Jagannath’s flower dress Darshan!
→ Mayapur.com

Tomorrow, Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra devi will have their Bahuda Ratha Yatra ( or Return ratha ). Today being the last day of Lord Jagannath’s Darshan night at Gundicha Mandir, Mayapur community devotees lovingly offered flower dress to Lord Jagannath. Staying awake all through the night, they lovingly gathered to sew flowers and make […]

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Bhagavatam tenth canto study 83 – 10.14.31-36 – Brahma glorifies Vrajavasis and aspires for their dust
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

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TOVP Architecture Department Weekly In-house Report – Edition #1, June 2019
- TOVP.org

The theme of this week’s Architecture Department Report is Exploring the Beauty of Intricacy. The strength of a corner lies in its connectivity. At the TOVP Architecture Office, there is a solid process behind the detailing of the design narrative, detailing of materials, detailing of a light socket and every door knob.

This report focuses on motifs, devotional symbols, temple column details, the pujari level floor patterns, and door details. The TOVP Architect of the Week is Sandarbh Rajput.

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

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Great visionaries
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 June 2019, New York, United States of America, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.20)

The Pandavas were not ordinary people in two ways; not ordinary in the sense that they were devotees from birth and not ordinary because they had taken birth in a royal family. It was not just something like the modern royal families. Even in the modern royal families, there is some culture, there is tradition and there are certain standards. People grow up with a certain awareness, “I am supposed to behave in a noble way … where nobility obliges me to do certain things.” In the sense of the Pandavas, that was something very deeply rooted in every fibre of their existence because they grew up in a refined culture which was completely favourable. We know what world we grow up in now, a world that has many twisted values – a misguided, misdirected civilisation.

So now, for us to turn to Krsna means a turn in life, a complete revolution. But for the Pandavas, it was rather the crown of all of their culture and their lifestyle. It was just a further extension of where they were. They were trained to live a life of dharma, to live a life based on scripture. They were trained to protect religious principles and to govern. They had a very broad vision because they were not ordinary people who simply thought of their own interests. They were thinking of the welfare of the society at large. Therefore, they were people with a very big vision – you can say that they were great visionaries. Their vision was not based on their speculation but one that was thoroughly rooted in transcendental knowledge and applied with intelligence.

The article " Great visionaries " was published on KKSBlog.

What is the concept of the evil eye – what is its rational and scriptural basis
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

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Aren’t we trivializing initiation by equating the promises of initiation with the promises of hearing Krishna’s pastimes?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast:

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Bhagavatam tenth canto study 82 – 10.14.25-30 Devotion is the doorway and pathway to a life beyond illusion and liberation
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

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Radha Gopinatha Rathayatra – Baha
→ Ramai Swami

Radha Gopinatha temple in Baha was another centre that organised its individual Rathayatra before the main one in Denpasar. The devotees brought Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi onto a regular Ratha chariot and started out from the temple.

I was able to join the devotees as Their Lordships were taken around the streets of the local area. Many people came out of their houses to watch the parade in wonder as the devotees distributed different types of tasty prasadam, which, of course, they enjoyed tremendously.

Madana-mohana-mohini Dasi: One Year
Giriraj Swami

My dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Srila Gurudeva!

It has been one year since you initiated me. I am amazed that one year has passed! There is so much that I can say about that day, always. But today as I am writing this email, I am unable to find any words. You have simply made my life. And I am especially grateful to you because you are taking care of me when Srila Gurudeva is not physically present. That means so much to me—more than I can put in words. You’re the best person in the entire universe.

After watching the video of you pushing my wheelchair after the fire sacrifice, Charan Renu Mataji said that it felt like you weren’t only pushing my wheelchair; you were pushing me back to Godhead. And that’s what you have been doing every single day of this past year—with your magical love. I hope you always do that.

To express how you make me feel, Aishwarya didi and I recorded a song for you—“Top of the World,” by the Carpenters. This was the first time we recorded a song, and we did it at home, so it didn’t come out so good, but we hope it’s worth your pleasure. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/YO0BcxyMteU

I am missing you so much today, Guru Maharaja. I hope I can be with you soon. But I am so, so unqualified that I see myself nowhere close to deserving your association.

I hope you are doing well.

Thank you VERY much.

Your blessed servant, eternally,
Madana-mohana-mohini dasi

P.S. I just love the name you gave me!

Seeing Krishna’s Plan Amid Disaster
→ Dandavats

On the evening of Tuesday, July 2nd, I was in our temple yoga class when the peacocks in our aviary started screaming. I heard popping sounds and thought early July Fourth revelers must be out. Then the sounds increased, loud shouts among them, and suddenly one of our main cooks, Manohar Prabhu, burst through the door yelling "FIRE!"

48th Kolkata Rath Yatra bridges religious divide
→ Dandavats

This year the festival caught the attention of entire nation and was widely covered in print and electronic media when Iskcon decided to invite Nusrat Jahan Ruhi Jain, a newly elected Member of Parliament to Lok Sabha, as one of the guests for Rath Yatra inauguration along with Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister, who was the chief Guest.

Truckloads of fodder to prevent the unfolding tragedy of cow deaths in drought stricken Rajasthan
→ Dandavats

This year, more than 1,00,000 cows have already been lost. The intolerably poignant sight of dead young cows and dried cow carcasses is becoming common in villages across this region. Our team comprised of Dr. Sree Kumar, a veterinary doctor and cow-care specialist, Vamsuli Dasa, an environmental scientist and consultant, and myself, Sri Krishna Purusottama Dasa, North America Coordinator of Om Sri Surabhi Campaign. We travelled to villages across Barmer district in mid-June to personally understand the situation.

Bhagavatam tenth canto study 81 – 10.14.19-24 Krishna’s pastimes are unknowable yet relishable
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

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When we fail in life, how can we immediately understand that past karma is at work?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

Transcription

Question: When we fail in life how can we immediately understand that past karma is at work

Answer:
It is not necessary that we always have to resort to past karma only. Suppose on a cold night somebody eats ten ice creams. And then the next morning, they have a terrible throat and they say, ice cream! Now, their terrible throat, is it because of past karma? Yeah, past night karma.

It’s not that everything that happens to us is just because of past karma. There is a combination of present karma and past karma which comes together in giving us certain results. That’s why we have to be practical also. That means if I am doing something and I am not getting the result then is there something that I could do to improve it? We should think about it. We should not think that it is past karma. In one sense, over-reliance on past karma as explanation will make us very passive and fatalistic. Over reliance on present karma will make us very insecure and volatile because every failure we will start taking it too personally.

So, if I don’t do well in an exam, sometimes it may be that I may not have studied, but sometimes I have studied well, but still I didn’t do well in an exam. Sometimes it happens that people try to form a relationship and it doesn’t work. It could be that there is something wrong with me, but sometimes it’s just that the other person is at fault. We shouldn’t presume that, but sometimes it can be like that. Sometimes some people are just abusive, some people are terrible. Then something doesn’t work out. In today’s culture where people have dating and everything, if somebody breaks up with them people feel so insecure after that. They feel maybe I am unloved; I will be unlovable. People become very insecure. One of the top ten fears of people in today’s world is the fear of rejection that I form a relationship and I may get rejected by someone.

If we rely too much on present karma then what happens? Our life becomes very volatile. We become very unstable because we take everything very personally. But sometimes things don’t have to be taken so personally. So, we have to put things in the right frame of reference. Normally the immediate cause-effect is the first frame of reference. Suppose if I go for a program somewhere and there is nobody there for the program. Now, I could take it personally and say I am such a poor speaker that nobody comes. That could be true but suppose that program has been done at a place where at the same time there is some other big event going on and everybody has gone there. Then I have to put it in that context. I remember I went for a program in one country and the host invited me in. He said, actually I’m going for that program. You can sit. Whoever comes, they’ll attend this class. That was quite humbling. But you don’t have to necessarily take everything too personally.

Rather than thinking of a right explanation or wrong explanation, if we do something and we get some result, is it because of our present karma or past karma? Rather than trying to get too much into that analysis, we must focus more on trying to find the most constructive frame of reference in which to put it. It’s not that one frame of reference is right and the other is wrong. We don’t know in these cases what is right and what is wrong. But what is the most constructive frame of reference?

If I have done something and I have not done it so well, then the most constructive frame of reference is, okay, let me take care of this in future. But if I have done the best that I can and still the result is not coming then the most constructive frame of reference is, yeah, there is some past karma involved, then let me move on. Now moving on also, we will have to use our intelligence to decide, okay, should I keep doing this? And if we have given a reasonable amount of tries for that and that is not working, maybe that is not meant to work. We need to move to something else. So, rather than trying to simply resign the results to past karma alone, we try to place things in the most constructive frame of reference so that we can move on in our life.

End of transcription.

Bhagavatam tenth canto study 80 – 10.14.13-18 – Brahma contextualizes his bewilderment in terms of his and others’ past bewilderment
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Podcast

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Coffered Ceiling Mock-up Panel for Domes
- TOVP.org

Pictured here is the final mock-up of a panel for the TOVP domes. These panels will line the inside of the domes and are both aesthetically pleasing and practical.

The photo taken at the greatest distance away gives you a rough idea of what a panel will look like at 50 meters (164 feet) height.

Each shot brings the model closer in view so you can see the details of the actual panel.

The whole project was monitored and supervised by Jagadananda, Savyasachi and Radha vallabha prabhus. We are very satisfied with the results and we hope to start working on the inner main dome very soon.

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Jagannatha Gauranga Rathayatra
→ Ramai Swami

Every year, before the main Rathayatra festival in downtown Denpasar, each temple in Bali has their own celebration.

The devotees from Jagannatha Gauranga temple organised a procession for Their Lordships, Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi to the nearby beach.

The dieties were brought out and placed on individual palanquins and everyone headed out chanting and dancing all the way. On arrival there was bhoga offering, arati and more kirtan, before heading back.

Friday, July 5th, 2019
→ The Walking Monk

Montreal, Quebec

Magic in the Park

The usual, full, six-hour-allotted time was given for the ride to Montreal.  The local community is all hyped up for the weekend's chariot fest.  The afternoon and early evening time had me occupied in greeting everyone: some congregants, some youths from the Krishna Fest Bus Tour and more.  Everything is positive.

It was the late evening to early morning that became very endearing for me.  With the common insomnia issue I have, and weather that causes clothes to stick to the body with its humidity, I chose to roam Saint Catherine Street. where I came upon a newly renovated park.  There I planted myself for a bit, chanting on my beads, when a homeless fellow, who lives in the park, approached me.  His name is Hugo and he knows about Krishna. He lives, in some respects, like a monk with no real fixed address for a home.  He has lived life as part-junkie, and part-drunk.  He spoke coherently.

"My dad was a Canadian super-star in the sixties.  You can look him up—Marc Gelinas."  Sure enough.  There he showed up on my phone--the singer of many meaningful songs, and an actor.

There was a short gap between meeting Hugo, and then Juan and Ignatius, both from Chile. They saw me sitting there at the picnic table when they asked if I could answer a question and share some wisdom. In brief, I spoke about true identity. “We are not these bodies.”  I mentioned that we all have a dharma to fulfill and we must keep busy like a bee.  "Be prepared to get stung but to keep producing honey." I also encouraged these two good listeners to bear in mind two good injunctions: "Always remember the Divine. Never forget the Divine."

May the Source be with you!
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