The King who had four wives…
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Hare KrishnaBy Subhadra Devi Dasi

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another. He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times The King’s 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her! Continue reading "The King who had four wives…
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Gita 17.23 Everything is sustained by its connection with the Absolute
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 17.23 Everything is sustained by its connection with the Absolute appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

What is the role of the intelligence in the metaphor of the mind as the software?
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Answer Podcast

The post What is the role of the intelligence in the metaphor of the mind as the software? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Sun Love Feast – Jun 17th, 2018 – Vedic discourse by Her Grace Mokshalila Mataji
→ ISKCON Brampton


Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare 

And Be Happy!!

ayur harati vai pumsam
udyann astam ca yann asau
tasyarte yat-ksano nita
uttama-sloka-vartaya

Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one
who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.
 ~ Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.17





11.00 - 11.15      Tulsi Puja
11.15  - 11.30     Guru Puja                  
11:30 - 11:55     Aarti & Kirtan                
11.55  - 12.00    Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers
12.00 - 1:00     Vedic discourse
  1.00 - 1.30      Closing Kirtan
  1.30 - 2.00     Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast
COMING UP AHEAD

Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi
Fasting.....................on Sat Jun 23rd, 2018
Breakfast................  on Sun Jun 24th, 2018 b/w 5.36am – 10.45am

Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or
simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures
and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through
regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.
English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is available here 


Festival of India - Sat Jul 28, 2018


ONGOING PROGRAMS

Adult Education At The Temple
ISKCON Brampton offers various courses and Seminars for adults. The courses take a personal approach to learning. It encourages the student not only to study thoroughly the contents of Srila Prabhupada’s books but also to clearly understand the philosophy and practically apply it. The course focuses on behaviour and character, nurturing students in appropriate Vaishnava values.
Professionally designed and presented, it draws on the principles of Krishna consciousness
and the best of progressive education. In this way, it is true to ISKCON’s heritage and at the
same time relevant to its mission in contemporary society.

For further information, please contact HG Prema Gaurangi Devi Dasi @ premagaurangi.jps@hotmail.com


Sunday School

To register,contact us
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com
Call:647.893.9363

The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates,
quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed
to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him.
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).


Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)
“One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas)
Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna
consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make
Srila Prabhupada happy.

Please contact:
Dharma Dasa- dharandev58@gmail.com-647.892.0739(Mississauga and Brampton regions)


The Mentorship Program

Please note that registration in the Mentorship System is now a mandatory requirement for all initiation requests at ISKCON Brampton.It

1.Facilitates  and nurtures devotees aspiring for first and second Initiation.
2.One-on-One personal follow up on a regular basis.
3.Systematic training to devotees in matters of Philosophy, Sadhna, Vaishnava behavior, etiquette, Lifestyle and attitudes.

To find details please click here


Gift Shop

Are you looking for some amazing gift items which are less expensive and more beautiful for your
loved ones for festivals or many other occasions??
Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your
visit. It offers textiles, jewelry, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs
inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.

Avanti Court at the Royal Albert Hall! Following the hugely…
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Avanti Court at the Royal Albert Hall!
Following the hugely successful Redbridge Schools Choral Festival in 2016, Avanti Court Choir were so excited to be invited back to perform at the world-famous Royal Albert Hall!
18 children represented Avanti Court Primary School at the event, joining together once more with hundreds of friends from schools across Redbridge. Our children’s impeccable Avanti values shone through, not only on the day itself but during weekly school rehearsals and even in their dedicated preparation at home. Practice and commitment lead to great performance in music, and the children certainly did themselves proud; singing a range of challenging songs from different genres, some of which included choreography, drama, and British Sign language.

Krishna’s Miracle
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Hare Krishna Srila Prabhupada: Yes, from the very beginning I went to New York because I thought that Krishna Consciousness is the most important idea in the world, so let me go to that place, New York, which is the most important city in the world, and if I am able to do anything for Krishna and my Spiritual Master, even I am at the fag-end of my life, at least let me try for it there.

Organized Religion: Devil’s Work or Divine Necessity?
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Hare KrishnaBy Kripamoya Dasa

The Devil always likes to help saints ‘organize’ religion, and organized religion can be problematic. But without human structures, the saint’s messages and good public works may not endure over the next three generations. For thousands of years, whenever saintly people have searched for a good spot to live, they’ve chosen places of tranquility, far removed from the noise and clamor of the town. In a quiet place, undisturbed by distraction or temptation, surrounded by the beauty of nature, they’ve said their prayers, studied their scriptures, and engaged in meditation. Continue reading "Organized Religion: Devil’s Work or Divine Necessity?
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Hour-long Version of ‘The Joy of Devotion’ Film Released. How…
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Hour-long Version of ‘The Joy of Devotion’ Film Released.
How does a young woman in South Africa adjust her newfound passion for Indian spirituality with her Zulu tribal background? What convinced the Soviet regime to stop persecuting Krishna-devotees? How to find joy in helping Mumbai slum kids getting fed and educated? What is a Florida elementary school teacher devotee’s greatest fear in life? What was the key for Prabhupada’s success according to Harvard scholars? How did devotees in Hungary turn a barren, tic-infested sheep run into Europe’s largest eco-village? How does a British rock star use his talents in spreading the Holy Names around? What do Brazilian devotees do with rainforest birds confiscated from smugglers?
To read the complete article please click here: https://goo.gl/C9CTnh

New Magazine “Spirit Soul” Makes Bhakti Yoga Accessible. New…
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New Magazine “Spirit Soul” Makes Bhakti Yoga Accessible.
New introductory magazine “Spirit Soul” is one of several efforts to connect with this audience by speaking to them in their language and offering ways that bhakti-yoga can improve their day-to-day lives.
The magazine, full of practical how-to-guides on the essential practices of bhakti is set to be an indispensable resource for temples and preachers.
Spirit Soul was launched at this May’s Sadhu Sanga Retreat in North Carolina. Starting as a one-off publication, it is the brainchild of Ranjit Das of Back to Godhead magazine and Mayapriya Dasi.
To read the complete article please click here: https://goo.gl/dWyfzM

NASN May 2018 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
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Hare KrishnaBy Mayapur Sasi dasa

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of May 2018. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5 Continue reading "NASN May 2018 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
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TOVP Temple Room Walls Marble Cladding Progress
- TOVP.org

The marble cladding of the interior walls of the TOVP temple room continues and is starting to take shape.

You can see how beautiful it looks in the video, with the white marble and red border. We will also be adding ceramic gold tile inlays in certain areas which will commence soon.

Currently, about 80% of the work is completed on the first whole circle phase of work. We are also now beginning to clad the pillars. Keep your eyes and ears open for more news soon.

The post TOVP Temple Room Walls Marble Cladding Progress appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Awakening From a Nightmare
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Hare KrishnaBy Sesa Dasa

Talk about living a nightmare. There was a report on the news that a Belgian man “though to be in a coma for 23 years was actually conscious the whole time.” Alex Watts of Sky News Online writes, “For the whole time, he was trapped in his own body with no way of letting friends and family know he could hear every word they were saying.” It gets worse. In an interview with the German magazine Der Speigel the man, Rom Houben, says, "I screamed, but there was nothing to hear. I became a witness to my own suffering as doctors and nurses tried to speak with me until they gave up all hope." Continue reading "Awakening From a Nightmare
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Me, At the Core
→ Seed of Devotion

I am teaching my students how to write a five-paragraph essay. Because I work at a private Catholic school, I get to bring up God all the time. The special feature of Catholic schools is that people from all walks of life attend this institution. For the final exam for my 7th Grade, I created an exam that they would read an article about theism, atheism, and agnosticism, identify with one, and then write a five-paragraph essay to explain their reasoning. Their responses have been enlightening.

I decided to write the essay myself.

***

I glanced at the grinning faces of all the ladies surrounding me, and when the music in praise of God rose to a crescendo, we all spontaneously began to twirl, our arms raised. Our skirts flared like blossoming flowers, and my feet turned upon the warm wood floor in swift movements. My face lifted and my whole face smiled and I felt my whole body alight with a joy beyond this world. In my religious tradition, we sing and we dance, for we believe it is the natural proclivity of the soul to sing and dance in the joy of God’s love. Even when my mind doubts stories and is disgusted by the horrible things done in the name of religion, these deep, powerful experiences of joy tell me that God exists. I am a theist because I believe in sacred objects and rituals, I follow a God-centered moral code, and I experience religious feelings.

I believe in God because of my experience of the supernatural through sacred objects and rituals. In my tradition, we worship a special statue of God, called a murti, because in this way we are meant to develop a sweet and intimate relationship with Him. In the article “Who are atheists and agnostics? Are they religious?” on Thoughtco.com, the author states, “Sacred means that something is very special and worthy of respect. In religion, people might think sacred things are connected to God or gods.” When we worship this murti of God, we hold it very special and offer it our deepest respect. This quote says that people might “think” that something is connected to God, and I would take this one step further to say that I have “experienced” that this murti is connected to God. I have experienced that when I look into the eyes of this statue, I feel that I am seen, and I feel loved and accepted for who I am, unconditionally. I have never experienced this by looking at any ordinary statue in this world. It is actually said in my tradition that the gaze, or the drishti, of the murti actually has this effect on the heart - a sense of peace and a sense that “everything is going to be okay.” I believe that this object is sacred and connected to the supernatural which gives me conviction that God exists. 

Another reason that I am a theist is that I follow a God-centered moral code. When I took vows of spiritual initiation, I promised to follow four moral codes plus a commitment to meditation that would guide my life. The article states: “Think of a moral code like this: it is a set of rules about right or wrong behavior.” One code that I vowed to follow is to take no intoxicants - this means to not drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or take any sort of drug. I believe that this moral code to not take intoxicants helps me to live a life that is awake and present. This moral code is communicating that I do not need some material substance to be happy and that ultimately my only, true happiness can be found by loving and serving God. To me, this is "right" behavior. This moral code, as well as the others that I follow, allow me to live a present, conscious life and to love with my full heart.

A third reason that I consider myself a theist is that I experience religious feelings. Religious feelings are more of an undeniable experience of something beyond this world, and no one can take that away from me The article states that “These feelings might include awe, adoration, or guilt. If you believe in religion, the feelings are usually connected to the presence of the supernatural.” I have experienced awe by participating in religious rituals and singing God’s praise. I have experienced adoration, affection, joy, peace, and humility through my religion. I have never experienced the depth of these kinds of feelings from anything in the ordinary material world, such as from watching a great movie or even spending time with my family. The depth and power of these religious feelings have only been felt when I am connecting to God and the supernatural through scripture, and spiritual song and dance. Ultimately, even when my mind rejects God, religious feelings and experiences are what make me come back to God and believe and trust in Him.

In conclusion, I am a theist at my very core. I could share many reasons, although the ones I highlighted here are that I believe in sacred objects that connect me to the supernatural, and that I follow a moral code that is connected to God. What binds all of my reasons together to be a theist is that I experience religious feelings, which always pull me back, even if I wander away from God for a long, long time. I would say that right now, I have distanced myself from the externals of my religion. But I have conviction that I will sing and dance in praise of God again and my soul will lift beyond this world to experience a joy that can only be felt within God’s embrace.
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Gita 17.22 We need discrimination to ensure that doing good actually does good
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 17.22 We need discrimination to ensure that doing good actually does good appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Ratha Yatra at Cooly Rocks On Festival in Australia, 09 June…
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Ratha Yatra at Cooly Rocks On Festival in Australia, 09 June 2018 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: “I have brought medicine to awaken very living being from perpetual sleep. Please receive the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and awaken. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.13.9 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/wn793d

The New TOVP MISSION 22 MARATHON Fundraising Website Launch
- TOVP.org

At this auspicious ending of the month of Purushottama the TOVP Team is pleased to announce the launch of its updated and improved website at www.tovp.org on May 13th.

From this website, as in the past, you can access all the various different options for donating to the TOVP, read articles relating to construction progress, etc. and keep informed about this dearmost project of Srila Prabhupada as we approach the Grand Opening in 2022. Through the new website all donations will be easy and secure, and anyone, even a child, can now give to their capacity to offer their support, large or small. Kindly consider making a contribution to the TOVP as an end to your Purushottama vrata. This will be a most perfect way to conclude the month as recommended in shastra:

“Just by bathing in a holy river during Purusottama Month, one becomes sinless. The glory of all other months is not equal to one-sixteenth of the glory of the Purusottama Month. By bathing in a holy place, giving charity and chanting the Holy Name of Krsna during Purusottama Month, all miseries are destroyed, one attains all kinds of perfection and fulfills all his desires”.

Durvasa Muni

The TOVP Team is also happy to announce the addition of three new donation options making a total of thirteen ways to participate in offering your financial support. The three new options are:

Raise a Daily Flag – Sponsor a daily Victory Flag onto one of the three domes of the TOVP and receive the flag as transcendental memorabilia.

Guru Parampara Brick – Sponsor the building of the Guru-parampara altar and have your name inscribed on a brick that will be permanently laid therein.

General Donation – Any amount can be donated by devotees of modest financial means and even by children and youth.

To read more about these new inspiring donor options, please visit our Seva Opportunities page.

Additionally, the TOVP Team wishes to stress to the worldwide ISKCON devotee community the importance and urgency of completing the project by Gaur Purnima, 2022. The countdown has begun and there are less than four years remaining to the Grand Opening. We have thus named the next four year marathon the MISSION 22 MARATHON. We need everyone’s cooperation, support and assistance more than ever now during this time, and the next two years in particular are crucial to achieving our common goal for Srila Prabhupada’s pleasure. There is always an opportunity to give and for those of us in household life it is our responsibility to continuously perform austerity, charity and sacrifice for our purification. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita:

“Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.”

Bhagavad-gita 18.5

Please consider making a donation during these last few auspicious days of the Purushottama month even if you have given before. Or consider completing your pledge in full or making a larger pledge payment. All seva is multiplied manifold by the Lord’s mercy at this time. And if you have not given before there is no better time to do so than during this conclusion to the Purushottama month. We salute your spirit of giving to Srila Prabhupada and the TOVP. Your donation is our inspiration to continue unflinchingly with the utmost endeavor to complete this project by 2022. Below you can read many inspiring shastric references relating to the importance and benefits of helping to build a temple of Lord Visnu. What to speak of helping build the TOVP, the most important temple in history which will spread the rays of the Benediction Moon of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu throughout the entire universe.

And lastly, we would like to request one and all to become TOVP Ambassadors and request their devotee friends and relatives to support the TOVP MISSION 22 MARATHON to help complete the TOVP by 2022. Please encourage others to also give their might and receive the immense spiritual benefits of this seva.

Here’s an inspiring look at the TOVP Masterplan: https://tovp.org/art-architecture-design/tovp-master-plan-video/

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

Some inspiring quotes on the importance and spiritual benefits of supporting the construction of a temple for Lord Visnu:

Having desired to build a temple for Hari, a man immediately takes a million of his generations, past and future, to the region of Vishnu. The departed manes of the person who builds a temple for Krishna live in the region of Vishnu, well adorned and freed from the sufferings of hell. The construction of a temple for a deity dissipates even the sin of Brahmanicide. By building a temple one reaps the fruit which he does not even gain by celebrating a sacrifice. By building a temple one acquires the fruits of bathing at all the sacred shrines.

Agni Purana

By installing the deity of the Lord, one becomes king of the entire earth, by building a temple for the Lord, one becomes ruler of the three worlds, by worshiping and serving the deity, one goes to the planet of Lord Brahma, and by performing all three of these activities one achieves a transcendental form like My own. But one who simply engages in devotional service with no consideration of fruitive results attains Me. Thus whoever worships Me according to the process I have described will ultimately attain pure devotional service unto Me.

Srimad Bhagavatam

O devoted one, one who builds a beautiful temple for Lord Narasimhadeva will be freed from all sinful reactions and he will enter the Vaikuntha planets.

Nrsimha Purana

He who builds a temple for Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, is born as a man of good deeds and his family is purified. He who builds temples for Vishnu, Rudra, the sun-god, and other deities, acquires fame. What is the use to him of wealth which is hoarded by ignorant men? Useless is the acquisition of riches to one who does not have a temple built with hard earned money for Krishna, or whose wealth is not enjoyed by the Pitris, Brahmanas, celestials, and friends.

Agni Purana

Just by starting the construction of a temple for Lord Krishna, sins committed in seven births will be wiped out and one will deliver his forefathers who are suffering in the hellish planets.

Skanda Purana

Whoever constructs or helps to construct a Visnu temple will protect eight generations of fathers, grandfathers, and forefathers from falling into hell.

Vamana Purana

By building a golden temple one is freed from all sins. He who has built a temple for Vishnu reaps the great fruit which one gains by celebrating sacrifices every day. By building a temple for the Lord he takes his family, a hundred generations past and a hundred to come, to the region of Acyuta.

Agni Purana

By building a temple of Sri Madhava, one can attain the eternal spiritual world. One who offers a garden laden with fruit and flowers for the service of the deity will attain heavenly pleasures.

Vamana Purana

The post The New TOVP MISSION 22 MARATHON Fundraising Website Launch appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The New TOVP MISSION 22 MARATHON Fundraising Website Launch
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Hare KrishnaBy TOVP staff

Having desired to build a temple for Hari, a man immediately takes a million of his generations, past and future, to the region of Vishnu. The departed manes of the person who builds a temple for Krishna live in the region of Vishnu, well adorned and freed from the sufferings of hell. The construction of a temple for a deity dissipates even the sin of Brahmanicide. By building a temple one reaps the fruit which he does not even gain by celebrating a sacrifice. By building a temple one acquires the fruits of bathing at all the sacred shrines. - Agni Purana Continue reading "The New TOVP MISSION 22 MARATHON Fundraising Website Launch
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Urgency of Surrender to Krishna
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Hare KrishnaBy Radhanath Swami

“Srila Prabhupada stressed the urgency to surrender to Krishna. Every line of his books, every sentence of his tapes, you would hear him urgently, just pleading with you and me, to take Krishna Consciousness seriously. Death, tragedy can come at any moment. And the greatest tragedy is that our faith is stolen away by maya and her various representatives which can come in many forms. There is no comfortable position when we are secure in material existence. We are like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. Our life is compared to that. Our position in society, our health, our family members, our friends, everything in this world that exists is like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. It is going to fall and we don’t know when. It often happens at the least expected moment. Continue reading "Urgency of Surrender to Krishna
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Salila Vihar – Water Pastimes
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON Mayapur

In Sridhama Mayapur, Sri Sri Radha Madhava enjoy the Salila Vihar festival by sitting in the middle of a beautiful lotus shaped pond filled with hundreds of blossoming lotus flowers, each containing sacred tulasi leaves. This lotus pond is constructed in the Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir on the platform below Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s altar, and is covered by a fragrant flower canopy. A fountain sprays cooling lotus-and-tulasi-scented water on the transcendental bodies of the Divine Couple. Continue reading "Salila Vihar – Water Pastimes
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A Happy Conclusion
Giriraj Swami

By Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, I successfully completed my vratas (vows) for the sacred, extra month of Purusottama. I chanted extra rounds and read and recited the fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita (Purusottama-yoga) every day—and I finished the first draft of my book about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu (I’ll Build You a Temple). And, remembering how Dr. Patel brought Prabhupada a palmful of sea water on the last day of the month, for his auspicious bath, I also took some sea water on my head. So, by Srila Prabhupada and devotees’ grace, I feel a sense of accomplishment and internal happiness.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami