The ancient teachings of the Vedas say there are 5 things humans can do everyday to be happy. We would say that these are directly connected to an effective spiritual practice.

Why do we deviate? Because our mind is restless. We become committed when we learn to maintain focus in spite of our mind, not because our mind maintains focus.

A video by TEDxTalks. 

Launched in 1996 by Niranjana Swami and starting with an attendance of only 400, it grew to become one of ISKCON’s biggest festivals, with an unbelievable 12,000 devotees participating at one point.

As water quality improved and pollution levels fell, tiny oceanic life-forms such as algae and zooplankton bounced back, providing a crucial food base for a resurgence in menhaden, a schooling fish favored by whales.

D Magazine is available at every grocery store in Dallas, and is one of the best-selling magazines per capita in the U.S. on local newsstands. Devotees are saying that its piece – entitled “The Wild Pursuit of Bliss” – exhibits a rare look at the deeper essence of Krishna consciousness, not often found in the media.

Caste system is probably among the most talked and most misunderstood current social controversies; misunderstood because it is based on a false premise- caste determination by birth

Iskcon Tanzania - East Africa (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If we practice devotion of God, then next life is to become the associate of God. That cintamani-prakara-sadmasu – we are transferred to that planet. These are simple things. The whole thing is in my hand. If I want to be degraded, I can prepare myself in this life for such degradation in the next life. And if we want to elevate ourself to the highest perfection of life, as to become one of the associates of God, we can prepare ourself like that. -From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.11 – New York, March 4, 1966

Answer Podcast

Transcription :

Transcribed by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: How do we deal with fear of rejection?

Answer: We are all social creatures and want relationships. We all need to realize that we are existentially alone. We were born alone, we will die alone. In the journey, we will and should form relationships, but the foundation should be clear.

There are three kind of people (i) independent (ii) dependent (iii) interdependent. Only independent people can become interdependent. We all define ourselves in terms of our relationships. For example, as children, we say “I am son or daughter of so and so”, as young adults, we say “I am husband or wife of so and so” etc. However, this is not our sole identification. We are not just sum total of our relationships.

We have horizontal relationship in this world and we have a vertical relationship with Krishna. Krishna as God is always present with us – sarvasya cha aham hridy sannivishtho. He is present in the heart of everyone. He is closest to us; closer than best of our loved ones. This relationship is supposed to be our anchor.
In the horizontal relationship there will be ups and downs. Sometimes there will be affection, sometimes confrontation, sometimes alienation. If we are in an ocean, the waves will toss us here and there. If there is a helicopter above, and we are holding on to the rope coming from the helicopter, the waves in the ocean will still come, but will not shake us that much because we have a shelter.

Similarly, for us in the relationship that we have, there will be storms, ups and downs etc. If we are vertically sheltered by a strong relationship with Krishna which can be developed by the practice of bhakti yoga, then we understand that at least there is one person who always cares for us. That is God, Krishna. He will never leave us, no matter what happens.
In any relationship if we experience rejection, we feel unloved. To feel unloved is distressing. When we feel multiple rejection, we may start thinking that there is something wrong with myself. To feel unloved is distressing, to feel unlovable is devastating. When we experience our relationship with Krishna through the practices of bhakti, we feel inner serenity. That helps us understand that God cares for me, no matter what happens in my life. That will give us the inner security by which if there is a rejection in our horizontal relationship, our sense of self-worth will not be determined by the horizontal relationship alone.

We need to be independent and not dependent. If we are dependent on any relationship for our security and self-worth, then any turbulence in that relationship will be very agitating. If our self-worth and security come from Krishna, then even if the relationship with others goes up and down, we will have inner stability to move forward in life.

End of transcription.

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.1-22

“A devotee’s conclusion is that no one is directly responsible for being a benefactor or mischief-monger without the sanction of the Lord; therefore he does not consider anyone to be directly responsible for such action. But in both the cases he takes it for granted that either benefit or loss is God-sent, and thus it is His grace. In case of benefit, no one will deny that it is God-sent, but in case of loss or reverses one becomes doubtful about how the Lord could be so unkind to His devotee as to put him in great difficulty. Jesus Christ was seemingly put into such great difficulty, being crucified by the ignorant, but he was never angry at the mischief-mongers. That is the way of accepting a thing, either favorable or unfavorable. Thus for a devotee the identifier is equally a sinner, like the mischief-monger. By God’s grace, the devotee tolerates all reverses. Maharaja Pariksit observed this, and therefore he could understand that the bull was no other than the personality of religion himself. In other words, a devotee has no suffering at all because so-called suffering is also God’s grace for a devotee who sees God in everything. The cow and bull never placed any complaint before the King for being tortured by the personality of Kali, although everyone lodges such complaints before the state authorities. The extraordinary behavior of the bull made the King conclude that the bull was certainly the personality of religion, for no one else could understand the finer intricacies of the codes of religion.” Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.22 purport.

A video by Hare Krishna Television & ISKCON Desire Tree. 

A video by Ananta Vrindavan.

A video by Radhadesh Mellows.

Every year,  4.73 billion plastic cups are thrown away in France. Only 1% of these are recycled. The bold ban aims to drastically cut levels of plastic waste, and drive innovation in biodegradable products.

Desserts served during BHAKTI SANGAMA festival in Ukraine, 12 September (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If we become pure devotee of Krsna, then my love will be extended to everyone. Not only my society, but to everyone. It is not that “This is my children; that is other’s children.” All children. All human being. Not my countrymen – all other countrymen. Not only human being, but even animals also. That is sneha. It is not that “I am safe, and let the animals be killed in the slaughterhouse.” No, that is not love. Love means for everyone. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Equality to all living entities. That is real love. That is real concern, Krsna consciousness. A lover of Krsna will hesitate to kill even one ant. You know the story, Mrgari. That is love. Just like this child. If I like I can kill him, there is no difficulty. But does it mean that I shall kill him?

Nayima and a part of a higher plan!
Shastrakrit Das: Last week Rhonda brought her friend Nayima to our evening program and during the talk, she kept staring at the Srimad Bhagavatam set that we have displayed on the mantle. I noticed that and at the end of the program I said to Nyima, “ those books are for you to take home.“ Nayima got startled and asked me, “what do you mean? All the books? Are you trying to find a home for them? How much do they cost? Those books are beautiful and I couldn’t stop staring at them.“

Answer Podcast

Transcription :

Transcribed by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: Even after knowing eternal pleasures why we keep chasing temporary pleasures?

Answer: Temporary and eternal are not necessarily contradictory. When we start seeking only temporary pleasure then it is a problem. For example, we all have to eat food, we cannot live without food. However, if our purpose of life becomes eating, then that is not good. Similarly, wealth is a need in life, but money is something which we “live with”, not something which we “live for”. “Live with” means a “resource for living”, “live for” means “purpose of living”. When temporary pleasures become purpose of our life, then it becomes problem for our spiritual growth.

We keep chasing those pleasures, because the world glamourizes those pleasures. The world advertises to us – “buy this”, “eat this”, “use this”, and then “you will enjoy”. Whereas rarely we are taught about spiritual pleasures. Even if we know about spiritual pleasures, our understading remains as “intellectual knowledge” and does not become “transformational knowledge”. For our intellectual knowledge to become transformational, we need spiritual association. Only when we associate with spiritually minded people, our knowledge transforms our desires.

Desires are not just linear but also triangular. “Linear desire” means I see something and develop a desire to enjoy that. “Triangular desire” means that we not only see the object, but we also see somebody enjoying that object. Suppose a company launches a smart phone. They will hire a celebrity to endorse that phone. We may not get attracted to the phone, but when we see a celebrity endorsing it, we want to try the phone.

Similarly, we know spirituality is important, but we think that “maybe we will do it later.” This is because all around us mostly people are materialistic. If we associate with spiritually minded people, then seeing them peaceful, joyful, purposeful, spiritual desires triggers within us. Therefore, to transform the knowledge into action, we need association.

End of transcription.

The post Even after knowing eternal pleasures why do we keep chasing temporary pleasures? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Ananda Vrindavaneswari: When I was young we spent time at our aunt’s farm in the south of Ireland. She had 5 milking cows, all had names, and when she sat and milked them in the morning and evening, great conversations would be had. With the cows that is.

Srila Prabhupada: People are running around–“Oh, I am the manager. I am the factory owner. I am this. I am that. We know his politics, we have to defeat our competitors.” All these things are created just like a man creates a situation in a dream– svapna–drastur ivanjasa.
So when someone asks, “When did we come into contact with the material nature?” The answer is that we have not come into contact. By the influence of the material energy, we THINK that we are in contact. Actually, we are NOT fallen. We cannot be fallen. We have simply created a situation. Rather, we have not created a situation; Krsna has given us a situation. Because we wanted to imitate Krsna, Krsna has given an opportunity: “All right. You want to imitate? You want to be an imitation king on the stage. So feel like this.

The Kailash on Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi is finally complete!

The TOVP made the necessary arrangements and with the help of the team from Moscow who manufactured and assembled it, as well as to Jagadananda Prabhu and Ajita prabhu for monitoring and managing the whole process, we were able to achieve these wonderful results. A big thank you to them!

 
[See image gallery at tovp.org]  

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The post Matching TOVP Kalash on Samadhi Completed appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Here is a sample of the relief panel work of Krishna and Balarama, along with all his cowherd boyfriends, who are jubilantly herding all the cows of Vrindavan.

This is only one of the four relief panel works which will be placed in the main temple around the altar area, two of which will be dedicated to Gaura Lila and the other two to Krishna Lila. The measurements of these pieces are 5m (16.5′) by 2m (6.5′). With the work on some of these panels done, in a few days the fiberglass casting will begin in order to produce the finished products.

 
[See image gallery at tovp.org]

The post TOVP Relief Panel Work Progress appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Ukraine Bhakti Sangam Festival (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Many thousands of devotees showed up for this year’s annual Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine. The theme for this year’s event was “boiling the milk.” In other words, taking care of devotees. The kirtans were out of this world, as were the many seminars and cultural performances.

Presently, the young generation is disappointed from the increasing competitive life style, rapid technological advancement, and unending global problems. They are looking for change and hankering for stress free life style. They have accustomed to that, which is easy to use and gives instant result. This Krishna Consciousness is the best possible remedy for their problems. In this regard Srila Prabhupada says, “So our simple method---we go everywhere, all over the world, chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and we attract people, especially younger generation, boys and girls” (Arrival lecture, Paris, July 20, 1972). However, the presentation of the message taught by Srila Prabhupada in his commentary famously known as “Bhagavad Gita as it is”, compatible to the youth at present time is a great challenge.

According to ISKCON's general counsel, Devakinandan Prabhu, the 2020 ISKCON Global Conference of Devotee Attorneys will offer devotee attorneys, jurists and law students from around the world the opportunity to meet in person for the first time in order to (1) get to know each other in an atmosphere of collegiality and mutual understanding in devotion to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna, and (2) develop an integrated network of legal service providers capable of serving the 21st-century needs of ISKCON and its devotees. The term "devotee attorney" means any devotee or friend of Krishna, who is an attorney, jurist or law student. Continue reading "The 2020 ISKCON Global Conference of Devotee Attorneys
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One of Sripada Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja’s most prominent qualities is his deep love for Srila Prabhupada. Very soon after Maharaja met Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada included him in his personal staff and made him his secretary for Bengali and Hindi correspondence. Soon thereafter, Srila Prabhupada gave him first and second initiation and then sannyasa. And Maharaja personally served Srila Prabhupada throughout Prabhupada’s last days.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami is also very devoted to ISKCON. He has always considered ISKCON to be a unique creation of Srila Prabhupada’s and has always wanted to serve ISKCON—both the devotees in ISKCON and ISKCON as an entity, a manifestation of Srila Prabhupada. He is really in the mood of service to the devotees, especially the devotees of ISKCON, and to ISKCON itself.

Maharaja is a very pure-hearted, loving person. His love for Srila Prabhupada is seen in his love for the devotees and for people in general, whom he wants to bring to Srila Prabhupada—and in how he encourages devotees to increase their engagement, take on more responsibility, and become more loving, humble servants. The more responsibility one accepts, Maharaja once explained to a devotee in Mauritius, the bigger servant of the devotees one becomes. This reminded me of something Srila Prabhupada once said. A disciple came into his room in Mayapur one day and began to complain about the management. Srila Prabhupada said, “If you think you can do better, why don’t you?” Somehow, the disciple came out and announced that Srila Prabhupada had made him the temple commander, and he began to boss the other devotees around. Some devotees complained to Srila Prabhupada that the devotee had said that Prabhupada had made him the temple commander and that now he was barking orders at everyone. So Srila Prabhupada called for the devotee and instructed him, “First you become the servant of everyone, then you become the temple commander.” Thus Srila Prabhupada expressed the same idea, that a bigger position means becoming a bigger servant. And Bhakti Charu Swami, in parampara, has that same understanding.

If we listen carefully to all of Maharaja’s instructions, we can understand how closely he follows the disciplic succession. Some of his statements are very close to Srila Prabhupada’s words, and some take the basic principles that Srila Prabhupada gave and sweeten them with personal realization.

Another of the many fine qualities exemplified by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami is his offenselessness. He is very careful not to commit any offense against any devotee, or any living entity, and if he feels he has committed an offense, he immediately tries to mitigate the effects by approaching the person, apologizing, and asking forgiveness. Somehow or other he tries to rectify the offense. From our point of view, we wouldn’t think he has committed an offense, but within his pure heart he may feel that he has, and immediately he will try to approach and please the person he fears he has offended, to remove the effects of the offense.

Maharaja’s heart is pure and very sensitive—full of appreciation for other devotees and sensitive to his own faults—which again, from our point of view, wouldn’t even be considered faults. That’s really the heart of a Vaishnava—full of love and appreciation for others but sensitive to one’s own deficiencies or mistakes.

As stated by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita (12.13–14), “One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me—such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.”

I wish I could be with Maharaja in person for his seventy-fourth birth anniversary and the fifty-fourth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America. Still, as Maharaja always reminds us, we have the wonderful association of the devotees in ISKCON, and through their association we can experience Srila Prabhupada’s presence, and along with Srila Prabhupada’s presence the presence of Srila Prabhupada’s dear and beloved associates such as His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja.

Srila Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

—Giriraj Swami