Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Every Day is Festival in Lord Chaitanya’s movement! (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one somehow or other come in contact with the Hare Krishna movement, without consideration of his being a sudra, vaisya, Jagai, Madhai or even lower, he becomes advanced in spiritual consciousness and immediately develops love of Godhead. (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.21 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/cioyic
HG Urmila devi dasi - What Varna am I in? (video)
Modern day varnasrama.
Choosing our varna.
6 ways of being rich...
Students from the Hare Krishna School at Eungella, Australia, will travel to India to take part in a pilgrimage and mark the end of their school life.
On Thursday the students celebrated their graduation from the Hare Krishna School, becoming the first cohort of Year 12 graduates to do so.
“This is the only Hare Krishna school in Australia and the only Hare Krishna school in the Western world that goes up until Year 12,” said teacher Shyami Dasi.
"These are historic students for the first time to graduate with Year 12. We follow the Australian curriculum and the students are exposed to all of the academic requirements needed in order to meet the requirements of the HSC course.
Read more: https://goo.gl/b7aGaq
Deena Bandhu Das: Please join us in prayers! Just heard that a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, my Godbrother, Isa Das (left side of V...
Podcast
The post Bhagavatam tenth canto study 55 -10.10.10-14 Narada curses not impulsively, but after deep reflection appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Life with the cows (6 min video)
Malini is born in a Vaishnava family in Sweden. She speaks about her relationships and experiences with the cows at Almviks gård.
The five powerful practices in The Living Name, a new book by Sacinandana Swami, can enliven the chanting of the Holy Name and turn it into a dynamic and transformative experience.
The Sri Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnava Sangha, a gathering of 55 Gaudiya Maths celebrated the 181st Appearance day of Srila Sacchidanand Bhaktivinod Thakur at Surabhi Kunja, West Bengal, on Saturday September 22nd.
[Talk at Yoga Now studio, Chicago, USA]
Podcast
Podcast Summary
Video:
The post Understanding “emotions”, “negative emotions” and “overcoming negative emotions” appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
According to an Indian proverb, there’s nothing that a goat won’t eat and nothing that a madman won’t say.
A video by Simple for the Simple.
A video by ISKCON Desire Tree.
Preaching program at the Temple New Purushottama kshetra, ISKCON Dnipro Ukraine (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one som...
My Spiritual Journey towards Krishna Consciousness | The Journey of Self Discovery | Mahajan Dasa (15 min video)
The devotees are chanting happily at Fontaine des Innocents during the recent Ratha Yatra Festival in Paris (3 min video)
Performing arts company Natya Nectar is set to deliver the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita to audiences across India – before going to Broadway in New York and beyond.
| |||||
|
Bhaktivinod Thakura was a high court judge and he was so expert in his work that when he wanted to take retirement the government pleaded him not to do so.
“A brahmachari should be quite well behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the sastra. Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary with women or those controlled by […]
The post Brahmacari Ashrama appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Harinam Utsav 2018 Mumbai (Album of photos)
“Come one, come all, chant the names of Lord Krsna,” said Lord Nityananda even to the most downtrodden. This holy name of the lord is non-different than him. Chanting his glories with all your heart in the association of like-minded devotees will yield the ultimate satisfaction for Lord Gauranga. Here are some moments of sankirtan we enjoyed.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/59Yzxt
Bliss In The Buckeye State (4 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Our show in New Albany, Ohio was attended by a number of government officials, including the mayor of the city. After the program, he very kindly told us, “Your show is better than any Broadway theater.”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/PvkZFg
Answer Podcast
Transcribed by: Sudeep Naik
Question: While being in family life how can we be detached?
Answer: The word detached sometimes have a negative connotation. Sometimes people think that if I become detached I will become uncaring, irresponsible but detachment does not mean becoming uncaring or unfeeling. It simply means that we do not let anything control our feelings.
Dhritarashtra was attached to Duryodhana, and because of his attachment he just went along with whatever Duryodhana wanted. Duryodhana acted viciously and Dhritarashtra consented to that. In Mahabharata when Yudhishthira becomes a king, Narada Muni comes to meet him. Normally when we meet someone we generally say – “how are you”. However, Narada muni asks similar question but in a more informed way. He says, “O King, are you pursuing dharma, artha and kama in balance? Do not pursue dharma at the expense of artha and kama, do no pursue artha at the expense of dharma and kama and do no pursue kama at the expense of dharma and artha.” Dharma refers to our religion or spirituality, artha refers to our profession, kama refers broadly to our family. Mahabharata is telling us to pursue all these three in balance.
By detachment, if we think that I will only be pursuing dharma and neglecting artha and kama then that is a misunderstanding. We have to pursue all three. However, some people are workaholics. They pursue artha so much that they neglect their family, their spirituality. They just become super achievers in their profession but they become utter failures in their life. Their families break apart, children go on a wrong track and they are unhappy. Success in one area of life cannot compensate for failure in another. Professional success cannot compensate for family failure. Similarly, family success cannot compensate for spiritual failure. All these three are separate tracks and we need to progress on all these three tracks in a harmonious way and see that Krishna as God is not just limited to dharma.
It is not that we worship Krishna only when we go to temple, Bhagavad-gita offers us an inclusive vision of God. Krishna says “sva-karmana tam abhyarcya siddhim vindati manavah” (by your work worship the divine). It means that we do not see our family members as just family members but seen them that they are entrusted to us by God. They are also God’s part. Our children are not our children alone, but they are God’s children. We can serve God by taking care of them also. We have certain talent, ability, which we use in our profession. Those talents are gifts given by God to us. Arjuna had archery skill, he excelled in that skill and used it in Krishna’s service. God is not just limited to dharma. If we have proper attitude of service, then artha and kama can be permeated with bhakti bhava. Bhakti integrates dharma, artha and kama, in a spiritual trajectory of our life.
End of transcription.
The post While being in family life how can we be detached? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
[Congregation program at Chicago, USA]
Podcast
Podcast Summary
Video:
The post The time to understand time is now appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme)
Can you tell us a bit about the time you entered into the grhasta ashram. How was that a factor in your spiritual life?
Generally sanyasis do not speak about their purva janma (previous life) but since you are asking, I will briefly tell you. I was married for 24 years before I took sannyasa. My former wife is also from the Netherlands and she came to Krsna consciousness 1 year after I did. Even though she was drawn to Krsna consciousness, she was not so sure about the movement initially, specifically with respect to the movement’s attitude towards women, which was a little difficult for a capable lady from the West to swallow. But she made it. Anyways, so I was in the grhasta ashram for all those years that I stayed in India.
Were you pushed to taking sannyasa or did you jump?
It was more of a natural progression for me. I was married for a very long time but somehow it worked out that we never had any children. I lived in Vrndavan which is a holy place and after spending so much time there, it somehow started to feel like vanaprastha. So what else was there for us to do? Grow old, hand in hand? I was a leader and a temple president for some years where I had started managing things, but eventually my role was one of managing and coaching people. So it was going in that direction for me where the next step seemed one of spiritual leadership as I was dealing more and more with people.
The article " Q&A with KKS: Changes in ashram " was published on KKSBlog.
Photos of a recent event in London: On Friday 21st September, Sivarama Swami opened up about his life as a Monk in an interview with filmmaker Ravinol Chambers at Bridewell Hall. It was a great evening which finished off with Mantra-meditation and a delicious Vegan dinner. 
Harinama Sankirtana in Union Square park Wednesday September 26th (Album of photos) Srila Prabhupada: One must engage his tongue in the service of the holy name. Our Krishna consciousness movement is based on this principle. We try to engage all the members of the Krishna consciousness movement in the service of the holy name. (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.16 Purport) 
New Prasadam outlet at Isodyan guest house opened today in Mayapur.
For only Rs.100, a grand lunch prasad with a menu of 12 items will be served at the new AC prasadam hall at the ground floor of Isodyan bhavan . At the inaugural function today with kirtan, all the management members, division heads honored prasadam and gave blessings for the success of this endeavor by Mayapur Guest house . With the increasing number of guests, this additional venue for prasadam will be highly welcomed by the guests. Next time, on your visit to Mayapur, make sure to have lunch in Isodyan guest house. 
Radhanath Swami: Yoga is often misunderstood as merely breath control, asanas or exercises; for some it is about practising some rules and regulations based on morality and for others it is cultivation of scriputral knowledge. But the real purpose of Yoga is to fix our mind on the Supreme.
Mayapur Academy: The Deity Dressing Unit in Hindi has started this week. Students first learned the theories of art as well as the importance of not scratching the deities head, not even a practice head. The students were asked to first pin pieces of paper to their classmates head to stress the importance of treating the deity as a person.
Each student receives so much hands on assistance during this unit. Head facilitator Kurma Chaitanya prabhu and his assistant Krishna Kanta prabhu spend time with each devotee to make sure they understand how to demonstrate each of the principals of art they have learned earlier in the week. Mayapur Academy would also like to thank the dedicated translators and helpers Bimala Prasad prabhu and Ananda Lila mataji. 
On 18th Septembar 2018 H.G. Adi Purush Prabhu took Sannyasa at ISKCON Ujjain Temple from H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja. His new Sannyasa name is: Bhakti Dayita Adi Purush Swami. 
Decades ago, HH Indradyumna Swami met HH Vishnujana Swami and other devotees for the first time in his life right at the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That started his spiritual journey. Many of us have heard of the famous 'Silver Spoon' story. So it was the dear-most desire of our heart that when Maharaja is in Michigan after such a long time, we would visit that place with him and hear the epic event that changed not only his, but in due course of time, many lives on this planet. So despite heavy rain we went on Harinam because maharaja called for it. We all gathered at the 'Krishna's Corner' of the University campus which is famous for Harinam and Maharaja joyfully lead a very ecstatic kirtan. The rain also made it's appearance from time to time, pouring down tears of ecstasy. Gradually a huge number of people joined and, dancing their way, they learned to sing Hare Krishna. Afterwords, came the moment we all have been waiting for. Maharaja asked everyone to follow his lead and took us under a nearby tree. Then he showed us where it all started. He narrated the whole story glorifying HH Vishnujana Swami. It was such a beautiful story, many of us were in tears. Please relish the pictures of this memorable day. Answer Podcast
The post Is our attempt to mitigate destiny also determined by destiny? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Podcast
The post Bhagavatam tenth canto study 53 – 10.9.18-23 The kingdom of God is the kingdom of love appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
[Seminar at ISKCON, Naperville, USA]
Podcast
Podcast Summary
Video:
The post Role of self-confidence in bhakti appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Adult Education At The Temple
