Planet ISKCON

[Seminar at ISKCON, Chowpatty, Mumbai]

Podcast

 

PPT:

The post Mind It 3 – Choosing healthy response to problems appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.16.7, Speaker: HG Devakinandan Das on Tolerance. 04-02-2018 (video)

Book Distribution Tsunami! (video)
Iskcon Leadership Sanga 2018, Mayapura.
Watch it here: ...

Kalash Yatra 2018 (Album of photos)
Yesterday we celebrated 15th Anniversary of Vrinda Kunda Temple with our annual Kalash yat...

ISKCON Dwarka New Delhi: ISKCON Dwarka Girls Forum (Album of photos)
IGF Activity… A cooking class was held in the temple premises to teach the girls,“How to cook pasta without onion and garlic” Also, a small lecture was given by HG Ramani Sakhi Mataji to teach the girls what should be the state of consciousness while cooking bhoga for the Lord.
Small details of cooking, cutting veggies, offering bhoga and cleaning the kitchen were taught. Girls participated enthusiastically and enjoyed pasta prasadam too.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/J6qKE3

Celebration of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s Avirbhav Tithi in Mayapur (video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/eupXh9

Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Today at the ILS - the ISKCON Leadership Sanga - many activities took place. We had a look around the site at the various booths along the approach to the main festival building, and then we went in to where the GBC College leaders presented certificates to about 20 devotees from all over the world who have passed the Zonal Supervisor course. Now they can be appointed as Supervisors in the regions in which they are serving in Srila Prabhupada’s mission. (Album of photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/7KACFE

When Stephen Colbert would “go to the Hare Krishnas and listen to the Bhagavad Gita in order to get the chickpeas-salad” (1 min video)
Stephen Colbert talks about when he used to go to a Hare Krishna temple to save money on food when he was a struggling Northwestern University acting student in Evanston, Illinois, USA. Michael Shannon is also in the clip.

Read More...

http://bbc.in/2GOipL1

By Mayapur.tv

The video recordings of the main events of the two first days of International Iskcon Leadership Sanga which is taking place in Mayapur these days. You won't believe how much Iskcon has grown up! Continue reading "Iskcon Leadership Sanga in Mayapur, Day 1 and Day 2
→ Dandavats"

By Giriraj das

“Therefore sometimes, when people say in India, ‘Swamiji, you have done wonderful.’ And yes, I do not know. I’m not a magician. But, so far I am confident that I did not adulterate the words of Krishna. That’s all. That’s my credit. I did not like to take the position of Krishna. I remained a servant of Krishna, and I spoke what Krishna said. That’s all. This is my secret. So everyone can do that. There is nothing magic. The magic will act as soon as you become a pure devotee of Krishna. The magic will be done by Krishna, not by me or you. He will do it. " (Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, May 19, 1972) Continue reading "Changing our outlook
→ Dandavats"

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 September 2017, Petite Riviere, Mauritius, Lecture)

The chanting of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra is very interesting because we are giving and receiving while chanting. We are giving our ears and tongue; and we are receiving darshan, mercy and attention of Krsna. We are making an offering and Krsna is accepting.

By Bhakti Rasamrita Swami

His instructions, his organization, his strategies, his priorities and his disciples. Teaching by example and by words. How did he correct his disciples? Are all these relevant today in Srila Prabhupada's Iskcon? Is Iskcon fulfilling the vision of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati? Continue reading "Srimad Bhagavatam Class in Mayapur about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur
→ Dandavats"

The ILS – ISKCON Leadership Sanga – has started on 4th Feb andwill go on till 9th Feb. Several hundred devotees from all over the world have to come to Mayapur to take part in seminars and courses aimed at deepening their Krishna consciousness and developing their skills in leadership in Srila Prabhupada’s movement. The […]

The post ILS 2018 begins! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Chowpatty, Mumbai]

Podcast

 

Podcast Summary

Video:

The post Happiness is found not in sensation but in absorption appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The post Daily Darshan:January 05,2018 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Answer Podcast

 

Transcription :

Transcribed by: Suresh Gupta

Edited by: Raji Nachiappan

Question: How does prayer affect karma?

Answer: Karma is the mechanical process of the law of action and reaction. God is not the cause of this system. God exists beyond the system and he oversees the system. The purpose of karma is not simply punishment or even disciplining, rather it is reformation. If somebody is willing to reform, then there is no need for punishment. Even in our judicial system, if someone is sentenced to ten years of imprisonment, but if they behave well, then the sentence can be decreased. Similarly, the principle of karma is that an action will beget a reaction. However, there is a purpose to the system, it is not mechanical. The purpose is important and the purpose of the system of karma is to help us live in harmony with our essential spiritual nature which is to become good as well as godly human beings. To the extent we do that, then karma does not need to operate.

How God can intervene amidst the principle of karma can be understood by an example. Suppose there is a strict teacher and then there is a student who has not done his homework. Since the teacher is very strict, the mother knows that the teacher is going to punish the child for not having done the homework. The mother does not want the child to be beaten, at the same time the mother does not want the child to be lethargic and irresponsible. Therefore, what the mother does is, when the child goes to school, the mother puts a thick glove on the child’s hand. Now, when the teacher punishes, the stick will hit the child’s hand but it will not hurt the child, because the gloves are offering the necessary protection. Similarly, the mother is like Lord Krishna, the teacher is like the material nature and we are like that errant child. By our karma, or by not doing our homework, we are supposed to get punished. However, when we pray to Krishna, then the prayer becomes like a glove for us. The distresses of the world may come but they will not hurt us as much, because of our consciousness and absorption in Krishna.
Mac-chittah sarva-durgani mat-prasadat tarishyasi – If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace (Gita 18.58).

Many times, when problems arise, it is not so much the problem that troubles us, but it is our mind which goes on hyper-imaginative drive. The mind thinks about all that which can go wrong, that troubles us more. Therefore, it is not the reality that hurts us, it is the resentment of reality that hurts us much more. If we were to go for a picnic and just one day before we get flu, then getting flu is not very painful. However, when our mind beats up about why this happened, such resentment hurts us more than the flu.

If we connect and absorb ourselves in Krishna, then such resentments do not come because the mind gets a fulfilling engagement. By Krishna’s intervention, even if some karmic reactions come upon us, they are minimised. That is how Krishna exists above the world and above the law of Karma. He can intervene in response to our prayers to minimise our karmic reactions.

End of transcription.

The post How does prayer affect karma? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 16.13 Let the mind’s chariot take us where we want to go, not where it wants to go appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

MOSA is happy to present this amazing show called Divine Portraiture consisting of 4 artists who in different ways paint Divine imag...

Sunday program, Feb 04, 2018, Krasnodar ISKCON, Russia (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma (Supersoul) in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.2.17).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/iinv6y

Harinama in Zagreb, Croatia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The tapasya of chanting and glorifying the name, fame and att...

The gold-plating and assembling of the Main Dome Chakra is almost complete as we quickly approach their installation on February 7th.

The Main Chakra is 20 feet (6 meters) in diameter, weighs about 2 tons and has over 100 parts including the Nava Yogendras (flames) which have been gold-plated and attached one by one.

As a reminder, since most devotees cannot be personally present for this grand occasion, the entire event will be broadcast live via MayapurTV so you can watch in the comfort of your own home and with your whole family. Please go to the link below for more information:
https://tovp.org/construction/watch-live-broadcast-historic-tovp-chakra-installation-ceremony/

The Schedule of Events is also available at this link: https://tovp.org/construction/tovp-chakra-installation-schedule-events/

It’s also not too late to sponsor an abhisheka for one or both of the Chakras. For more information go to:
https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

The post Main Chakra Being Prepared for Installation appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

ISKCON Vrindavan: Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.H.Krishna Kshetra Swami, 03.02.2018 (video)

The First Day Of Iskcon Leadership Sanga In Mayapur. (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “For one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one’s heart completely.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aaLyBG

Ambarisa Das: Preparations for the Chakra installation. Boys from Mayapur Gurukul under the supervision of Krishna Chaitanya das, as...

Ratha Yatra in Whangarei, New Zealand (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord’s holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.63 Purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ZsGNgA

By Bhakti Chaitanya Swami

Yesterday the GBC meetings started. The Organizational Development made various presentations to the GBC Body of items for streamlining the functions of the Body, and making the Body's activities more effective for spreading Srila Prabhupada's movement. Many leading devotees from around the globe were there. Continue reading "The GBC meetings start
→ Dandavats"

By Press Trust of India

With a month left for 'Gour Purnima', the biggest festival for the Gaudiya Vaishnavs of Mayapur, devotees from across the world are arriving at the global headquarters of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) there. This is the centenary year of 'Nabadwip Mandala Parikrama', which was started by Bhakti Sidhanta Saraswati Prabhupad in 1918, an ISKCON Mayapur statement said today. More than 6000 foreign devotees from 50 countries and 4000 Indian devotees are expected to take part in the centenary celebrations of the eight-day 'Nabadwip Mandal Parikrama', which will be held from February 18, the statement said. During the 'Parikrama' devotees from Russia, China, Australia, Africa, US, Bangladesh and other European countries will walk almost 80 km covering all major spots where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had visited, it said. Continue reading "Media coverage of Gour Purnima and ILS
→ Dandavats"

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 August 2017, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.4.5-6)

I am remembering a lecture by Srila Prabhupada where he said, “There is a need to be hundred percent pure. We have to become cent per cent pure!” And the devotees were becoming a little anxious, a heavy mood began to affect the audience. They began to think, “Since Prabhupada has said cent per cent pure, we will never make it. There is no hope for us then.”  So the mood became a little serious. Then Prabhupada said, “Okay, ninety percent will do…” then he said, “Seventy percent but no less!” and he walked away.

 

By Vijaya Dasa

There were some pretty close transcendental competitions in 2017. Pune took third place in Asia, ahead of Punjabi Bagh (New Delhi) by only 87 book points. The Auckland Loft beat Sydney-North by only 111 points. For years and years, the Auckland Loft had to take the humble position of second place, after being No. 1 for years. Now it's back in first place. No North American temple has been so close to Los Angeles's first-place position in decades as ISKCON Silicon Valley. ISV was only 4,046 points behind L.A. Continue reading "WSN December 2017 – World Sankirtan Newsletter. ISV only a few points behind L.A. for 2017
→ Dandavats"

Hare Krishna. Talking about the Chariot & Bull issue at the Penang Thaipusam festival, there is more to abuse of animals than just bulls struggling to pull an overloaded chariot. What happens to animals beginning with breeding, growth, feeding, unnatural habitat, modification bodies, sardine packed transportation, brutal killings and murder just so that the parts of the animals viz flesh, bones, blood, marrow, heart, lungs, liver, etc to end in luxury plates, all simply for the satisfaction of the palate. One can understand the reason for Sir Paul McCartney to say that “ IF ONLY SLAUGHTERHOUSES HAD GLASS WALLS EVERYONE WOULD BE A VEGETARIAN....”

Back to the issue of the Penang Thaipusam chariot blunder, no doubt it was a blunder but organizers should continue with bull for pulling but use their God given brains to calculate the weight and power needed and engage bulls properly while also having ropes for humans to pull while chanting hymns to supplement the load factor thus not torturing the bulls. It was the tractor which replaced bulls in straight and other services and when mankind or rather mancruel saw the redundancy of he bulls, this began the slaughterhouses in wide scale.

When we organised a 14 days Padayatra (walking on foot) festival in 1993 using bullock cart. We walked from Penang Island to Pelam Eatate in Kedah. The festival was so joyous and our bulls were constantly fed with lots of fruits, grass and jaggery and given ample rest. Children and even adults were just caught in rapt attention seeing the bulls and cart while devotees chanted and danced all the way along and many times we worked with the bulls in pulling the cart and at other times we even replaced ourselves with the bulls.

And appended below is text 3 from the Punishment and Reward in Kali Yuga chapter 17 of the Srimad Bhagavatam

TEXT 3
gāṁ ca dharma-dughāṁ dīnāṁ
bhṛśaṁ śūdra-padāhatām
vivatsām āśru-vadanāṁ
kṣāmāṁ yavasam icchatīm
SYNONYMS
gām—the cow; ca—also; dharma-dughām—beneficial because one can draw religion from her; dīnām—now rendered poor; bhṛśam—distressed; śūdra—the lower caste; pada-āhatām—beaten on the legs; vivatsām—without any calf; āśru-vadanām—with tears in her eyes; kṣāmām—very weak; yavasam—grass; icchatīm—as if desiring to have some grass to eat.
TRANSLATION
Although the cow is beneficial because one can draw religious principles from her, she was now rendered poor and calfless. Her legs were being beaten by a śūdra. There were tears in her eyes, and she was distressed and weak. She was hankering after some grass in the field.
PURPORT
The next symptom of the age of Kali is the distressed condition of the cow. Milking the cow means drawing the principles of religion in a liquid form. The great ṛṣis and munis would live only on milk. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī would go to a householder while he was milking a cow, and he would simply take a little quantity of it for subsistence. Even fifty years ago, no one would deprive a sādhu of a quart or two of milk, and every householder would give milk like water. For a Sanātanist (a follower of Vedic principles) it is the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls as household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles. The Sanātanist worships cows on religious principles and respects brāhmaṇas. The cow's milk is required for the sacrificial fire, and by performing sacrifices the householder can be happy. The cow's calf not only is beautiful to look at, but also gives satisfaction to the cow, and so she delivers as much milk as possible. But in the Kali-yuga, the calves are separated from the cows as early as possible for purposes which may not be mentioned in these pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The cow stands with tears in her eyes, the śūdra milkman draws milk from the cow artificially, and when there is no milk the cow is sent to be slaughtered. These greatly sinful acts are responsible for all the troubles in present society. People do not know what they are doing in the name of economic development. The influence of Kali will keep them in the darkness of ignorance. Despite all endeavors for peace and prosperity, they must try to see the cows and the bulls happy in all respects. Foolish people do not know how one earns happiness by making the cows and bulls happy, but it is a fact by the law of nature. Let us take it from the authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and adopt the principles for the total happiness of humanity.

This year we are celebrating 100 years that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur started the Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama.Nowadays,  every year more than 8 thousand devotees from more than 50 countries come to Parikrama. It is a life changing experience for each one of them! Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur says: By performing Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama the whole […]

The post Welcome to Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama 2018 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The post Daily Darshan: January04,2018 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 16.12 Sensual desires are ropes of enslavement, not roads to enjoyment appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post Why are there many religions – can we believe in more than one religion? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Seminar at ISKCON, Chowpatty, Mumbai]

Podcast

 

Podcast Summary

Video:

The post Mind It 2 – How unrealistic expectations hamper our relationships appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.