Planet ISKCON

Listening to a talk Srila Prabhupada gave in Vrindavan on December 10, 1975, I was struck by how he defined Vrindavan and said we could create Vrindavan anywhere.

“So this Krishna consciousness movement means everything is there; it has to be purified by diverting the same thing for Krishna. Just like we have got feelings for raising children—attachment. That is attachment. What is Mother Yasoda doing? She is attached to Krishna, and that is Vrindavan. Vrindavan life means all attachment for Krishna. Mother Yasoda is attached to Krishna, Nanda Maharaja is attached to Krishna, the cowherd boys are attached to Krishna, the calfs and cows are attached to Krishna, Radharani is attached to Krishna, the trees are attached to Krishna, the flowers are attached to Krishna, the water is attached to Krishna—that is Vrindavan. Vrindavan means the central attachment is Krishna. That is Vrindavan.

“So if you can create that central attachment for Krishna, then it is Vrindavan. Then you can create Vrindavan anywhere. Any family, any society, any country—just make the point of attachment Krishna, and it is Vrindavan. That is required. That is Krishna consciousness movement.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

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For the first time in 37 years, New Vrindaban is the featured article on the front cover of the Jan/Feb 2018 issue of Back To Godhead magazine. Perfect timing, as the village residents and well-wishers begin their 50th anniversary celebrations!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, December 2011, Pretoria, South Africa, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture)

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained to Sanatana Goswami that we must follow in the footsteps of the eternal residents of Vrindavan. We must always act for the pleasure of Krsna. In our sadhana, Krsna must always be in the centre.

My first big festival in the temple was Gaura Purnima. I was celebrating it at the Bhaktivedanta Manor and I had just returned from India. We were in a very big room and we, the brand new devotees, our service was to roll sweet balls the whole day. We were fasting and it was just too much for my mind to be sitting with an ocean of sweet balls. I was thinking, ‘What kind of movement is this? They are fasting and then the whole day they are in the kitchen cooking and busy with and all kinds of prasadam preparations. What is this process?’

I thought it was strange because I was self-centered. I was thinking that it was all austerity which we were performing for our own purification. I did not understand that for one day, for one day, it was a day for Krsna and on that day, instead of worrying of our own senses, as we usually do, on a special festival, we put all our own sense enjoyment aside. There will be no arrangements made for our sense enjoyment. All the arrangements are made only for Krsna’s pleasure, everything! The residents of Vrindavan do that every day!

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.G.Panca Gauda Prabhu at ISKCON Vrindavan, 17.02.2018 (video)

[Brahmachari class at ISKCON, Juhu, Mumbai]

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Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.H.Bhakti Vaibhava Swami at ISKCON Vrindavan, 24.02.2018 (video)

10.000 devotees in Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama 2018 (Album with photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Today was the concluding day of...

Members of Parliament and police in Iskcon Auckland’s Holi (Album with photos)
Auckland NZ held its annual Holi festival today with over 10 thousand guests turning up to our hare Krsna temple in Riverhead. We served out over 5 thousand plates of prasadam and distributed lots of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
We started the Holi festival 5 years ago with around 1500 guests, the feedback is Super positive lots of the guest saying it one of the best festivals they have been to and are planning to return the following year, they are amazed how they can enjoy a day without any intoxication and love the vegetarian meal.
One of the many great things about our Holi festival is that we can hold it at our temple so its full on Hare Krsna.
The guests got the opportunity to have Darshan of Lord and hear the Kirtan which goes on in the temple during the day.
The local members of Parliament were the special guests, and the police always enjoy spending the day with us and they are favorites for throwing the colors at. Also, the Fire Brigade turn up each year and spray the guest with colored water.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Y9vfyG

2018 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Day 7 (Album of photos)
Hare Krishna! After offering the most auspicious Mangalarati to Nitai Pada Kamala, and Madan Gopal -the deity of NilambarkaChakravarti -Saci mata’s father- the devotees paid their respects to Belpukur and proceeded towards Simantadvipa, the island of hearing. At the second stop there was Guru Puja led by HG Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu. Soon after the devotees were happily surprised to see HH Subhaga Swami Maharaja who so kindly gave his association. There was another surprise at Jagannatha Mandir hidden inside buckets… that was pasta prasadam. Every year at Jagannatha temple pasta and fruit salad is served. After breakfast parikrama moved towards the fields just behind the temple, where the house of Kolaveca Sridhara lies. There HH Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja as well as HH Bhakti Nityananda Maharaja spoke about the relationship between Sridhara and Lord Gauranga. Sridhara’s humility touched everyone’s heart. Although the camp had been reached by breakfast time. That was not the end of the day. In the evening we had a drama on Chand Kazi and then HH Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja gave a most nectarean lecture about the nature and relationship between Lord Caitanya and Lord Jagannatha. At last like every year we had a realization session, which was being watched by HH Jayapataka Swami through Mayapur TV. A young mataji from Mongolia shared: “ This is my first time to India and thus first time on Parikrama. My father is a devotee so he has always been advising me to chant Hare Krishna, but I never really understood who Krishna is. And I didn’t want to start doing something just because I had to. After this parikrama I saw how all the devotees are so kind and caring. My faith increased a lot, and now I want to become a devotee” HH Jayapataka Maharaja spoke to the devotees through a phone call reassuring them that he was waiting to hear everyone’s realizations. Being touched by Maharaja’s care most devotees came up to share the jewels which they had received during this Parikrama. Someone said: I wish this would continue for more days" Someone else said: “ This is the best time of the year for me. To come to Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama and chant and dance with all of you for 7 days. Thank you so much.” In this ways it went on for 2 hours, until the lights had to go off. In conclusion it is not possible to express sufficiently the blessing, the bliss and the transformation that parikrama brings to a devotee. The mercy of these two Lords Gaura and Nityananda are a bottomless ocean. They embrace one and all. What to speak of those who come to Navadvipa and even more those who perform parikrama. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by Krishna prema!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9u83t1

Because of the success of the BBT book distributors all over the world… the volume of pilgrims attending have become so high the parikrama groups have had to be divided into smaller groups. What is further impressive is that those responsible for coordinating the logistics of this operation arrange for ALL the pilgrims to get both breakfast and lunch served at the location sites where they arrive at! There is yet another group of very hearty individuals who camp and bath at the places of worship where huge tents are set up for them to sleep and they get an evening meal as well! This is all because of the extraordinary teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Continue reading "2018 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama – Huge Success!
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This beautiful and emotionally stirring video documentary produced by Prananantha das about the TOVP Chakra Installation Ceremony on February 7th, 2018 is sure to arouse in your heart a further appreciation for this historic and visionary project initiated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder/Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

The placing of the three Chakras, the crown jewels of the TOVP onto the domes is now complete and we expect full protection and auspiciousness as we proceed for the next four years with MISSION 22, the marathon effort to complete the TOVP by 2022 and celebrate its Grand Opening to the world.

We urge one and all to support this project by continuing to make payments towards their pledges and others to make their pledges today. Please go here to make a contribution:

https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/

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In the early morning devotees took a boat to Rudradvipa. The most expected boat ride in the Holy Ganges, specially for those who joined Parikrama for first time (many!) happened today. It is a dream of lifetime to be here in the place which you hear since the first time you join ISKCON…” the Ganges, […]

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Dhanus, Parasu, Gada, Bana, Parasurama, Durha, Maniman and Pajaka.



The post Daily Darshan: February 25,2018 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Krishna arranged for devotees to be there at the time of his death. This was December 8th 1980. The New York temple was on West 55th Street in Manhattan and two devotees lived at that temple. Bakula and Surottama, and they had their daughter Shringara born that morning. She was born in the temple so by the afternoon she had developed kind of a cough so they thought well we better take this baby to the hospital because you never know. So they asked another devotee Keshiha, who now lives in Alachua where I lived, that can you please drive us to the ER the emergency room at Roosevelt Hospital. Roosevelt Hospital is up on West 59th Street and the temple is on 55th Street so at the hospital they were taken into this room and the lady doctor was examining the baby when all of a sudden she was called out of the room, there was apparently like a big emergency, and she was called out of the room so uh Surottama das followed her, he wanted to see what what is this emergency, so he followed her to and of course I mean at that time this was 1980 the devotees you know they always just dressed with their shaved head and the dhoti and kurta they didn’t wear karmi clothes to go places in America so much that because they were living in the temple. So what it was, Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s wife was walking alongside a stretcher and John Lennon was laying on it facedown lying on his stomach. He had been shot, somebody assassinated him, they shot him outside of his apartments and his apartments were up on West 72nd Street so what it means is that the hospital is right in the middle. So that’s why he went to that same hospital and when Yoko Ono Saw Surottama she said “John the Hare Krishna’s are here” and then, like a moment later he expired. Continue reading "How John Lennon heard the mahamantra just before he left his body
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Real Happiness….Harinam Sankirtan in Melbourne, Australia (Album of photos)
Yuga Dharma Harinam Sankirtan during White Night Fest in Melbourne, Australia. Oh Hrsikesa, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to You.
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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Juhu, Mumbai]

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Mahaprabhu’s seniors, His parents and gurus, are all His servants and eternal associates and they take their birth prior to His appearance in order to serve Him in their own way.

Srila Madhavendra Puri appeared in the 14th century. Sri Advaita Acharya and Sri Ishvara Puri were the chief disciples of Madhavendra Puri.

His body was completely full of divine love; so were his followers. He displayed uncommon love of God. Seeing a dark blue raincloud, he would fall down unconscious. Day and night he was intoxicated from drinking the ambrosia of Krishna Prema.

In a dream, Krishna ordered Madhavendra Puri to uncover a buried Gopala Deity and install Him atop Govardhana Hill. Madhavendra Puri celebrated Gopala’s installation with an anna-kuta. This Annakuta festival, also called Govardhana Puja, is one of the most important Vaishnava festivals in Vrndavana.

Madhavendra Puri introduced the conception of madhurya bhava (conjugal love) in the Madhvacarya sampradaya. Madhavendra Puri sowed the seed of prema bhakti and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became the towering tree dropping honey sweet fruits of prema upon everyone.

Madhavendra Puri’s samadhi is in Remuna, Orissa near the Temple of Kshira-chora Gopinatha.

Untold Florida: SanctuaryAlachua Opens As Place of Empowerment for Women, Children.
A new Krishna house opened in Alachua offering a safe haven for women and children in the community.
The nonprofit interfaith community services center, SanctuaryAlachua, located at 13700 NW U.S. 441 in Alachua, is offering events and classes to empower women and children.
The property that the building is located on had not been in use for a decade and instead of selling the property, the owner and director, Gaura Purnima, known as Mother Gaura, decided to convert the building into SanctuaryAlachua, according to Maha Mohini, networking director.
The center acts as a sanctuary in that it is a safe, sacred place that enforces an ahimsa (nonviolent) environment, according to Krsna Jivani the manager of SanctuaryAlachua.
SanctuaryAlachua is owned and managed by people from the Krishna community, however, the house, services and classes are open to everyone in the Alachua community.
The Krishna movement started in Alachua County in the 70s, when the founder, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada visited Florida. In the 40 years since Prabhupada visited, the community has expanded to over 1,000 followers in the Alachua area, according to Mother Gaura.

Mother Gaura spends half of the year in Vengavi, India, working with underprivileged children and teaching them and their parents about self-defense and about sexual assault.

Her teachings in India are also carried over to SanctuaryAlachua. There are classes for children’s self-defense and tutoring.

Profits from SanctuaryAlachua go towards supporting Vrindavan Child Protection, an organization in India that has a focus on protecting and supporting victims of child abuse as well as preventing abuse in the community, according to Krsna Jivani.

The center also acts a meeting ground for women to come together and support each other. While the center is not anti-men, and does offer events that include men, it is a safe place targeted towards women.
“Although we are open to and want to include our entire community, we also believe strongly in women empowerment and want to provide a space for women in our community to have a voice and feel safe and comfortable in using it,” said Krsna Jivani. “We are offering New Moon Gatherings exclusively for women every month. These gatherings are for women to connect, and support each other and to help each other feel empowered.”

More upcoming events in the next month include a “Sage Gathering – To Honor the Truth of Womanhood” on Thursday and a Kid’s Day Open House, at a date to be determined in March, according to Krsna Jivani.

Weekly classes at SanctuaryAlachua are holistic healing classes such as Bhakti Yoga, belly dancing fundamentals, Odissi Dance and martial arts self-defense for both adults and children.
Source and more photos: https://goo.gl/oKFFyc

Importance of Pure food (Prasadam) by H.G. Gauranga Prabhu (4 min video)
What happened in a Hare Krishna Govinda’s Restaurant?

Sankirtan Mandali artists want youths to adopt spirituality.
BHUBANESWAR: Thousands of people from different districts of the state congregated at Lower PMG here on Wednesday to hail god through Sankirtan (musical performances) seeking peace and brotherhood in the society.
Normally people gather at Lower PMG to stage protest dharna and demonstration seeking fulfillment of their demands related to their livelihood and other disputes. But these people had no complaints against anybody. They were marching in the city for peace and harmony in the world.
Sankirtan or Kirtan in short, a popular form of performance art to pay obeisance to the god, was developed in fifteenth century by Chaitanya from West Bengal. The troupe performs this spiritual act is called as Sankirtan Mandali.
In every troupe, there will be singers, one or two persons to play Mridanga (a percussion instrument of ancient origin) and cymbal players. Chaitanya’s this Bhakti movement had attracted people from all castes. Later Sankirtan Mandalis were created in most of the villages of the state.
“Even today also several villages have kept the tradition alive by performing Sankirtan every day and organizing Kirtans in other villages to spread the name of god. Though the number of troupes is decreasing day by day, still around 20,000 troupes are functioning in the state,” said Dibakar Patra, president of Shree Shree Jagannath Kala Sanskruti Sankirtan Seba Bikas Parishad, an umbrella organization of Sankirtan Mandalis.
Patra said the new generation is not interested either to learn the art of playing Mridanga or singing the Kirtan songs. “It is fact that children go out for study or job. Only the old or middle-aged people perform these kirtans in the villages. We want to revive the tradition and create a movement in the state to attract the youths towards this tradition,” he added.
Bipin Bihari Das, a coordinator of the Parishad, said they are concerned about the future of the tradition. “We want the state government help them in preserving the ancient art. At least the government can donate instruments and pensions to the artists to carry it forward,” he added.
Manoranjan Panigrahy, the secretary of culture department, said the state government has included Sankirtan as folk art and provided pension to some of its artists. “Now 4,000 artists of different folk arts are getting a pension of Rs 1200 per month. Name of another 1,000 artists has been finalized. As chief minister Naveen Patnaik has decided to provide pension 50,000 artists, more Sankirtan artists will get monetary help,” he added. He said the state government is working on preserving the old art forms like Sankirtan.
Source: https://goo.gl/5xMj9R

India Govt funding two ISKCON centers in Bangladesh.
Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday said Indian government is funding two ISKCON centers in Sylhet and Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.
He was addressing a function at Sri Sri Radha Madhav Jiu Temple of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) at Jugaltilla in Sylhet.
Recalling support from Indian government to ISKCON centers, he said, “We are funding development projects in two ISKCON centers in Bangladesh. In ISKCON Savar, the Government of India is funding the construction of an old age home and orphanage at a cost of BDT 5.54 crore.

In ISKCON Sylhet, the Indian government is providing BDT 7.4 crore for construction of a five-story student hostel.”
An amount of Tk 1.54 crore has already been released to ISKCON Sylhet for this project. He handed over a cheque of BDT 1.05 crore as part of the next installment for the project there.

Both these projects were inaugurated during the visit of the Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to Bangladesh in October last year.

He extended felicitations to ISKCON for the festival to mark the appearance of Srivas Thakur – a close companion of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu –to be celebrated next month in Beanibazar of Sylhet.
Source: https://goo.gl/mJcUuQ

2018 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Day 6 (Album of photos)
Gauraangaaa!!!! In the early morning devotees took a boat to Rudradvipa. The process corresponding to this is island is the sakhyam, becoming a friend of the Lord. Here is where Vishnuswami had the darshan of both Lord Shiva and Lord Gauranga and thus became empowered as the acarya of the Rudra sampradaya which is one of the four bona fide sampradayas. First the boats landed at Nidoya ghat . HH Bhakti Chaitanya Maharaja explained the pastime of Nidaya. There were rumors throughout Navadvipa that Nimai Pandita was going to take sannyasa. This news perturbed mother Saci’s heart very much. Aggrieved she addressed her son: “ Oh Nimai, please don’t leave your poor Mother. First your brother, Visvarupa, left, then my husband and now if you leave, I will be all alone”. Mahaprabhu replied:“ My dear mother, I must do this. This is an essential part of the mission which I have come to accomplish.” Maharaja continues: “ Just like Lord Krishna left Vrindavan and thus gave the Brajabasis love for Him in separation which is the highest, Lord Gauranga left Navadvipa. It was from that very Nidaya ghat, that Mahaprabhu left to Katwa where he took sannyasa from Keshava Bharati.( "Ni” means “no” and “daya” means mercy). This katha was held at the Radha Madhava Jiu temple. The Gauranga deity of that temple is the deity which Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur used to chant his 300.000 holy names in front of, during his vrata of chanting 1 billion names. After hearing about all these deep topics the Delhi devotees played a drama which made everyone to roll on the ground in laughter. The drama was about Shankara Acarya and his preaching of Mayavada all over India. When he reached this Rudradvipa Mahaprabhu appeared to him. This evening class was given by HH Lokanatha Maharaja, at Belpukur. Tomorrow we head towards Jagannatha Mandir.
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It is almost entirely possible in this age to make our temples, businesses, and deity paraphernalia more GREEN. It is favourable for spiritual life and you may agree, purer. The revolution needs to happen with devotees and temples. Do not make a demand for plastic mantra boxes, clickers, trinkets and cheap souvenirs, have some class! Use a proper meditation beads. If you need a to-go kit, why not try using a 27 bead mala in your pocket or wrist (at least this is justified by scripture in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, where this mala is called a kanista/sumarni), or you could wear a small 108 beads around your neck in addition to your neck beads (at least this is justified by scripture like Nectar of devotion, where devotees should wear Tulasi around the neck and chest) – Better still what happened to the good old meditation bead bag that is designed to go everywhere with you. Amazing! no? Better than a non-eco-friendly counter (stop buying them – it is only inattentive chanting being promoted). Continue reading "Plastic Bhakti
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Arjuna had never been defeated in any battle. But today standing between the armies of Kaurava and Pandavas he was not even able to hold his famous Gandiva bow with which he had conquered the mightiest of the warriors. He was in total panic, his body was quivering and he said to Krishna that it is better for me to beg and live than fight this war. In fact he was unable to decide what is righteous and unrighteous behavior. He understood that his expertise in archery and his valour is not taking him anywhere but is coming between him and Krishna. So he put aside all his material name, fame and glory and beseeched Krishna to quell all his doubts and rescue him from the precarious situation. Arjuna’s eagerness and most importantly humility delighted Krishna and he immediately accepted Arjuna his disciple. And we all know how Krishna’s glorious words changed Arjuna’s life and those words of wisdom is still guiding millions of souls like us to fight the battle of our lives. It should be noted that as long as Arjuna was presenting his philosophy and was not willing to accept Krishna’s guidance Krishna did not reveal transcendental knowledge to him. If we too want to solve the fundamental problems of our life, want to understand Krishna’s message then we also have to keep aside our material notion and prejudices before seeking spiritual guidance Continue reading "The Humble Surrender
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