Planet ISKCON

Extinction Rebellion activist Tristram Stuart speaks out about Prasad Distribution

For the last 11 days and nights a massive eco demonstration has taken place around the planet, here in London 5 main traffic arteries have been blocked by concerned activists , over a thousand people arrested. Hitting the headlines of every newspaper, constantly covered by every form of media, and now supported by many politicians, school children and community leaders.

So what has that got to do with Krishna Consciousness?  We are not environmentalists or eco warriors!But how to deliver Lord Caitanya’s message ? , one of our 3 main activities is Prasad distribution and if we use Polystyrene plates we have almost no chance of being heard. So environmental policies need to be in place.

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.”BG 6.30As Vasinava devotees, followers of Srila Prabhupada, understanding the “ first step in God realisation “ SB , and the Universal Form , Visva Rupa , we are duty bound to respect the environment.Simple things like recycling, composting , biodegradable plates are a must or no intelligent person will take us seriously.

How will people believe that the Yamuna river is the most sacred river in the universe, if she is the most polluted river in the world.Photo of our team taken at Noida, Delhi, on our journey to Ganga Sagar. When only 30 years ago the Yamuna river was blue and even drinkable.

What will India look like in another 20 years , will there be anyplace to live and any water to drink?

The Extinction Rebellion, has a policy of no drugs or alcohol at their events and camp sites, non violence action is the policy and many of my friends were involved in the decision making , so when I was approached for support , well count us in . Each day we send out five rickshaws full of delicious Prasad to each of the five locations, plus Kirtan party , and sometimes cooking on site. The Extinction Rebellion is a party with a purpose, and attracts intelligent considerate young people who are prepared to make a sacrifice for a higher cause, we just have to deliver Srila Prabhupada’s Peace Formula and walk the talk.
It is easy to say , we are not an environmental organisation and continue shopping at the supermarket. Srila Prabhupada is a revolutionary and his “simple living , high thinking” philosophy is in urgent need of implementing on a massive scale.

For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.BG 6.30  Purport:

A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness certainly sees Lord Kṛṣṇa everywhere, and he sees everything in Kṛṣṇa. Such a person may appear to see all separate manifestations of the material nature, but in each and every instance he is conscious of Kṛṣṇa, knowing that everything is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa’s energy. Nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of everything—this is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the development of love of Kṛṣṇa—a position transcendental even to material liberation. 

Your servants, 

Hare Krishna Food for All Team

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Strictly RE (Religious Education)
ISKCON Educations Services were a vital ingredient at the Strictly RE Conference 2019, organized by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE). There were just over 300 delegates in attendance at the Park Inn Hotel, Heathrow, UK. The conference was specifically for Teachers of RE and RE specialists, who had come from as far afield as the Channel Islands. Keli Chanchala dasi performed an Odissi dance within a pop-up temple and many teachers also sampled some prasad sweets.
“We had a good opportunity to network with teachers, exam boards and other RE-related organizations,” explained IES Manager Tulsi Seva dasi.

Lectures on “How to stop worrying and start living “ by His Holiness Bhakti Rasamrita Swami Maharaj

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By Sangita devi dasi

On Sunday, April 21, 2019, Her Grace Savitri devi dasi, a beloved member of our ISKCON Philadelphia Temple peacefully passed away. Surrounded by her closest friends who were chanting the Hare Krishna mantra at her bedside, Savitri departed from this world with a Deity of Lord Nrsimhadeva above her head, a small Deity of Lord Jagannatha and a photo of Srila Prabhupada on her heart, Srila Prabhupada chanting in her ear and a photo of Radha Krsna to her right. Continue reading "Savitri Devi Dasi from ISKCON Philadelphia Passed Away
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By Kalacakra Krsna das

The inauguration ceremony of ISKCON temple in Rajkot, “The Glory of Saurashtra” was celebrated with great enthusiasm on the auspicious day of Sri Rama Navami (14th Apr) in the presence of exalted sannyasis, senior disciples of Prabhupada and senior vaishnavas from across the world, presided over by ISKCON India Chairman and GBC H H Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj and ISKCON Gujarat Secretary and senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, H G Yashomatinandan Prabhu. Thousands of devotees from around the world participated in the 3 days’ festivities and over 50,000 visitors thronged the temple to take darshan of Their Lordships entering into Their most opulent home. Continue reading "A Report on The Glory of Saurashtra – ISKCON Rajkot Temple
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By Parasuram das

For the last 11 days and nights a massive eco demonstration has taken place around the planet, here in London 5 main traffic arteries have been blocked by concerned activists and over a thousand people arrested. Hitting the headlines of every newspaper, constantly covered by every form of media, and now supported by many politicians, school children and community leaders. So what has that got to do with Krishna Consciousness? We are not environmentalists or eco-warriors! But how to deliver Lord Caitanya's message? One of our 3 main activities is Prasad distribution and if we use Polystyrene plates we have almost no chance of being heard. So environmental policies need to be in place. Continue reading "Is a devotee also an eco-warrior?
→ Dandavats"

Recently, a movie about the grotesque reality of abortion, named “Unplanned” has become a surprise niche hit. It is the conversion story of Abby Johnson who was the Clinic Director of the Planned Parenthood clinic at Brian, Texas, America. What makes this story especially riveting is that it describes how a person who had facilitated 22,000 abortions becomes an anti-abortion activist and campaigner.

Abortion has been positioned in today’s mainstream media as a right of woman or an issue of female reproductive health. In today’s media, movies which give a message opposite to the dominant leftist narrative centered on feminism are systematically sidelined. This movie, produced by the Christian equivalent of Netflix called “Pureflix”, was denied trailer advertisements on all mainstream networks except Fox News, and it was banned by critics not so much for its cinematic flaws as for its core message.

To deny the ghastly reality of abortion so that people can go about uninhibitedly – and to present it as a right of a woman – is a great wrong. The very name of the global organization that propagates and facilitates abortion –”Planned Parenthood” – points to the deceptive cover-up of the reality. It is a systematic plan to not only prevent unwanted parenthood, but also to deter any deep thought about the choice of abandoning parenthood through abortion.

The women who go for abortion are not allowed to see the sonographic pictures of what is there in their womb. The sonography is done so that the clinic can determine the size of the embryo, and accordingly the charge for the abortion. However, women are given sanitized messages that actually neither they nor the embryo at this stage will feel any pain.

The magnitude of the denial present in the abortion industry is seen through the fact that Abby herself has never encountered the unvarnished reality of abortion, despite working in the industry for nearly a decade, including several years as the clinic director. Due to a staff shortage, one day she is unexpectedly called to assist in a sonography-guided abortion of a thirteen-week-old unborn child. When she sees through the sonography on the computer screen, the child is desperately trying to get away from the suction machine, which inserts a cannula into the womb and dismembers and drags the remains of the child out. The child struggles frantically as its finely formed backbone is crushed with diabolical precision. Then it becomes motionless as the tiny pieces are collected and brought out. And where there was a throbbing life in the uterus just a few minutes earlier, now there is a dark empty space. This experience is so jolting that she soon resigns as the clinic director and decides to become an anti-abortion activist.

Eventually, she wrote a bestselling book about her personal entry into and out of the abortion industry, which has the same name “Unplanned.” This motion picture is an adapted version of that book. In America it has an R rating. Some abortion films try to avoid this “R rating”, so that they can reach a greater audience. So, they don’t show the horrific blood and gore that are intrinsic to the act of abortion. But such sanitization numbs the impact by further continuing the denial of reality that enables people to embrace abortion as a default choice, whenever the pregnancy test shows an unwanted positive.

Of course, condemning those who conduct abortion or those who have done abortion themselves is not the solution. We need a bigger dialogue and deliberation in society, about how we have arrived today at a place, where in America alone, 926,000 documented abortions take place every year. This is not just because the technology to do abortion has become more widespread and accessible. It is also because the responsibility associated with sexuality has been increasingly dwindled, which is because of the ever-increasing glamorization of casual sexuality in the name of sexual freedom.

The sexual revolution started in the 1960’s, and has had many unwanted consequences such as the breakdown of the families and the neglect of the children. One effect is the alarming increase in the number of abortions.

To deal with abortion at the root, we need to stop the denial first. Many to-be-mothers, if they see their baby through sonography scans, change their minds about having it aborted. But unfortunately, they are never given access to that, and they are given misleading anodynes, including the canard – the deliberately fabricated lie that abortion is painless for both them and their fetus. But as the movie graphically shows, it can be horribly painful on occasions for the mother, and it is of course murderously painful for the infant. By confronting the reality of the life in the womb, and speaking for the rights of the embryo, and not just the rights of the mother in whose womb that embryo is, we can rise beyond the casual sexuality, to see sexuality and its product, life, with greater sanctity and spirituality.

And the rectification of this has to begin by acquiring a more spiritual world-view, wherein we see all life as sacred. Bhagavad-gita, the ancient guidebook of spiritual wisdom, indicates that life comes not from the biochemical combination that is the body, but from the spark of spirit, the soul.

Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.31), another time-honored guidebook for spiritual living, describes how the soul enters into the mother’s womb and is conscious while there – it is certainly not a mere tissue to be removed. With such spiritual understanding, we see our sexuality as a sacred gift to be used for bringing new life into the world; and we recognize the dangers of casual sexuality for everyone involved.

“Unplanned” is an important reminder of the darkness and gruesomeness toward which society is increasingly headed because of casual sexuality. No living being aborts its progeny with the systematically designed technological mechanisms and equally systematically designed denial mechanisms as do humans today. Society urgently needs the course correction of a more spiritual world-view and lifestyle.

The post “Unplanned” movie exposes the planned denial of reality surrounding abortion appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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 Bhakti Caru 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 Bhakti Caru Maharaja Speaks About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser, May 7 – 17, 2019 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Om Times Magazine.
HH Sivarama Swami was the main feature of the March 2019 edition of the OMTimes magazine. He appeared on the front cover and was featured within the magazine in an extensive interview entitled “Modern Morality in Ancient Wisdom”. It included his personal spiritual journey, Hindu/Vedic beliefs and culture, ecology and the path to a peaceful life.
The OMTimes Magazine was created to raise awareness of individuals and organizations that are making a difference in the world.

Perth Namahatta (Album of photos)
Ramai Swami: It’s always a pleasure visiting our Perth temple. Although a long way across to the west coast of Australia, the devotees are enthusiastic to receive visitors.
I was able to attend three or four Bhakti Vrksa and Namahatta programs where we had kirtan, Bhagavad-Gita study, more kirtan and prasadam.
Find them here: https://is.gd/gvlaDg

Honorable Minister of Tourism, Govt. of West Bengal, Mr. Gautam Deb visited ISKCON Mayapur. He attended temple arthis, had a tour of ToVP, Goshala, Srila Prabhupada Pushpa Samadhi Mandir, Gurukula, bhajan kutir, Ganga ghat and full dome theatre. He actively participated in developing Mayapur and viewed presentations on various projects of Mayapur. He noted in […]

The post West Bengal Minister of Tourism visits Mayapur ! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Trinity Church Hall Krishna Festival
The “Hare Krishna Festival” held at Trinity Church Hall in Sutton, UK, was full to the brim as the diverse local audience of over 200 experienced a package of culture, music, wisdom, dance and delicious sanctified food. Local ISKCON group members welcomed guests with a view to serving their spiritual inclinations with ongoing contact for those most interested.
Some of the Church leaders in attendance also appreciated the presentation as applicable to people of all faiths, and one of which expressed an interest in visiting Bhaktivedanta Manor to learn more.

Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Resident Sannyasi.
HH Bhakti Rasamrta Swami will be the official resident sannyasi at Bhaktivedanta Manor until this summer. This means he will be the spiritual head of the community, to provide guidance and inspiration and to attend devotional events. At the recent Manor Updates session attended by Manor residents and staff, Bhakti Rasamrta Swami unveiled the canvas adorned with this year’s theme “Living with Gratitude, Giving with Compassion.”
He preaches all over the world including India, Singapore, UK, USA, Australia and Russia. He is a member of the Vrindavan Executive Board and oversees the management of ISKCON Belgaum, India.
To find out about upcoming classes and seminars to be given by Bhakti Rasamrta Swami:
www.krishnatemple.com

Watford Football Club.
Anand Jatania and Radha Mohan das attended an Equality Advisory Group meeting at Watford Football Club, which included an extensive tour of the grounds. The Club, which is currently within the top 10 of the English Premier League, is seeking to build closer relations with locals, and especially faith group members and ethnic minorities. They even wished Bhaktivedanta Manor a ‘Happy Gaura Purnima’ on their social media pages, which has hundreds of thousands of followers!

Introducing Our Watford Community Cafe - Seva In Watford Be the change!

It’s always a pleasure visiting our Perth temple. Although a long way across to the west coast of Australia, the devotees are enthusiastic to receive visitors.

I was able to attend three or four Bhakti Vrksa and Namahatta programs where we had kirtan, Bhagavad-Gita study, more kirtan and prasadam.

It is our great pleasure to announce ISKCON MAYAPUR’s 7th annual six-day Kartik Navadwip Mandal Parikrama during the most auspicious month of Kartik (organized by the Mayapur Chandra’s). The Parikram begins on 1st of November 2019 and will end on 7th of November 2019. There will be one day break, for Gopasthami (4th of November […]

The post Kartik Navadwip Mandal Parikrama appeared first on Mayapur.com.

It is our great pleasure to announce ISKCON MAYAPUR's 7th annual six-day Kartik Navadwip Mandal Parikrama during the most auspicious month of Kartik

Introverts and Association.
Question: When we associate with devotees, is it enough to chant and hear together or is there a need for personal interaction – especially if it is hard for us because we are introverted by nature?
Answer: Srila Prabhupada writes: “Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krsna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krsna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible.“ (Srimad-Bhagavatam ,4.9.11, purport)

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Close proximity to the Temple creates opportunities to serve within the Community such as giving Classes, inspiring younger devotees and engaging in regular Temple activities. We can also organize younger devotees in the Community to serve their elders. Our Devotee Care team of caregivers and assembled devotees would find it a great honor to serve Srila Prabhupada's disciples in the Vrndavana Retirement Home attentively, professionally, and affectionately.

Srila Prabhupada’s book “The science of Self realization” featured on a recent Skoda India car ad (1 min. video) A new advert by Skoda features a woman reading the Science of Self Realization by HDG Srila Prabhupada

Sripada Jayapataka Swami’s Vyasa-puja in Houston, April 15, 2019.

“Sadly, our ISKCON society is not immune to domestic abuse. Sometimes devotees believe that domestic abuse is tolerated within our society. Thus, the NA GBC determined it necessary to make a clear, strong statement that domestic abuse is never acceptable.”

Domestic abuse is defined as a pattern of emotional, mental, or physical abuse that is used by one person in a relationship/marriage to control an intimate partner.

Domestic abuse (sometimes referred to as domestic violence) is a serious global problem within society-at-large. Most domestic abuse (about 85%) is perpetrated by men against women, in the role of a husband or intimate partner. In America, 1 in 4 women will be victims of domestic abuse in their lives. 

A beloved friend and guide to many, Visvakarma Das dedicated his entire life to the service of Lord Krsna. The past 22 years he spent devotedly cooking for the ISKCON Chicago community, amazing devotees with his qualities of compassion, care, and expertise in service. 

It is observed that there is a lot of argument on what is “the” ISKCON philosophy of education. In this regard the ISKCON Ministry of Education felt that there is a pressing need for ISKCON to compile a document about ISKCON philosophy(ies) of education. 

Bal Ganesh is the story of the elephant headed God, Lord Ganesh's childhood. The story centres around the exploits of Lord Ganesh, his companion Mooshak, the mouse and their innumerable adventures.

Bhaktivedanta Academy, established in 1984, is an educational institution based in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India, which provides education for boys and adult students on the principles of the Vedic Gurukula system.

His Grace Braja Vilasa Speaks About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Fundraiser May 7-17, 2019

The Gita for Daily Enrichment presents insights from the Bhagavad-gita insights through succinct reflections that provide daily inspiration for self-improvement throughout the year.

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The Nectar Flows (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Kirtan Melas are meant for immersing ourselves in the nectar of chanting...

Anticipating Earth Day, I thought of a prayer that resonated with me in my youth: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in His holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord.” (Psalm 24:1–5)

Later, when I met Srila Prabhupada, I came across a verse spoken by the Lord Himself, Krishna, which confirmed and expanded the same principle: “A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Bhagavad-gita 5.29)

How, then, should we deal with the earth and its resources? “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” (Isopanisad 1)

Thus one should be happy and satisfied in Krishna (God) consciousness.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Harinama in London Extinction Rebellion protest (Album of photos)
Small harinama sankirtan parties and book distributors had b...

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), Her Grace Malati 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 Her Grace Malati Prabhu Speaks About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser: May 7 – 17, 2019 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

One who always remembers your activities and My activities also, and who chants the prayers you have offered, becomes free, in due course of time, from the reactions of material activities.

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Lecture – Srimad Bhagavatam 8.15.32 Different Levels of Spiritual Masters #SpiritualMaster

With warmer weather finally arriving, the excitement surrounding the 47th Annual Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) is growing as each day passes!

Sunday, April 28, 2019 will mark the official launch of the countdown to this year's festival! The program will begin at 4:30pm and will continue to 6:30pm.

A special feature of the festival will be the chance for all devotees to observe a special fire yajna wherein auspicious mantras are recited and grains are offered into fire!

The 47th Annual Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) will be taking place on July 13th and 14th 2019. There are many ways you can participate, stay tuned for more information. 

New Govardhana Weekly Newsletter for April 21, 2019.
San Diego Hare Krishna Temple.
Newsletter Sections: Upcoming Festiva...