Closing Ceremony: Govardhana Retreat 2018 (Album of photos)…
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Closing Ceremony: Govardhana Retreat 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Oh Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in your absence.” This is the perfectional stage of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.51 Purport)
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Kolkata to Sri Dhama Mayapur and back by smooth ferry…
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Kolkata to Sri Dhama Mayapur and back by smooth ferry boat.
Srila Prabhupada goes out on the Maidan Cruise of the fiberglass twin-engine catamaran marine craft called the Jala - Duta 1 (3 min video)
The Company Name on the side of the marine craft is the “Mayapur Ganga Vivada Cruise Services. This ferry boat will carry passengers in quiet, smooth air-conditioned comfort like experienced on International airline flights. The craft is equipped with forty-two airline reclining seating and will bring the passenger in safe relaxing comfort from Kolkata to Sri Dhama Mayapur and back. What a nice way to travel to the Holy Dhama on the Sacred River Ganges.

The Iskcon Hare Krishna Explosion From The Inside
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Hare KrishnaBy Govinda Dasi

For me, the reason I like to hear other devotees’ memoirs and experiences, such as in Siddhanta Prabhu’s “Memories” series, and Yadubar/Visakha’s “Following Srila Prabhupada” series, and even simple memories on Facebook, is that when I came to be with Srila Prabhupada, it was at a very different time. I love to hear what other devotees experienced. I love to hear their realizations. And I see the common thread of awe and inspiration at the time of their first meeting with Srila Prabhupada. And I think it is important for everyone who was there at that magical time to share their experiences and realizations of what it was like to be in the presence of a “modern-day saint.” Continue reading "The Iskcon Hare Krishna Explosion From The Inside
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Kumbha Mela – A symbol of co-operation for greater cause
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Hare KrishnaBy Shyamananda Dasa

ISKCON devotees started the procession with a unique traditional bullock cart with hundreds of Vaisnava sadhus following the cart of Nitai Gaura Sundar and Srila Prabhupada, and blessed millions of pilgrims and devotees by their melodious kirtan. This Padyatra bullock cart has been travelling all over India for last 29 years since it started in 1984. The ISKCON Camp at Maha Kumbha Mela was located on Tulasi Marg, sector 5, Mori Gate (under Taragunj Railway bridge), and accommodated nearly 1,000 devotees from all over the world. The dioramas depicting churning Kshira Sagar by demigods and demons, the Gajendra-moksha-lila, Ram-Lila with monkeys attracted a lot of visitors.This tradition has been carried on till this day. Continue reading "Kumbha Mela – A symbol of co-operation for greater cause
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Bridging Science and Spirituality
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Hare KrishnaBy Jaganmohini Devi Dasi

As a founder director of Bhaktivedanta Institute, HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, was able to lay the foundation of the Bhaktivedanta Institute under Srila Prabhupada's direct guidance. During Srila Prabhupada's final days and even before that HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami was very enthusiastic and had adopted versatile and dynamic approach to reach to intellectual community. And Srila Prabhupada very much approved and appreciated it. There are several conversations between them in this regard. Thereafter, for nearly three decades, HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami has made pioneering efforts to provide a platform for mutual dialogue among scientists, religious leaders and academicians, such that both the scientists and spiritual leaders would have the opportunity to learn from each other and thereby broaden their respective world views for the benefit of mankind Continue reading "Bridging Science and Spirituality
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Jagannath Rath Yatra in Baudda, Nepal (Album of photos) Srila…
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Jagannath Rath Yatra in Baudda, Nepal (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “As a result of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Krishna is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.28)
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While struggling with conditionings how can we avoid the extremes of becoming hopeless and becoming shameless?
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Answer Podcast

The post While struggling with conditionings how can we avoid the extremes of becoming hopeless and becoming shameless? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Enthusiasm
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Hare KrishnaThis movement offers the opportunity, the eagerness required to become a pure devotee. We have the opportunity of beginning the day with an offering to the Lord. No day is ordinary, everyday is special. Different days are linked to different planets. All that matters is what we really want to do. Come to that stage of pure devotional service.
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STEADY PADAYATRAS IN MAURITIUS
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A three day Padayatra was held from September 21st to 23rd. It started at 5p.m from ”Caro-Battat” and reached the Nrisimha Mandir in Valetta a few hours later. The procession was followed by local people and about 100 of them packed into the Mandir Hall. Shyam Sundar Prabhu attended the first day of Padayatra and delivered a nectarean katha.

UDGAAR – Youth Festival at ISKCON Gaya
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Hare KrishnaOn 9th December afternoon, ISKCON Youth Forum Gaya celebrated UDGAAR (An expression of goodness & Joy) festival on the topic “The Joy of De-addiction” at ISKCON Gaya premises. About one thousand youths from various universities, Gaya Engineering college and academic institutes of Gaya attended the festival. Festival started with video show on ISKCON achievement and Srila Prabhupad’s glories.

Do we make destiny or does destiny make us? – Marathi
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[Talk at ISKCON, Bahrain]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

Video:

The post Do we make destiny or does destiny make us? – Marathi appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Wisdom from Ramayana – New Book
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I am delighted to inform you that my latest book “Wisdom from Ramayana on Life and Relationships” is now available at all leading bookstores, as well as at amazon.com (Wisdom From Ramayana) and amazon.in (Wisdom from Ramayana). This is my second book published by Fingerprint and my twenty-fifth book overall.

The book selects some twenty incidents from Ramayana that are narrated and analyzed for practical life lessons such as:

  1. Overcoming misunderstandings in relationships
  2. Responding maturely to others’ harsh words
  3. Understanding when to accept things as destiny and when to change them as duty
  4. Taking our devotion above the play of our emotions
  5. Learning to see opportunity in adversity

Here I speak about what I inspired me write the book:

The book was published three months ago, while I was touring the West. The first print is nearly over, and the publisher has just sent the book for the second print run.

For those of you who have already bought the book, thank you very much for your overwhelming response. If you liked the book, please consider posting a review on amazon.com and / or amazon.in.

For those of you who weren’t yet aware of the book’s publication or haven’t yet got it, here’s an opportunity to enrich your life with the timeless wisdom of Ramayana, as applied to our life and relationships.

 

 

 

 

The post Wisdom from Ramayana – New Book appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 11/18/2018
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ECO-Vrindaban New Vrindaban ISKCON cows gardens Prabhupada ISKCON

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 11/18/2018

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

Participating Advisors: Kalakantha.

1. Ranaka’s Monthly Report

Lalita Gopi (Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s Barn):

  • and Anandavidya are currently milking eight cows (Usha, Lakshmi, Anjali, Malati, Surabhi, Jamuna, Subhadra, and Sriya). They are producing 23 gal per day.
  • The butter production has roughly doubled. Approximately 30 to 40 lb per week of butter is supplied to the deity kitchen for their use as ghee.
  • We had a nice festival for Govardhan Puja, attended by the children of Gopal’s Garden and various other devotees.
  • We put up name signs for the cows over their stalls and will be adding pictures of each cow on the wall.
  • We had two “No Feeding During Milking” signs printed.
  • We purchased a new hundi, which still needs to be secured to the wall.
  • Lalita attended a short seminar on grass production with the WVU extension team.
  • We put bedding out in preparation for the winter and have begun feeding at the barn.

Ray (General Farm Work):

  • In addition to normal maintenance and repair duties, he washed and bagged the remaining 1,000 lb of potatoes that were harvested last month.
  • Moved 13 cows from the Bahulaban pasture to their winter quarters at the Valley Barn.
  • Filled the pot holes in the Valley Barn driveway with recycled asphalt donated by the road crew.
  • Repaired the pasture fence at Valley Barn.
  • Spread manure on Community Garden and Valley Bottom potato field.
  • End of the year brush-hogging on Nandagram pastures, area around INV sewer lagoons, Mangalananda’s house and Sukhavaha’s house
  • Moving hay from Valley Barn to Nandagram and Temple Barns.

Caitanya Bhagavat: 

At Nandagram:

  • Built a structurally reinforced indoor bullpen for Madhusudhana and Vamsika.
  • Filled the barns with hay for the winter.
  • Cleared the feed isles.
  • He and Tripada Vibhuti cleaned out the geriatric barn with the skid loader and then Caitanya Bhagavata prepared it for winter and divided it: one part for Tulsi, Punja, and Ganga; the other part for Bhadra Gaurachandra and Asesa Nitai Kripa.
  • Provided general maintenance of the barns and cow care: putting out hay, filling the stock tanks with water two-to-three times a day, bed packing, counting the cows, and keeping an eye on the cows health and well-being.

At Bahulaban:

  • He assisted Ray in moving 13 cows to the Valley Barn for the winter. Three still need to be moved.
  • Provided maintenance of the barn and general cow care.

Suchandra:

  • Suchandra’s crew consists of: Monique, Moriah, Madri, Ryan, and Shyama.
  • Butternut squash: 200 lb delivered to temple kitchen.
  • Stored the remaining butternut squash.
  • Pulled up all plants at the Community Garden and Teaching Garden.
  • Pulled up all the black ground cover in both gardens.
  • Removed front and back of fence so tractor could get through to spread manure.
  • Dug up dahlias and stored them.
  • Trimmed cannas.
  • Dug up mums to replant in another area.
  • Stored hoses, tools and fencing material.
  • Replanted gladiola bulbs so that they will be better supported next year.
  • Trimmed back lilies and butterfly bushes.
  • Trimmed herbs.
  • Covered lily and gladiola beds with hay
  • Pulled down bitter melon, bean, and loki plants at the Teaching Garden

Lila (Nandagram Garden):

  • Moved cages
  • Cleaned up beds
  • Harvested for October 2018:
    • Kale – 5 lb
    • Hot pepper – 7.25 lb
    • Bitter melon – 6.25 lb
    • Roma tomato – 17 lb
    • Okra – .75 lb
    • Green bell pepper – 3.25 lb
    • Winter squash – 1,200 lb
    • Grape tomato – 6.5 lb

Radhanath das (Vidya’s Garden):

September Report

  • Was assisted by Govinda and Prahlad.
  • Harvested the last of the produce.
  • Removed the marigolds and tomato plants that were no longer producing.
  • Lilies were weeded and mulched.
  • Most of the plastic and tomato cages have been rolled up and stored for next year.
  • A load of aged manure was manually spread over the marigold garden addition in preparation for spring.
  • September harvest totals (in pounds):
    • Bitter Melon – 138.25
    • Tomato – 77
    • Green bell peppers – 20
    • Hot peppers – 18
    • Loki squash – 50

October Report

  • Harvest season came to a close.
  • Potted 200 hyacinth bulbs in Vidya’s basement greenhouse in order to initiate our overwintering fragrant, flowering bulbs project. Suchandra and Shyama looked after the bulbs most of the month by watering and monitoring the temperature.
  • Vidya was able to harvest the last bit of the bitter melon before the frost.
  • Mowed the lawn and tilled in the manure that was spread in the marigold garden.
  • He had done all the plant and plastic removal, manure spreading, and rototilling for this season in the spring. Now, however, he is doing this work in the fall in preparation for next season.
  • Also harvested five lb of hot peppers that got hotter with the frost.
  • Has been trying to recruit a few helpers to work with him in the garden two days a week
  • It is time to focus on getting seeds, supplies, and greenhouses ready for March, so we can have a smooth as possible start.

Ranaka:

  • Total estimated garden sales to INV to date for 2018 are $28,298.
  • He and the garden crew are scheduled to meet with Kacey Gantzer (our former garden supervisor) on December 7th for her guidance on greenhouses and high tunnels.

2. External Grant Request: $7.5K for IMCPA 2019 Budget

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to support self-sufficiency and cow protection throughout ISKCON.

RESOLVED: The Board approves a grant up to $7,500 to IMCPA for 2019.

3. External Grant Request: $6K to ISKCON News

WHEREAS: ECO-V wishes to support ISKCON News with their ongoing coverage of ECO-V’s cow protection and local agriculture projects, as well as reporting on other similar efforts throughout ISKCON.

RESOLVED: The ECO-V board approves a grant up to $6,000 to ISKCON Communications for 2019.

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

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

Sunday, December 9th, 2018
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Fallowfield / Ottawa

Off the Train

The conductor announced, "Fallowfield is next. Fallowfield coming up!"  https://www.instagram.com/p/BrPtD7YANuj/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=gky6f1phbw3u

That registered with me, however, I had been caught up in reading, absorbed in the stories of monk Chaitanya.  Oops!  The train stopped.  This is where I get off.  I was swift on my feet and de-trained like anything.  There at the station was Surinder to pick me up for a short drive to his home for lunch, before heading to the Ottawa ISKCON Centre on 212 Somerset Street.

Actually, I was quite absorbed in reading about the demeanour of someone by the name of Ramachandra Puri.  He was a monk whom everyone despised.  He excelled in fault-finding, which is never good for anyone in spiritual life.  You could call him a fanatic.  It was humourous though, going over his nit-picking habits, finding faults in other monks over petty matters.

This is material for a new play! I thought.

Anyway, I made it to the kirtan,and delivered a class from 10.10 of the Gita.  The subject of the message was "Be A Giver."  The essential principle here is to recognize God in the heart giving us the intelligence to make the right devotional decisions.

It was great meeting a young guy who is a student at Ottawa U.  He explained he'd been dancing on the dark side of the moon with alcohol, but: "That's behind me," he proudly said. 

I expressed that we have to start giving to ourselves.

No walking today.  Time constraints.  Woe is me!

May the Source be with you!
0 km

Saturday, December 8th, 2018
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Mississauga / Markham

Six Refreshing K's

I managed a refreshing six kilometres of walking from Yonge and Lawrence to the ashram. At the major juncture of Eglinton, I and a host of pedestrians waiting at the stop light, looked on in shock. And horror  at an older person with a walker crossing the street on the red.  Traffic was approaching but he managed to walk through out of the courtesy of the motorists who saw what was going on.  He was dangerously in his own world.

My walk was another nighttime walk, after conducting a house program in Markham.  There were quite a few new people there experiencing kirtanfor the first time.  They were quite eager to hear of my walking pastimes, so I obliged them. That request came in earlier on in Mississauga when I attended a program of a similar nature at a household there. For them, I told of wildlife attacks and threats from bears, birds and wasps.

My companion for that program was Dwarkanath, a Toronto monk from Bangladesh, who just lost his mum to cancer.  It's a little tough for him.  He wasn't there at the cremation as it took place in Kolkata. He's a good soul and I'm sure so was she, bless her heart.

I'm trying to encourage him to take walks just as I do.  He's still struggling with the weather challenge of Canada.  "The air is fresh here and you can get some prana, good air power, from the experience," I explained.  "Be a warrior."  Bravery is what I was alluding to.

Overall, it was a fulfilling day.  One last event was the Kid's GitaContest held in Toronto's ISKCON Centre.  The young children recited verses from the Gitafrom memory.  Impressive!

May the Source be with you!
6 km


Friday, December 7th, 2018
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Richmond Hill / North York

Three Things

Monks have obligations.  When someone in the community perishes, a monk participates in the send-off.  Krishna Sharma, I'm guessing, was ninety.  She resided in our ashram in the ’80s.  I learned a few things from her in the kitchen.  She could make a fantastic green banana subji.  Her English wasn't totally terrific but we loved her attempt at it.  Instead of saying "spaghetti," she would come up with "subghetti."  We loved her. She was a real giver.

My experience is that family and friends at a crematorium are unsure of proceedings at the last rites, so I become a natural co-ordinator for her funeral—an emcee, you might say.  We highlighted chanting.  God bless her soul.

A second obligation executed today was a visit to the Caledon farm owned by Vishal and Yasomati.  The couple have come up with innovation, especially in regard to the by-products of bull and cow.  Their milk, dung and urine have miraculous properties, some which will even tackle cancer.  We relished their butternut squash soup, very organic, very local—in fact, from the farm. Monks visit farmers.

A final obligation was to stop by at the home of a family.  A second family joined.  To get there I actually walked from Yonge and Steeles to Yonge and Sheppard, a perfect five kilometres.  A couple, Bully and Amala, hosted a few of us for a kale and chilli supper.  Renunciant people visit homes to try and inspire. This is a young couple  and they are artists in music.  Upstairs hangs a fine painting by Amogha Pandit on their wall. It portrays monk, Chaitanya, dancing with associates.  Monks are meant to appreciate devotional artwork when rendered.

May the Source be with you!
5 km



Thursday, December 6th, 2018
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Varadero / Toronto

The Last Papaya

Light raindrops moistening our backs were the final goodbye gestures from Cuba's north-shore sky.  From the resort, ‘Memories’, Prana, Ananda and I boarded the bus for the Varadero Airport.  We are leaving behind us a wonderful group of people who feel sometimes very isolated from the rest of the family we call bhakti-yogis.  Unfortunately, one of our young men, Leonardo, is stricken with dengue fever, a mosquito-induced, sometimes fatal disease, and he's alone in intensive care.  May he overcome that hurdle.  Please help, O Divine Master.

On the bus, we re-connected with travellers making use of  the same deal as ourselves.  You have one week to go all out with your senses.  There's the beach, sun, sand, drinks, live music, all-you-can-eat food, internet—the works.  Those of us on the yoga mission stayed clear.  Our friends, who a week ago arrived with great anticipation, now, on the bus back, some part of them seemed drained, a trifle disappointed, not fulfilled, ready to move on.

I am not saying that the three of us are better, but I will say we were on a different program and we relished every minute of it.  The dance and chant in the tunnel, the wedding in the woods, the organic veggies cooked with love, the people eager to learn, and all of that in densely-populated Havana.

Perhaps my sweetest dessert, on the menu of all we did, was to speak of Prabhupada, our guru, and all he did for me and the world. He did have a remarkable impact.

Now, on a flight back to Canada, Ananda forks in his last chunk of Cuban papaya.

May the Source be with you!
4 km


Wednesday, December 5th, 2018
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Matanzas, Cuba

Last Fall Day In Cuba

The goat, a baby, was lost from its herd and crying for help like anything.  Enroute to Varadero, our party of three made a stop-over in Matanzas, the "city of intellectuals," as people say.  We made our way to the peak elevation and to an old church where tourists love to be trapped for an hour or so.  The view is exquisite.  Great place for a picnic.  Also, excellent for a kirtan.  We did the above with devotees from the area.  Animals come up here to graze, ranging from horses, to cows and goats.

One goat, as I said, a baby, was led astray. He was anxious for Mom.  A horseback farmer noticed the panic-stricken goat, came over, swooped him up and brought him back to his domain—the herd.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrB0j6XAaVd/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=19ztc4nj11etp

Oh, we can be lost.  As souls, disconnected from the world of brahman, we are lost, separated from our Great Master.  We have to work diligently to get back to our home of freedom.

When back at Memories Resort in Varadero, Ananda and I had a swim and breathed fresh air; Havana is not a place for that.  We had someone behind us, a Canadian dude, start talking to us.  Because of the sikhas, the back tuft of hair we both sported, the fellow made a connection between us and some famous kick-boxers who evidently have that pony-tail.  I clarified who we actually were while in our swim gear.  From here on we got to talking about control of the senses, yoga with mantras, and agreeing to co-operate with the universe through dharma, and how then, although small, a mere cog in the universe, we will get the power and freedom which we deserve. 

"We need to approach it all with humility."

May the Source be with you!
5 km


Tuesday, December 4th, 2018
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Havana, Cuba

Through the Arts

Our apartment is relatively close to the ocean and to the Malecon.  From the ocean's edge, the sky is clear, revealing a very clean sliver for the moon. The pole star is above. Interesting!  Yesterday's sky showed the star to be below the moon. Indeed there is much to see above us.

Just ninety miles north of us is Key West, Florida, but we can't see that.  Our senses are imperfect, so limited.  We can only perceive to the best of our ability.  This inability to perceive well is so evident while walking the streets of Havana.  Sidewalks are quite broken up.  You must watch every step.

Jiva Goswami Das from Miami popped in today. He caught the tail-end of our presentation at "Vivarta Teatro."  We had parting words for those we won't see for a whole year. Jiva and I trekked to our apartment and on the way bumped into tourists, two young couples from Punjab, India.  I asked how they liked Cuba and the one spokesperson simply said, "It's much like India: lots of chaos but a happy chaos."

I met another young tourist from India, from Chennai near the President Hotel, where everyone goes for WiFi connections. Again, this guy confirmed how he liked the country.

After having taught kirtan standards, music lessons, and dance expressions to our friends of Krishna in Cuba, Ananda, Prana and I concluded that through the arts a great potential lives in Cuba for a change in consciousness.

May the Source be with you!
6 km

Vyasa Puja Offering 2018
→ Seed of Devotion

Radhanath Swami Vyasa Puja Offering, 2018

Once upon a time there was a little oyster who lived with her colony along the coral reef off the coast of Tahiti. The colony was growing and thriving amid the swirling, brilliant turquoise ocean, where streams of golden light danced along the ocean floor. Little Oyster was happy.

One day, the water darkened to a blackish blue and turbulence swept through the colony. To Little Oyster’s shock and dismay, she saw oysters being uprooted and swept into the maelstrom. She huddled with her neighbors. They sucked more tightly to the rocky ocean floor, screwing themselves into the ground, hunkering down. But Little Oyster was not so strong. When the maelstrom approached, the sand filled the water in vicious swirls -- she choked. “Help!” she cried, but the oysters were all hunkered down. With one last SHLOOP she was sucked off of the floor and flung into the whirling maelstrom.

Little Oyster was swept through the ocean and she was utterly disoriented. Oysters are sedentary creatures. She had never heard of oysters being swept away into the ocean.

At last, at last, the roar of the storm softened and finally settled to a whisper and she was deposited upon a foreign floor, alone.

She shivered and glanced about her. She had somehow landed among a forest of kelp, the green leaves around her swaying gently and spiraling up toward the white and blue sun above In this undulating forest, she saw no other oyster. The image of her colony all shut down against the maelstrom - and her cries for help - flashed in her mind. Her heart stung. Little Oyster wept and her tears dissolved into the salty ocean.

Soon, the moon rose and shone in silver spears through the water, and still the pain did not go away.
The day dawned, the golden sun shining through the waters of this foreign, ethereal place, and still the pain did not go away.

Several days went by, and the pain worsened.

A passing swordfish heard Little Oyster’s cries and swam closer. “Hello little oyster, what brings you such tears?”

“Well, my heart is hurting,”

“Your heart? You know, I know a pretty good doctor, he’s just on the other side of this kelp forest,”

“A doctor?”

“Yes, he’s one of your kind, an oyster,”

“An oyster doctor? That sounds impossible,”

“It’s true. I’ve even known octopi who go visit him for help. I once helped a clam get to him, because clams are like you too, you know, a homebody and I had to carry him in my mouth. You know, you guys really should get around more,”

“Would you… would you take me to the doctor?” Little Oyster asked tentatively. “The pain is getting worse. It’s a physical pain deep inside, and I think there’s something going on for me, but I don’t know what it is. I need some help,”

“Sure Little Oy, I’ll take ya,” the swordfish said jovially. And with utmost care, he maneuvered his body to be horizontal with the ocean floor, gently moving his fins to precisely position his mouth around Little Oyster’s spine.

Suddenly, she was lifted off of the ocean floor. She gasped. She felt dizzy. She was so not meant to be gallivanting off into the ocean like this. This was crazy.

The swordfish swam through the undulating kelp forest, and gradually Little Oyster’s mind fell quiet, mesmerized by the beauty of a world she had never seen before. They swam past jewel-toned reefs and golden fish and bright red fish dashing in and out of their homes. Many smiled from their doorsteps and called out, “Good day, Swordfish!”

They reached the outskirts of the forest and the Coral City.

Swordfish brought her around the corner to a seemingly forgotten nook.

Little Oyster was surprised. She saw a whole motley crew of creatures lined up outside of this little cavern – a gangly octopus with his undulating arms and big, bulbous head, a jolly bright clownfish striped in a brilliant white and orange, and even a gigantic black manta ray, undulating across the ocean floor, his tail a deadly arrow behind him.

To Little Oyster’s astonishment, she saw that the multifarious creatures that were leaving the cave of the heart doctor carried iridescent white spheres that glowed.

“Swordfish, what are those white globes?”

“The heart doctor. He gives them away. They’re called pearls,”

“Pearls? And he gives them away?” Little Oyster exclaimed with a gasp. “They look… priceless.”

“They are. They have healing powers. When you hold one of those pearls, the pain in your heart kind of… dissolves.”

“Wow,”’ Little Oyster murmured. The pain in her heart was getting more and more acute, and her little oyster toes curled.

When their turn came, Swordfish and Little Oyster slowly entered the cave, and she was astonished to realize that the cave was glowing with the silvery glow of hundreds and hundreds of pearls.

And there, nestled among the glowing orbs was the heart doctor. Her heart leapt to see another oyster – she hadn’t realized how lonely she had felt these past several days. He was quite large, his rippled shell an iridescent saffron that glowed. The doctor looked at her with his golden oyster eyes and Little Oyster became shy.

“Hello doctor,” she said shyly.

“I am so happy to see you, Little Oyster,” he said kindly.

“And I am grateful to see you,” she said.

“I see you have a pain in your heart,” he said gently. His voice carried through the water in soft reverberations.

“Yes, doctor.”

“Please tell me what is hurting for you,”

“Well, there was this maelstrom that hit my colony about a week ago, and I was displaced, and my heart has been hurting ever since,”

“Hmmm…” The doctor murmured. “When do you remember the pain hitting you especially?”

“Well, there were clouds of sand… I called for help, but everyone had already closed their shells –“

“Ah, clouds of sand,” the doctor murmured, and his brown eyes shone. “A little grain of sand from those clouds entered your heart and is the cause of your pain. This pain you feel is the pain of betrayal. Betrayal is sometimes worse than death.”

Little Oyster fell silent, stunned with this diagnosis.

The doctor turned and placed his oyster foot upon several different pearls, seemingly testing each one, and at last he selected one and then held it out to Little Oyster. It was rather small and although it glowed it looked very old. “This is for you,”

“For me? This precious pearl?”

“Yes. Hold this pearl and you will experience healing. This pearl is prayer made solid and is medicine for your soul,”

Little Oyster gingerly held out her foot and felt the smooth, slightly rippled surface of the pearl.

“I will tell you a secret, little one,” he said suddenly, somberly. “All of these pearls come from my own heart,”

“Oh wow,” Little Oyster murmured, somewhat shocked. “Your, um, heart?”

“Well, near it, anyway. You see, Little Oyster, we are humble creatures, but there is something special about us. When some pain enters our heart, like that grain of sand in the maelstrom that fateful day a week ago, if we turn to the Lord with sincerity and gratitude for healing, then he gives us the power to create a coating around the shard that is giving us pain. This coating is called nacre. And if we continue to turn and pray to the Lord again and again, we can repeatedly cover that shard with this iridescent nacre so much that layer after layer after layer… this moonlike pearl emerges,” The doctor smiled gently and gestured to the glowing pearl that Little Oyster held in her feet. “Prayer made solid,”

Little Oyster stared at the pearl and back to the doctor, then back to the pearl.

“At the core of this pearl that you are giving me…” Little Oyster murmured, “is a shard of pain that was lodged in your own heart,”

“Yes,” he chuckled. “That particular one I’ve been saving to give to someone special. When I was just a young oyster, a friend of mine - a clam - told me that his whole family hated me and that one day, he would hate me too, just because I was an oyster. A shard of pain entered my heart that day, the shard of betrayal by a friend, the deepest pain anyone could experience. Worse than death,” his voice dropped low. “I prayed and prayed for understanding. The pain softened and softened until one day, I scooped this pearl out and laid it here in this cave with me. It was waiting for you all these years,”

“That is a sad yet beautiful story, doctor,” Little Oyster said. “Do these all come from shards of pain that were lodged in your heart?” Little Oyster gestured around her to the glimmering pearls that filled the cave.

“Everyone has shards of pain in their heart, little one. These pearls come from prayer and the Lord has made them. I am only the vehicle. What is more, Little Oyster,” the doctor leaned in and gave a small smile, “You can also create these pearls from your own heart. You are an oyster, too. If you turn to the Lord with sincerity and gratitude right now, the Lord can give you the nacre to coat that shard of pain in your heart. And one day, you will have something so beautiful and wondrous to share with the world,”

“You are saying that the grain of sand that entered my heart in the maelstrom can become… this?” Little Oyster held out the old, iridescent pearl, trembling.

“Yes,”

“But… why do you give all of these pearls away? I see so many leaving this cave with a pearl. And it took you years to make even one pearl!”

“People come to me for healing, little one, and the healing they seek is to be understood in their pain. These pearls offer that understanding, that compassion,” the doctor said. “I hope one day you will see that the pain in your heart may become a great treasure to offer the world one day,”

“Thank you, doctor,” Little Oyster brought the pearl to her shell and could feel some gentleness from the pearl reach out to caress her heart. A tear seeped into the salty ocean that surrounded her. “Thank you for your gift of understanding and prayer,”

The doctor only smiled.

Little Oyster requested to Swordfish to please take her back to her oyster colony. She shook with nervousness all the way, but clutched her prayer pearl for strength. At last, he dropped her off, and they nuzzled briefly. “Thank you,” Little Oyster said. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. The maelstrom lead me to you and to the heart doctor. I am grateful,” as soon as Little Oyster said the words, she felt a softening in her heart, a kind of milky suffusion that gave her peace. She realized that the grain of sand in her heart was being coated with nacre. After several minutes, the pain in her heart came back, but less sharp.

Through the heart doctor’s guidance, Little Oyster learned to pray. She lived among her colony, and every time the memory of that dark maelstrom haunted her heart, she would pray to God for healing and understanding, and the coating of nacre would cover the shard of pain. Again and again and again, coating after coating of prayer. She began to smile and sing again in her colony.

Two years later, held in Swordfish’s mouth, Little Oyster returned to that little nook beyond the kelp forest and entered the cave of pearls. She approached and held out her oyster feet to offer a shimmering white pearl to the heart doctor. The doctor’s eyes gleamed in the glow of the pearls in the cave, and he took the pearl in his feet. “Very beautiful, Little Oyster,” he murmured.

“Doctor,” she said, “I was hoping that if someone comes to you that needs this pearl, that you would give it to them for healing,”

“I shall,” he replied. “Thank you,”

And he placed her pearl in a little alcove behind him.

Thank you, Radhanath Swami, for the priceless gift of your compassion and prayer. You teach me and the world through your own example how to turn even the most painful experience into a pearl by turning to God with a heart of prayer, again and again and again. You teach me that there is no wasted pain in this world, only opportunities to pray and turn to Krishna.

Thank you for gifting me with a life of integrity, gurudeva.

Your loving oyster daughter,

 Bhakti lata dasi

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Jahnavi Harrison and Jaya Jagannath Discuss Cultural Appropriation
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Jahnavi Harrison of Kirtan London and Jaya Jagannath Das, a teacher at the Bhakti Center NYC share their thoughts on the Bhakti Yoga Club at American University in Washington D.C. getting shut down after accusations of cultural appropriation.

As this was a Facebook live video, the quality may not always be ideal, however we feel viewers will find the interesting subject matter and intelligent presentation worth it.

Utilizing Every Moment
Giriraj Swami

On January 3, 1974, in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.6:

athavasya padambhoja-
  makaranda-liham satam
kim anyair asad-alapair
  ayuso yad asad-vyayah

“Or please speak of topics related to the devotees of the Lord, who are accustomed to licking up the honey available from the lotus feet of the Lord. What is the use of topics which simply waste one’s valuable life?”

I was struck by his explanation of the absolute nature of devotional service:

“Here it is said, kim anyair asad-alapair . . . Avyayah, asad-vyayah. What is the meaning of vyayah? Asat, ‘unnecessary waste of life.’ Unnecessary waste of life—we should be very careful. That is Krishna consciousness. That is the criterion of Krishna conscious life. We should not waste our time. That is advised by Rupa Gosvami also: avyartha-kalatvam. We should be very cautious not to waste a single moment, be without Krishna consciousness. We have got so many activities. If we have no activities, then we can polish the floor of the temple. That is not very difficult. If I am illiterate, have no interest in reading books, or have no interest in chanting or cannot do it constantly, then I should take something and mop the temple and cleanse the temple. That is also service. It is not that one who is engaged in Deity worship is better engaged and one who is polishing the floor is less engaged. No. Both of them will get equal benefit. Krishna consciousness is so nice. So, find out some business for Krishna. Don’t waste time. That is the perfection of Krishna consciousness.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Hay Excites and Satisfies Cows
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Donations during this Matching Gift Challenge have helped ISCOWP in many ways one of which is to feed the ISCOWP herd. This year, in addition to the cost of hay, ISCOWP had expensive tractor repairs. The tractor is necessary to move the 800-pound hay bales.  But with your help, the tractor was fixed and the hay bales were bought.

This video shows a delivery of hay bales from our neighbor "Misty Morning Hounds." Not only do we purchase all our hay from Mac and Alexis (owners of Misty Morning Hounds) but they also helped feed the ISCOWP herd the 800-pound bales of hay when our tractor was inoperable. We all thank Mac and Alexis!

Once the bales of hay are in the hay barn they are then moved by Balabhadra das (ISCOWP president Wiliam E. Dove) and grandson Balaji to the feeding rings and the herd is called by them to partake of the yummy hay. The herd is in excited anticipation of the new hay. Once they start eating the hay, some of the cows fill up fast and with full stomachs, they lay down in the pasture. Due to the quality, tasty hay they are satisfied this winter season.

Satisfied, happy cows are the joy of cow protection.

Lessons from the pastime of Mohini Murti
→ Servant of the Servant

Lord Siva got bewildered by the female form of Lord Vishnu. Some lessons from this pastime;

  • Great sages and rishis worship Lord Siva as their master. Thus although they are great sages and saintly persons, they should not think themselves free, but should remain extremely cautious about beautiful women. No one should think himself liberated in the presence of a beautiful woman.
  • If one can remain a brahmacārī, he saves himself so much trouble in material existence.
  • Although Lord Śiva is never defeated by anyone, when defeated by Lord Viṣṇu he felt proud that he had such an exalted and powerful master.
  • Because of his full faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee is never agitated, even in the greatest trials. This pridelessness is possible only for the first-class devotees, of whom Lord Śambhu is one.
Hare Krishna


PILGRIMAGE IN CYPRUS
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Hare KrishnaEven though Vaikunthaloka’s travels do not strictly fit the definition of a padayatra -he sometimes walked but mainly hitchhiked around the island- we decided to share his adventures with the Padayatra website readers since he has spent time on Padayatra India and took advantage of his Cyprus trip to meet priests and spiritually minded people . We can also see Krishna’s hand in his adventures, and that’s always the best part.

UNITED FRONT MAKING HEADWAY IN SOUTH AFRICA
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Hare KrishnaPadayatra South Africa began eight years ago when Lokanatha Maharaja instructed ISKCON Durban temple president Svarup Damodar to launch the programme in KwaZulu-Natal, one of the country’s largest provinces. The idea was to get the project under way and then have it gradually taken up throughout the country, and indeed after observing our efforts in Durban the devotees in Johannesburg were soon motivated to follow suit.

Enthusiasm
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 September 2018, Petite Riviere, Mauritius, Lecture)

Transcendental sound is echoing around the world. The world which is egg-shaped and hollow inside, consists of several layers. All these universes clustering together are flowing from the pores of Mahavishnu. Srila Prabhupada explains creation. Krsna expands himself in the form of Mahavishnu from whose breathing an innumerable number of universes emanate. In each of these universes, Mahavishnu enters as Garbodhakasayi Vishnu who lies on Sesa Naga on the Garbha Ocean. From his navel, Bramha is born and he creates all living entities. Krsna further expands himself as Ksirodakasayi Vishnu and enters everything – even into the minute atom.

We have nothing to be so proud of. Our mind is occupied, “I am the centre of the Universe.” Krsna is there but in the background. When will Krsna be the centre of our lives?

Kirtan carries us. Everyone is making noises on their various tools. Sound carries us. The Mahamantra carries everyone. During the early days of ISKCON, in 1966, everything was there. Krsna Consciousness was in the heart. The essence of Srimad Bahgavatam and spiritual life, even without the details, was in the heart. Now we have all the details – how to fast on ekadasi and how to break our fast on the next day. So many technical details. How to pay obeisances – 5/7 parts of the body touching the ground. Everything is mentioned in the Hari Bhakti Vilas.

During Srila Prabhupada’s time, no one knew anything. They only knew Swamiji. Srila Prabhupada brought the deities of Lord Jagannatha, Baladev and Subhadra to San Francisco. Shyamasundar Prabhu carved the deities and Srila Prabhupada told them to offer a candle in a clockwise direction and they thought is was fun.

ISKCON today has developed a lot. In 1966, there was an incredible focus on the essence, that is pure devotional service. I used to study the early editions of the Back to Godhead Magazine and it was all about Srila Prabhupada. Once, the devotees were waiting for Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada was in his quarters. They did a long kirtan and it was getting late but Srila Prabhupada did not come at all. Then Kirtananda Swami gave the lecture and he said, “Where were we one year or six months ago? And now we are here with our shining faces, in contact with a pure devotee where the essence is pure devotional service. Devotional service is what we are meant to practice.”

Srila Prabhupada was once translating at 11 pm. He was speaking into the dictaphone and then a devotee came. Srila Prabhupada said to him, “Come sit next to me.” He said to Srila Prabhupada, “It is 11 pm, please go to bed!” But Srila Prabhupada did not go to bed. Then the devotee told Srila Prabhupada, “You are a pure devotee but I am not,” and Srila Prabhupada asked him, “Why do you say you are not a pure devotee?”

There are so many reasons to justify this statement. What we will do tomorrow. Surrender tomorrow. No, not tomorrow. NOW! The choice is ours. We have to choose again and again. We have to choose moments of pure devotional service. We have to think of what to do and then do it – not just lip service.

We have different species of living entities – plants, animals, human. Very few are civilized and have a connection with the Vedas. Most practice only lip service. Rupa Goswami said that 500 years ago, India was different. There was no Bollywood, no chai – nothing. Now we think that because of these things, we are very Indian. But 500 years ago nothing existed.

This movement offers the opportunity, the eagerness required to become a pure devotee. We have the opportunity of beginning the day with an offering to the Lord. No day is ordinary, everyday is special. Different days are linked to different planets. All that matters is what we really want to do. Come to that stage of pure devotional service. Create an inventory of what we have tried today. Have we read enough sastra or it could have been more, have we finished our rounds and how nice they were? Through all these things, we can see what have we offered to Krsna and like this, we go to sleep. We should try again and again, each day to have the opportunity to do something. In this way, we should take advantage of all the opportunities. Not wait, “Oh, when? When will Krsna Prema come?” In the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, it is mentioned that when the cowherd boys wake up in the morning, their hairs stand on end in ecstasy. Our mornings in spiritual life should not be like an old car where a push is needed, it should be able to start with enthusiasm.

The article " Enthusiasm " was published on KKSBlog.

PADAYATRA IN WEST AFRICA! Theme: Peace Procession (La…
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PADAYATRA IN WEST AFRICA!
Theme:
Peace Procession (La Procession pour la Paix)
Location: Lomé, capital of Togo
Dates: Saturday, December 22nd and Sunday, December 23rd
Distance: 125 km
Procession:
A motorcycle will be used as a chariot, followed by the participants and a few vehicles, as it’s not easy to get trained oxen.
Participants:
Around 100 devotees will come from different countries in West Africa (Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria )
Towns to visit:
Lomé, Adidogome, Zanguera, Akepe, Noepe, Dagbe, Keve, Badja, Azanhoun, Tove, Tovegan, Amoussoukope, Agou, Kpalime.
Special Guests:
– Indian consulate in Togo for the padayatra opening.
-Mayor of the district of Lomé for an opening speech.
Contact : Bhakti Carudesna Swami : “carudesnabts108@gmail.com »

Spiritual Amnesia
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Spiritual Amnesia
Imagine a millionaire’s son traveling in a car on a hill.
Suddenly his car skids and falls hundreds of feet down. Somehow he jumps out of the car before it explodes. Fortunately, he falls on a sand dune in the valley. He survives but gets amnesia due to a blow on the head.

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