krishna in Goloka. Hearing this urgent cry saturated with devotion, Sri Krishna advented Himself as Sri Krishna Chaitanya in Mayapur, Bengal as the son of Sri Jagannath Mishra and Saci Devi.

jaya jaya advaita isvara avatara krsna avatari kaila jagat-nistara    “All glories to Advaita Prabhu, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He induced Krsna to descend and thus delivered the entire world.”
Is it a coincidence ?That by the time Advaita Acharya was 20 years old, on the other side of the planet the Gutenberg Press was invented and the first book was being printed.

180 copies of the Gutenberg Bible printed and today after 565 years there are still 49 copies existing, even 2 original books can be seen in the British Library very near to the Radha Krishna Temple on Soho Street and Krishna’s Castle in the City of London.

In Renaissance Europe, the arrival of mechanical movable type printing introduced the era of mass communication, unrestricted circulation of information and (revolutionary) ideas transcended borders, captured the masses in the Reformation and threatened the power of political and religious authorities.

The Brhad- Mrdanga had arrived:

So on this day, particular on the advent of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, I’d especially request my disciples who are cooperating with me that try to publish books as many as possible and distribute throughout the whole world. That will satisfy Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as well as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Thank you very much. (His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada’s Appearance Day, Lecture — Mayapur, February 21, 1976)

We start stretching the historic data when we see that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaj Prabhupada was born the same time as the first serious bicycle with a chain was invented.A picture is worth a thousand words, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaj was very keen on making diaramas, his temples were wall to wall with diaramas and paintings.

enjoy the movie: 

Your Servent

Parsharama Das

This is a video produced by the TOVP Architecture Department as an expression of their dedication and service to this historic and magnificent project for the service of Srila Prabhupada.

 

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The post The Essence of Providing Meaning to All Forms appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

College for Vedic Studies, UK. Another successful year for Bhakti Shastri Course.
October marked another successful year for the Bhakti Shastri course run by the College for Vedic Studies. Eight students graduated with a Bhakti Shastri degree, and a further nine received certificates of participation. Over the 14 years since its introduction at the Manor, 248 students have obtained the Bhakti Shastri degree. Srila Prabhupada’s desire was that devotees study his books, and the Bhakti Shastri course provides an opportunity to do this. Through the course, students systematically study 4 texts fundamental to the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness through a program of engaging and interactive lessons.

At approximately 1.32 pm India time HH Narasingha Swami peacefully left the world surrounded by devotees to the sounds of kirtan and the Holy names. He was in no pain, eyes open and fully conscious at that time.

Devotee nominated as a UN advisor.
Gopal Lila das has been nominated co-chair of the UN Multi-faith Advisory Council on Religion and Development. He is Director of the Bhumi Project, an environmental effort of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. He is an advisor to the Climate Action Task Force at the Parliament of the World’s Religions. In Gopal Lila’s new position as co-chair of the UN Multi-faith Advisory Council on Religion and Development, he will represent the Bhumi Project and the Hindu communities it has been working with on climate change and environmental issues. The Multi-faith Advisory Council is the first time in the UN’s 74-year history that it has created a religious advisory council of the world’s faiths. It is comprised of 40 faith-based organizations that actively work and engage with the UN through the Interagency Task Force on Religion and Development. Gopal is excited about the difference he can make, and how he can help ISKCON devotees become more aware of current issues.

University students enjoy retreat.
250 students from 30 UK universities came together for a retreat at the Bhaktivedanta Manor hosted by Krishna Consciousness Society (KCSOC). From Brunel to Bristol, Cambridge to Coventry, students arrived to participate in yoga classes, practical Ayurveda sessions, and bull cart rides at the New Gokul farm - there really was something for everyone! They also heard mindblowing talks from Narasimha Nama das and Sutapa das, as well as getting the chance to quiz the scholar Ter Kadamba das on all things spiritual. All the students meditated on sacred chants with Sandipani Muni das and danced and chanted the day out to an ecstatic kirtan led by Sri Prahlad das in the temple room. The students’ hearts were enlivened by the incredible retreat.

Bhaktivedanta Manor: DEVI National Launch.
DEVI is the acronym for Devotional Empowerment Voluntary Initiative.
It was initially launched during Janmashtami 2014 at Bhaktivedanta Manor with the aim of empowering, connecting, protecting and inspiring women and girls in its community. In his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12 Srila Prabhupada states that: “Everyone should be allowed to render service to the Lord to the best of his ability, and everyone should appreciate the service of others…Since everyone is a servant, everyone is on the same platform and is allowed to serve the Lord according to his ability.”

Our African Brothers And Sisters (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: ISKCON Soweto in South Africa is a thriving community of devotees. Myself and BB Govinda Maharaja visited them for a special event acknowledging those devotees who work tirelessly in the African Townships to spread Krsna consciousness. Their shining faces reveal the happiness and joy they experience in practicing and spreading our movement in such trying circumstances. Please send them your blessings!

By Kripamoya Dasa

Did you hear the story of the man who rode up to the gates of our Mayapur, West Bengal, temple to sell ice cream? He had one of those tricycles you see a lot in India—the ones with a refrigerated box on the back. Nothing sells quite like ice cream on a hot day. Only he wasn’t selling ice cream at all. He opened the lid of the icebox, pulled out a hand bell and a bunch of papers, then began ringing the bell and calling out, “Diksha! Diksha!” [“Initiation! Initiation!”] He was selling diksha and, as it happens, was selling it very cheaply: “Diksha doh rupya!” or: “ Diksha, two rupees!” Continue reading "Diksha Without Tapa: Initiation in Name Only
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By Satyaraja Dasa

The main course arrived: pizza. The devotees were thrilled, since this is a much loved treat in these parts – but only when offered to Krishna, natch! “Hey,” one devotee quipped, “What about pizza? How does this relate to Krishna consciousness?” Luckily, I had been writing about just such a subject in a recent project for a major academic press. I am writing a high school reference book on Hinduism, and in my research I came upon an interesting reference to pizza. Continue reading "“The Pizza Effect”
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By Chaitanya Charana Dasa

Until people gain the spiritual inspiration that underlies truly good behavior, attempts to legislate morality will inevitably fail. Daily news reports of things like corruption, nepotism, favoritism, and infidelity have us fed up. Politicians say, “Education in ethics and values is the solution. ” But don’t most people already know right from wrong? I think so. They just feel they’ll fare better in life without following moral codes. And exhortation by moralists or legislation by politicians doesn’t inspire them to think differently. Continue reading "From Morality to Spirituality
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Answer Podcast

The post If we start stagnating in our life, how can we get out of that rut? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

This year, the High School students have taken responsibility for training and facilitating students in grades 1 to 8 in the Spiritual Friday services.  Following […]

Pasar Baru is an area in central Jakarta, Indonesia. We have had a centre there for some years but recently the devotees moved to another building in the same area.

It is a shop front type building with four floors and the bottom is used for a Govindas Restaurant. The next two floors are kitchen and accommodation, while the top is used for the temple room.

I was invited to attend Gita-Jayanti there, which coincided with the actual opening of the centre.

Our great Vaisnava saints, Srinivas Acarya, Narottama Das Thakura, and Syamananda Pandit, are known as “The First Travelling Sankirtan Party”, for they had journeyed from […]

  Praveena Vajja is a beautiful dancer who makes others dance; not only figuratively. When I think of Praveena, I think of her bright smile […]