Websites from the ISKCON Universe
By Karnamrita Das In the lives of great persons there is always opposition and apparent road blocks in accomplishing their goals or mission in life. Whether through another person, an accident, their own body or mind, or some natural disturbance, what appears on the surface to be an impediment is passed through and the glory of the person is revealed. Practically we can see that great success in any undertaking or field is not accomplished without passing through many setbacks and even failure. In the personal growth or success literature such perseverance and determination in the face of what seem insurmountable odds are part of any great person’s story. In Christianity we have Judas who betrayed Christ but was actually a facilitator of his mission to sacrifice his life to benefit others. Haridas Thakur being whipped in 21 market places, or being tempted by a prostitute sent by a envious person, only added to his glory as the great teacher of the holy name. Continue reading "The Importance Of Opposition And Life Reverses
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In-Dependence Event. The Darshan Room (Right click to download)
While I was leaving the Dallas Fort Worth airport on July 4, a large American flag flying in the wind caught my eye, and I was surprised by how happy I felt. I reflected on how fortunate we were to live in a country where we have freedom of religion, and how Srila Prabhupada said, “America has been so good to me to give me money, men—everything. I have no designation that ‘this is my country,’ but because they have given me so much facility, I cannot forget my obligation to them. I want to make them happy and through them the whole world.”
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast
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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Belgaum, India]
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Hari Bol
Jai Srila Prabhupada,
Have you ever wondered what it takes to feed all the visitors who attend London Rathayatra; enjoy the video and find out all amazing organization and volunteers that make the prasadam everyone enjoys.
We start our Scandinavia Tour today , we are looking for everyone’s blessings
Your servants
Food for All team
Vaishnava Summer Festival “Baltic 2018”!
We are pleased to announce the dates of the Vaishnava Summer Festival “Baltic 2018”!
The Festival will take place in Dubingiai, Lithuania on July 24 – 30, 2018.
Make a celebration for your soul – join this amazing, full of fun and awesome Festival!
Baltic Summer Vaishnava Festival and Kirtan Mela 2018 invites all to get to know the Vaishnava culture, the ancient Vedic tradition. Lectures by disciples of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, lectures for beginners, vegetarian food, enchanting kirtans (musical meditation), devotee association, colorful environment, beautiful nature, morning meditations (from 4.30 am!) and many other spiritual entertainments!
We invite to participate both advanced bhakti yogis and the curious ones who want to explore this amazing culture!!
For more information: https://goo.gl/ZR9fTj
Photos from Vaishnava Summer Festival “Baltic 2017”: https://goo.gl/j6ro91
Scenes from the inauguration of the 25th anniversary of New Vraja Dham, Krsna-völgy, Hungary (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord. The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare. This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.9.6 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/sqkPAa
Cooking for Ratha Yatra (11 min video)
Parasuram das: Cooking is one of the devotional arts and it becomes a major operation when cooking for many thousands, as was the case with the London Ratha Yatra on the 24th of June. Please see how it all unfolded - from Krishna’s castle kitchen to Trafalgar square.
Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness (video)
Practical Gita Wisdom by HG Vaisesika Dasa - ISKCON of Silicon Valley, USA.
Preaching program at San Mateo, California (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: When the chanting is performed offenselessly ...
Up And Running! (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Our 29th annual Festival of India is in full swing here on the beaches of the warm Baltic Sea coast in Poland. 250 devotees from numerous countries around the world have assembled for 2 months of harinam and festivals introducing people to our Krsna conscious movement. If the weeks and months ahead are anything like the first few days of our programs, we’re in for some real nectar.
Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, Cordially Invites Locals to Ratha Yatra Festival (video)
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg with an official invitation to our inaugural “Festival of Chariot” at Woodlawn Lake this Saturday from 4pm to 9pm! Don’t miss the free food and fun for the entire family at no cost! Thank you Mr.Nirenberg and the city of San Antonio for your support!
By Devaki Devi Dasi Envy is a very subtle and deep-rooted anartha within our hearts. It comes about because we want to be the supreme enjoyer, proprietor and controller. Therefore we tend to use any relationship for the purpose of establishing our superiority-no matter whether it is in relation to a superior, equal or junior. It is a certain state of heart and consciousness which externally manifests in any relationship. We have been carrying these tendencies with us in the subtle material body for many life times. After all, this is why we are still here in this material world: because we want to be supreme. In Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.18.9 in the word-for-word translation Srila Prabhupada gives the meaning to khalah as being 'the envious', and he adds in brackets "almost everyone". We all have the experience how envy is such an ugly quality. And Srila Prabhupada in a humorous way reminds us that it also includes us, even though we might rather like to keep ourselves in the illusion that it doesn't concern us, but only others. However, it is almost everyone who is affected by envy. To admit that we are envious is not easy, yet the first step to become free of it. Continue reading "A Society Free From Envy
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By Hari Narayana das It needed great effort to organize such great festival to make it successful. The committee of the festival had made preparations since three months back. The committee felt confidence to do the festival because devotees from around Indonesia gave their support to the festival. it was completely because of the causeless mercy of the Lord. Continue reading "Panihati Cida Dahi Festival, Bali 2018
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By Sita Rama Lakshmana Das Australians or colloquially known as Aussies, are known for their laid back, easy going and predisposed to be friendly attitude even in the grim circumstances. According to the most recent census conducted by Australian Bureau of Statistics 33% or one third of Aussies do not affiliate to any religion or God. But none of the above wide spread and pre conceived generalizations seem to effect the audience in connecting with Krishna conscious philosophy. The group of attendees was comprised of wide spectrum of people from mid 20s to early 50s with different ethnic backgrounds. Continue reading "Outreach Initiative in Perth Western Australia
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast
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RARE DARSHAN of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadra ji - NEPAL - Bhakt Pur ( min video)
Never before seen beautiful Murtis!
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Dear devotees of the ISKCON Sydney community.
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
HH Mukunda Goswami is featured in this latest offering as he remembers the early days with Srila Prabhupada
Preaching program in Iskcon Croatia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is the easiest p...
Rathayatra Pastimes by Lokanath Swami.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spent His later years in Jagannatha Puri, Orissa, immersed in love of Godhead and absorbed in wonderful pastimes with His intimate associates and with the Deity of Krsna in Puri, known as Jagannatha, “the Lord of the universe.” This was nearly five hundred years ago.
Tamal Krishna Goswami: If they are loyal to me, I’ll be loyal to them
Giriraj Swami: On Saturday, Hridayananda das Goswami, Rtadhvaja Swami, and many other devotees gathered at our ashram in Carpinteria to celebrate Sripada Tamal Krishna Goswami’s Vyasa-puja. Rtadhvaja Swami quoted a statement that Tamal Krishna Goswami had made about his disciples: “I don’t mind where they are at or what they have done; if they are loyal to me, I’ll be loyal to them—to the end.”
On July 5 we celebrate the divine disappearance day of Sri Srimad Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaja, who left our world on this date on the Vedic calendar in 2005.
Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Four, Chapter Twenty-eight: “Puranjana Becomes a Woman in the Next Life,” discusses the disappearance of the spiritual master:
TEXT 48
uttisthottistha rajarse
imam udadhi-mekhalam
dasyubhyah ksatra-bandhubhyo
bibhyatim patum arhasi
TRANSLATION
O best of kings, please get up! Get up! Just see this world surrounded by water and infested with rogues and so-called kings. This world is very much afraid, and it is your duty to protect her.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
Whenever an acarya comes, following the superior orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, he establishes the principles of religion, as enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita. Religion means abiding by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religious principles begin from the time one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the acarya’s duty to spread a bona fide religious system and induce everyone to bow down before the Supreme Lord. One executes the religious principles by rendering devotional service, specifically the nine items like hearing, chanting, and remembering. Unfortunately, when the acarya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers, and so on. Actually, human life is meant for executing the orders of the Supreme Lord, and this is stated in the Bhagavad-gita (9.34):
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah
“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me and become My devotee. Offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.”
The main business of human society is to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at all times, to become His devotees, to worship the Supreme Lord, and to bow down before Him. The acarya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the acarya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master. At the present moment practically the entire world is afraid of rogues and nondevotees; therefore this Krsna consciousness movement is started to save the world from irreligious principles. Everyone should cooperate with this movement in order to bring about actual peace and happiness in the world.
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This section of Srimad-Bhagavatam describes a king and his devoted wife, who have entered the forest as vanaprasthas to perform austerities and realize God. At a certain stage, the king leaves his body, and feeling great anxiety in his absence, his widow begins to cry piteously. Srila Prabhupada, following the previous acharyas, explains in his purports that figuratively, the queen is the disciple of the king, or spiritual master.
So, here the widow is praying for her husband to get up and protect the world from rogues and so-called kings. Of course, because he actually has left his body, he will not return, at least not in the same form in which she had known him. But still, the principle of being protected by the instructions of the acharya continues even after his disappearance, and the essence of those instructions is that one should surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, and become His devotee, always think of Him (man-mana), worship Him (mad-yaji), and bow down to Him (mam namaskuru).
In the purport, Srila Prabhupada states, “It is the acarya’s duty to spread a bona fide religious system and induce everyone to bow down before the Supreme Lord.” Not only does the acharya present the system, but it is also his duty to induce people to actually follow. Thus the acharya thinks of ways and means by which he can induce people to surrender unto the Supreme Lord.
One example that is prominent in our line is that of Lord Caitanya. He was a teacher in Navadvipa, but His own students misunderstood Him and criticized Him. So He thought, “As long as they disrespect Me, as long as they criticize Me, they will not be able to be delivered.” And, as described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the Lord, after full consideration, accepted the sannyasa order of life, because followers of Vedic culture in every varna and ashrama respect a sannyasi.
Srila Prabhupada explains that an acharya must think of the ways and means by which he can spread Krishna consciousness, that preaching methods are not stereotyped. His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, following in the same line, also considered how to induce people to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Like every acharya, in doing so he preserved the basic principles of Krishna consciousness, but he adjusted the presentation to attract people and induce people to actually take up the process of bhakti-yoga.
When I first heard of some of Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s preaching, specifically to members of the black community, I was a little surprised, because I’d never heard anyone preach like that. Srila Prabhupada, at least superficially, never preached like that. So I wondered what was going on. But then I had the opportunity, with His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami, to visit Maharaja’s institution in Washington DC—the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology (IFAST)—and we met some of the devotees who had come to Krishna consciousness by his preaching. I was very impressed by them—extremely impressed. They were very intelligent, sincere, competent, and respectful—they were just wonderful. It was so nice to be there with them. After attending the morning program and seeing the devotees there, seeing the organization, we had breakfast and later lunch with His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, and he explained some of his unique approach. He told us that he had people chanting sixteen rounds and following the four principles, engaging in the service of Krishna and the worship of Krishna, for months, if not years, before they knew that such a thing as the Hare Krishna movement even existed. So I thought, “Wow! How did he do that? How does he do that?” Continue reading "Appreciating Bhakti Tirtha Swami
Giriraj Swami"
By Samita Sarkar The Srimad Bhagavatam frequently refers to the universe as "the cosmic ocean," with the planets as "islands." This analogy was used countless times in my astronomy textbook, since outer space is composed mostly of, well, space. Although we know how our universe began, our astronomy textbook concluded that modern scientists are not sure how (or if) our universe will come to an end. Will it expand forever? Will it end with a "big crunch"? Scriptures reveal that our universe will eventually be absorbed by Mahavishnu's inhalation. Continue reading "How Studying Science Strengthened My Faith
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By Vishakha Devi Dasi Longevity attracts me because I’m an eternal spiritual being, an imperishable soul. In my natural state I don’t transmigrate. So, since I’m not meant to be helplessly, traumatically dragged from one body to another, I crave permanence in this life. But I don’t really want the permanence of a giant Sequoia. Although by comparison to mine, the length of its life is awe-inspiring, to stand in one place, immobile and incommunicative, would be awful. I’m not meant for that. I’m meant to serve Krishna, without interruption and without motivation. By such devotional service I’ll rejoin Him eternally in His eternal home in a blissful, eternal, spiritual body. Unfortunately, my present service to God is both interrupted and motivated. So I don’t qualify to regain an eternal body. I’m stuck with temporary ones unavoidably accompanied by birth and death. My attitude reminds me of that of my two-year-old, who blithely answers “no” to the most reasonable requests: “Sit down and eat your dinner.” “No.” “Let’s put your shoes on.” “No.” And so forth. “No” to her is an easy answer that saves her the trouble of stopping whatever she’s doing to do something else—even something better. Continue reading "In Touch With Eternity (Almost)
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[Talk to doctors at KLE Hospital, Belgaum, India]
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