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 […]

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

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

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

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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.


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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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Cow Culture conference 2018 – California
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Hare KrishnaBy Sri Krishna Purusottama das

On Sunday, May 20, 2018, a conference on Cow Culture was held at the India Community Center, Milpitas, California, which is located on the Northeastern side of the area that has become known as Silicon Valley. The conference was organized by the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign, which is running under guidance of HH Bhakti Raghava Swami. Continue reading "Cow Culture conference 2018 – California
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How Robert Kennedy heard the holy names shortly before departing this world
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Hare KrishnaBy Bhusaya dasa

“Wait a minute,” Ginsberg told him. “I wanted to sing you the Hare Krishna mantra. Can you stay and listen? It’ll just take one minute.” After Kennedy agreed, Ginsberg pulled out his harmonium. “He has this one-tone mouth harp, so he blows his note on that – what’s the sound? Mmmmmmmmmmgggg?” Edelman recalled. Ginsberg chanted two choruses. “I think Kennedy was kind of … I don’t know if it was delighted or amused,” Greenfield recalled. “I think he was kind of intrigued.” Continue reading "How Robert Kennedy heard the holy names shortly before departing this world
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Spiritual health
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 October 2017, Canberra, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.27.25)

Ayurveda is very nice because it is the science of long life. Ayur means life and basically, the idea to lead a healthy life so one will not become ill. So this is very good. However, Srila Prabhupada would always say, ”What is the point of this? We are going to die anyway.” You could lead a very strict life based on a strict health regime which I am not against, to an extent. But then sometimes, if possible, one may have to just eat that gulab jamun because it has been offered to Krsna and because it has tulsi on it and because now it is maha-prasadam. When someone brings malpuras from Jagannath Puri, one may go, “No, I cannot take it. This is not on my diet. It is forbidden.” But this is Krsna prasadam, and we must remember that our ultimate health is our spiritual health. I say ultimate, because I would only take a very small piece of that malpura. Why? Because at this stage, it would probably kill me if I take the whole malpura. What to do? That is old age.

The article " Spiritual health " was published on KKSBlog.

Can You Help London Rathayatra Prasadam cooking?
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Dear Devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This year the feast for Lord Jagganath’s Rathayatra will be cooked at Krishna’s Castle,in the City of London.

We recently built the kitchen, and are daily cooking and distributing 2,000 free healthy meals(Prasad).

Today the Council gave us the highest rating for the kitchen.

“Please find enclosed a copy of my letter, further to my inspection on the 14th May 2018. I am pleased to confirm that you have been awarded a Food Hygiene Rating of 5 – Very Good.”

Jagganath Rathayatra Festival London 2018

Let’s cook a feast for 16,000 people , the best feast ever, and it falls on Nir Jal Ekadasi, Jai Jagganath!

All the food preparation takes place on Saturday 23rd June

Chop the veg
Fry the paneer
Squeezing lemons

We will start at 9am and will work all the day till 7pm

We can have 3 shifts. Morning shift we need ten volunteers
Afternoon shift we need 10 volunteers and late afternoon shift another ten volunteers

Then at 10pm Saturday evening we will start cooking the feast
We will need 8 volunteers cooking and helping through out
the night,

Early morning Sunday 24th we need volunteers cooking and transporting the Prasad/Feast to Trafalga Square, it must arrive by 11.30am so the distribution teams can get organised.

This year’s feast will be cooked at “Krishna’s Castle” in the City of London.
Full address is:
Krishna’s Castle
26-30 Holborn Viaduct
EC1A 2AQ
Enterence is on Plumtree Court

There is a big Narasimhadev at the enterence to the Castle, in case you are unsure you are in the right building.

Reading my books – excerpts from Conversations
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Reading my books - excerpts from Conversations.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison – September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst: Prabhupāda: So Bhagavad-gītā is accepted by scholarly section, by philosophers. So I think people should have one scripture, one God, one mantra, and one activity. One God, Kṛṣṇa. One scripture, Bhagavad-gītā. And one mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And one activity, to serve Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. There will be peace. There will be actually peace all over the world. So I request you to, at least to understand this philosophy to your best knowledge. And if you think that is nice, you take up. You are also willing to give something to the world. So you try this. You have read our books, this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is?


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