The problem Today many devotees are lamenting that not many local people are becoming devotees in Western countries such as England and America. While the movement has continued to grow in India and though expanding Indian congregations in the west, Srila Prabhupada primary mission of giving Krishna consciousness to the people of the Western countries […]

The post How to attract more Westerners to the Krishna consciousness movement appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

The problem Today many devotees are lamenting that not many local people are becoming devotees in Western countries such as England and America. While the movement has continued to grow in India and though expanding Indian congregations in the west, Srila Prabhupada primary mission of giving Krishna consciousness to the people of the Western countries […]

The post How to attract more Westerners to the Krishna consciousness movement appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

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Answer Podcast

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 January 2018, Murwillumbah, Australia, Home Program Lecture)

From the very beginning, Nimai showed transcendental features as a child. For instance, he was showing the footprints of Vishnu on the bottom of his feet. There were also some amazing things that were happening in their family house. When Nimai was just a baby, his parents used to hear the footsteps of a child running around their house, yet Nimai was not even walking yet. So his father, Jagannatha-Mishra thought that it was the Saligram Sila that was running around the house.

Miracles were always surrounding Nimai. When he was a toddler, Nimai was kidnapped. The kidnappers took him and ran away with him, but Nimai bewildered their minds to the point that the kidnappers ended up running around in a circle and somehow came back right in front of Nimai’s family house. When the kidnappers saw this miracle, they quickly put him down and realised that this was not an ordinary being. Once there was a cobra that appeared in their garden, and Nimai was found lying on top of the cobra, just like Lord Vishnu lies on top of his bed on Ananta Sesa. So miracles were there from the outset, and continued in various ways.

Later, we saw how after Nimai had taken sannyasa, he went into the Jharkhand forests where he made all the animals chant and dance to the holy name. When there was a tiger lying in his path, he simply touched that tiger with his lotus feet and then the tiger jumped up and started chanting, ‘Hare Krsna!’, in a deep voice of course. And then Nimai waved his arms around the forest, so all the other animals like the deers and elephants also started to chant along with pure ecstasy. And at one point, the deer and tiger even started to embrace each other and kiss, which is kind of unusual. So that was a real miracle! So this way the Lord turned the entire forest upside down and miracles continued to follow him.

In Jagannatha Puri, at the time of Ratha Yatra, the enormous chariot of the Lord of the universe stopped moving. So the king sent some muscle men with big shoulders and all, and they started to push this chariot, but it did not move even one inch. Then the king brought in elephants to pull the chariot, still didn’t move. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived, got rid of all these muscles and elephants, and then he went to the back of the chariot and touched it with his head, and immediately, the chariot started rolling down the road and those people that were pulling the chariot found the ropes simply lying in their hands.

But the greatest miracle that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu displayed was his incredible depth of love of God. It was beyond what was possible. How could someone cry so many tears? Before this Ratha Yatra, was the Snana Yatra or bathing of Lord Jagannatha. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was dancing in front of the Lord and the water was bouncing from the body of Lord Jagannatha, but the most amazing thing was that more water was coming from the eyes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the form of tears. How was this possible? How could any body contain so much water? Streams were flowing from his eyes. So the love that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu possessed was truly miraculous.

The article " Miracles of Nimai " was published on KKSBlog.

Harinama, book and prasadam distribution in Mertasari Beach, Bali, 1.7.2018 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Aryan” refers to those who are civilized, whose manners are regulated according to the Vedic rituals. Any devotee who is chanting the holy name of the Lord is the best kind of Aryan. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.33.7 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Nz1hkh

Iskcon Nairobi Farm at a glance (Album of photos)
Narasimha Swami: The farm is growing potatoes, chilies, broccoli, bananas, j...

Rathayatra in Vilnius, Lithuania (Album with photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Yesterday we had an amazing Rathayatra in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. The atmosphere was wonderful, and the thousands of people around were generally very pleased and impressed. I’m sure Srila Prabhupada was extremely happy with it.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2zCDns

Prabhupada wants to see you ….NOW!
HG Srutakirti Prabhu at Swedish festival - memories about Srila Prabhupada (video)

Understanding Truth Beyond Temporary Designations.
Radhanath Swami: To understand the greatness of God is a very special, sacred ornament to our lives. It carries us above all sectarian differences and illusions. The constitutional position of the spirit soul is that we are servants of God, the Absolute Truth.

ONE DAY PADAYATRA IN GUJARAT (Album of photos)
Murali Mohan Dasa: During the auspicious month of Purushottama, on Sunday June 10th -ekadasi day- devotees from Ahmedabad conducted a padayatra from Ujala Circle near Sarkhej to Khodivar Matta temple. We started early morning at 6.00 am and walked till noon so that padayatris’ would be saved from the scorching heat.

Book Distribution Effort In Columbus Ohio (Album of photos)
Premvilas Das: last weekend, in Columbus Ohio, devotees participat...

June 21st is the beginning of summer. Summer means that most students are away from school for two months, many more people are engaged in outdoor activities, and there are more visitors/tourists come to your city/town. We suggest that you carefully study the best distribution spots in your area. Make a strategy for distributing books in those areas and place orders for appropriate titles as soon as possible. Don't forget to include foreign-language titles (Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, etc.) appropriate for visitors to your area. We can help to prepare ourselves for a summer of mass book distribution by reflecting on Srila Prabhupada's statements included. Srila Prabhupada-ki jaya! Continue reading "BBT News
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I oftentimes say, when devotees ask me to speak about Prabhupāda, that I can say my only qualification is that I happened to be on the planet at the same time that Prabhupāda was spreading the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement. I took part in his mission, but I didn’t really have so much personal exchange or association with him. I did get the opportunity to see him many times: a few times in the United States, twice in New York as well as in Philadelphia, and also in Mayapura and Vṛndavana. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada Memories – First Time Seeing Srila Prabhupada
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

The post If someone can memorize a lot of verses, is that due to their determination or their memory? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2008, South Africa, South Coast Retreat)

We must go deeper in our meditation. Chanting is to be accompanied by meditation, so we must meditate on who Krsna is. I make it a point that I always meditate while I am chanting, in the sense that when I read something about an aspect of Krsna that strikes me, the thought continues to travel in my mind while I am chanting. So I am always trying to remember Krsna while chanting, which is very important. The more we remember Krsna, the nicer it is. Another essential element to enliven our chanting is hearing – so we must always be able to hear Krsna’s holy name while chanting.

The article " Meditate while chanting " was published on KKSBlog.

[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Belgaum, Inida]

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Podcast Summary

Video:

The post Daksha-Shiva conflict 1 – How misconceptions give rise to conflicts – Hindi appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Our "Paramahamster" comic strip follows an enthusiastic devotee as he navigates a 9 - 5 work day in the corporate world. Please check back weekly for new episodes!

Practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in your personal and professional lives (video)
Understanding your thoughts and the power they have.

Will Krishna be more pleased if we feed the hungry than offer opulent bhoga to the Deities? 6 min. audio podcast by Chaitanya Chara...

Shastrakrit Das: It was a hot and quiet evening and we were just sitting there praying for some mercy. Out of nowhere, this really pious lady approaches the book table with her family. She points to Srimad Bhagavatam first canto and Krishna book asking, ‘how much?’
I said, “for Krishna book, you can give some donation, but the Bhagavatam is $200.”
She was surprised, ‘why this one book Bhagavatam costs so much?’
I told her, ‘Because it’s not just one book it’s an 18 volume set.’
She insisted that she just wants that one book that’s on display. I explained to her how Bhagavatam is non-different from Krishna so we cannot break the Bhagavatam set just like we don’t want to break the deity, and whoever keeps a full set of Bhagavatam in their home even the demigods worship that home. She goes, “ok ok ok I surrender. Put all the books in my car.“

Harinama in Vladivostok, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: When the Hare Krishna mantra is chanted by many men toge...

Bliss in Trafalgar Square, London (4 min video)
Jayadev Prabhu has different parts of a London Ratha-yatra audience chant diff...

Harinama in Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Kali-yuga continues for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years hav...

Harinama at Surfers Paradise, Australia - 24 June 2018 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Narada Muni, citing a practical e...

Scientists and politicians will certainly grapple to put forth a positive solution for the problem of climate change. Meanwhile devotees need only try to make this earth as nice as possible in the form of Krishna conscious environments such as nice temples, big kirtans, eco-friendly farms, prasadam restaurants, etc., in order to encourage others and our own selves in self-realization. At the same time we keep in mind that Krsna has meant this planet for our rectification, not for permanent residence. The ecology of the heart is the beginning of any hope for external change. Ecology devoid of the study of humanity’s relationship with the Supreme Living Being will always be the study of living beings in a crisis. Continue reading "Climate Change and the Ecology of our Hearts
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Through study of the benefits and nature of the Brahma gayatri, those of us who already have received this mantra from a bona fide guru can deepen our meditation when we chant daily at sunrise, noon, and sunset. Those of us who haven’t received the gayatri mantra can meditate thrice daily on the light of the sun as Krsna, the eye of the Lord that is actually sustaining everything. To qualify ourselves for initiation into chanting the gayatri mantra, we can have a life filled with light, with goodness. As the Vedas say: Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, which means “Do not remain in darkness, come to the light.” (lecture Bhagavad-gita 2.16 — Mexico City, February 16, 1975). Krsna in the Gita describes goodness as being symptomized by all the gates (senses) of the body are illumined by knowledge. In a practical sense, such a life means we only allow illuminating, enlightening, uplifting things to enter our senses. For example, one eats only vegetarian food offered to Krsna.Then one has a life that is filled with light. Continue reading "Enlightenment: Brahma gayatri mantra
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If one wants standard transcendental knowledge, not upstart knowledge, one must receive it from the parampara system, the disciplic succession. Another meaning of the word srotriyam mentioned above is "one who has heard from a guru in the disciplic succession." And the result of this hearing will be brahma-nistham, "He is firmly fixed in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He has no other business. These are the two main qualifications of a bona fide guru. He does not need to be a very learned scholar with an M.A., B.A., or Ph.D. No. He simply needs to have heard from the authority in disciplic succession and be fixed in devotional service. This is our system. Continue reading "Who Is a Guru
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On the full-moon day, sixteen days before Rathayatra, Lord Jagannatha is bathed. He becomes sick and is confined to rest for fourteen days. He is then offered special care until He comes out for Rathayatra.

A special bath of Jagannatha takes place on the Purnima of Jyestha month, to commemorate the appearance day of Lord Jagannatha. According to Skanda Purana when Indradyumna Maharaja installed the wooden deities he arranged this bathing ceremony. This day considered to be the appearance day of Lord Jagannatha. 

When Jagannatha was absent from the temple, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who could not see Him, felt separation and left Jagannatha Puri to go to a place known as Alalanatha. 

Answer Podcast

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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

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