Planet ISKCON

This week as we head to the start of the #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser from May 7th (Akshaya Tritiya) until May 17th (Nrsimha Caturdasi), His Holiness B.B. Govinda Maharaja 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 Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja Speaks About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Please, take a look at the first 5 meter base relief panel that will decorate one of the 4 corner walls of the temple room.

This is a wall of ventilation channel, that provides air circulation and conducts the drainage system of the temple and various types of communication lines. Two base relief panels will show the pastimes of Sri Krishna, and another two will show the lilas of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

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 Wall Relief Panels appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Book Distribution week ending April 7, 2019 (Album of photos)
Mohanasini Devi Dasi: Super sweet people I met this weekend! I a...

Daily readings of Srila Prabhupada’s Books.
Bhagavat Ashraya Das: Congratulations on this significant milestone. As Maharaja says, he has dedicated himself to this project every day for the rest of his life. Let us all pray that there are many, many, many more days, weeks, months and years to the rest of this life.

Harinaam Monday - ISKCON Chowpatty (4 min. video)
Srila Prabhupada: Pure devotees chant the Hare Krishna mantra, and simply by...

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 3.10.

“After reading and examining and discussing, the conclusion is that we should engage in sankirtan yajna. That will enable us to live happily in this life and to go back home back to Godhead at the end of this life. We should all chant as much as possible — Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Srila Prabhupada Said that anyone can chant. Even a child can take part. Even a dog can take part.”

Sunday Feast Talk (Right click to download)

Jagannath Rath Yatra 2019, Kurukshetra (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: When there is large-scale congregational chanting o...

West Sydney Temple Project.
Ramai Swami: I attended another fundraising dinner for the new temple project in Vineyard, West Sy...

ENTHUSIASM POINTS TO GROWTH OF JALGAON WALKS
April 9, 2019
By Caitanya Jivan dasa, President ISKCON Jalgaon

Jenni Adopts A Cow (3 min. video)
Cow protection often appeals to people who ordinarily would not become interested in Krsna Consciousness. Due to their attraction to the cow, they learn about the philosophy behind cow protection, Krishna Consciousness.
This is the story of a surprise wedding gift to a cow lover. Jenni’s parents wanted to give her a surprise wedding gift of a cow adoption. They took her on a mystery road trip and she did not know where she was going or for what purpose. Watch the video to find out what happened.

Sri Lakshmiji manifests in the TOVP! (Album of photos)
Sadbhuja Das: Here is the murti of the Goddess Lakshmi. This sculpture,...

To make everyone understand that He was accepting the sinful actions of Jagai and Madhai, Lord Caitanya’s body became blackish in complexion. The Lord inquired, “Why do you all look at Me in this manner? How do I look?” Advaita Acarya replied, “You look like Lord Krishna.” Lord Caitanya began to laugh at Advaita Acarya’s words and all the Vaisnavas became ecstatic and expressed their joy with jubilant sounds. Lord Caitanya then said, “Begin kirtana, and this black shroud of sin will lift from My body and enter the bodies of those who criticize the devotees of the Lord.” Continue reading "Beware of the Mad Elephant
→ Dandavats"

This year's parade was special because the show got enlivened with 40 decorative cars and boasted of participants from 37 cross-cultural communities. ISKCON community in Surabaya was also given invitation and as soon as the opportunity arrived, the devotees arranged for the Lord Jagannath's chariot festival. Devotees enjoyed spiritual bliss on pulling Lord Jagannath's chariot and the people of Surabaya in turn received the inconceivable merciful blessings of Lord Jagannath. Here is a short report. Continue reading "Jagannatha Ratha Yatra at Surabaya Vaganza
→ Dandavats"

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 3.10.

“The Lord created this material world to enable the conditioned souls to learn how to perform yajñas (sacri?ces) for the satisfaction of Visnu, so that while in the material world they can live very comfortably without anxiety, and after ?nishing the present material body they can enter into the kingdom of God. That is the whole program for the conditioned soul. By performance of yajña, the conditioned souls gradually become Krsna conscious and become godly in all respects. In the Age of Kali, the sankirtana-yajña (the chanting of the names of God) is recommended by the Vedic scriptures, and this transcendental system was introduced by Lord Caitanya for the deliverance of all men in this age. Sankirtana-yajña and Krsna consciousness go well together. Bg 3.10 purport

Darshan Room Discussion (Right-click to download)

I attended another fund raising dinner for the new temple project in Vineyard, West Sydney. The ground breaking ceremony was held the week before on the new land and although I was unable to attend, the devotees reported that it was a wonderful occasion.

The management team announced that the goal was to have the first stage constructed by Janmastami 2021 and everyone applauded. The evening went well with kirtan, speeches, drama performance by the children and prasadam at the end.

New building for the Iskcon School in Houston, Texas (Album of photos)
Goswami Academy: We are super excited to share that we ...

A Revolutionary Spirit.
Kadamba Kanana Swam: In the introduction to the Srimad Bhagavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes a very famous verse (SB 1.5.11). This is the verse that speaks about a revolution, so that attracts me because I like the revolutionary spirit, the spirit of making changes, something dynamic. Prabhupada is pointing out it is the discussion of Krsna that would bring about the change.

Mystical Vrindavan - Prahlada Kunda (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we traveled through the countryside of Vrindavan on dusty roads to the village of Phalain, where we took darshan of Prahlada-kunda. Prahlada-kunda is said to be the home of the great devotee Prahlada Maharaja and the place where the Holika-dahan festival - a precursor to the famous festival of throwing of colors - is celebrated. Every year, during the full moon night in the month of Phalguna, the Vrajavasis celebrate the death of Hiranyakasipu’s evil sister, Holika at Prahlada- kunda. When Hiranyaksipu was unsuccessful in trying to kill his son Prahalda Maharaja, he approached Lord Siva and asked for the ultimate weapon of destruction: the fire that Siva employs to destroy the cosmic manifestation. With that benediction Hiranyakasipu built a huge funeral pyre and put his sister Holika on top of it, with Prahlad in her lap to make sure he didn’t escape. Holika had a benediction from Lord Brahma that she could never be burned by fire. When Hiranyakasipu lit the fire it burned for a long time. But in the end, Prahlada was seen blissfully chanting the holy names and Holika was burned to ashes. The acaryas say that her offense to a pure devotee, Prahlad Maharaja, nullified the benediction of Brahma. The Vrajavasis, honoring the sraddha, or deep faith of Prahlada Maharaja, burn an effigy of Holika each year to celebrate the pastime. Prahlada Maharaja lives eternally on Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Vaikuntha planet, but Krsna remembered Prahlada every year when He was present in Vrindavan by celebrating His devotee’s strong faith in divine protection at the festival at Prahlada-kunda.

Rishabh Verma: This Rama Navami, devotees must remind themselves of the promise of the Lord and with faith in his nature and words, demonstrate the principle of fearlessness in their lives by wholeheartedly engaging in devotional service. By demonstrating this principle in their lives, devotees will be able to glorify the Lord and also grant this gift of fearlessness to others who still live in a fearful state of material existence.

Read More...

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 March 2019, Durban, South Africa, Lotus Park Nama Hatta)  

In the introduction to the Srimad Bhagavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes a very famous verse (SB 1.5.11):

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ‘ńkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

This is the verse that speaks about viplavo, a revolution, so that attracts me because I like the revolutionary spirit, the spirit of making changes, something dynamic. Prabhupada is pointing out it is the discussion of Krsna that would bring about the change.

It means wherever there are devotees who are chanting the names of God, that can bring about a revolution in a misdirected and misguided civilization. Where slokas of Krsna will be discussed, that is where there will be a change. And such verses are heard and sung by men who are thoroughly honest, even if imperfectly composed.

Some devotees have identified this verse as a verse which predicts Srila Prabhupada’s mission because it says that through Srimad Bhagavatam in particular the world will change. And Prabhupada brought the Bhagavatam to the western world, not the Gita. The trunks that he brought with him on the Jaladuta contained sets of Bhagavatams. He sold 1 set to the captain of the Jaladuta, and of course, later he sold other sets.

He was going to give a lecture in Pennsylvania when a man came and sat next to him and they had a discussion. It was a nice conversation and when it was time for Prabhupada to speak, he asked the man to look after his box of books. After the lecture Prabhupada asked him to open the box and hold the books up. Prabhupada explained what those books were, and then said that anyone who wanted books could go to the man and give him the money. 

Prabhupada just engaged him, and in this, he put the Bhagavatam into practice by engaging someone in devotional service. It was not just a dry lecture but a real lecture. Before this person knew it he was engaged in devotional service. That was Prabhupada’s tendency – to somehow or the other engage everyone in devotional service. 

The article " A Revolutionary Spirit " was published on KKSBlog.

Harinam Sankirtan in Bali, Indonesia (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The name Krishna and the Personality of Godhead Krish...

Bhaktivedanta Manor: Letting the cows out!
Our herd spent the winter months in the shelter of the barns, but the warmer weather means that it’s time to let them out.
Please join us on Sunday 21st April to watch the cows stretch their legs and feel the green grass beneath their hooves as they joyfully run onto the fields! This will be a fun occasion for all of the family

[Bhagavatam class at Hawaii, USA]

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[Talk at San Jose, USA]

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[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Sydney, Australia]

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[Bhagavatam class on 1.11.21 at ISKCON, Sydney, Australia]

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[Talk at ISKCON Silicon Valley, San Jose, USA]

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[Talk at Hawaii, USA]

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[Talk at ISKCON, Hawaii, USA]

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Audio File
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.17 (Right-click to download)

Approximately 160 visitors from China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan recently came to Mayapur with His Holiness Giridhari Swami on pilgrimage. They came in two groups – the first group, of about 40 people, visited in late December of 2018, and the second group, of about 120 people, came in late January of 2019. […]

The post Visitors from East and Southeast Asia Initiated in Mayapur! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

How the soul, false ego, intelligence and mind interact with each other?
Chaitanya Charan das: The soul is spiritual. The mind, intelligence and false ego are all part of the subtle body. In general, they are differentiated, based on function rather than structure. The gross elements namely the earth, water, fire, air and ether can be differentiated in terms of structure because they are made of different things. However, the subtle elements, as described in the third canto of the Bhagavatam, in the chapter titled, ‘Fundamental principles of material nature’, are differentiated in terms of their functions. In this regard, we can take the example of a computer. In a computer system, there is a hardware, software and then the user. The hardware is a physical structure that we can perceive with our eyes. The software is an interface between the user and the hardware. The software itself can be of different types – (i) the operating system (ii) the pre-installed apps inherent to the device (iii) the user installed apps. Using this as a rough example, we can say that basic software with which the soul exists in the world, is the ego. Then there is the intermediate software which is used for accessing and functioning. Intermediate software are the pre-installed apps that come with the device. These are like intelligence. Finally, the user installed apps are like the mind.

The Lord and His incarnations (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by H.H. Kadamba Kanana Swami at ISKCON Vrindavan, Apr 3, 2019