Krishna Days, a new Facebook page launched this Gaura Purnima (March 2019), keeps followers up-to-date and informed on all Vaishnava sacred days.

Centering our life on Krishna – not on the intellectual, the psychological, the social or the cultural
[Talk at Princeton, USA]

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The post Centering our life on Krishna – not on the intellectual, the psychological, the social or the cultural appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Gita Life talk at The Bhakti Center, New York, USA]

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The post Moving toward self-mastery through fear of dishonor and detachment – Gita 2.31.63 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Devotee Engagement Celebration (Album of photos)
Ramai Swami: Vedavyasapriya Maharaja and I were invited to Gokule and Natasha’s engagement celebration at Southport, Queensland. They are both from devotee families, one side from Fiji and the other side from India.
I have known them both since they were young children in school and watched them grow into wonderful devotee adults. Even from a young age, they participated in performing lila dramas, dance and leading kirtan.
The evening went well with everyone giving their blessing and best wishes. Both Maharaja and I spoke and that was followed by a sumptuous feast.
Find them here: https://is.gd/bhE2GT

Blissfull Festival at Rasamrita Kunj, Mayapur (6 min. video)
Srila Prabhupada: This chanting of Hare Krishna is welfare work f...

JAGANNATH RATH YATRA Trivandrum (Album of photos)
Sri Radha Nila Madhava Satsang
ISKCON - Trivandrum

New Gokula, another amazing and beautiful Iskcon farm in Australia, just two hours away from Sydney (Album of photos)

Evening Hall Program at Kolkata, India (Album of photos)
His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja delivered a lecture with necta...

The TOVP is ISKCON’s most important and historically significant project. In the short term the temple will provide the long-awaited new home for our beloved world Deities Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimhadeva, and bring much attention and stature to ISKCON and the holy birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Sridham Mayapur, the organization’s World Headquarters. In the long term the TOVP will become a world-class mecca for Krishna conscious enlightenment and education, and the spiritual center from which the yuga dharma manifests for hundreds of thousands of years into the future.

In this video ISKCON and TOVP leaders speak about the importance of completing the TOVP by 2022 and the upcoming #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser starting on Akshaya Tritiya, May 7th until Nrsimha Caturdasi, May 17th. Every devotee is encouraged to participate with a donation, large or small, and Ambarisa prabhu, TOVP Chairman, will match all donations capping at $125,000, making the potential income $250,000+.

Go to the TOVP website address below during the above dates or at any time to make your contribution into the yajna of building the TOVP and help bring victory to Srila Prabhupada: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/giving-tovp-fundraiser/

TOVP – Together Offer Victory to Prabhupada

MISSION 22 MARATHON KI JAYA! THINK 22 -> TOVP NOW!

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities

The post ISKCON and TOVP Leaders Speak About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser May 7 – 17 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Vedavyasapriya Maharaja and I were invited to Gokule and Natasha’s engagement celebration at Southport, Queensland. They are both from devotee families, one side from Fiji and the other side from India.

I have known them both since they were young children in school and watched them grow into wonderful devotee adults. Even from a young age, they participated in performing lila dramas, dance and leading kirtan.

The evening went well with everyone giving their blessing and best wishes. Both Maharaja and I spoke and that was followed by a sumptuous feast.

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 03/17/2019

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes cow protection, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Founder-Acharya.

Participating Directors: Chaitanya Mangala, Jamuna Jivani (board secretary), Makara (chair), and Ranaka.

Participating Advisors: Jaya Krsna and Kripamaya.

1. Clarification of Advisory Roles

Kripamaya and Chaitanya Mangala agreed to help develop clearer, more specific descriptions for the board advisory roles.

2. 219 Coffield Lane Land Development

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to make more land available for sale in New Vrindaban.

RESOLVED: The Board authorizes up to $44.6K for the boundary work, topography, existing conditions, subdivision plat work and pinning the lots, engineering, site design, storm water controls, erosion and sediment plans, water line design, and coordination with the county health department and county commission for the Bahulaban property development at 219 Coffield Lane.

3. ECO-V President Search

Madhava Smullen wrote an article for ISKCON News about how the search for ECO-V’s new president started Gaura Purnima 2019.

Here’s a link to the ECO-Vrindaban website.

For regular updates, please visit, like and follow the ECO-V Facebook page.

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 03/03/2019

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes cow protection, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Founder-Acharya.

Participating Directors: Chaitanya Mangala, Jamuna Jivani (board secretary), Makara (chair), Olivia, Ranaka, and Vraja.

Participating Advisors: Kalakantha.

1. Ranaka’s Monthly Report

Lalita Gopi – Temple Barn

There are currently eight cows who are giving a total of 22 gallonsof milk per day: Jaya Radhe, Usa, Surabhi, Subhadra, Lakshmi, Jamuna, Malati, and Anjali.

Jaya Radhe gave birth to a heifer calf on February 5th, the calf has been named Puspavati. Madhu was the sire.

There are currently three calves at the Temple Barn: Gaurangi, Jai Sri, and Puspavati. Gopi has been moved to Nandagram because she was playing too rough with the younger and smaller animals.

Anandavidya has increased his butter production to 30-40 lb per week. The temple devotees are using it for ghee.

Our alpaca, Archie, passed away.

Ray – General Farmhand

Moved hay to Temple Barn as needed.

Barn and equipment maintenance

Constructed and hung a gate at the Temple Barn.

Acquired fencing material to help Caitanya Bhagavat with Nandagram fencing

Spread 23 tons of limestone gravel around the Temple Barn area, and cut a ditch by the state road to divert rainwater from running down the driveway.

Ranaka – General Manager

Finished the 2018 financial audit with Ram Associates.

Worked with a farmer in western Ohio to purchase two pregnant milk cows that will freshen this spring, providing needed milk for the upcoming summer season.

The total herd count stands at 61

2. North American ISKCON Farm Conference

A subcommittee consisting of Chaitanya Mangala and Olivia was formed to help with planning and organizing this conference.

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to provide assistance to the speakers and organizers attending the conference.

RESOLVED: The Board authorizes a budget up to $7K for travel expenses for presenters.

3. ECO-V Presentation for On-Site Meetings

A subcommittee has formed consisting of Makara, Ranaka, Chaitanya Mangala, and Jamuna Jivani in order to put together a presentation on ECO-V for the on-site meetings in April.

4. Housing for ECO-V Employees

A subcommittee consisting of Olivia, Ranaka, Jamuna Jivani, and Makara has formed for the purpose of researching housing options and locations for ECO-V staff & volunteers.

5. Water Filling Station Grant

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to provide more ecologically-friendly options in New Vrindaban.

RESOLVED: In addition to the remainder of an already existing grant, the Board authorizes an additional $1,169.45 for the purchase of a water filling station for ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Here’s a link to the ECO-Vrindaban website.

For regular updates, please visit, like and follow the ECO-V Facebook page.

The magic mantra which has helped millions of people MEDITATE for thousands of years! (3 min. video)

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Kirtan London.
Kirtan London, a volunteer outreach project supported by Bhaktivedanta Manor and ISKCON-London, hosted their first six-hour kirtan of the year. Following the success over New Year’s Eve, the recent event was hosted in collaboration with the yoga studio, Tripspace, in Haggerston and Humble Warrior’s Charlie, a popular Jivamukti yoga teacher. Charlie led yoga for the first hour of the event, infusing it with devotional wisdom and kirtan. 34 guests attended the yoga and a total of 110 guests attended kirtan. They hope to see guests returning for more kirtan at Mantra Lounge, a regular Friday evening event in Covent Garden.
Contact: www.kirtanlondon.com/

Sri Krishna Haveli progress, April 2019 (1 min. video)
Construction of the Shree Krishna Haveli is progressing steadily, and though the project is slightly behind schedule, the construction company, Vascroft, have re-assured us that the handover of the building will take place in August this year, just in time for the Janmashtami
festival.

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of March 2019. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5 Continue reading "NASN March 2019 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats"

Waves of Time.
Kadamba Kanana Swami: In the Eleventh Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam there is a chapter entitled the Bhumi Gita – the song of the earth. The earth is explaining, “So many have tried to possess me, to control me, lord it over me. And now what remains of them? Only names.” So we see that influence of time which destroys everything and takes everything away. It is painful to lose one’s influence, to lose one’s power. It is painful to become old, but there also is an advantage, if one is engaged in devotional service. In material life there is not much advantage – one gets some grey hairs, one gets a little experience. One can say a few wise words, before one starts mumbling and goes senile. In India sometimes they say, “He went into samadhi.” Some do go into samadhi but some also lose it over time. That is the nature of time.

Arjun Singh.
In 1989, I had just returned to Canada from a six-year term in New Delhi, serving there as the temple president. I would walk the halls of McGill University and distribute books to students. One Indian student named Arjun Singh was quite intrigued by my activities and eventually got a book from me.

This week as we head to the start of the #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser from May 7th (Akshaya Tritita) until May 17th (Nrsimha Caturdasi), His Grace Braja Vilasa prabhu speaks about the importance of the TOVP and participating in this 10 day window of opportunity to make a donation to the project.

The #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser will be an incredible, never before done online event to raise funds, large or small, from every devotee, whether they have already given to the TOVP or not. Ambarisa prabhu will match all donations up to $125,000, thus doubling the income to the TOVP during this fundraising event to help complete the TOVP by 2022.

For more information, go to the TOVP #Giving TOVP Fundraiser page. You can also become a TOVP Ambassador by downloading the flyer from the website page and posting it on the internet, emailing it to your devotee friends and relatives, and posting at your local temple. We want the participation of every ISKCON devotee and congregation member worldwide.

MISSION 22 MARATHON KI JAYA! THINK 22 -> TOVP NOW!

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities

The post His Grace Braja Vilasa Prabhu Speaks About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser, May 7 – 17, 2019 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Essence magazine, a lifestyle monthly for African American women, has featured husband and wife Krsnanandini Devi Dasi, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, and her husband Tariq Saleem Ziyad, an Orthodox Muslim, in their April 2019 issue. The magazine has a circulation of 1.6 million readers.

In a recent TV advertisement by SKODA India, a woman is shown relaxing in the back of a new SKODA Kodiaq SUV, reading Srila Prabhupada's book "The Science of Self Realization." The book's title and Srila Prabhupada's face are clearly shown, and the mood of the ad is one of peace and upliftment. A video by SKODA India.

Sea levels have been rising at a greater rate year after year, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates they could rise by another meter or more by the end of this century. As National Geographic showed in 2013, sea levels would rise by 216 feet if all the land ice on the planet were to melt. This would dramatically reshape the continents and drown many of the world's major cities.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Vrindavan India 4 April 2019, SB 8.17.25-27)

In the Eleventh Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam there is a chapter entitled the Bhumi Gita – the song of the earth. The earth is explaining, “So many have tried to possess me, to control me, lord it over me. And now what remains of them? Only names.” So we see that influence of time which destroys everything and takes everything away. It is painful to lose one’s influence, to lose one’s power. It is painful to become old, but there also is an advantage, if one is engaged in devotional service. In material life there is not much advantage – one gets some grey hairs, one gets a little experience. One can say a few wise words, before one starts mumbling and goes senile. In India sometimes they say, “He went into samadhi.” Some do go into samadhi but some also lose it over time. That is the nature of time. 

But in spiritual life it is different. In spiritual life we are gaining over time. Time means more devotional service and more benefit from devotional service. That is one thing. Also, this dynamic of time that destroys everything eventually makes us detached. At first we try to hold on, but it does not work and then we let go. At one point we give up and say, “Forget it.”  The influence of time is taking away our opportunities to be involved in so many things in this world, and one becomes aloof. This platform of being aloof is very important.

In the Fourth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam we see the pastime of Dhruva Maharaja. Dhruva wanted to climb onto the lap of his father and it was not only his step-mother who stopped him; it was also her son, Uttama. Uttama was already sitting on his father’s lap and pushed him down. So Dhruva was not only upset with his step-mother; he was angry with both and that anger was burning. He performed his austerities and became self-realised and came back totally aloof. He met his step-mother who could see that Dhruva harboured no ill feelings towards her and she was amazed. He offered obeisances to her and she blessed him. But then we also see by the arrangement of the Lord that his step-mother dies somewhere in a forest fire, and Uttama is killed by the Yaksas. Dhruva’s anger emerges again and this time it may be slightly nourished by guilt feelings, because he was the one who desired that his brother is punished. He feels a little responsible and to sort of wash off the guilt feeling, he punishes all these Yaksas, killing them the celestial weapons. He is about to wipe out all the Yaksas.

Then it is said that the two elders who are normally completely aloof appear. One of them is Svayambhuva Manu and the other is Kuvera. These two elders on exceptional occasions get involved in the material affairs. Normally they do not, since they are detached and aloof and absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They give Dhruva good advice and instruct him to stop the killing.  It is very potent, because they are very deep and constantly concentrating on the Supreme Lord. So it is very valuable when in one’s old age one becomes detached. And if in one’s old age one has not become detached, then one should, because at that detached stage one can focus and absorb on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not only beneficial for the individual but beneficial for society at large – and not only beneficial, it is essential.

The article " The Six Waves of Time – part 2 " was published on KKSBlog.

Draupadi’s pot.
The five Pandava princes were heirs to the throne of the world. Duryodhana, their envious cousin, was always scheming how to get rid of them so that he could claim the crown for himself. Killing the Pandavas though, was not so easy, for Lord Krishna was their special friend. And everyone knew that Krishna’s powers were unlimited.

Lectures and kirtans from the Hare Krishna temple in Alachua, Florida

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What do Akshaya Tritiya (May 7th) and Nrsimha Caturdasi (May 17th) have in common, aside from occurring in the same month of the year? Akshaya Tritiya is commonly understood in the Vedic calendar to be the most auspicious day for beginning any undertaking and for making a donation, especially for a spiritual cause. Any action begun on this day will have everlasting and increasing effects and any service or charity one performs on this day will be rewarded many times over. And, of course, Nrsimha Caturdasi is the most celebrated appearance of our beloved half-lion/half-man incarnation of the Lord who protected His dearmost devotee, Prahlad.

In Vedic history these prominent historical events occurred on Akshaya Tritiya:

• Lord Parasurama appeared
• Mother Ganga descended
• Candana-yatra begins
• Vyasa began writing Mahabharata
• Sudama was blessed by Lord Krishna
• Draupadi received an unlimited sari

However, this year the common line up of these two extremely favorable and popular days present a 10 day window of opportunity to support the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser from May 7 – 17. This unique and historic online fundraising event is an opportunity for all ISKCON devotees to unify during these auspicious dates and double their donations, large or small, to the TOVP to help insure that it is completed by 2022, and our world Deities Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimha are finally moved into Their long-awaited new home on the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON Mayapur. Ambarisa prabhu, TOVP Chairman, will match all donations capping at $125,000 and we have set our sites on raising a total of $250,000+ during this marathon.

We encourage every devotee in ISKCON to participate in this strategically timed fundraiser, and to also inform all their devotee friends and relatives about it also. Help spread the word to give everyone the opportunity for this once-in-many-lifetimes opportunity.

“If the devotee offers something to the Lord, it acts for his own interest because whatever a devotee offers the Lord comes back in a quantity a million times greater than what was offered. One does not become a loser by giving to the Lord; one becomes a gainer by millions of times.”

Srila Prabhupada, Krsna Book Ch. 81, The Brahmana Sudama Blessed by Lord Krishna

“He who has built a temple for Vishnu reaps the great fruit which one gains by celebrating sacrifices every day. By building a temple for the Lord he takes his family, a hundred generations past and a hundred to come, to the region of Acyuta.”

Agni Purana

Go to this TOVP website address during May 7 – 17 and make your offering in the fire of the #Giving TOVP Fundraising yajna: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/giving-tovp-fundraiser/

TOVP – Together Offer Victory to Prabhupada

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities

The post Akshaya Tritiya, Nrsimha Caturdasi, and the TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

50th Anniversary of UK’s first Hare Krishna Temple.
The Hare Krishna movement was built on a pioneering spirit. Srila Prabhupada was the original pioneer who then empowered three couples - Mukunda and Janaki, Shyamasundara and Malati (with their baby Sarasvati), and Gurudasa and Yamuna - with a dream to start a center in London and meet the biggest band in the world, the Beatles, to help spread Krishna Consciousness.

Appointments Process Reception at Windsor Castle, UK.
A large delegation from Bhaktivedanta Manor attended the Faith and Public Appointments Process Reception, at Vicar’s Hall in Windsor Castle. It was organized by Krish Raval of the Faith in Leadership Team, and Oliver Dowden MP, the Cabinet Office minister with responsibility for public appointment policy. The purpose of the event was to encourage leading faith members to put themselves forward to become Public Appointees.
Public Appointees sit on the boards that steer and govern vital public bodies including the NHS, OFSTED, Kew Gardens and key museums.
“The government want to make policies with consultation from leading faith group Members,” explained Krish. “The Prime Minister made it clear that she wants to ensure these bodies accurately reflect 21st Century Britain. She felt that faith groups are presently underrepresented in these roles but can bring an important perspective on ethical issues”

[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Washington DC, USA]

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The post Nonviolence in speech – Be sensitive and sensible appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Baltimore, USA]

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The post How to deal with distress through devotion appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Bhakti Vaibhav class at ISKCON, Washington DC, USA]

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The post Bhagavatam study – Pruthu Maharaja pastime analysis with HG Braja Bihari P appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.