Developing service attitude 1 – Service attitude transforms knowledge into realization
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk at ISKCON, Calgary, Canada]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

PPT:

The post Developing service attitude 1 – Service attitude transforms knowledge into realization appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

How to develop self-confidence
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk at University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

PPT:

Video:

The post How to develop self-confidence appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Sunday, October 28th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

Running Krishna

Walking these last few days involves mainly pacing back and forth at a decent speed. Since coming back from steamy hot India, I’ve found the damp coolness of late October somewhat intimidating, but I’ll get over it.  Locking oneself into a cabin for a period seems sometimes necessary as long as you can keep active.  Nowadays most folks who care for an upkeep of the body use their treadmill indoors. Outdoor stuff is no doubt superior.

With the indoor mode, I was fortunate to participate in a seminar as a listener. Then, to our congregation, I delivered a message about Krishna, the Butter Thief, and also Krishna, The Runner. When He was a mere toddler, He ran from His mother, who was in pursuit, to protect Himself from her threatening stick. Her intent was not to use it physically but to help keep Him in line.

We know that Krishna is reputed for His outstanding flute-playing, His frivolity, His childhood antics and so on.  We rarely hear of His walking or fleeing, but He definitely does those things.  He’s a jack-of-all-trades and a master of them all. This is the actual meaning of the word Bhagavan.

It is important to reflect on the positive traits of an individual, and Krishna, to His followers, means everything to them.  His movement and even His words are to be listened to for the sake of spiritual progress.

May the Source be with you!
3 km


Saturday, October 27th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Woodbridge, Ontario

Longer Live Fall

Jessica held a great program at her home where her dad, Sam, and mom, Anna, cooked pasta and pesto, and everything Italian.  They pleased everyone’s palate and delivered their jovial hospitality. They arranged for various singers to come and lead kirtan.  With their place packed with people, it made for a cozy autumn night.  However, upon leaving their Woodbridge home, we witnessed the most moist snow ever. Personally, I would like to view fall colours just a little longer.  “My Lord, do as you like, but if I had the choice I would side for a lingering colour of fall.”

Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare:

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west.
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest,
In me thou seest the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,
Consum'd by that which it was nourished by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

From, The Picador Book of House Poems.

May the Source be with you!
6 km

Friday, October 26th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

The Swami in Montreal

I love reading about our guru in the early days of the mission.  Author, Mukunda Goswami, tells of the time in Montreal on an August day in 1968:


“The swami was staying in an apartment building a few blocks from the temple. That afternoon, I decided to walk past the building; I knew the swami would want to see us eventually, so I thought at least one of us should know where it was. It was a hot, claustrophobic afternoon in Montreal, suffocating and without a breath of wind. I was tired and slightly headachy from the flight. Usually I loved the heat, but today it wasn’t helping my fatigued condition. As I trudged down the street, I saw a knot of people outside a building, and as I got closer, I saw they were devotees. Well, that had to be the swami’s building, I thought, and turned to walk back to the temple. I looked back at the group and, on second thought, decided to go and see what they were doing loitering around on the sidewalk. 

There were four devotees, I saw as I approached, and in the center sat the swami perched on a chair on the sidewalk, soaking in the sunlight. I looked up at the building: no verandas, and this facade was facing south. This was obviously the place the swami came to get his daily sunshine. 

“So, we can practice Krishna consciousness in any condition of life,” the swami was saying. I sat down on the pavement next to one of the Canadian devotees and tried to look inconspicuous. This extemporaneous outdoor class was a bonus I hadn’t counted on.
“Whether one is rich or poor, anyone can practice Krishna consciousness and perfect one’s life.”

May the Source be with you!
0 km


Thursday, October 25th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

He Walked In

The morning class had just ended when an eighteen-year-old York University student walked in.  Don is from Nigeria, and arrived in Canada when he was nine.  “I was religious, close to Jesus, before I migrated with my family.  What is this place anyway?” he asked.

“Well, you walked into a Krishna Temple.”

“I’m not sure how I got here!”

“You mean you were just drawn or pulled in?” I asked for clarification.

“Yes, it seems like it.”

“How did you get here?”

“By bus.”

In any event, although his coming had come mystical overtones to it, I proceeded to show him the deity of Krishna, spoke some philosophy to him about true identity, and got him to chant with me the entire maha mantraseveral times.  I even picked up the mrdungadrum and played it while singing, again with him.

“Our identity is as a spirit soul.  We are not these bodies.  We are spirits, and our obligation is to serve.”

“So we are meant to serve?” Don asked.

“Yes!” I said.

“We are spirits?”

“Yes.” I confirmed.

Don seemed to enjoy his visit to the temple.  “I’ve got class at 10.  I’ve got to go.  What time is it?”

“ 9:09.”

“I’ve gotta go!”

“Do come back.”

“I’m gonna try,” he said.

May the Source be with you!
5 km

Wednesday, October 24th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

To Get Serious

It was certainly nice to be home, which means roll up the sleeves and be some kind of coach.  With Billy, our temple coordinator, we went through the men’s ashram—inspection time. It wasn’t so thorough but it was meaningful to go and do more than peek into some of the rooms, for now.  

“Too many possessions!” was my thought concerning some of the paraphernalia a few students have accumulated.  Mostly it’s devotional material.  For example, if everyone has one set of Bhagavatambooks, plus a personal copy of each BBT publication, it tends to take up space.
These days with digital reality, it may not be necessary to be voluminous with paper occupying space.

In any event, an overhaul is due for the future, and that includes a renovation of sorts.  It’s been decades now since attention went to how to use the space effectively.  We will start approaching the women’s ashram first—also needing to catch up to millennial needs.

We do not have a great number of residents: eleven men, three women. Our facilities are not huge, but a redefinition of space usage is needed, and it’s my passion to see to a change. God help us to achieve such improvements.  With the month of Kartik on the lunar calendar, which is in our midst, we begin to concentrate more on Krishna, who becomes serious with childhood antics.  In that reflection on His bhaktipranks, His followers are moved to get more devotionally augmented. That is always our meditation and our desired implementation—to make improvements.  

My day ended with tweaking, or improving, our drama, which is to be performed at the Parliament of World Religions.  That’s a different crew.  They are volunteers from outside— congregants who are devotional, all the same.  https://www.parliamentofreligions.org/parliament/2018-toronto/schedule

May the Source be with you!
4 km

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018
→ The Walking Monk


Amsterdam / Toronto

On Ground In Air

Long day.  Long waits. Delhi.  Amsterdam.  Then Toronto Airport.  New computers at customs.  No paper. Just pressing some buttons.  A long enough indoor walk to the outside. Time to think.  What did I think?  I remembered several brahmacharis coming to me on the last day at Kanpur. Those monks were saying, “We’ll miss you,” because we had the best times before the deities of Krishna.  We were singing and we were swinging with new moves—for them and me—dancing for God.

I’ll miss the readings in the morning.  The leader, Devakinanda, usually reads a page, a verse, a purport, to the assembly, but he just handed the Bhagavatamto me each morning.  A different voice I guess.

Also, special soup was made for me each day since I fell sick the first day.  Good soup. Good prasad.

From Kanpur to Lucknow, I had the good company of Australian monk, Ramai Swami, as a companion. We reflected on the week of talks.  ‘Constitution’ was one topic.  Yamala from Delhi was with us, too.  We made the drive over the Ganges to a quaint airport—the kind we like.

I walked little this long day.  With no baggage, I can do the long corridors of Amsterdam, but the wheels on a suitcase won’t take it.  While there, I met these groups of acquaintances from Toronto who were on their way to Delhi—not known to each other, but now they are; since they saw my saffron, it pulled us all together.

What did we say? Well, everyone’s not that happy about the lax Canada cannabis rules.  There’ll be problems.  Always in this world, there’ll be problems.  Know how to ride them.

May the Source be with you!
2 km


Music as Meditation-the kirtan experience. Laksmi Nrsimha Das:…
→ Dandavats



Music as Meditation-the kirtan experience.
Laksmi Nrsimha Das: I’m sure many musicians have had a meditative experience while playing in a band or orchestra or even playing one’s instrument alone. Long ago, in the early 70’s, I was a percussionist for a well-known NYC folksinger named Steve Baron. Steve and I had a music connection that ran deep. We never rehearsed, yet many of our concerts, small and large, would catapult us into an almost meditative trance, free of anxiety or loss of focus. Our audience would similarly get swept up in our sometimes joyful, sometimes melancholy songs. It was this type of performance experience which led me to the conclusion that music can be a profound meditative experience.
Even as a listener or appreciator of music, the act of attentively listening to one’s favorite form of music can cause moments, minutes or hours of rapture. Music is so captivating that it induces pleasant concentration with blissful ease. With that said it comes as no surprise that the ancient yogis developed a form of music that is a powerful meditation; a meditation made easy through melody and rhythm. This form of meditation is known as kirtan.
A dear friend of mine, Swami Dhanurdhara, wrote about kirtan-“The test of any meditational practice is its ability to facilitate focus on the object of one’s mediation, usually a mantra that is heard. As proper melody and rhythm spontaneously allure the mind, mantra couched in music naturally makes mantra meditation easier. And as the focus in kirtan is the very object of the practitioner’s devotion (the divine names of God), extraordinary feelings, such as devotion and joy, naturally arise as one’s meditation deepens.” This in short describes the kirtan meditation. As the setting for a precious jewel enhances the beauty of the jewel, the setting of melody and rhythm in kirtan enhances the captivating beauty and concentrative power of the mantra in focus. through continued experience of kirtan, gradually the participant connects with an inner dimension of simultaneous joy and heightened awareness of the true nature of the self.

The Anatomy of Bhakti – Garuda das (audio)
→ Dandavats



The Anatomy of Bhakti - Garuda das (audio)
We will hear about the overall structure of Bhakti Yoga but we will also learn about little-understood aspects of the subtle nature of Bhakti’s dynamics. Yoga is not something static and Bhakti is not preoccupied with perfection; rather, especially, in this harvest season, they both strive to harvest greater and greater levels of loving service, and loving connections with the divine and all beings.

Bhakta Omkar gets his Srimad Bhagavatam set. Shastrakrit Das:…
→ Dandavats



Bhakta Omkar gets his Srimad Bhagavatam set.
Shastrakrit Das: After reading 5 books by Srila Prabhupada Bhakta Omkar chants japa daily. Today on the occasion of his mother’s birthday he requested his parents to get him a set of Srimad Bhagavatam. His father was worried about Omkar’s grades in school if he buys him all these 18 volumes of books. I assured his father that his son will do a hundred times better in school and life in general if he reads these books and his pious father became pacified. Such wonderful supportive parents this lucky boy has. Bhagavath says parents duty is not just to feed, clothe and give some mundane education to their children, real parents should give their children genuine spiritual wisdom.

Kartik in the capital of South Africa (Album of photos) Bhakti…
→ Dandavats



Kartik in the capital of South Africa (Album of photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: After the Sunday program in Lenasia we went to our ISKCON Pretoria temple and took part in the program there. Pretoria is the capital of South Africa, and our center has been established there for many years. The congregation is diverse, and it’s nice to see that in South Africa, where previously there was a great divide between races, devotees from all different backgrounds are coming together to practice Krishna consciousness.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/f5AaDf

A Visit to the Kingdom of Bharatpur
→ Traveling Monk

Фотоальбом на FB

Kartika Parikrama in Bharatpur

Our Kartika parikrama took us to Bharatpur, a town within the sacred boundaries of Vraja Mandala, that is rich in the history of Vaisnava culture. A former king, Maharaj Suraj Mal, protected Bharatpur from foreign invaders, while at the same time inspiring his subjects in their spiritual lives. There are a number of beautiful temples of Radha and Krsna in Bharatpur. Our parikrama party of 420 devotees performed harinam throughout the city, much to the delight of the citizens.

Another angle of our amazing parikrama to Bharatpur, which was the kingdom of the famous Krsna conscious king, Suraj Mall. The palace, the temples, the deities and the people of Bharatpur were all amazing. Our harinama through the streets was especially blissful.

Radha Kund Appearance day – November 1, 2018
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

There are many places of pilgrimage for Krishna devotees, especially in India. Devotees visit them to become inspired in their spiritual lives. Devotees of Krishna observe the appearance of Radha Kunda, also known as Bahulashtami. This Thursday, November 1, 2018 the Hare Krishna Centre will be celebrating this auspicious occasion beginning at 6:00pm and will include kirtan and a wonderful discourse.

Radha Kunda is a reservoir of water located in Vrindavan, India, where Krishna and Srimati Radharani had Their pastimes. It is mentioned in Sri Isopanishad and other Vedic texts as one of the most sacred places in the universe. Be sure to come out and be transported to this amazing place!


ISKCON Scarborough – upcoming seminar by HG Chaitanya Charan prabhu on 3rd Nov 2018
→ ISKCON Scarborough


Hare Krsna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

We are extremely happy to inform you that HG Chaitanya Charan das will be conducting a seminar at ISKCON Scarborough coming Saturday.

Seminar details:
Facilitator: HG Chaitanya Charan das
Topic: Practical applications of Bhagavad Gita
Date: Saturday, Nov 3rd, 2018
Time: 10 am to 12 noon
Location: ISKCON Scarborough, 3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Prasadam: 12.15 pm – Sumptuous Ekadasi prasadam will be served
Admission: free

Additional chairs will be rented on that day for devotees to comfortably sit and take part in the seminar.
If devotees feel inspired to donate towards the expenses for that day, please do so and tax receipts will be given.
We humbly welcome you, your family & friends to ISKCON Scarborough on 3rd Nov to immensely benefit from this enlivening seminar.

About HG Chaitanya Charan das:
Chaitanya Charan is a monk and spiritual author.
He has done his Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Pune. He subsequently served as a software engineer in a prominent multinational software corporation. He also secured 2350 out of 2400 in GRE, gaining the top rank in Maharashtra.
Seeing the prevalent problems of stress, depression, addiction, and overall misdirection – all caused by a lack of spirituality – he felt inspired to dedicate his life to the cause of sharing the spiritual wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita under the aegis of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna consciousness).

He is a member of ISKCON’s leading intellectual body, the Shastric Advisory Council, and is the associate-editor of ISKCON’s global magazine, Back to Godhead.

He is the author of the world’s only Gita-daily feature, wherein he writes daily a 300-word inspirational reflection on a verse from the Bhagavad- Gita. Till now he has written over seventeen hundred Gita meditations that are posted on www.gitadaily.com and are read through daily feeds by thousands from all over the world.

He also answers questions by seekers on his site www.thespiritualscientist.com, where his over three thousand five hundred audio answers and several hundred articles are available.
He travels all over the world from Australia to America, giving talks on spiritual subjects in temples, universities, and companies.

His articles have been published in many national newspapers including Indian Express, Economic Times and Times of India in the Speaking Tree column.
His writings in English have been translated into several foreign languages including German, Chinese and Romanian and several Indian languages including Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Hindi, and Marathi.

HG Chaitanya Charan das is the author of several books including the following:
• ENERGY – Your Sutra for Positive Thinking
• Science and Spirituality; The Spiritual Scientist series, volumes 1
• Science and Spirituality; The Spiritual Scientist series, volumes 2
• Recession – Adversity or Opportunity?
• Why do we need a temple?
• Frequently Unanswered Questions
• Idol Worship or Ideal Worship?
• The Gita for Daily Enrichment
• Oh My God! Re-answering the Questions
• My Little Bhakti Companion
• Timeless Insights on Today’s Issues
• 10 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad-gita
• GK for PK!
• Prabhupada: The moments that made the movement
• The Eye to see the I: 121 reflections on Bhagavad-gita
• Belong: 121 reflections on Bhagavad-gita

ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough, Ontario,
Canada, M1V4C7
Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com
Website:
www.iskconscarborough.org

If the mind pushes us forcefully towards wrong, how can the mind be directable?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post If the mind pushes us forcefully towards wrong, how can the mind be directable? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Kartik Home Program, November 27, Ojai, California
Giriraj Swami

“Srimad-Bhagavatam mentions two words: parisram which means hard labor or great endeavor and Krishna krpa or Krishna’s mercy. Our acharyas explain that the two finger gap preventing Mother Yasoda from tying the rope around Krishna can be bridged by a combination of parisram — our hard labor and Krishna krpa or Krishna’s mercy. Whatever we do in our spiritual endeavors requires these two ingredients — our sincere efforts and Krishna’s mercy. By that combination we can bind Krishna or we can say Krishna allows himself to be captured and bound by us.”
———————
Kirtan by Radhika
Talk by Dhananjay Dasa
Talk by Giriraj Swami

A FLURRY OF SPECIAL GUESTS & EVENTS!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

With fall upon us, many special guests are making their way to Toronto to enliven and inspire everyone with seminars and more!

Parliament of the World's Religions: Nov 1-7, 2018

The 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions is taking place in Toronto. On November 2nd Our very own HH Bhaktimarga Swami and his drama troupe will be performing "Many Mothers and Many Fathers". HG Anuttama Prabhu & HG Rukmini Mataji will be also be participating in the event. 

To register please visit: https://parliamentofreligions.org/webform/2018-parliament-canadian-registration {For special discount, please use Code GRPFLASH}

HG Caitanya Charan Prabhu: Nov 1 - 5, 2018 

Chaitanya Charan prabhu will be making another visit to the GTA and will be giving the Sunday discourse at both ISKCON Brampton and ISKCON Toronto on November 4th. Prabhu will also be conducting a seminar at ISKCON Scarborough on Saturday, November 3rd; click HERE for more information. 
He is a member of ISKCON’s leading intellectual body, the Shastric Advisory Council, and is the associate-editor of ISKCON’s global magazine, Back to Godhead. He is the author of the world’s only Gita-daily feature, wherein he writes daily a 300-word inspirational reflection on a verse from the Bhagavad- Gita. He has written over seventeen hundred Gita meditations that are posted on www.gitadaily.com and are read through daily feeds by thousands from all over the world.

HG Gauranga Prabhu: Nov Nov 2 - 4, 2018 

Gauranga prabhu will be conduction a seminar on Four Principles of Community Development, click HERE for more Information. HG Gauranga prabhu will also be giving the morning Srimad Bhagvatam class at ISKCON Toronto On Saturday, November 3rd and Sunday, November 4th. 

HG Gauranga Prabhu is a Co Temple President of ISKCON Chowpatty temple, Director of Govardhan Ecovillage, Global Duty Officer of GBC, Trustee of ISKCON GBC College and member of GBC Organizational Development Committee and GBC Nominations Committee.

HG Vaisesika Prabhu and HG Nirakula Mataji: Dec. 14 - 19, 2018

Making one of their many trips to Toronto's Hare Krishna Centre are none other than His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula mataji! They are truly members of our large community and we are very excited to have them once again to encourage our many sankirtan initiatives. Sankirtan refers to the process of sharing our spiritual culture through book distribution. Stay tuned for more information. 

New Sunday Program Timings
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!


Please note the change in the timings of our weekly Sunday Program. The Sunday program will now be held between 4:30-7pm . The details are as follows :

4:30 pm - Kirtan
5:00 pm - Announcements & Class
6:00 pm - Arati 
6:30 pm - Sunday Feast ( vegetarian feast will be served)
7 :00 pm - Program Ends 

(All other Sunday services will remain unchanged including the 8 pm Arati)


INVITE AND HONOUR LORD DAMODARA IN YOUR HOME!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

During this most auspicious month of Kartik (Oct 24 to Nov 22), you can invite Lord Krishna in the form of Bala Gopala (Damodara) to your home, offer beautiful lamps and hear about wonderful stories of baby Krishna.

You can book your 1-hour slot by contacting (416) 400-7001 or kartikbookings@gmail.com to reserve your spot during Kartik weekday evenings or weekends. Please note, limited spots are available. Please feel free to take this unique opportunity for your family.



Govardhan Puja: Thursday, November 8, 2018
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

On Thursday, November 8, 2018 Toronto's Hare Krishna Temple will be celebrating Govardhan Puja!

Also referred to as Annakuta, Govardhana Puja is a special festival which marks the time when the inhabitants of Vrindavan (Lord Krishna’s abode on Earth) held a harvest festival in honour of King Indra, the demigod who provided the rains essential for the harvest. One day, however, Lord Krishna wanted to teach Indra a lesson. He convinced the inhabitants of Vrindavan to honour Govardhana Hill instead, whose fertile soil provided the grass upon which the cows and bulls grazed, and to honour the cows and bulls who provided milk and ploughed the lands.

Outraged, Indra retaliated with terrifying thunderstorms. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, calmly lifted Govardhana Hill with the little finger of his left hand. For seven days and seven nights the Lord held up Govardhana Hill, providing a giant umbrella to shelter the inhabitants of Vrindavan from the torrential rain.

Govardhan Puja celebrations at the Hare Krishna temple have always been popular and this year's festival will once again feature a grand "Govardhana Hill" made entirely of sweets in the middle of the temple room! Please join us for festivities from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on Thursday, November 8, 2018 to celebrate this wonderful festival!

We hope to see you and your family at the Hare Krishna temple for this spectacular festival!

Community Development Seminar with H.G. Gauranga Prabhu
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

Gauranga prabhu will be conducting a seminar on Four Principles of Community Development on November 2nd and 3rd, 2018. Gauranga prabhu will also be giving the morning Srimad Bhagvatam class at ISKCON Toronto on Saturday, November 3rd and Sunday, November 4th, 2018. Please see the poster below for more information!
HG Gauranga Prabhu is a Co Temple President of ISKCON Chowpatty temple, Director of Govardhan Ecovillage, Global Duty Officer of GBC, Trustee of ISKCON GBC College and member of GBC Organizational Development Committee and GBC Nominations Committee.

The Gita Contest 2018
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!


Krishna's Funskool at ISKCON Toronto is pleased to announce the Gita Contest 2018 – Bhagavad Gita competitions for children.
           
Event Date: Saturday, December 8th, 2018
Venue: The Hare Krishna Temple, 243 Avenue Road, Toronto

Category 1: Age 3-5 years - Recitation and Translation
Category 2: Age: 6-8 years - Recitation and Translation
Category 3: Age: 9-12 years - Recitation, Translation and application
Category 4: Age: 13-17 years - Chapter study - MCQ and a short presentation

Please register by filling the Registration form here.
Last date for registrations is Saturday, 1st December, 2018 midnight.




Please note: The selected verses will be sent by email to the participants on completion of registration


  • Assured prizes and Certificates of Participation for all contestants
  • For Gita verses and translations, please refer only to 'Bhagavad-gita As it is' by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
  • Registration fee is $20 per child (can be paid online at torontokrishna.com, by Cheque, EMT, or at the registration desk at the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple on Sundays between 4:15 and 7:00 p.m.)
For details about content for Bhagavad Gita contest, registration and other information, contact us at 416-830-6850 or email us at kids@torontokrishna.com.

Happy Cows Arati
→ Life With the Cows and Land



All the cows were resting under a group of Live Oak trees which gave them a lot of shade on the hot Fall day. Almost all of these cows in the ISCOWP herd were saved when they were about to be slaughtered. While the cows were in a restful mood, Balabhadra das offered Arati to the ISCOWP Diety Giiraj and the ISCOWP herd. In celebration, the herd was fed alfalfa cubes as treats and the younger members of the herd were given access to a pasture they never roamed before. All herd members were joyful either eating alfalfa cubes or running and kicking their heels exploring the new pasture.

Asta Krosh Parikrama 2018 Invitation
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaWe invite worldwide devotees to take part in Asta Krosh Parikrama, from 16-19 November 2018. Following the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who used to perform Asta Krosh Parikrama on Ekadasi days, we shall be visiting five islands of Navadvipa dhama – Antardvipa, Simantadvipa, Godrumadvipa, Koladvipa & Rudradvipa.

The spirit of Vrindavan
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture)

During the month of Kartik, there is the chance to make special advancement. Especially whoever goes to Vrindavan is very fortunate because in Vrindavan, during Kartik, one can make many times more advancement under than under normal conditions!

Therefore, being in Vrindavan during Kartik is very, very special. But not all of us have the opportunity or the time to just leave everything and go to Vrindavan for Kartik but one can at least go in consciousness because the acaryas like Srila Jiva Gosvami have. mentioned, “Mathura is not a place. It is a state of consciousness.”

So the consciousness of Mathura or Vrindavan is what really transports us there! Therefore we can also invoke that atmosphere from wherever we are and in that way, one can reside in Vrindavan by remembering Vrindavan because remembrance on the spiritual platform is as good as being there, and we simply remember the spiritual world. So this is a month to meditate on Krsna!

The article " The spirit of Vrindavan " was published on KKSBlog.

History of Sri Jagannath Temple, Rajapur Video
→ Mayapur.com

In this video, the head pujari of ISKCON Mayapur, His Grace Jananivas Prabhu, and the temple president and manager of the Rajapur Jagannatha Mandir, His Grace Nirmala Caitanya Prabhu, speak in great detail about the history and glories of Lord Jagannatha, and how He came to reside in Sridham Mayapur. Please help spread the glories […]

The post History of Sri Jagannath Temple, Rajapur Video appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Kartik Parikrama 2018, Vrindavan Temples (Album of photos)…
→ Dandavats



Kartik Parikrama 2018, Vrindavan Temples (Album of photos)
durlabho bhakti-yogo me mama vasya-vidhayakah
karttike mathurayam ca vratenanena labhyate
“Pure devotional service to Me which, because it places Me under My devotee’s dominion, is very difficult to attain, is easily attained by following this vow in Mathura during Karttika.”
“To they who worship Krishna in Vrindavan, the Lord gives them their original spiritual forms. The perfect atonement to purify the sins of a lifetime is to worship Lord Damodara in Vrindavan during Kartik. The month of Kartik spent in Vrindavan brings the supreme destination.” -Srila Rupa Goswami, Mathura Mahatyam!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/kzryKd

What To Do and When
Giriraj Swami

As part of our evening program in Carpinteria during Kartik, we are reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9, “Mother Yasoda Binds Lord Krsna,” and tonight one verse and purport struck me as especially instructive:

TEXT 5

tam ankam arudham apayayat stanam
  sneha-snutam sa-smitam iksati mukham
atrptam utsrjya javena sa yayav
  utsicyamane payasi tv adhisrite

TRANSLATION

Mother Yasoda then embraced Krsna, allowed Him to sit down on her lap, and began to look upon the face of the Lord with great love and affection. Because of her intense affection, milk was flowing from her breast. But when she saw that the milk pan on the oven was boiling over, she immediately left her son to take care of the overflowing milk, although the child was not yet fully satisfied with drinking the milk of His mother’s breast.

PURPORT

Everything in the household affairs of Mother Yasoda was meant for Krsna. Although Krsna was drinking the breast milk of Mother Yasoda, when she saw that the milk pan in the kitchen was overflowing, she had to take care of it immediately, and thus she left her son, who then became very angry, not having been fully satisfied with drinking the milk of her breast. Sometimes one must take care of more than one item of important business for the same purpose. Therefore Mother Yasoda was not unjust when she left her son to take care of the overflowing milk. On the platform of love and affection, it is the duty of the devotee to do one thing first and other things later. The proper intuition by which to do this is given by Krsna.

tesam satata-yuktanam
  bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
  yena mam upayanti te
        (Gita 10.10)

In Krsna consciousness, everything is dynamic. Krsna guides the devotee in what to do first and what to do next on the platform of absolute truth.

 

After reading this purport, I prayed that I may always be situated on the platform of absolute truth and be guided in what to do and when—by Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krishna’s grace.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Disappearance Day of Srila Narottam Das Thakura
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaAppearing as the son of a king, Shri Narottama Dasa Thakura (Shri Thakura Mahasaya) showed all the bodily symptoms of a mahapurusha (an exalted divine person). He had long arms, a deep navel, golden-complexion, beautiful eyes shaped like the lotus petals. In school, he was a sruti dhara (able to memorize whatever he hears) Although he quickly mastered Sanskrit and the Vedas, he hankered to serve Krishna. He was a lifelong brahmachari. By the mercy of the Holy Name Gaura-Nitai, Narottama became detached, left his opulent family, and ran to Vrindavana. He took diksha from Shri Lokanatha Goswami and siksha in Gaudiya philosophy from Shri Jiva Goswami.
Read More...

Gita 01.25 What catches ouar attention is determined by what is prominent in our external situation and in our internal disposition
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 01.25 What catches ouar attention is determined by what is prominent in our external situation and in our internal disposition appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Is our real problem the original sin in the heart – not the mind – and is believing in Jesus the only solution?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post Is our real problem the original sin in the heart – not the mind – and is believing in Jesus the only solution? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.