Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

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Answer Podcast

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2018, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.50)

Different countries are famous for their varieties of export. The Middle East exports, for instance, are known for oil and Holland is known for exporting flowers and cheese. Different countries export different things and India exports gurus. That has been a big thing for a long time.

Once there was a group of people doing a play and they needed someone to play the part of a guru. Somehow they asked an Indian devotee to play this part. This person sat on a raised seat and upon sitting he asked, “Where’s my garland?” It was very interesting how, somehow or other, that spirit of being a guru is so deeply ingrained in the Vedic culture. However, when a guru speculates, when a guru is manufactures, when a guru is comes up with his own ideas, then he is not a guru at all. At that point, he is a false guru, and being a false guru is a very serious offence.

The false guru receives the greatest reactions for his actions. Rather than being sura, a devotee of the Lord, he is asura. He is actually demoniac. He is actually a personality who is heading for hellish destinations and taking others down with him. So the followers of such gurus also attain hell. It is not that one accepts a guru just for fun, just so that one can also show himself in spiritual circles. No, a guru is meant to point us towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vāyu Purana says how an acarya is the one who knows the scriptures, who follows the scriptures and who teaches the scriptures to others. That is the point. Firstly, there must be a foundation of scripture. When there is no foundation of scripture, then such a self-manifested guru, who just suddenly became divine, can never be trusted.

Yesterday we were in Ljubljana, Slovenia with Krsna Ksetra Maharaj and he made a comment about Prabhupada during his speech which was very interesting. He said that Prabhupada did not become as famous as he deserved to be. What did this mean? It is obvious that Prabhupada did such amazing things that the whole world should know about Prabhupada. But Maharaj said that the reason for this is because Prabhupada always gave every bit of credit to Krsna. He always pointed to Krsna. Everyone knows the Hare Krsna movement but not everyone knows Prabhupada. Whereas in so many movements, everyone only knows the guru, the famous personality, but not having an idea about the philosophy or their teachings. However with Prabhupada, it is rather the other thing. Everyone knows about the Hare Krsna, their way of life, how they chant the Hare Krsna mantra and so on. With this movement, it is Krsna that is in the foreground and Prabhupada sort of managed to put himself in the background in a way. Prabhupada would say that, “Just like the moon has no light of its own but rather borrows its effulgence from the sun. In the same way, if you see any good qualities in me, then know them to be the good qualities of my spiritual master.”

The article " A real guru " was published on KKSBlog.

[Talk at ISKCON, Seattle, USA]

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The post Demons in krishna-lila 1 – How the metaphorical points to the transcendental and how Putana represents false guru appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

In modern society, most businessmen and employees of major companies have major stock portfolios to plan for their retirement and ongoing income in old age. Of course, there are no guarantees with these sorts of endeavors (which is not the philosophical subject of this article), but it is an intelligent way to serve one’s future personal and family needs.

However, a devotee will eventually depend on Krishna as he/she approaches the end of life and the final hour, and one will ultimately have to leave all such assets behind, recognizing that they belonged to the Lord all along and we were only the caretaker of such things for His seva. Everything belongs to Krishna in the long run and returns to Him in the end. We really own nothing.

With the above in mind, we would like to encourage devotees who are invested in such stock programs to consider contributing some shares to the TOVP as a donation option or to fulfill their existing pledge towards the MISSION 22 MARATHON. Several devotee businessmen have already followed this approach and the TOVP is now set up to accommodate donations of this kind.

If you are interested to find out how, please directly contact Braja Vilasa, International Fundraising Director, at brajavilasa.rns@gmail.com or by calling him at +91 95359 90391.

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities

The post Stock Donations to the TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

A culture of respect (video)
Culture of Respect by HG Madhavananda Prabhu, 04-02-17

Day Of Peace Presentation in Ojai, California, September 21, 2018, (video)
Mayesvara Das: Welcome fellow theists, respected colleagues and all others in this audience that represent hope for the future.

I am honored to represent the orthodox teachings of the Vedic culture that originated in ancient India to all the esteemed guests at this gathering. Today we come together to share a vision for international peace. In India’s most renown scripture Krishna gives the formula for peace.

Fan the Spark (video)
2018 09 29 NYC Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.37 - HG Vaisesika Dasa.

Morning Class SB 4.14.29-31 - HG Aniruddha Prabhu - 7 October 2018, Hare Krishna Melbourne (video)

Winding Down (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: This will be the last photo album of our great adventure performing here in the USA over the last two months. Everyone in our team worked so hard day and night to share Krsna consciousness with the people of this country. In this album, you’ll see our short visit to Gita Nagari and a program we held at a nearby university.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Ha2gDd

Miss Denmark who became a devotee.

Photos from the 2018 Glastonbury Ratha Yatra, UK.
Please find below photos from the 2018 Glastonbury Ratha Yatra.
Slidesh...

The conference was a great success inspiring over 40 participants from all over Europe attended including members from ISKCON higher leadership in the Uk and the event even brought the local member of Parliament. The conference in Europe is reaping the fruits of years of careful cultivation. The cooperation among projects is increasing and Europe heads towards having regional representatives for cow protection and agriculture in its 8 zones. Continue reading "IMCPA Conference Day 1
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 01.07 Be aware of how what we say to one person may be heard by others appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Talk at Dallas, USA]

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The post How Gita wisdom helps us to deal with pain appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

A new rendition of the maha-mantra by Anup Jalota and friends (4 min video)
A happy melody with classic Iskcon scenes as the v...

ISKCON Farmington Hills First Pushabshiek 2018 - Oct 7th (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: O my Lord, Your holy name alone ...

Vaishnavi Retreat at Mandal Retreat Center (Album of photos)
Malati Devi Dasi: Snippets from the final day of our glorious Va...

Victory in Trenton (5 min video)
Our festival tour is going strong as we perform throughout the mid-west in America.

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON New Vrindaban Communications

Archival Research by Chaitanya Mangala Dasa

In the early 1960s, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement, was a simple Swami living in the village of Vrindavan, in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Vrindavan, the land where five thousand years ago Lord Krishna grew up tending cows, is one of the most revered places in India and is central to practitioners of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Prabhupada’s life there was peaceful – retired from family life, he stayed in a spartan room in the Radha Damodar temple, translating ancient Vedic texts. He could have remained there, living a stress-free existence.

But his mind was set on the instruction his guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, had given him back in 1922: to bring the teachings of bhakti-yoga, or Krishna consciousness, to the English-speaking world.

So Prabhupada left Vrindavan to bring Vrindavan to the world. In 1965, at the age of sixty-nine, he begged a free passage aboard a cargo ship, Jaladuta, to New York. Suffering stormy seas and two heart attacks during his 37-day journey, he arrived at Brooklyn pier with just seven dollars in Indian rupees and a crate of his translations.

After much struggle alone, his message of peace and goodwill began to resonate with the young people of America at the time, and they came forward to become serious students of the Krishna Bhakti tradition.

In July 1966, Prabhupada established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for the purpose of “checking the imbalance of values in the world and working for real unity and peace.” ISKCON centers rose up first in New York, and then in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and Montreal.

But as well as city temples, Srila Prabhupada wanted to establish a rural community where people would live a simple life based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita, just like the residents of Vrindavan.

He had written about this vision while printing Back to Godhead magazine alone in India in 1956. He had also included it in one of his seven stated purposes for ISKCON: “To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.”

Starting in October 1967, Prabhupada began to encourage his early American disciple Hayagriva Das to purchase land for such a community in Wilkes-Barre, Pennyslvania:

“Krishna has given you a very nice chance in the city of Wilkes-Barre Penn… I think you can negotiate for this land immediately,” he wrote. “After purchasing the land you can gradually develop it into an ashram by dint of your personal labor as teacher in college. From N.Y. the members may visit the place every weekend.”

In January 1968, he suggested: “The Ashram may be named as “ISKCON-Nagari or New Vrindaban.”

The Wilkes-Barre property never manifested. But in March of that year, Hayagriva and another disciple, Kirtanananda Swami, reported they were negotiating to lease a large piece of land in West Virginia.

Srila Prabhupada saw an opportunity for his vision to be realized: “I wish that this tract of land be turned into New Vrindaban. You have New York, New England, and so many ‘New’ duplicates of European countries in the USA; why not import New Vrindaban in your country?”

From then on, Prabhupada issued a string of enthusiastic letters describing exactly what he wanted the community to be. He stated that residents should take Lord Krishna’s example and make cow protection “the main business of New Vrindaban.” He wanted a “self-governing village” that would set an example for the entire world in simple living, growing its own produce and making its own butter, yogurt and cheese.

He imagined “a new place of pilgrimage for Western devotees” with replicas of the seven main temples of Vrindavan, and institutions of spiritual education for both adults and children.

Above all, he wanted the simple life of New Vrindaban – just like that of the original Vrindavan – to create an ideal environment for its residents to love Krishna, or God, with all their hearts.

Prabhupada hoped that the beauty and simplicity of New Vrindaban would attract neighbors and build good relationships with them. And he thought he might retire there himself to work on his literary legacy: “If this piece of land is turned into New Vrindaban, I shall forget to return to Indian Vrindavan,” he said.

Prabhupada visited New Vrindaban four times, but never did get to retire there. Instead, over the next several years, he circled the globe 14 times, establishing ISKCON worldwide.

Today, New Vrindaban is part of an international spiritual movement that includes 650 temples, 110 vegetarian restaurants, and 65 farms and eco-villages. 9 million worshippers visit ISKCON temples every year, and over 3 billion free vegetarian meals have been distributed to the general public and the needy.

While all this was happening, New Vrindaban devotees continued to pursue Srila Prabhupada’s vision for their community. Over five decades, they encountered many struggles and, at times, took a few sharp detours.

But they also achieved much that Srila Prabhupada was proud of, too.

“You are fulfilling my dream, New Vrindaban,” he told them in October 1977. “I dreamt all these things. Wonderful things have been done.”

Today, Srila Prabhupada lives on in his instructions, and his presence is still strongly felt in the Palace of Gold, his Smriti Samadhi (memorial shrine), which New Vrindaban residents lovingly built in his honor.

And some of his sincere followers continue to make a concerted effort to realize his grand vision for New Vrindaban – the Land of Krishna.

Request for prayers.
Giridhari Swami: My dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
It is my duty to inform you that I will undergo an operation on my left eye Monday, Oct. 8 from 8:30am to approximately 10:30am in Hong Kong.
I will be getting a posterior vitrectomy, or surgical removal of vitreous gel from the middle of the eye, which is causing my vision to blur. At the same time the surgeon will remove a cataract. This is by no means a life-threatening operation. However, as with all operations there are risks of complication either during the procedure or afterwards. My ophthalmologist has told me not to travel for at least 2-3 weeks after the operation to insure complete recovery. I will reside in Hong Kong during this period.
If you wish to offer some prayers on my behalf, that would be most welcome.
Hopefully, with improved vision, I will be able to “see” how to better serve you all.
Hare Krishna and I pray this meets you well.
Your servant,
Giridhari Swami

The beautiful new firewood kitchen at ISKCON Salem (video)
We recently renovated our deity kitchen. Please check out our new firewood kitchen!

You are surely worthy of all the eloquent words being spoken at this occasion in honor of the amazing service you are rendering to our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada and his movement. Personally I feel you are the one specifically empowered to carry on his most cherished desire that his books to be distributed far and wide all over this planet. And because you have done it extensively, written about it in a most perfect way and are inspiring so many devotees to follow in your footsteps, you are most certainly receiving the full blessings of Srila Prabhupada and our entire disciplic succession. This is evident whenever you deliver your eloquent, scholarly and sweet sloka-laden classes. You can’t imagine how many devotees listen to your lectures around the world … myself included. Continue reading "My dear godbrother: Vaisesika prabhu!
→ Dandavats"

You need to use your body, sit properly or dance. Then you need to pronounce the mahamantra. You need to focus your mind. No inattention. Prabhupada said just try to listen to yourself chant sincerely. And you need to think of Krishna, whose name your chant. Yes, you need to bind, it’s called sambandha to Krishna. And you need to bring the mood of longing, O Krishna, I miss you! If you chant without thinking of Krishna, like most people do, you’ll only have shadow chanting. Shadow Kirtan! It does not nourish you. Continue reading "5 open secret techniques to improve your Naam Kirtan
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Answer Podcast

The post Can saying that Krishna sees inside-out lead to devotees refusing to be accountable to other devotees? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 01.06 Duryodhana diplomatically continues to incite Drona against the Pandava army appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

“I was coming into a lot of conflict within myself about the hedonistic lifestyle I was leading. Although I had lots of money and lots of things that people tick off their bucket list, I wasn’t genuinely finding deep, profound happiness.” By then, his best friend and his wife were already part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The two of them were making a quarter of Jai’s salary, and that was just fine with them. Continue reading "Mastering the Art of Unplugging and Managing Stress
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It’s been a few months since I visited Sydney temple and this time I was able give the Sunday feast class and lead the 12.30pm arati.

The Sydney Management changed the timing of the program from late afternoon to midday to accommodate guests and devotees who needed to be home early for work the next day. It started a little slow but by the end the temple was packed out.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme)

Can you tell us how you came into contact with His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami, your spiritual master. How did you choose him and how did he help you in your progress in spiritual life?

I met Jayadvaita Maharaj in Vrndavan in 1978 when he had just taken sannyasa . In Vrndavan, they have a counter with maha-prasadam in leaf cups. So he went to that counter and had grabbed a stack of those leaf cups. This is when I happened to be walking past him and said, “You really hungry there, Maharaj?” (laughter) I just needed to say that, didn’t I? Anyways, so Maharaj then went, “Oh good, you can carry them for me.” So I carried them all to his room behind him. After having prasadam, he laid down on his bed, passed me the Krsna Book and asked me to read from it. After about 10 minutes, I thought he had dozed off, so I stopped reading and was about to tip-toe out of the room when I heard someone say, “Don’t stop reading!” So I started reading again and every 10-15 minutes, this kept happening. He continued to fall asleep, so I continued to escape, but then he continued to ask me to stay and keep reading about Krsna. This went on for another 1.5 hours or so! (laughter) Anyways, so this is how our relationship started and it eventually evolved to a friendship which then eventually evolved into a guru-disciple relationship.

The article " Q&A with KKS: First contact with spiritual master " was published on KKSBlog.

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/04/can-internalize-mood-mission-teachers/

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/02/can-overcome-tendency-indecisive-hindi/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/04/go-dry-phases-chanting/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/04/move-temple-whose-mood-different-native-temple/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/can-practice-bhakti-todays-competitive-world/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/04/not-doers-material-nature-held-responsible-actions/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/can-deal-friends-hurt-us/

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/02/can-person-suffering-incurable-disease-overcome-resentment-hindi/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/can-prevent-repeated-falls-shaking-faith-bhakti/

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/02/intelligence-supersouls-voice-many-intelligent-people-act-sinfully-hindi/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/suppose-talented-dedicated-devotee-encounters-failure-repeatedly-respond/

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/02/ravana-knew-scripture-abduct-sita-hindi/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/04/analyzing-mind-avoid-paralysis-analysis/

The post QA transcriptions uploaded on 07-Oct-18 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Congregation program at Dallas, USA]

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The post How to immigrate to the spiritual world appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Daily readings of Srila Prabhupada’s Books (video)
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami has been reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, BG, Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrita, out loud every day for the last four years.

The Amazing Soul (4 min video)
The Vedic wisdom-tradition offers us a coherent, cogent and extensive body of knowledge about t...

Harinama in Argentina (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna, one can obtain freedom ...