Planet ISKCON

A video by Vrshabhanu Das.

The Life History and Achievements of Srila Prabhupada.
By Hardik Kathuria.
Srila Prabhupada, a Transcendental Aristrocrat, Vaikuntha Man, Jagad Guru, An unparalleled scholar, A Bold Preacher, An Expert Manager and a Pure Devotee of Lord Krishna appeared on this earth on September 1, the next day of Janmastami in 1896, the year Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur published his first book and the year Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur began his Foreign Preaching.

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By Gopal Bhatta dasa

Millennia ago the Sages of Namasrayana began a 1000-year sacrifice to abate the spread of Kali Yuga. Lord Caitanya appeared just over 500 years ago to resuscitate the chanting of Krsna’s Holy Name providing an easy yet sublime opportunity to escape Kali’s grip. Just 54 years ago His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, came to the West to spread the word that pure devotional service to Lord Krsna is the medicine to mitigate the suffering caused by Kali’s cohorts, lust, anger and greed. He founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and flooded the world with the Holy Name and Krsna Prasad. And now he has left this mission to his followers. Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON family has inherited the task of leading this movement into the future. Continue reading "ISKCON Leadership Sanga 2020 Come! Help guide ISKCON into the Future!
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Jayanti Devi dasi: The lack of substantial rain in Australia's alluring Hunter Valley region for almost two years now has started to impact New Gokula, Millfield, NSW, Australia, the home to the most beautiful deities of Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda, 73 cows and bulls, and 12 full-time residential devotees.

When we find ourselves embroiled in any sort of conflict, Accepting responsibility for our part (however small) can be a tough pill to swallow. Instead of considering our own contribution to the conflict, we are far more likely to focus on how the other person acted, what they said or did, and how it has emotionally triggered us.

A visit to Bhaktivedanta National School in Mayapur (Album of photos)
After one year of a major liver and kidney transplant surgery and a recent surgery for mild skin cancer, HH Jayapataka Swami continues his service to Srila Prabhupada. In his own words, he has referred to himself as a “wounded soldier” and most certainly he NEVER GIVES UP!

A Birmingham book distributor’s story:
Book distribution around the coastline of Bournemouth and Poole Harbour was something I’d been wanting to do for a long time. I appreciate the British coastline – it’s so beautiful and peaceful. Every time I visit this coast, I ask myself, why isn’t there an ISKCON centre anywhere near this beautiful beach? I guess nobody there has ever read Krishna conscious books by Srila Prabhupada. So, I followed my heart and decided to distribute books around the coast of Bournemouth and Sandbanks beach.

Magnificent Salt Lake City Temple Inauguration (Album of photos)
An amazing day! Our beautiful Valley has another beautiful Temple. One of the speakers today, a professor from BYU and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints summed-up my feelings well when he said, “Just as my relationship with Caru and Vaibavi do more than compliment us (Latter-Day Saints) it completes us. So it is with this Temple, it doesn’t just compliment us, it completes us. Yet another Temple has risen among us.” I fully embrace that open-armed, embracing sentiment that fits the spirit of this sometimes very provincial city up in the mountains that I’m so pleased to call home.
Everything was perfect (& the acoustics are AMAZING)—-not bad for a place that didn’t get it’s occupancy permit until after 3:00 PM yesterday.

New Vyasa-puja posters.
Dear devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
New Vyasa-puja posters, designed by H.H. Bhaktivaibhava Swami to facilitate organizers of Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja around the world, are now available for free download.

David: Please find below photos from Balarama Purmina 2019 at the ISKCON-London Radha Krishna Temple

By Shri Narendra Modi

The celebration of the auspicious festival of Janmashtami is a blessed occasion for the innumerable devotees of Shri Krishna. ISKCON has been making a remarkable contribution in spreading the divine philosophy, wisdom and message of Shri Krishna. Its members have been serving the humanity through its numerous philanthropic missions underlining the non-duality of service to God and humanity. The relevance of Shri Krishna's message of peace, unbounded spiritual love and bliss is timeless and universal in its appeal. His sublime instruction to humanity to perform duty without attachment to its fruits continues to be even more relevant today. Continue reading "Janmashtami Message from Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi
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The post When we surrender to our guru, are we surrendering to the guru or to the guru tattva or to Krishna? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Today sometime around 2:30 pm Visvesvara Prabhu left his body. He fell on the floor in the corridor of the Radhadesh temple building and didn't show any symptoms of life. The devotees who found him immediately started a kirtana for him. All attempts of the present devotees and a professional team were not sufficient to revive him.

Today I heard an inspiring conversation in which Srila Prabhupada explained the reason for his great success, namely his faith in the order of his spiritual master and in chanting the holy names, and encouraged us to follow in the same way, using the same formula.

He said, “In the shastra it is said, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva.  [In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.] That practical proof we are giving—these Europeans and Americans are simply chanting Hare Krishna, and how they are coming out. This practical proof. They did not know, five or six years ago, what is Krishna, what is Krishna’s name. But we are taking the conclusion of the shastra: in this age, if one chants Hare Krishna, he becomes spiritualized. That is happening, practically. It is not theory. How so many devotees are here? Anywhere, wherever we have started, how they have become devotee? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that ‘You follow this formula and you will become God conscious.’ That is being practically proved. It is not theory. So that is Vedic knowledge. You adopt Vedic knowledge and get the result . . . In the beginning, in New York, that storefront, Satsvarupa and Hayagriva and . . . And ‘You simply chant.’ So this chanting is proving efficient. That is Vedic knowledge. It is not theory. Our Krishna consciousness movement is not theory or mental speculation. It is fact. Therefore it is said, guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa. [Make the teachings emanating from the lotus mouth of your spiritual master one with your heart, and do not desire anything else.]

“So whatever little success I have got, it is only for this reason. My guru maharaja said, ‘You go and preach whatever you learned in English language.’ That’s all. So I came here with this faith, that ‘My guru maharaja said; I must be successful.’ I did not show any jugglery to you, gold-making jugglery. Where is my gold? I came with forty rupees first. So these are Vedic instructions: guru-mukha-padma-vakya and sri-guru-carane rati, ei se uttama-gati. [Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.] That is real progress. So this is Vedic instruction. We have to follow the Vedic injunction. Then you will be successful. The standard is given by . . . That is standard, as that Vedic language, Vedic instruction. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave the standard, harer nama: ‘Chant Hare Krishna.’ Immediately successful. That is standard. Otherwise, how you will find standard? Therefore it is said, guru-mukha-padma-vakya. That is standard. What you receive from a bona fide guru, that is standard. Krishna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. (Gita 18.65)]. Anyone who will follow this standard will become devotee. And as soon as he become devotee, he is fit for going back to home, back to Godhead.”

(Room conversation with Svarupa Damodara Dasa, February 28, 1975, Atlanta)

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Over 135 men from the UK, Canada and the United States are expected to to attend this second annual retreat, which will continue to explore the theme of “being a K.C. guy in the 21^stcentury.” Ages will range from 18 up and include multiple generations – last year, grandfathers, fathers, and sons were all present.

On Sunday, August 11th, Sri Sri Jaganatha, Baladeva and Subhadra made their presence for the fourth time on the central streets and squares of the Croatian capital Zagreb.

Kadamba Kanana Swami, 3 October 2018, Camp de Masque, Mauritius, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.1)

Even Mother Yashoda could occasionally, for some moments, understand that Krsna was the Supreme Lord. But then, she would forget it once again. That is how it works with the eternal residents of Vrndavana. We also forget that Krsna is the Supreme Lord again and again, but in a different way. We forget that Krsna is the Supreme Lord and then we also forget Krsna Himself. The residents of Vrndavana however forget that Krsna is the Supreme Lord, but they still think of Krsna Himself all the time! 

Every moment, they are thinking of Krsna. Never is there a moment when they do not think of Him. They think of Krsna with such great intensity, with such great eagerness, samutkaṇṭhā – with great eagerness to be with Krsna. In this way, they are always thinking about Him. But when we forget, we completely forget that Krsna is in control, that Krsna is the origin of everything, and so we just forget Krsna all together and start to think of the material energy. That is the difference between us and the eternal residents of Vrndavana. 

The article " Never forget Krsna " was published on KKSBlog.

The theme of this week’s Architecture Department Report is Fenestration, defined as the arrangement of windows and doors on the elevations of a building.

The theme of this week’s Architecture Department Report is Fenestration, defined as the arrangement of windows and doors on the elevations of a building.

To combine the ‘international flavor’ of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness with the dignity of traditional Vedic Architecture has been a fascinating involvement.

This unique blend has created a distinctive style of architecture; visibly emerging in the TOVP building.

One of the contributing factors to this is the fenestration (windows and doors). In this issue of our report we hope to share some of the philosophical nuances that lend itself to the shape, size and location of the window and door openings.

The Architect of the Week is Hrishikesh Vaze.

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

The post TOVP Architecture Department Weekly Report – July, 2019, – Edition #1 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Due to the raining season going on the moment, the assembly process is slightly slowed down but still going strong!

Devaki Devi Dasi: There is a gulf of difference between serving Deities in the temple or in our home - it is indeed a different world! At home, Krishna has to accept our schedule: when we want to eat, and what we want to eat. Let's be honest: in our home, we tend to cook for ourselves, and we simply offer it to Krishna before we take our meal. Serving the Deities in the temple is very different: here we accept Krishna's schedule - what He wants to eat, and when He wants to eat! He has is particular meals with His favorite dishes, at fixed times - never mind what our own eating habits are. This makes all the difference.

Blissful celebration of Jhulan-Yatra in Iskcon Liev, Ukraine (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the material world, if one...

Kirtan Yoga program in Petah Tikva, Israel (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the Age of Kali, there is no religious principle except chanting Krishna’s name. It has been ascertained from all the scriptures that Krishna’s holy name is the essence of all mantras. (Renunciation Through Wisdom, 5.1 Purport)

A lovely letter to Srila Prabhupada by Sally Agarwal whom’s family first hosted Srila Prabhupada when he arrived in America.
When she left Swamiji at the bus depot, she cried thinking of him alone in NYC
——
Tuesday, Nov. 9th1965
Dear Swamiji,
We were so glad to get your letter. We talk about you often and wonder how you are, if you are lonely, if you are working, etc. and if you have a satisfactory place in which to cook. You said in one of your previous letters that you go some place to cook once a day. Does that mean that you have a hot meal only one time a day? If so, what do you eat for the other meals? Another thing, please answer–what are your plans? ‘Where is your next station? When do you expect to go there? When is your scheduled departure for India? We would like to know these details.

The appearance day (birthday) of Srila Prabhupada is a very special occasion for all Hare Krishna devotees.  Srila Prabhupada appeared on Nandotsava – the day that Nanda Maharaja had a big festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Krsna (Sri Krsna Janmastami).   This year, Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja falls on Saturday, August 24, 2019 and celebrations will be from 11am-3pm at the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple.

This day is known as Vyasa Puja because the spiritual master is a representative of Srila Vyasadeva who is the author of the Srimad Bhagavatam, one of our most important scriptures.  Traditionally, Vyasa Puja "offerings" are made by devotees who write and present personal messages to the spiritual master.   The Governing Body Commission (GBC) for ISKCON has stated that every devotee in ISKCON should write an offering to Srila Prabhupada on Vyasa Puja.

We would like to encourage all devotees in our community to write a personal letter, in the form of an offering to Srila Prabhupada for this year’s festival and, to further facilitate this process, we will be making a special ISKCON Toronto Vyasa Puja Book for 2019.   This book will be presented to Srila Prabhupada on the day of Vyasa Puja.   Following the program, the book will be on display for devotees to read all the offerings by devotees of our community.  Please note – due to time constraints during the festival, we will not be able to have everyone read out their offerings during the main festivities.  However, devotees are welcome to privately do so before or after the festival.

In order to facilitate this whole process, pre-printed pages have been prepared and we are asking devotees to hand write offerings onto these specially-designed pages.   The maximum length of the offering is one page per person. PLEASE NOTE WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING ONLINE OFFERINGS THIS YEAR.

The hand-written offerings can be submitted in person at the temple, in the designated drop box, up until 11:00am on Saturday, August 24, 2019

We humbly encourage you to please take this opportunity to honour Srila Prabhupada with a personal offering!  Hare Krsna!

Guidelines for Your Written Offering:

Write your offering in the mood of a personal letter to Srila Prabhupada.  Write in a style as if you are addressing Srila Prabhupada directly (e.g. “Srila Prabhupada, it is by your mercy that I have come to Krsna consciousness.”)

The Vyasa Puja offering is meant for glorifying the spiritual master. So offerings need to be made in that mood and not be used as a platform for airing one's grievances. 

You may wish to read the previous year’s Vyasa Puja offerings made to Srila Prabhupada by various senior devotees around ISKCON.    It may give you some ideas of how to express yourself.   These can be found here: http://prabhupada.krishna.com/homages

It is a courtesy to start your offering with Srila Prabhupada’s pranama mantras; we have already printed these onto the official pages.   A suggested opening is as follows: “Dear Srila Prabhupada, Please accept my humble obeisances.   All glories to you on this auspicious occasion of your Vyasa Puja.”

The main content of the offering should glorify the role that Srila Prabhupada is playing in your life as well as express your indebtedness to him.   You may also include reports about your spiritual growth, how you are meeting challenges and how you are carrying out his orders.   

To end the offering it would be nice to show one’s appreciation and desire to please, by some nice phrase such as “Your Humble Servant” or something similar.

Please note, the temple reserves the right to not publish an offering if it is deemed inappropriate.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines
Hand-written offerings must be submitted no later than 11:00am  at ISKCON Toronto on Saturday, August 24, 2019
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The post If we had been initiated by some other guru, would we have been given the same instruction as from our initiating guru – how exactly does Krishna’s instruction come through the guru? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The heart of Krsna’s Village Of Peace at the Polish Woodstock festival this year was our Mantra Yoga tent. There, the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra pulsated for 18 hours a day. The special nature of those kirtans was the fact that the audience was overwhelmingly festival goers. A video by Ananta Vrindavan.

The Ratha Yatra parade at this year’s Pol’and’Rock Festival goes up and down the main road of the event for 4 hours each day. A video by Ananta Vrindavan.  

The festival of swings which has been going on for the last four days; on the fifth and the final day the devotees take part in a pot breaking festival. In clay pot full with sweets swing on from the top filled with Sri Balaram’s favorite drink the Varuni, a celestial drink from honey that was sent by Varuna, God of the oceans.

“Wise-Love,” by Srila Prabhupada disciple Pranada Dasi, is described as “a handbook of the essence of bhakti written for a modern, Western audience.” “Wise-Love” is the book’s term for bhakti, meaning love grounded in reason and philosophy.

It’s an ambitious effort. In the 1980s, Srila Prabhupada’s tape ministry had just 700 hours of audio. In the 1990s, the Bhaktivedanta Archives expanded it with another 300 hours. 

Lord Balarama’s Appearance Day celebration in ISKCON Murmansk, northwestern Russia (Album of photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Yesterday, on Lord Balarama’s Appearance Day, we had a wonderful abhishek bathing ceremony for Sri Sri Dayal Nitai Gaurasundara, the presiding Deities of ISKCON Murmansk, the northernmost temple on this planet.

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The post How Balarama acts as Krishna’s best friend – Balarama Purnima class appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post Analyzing Brahma’s bewilderment 2 – How Brahma rose from testing Krishna to tasting Krishna appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post Analyzing Brahma’s bewilderment 1 – How and why Brahma tested Krishna appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Dive in the nectar of the swing festival of Lord Krishna and His devotees!

On the auspicious appearance day of Lord Balarama, we had celebrations both at Mayapur and Rajapur with Abhishek, arti , pushpanjali. In the morning, HH Jayapataka Swami gave Balaram Purnima lecture on pastimes of Balaram. Being the last day of Jhulan Yatra, Sri Radha-Madhava Swing festival took place both in morning in the temple and […]

The post Balaram Purnima Celebrations! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

We had wonderful celebration of Balaram Punima festival @ ISKCON Salem, Tamilnadu, India.

By Gopal Krishna Goswami

Srila Prabhupada had been in Vrindavan for every Janmastami during recent years, and it was unthinkable for most residents of Vrindavan to leave Vrindavan for any occasion, what to speak of Janmastami. Most elderly residents of Vrindavan took vows never to leave, afraid that they might die while away from the holy dham. But here was Srila Prabhupada, an elderly sadhu, boarding a ship which would take him far away from Vrindavan, far away from India, to the land of the *mlecchas* – and he did not know when or if he would return. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada’s Departure for America
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