Thursday, March 15th, 2018
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Toronto, Ontario

Plaque and Statues

With pride, I read the newly installed plaque, at the recently renovated square, at the University of Florida in Gainesville.  There is a history of Krishna devotees distributing great lunches here for decades.  The operation still goes on, with energetic enthusiasm, to this day.

With an image-relief of the Hare Krishna founder embossed on it, the plaque reads, “Krishna Lunch: On July 29th, 1972, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the Hare Krishna Movement, addressed students here and inspired them to start Krishna Lunch.  Since then the Lunch has nourished the UF community with millions of vegetarian meals.  In 2017, Krishna Lunch and its alumni contributed toward the renovation of the Plaza.”

It was only yesterday morning that we strolled our way to the plaza to have a look.  I came back to Toronto just in time for a mini-installment of three gorgeous brass figurines to complete a permanent display of Das Avatars, that is ten incarnations or avatars.  They sit down on a unique wooden platform, which is actually the base of the bed slept on by Prabhupada when he visited us in June of 1976.

It is a stunning exhibit, really, located in what’s called Prabhupada’s quarters, a room with a wall that separates my room from his.  It’s a blessing to live in this area of our building.

My last message is about my lack of walking today.  I did, practically, a sprint down the endless corridor of the Miami Airport, but that was about it.  However, the equivalent to walking was a massage and meaningful leg stretches by Gopal, who also resides in our ashram in Toronto.  He did splendidly.

May the Source be with you!

1 km


Wednesday, March 14th, 2018
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Gainesville, Florida

Conflicts We Face

As we all know, the world is full of conflict.  Conflict was the major topic of discussion at the Krishna house in Gainesville this morning.  Thirty students and facilitators are accommodated with living quarters in this flourishing little nook within the city.  There’s more than one houseful, in other words.

From Canto One, the story arises about the Yadu Dynasty, and they, being the most powerful empire of the time, were unconquerable.  By divine arrangement (if you will), the dynasty’s demise involved rice wine and its consumption, in group dynamic, which led to a flogging to the death of each other.  There was conflict ‘within’, which is where our thoughts brought us to, in so far as a point for discussion. We all struggle internally with our minds, perhaps even more than we receive pain externally.  It was interesting.

At evening time, Ananta and I walked his neighbourhood’s backroads to reach the home of Janmastami.  There we met for a converging of families.  For the children—I sat them in front of me; adults in the back—I read and ‘charaded’ the chapter of “Killing the Dhenukasura Demon.”  This arrangement pumped up the kids to no end.  The magic of this situation is that parents and others also feel part of the fun.  Kirtan and pasta were also featured.

I received a call from Daruka of Winnipeg, my trusty back-up man for cross-Canada walks of the past.  His mum, Marilyn, in her late 70s, is having a difficult time, physically.  I told him I would appeal to readers of this blog to offer prayers for this “strong woman,” as he put it.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Prof John Lennox: “The new atheism is an old atheism, except it’s much more aggressive.”
→ SivaramaSwami.com

“The new atheism wants to destroy religion. That’s a very different thing. The arguments are not new, it’s the aggression that’s new.”

  • My low key tweet of yesterday on the passing of Stephen Hawkings, an outspoken atheist
  • Our busines is to give light and dispell the darkness the scientific community propagates
  • If you don’t speak of when you see ireligion you become implicated
  • Devotees should not be afraid to speak out as Śrīla Prbhupāda did without worrying about political correctness
  • No sane way to explain how things came about than by a divine, intelligent personal creator

Winning with emotional intelliigence 2 – Social competence through relationship management
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Seminar at Microsoft, Seattle, USA]

Podcast


 

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Tap the mind, don’t be trapped by the mind 2 – Why mind control backfires
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Seminar at ISKCON, Seattle, USA]

Podcast


 

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Tap the mind, dont be trapped by the mind 1 – The pressure for pleasure
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Seminar at ISKCON, Seattle, USA]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

Video:

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Program with the Indian Community of Munich, Germany (Album with…
→ Dandavats



Program with the Indian Community of Munich, Germany (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Along with the Deity worship in this temple, hold classes at least five hours. As in the schools and colleges there are regular classes, forty-five minutes’ class, then five or ten minutes’ recess, again forty-five minutes’ class, in this way, so we have got enough subject matter to study, and if we study all these books, to finish them it will take at least twenty-five years. So you are all young men. I request you to engage your time in reading books, in chanting, in Deity worshiping, in going to preach, selling books. Don’t be lazy. Always remain engaged. Then that is Krsna consciousness. (Srila Prabhupada, Arrival Lecture – Mexico, February 11, 1975)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/uvYUtu

Expanding Our Love
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Hare KrishnaBy His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

To love means to be concerned for the other person's benefit. That is real love. I love you for your benefit; you love me for my benefit. If I so-called love you for my benefit, that is lust. In this material world there cannot be love. It is not possible, because the so-called love is for our own sense gratification. A young boy loves a young woman for his sense gratification, not for her sense gratification. Similarly, she also. In this material world this cheating is going on. I want to satisfy my lusty desires, but it is going on in the name of love. Continue reading "Expanding Our Love
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Rathayatra in Newcastle, South Africa (Album of photos) Bhakti…
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Rathayatra in Newcastle, South Africa (Album of photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Today we had Rathayatra in Newcastle, South Africa. It’s a small town with a nice community of devotees who are enthusiastic to spread Krishna consciousness. This was the 17th annual Rathayatra here. The weather had been really bad, with lots of rain for days, but this morning the rain eased off and we managed to hold the festival with no problems.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/GEXXiN

All India Padayatra In Koramangala
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Hare KrishnaBy Acarya Dasa

Koramangala is a small preaching center. In big temple celebrations usually we do not get any seva -we have to be mostly guests- so this time we were delighted to get the opportunity to serve.. Expecting a huge number of people, the devotees of Koramangala booked the Laxmi Devi Stadium, 6th Block Playground for the event. They printed colourful invitation pamphlets and invited the devotees and the public with the help of modern social media such as facebook and WhatsApp. The chief guests were Sri R. Ramlinga Reddy (Honorable Home minister of Karnataka) and Sri M. Chandrappa (Honorable Corporator, Koramangala). Continue reading "All India Padayatra In Koramangala
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The Way To Gain Krishna’s Special Mercy…
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The Way To Gain Krishna’s Special Mercy (video)
Amala-bhakta Swami - Sunday Feast - 3-4-18.
Quite often I’ve been asked by devotees after lectures and classes, “How can I get Krishna’s special mercy?” In the following Sunday Feast lecture Youtube video at the Los Angeles New Dwarka temple, I answer that question directly from Shastra and from personal experience.

My Place of Worship
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON Mayapur

The opulent outfits offered to the Deities are all designed, stitched, and embroidered by a team of 28 local devotees who work year-round to create the Lord’s beautiful clothing. Resident devotees also hand make most of the jewelry worn by the Mayapur Deities. Approximately 35 devotees are engaged in caring for the Deities’ paraphernalia rooms and paraphernalia. These devotees clean, polish, organize, and in other ways ensure that the Lord’s belongings are maintained nicely. Continue reading "My Place of Worship
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Mayapur – My Place of Worship
→ Mayapur.com

All of the devas, ṛṣis, and tīrthas congregate in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur to worship the Supreme Lord, for in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur – the center of the universe – Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa eternally reside and bestow Their benediction and mercy to those who worship Them there. Is it any wonder, then, that Śrīla Prabhupāda stated that Māyāpur, […]

The post Mayapur – My Place of Worship appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Disagreement is alright but…
→ Servant of the Servant

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna talks much about duty and freedom from attachment to fruits of labor. Perhaps one such place where we can implement this idea is in the department of disagreement. In this day of social media, practically everyone has access to an audience and practically everyone has an opinion. Nothing wrong with that! Srila Prabhupada says where there are two people, there can be disagreement. In other words, as meager as two people can disagree what to then speak of a bigger group or an institution or community etc. 

There is disagreement in the Bhagavatam. Divine and exalted souls, we read, disagree and put forth opposing views in the presence of the Supreme Being. Certainly, therefore we can conclude,agreeing or disagreeing is within our domain. The problem with kali yuga disagreement is it comes with a selfish agenda of some sort. In other words, we disagree when our agenda is under threat or when we feel my thoughts or I will not be given importance. Such disagreement invariably will lead to discord and fight. However, if we disagree with someone or some principle according to the conclusion/essence of the shastra/guru vakya (not selfish) and satisfied with what Krishna provides, such disagreement will not create bitterness in our heart. 

If we do have bitterness, it is a sign that we are doing this for something selfish and that it is time for introspection!

Hare Krishna

Winning with emotional intelliigence 1 – Personal competence through self management
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Seminar at Microsoft, Seattle, USA]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

PPT:

Video:

The post Winning with emotional intelliigence 1 – Personal competence through self management appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

ISKCON has to be a friendly movement
→ Servant of the Servant

I am copying Maharaj words.

(HH.Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 October 2017, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.3.17)

ISKCON has to be a very friendly movement. A very accommodating movement that is ready to give everyone a chance; ready to not find fault in others. To not find fault in others is hard. We may catch someone lying and say, “He is a liar! Shame! This person needs to be rejected!” Well, have we ever lied? Never, ever? That is a lie! So yes, even if we catch someone lying, it does not mean that that person has some weakness. It does not mean that we can say, “This person is a write-off! I do not want to deal with such people!” Because then, we cannot deal with ourselves either. We are all fallen. We are all simply here by the mercy of great devotees and by the mercy of Lord Krsna.

But then, “How do you correct someone?”

Chanakya Pandit has mentioned that you cannot correct anyone unless you are in a senior position to that person. And even when you are in a senior position to that person, you cannot correct them unless you have a heartfelt friendship with them. If you are not senior and do not have a heartfelt relationship, then you do not correct them. Instead, you go to someone who has that relationship and say, “Well, these things are going on. I do not know what to do, but if you think something should be done…  I just want you to know.” That is all!

It is not that we go around, “That is not really right, Prabhuji. That is not our standard… That is very offensive!” Through this, we just create a movement that nobody wants to be a part of it for a long time. If it is fine to tell everyone off then we cannot live in such a movement for a long time.

We need a movement which is based on deep friendship and deep appreciation. We do not need a boarding school. If we create a movement which is like a boarding school where everyone is looking at everyone else like, “Prabhuji, are you doing this correctly? That should go over there!” Then, in one’s mind, one may start to think, “I want to break loose. I want to run free. I want to go.”  

We become split personalities in such an environment. We have a façade and the façade is all external rules, regulations and standards. And behind the closed curtains, the real self comes out. No, we do not want that. We want a very mature movement. A movement with deep friendships amongst everyone. And then, we help each other and we realise, “Today I help you and tomorrow you help me.”

Hare Krishna

Safari devotees at Sylhet, Bangladesh, the birthplace of…
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Safari devotees at Sylhet, Bangladesh, the birthplace of Jagannath Mishra (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Because people are suffering for want of this knowledge, therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is the only movement – I can declare very proudly -which can actually do some benefit to the human society. It is the only movement. All other, bogus movements, I declare. Let them come and study the sastras and decide for themselves. They’re all cheating. Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.30 – Vrndavana, August 11, 1974
Find them here: https://goo.gl/w2GMVV

ISKCON has to be a very friendly movement!
→ Dandavats



ISKCON has to be a very friendly movement.
Kadamba Kanana Swami: A very accommodating movement that is ready to give everyone a chance; ready to not find fault in others. To not find fault in others is hard. We may catch someone lying and say, “He is a liar! Shame! This person needs to be rejected!” Well, have we ever lied? Never, ever? That is a lie! So yes, even if we catch someone lying, it does not mean that that person has some weakness. It does not mean that we can say, “This person is a write-off! I do not want to deal with such people!” Because then, we cannot deal with ourselves either. We are all fallen. We are all simply here by the mercy of great devotees and by the mercy of Lord Krsna.

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Telangana Padayatra Still Going Strong
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Hare KrishnaBy Visnuswami Dasa

Community members are providing accommodations for devotees and supplying grass for the oxen, contrary to my expectations. I thought that getting accommodations and grass would have been difficult in the cities but by Caitanya MahaPrabhu mercy we are getting these easily. The difference between villages and cities is that in cities we have to purchase grass. We get plenty of vegetables in vegetables markets, but only after 8.30 pm, when people go home with what was not sold. Srinivas Sevananda brahmacari feeds the oxen with different vegetables, wet grass, dry grass and paddy; as a result they are very healthy and strong. Some devotees Dilsukhnagar congregation participated with us in the Telephone Colony nagar sankirtana. Continue reading "Telangana Padayatra Still Going Strong
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Chaitanya Charan Radio launched
→ The Spiritual Scientist

In response to several requests, we are happy to announce the launching of a 24-hour radio “Chaitanya Charan” that will make it easy for you to hear the audios of Chaitanya Charan.

You can hear the radio on tune-in at:

You can also download the tune-in app on your phone.

You can also access the radio:

Listen to Radio Online

The post Chaitanya Charan Radio launched appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.