If we make a strong resolution, does the mind’s power ensure that we keep it?
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Answer Podcast

The post If we make a strong resolution, does the mind’s power ensure that we keep it? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

ISKCON Scarborough- HG Devakinandan Das will be giving a class coming Friday
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Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

HG Devakinandan Das is a senior disciple of HH Mahavishnu Gosvami Maharaj. Prabhu took up Krsna Consciousness, through the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam, in Singapore in 1983, and met His Holiness in 1989

Prabhu is a lawyer by profession. Despite his busy work schedule, Prabhu puts aside 4 to 5 months every year in travelling and spreading KC.

He oversees the temple projects in ISKCON Dwaraka and ISKCON Rajkot.

Prabhu is also an expert preacher of Srimad Bhagavatam and a wonderful Kirtan leader, inspired many persons in Krishna Consciousness.

He is part of GBC's Strategic Planning Committee by engaging in various devotional projects such as the Affiliate Development and Devotee Care programmes

ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7


Email Address:


iskconscarborough@hotmail.com


website:

www.iskconscarborough.org

Saturday, May 26th, 2018
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Detroit, Michigan

Walking Monk and Goat Man Meet

Via Rail transported me to Windsor where I was picked up by Vivasvan, my support person for the first leg of my U.S. walk.  At customs, the officer became very animated when I mentioned I was going to a wedding.  “So you’re the high priest?” he asked me.

“Actually, I’m the ‘blesser’.”

“I hope the wedding goes well and the marriage.  It didn’t work out in my case.  I didn’t know that leaving the toilet seat up bothered her so much; just to give an example…”

I was a little concerned about the lineup queued behind us.  He finally let us go and gave good wishes.

Vivasvan, with family—Ananda Rupa and 2½ year old, Chaya—brought us to the kirtan spot outside the Cobo Center for the crowds at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival.  This event is a big deal for the youth who come to listen and party. Some folks, who walked by, slowed down to listen and then moved on, were in attire that is very un-monk-like.  In general, they liked the music and energy we were creating.  Only the amp/speaker we used was of an unplugged nature.

I met Erick Brown and his goat, Deer, who travel the U.S.  I heard about him when I was walking.

Erick, 31, who’s made a name for himself, was recently attacked, tied up, and his bank cards stolen.  Some of the devotees from the kirtanmentioned that Erick has been taking his goat on public transport.  Not everyone takes a liking to that.

Erick told me, “I walk and also take rides to get around.”  Apparently he bought an old school bus and travels with Deer in it.

May the Source be with you!
5 km


Friday, May 25th, 2018
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Toronto, Ontario

Meeting People

My smartphone experienced some damage last Sunday on the Atlantic coast—Peggy’s Cove—when the top rock of an inukshuk fell on it, shattering the glass.  The incident warranted a ride—compliments of Nanda—to the phone clinic, and there, repairs were done; right here in Toronto.

The trip back to the ashram was a hot one, on foot.  As usual, I bump into people I know.  There was Dennis, who’s been coming for years to the temple.

There were new people; a homeless person who thought I was from Tibet and got to know of the mother culture to Buddhism, which is Vedic culture from India.

“I’m from Canada but go to India every year,” I said to him.

I met a woman who was walking behind me.  She sneezed from somewhat near.  I turned around.

“I’m not following you, just going to my apartment,” she said.

She pointed to a tree next to her apartment building and said that there’s the home of a woodpecker.  He taps all the time.  He found a girl-friend and now they’re going to have young ones, she said with quite the sense of confidentiality.  They live in a hole in the tree.

“He keeps tapping just like you guys do with your drums,” she said,  referring to Krishna monks making sound on our mrdungas.

Anyway, she was open and friendly, and that’s what counts.  Most people are willing to be our good friend, but talking about philosophy is not most people’s forte.  Let us encourage everyone to chant.

May the Source be with you!
5 km

Thursday, May 24th, 2018
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Toronto, Ontario

I Hadn’t Seen

I hadn’t seen him for twenty years.  Naro is a third generation Krishna person.  His dad, Kuladev, is my godbrother.

I accidentally stumbled upon Naro at the Brickworks while on a longer than usual trek for the evening with Kevala and Karuna.  Naro was parked with his fancy, souped-up, old model of a car, which was giving him some trouble, and thus he had just finished doing some repairs.

I knew him when he was a boy of eight.  His body has changed, just like I’m sure his car’s body has been altered.  Such is the case according to the teachings of Sri Krishna in the Gita.  “The embodied soul continually passes from childhood to youth to old age.  The soul also passes at death…”

It was good to see a kid now be a man.  I anticipate he’s a good man.

“Take care, Naro!”

Kevala, Karuna and I kept walking to a well-maintained trail—the same one where I did all my training for marathon walking.

“It was in this general location that the idea of trekking the whole of Canada was born.” I mentioned this, as we had just passed under a railroad bridge with huge trees on both sides.

Once we reached near Mount Pleasant Boulevard, we came to a park and entered a park facility with washrooms, just for a break from our three-hour trek.  The building was a forties style, now up for renovation.

Everything requires a reno, these bodies, and at some point, the building or body changes altogether.

May the Source be with you!
12 km

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018
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Markham, Ontario

God is With You

Another late afternoon and a small number of us gathered in Ramsden’s Park for a chanting session of mantrason the grass.  Some folks came over to sit or stand in our circle to participate.  It was awesome.

From there, I managed a short distance of walking toward the subway entrance at Sherbourne and Bloor.  To the end of the line I went, in the packed underground train.  At least the subway train moves.  On ground level you get little speed from 6 – 7 p.m.  It’s a nightmare.

At the passenger pick-up, I was received by a driver sent by Dhira Nitai, who hails from Sri Lanka.  I asked him, “What’s the occasion for having me over?” once I reached his apartment.

“A celebration!  You and I used to heat soup, salad, and pizza after a successful day of fund-raising for the summer Ratha Yatra.”

“Good cause!  Remember how we used to go to just about every Sri Lankan shop to help with donations? Recall the fish and the butcher shops?”

“Yes, they gave generously,” he said.

Then I thought how Krishna states in the Gitathat all people are eligible to serve.  Everyone can approach the Supreme destination, regardless of background.

Actually service for a Divine cause is all-attractive.  When I think of how sweet responses come from strolling people in the park, I know that everyone has this spiritual inkling.  It is all in how you present and approach the public. Act in such a way as to charm.  Then God is with you.

May the Source be with you!
3 km

The past, present and the future
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 January 2018, New Govardhana, Australia, SB 1.2.15)

Krsna knows the past, present and the future. He knows us better than we know ourselves because we actually have no idea who we were. We could go to India and visit the Bhrigu readers of Rajasthan or Punjab who have these scrolls with all kinds of astrological information on them. If you are lucky, these readers will find your scroll and tell you who you were in your last life. Usually, everyone was either a prince or a princess, or someone occasionally gets a sanyasi. But I have never heard of any devotee who was a worm in their last life, and that somehow or other a Vaishnava spat on this worm’s head and promoted the worm into a devotee. Maybe, they would still look a little wormish! (Vaishnavas laughing) Anyway, so it is a little suspicious when everyone was a prince or a princess who had to come back one more time. I have some doubts about these Bhrigu readers to be honest. They may find our scrolls and know some things but they definitely do not know everything.

There was actually an astrologer who met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “Oh are you an astrologer? If so, please tell me who I was in my last life?” So this astrologer sat down and started calculating. And as he was calculating, his eyes got bigger and bigger. He was seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead on the scrolls. He was looking again and again at the calculations and the calculations said that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But the astrologer said something else instead, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “You got it all wrong. I happen to know that in my last life I was a cowherd boy, and because of my pious activities of taking care of the cows in that life, I became a Brahmin.” After this, the astrologer finally said, “Whatever you may be, or whoever you may be, I offer my obeisances unto you!”

The article " The past, present and the future " was published on KKSBlog.

QA Transcriptions uploaded on 29-May-18
→ The Spiritual Scientist

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/03/ajamila-knew-scripture-yet-fell/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/03/mistakes-krishnas-mercy/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/03/can-balance-bhakti-studies/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/03/can-help-materially-entrapped-people-become-spiritual/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/can-insulate-negative-people/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/03/if-a-desire-is-irresistible-what-to-do/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/03/kali-yuga-thoughts-dont-incur-reactions-mean-practically/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/03/expectations-practicing-bhakti/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/thoughts-start-becoming-negative-can-flip-positive/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/troubled-controversies-krishnas-movement-try-tackle-just-focus-service/

The post QA Transcriptions uploaded on 29-May-18 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

19-Madri-Witness to a Temple
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In this episode with Madri devi dasi we hear… How she went from using computers in the 1960s that work by turning handles and programming computers the size of football fields… to eventually writing the history of Sri Sri Radha Giridhari in Auckland The advice that her daughters ignored which led her to Krishna Consciousness […]

The post 19-Madri-Witness to a Temple appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

19-Madri-Witness to a Temple
→ Successful Vaisnavas – Personal Development for Hare Krishnas

In this episode with Madri devi dasi we hear… How she went from using computers in the 1960s that work by turning handles and programming computers the size of football fields… to eventually writing the history of Sri Sri Radha Giridhari in Auckland The advice that her daughters ignored which led her to Krishna Consciousness […]

The post 19-Madri-Witness to a Temple appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

Kardama Muni continued: What is the use of enjoyments other than…
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Kardama Muni continued: What is the use of enjoyments other than the Lord’s grace? All material achievements are subject to be annihilated simply by a movement of the eyebrows of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By your principles of devotion to your husband, you have achieved and can enjoy transcendental gifts very rarely obtained by persons proud of aristocracy and material possessions.
Purport:
Lord Caitanya recommended that the greatest achievement of human life is to achieve the grace of the Lord, love of God. He said, premā pumartho mahān: to achieve love of Godhead is the highest perfection of life. The same perfection is recommended by Kardama Muni to his wife. His wife belonged to a very aristocratic royal family. Generally, those who are very materialistic or who possess material wealth and prosperity are unable to appreciate the value of transcendental love of God. Although Devahūti was a princess coming from a very great royal family, fortunately she was under the supervision of her great husband, Kardama Muni, who offered her the best gift which can be bestowed in human life: the grace of the Lord, or love of God. This grace of the Lord was achieved by Devahūti by the goodwill and satisfaction of her husband. She served her husband, who was a great devotee and saintly person, with great sincerity, love, affection and service, and Kardama Muni was satisfied. He willingly gave love of God, and he recommended that she accept it and enjoy it because he had already achieved it.

Love of God is not an ordinary commodity. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was worshiped by Rūpa Gosvāmī because He distributed love of God, kṛṣṇa-premā, to everyone. Rūpa Gosvāmī praised Him as mahā-vadānya, a greatly munificent personality, because He was freely distributing to everyone love of Godhead, which is achieved by wise men only after many, many births. Kṛṣṇa-premā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest gift which can be bestowed on anyone whom we presume to love.

One word used in this verse, nija-dharma-dohān, is very significant. Devahūti, as the wife of Kardama Muni, achieved an invaluable gift from her husband because she was very faithful to him. For a woman the first principle of religion is to be faithful to her husband. If, fortunately, the husband is a great personality, then the combination is perfect, and the lives of both the wife and the husband are at once fulfilled.
SB 3.23.8: https://goo.gl/KXWZuv

Nourishing the creeper of devotion 4 – Finding our spiritual stimuil
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[Chaitanya Charitamrita class at ISKCON, London, UK]

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Video:

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Nourishing our lives with the Bhagavad-gita
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[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, London, UK]

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Podcast Summary


 

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The post Nourishing our lives with the Bhagavad-gita appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Nourishing the creeper of devotion 3 – Avoid attachment to renunciation
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[Chaitanya Charitamrita class at ISKCON, London, UK]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

Video:

The post Nourishing the creeper of devotion 3 – Avoid attachment to renunciation appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Strive first for devotion, then for pure devotion
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[Congregation program at London, UK]

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Podcast Summary


 

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The post Strive first for devotion, then for pure devotion appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Donetsk temple of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara May 25, 2018 (Album…
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Donetsk temple of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara May 25, 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One cannot capture the blowing wind. And it is even more difficult to capture the turbulent mind. One must engage one’s mind fully in Krishna. Only then will there remain no other engagements to agitate the mind. (Bhagavad-gita 6.34, purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/V8kfjd

Theistic practice
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Question: I read a quote that says that the secret of success is that we should act as if everything depends on ourselves, but internally we should pray as everything depends on Krishna, and these are two lines that internally we develop our devotion to Krishna, but also our expertise in different fields, like if we cook - then we should learn how to cook properly, or for example we play mridanga, we should also learn how to do it properly.


Read More...

New Dvaraka Prabhupada Festival-2018 (Album of photos)…
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New Dvaraka Prabhupada Festival-2018 (Album of photos)
Dharmatma Das: Feeling very grateful to have attended this wonderful festival centered on glorifying Srila Prabhupada. How refreshing! It was my first and, Krishna willing, won’t be the last.
This year’s theme was, “Windows to the Spiritual World.” Many of the original artists came together to share wonderful stories of the creation of the beautiful artworks that adorn Srila Prabhupada’s books and Temples worldwide and many other topics concerning Transcendental Art.
There were ecstatic morning programs, inspiring seminars with the artists, Watseka Avenue Rathayatra, Deity Boat Festival, the sweetest kirtan by Hari Bhakti and Amala Kirtan prabhus, wonderful association and over the top delicious Prasadam.
Thanks to Svavasa and Naikatma prabhus and all of the residents of New Dvaraka for creating such a loving and wonderful atmosphere wherein we all gained even more of an appreciation of our dear most spiritual father, Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/dHiNqx

Jagannath Ratha Yatra at Surabaya Vaganza
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Hare KrishnaBy Hari Narayana Das

Both sides of the streets were packed with people who wanted to see the parade. Devotees distributed one ton of oranges that already offered to the Lord Jagannath which was donated by Dina Dharini Mataji to the audiences. The Hare Krishna Maha Mantra filled the atmosphere. The devotees danced in front of Lord Jagannath and people also followed from their place. They were so happy seeing Lord Chariot. Devotees also distributed Srila Prabhupada’s books. Throughout the journey, many people witnessed various activities and cars followed by the Regional Device Organization (OPD) Pemkot Surabaya, BUMD Pemkot Surabaya, universities, agencies/ambassadors from neighboring cities and also cities from outside the province and outside the island. Continue reading "Jagannath Ratha Yatra at Surabaya Vaganza
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Searching for fulfilment
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 May 2018, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.19.25-32)

The material world that we live in has been created by the Supreme Lord and his agents. However creation of this world was not the desire of the Supreme Lord. He does not want this material world but actually we do. We, the living entities, wanted this material world because we wanted to be in a place away from Krsna where we could be the ‘Lord’ and the ultimate enjoyer. Krsna described our conditioned state of mind, how we falsely think that we are the enjoyer and the Lord of everything: isvaro ‘ham aham bhogi (Bhagavad-gita 16.14). So it was us who wanted this. Not only did we used to want that but we still do. We still want to be the controllers. We still want to be the enjoyers, and we are finding different ways to be that.

Just like Dante writes in his poem Divina Commedia, “Better a king in hell, than a servant in heaven.” (laughter) So he has figured out our mentality. Here we are thinking that we made it, “Great! I got a nice castle or cottage and it is my kingdom! We are the kings and queens!” But actually, we are kings in hell. Such a mentality of ours of lording over will surely be taken away by the Supreme Lord. He will not necessarily take away all our possessions but he will destroy this mentality where we think, “I am the Lord!” So we are simply waiting until we fall or get kicked in the face, and then we are not so much the ‘Lord’ anymore.

Srila Prabhupada was once describing donkeys and how the male donkey follows around the female donkey, singing beautiful songs for her. But then, she kicks him in the face! Now that is difficult! We have to understand however that maybe she is not kicking him in the face because she is outright mean but because she is not satisfied with what he has to offer. She wants fulfilment from him but the males of this material world cannot offer her that fulfilment. The males also cannot get such fulfilment from the females of the world. Only Krsna can provide us with fulfilment. This has to be understood. Until then, Krsna, through various means of suffering, will bring all of us to that point!

The article " Searching for fulfilment " was published on KKSBlog.

Remembering Srila Prabhupada, May 26, Prabhupada’s Quarters, New Dwaraka, Los Angeles
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami and other devotees gathered in Srila Prabhupada’s quarters to remember him.

“Srila Prabhupada was starting to talk about forming a political party because his disciples wanted to form the ‘In God We Trust’ party. There was some movement among the American people that they shouldn’t have the slogan ‘In God We Trust’ on the money because what if you don’t believe in God? So Srila Prabhupada said that we must capture the power before they remove it.”

Prabhupada’s Quarters, LA (Right click to download)

WSN April 2018 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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Hare KrishnaBy Vijaya Dasa

Denver had a great month in April. It was the No. 1 temple in the Medium Temple category worldwide. There's a nice temple president there, Tusta Krsna Prabhu, who previously was a full-time book distributor for about fifteen years. Because of his acquired taste for book distribution, he encourages the devotees to do as much book distribution as they can. The Denver devotees did 3,898 book points, for a 44% increase over the same month a year ago. I was just listening to a morning walk with Srila Prabhupada, senior devotees, and some Denver devotees -- recorded when he was visiting Denver in 1975. The local devotees told Prabhupada that the devotees distribute a lot of books in Denver, and Srila Prabhupada responded, "That is the success of a temple." Continue reading "WSN April 2018 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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