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A video screenshot shows Parasuram Das in the upper right square sharing a book with one of many teachers. Food for All-UK, famous for its courageous food distribution in areas plagued by natural disasters or war, recently distributed thousands of Srila Prabhupada’s books to some of the nearly 250 schools in the Vrindavan area. FFA-UK […]
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Srila Prabhupada worshipping Radha Gokulananda at Bhaktivedanta Manor. BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought episode “Wherever I Serve” was presented by devotee Nimai Devi Dasi (Nima Suchak) on the UK network. Her reflection, which begins with a simple Temple floor tile, explores her treasured place of pilgrimage, ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Manor, and the 50th anniversary of […]
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It was good to visit our Adelaide Temple again and take darsana of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Syamasundar and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. Many people visit the temple, especially in the evenings to see the deities.
One highlight this trip was to see the progress of the extension temple room, Pagoda and amenities block. Abhirama Nityananda Sakha, who is overseeing the construction, told me that they are waiting on the electrical work and then the internal walls, floors and finishing work will be started.
In the West, this is the holiday season, with both Christmas and Hanukkah. As Srila Prabhupada explained, the Lord comes to this world to enlighten people with transcendental knowledge. Sometimes He comes personally, and sometimes He sends His son or His prophet or His representative, but they all come with the same message. They may speak in different languages according to the circumstances and the audience, but the essence of the message is the same: God is great; we are but small parts and parcels of God, meant to serve Him with love, and we have come from God and are meant to return to Him.
One of Srila Prabhupada’s purports in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is contains a statement that relates to the holidays people in the West are about to celebrate:
“ ‘The avatara, or incarnation of Godhead, descends from the kingdom of God for material manifestation. And the particular form of the Personality of Godhead who so descends is called an incarnation, or avatara. Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world, the kingdom of God. When they descend to the material creation, they assume the name avatara.’ [Cc Madhya 20.263–264] There are various kinds of avataras, such as purusavataras, gunavataras, lilavataras, sakty-avesa avataras, manvantara-avataras, and yugavataras—all appearing on schedule all over the universe. But Lord Krsna is the primeval Lord, the fountainhead of all avataras. Lord Sri Krsna descends for the specific purpose of mitigating the anxieties of the pure devotees, who are very anxious to see Him in His original Vrndavana pastimes.” (Gita 4.8 purport)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, said that Jesus Christ was a saktyavesa-avatara; he accepted that Jesus Christ descended to the earth from above. That is avatara. And saktyavesa means one who carries the power of the Lord. Thus, he accepted that Jesus Christ descended to earth with the power of the Lord to preach the message of Godhead. And Jesus Christ preached more or less the same message as Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sometimes people would ask Srila Prabhupada about Jesus, and Srila Prabhupada would reply, “In the Bible Jesus said that he was the son of God, and in the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says that He is the father of all living entities, so there is no contradiction.”
Jesus Christ filled the role of a spiritual master, or guru. The spiritual master teaches the science of Godhead, and when a disciple surrenders to a spiritual master, the spiritual master accepts the disciple’s sinful reactions. Jesus Christ performed the same functions in relation to his followers, or disciples; he taught them about God, and he accepted their sinful reactions. Sometimes Christians quote Jesus as having said, “There is no way to the Father except through me.” This statement is a little controversial in learned circles—there is some question whether the attribution is authentic or not. But in any case, Srila Prabhupada took the truth in these words to be that one cannot approach the Lord directly; one can approach the Lord only through the Lord’s representative, the spiritual master.
As far as the idea that Jesus Christ accepted the sins, or sinful reactions, of his followers, Srila Prabhupada expressed one concern: The followers should refrain from sin. They should consider, “Oh, if I sin, my spiritual master will have to suffer!” Christians in particular may consider, “Because I have sinned, my spiritual master had to suffer, so I should not commit sin any longer.” That should be the basic sense. They should not think, “Oh, poor Jesus suffered for me, but now I can go on sinning.”
So, we accept Jesus Christ as a saktyavesa-avatara, as an incarnation of Krishna. Christmas should be a time when we remember his teachings, his mercy, the sacrifice he made for us. And we should resolve to be better followers, better servants of God and God’s representatives, and of all humankind and all living beings.
Hanukkah, in the Jewish tradition, is also an important festival celebrated at this time of year. It is a winter festival, and winter is a dark season, when the sun sets early and rises late. Hanukkah is the festival of light. Historically, the ancient temple in Jerusalem was seized and desecrated, but eventually, with great courage and sacrifice, the Jewish heroes, the Maccabees, won it back. They wanted to clean and purify the temple to make it fit for worship of the Lord, and their worship included a flame that was sustained by sanctified oil, to be maintained at all times. But when the Maccabees regained the temple, they found only one flask of the priestly oil, enough to burn for only one day. Still, they lit the great temple lamp, the menorah, and, according to the story, the oil burned for eight days, until they could get more. So, the miracle of Hanukkah is that the purified oil, which was sufficient to last only one day, by the grace of the Lord burned for eight days, time enough to obtain more.
Figuratively, the temple is the heart. Cleaning the temple means cleaning one’s heart of the many dirty things that accumulate there by material association. That dirt includes false identification with the body and material desires for the gratification of the body’s senses and mind independent of God’s sanction and God’s service. And figuratively, the light is transcendental knowledge, or consciousness of God, which illuminates the heart and dispels the darkness of ignorance.
Just as the year has its cycles, we also pass through phases. We wish we could always be fully God conscious, but practically we may find cycles in our spiritual life, periods of increased devotion to God interspersed with periods of increased preoccupation with other matters. And the Hanukkah festival, the lighting of the candle or burning of the lamp, means brightening our hearts with God consciousness, with Krishna consciousness—cleaning the temple of the heart and rekindling the light of God consciousness, devotion to God, within the heart.
But we require help with such devotional activities, because alone, in the face of the material world, in the face of maya, each of us is quite weak. We too depend on the grace of the Lord, and we need the support and help of other devotees. If one person alone had to clean the temple, he or she would have a very hard job. But when all the devotees clean the temple together, the job becomes much easier.
The most complete science of God consciousness is presented in Srimad-Bhagavatam, which nicely explains the process of cleansing the heart:
srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
“Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (SB 1.2.17)
The Bhagavatam says that hearing topics of Krishna, of God—just as we are sitting here and listening to Krishna’s message—is itself a pious activity, a form of devotional service. We have only to open our ears to the message of Godhead and we become pious (srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana kirtanah). Then, hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani: the inauspicious things in the heart—we could say, the dirty things in the heart, our evil thoughts and selfish desires—become cleansed. How? Vidhunoti suhrt satam: The Lord Himself helps the truthful devotee to clean the dirt, because He is already there in the heart. He is already there, but because the heart is covered by material contamination, we cannot perceive His presence; we cannot hear His voice. However, when we show our eagerness to hear the Lord’s message through our ears, the Lord within reciprocates. He helps cleanse the dirty things from the heart so that we can hear Him there, guiding us. And when we surrender to the Lord and make sacrifices for Him, He supplies unlimited fuel for maintaining our heart’s flame of devotion.
Satam means “truthful devotee.” The truthful devotee is honest in his endeavors in Krishna consciousness. One who is dishonest will make a show of piety or religiousness but behind the show will have other interests, harbor other ambitions. But the truthful devotee actually wants to understand the science of God and to serve the Lord and all living beings. Though he may be weak, if he is honest in his endeavors to listen to the messages of Godhead and apply the principles in life, even if he is incapable of executing the orders perfectly, still he is considered satam, a truthful devotee. And the Lord within the heart, who acts as the well-wishing friend of the truthful devotee, will cleanse the heart of the dirty things that have accumulated there.
Again we see the importance of association, because the process for cleansing the heart is hearing the messages of Godhead, and only in the association of devotees can we receive the messages properly. Through our hearing and then chanting and repeating what we have heard, the heart becomes cleansed by the grace of the Lord. Ceto-darpana-marjanam: When we chant the holy names of God and hear the transcendental glories of God, the heart becomes cleansed and the light of Krishna consciousness there burns more brightly. It spreads throughout the entire body and then emerges—through the skin, through the eyes, through all the different sense organs. Especially, it comes out through the mouth in the form of transcendental sound, which comes from the heart. The messages that one has received through the ears and that have entered the heart come out again through the mouth and spread light, enlightenment, throughout the world.
So, tonight we greatly appreciate the efforts of Mother Urvasi, for she works so hard to create a situation where we all can come together and speak about God, hear about God, and remember God. Holy days are special occasions when we can get together and remember the Lord’s appearance, or the appearance or disappearance of great devotees, or great events that have taken place in the service of the Lord. And when we get together and hear about the Lord and the great devotees of the Lord and the great service and miracles that have taken place in relation to the Lord, we become purified. And we become enlightened and engladdened.
Peace on earth and goodwill toward humanity actually can be achieved through God consciousness. The Bhagavad-gita explains how we can achieve peace: we must first make peace with God. If we reestablish our relationship with God and experience God’s peace and friendship, then we can have real peace and friendship amongst ourselves and help each other in our relationships with Him.
Srila Prabhupada said, “God consciousness is there. You have begun these Christmas holidays in your country. Throughout the whole month of December, you’ll observe nice festivities. Why? It began with God consciousness. Jesus Christ came to give you God consciousness, and in relation to him these festivities are going on. It may have degraded into another form, but the beginning was God consciousness. Now we may have lost it, but people cannot be happy without reviving God consciousness. It may be named differently—‘Krishna consciousness’—but that means God consciousness. That is the necessity. We want to love somebody. Our love will be perfected when we love Krishna, or God. We are teaching that. Try to love God, and if you love God, if you love Krishna, then automatically you love everybody. That is the perfection of love.”
Hare Krishna.
[Adapted from a talk by Giriraj Swami, December 17, 2000, Ojai, California]
Leading up to the much-anticipated temple opening in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, ISKCON is organizing a series of events in Ayodhya and the rest of the country to take the teachings of Lord Rama to every household. One notable example is ISKCON’s Sri Rama Padayatra which commenced its 41-day journey to Ayodhya from East […]
The post ISKCON’s Sri Rama Padayatra Begins 41 Day Journey from Delhi to Ayodhya appeared first on ISKCON News.
On December 9th, ISKCON devotees joined representatives from other faiths (Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu) at the annual interfaith gathering held at the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya, Thailand. They offered kirtan for the thousands in attendance and provided prasadam and Srila Prabhupada’s books in booths at the event. The annual interfaith gathering honoring […]
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Moksada Ekadasi, observed on the 11th day of Shukla Paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) during the lunar month of Margashirsha, is a very special Ekadasi in two regards: it is the all-auspicious day on which Lord Sri Krishna spoke the Srimad Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra at the place now known as Jyotisha tirtha, and anyone who gifts a Bhagavad Gita away to a deserving person on this day is bestowed profuse blessings by Sri Krishna Bhagavan.
Below is the ancient history of this most powerful Ekadasi that frees one from all sins, spoken by Sri Krishna to Yudhisthira Maharaja.
It’s recommended to chant extra rounds and stay up all night chanting and hearing the Lord’s glories. Chanting the entire Bhagavad Gita is also an essential aspect of Moksada Ekadasi. It is also auspicious to donate to Vaishnavas and Lord Krishna’s service on Ekadasi. We invite our readers to take advantage of this auspicious day and donate towards the completion of the Nrsimhadeva Wing, scheduled to open during the 2024 Gaura Purnima Festival from February 29 – March 2. Please go to the Give To Nrsimha 2023 Fundraiser page TODAY and help complete this offering to the Lord.
NOTE: Moksada Ekadasi is observed on Friday, December 22 in the US and Saturday, December 23 in India. Please refer to your local calendar through www.vaisnavacalendar.info.
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Yudhishthira Maharaj said, “O Vishnu, master of all, O delight of the three worlds, O Lord of the entire Universe, O creator of the world, O oldest personality, O best of all beings, I offer my most respectful obeisances unto You. O Lord of lords, for the benefit of all living entities, kindly answer some questions that I have. What is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Margashirsha (November-December) and removes all sins? How does one observe it properly, and which Deity is worshipped on that holiest of days?
O my Lord please explain this to me in full.”Lord Sri Krishna replied, “O dear Yudhishthira, your enquiry is very auspicious in itself and will bring you fame. Just as I previously explained to you about the dearest Utpanna Maha-Dwadasi , which occurs during the dark part of the month of Margashirsha, which is the day when Ekadasi-devi appeared from My body to kill the demon Mura, and which benefits everything animate and inanimate in the three worlds, so I shall now relate to you regarding this Ekadasi that occurs during the light part of the month of Margashirsha.
“This Ekadasi is famous as Moksada because it purifies the faithful devotee of all sinful reactions and bestows liberation upon him. The worshipable Deity of this all auspicious day is Lord Damodara. With full attention one should worship Him with incense, a ghee lamp, fragrant flowers, and Tulsi manjaris (buds).
“O best of saintly kings, please listen as I narrate to you the ancient and auspicious history of this wonderful Ekadasi. Simply by hearing this history one can attain the merit earned by performing a horse sacrifice. By the influence of this merit, one’s forefathers, mothers, sons, and other relatives who have gone to hell can turn around and go to the heavenly kingdom. For this reason alone, O king, you should listen with rapt attention to this narration.
“There once was a beautiful city named Champaka-nagar, which was decorated with devoted Vaishnavas. There the best of saintly kings, Maharaj Vaikhanasa, ruled over his subjects as if they were his very own dear sons and daughters.
The brahmins in that capital city were all expert in four kinds of Vedic knowledge.The king, while ruling properly, had a dream one night in which his father was seen to be suffering the pangs of hellish torture in one of the hellish planets ruled over by the Yamaraj. The king was overwhelmed with compassion for his father and shed tears. The next morning, Maharaj Vaikhanasa described what he had seen in his dream to his council of twice born learned brahmins.
” ‘ O brahmanas,’ the king addressed them, ‘in a dream last night I saw my father suffering on a hellish planet. He was crying out in anguish, “O son, please deliver me from the torment of this hellish condition !” “Now I have no peace in my mind, and even this beautiful kingdom has become unbearable to me.
Not even my horses, elephants, and chariots, nor the vast wealth in my treasury that formerly brought so much pleasure, give me any happiness. Everything, O best of the brahmins, even my own wife and sons, have become a source of unhappiness since I beheld my father suffering the tortures of that hellish condition.
“ ‘Where can I go, and what can I do, O brahmins, to alleviate this misery? My body is burning with fear and sorrow! Please tell me what kind of charity, what mode of fasting, what austerity, or what deep meditation, and to which Deity must I perform service to deliver my father from that agony and bestow liberation upon my forefathers? O best among the brahmins, what is the use of one’s being a powerful son if one’s father must suffer on a hellish planet? Truly, such a son’s life is utterly useless, to him and to his forefathers.’
” The twice born brahmins replied, ‘O king, in the mountainous forest not far from here is the ashram where a great saint Parvat Muni resides. Please go to him, for he is tri-kala-jna (he knows the past, the present, and the future of everything) and can surely help you in your gaining relief from your misery.’
“Upon hearing this advise, the distressed king immediately set out on a journey to the ashram of the famous sage Parvat Muni. The ashram was indeed very big and housed many learned sages expert in chanting the sacred hymns of the four Vedas (Rg, Yajur, Sama, and Arthava). Approaching the holy ashram, the king beheld Parvat Muni seated among the assembly of sages, adorned with hundreds of tilaks (from all the authorized sampradayas) like another Brahma or Vyas.
“Maharaj Vaikhanasa offered his humble obeisances to the muni, bowing his head and then prostrating his entire body before him. After the king had seated himself among the assembly Parvat Muni asked him about the welfare of the seven limbs of his extensive kingdom (his ministers, his treasury, his military forces, his allies, the brahmins, the sacrificial offerings performed, and the needs of his subjects). The muni also asked him if his kingdom was free of troubles, and whether everyone was peaceful, happy and satisfied.
“To these inquiries the king replied, ‘By your mercy, O glorious and great sage, all seven limbs of my kingdom are doing very well. Yet there is a problem that has recently arisen, and to solve it I have come to you, O brahmana, for your expert help and guidance.’
“Then Parvata Muni, the best of all sages, closed his eyes and meditated on the king’s past, present and future. After a few moments he opened his eyes and said, ‘Your father is suffering the results of committing a great sin, and I have discovered what it is. In his previous life he quarreled with his wife and forcibly enjoyed her sexually during her menstrual period. She tried to protest and resist his advances and even yelled out, “Someone please save me! Please, O husband, do not interrupt my monthly period in this way!” Still he did not stop or leave her alone. It is on account of this grievous sin that your father now has fallen into such a hellish condition of suffering.’
“King Vaikhanasa then said, ‘O greatest among sages, by what process of fasting or charity may I liberate my dear father from such a condition? Please tell me how I can relieve and remove the burden of his sinful reactions, which are a great obstacle to his progress toward ultimate liberation.’
“Parvata Muni replied, ‘During the light fortnight of the month of Margashirsha there occurs an Ekadasi called Moksada. If you observe this sacred Ekadasi strictly, with a full fast, and give directly to your suffering father the merit you thus attain, he will be freed from his pain and instantly liberated.’
“Hearing this, Maharaj Vaikhanasa profusely thanked the great sage and then returned to his palace to perform his vrata. O Yudhishthira, when the light part of the month of Margashirsha at last arrived, Maharaj Vaikhanasa faithfully waited for the Ekadasi tithi to arrive. He then perfectly and with full faith observed the Ekadasi fast with his wife, children, and other relatives. He dutifully gave the merit from this fast to his father, and as he made the offering, beautiful flower petals showered down from the devas who peered out from behind the clouds in the sky.
The king’s father was then praised by the messengers of the demigods and escorted to the celestial region.
“As he passed his son, while traversing the lower, middle and higher planets, the father said to the king, ‘My dear son, all auspiciousness unto you!’ At last he reached the heavenly realm from where he realized his newly acquired merit, began to perform devotional service to Krishna or Vishnu, and in due course returned back to home, back to Godhead.
“O son of Pandu, whosoever strictly observes the sacred Moksada Ekadasi, following the established rules and regulations, achieves full and perfect liberation after death. There is no better fasting day than this Ekadasi of the light fortnight of the month of Margashirsha, O Yudhishthira, for it is a crystal-clear and sinless day.
Whoever faithfully observes this Ekadasi fast, which is like cintamani (a gem that yields all desires), obtains special merit that is very hard to calculate, for this day can elevate one from hellish life to the heavenly planets. For one who observes Ekadasi for his own spiritual benefit, this elevates one to go back to Godhead, never to return to this material world.”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Margashirsha-shukla Ekadasi or Moksada Ekadasi, from the Brahmanda Purana.
This article has been used courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree
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Nearly 200 ISKCON managers, teachers, child protection volunteers, bhakti-vrksa leaders, and others who serve in positions of trust or authority throughout North America gathered for the largest online child protection training to date. On Saturday, December 9th, the Child Protection Office (CPO) for ISKCON North America offered the CPO Basic Training course to leaders from […]
The post CPO North America Holds Largest Online Training Ever appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Bhaktivedanta Medical Association (BMA), a global healthcare committee with more than 220 devotee doctors dedicated to providing comprehensive care to devotees on a virtual platform free of cost, successfully launched its first-ever health camp on November 25, 2023, at the ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Manor. There were about 700 registrations, with 350 devotees attending the three-hour-long […]
The post The Bhaktivedanta Medical Association Launches its First Health Camp in UK appeared first on ISKCON News.
Podcast:
Transcription
Question How can should they go swimming be a moonest as the baba mentions if he was rather aunties parrot in his previous life. And he monitors don’t get attracted to the Lord so how how did he become attracted towards the Lord?Also from part translates as a great devotee.
But then he also says he’s a bonus. So how do you understand this?
Yeah these I don’t think there is any easy answer but. My understanding is that.
What once passed has been does not necessarily immediately reflect in this life, that means say for example. We had the example of Jaya, Vijay there is a total associate of the Lord but they act as demons we can see that’s because of a curse that’s true, but still their past doesn’t immediately reflect in their lives, this would be Bhakti Vinod Thakur he was a manjari but then if you look at the way his life journey is when he very appears at a particular time he appears within that cultural and it literally cause and then he outgrows that cultural intellectually thoughts. So he becomes a respected member of the Bhadra loca and then he goes beyondtThe orientation of the Bhadra loca either look down at India traditional culture or to look only towards universalist holistic impersonalist kind of tne non literal metaphorical kind of readings of that tradition. He becomes a Gaudiya Vaishnava. So similarly that Sukadeva Goswami is a eternal associate of the Lord as a parrot of Radharani,that reality doesn’t have to necessarily reflect immediately in the way he appears in this world.
By the Lord’s arrangement, for teaching particular particular people at particular times or at what is a particular lessons the if the Lord’s devotee might appear to be covered in particular ways and their journey of uncovering of their conditioning can become the guiding light for others. So Bhakti Vinod Thakhur journey from Bhadra loca member to a Gaudiya Vaishnava and inspired many others also to at least explore Gaiduya vaishnavism if not commit to them.
So similarly, in general the impersonalist tendency is the the common tendency especially among those who are renounciates without common it is still there. So for those who are of that orientation when they hear about Sukadeva Goswami’s journey from impersonalism toward personalism, then they become inspired by that.
So the manifestation of the unconditioning or the manifestation of the removal of the conditioning is what is indicative of the journey in this life not It’s a journey of the soul over multiple lifetimes.
So for us condition souls, our unconditioning if we use that unconditioning word or removal of conditioning continues or multiple lifetimes but for great devotees, in this life they are going to some condition and then they come out of their condition so it cannot even call conditioning in the normal sense of the word because it is by the Lord’s arrangement and not because of one’s own misuse of freedom.
So now, How did he have attraction to the Lord? Well monists in the sense of Bramhavadis are not offensive. Krishna talks about them in 12.4 and 12.5 in BG,
te prapnu vanti eva, Krishna says sarva bhute hite ratah, they too attain me.
Commentators explained that, they attain me can refer to their attain to impersonal manifestation of Krishna, which is also non different from Krishna or if they are fortunate enough to get some association of devotees then they may also attain Krishna, ultimately. So we know also know that Sukadeva Goswami heard Krishna katha from who had heard from Vyasadev, that’s how you he got attracted that’s how you ultimately attain Krishna. So similarly there is a journey over there and because of Bramhavadis are not offensive about the seed of bhakti cans sprout in their heart and manifesting into prema.
As far as Prabhupada’s specific translation is concerned sometimes Prabhupada talks about things in terms of their essential conclusion or their essence not necessarily in terms of technical precision. So Prabhupada is talking about Sukadeva Goswami has a great devotee in the sense that he is at that particular time he might not be a great devotee but he is his defining identities as a great devotee. And it’s a manifestation of Prabhupada’s devotion that he’s able to see devotion even in places where it may not yet be manifest it’s lecture than a Mahaprabhu just like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when he was on the way to Vrindavan, he saw every forest as Vrindavan, every river to Jamuna, every hill to be Govardhan. How those who are not actually speaking those things.But it is the glory of his vision.
Similarly we see it as glory of Prabhupada’s devotion, that he doesn’t just see things in their particular particularities isolated from the bigger context ,he sees things almost everything in connection with ultimate conclusion. At the same time that doesn’t mean he obscures what the thing is in itself, that’s why the apparent contradiction of having both monist and great devotee it presently a monist but eventually or eternally he’s a great devotee.
Thank you.
End of Transcription.
Arjundas Adhikari Das (Andrew Horn), author, impresario, and Indian theatre expert, shares with The London Economic his early life as a Hare Krsna monk, an inside look at temple life, his pursuits across multiple artistic mediums, writing projects, and more. To read the full article, visit The London Economic feature here.
The post Devotee Featured in The London Economic Shares His Hare Krishna History and Latest Projects appeared first on ISKCON News.
I have attended Rathayatra festivals in Perth for over 30 years and was fortunate to be visiting when this year’s parade was held. For many years we were over at Fremantle but the last few have been held downtown in the Murray Street Mall.
It was a beautiful day and Their Lordships, Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra rode majestically through the mall while devotees chanted and danced in ecstasy. The festival carried on with kirtan and dance on stage and many stalls served prasadam, sold books and paraphernalia.
ISKCON’s GBC Statement Against Domestic Abuse from 2020 says, “Domestic abuse is indefensible, often illegal, and never acceptable within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Any interpretation of Vaishnava religious or social teachings that condones, endorses, or justifies domestic abuse is rejected by the North American Governing Body Commission (GBC).” – see GBC Resolution […]
The post Moving from 16 Days of Activism to 365 Days of Action appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON resumed its regular online meetings on Wednesday, 6 December, after the Kartik break. Two significant topics were discussed at this meeting: 1) CPO Directorship An important topic discussed was the strengthening of the international Child Protection Office (CPO), including future and succession planning. The discussion grew out of […]
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The New Bhulavana Cueramaro Community on the stairs of their new temple. Nestled in the picturesque landscape of Cueramaro, Guanajuato, Mexico, a transformative vision is taking shape—a vision that not only embodies the spirit of devotion and community but also lays the foundation for a harmonious blend of spiritual and studious living. The New Bahulavana […]
The post A Stunning Temple and Community is Manifesting in the Heart of Mexico appeared first on ISKCON News.
Cyclone Michaung (pronounced mig-jaum) struck the southern coast of India this week, bringing devastation and widespread flooding from its high winds and rainfall. Over a dozen have lost their lives in the city of Chennai, much of which is submerged under several feet of water, including the ISKCON Chennai Temple. “Despite devotees’ best efforts to […]
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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), one of the specialized agencies of the UN with a membership of 192 countries and several dozens of associate partners, recently had its biennial (one in two years) full body meeting at its headquarters in Paris, France which included Member States and Associate Members, together with observers […]
The post UNESCO adopts the 150th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur appeared first on ISKCON News.
Annually, the Prabhupada Marathon unfolds as a transcendent occasion for benevolence across ISKCON communities on a global scale with the “Live to Give” Campaign. This year, the BBT MCI Team (Marketing, Communications, and Innovation), under the expert leadership of Vaisesika Dasa, has set the goal of distributing 3.7 million Bhagavad-gitas worldwide between September 30th and […]
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The TOVP Team is extremely pleased to announce that all devotees who help build the Nrsimha Wing in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will go to Vaikuntha!!!
“O devoted one, one who builds a beautiful temple for Lord Nrsimhadeva will be freed from all sinful reactions and he will enter the Vaikuntha planets.”
Nrsimha Purana
This statement of shastra cannot be taken lightly. Rather, like all Vedic injunctions and texts, it is to be taken as direct evidence of the fact being stated. There are many other Vedic declarations to the effect that building a temple for Vishnu, such as the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, will award the builder and his family for many generations residence in the spiritual world:
“I will now describe the fruits of making temples for the residence of Vasudeva and other deities. He who attempts to erect temples for gods is freed from the sins of a thousand births. Those who think of building a temple in their minds are freed from the sins of a hundred births. Those who approve of a man’s building a temple for Krishna go to the region of Acyuta [Vishnu] freed from sins.”
Agni Purana
“Having desired to build a temple for Hari, a man immediately takes a million of his generations, past and future, to the region of Vishnu…..Vishnu is identical with the seven worlds. He who builds a temple for Him saves the endless worlds and himself attains immortality. As long as the bricks will last, the maker [of the temple] will live for so many thousands of years in heaven. The maker of the deity attains the region of Vishnu and he who consecrates the installation of the same is immersed in Hari.”
Agni Purana
“Having desired to build a temple for Hari, a man immediately takes a million of his generations, past and future, to the region of Vishnu. The departed manes of the person who builds a temple for Krishna live in the region of Vishnu, well adorned and freed from the sufferings of hell. The construction of a temple for a deity dissipates even the sin of Brahmanicide. By building a temple one reaps the fruit which he does not even gain by celebrating a sacrifice. By building a temple one acquires the fruits of bathing at all the sacred shrines.”
Agni Purana
“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
“Just by starting the construction of a temple for Lord Krishna, sins committed in seven births will be wiped out and one will deliver his forefathers who are suffering in the hellish planets.”
Skanda Purana
“By building a temple of Sri Madhava, one can attain the eternal spiritual world (Vaikuntha). One who offers a garden laden with fruits and flowers for the service of the deity will attain heavenly pleasures.”
Skanda Purana
Srila Prabhupada himself personally said:
“If you build a temple of Lord Krishna in this world, He will build a palace for you in the spiritual world Vaikuntha.”
“If you all build this temple (TOVP), Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.”
With the above in mind, we request our readers to Give To Nrsimha and go to Vaikuntha. Help complete Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Temple in the TOVP, the largest Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world, scheduled to open during the 2024 Gaura Purnima Festival during a three-day celebration from February 29 – March 2.
Miracle in the Making ~ Home of Our Divine Protector
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Recently, Amala Kirtan Das was honored for 15 years of presence and active participation at the Nova Gokula Kirtan Fest in Brasil. The honor was given on November 2023 by Vaikuntha Murti Das. Since 2008, he has been performing beautiful kirtans and contributing in many ways to the success of the Kirtan Fest. Amala Kirtan […]
The post Amala Kirtan Das’ Incredible Journey in Kirtan appeared first on ISKCON News.
Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura was born at Shri Khanda. Shri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami describes that the residents of Shri Khanda formed a branch of the desire tree of love of God. “Shri Khan davasi (the residents of Shri Khanda) Mukunda and his son Raghu nandan were the thirty ninth branch of the tree, Narahari was the fortieth, Chiran Jiva the forty first and Sulochana the forty second.
They were all big branches of the all merciful tree of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They distributed the fruits and flowers of love of Godhead anywhere and everywhere. [Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-lila 10:78-79] Shrila Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaj once stated – “Navadwip is the abode of Goloka. Vrindavana is the abode of Gokula. And Shri Khanda is the abode of Vaikuntha.”
Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura participated in all of Shri Gaurasundara’s pastimes. Bhakti Ratnakara states: “Shri Sarkar Thakura’s glories are most uncommon. In Braja he is known as Madhumati, whose good qualities are unlimited.”
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) will start its new series of the Bhakti-vaibhava course from 4 January to 5 April 2024. The course will begin from Canto 1 and be held on-site in Sri Vrndavana Dhama. Apart from the regular classes, there will be classes for the memorization of verses, group work, and […]
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Mayapur Clean and Green team with devotee volunteers at Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj’s place of chanting. Mayapur Clean & Green, an environmental initiative led by Murari Mohini Devi Dasi, recently welcomed new devotee volunteers who enthusiastically contributed to the cleaning activity for several days and helped raise funds for the laborers. Their service highlights the […]
The post Mayapur Environmental Initiative Seeks Support for Growing Challenges in the Dham appeared first on ISKCON News.
ISKCON Malaysia Headquarters, Sri Jagannatha Mandir in Kuala Lumpur, achieved a record during the 2023 Damodara month with 222,709 lamps offered and 19,821 plates of prasadam shared. Out of this, a team of devotees conducted the Damodara Program, also known as Deepa-Damodara Program, at 25 local primary schools (ages 5-12), facilitating the offering of 104,747 […]
The post ISKCON Malaysia Reaches Thousands with Creative School Initiative During Damodara appeared first on ISKCON News.
Good to be back at Perth temple and have darshan of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada. The deities are beautiful as is the temple room with its octagonal shape. We are out in the Kalamunda hills, which is about 30 minutes from downtown and it’s a nice atmosphere.
The devotees have purchased a bigger property at High Wycombe and have plans for a bigger temple, function hall and ashrama. It is hoped that over the upcoming years at least stage one will be completed for Their Lordships. In the meantime, many programs are going on at our current temple.
This year’s Festival of the Holy Name, held over Thanksgiving weekend (November 24-25, 2023) in Alachua, Florida, was another spiritual success, welcoming hundreds of devotees to the two-day kirtan event. The annual gathering is “fully organized and subsidized by second-generation devotees; the festival attracts every member of our local temple community as well as friends […]
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All the honorary citizens of “Pro Urbe Budapest” Award. Bhakta Vatsala Dasa (front row, far right). Photo credit: index.hu Food for Life Hungary reached a historic milestone on 17 November when the head of the humanitarian program, Bhakta Vatsala Dasa, received the “For the City of Budapest” award from the capital’s mayor, Gergely Karacsony. The […]
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