Monday, July 8th, 2019
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

Message From Robert

A message came from Robert of California

SUBJECT: You inspire me

MESSAGE: I met you at a park in Jackson, California, in September, 2017.  I was thrilled with your tales from the trail.  You were nearing completion of your walk across America.  You gave me your business card. I laminated it and hung it from my pack.  That card has been with me for over 1500 miles in the wilderness, hiking in California and Nevada.  Your words echo to me as I walk and contemplate your faith and spirituality. I am not Krishna but, I am inspired by you daily and I am walking as a peaceful man. Thank you and safe travels, best wishes.  Some day I hope to meet you again and would like to put a fresh card on my pack.  

In Peace.
Robert

These types of messages, like the one from Robert, are very touching for me.  They do come my way from time to time.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzs46fKA0nh/?igshid=ozcn9ua9cl16

I was walking along Bloor Street thousands of miles away from Robert.  It was the night hour at 11 p.m., when I read and contemplated this.  Robert inspires me.

May the Source be with you!
6 km

Sunday, July 7th, 2019
→ The Walking Monk

Montreal Quebec

Under The Sun

Artiome, my Russian friend for a number of years now, hosted me in his home at Isle Perrot.  It is a gorgeous spot just off the St. Lawrence River where it is particularly wide, and before its waters convert to the Lachine Rapids.  At 5:15 a.m., the sun was just perfect.  The morning sun is always life-giving.  It was in the early hours, at sunrise, that our guru, Prabhupada, took his momentous walks.

On intense summer days like these, one has to be careful of over-exposure to that afternoon sun.  And at the site of Day Two of the festival, I made sure to plop myself down on a chair, under one of the tents, for shade.

Choosing that spot proved smart at the book tent, as seekers came to browse and purchase literature, and a percentage of them would come to meet me.  In fact, the personnel looking after the books, often led customers over to me, saying, "Would you like to meet a monk–someone who lives by the book?"  And the answer was usually an enthusiastic: "Yes!"

The quality of people who came to this event were of a good calibre.  I met folks from all over: Montreal, Trois Rivieres, Toronto, Africa, Saskatchewan, all over.

The fact that people are looking for something more than what is currently going on in their lives, is an indication that life could be deeper in dimension. We hope that the afternoon experience under sun or shade was great for browsers and participants.

May the Source be with you!
5 km

Saturday, July 6th, 2019
→ The Walking Monk

Montreal, Quebec

Good Spirit

This whole spring and summer there’s been a threat of rain about to descend, and it has come, more so than usual, at least in the eastern part of the country. Today was no exception.  The showers came and then the chariot procession was about to begin.  The sun burst through, a light breeze moved in—a miracle from nature.  https://www.facebook.com/prasannatma.dasa/videos/2783643004995683?s=100001647982652&sfns=mo

The High Commissioner of India gave me a warm greeting in reciprocation to mine. "I was young when your guru, Prabhupada, came to our home," he said. "He started all of this, the festival and bringing everyone together." https://www.facebook.com/ISKCONMontreal/videos/2391739681037438?s=100001647982652&v=e&sfns=mo

We were standing in the midst of the crowd at the corner of Sherbrooke and St. Laurent when he cut the ribbon for the start of the march.  Coconuts were smashed on the pavement.  Ladies were ‘ululating’.   https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzm62PIAImF/?igshid=1nwz46uhup078    Men were rolling drums of various sorts and kinds.  An Odissi-style dancer posed and moved in colourful garb, dancing out sentiments in praise of Jagannath.  Then everyone began to chant and move as they pulled the ropes of the chariot.  https://www.facebook.com/ISKCONMontreal/videos/2302667246483275?s=100001647982652&v=e&sfns=mo

The sun was present, then absent.  It was a play of the gods.  The chanting resounded, dominating Ste. Laurent.  It was nice, sweet.  So many young men and women especially, set in passion—a good passion.

This went on until we reached the destination point, Jeanne Mance Park, at the base of Mount Royale.  New crowds came, interested in exploring the best of Indian culture.  Not crammed traffic, not honking horns or raunchy smells, not Bollywood, but good-spirited spiritualism seemed to resonate without restriction.

May the Source be with you!
3 km





Your guide to Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra)
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

The wait is almost over! Your guide to the 47th annual Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) is below:

Parade
Toronto’s 47th Annual Festival of India will launch with a spectacular parade that will cruise down Yonge Street, beginning at Yonge & Bloor, and make its way down to the lake. During the parade, three ornate, 40-foot tall floats will be hand-pulled by participants amidst ecstatic singing, drumming, and dancing creating a wondrous, carnival-like atmosphere. Parade participants and spectators are encouraged to join in the excitement by singing and chanting along to the world-famous Hare Krishna mantra:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare;
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

For 47 years, this annual parade has brought the splendour and tradition of India’s spiritual roots to Yonge Street, generating a vibe like no other summer event in the Greater Toronto Area.

Parade Information:
 Date & Time: Saturday July 13th 2019 – 11:00 am to 2:00pm
 Transit: TTC Bloor Subway Station

Parade is only on Saturday, July 13th and begins at 11am at Yonge and Asquith (north of Yonge and Bloor near the Toronto Reference Library). The closest TTC subway station is Yonge/Bloor station. The parade goes down Yonge street and ends at Queens Quay and Freeland St.

Click here for the Parade route in Google Maps 

Centre Island
After the parade on Yonge, Festival of India celebrations continue for the remainder of the weekend at Centre Island. Festival attendees will be treated to a  host of family-friendly activities, including:
Free Vegetarian Feast
The highlight of the Festival of India has to be the sumptuous free vegetarian feast, which will present the flavours, spices and colours of the East to festival attendees. Vegan options will be available.
Arts & Culture
The centrepiece of the festival site is a beautiful and soul-riveting programme of devotional music and dramatic dance from the ancient subcontinent. Be sure not to miss the massive closing kirtans on both days!
Bazaar
Presenting a fun-filled marketplace with arts, crafts, jewellery and much more, our Bazaar will present plenty of excitement for the avid shopper!
Kids Zone
Our family-friendly festival would not be complete without an area dedicated to our young ones! Arts and crafts, yoga, magic show and several activities to keep them busy all day!
Non-Stop Kirtan
Come experience the power of devotional chanting, or kirtan! Kirtan has roots that go back over 500 years to India and is a form of Bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion) and has the power to open the heart. Non-stop kirtans wlll be featured at the festival and will close out the main stage program on each day!
Ask, Discover, Explore
Time to delve deep and ask, discover and explore the spiritual side of this ancient philosophy. Some very practical topics will be presented by our seasoned Bhakti practitioners at our Spiritual Seminars and Q&A tents.
For more information, check www.festivalofindia.ca
The festival is open to and free for the all. With its diverse assortment of celebrations and activities, Festival of India at Centre Island is sure to offer something for everyone!
Although the festival itself is free, you still need to buy the ferry tickets to get onto the Centre Island. You can purchase your tickets now through the City of Toronto’s online ticketing system using the button below to avoid any delays at the ferry docks on the day of the festival.

Purchase Ferry Tickets now! 

“On Earth As It Is In Heaven” (Album of photos)
→ Dandavats



“On Earth As It Is In Heaven” (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” [ Matthew 6 ] By spreading love of God, surely Lord Caitanya’s samkirtan movement is manifesting the spiritual world on this earth. The photos in this album attest to that. All glories to Sri Krsna Sankirtan!

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 […]

The post Jagannath’s flower dress Darshan! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

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

Podcast

The post Bhagavatam tenth canto study 83 – 10.14.31-36 – Brahma glorifies Vrajavasis and aspires for their dust appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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.

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

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

The post What is the concept of the evil eye – what is its rational and scriptural basis appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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

Podcast:

The post Aren’t we trivializing initiation by equating the promises of initiation with the promises of hearing Krishna’s pastimes? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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

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

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.