Genuine spiritual teachers are friends to everyone, they do not see anyone as an enemy; rather, the enemy is the illusory energy. To act on this platform, one must understand that the spirit soul can never possess material qualities. It simply contacts matter and carries it like air carries earthly aromas. This explains a seeming contradiction. The Lord and His devotees relieve conditioned souls from the “us and them” mentality by sharp words which sever material attachments. This may seem like criticism; but criticism is condemned by Krishna. There is no contradiction because severing attachments is distinct from material criticism- and it is material criticism which is condemned. Material criticism means to criticizes others while attributing material qualities to the spirit soul. This reinforces material distinctions. Vaishnava literature anticipates an audience who can intuitively glimpse the pure soul. Those who cannot will confuse severing material attachments with material criticism. Continue reading "Plans of Materialistic Leaders Cannot Benefit Society
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Podcast

The post How can living in the present be reconciled with having an optimistic attitude? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Day Two of the European Communications Conference began with a very relevant and hard hitting talk by Willy Fautre of Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF). This led to much discussion about various cases of abuse of human rights on the basis of religious belief and how HRWF has helped. It was also a fascinating opportunity to learn about the importance of PR and lobbying to raise awareness and tackle these issues. Continue reading "European Communications conference – Day 2
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Bhaghirati De, Srila Prabhupada’s Great Granddaughter.
She lives in Mayapur on the ISKCON Campus. The photo was taken yesterday at a school function. Bhagi lives with her widowed father, a disciple of Jayapataka Swami. Her mother, late Gouri De (daughter of late Vrindavan Chandra De, who was Srila Prabhupada’s youngest son) drowned during a flood in Mayapur, along with Bhagi’s elder sister Yamunangi. Bhagi was miraculously saved by her uncle Hari Das, former temple president of ISKCON Dhaka in Bangladesh. Hari Das was able to save the 10-month-old Bhagirathi, just before he himself drowned. He left his body as a hero.
Bhagirathi is a very good and sincere devotee.

KRISHNA BALARAM FARM GRAND OPENING IN KENYA (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Our centers are like the oasis in a vast deser...

RATHA YATRA IN KIEV, UKRAINE - 26 MAY 2019 (6 min. nicely edited video)
The chariot festival Ratha Yatra, passed along the mai...

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31 December 2018, Simhachalam, Germany, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.21)

After taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya, by a trick of Lord Nityananda, met all the devotees from Bengal, including Mother Saci. Lord Caitanya had a transcendental mood. He said, “What have I done? I was mad. Somehow or other, I took sannyasa in a fit of madness. How could I give up my mother? But now it is too late – now it is done!”

Upon hearing this, Mother Saci said, “I beg that I may be allowed to cook this week and that I will be the only one to cook.” Everyone wanted to cook, but it was Mother Saci’s wish that was granted, and when she cooked, it was just something incredible. Each time she cooked, it had always been special, but this time she knew that she was cooking for the last time for Nimai. So she was cooking with so much love and so much devotion, putting everything in whatever she made, and then it was offered. When the devotees got this maha-prasadam, it was extraordinary!  

You can buy food items from the supermarket, read the ingredients and say, “Well, it is vegetarian … Sri Vishnu, Sri Vishnu, Sri Vishnu … and now we have prasadam.” Yes, that is prasadam, but then there is also prasadam where the devotee has, with great love and dedication, taken so much effort to do something extraordinary that you can taste it in every bite! That is what the devotees and even Mother Saci were tasting.

This movement is made of dedication and it is dedication which makes things special. And it is dedication that is the means by which we preach. If we think that preaching means to learn the art of hypnosis, then we are making a big mistake. Devotees purchase others with their exemplary dedication.       

The article " Taste of Love " was published on KKSBlog.

From A Meditation on the Importance of True Humility” in “Back to Godhead, Vol. 53, No. 5 (Sep/Oct 2019):
Guru Dasa (disciple of Bhaktimarga Swami): “The Tao Te Ching advises that humility is the best policy. One quote I like is translated as follows: ‘If the sage wants to stand above people, he must speak to them from below.

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Internal discord is our greatest enemy.
One disciple of Srila Prabhupada wrote him a letter soon before he left this world saying he wished he could trade his youth for Srila Prabhupada’s old age so Srila Prabhupada could go on preaching. Srila Prabhupada appreciated the disciple’s loving sentiment but said that how much they loved him would be shown by how they cooperate to spread this movement in his absence.

When I work in hospitals I am always very moved by the great suffering and despair of the souls who by circumstance happen to be there, whether patient or hospital worker. Because of this, as I traverse the various stairwells, elevators, corridors and rooms I whisper Hari! Hari! over and over again Continue reading "Bridge of Sighs
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Podcast

The post How are faith and knowledge related – how is faith in the dharmic tradition differnt from faith in Christianity? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Video – SB 4.11.1 Car Birthday 2014-03-20 Delhi

MedicalGita Project is going in full swing! (2 min. video)
Jacob George (ThM, DMin, BCC), a coordinator for Clinical Pastoral ...

[Seminar at Bhakti Lounge, Wellington, New Zealand]

Video

Podcast

Podcast Summary

The post Maintaining faith on the spiritual path 1 – Bhakti is not all-or-nothing appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Whether you like it or not, Jehovah’s Witnesses are always ready to do two things (1) Distribute books (2) Sit down and talk with you, and help you to understand. ISKCON has many book distributors, but we need more gurus. Continue reading "ISKCON: More Gurus Needed!
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We are constantly accepting service from the Supreme Controller. When we will instead try to serve that Being, everything changes. Continue reading "I am not these senses…
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Podcast

The post For self-control, should we just focus on chosing our desires or should we also chose our situations? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Here HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami, the 2019 ISKCON GBC Chairman introduces the work of the Executive Committee of the ISKCON GBC Body and gives some insights as to what they do in their service. Continue reading "GBC Chairman’s Address
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A lifetime dream is finally being fulfilled as Prabhupada disciple Mahendranath Das captains his Sailing Temple, “The Jai Nimai Nitai,” 16,000 nautical miles from Mississippi, USA to Mayapur, India. 

Food For Life London, which has been feeding hot vegetarian meals to the homeless since 1994, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year with its first ever “Walk Against Hunger.”

Around sixty devotees from across Europe and the US have gathered in New Vrajamandala in Spain, to participate in the European Communications Conference running from 27th - 30th May.

Shastrakrit Das: This cute girl came up to my table and started to bargain the price on the Inner Yoga book.
She goes “ give me a better price on that Inner Yoga book!“.
I tried to give her the Krishna book instead but she said: “I already gave her brother the Krishna book in the past”.
She wanted to be a yoga teacher when she grows up, so she insisted on the yoga book. So finally she went and got $10 from her mom and gave it to me and walked away with a $20 book!

Sivarama Swami: Thirty years ago I was doing the Prabhupada marathon at the Chicago airport. One afternoon, we devotees were so intoxicated by distributing books that we decided to show that one doesn’t have to speak to sell books, that book distribution just depends on our state of consciousness. So we didn’t speak.

First Ukrainian Farm Conference (Album of photos)
Ukraine is famous as the breadbasket of the world. Devotees’ project there, New Mayapur, counts on a symbiotic relationship between ISKCON and private initiatives. It includes a farm of 150 hectares which grows organic fruits and berries, as well as a popular Ayurvedic clinic.
New Mayapur in Ukraine will host the first Ukrainian Farm Conference this year from August 16th to 18th.

GBC Organizational Development Committee meetings in Hungary.

Mind Body Spirit Festival in London (Album of photos)
On Saturday 25th May, HH Sivarama Swami spoke at the Mind Body Spirit Festival in London on ‘Yoga & Meditation — as it was’. He spoke on how this ancient path was intended to be practiced with special emphasis on how to achieve the real goal of Yoga which is Self-realisation. The talk ended with a beautiful meditation session and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions!

Hash Bash Crash (Album of photos)
Jai Nitai Gaura Hari das: As Michigan’s long, cold winter finally subsided, April 6, 2019 marked Ann Arbor’ annual Hash Bash, and subsequently The Harmony Collective community’s kick-off to the 2019 street sankirtan season.

Podcast

The post Does sarva dharman parityajya mean that we should give up our rationality and just surrender? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Uttara Devi Dasi ACBSP left her body.
Govinda Swami: Another Vrindavan stalwart,
Uttara Devi Dasi, has departed for Golo...

The Sacred India Gallery (Album of photos)
We made some wonderful new friendships this week when Umbrella Community Care visit...

Pandal Ground Braking Ceremony in Pandharpur (Album of photos)
Pandharpur is getting ready for Ashadi Ekadasi Festival. Today was the day when the Bhoomi puja and groundbreaking ceremony was done for the pandal construction.

Harinama at Les Halles, France (3 min. video)
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles, devotees sing and dance, an...