Kitchen Cleanliness by Kurma Dasa
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Kitchen Cleanliness.
Kurma Dasa: Here’s an essay I wrote a while back.
While teaching Sanatana Gosvami, Lord Caitanya described twenty-six qualities of the Vaisnava. A devotee of Krsna, he said, is clean, suci. Everything about a devotee, inside and outside, should be clean - his mind, heart, intelligence, body, clothes, living place, place of work, place of worship, and his personal and business dealings.

The “Hare Krishnas”, are they crazy? Kadamba Kanana…
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The “Hare Krishnas”, are they crazy?
Kadamba Kanana Swami: All throughout history, people have tried to impress other people. Some men have been wearing high hats. Some ladies have been wearing high heels. In so many ways, people have tried to impress each other, generation after generation. Are we any different? It is the same thing again and again – this one has a beautiful T-shirt, that one a far-out tattoo, this one has very tight clothes, and so on. We are trying to impress everyone with the central focus being the body. It is said however that the happiness of the body is very limited. Many of us know that, but then again, maybe we don’t actually understand what that means. It seems that only a small part of us actually knows it.
Everyone is looking at us ‘Hare Krsnas’ and thinking that we are crazy. Maybe they are right, but then again we are having a good time being attracted to Krsna and knowing that Krsna is spiritual. We know that Krsna’s body is not material – it is never tired and it is not influenced by time. Krsna can eat unlimited food and he does not become fat. You never see Krsna running around the block, trying to stay fit. Krsna is always fresh! (laughter)

Slavery to Banks: A Vedic Prophecy
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Hare KrishnaBy Sri Nandanandana dasa

As related in the Bhagavata Purana, at the start of Kali-yuga, King Pariksit declared that the seeds of evil will manifest in four things: intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, and the killing of innocent creatures, especially for meat-eating. These were the activities in which the personality of Kali could reside. Not only are these the bad habits of Kali-yuga, but engaging in the above-mentioned activities propel us into numerous additional negative activities, all of which force us to give in to such undesirable emotions as greed, anger, jealousy, fault-finding, treachery, hatred, and so on. All of these pave the way for untold pain, suffering, misery and further wicked actions and intrigue. We can plainly see the damage these activities are presently doing. For example, liquor and drugs and other forms of intoxication no doubt ruin the lives of innumerable people. It causes poor health, depression, the waste of needed money, and even suicides and death, either by accidental overdoses or from other things such as territorial gang wars and so on. Continue reading "Slavery to Banks: A Vedic Prophecy
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Bulls, Not Milk? (A video)
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Hare KrishnaBy ISCOWP Co-Managing Director

The Cow Culture Conference was held in Silicon Valley, California May 2018 by the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign headed by HH Bhakti Raghava Swami. At the conference, Balabhadra (William E. Dove - president of ISCOWP) speaks about Lord Krishna as the protector of cows, why cows were bred in Vedic times and his personal realizations about the benefit of associating with cows. Some flashes from the past can be seen in pictures, dating back to the 1980's, accompanying his talk. Continue reading "Bulls, Not Milk? (A video)
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Who are we trying to impress?
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 July 2012, Modra, Slovakia, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.1)

All throughout history, people have tried to impress other people. Some men have been wearing high hats. Some ladies have been wearing high heels. In so many ways, people have tried to impress each other, generation after generation. Are we any different? It is the same thing again and again – this one has a beautiful T-shirt, that one a far-out tattoo, this one has very tight clothes, and so on. We are trying to impress everyone with the central focus being the body. It is said however that the happiness of the body is very limited. Many of us know that, but then again, maybe we don’t actually understand what that means. It seems that only a small part of us actually knows it.

Everyone is looking at us ‘Hare Krsnas’ and thinking that we are crazy. Maybe they are right, but then again we are having a good time being attracted to Krsna and knowing that Krsna is spiritual. We know that Krsna’s body is not material – it is never tired and it is not influenced by time. Krsna can eat unlimited food and he does not become fat. You never see Krsna running around the block, trying to stay fit. Krsna is always fresh! (laughter)

The article " Who are we trying to impress? " was published on KKSBlog.

From the GBC Executive Committee
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Hare KrishnaBy the GBC EC

It has come to our attention that an idea is circulating that the GBC Body has overturned the CPO's ruling in a recent case. We wish to clarify that the GBC Body, by its own rules, does not have the authority to overturn a ruling by the Child Protection Office. A verdict can only be changed if the accused is granted an appeal by the CPO. No exceptions are acceptable in this regard. The GBC Body regularly reviews the CPO manual, and in some case, it has made changes to ensure the best possible modus operandi for the CPO. In response to concerns that some aspects of the CPO's operation may have been faulty, the GBC Body is duty-bound to undertake a further analysis of the CPO structure. For this purpose, we are in the process of forming a committee of experts to study our CPO procedures. This does not in any way overturn the decisions already made by the CPO. Please rest assured that we are committed to carrying out our service to Srila Prabhupada, and to the assembly of devotees, faithfully and earnestly. Continue reading "From the GBC Executive Committee
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Severe Drought
→ Ramai Swami

On a recent visit to New Gokula farm the devotees told me that the area was experiencing the worst drought in the last one hundred years.

There had been some light rain but not enough to change the situation much. Our cows were being fed with hay that had been bought from other areas of the state.

The devotees were praying to Radha Gokulananda and doing lots of extra kirtan.

Can ambition and devotion go together 1 – How happiness-distress are fixed and how they aren’t
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk to IIT Kharagpur students, Kharagpur, India]

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The post Can ambition and devotion go together 1 – How happiness-distress are fixed and how they aren’t appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Analyzing different religions to find life’s purpose 2 – The problem of evil, original sin and karma
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[Talk to IIT Kharagpur students, Kharagpur, India]

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The post Analyzing different religions to find life’s purpose 2 – The problem of evil, original sin and karma appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Analyzing different religions to find life’s purpose 1 – Seeking a purpose bigger than our problems
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk to IIT Kharagpur students, Kharagpur, India]

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The post Analyzing different religions to find life’s purpose 1 – Seeking a purpose bigger than our problems appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Rathayatra in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital (Album with…
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Rathayatra in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna movement is also an incarnation of Krishna in the form of the holy name (name-rupe). Every one of us who is actually afraid of the asuric rulers and politicians must welcome this incarnation of Krishna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.3.21 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/cugQQa

Krishna Lunch (8 min video)
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Krishna Lunch (8 min video)
Krishna Lunch is a delicious, all-you-can-eat vegetarian and vegan buffet that has been prepared and served daily by volunteers/devotees of the ISKCON of Gainesville since 1971, when Gargamuni Swami, the first Hare Krishna to come to Gainesville, began chanting and giving out food at the plaza to anybody who passed by him. Krishna Lunch is an extremely economical and nourishing alternative to most of the unhealthy food venues currently populating campus, providing unlimited servings of the day’s entrée, dessert, and refreshment to anyone.

Seeing the Worship
Giriraj Swami

Indradyumna Swami Maharaja has come to spend four weeks with me at my ashram in Carpinteria, and today, watching him do his Deity worship, I was reminded of a statement in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23–24 purport) that a devotee “unable to worship the Deity must at least see the Deity worship, and in that way he may achieve success also.” Deity worship is one of the five most potent items in devotional service, and witnessing Maharaja’s worship had a powerful effect on my heart.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Is seeing believing 3 – Resolving science-spirituality conflicts
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[Talk to IIT Kharagpur students, Kharagpur, India]

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The post Is seeing believing 3 – Resolving science-spirituality conflicts appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Is seeing believing 2 – What the map of science misses
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[Talk to IIT Kharagpur students, Kharagpur, India]

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The post Is seeing believing 2 – What the map of science misses appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Is seeing believing 1 – Even science explains the visible with the invisible
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[Talk to IIT Kharagpur students, Kharagpur, India]

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The post Is seeing believing 1 – Even science explains the visible with the invisible appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

*All India Padayatra NEWS.* (Album of photos) By Acarya…
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*All India Padayatra NEWS.* (Album of photos)
By Acarya Dasa.
On June 4 and 5, 2018, All India Padayatra travelled 13 Km from Belgaum to Nilaji via Samarth Nagar in Karnataka.
For the pleasure of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara, Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev we would like to announce the book distribution score of All India Padayatra on 4th and 5th June, 2018.
Mahabig Books - 186
Big Books - 09
Small Books - 127
Total Books - 322.
Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara ki jai…
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai…
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9rGFWh

GBC Proposals AGM 2019
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Hare KrishnaBy GBC Corresponding Secretary

The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society will begin on March 3, 2019. Following the ISKCON GBC Society's Rules of Order, the GBC Secretariat requests proposals, duly sponsored by TWO GBC members, to be submitted by December 15, 2018. This will allow adequate time for the GBC Deputies to prepare the proposals for presentation at the meeting. Continue reading "GBC Proposals AGM 2019
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If circumstantially we can’t get initiation, does that mean Krishna thinks we aren’t yet qualified?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post If circumstantially we can’t get initiation, does that mean Krishna thinks we aren’t yet qualified? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Arabic book distribution in NY (Album with photos) Satyanarayan…
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Arabic book distribution in NY (Album with photos)
Satyanarayan das: Bringing a special transcendence to the iconic “New York state of mind”, the great Arabic book distributor Mahotsaha Dasa Brahmachari has already gone through two cases of Arabic Gitas, with more having just arrived so as not to interrupt this unending river of bliss! The fortunate souls seen here holding up their new books were visiting NYC from Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia….
Find them here: https://goo.gl/MBPPU4

Windows to the spiritual world.
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Windows to the spiritual world.
Kadamba Kanana Swami: The other day I was remembering Srila Prabhupada’s statement of how paintings of Krsna are like windows to the spiritual world; it means that through these paintings, we are looking into the ‘real world’, and when we are looking out of this window (of the building), we are simply looking at a picture. So Krsna consciousness must begin with that understanding, that the spiritual world is the real world. It is there where we find our nourishment because after all, in the material world, we will never be emotionally nourished.


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Seek Krishna – The Person
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A friend is one who is related to another person for the cause of having a personal relationship regardless of the social and economic status of the friend. If a person is rich and famous, typically his friends and family also become famous on account of their relationship with the celebrity. So a celebrity is always connected to his or her opulence. Nevertheless, a true friend will associate with a celebrity not for his opulence but for his personal relationship. In the adult world, unfortunately, such friendships are rare because we only seek alliances if there is some level of social, economic, political or religious benefit. We live in a benefit-driven world, no doubt (true even amongst close family members)!

Duryodhana will be proud of this world since he was very much like that. Krishna is most richest and famous person in the entire cosmos. Not only that, He is also very attractive, powerful, strong etc. So who would not want alliance with Krishna. Duryodhana actively sought Krishna’s alliance for His riches and power. When Duryodhana went to see Krishna before the grand war, he asked Krishna’s favor for His power. Duryodhana asked for Krishna’s Narayani Sena so he can use them in the war. Duryodhana like modern man was a numbers person. He thought “what can one Krishna do? If I get His grand army, I can win the war”.

On the other side, Arjuna was a true friend. He did not care for Krishna’s majesty or opulence or power or how much he can benefit from Krishna. Rather, Arjuna’s only request was to be by-the-side of Krishna, that’s all. Arjuna only sought Krishna’s personal relationship without all His opulence. Arjuna was not benefit driven.

Today, we go to God for only one reason – to seek some benefit in the form of physical or mental or emotional support or even spiritual emancipation. We do not go to God just to express our friendship and love to Him. It is always purpose or benefit driven. When we approach God with no purpose but to only share our feelings of love or friendship, then we will realize God!

Great souls like Arjuna or Narada etc have shared their heart with God sans His opulence and have realized that Supreme Divine Being to be Sri Krishna.

Seek Krishna the Person and not His riches!

Hare Krishna