Hare Krishna! The Mantra and the Swami who Started it All — in Lithuania
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Dr. Ausra Maldeikiene

When I'm really happy, I cry: happiness is somewhere deep in the throat and it is excited by hope and light-carrying tears. The next time I was crying was on Vilnius Street when I first saw the dancing people of the Krishna consciousness movement. I saw how the Soviets fed them into psychiatrists simply because they read "no" books and did not want to turn into a Soviet monstrous communist man. And when I first saw on the street the colourful white, saffron-tone dressed and lovingly looking, singing, dancing, people who distributed meals made by themselves and so pure of God's name, I understood freedom and respect for the choice of man had really come. Continue reading "Hare Krishna! The Mantra and the Swami who Started it All — in Lithuania
→ Dandavats"

Spiritual but not religious – Analyzing four permutations
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk at ISKCON, Las Vegas, USA]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

Video:

The post Spiritual but not religious – Analyzing four permutations appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Is the Bhagavad-gita Pessimistic?
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Chaitanya Charana Dasa

After teaching a university seminar, I was asked questions I had myself raised when I first encountered the philosophy of Krishna consciousness: “Why is the Vedic philosophy so pessimistic? When the world offers both pleasures and pains, why does the Bhagavad-gita call the world a place of misery?” Over my decade and a half of practicing and sharing Krishna consciousness, I have been preparing and refining the answer to these questions. Here's my short four-point answer: • The Bhagavad-gita is not pessimistic, but realistic; the reality is that the pleasure-pain balance of the world is tilted heavily toward the pain side. • Even if we still consider the Gita philosophy pessimistic, that pessimism is only initial, not final. In its conclusion, the Gita offers a supremely optimistic message. • Even the best worldly optimism pales and fails in front of the longing of our heart, a longing fulfilled only by the vision of reality offered by the Gita. • The Gita doesn’t teach us to reject this world for the spiritual world, but to harmonize this world with the spiritual world. Continue reading "Is the Bhagavad-gita Pessimistic?
→ Dandavats"

Confessions of a Prasadam Addict: Maha is as Good as Gold
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Taru Das

“And when the spiritual master sees the devotees are taking bhagavat prasadam, he is satisfied” - Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur. If there is any other instruction which the devotees of New Vrindaban have taken up more seriously than the one above, I have yet to run across it. In their undaunted endeavors to obtain bhagavat prasadam, devotees have crossed over the difficult ocean of contraptions, locks, chains and booby traps grouped together under the heading of maha cabinets. According to Webster, a maha cabinet is “any device or container, usually a box, a safe, cupboard, or so forth, which is used to preserve maha prasad, i.e., to protect it from being stolen, hidden or ingested from the time of its being lawfully distributed.” A little further on down, mention is made of the fact that as of the present, there are no fool-proof models available. Continue reading "Confessions of a Prasadam Addict: Maha is as Good as Gold
→ Dandavats"

Sri Rama-navami, March 25, Santa Barbara
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Brhad-Bhagavatamrta.

“Gopa Kumar said. ‘Hanuman then quickly made me leave that place and enter the inner precincts of the city where I saw the most amazing sight — the Supreme Lord as the best of human beings. He sat comfortably on a royal throne in the best of palaces. A palace full of the best of charming attractions. Happy and marked with the signs of a great personage He seemed somewhat like lord Narayana.’ Commentary by Srila Sanatana Goswami. ‘Lord Ramacandra’s face showed all the marks of a great person that are set forth in scripture. Such as an expansive chest and a neck  like a bull and mighty arms as broad as the trunks of a Shala tree. His youthfulness, His ornaments and the exquisite shape of His limbs made Him look much like the Lord of vaikuntha but certain especially attractive features distinguished Him from that Lord.”

—————————
First kirtan by Sarvatma dasa (Right-click to download)
Kirtan by Isvara Puri dasa (Right-click to download)
Second kirtan by Sarvatma dasa (Right-click to download)
Talk by Giriraj Swami (Right-click to download)
Nrsimha Prayers by Giriraj Swami (right-click to download)

Can we say that intelligence comprises of knowledge processing, discrimination, analysis and determination?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post Can we say that intelligence comprises of knowledge processing, discrimination, analysis and determination? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Are you convinced!?
→ KKSBlog

Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21 Dec 2010, Cape Town, South Africa

Conviction cannot be based on intellectual understanding. Are we convinced that Krsna consciousness is true? Yes, I am because it makes sense. But that’s just the beginning and it is a lot more than that. It has to be experienced in the heart. It must be really felt that Krsna consciousness is the most wonderful thing. That’s living on the cutting edge and spiritual life is about living on the cutting edge!

It cannot become routine because as soon as it does then we get into trouble. We start to dry up and feel the austerity and the weight of spiritual life – the weight of the promises and the strictness because we are practicing in the spirit of routine. But each time we apply ourselves to service and give it our best, that’s when we are on the cutting edge. Then spiritual life becomes magic when we are inspired. So one has to conquer Krsna!

The article " Are you convinced!? " was published on KKSBlog.

“Getting in the Back Door of Vaikuntha”.
→ Dandavats



“Getting in the Back Door of Vaikuntha” by HG Mahatma Prabhu - March 23, 2018 (4 min video)
Imagine somehow getting in the door of Vaikuntha before being qualified to go there. Would you be walking around hoping people notice how great you are for making it back to Vaikuntha, even though you got in by a fluke? Would you be looking at your beautiful body in the mirror thinking how gorgeous you are? Would you be thinking how smart you were for getting into Vaikuntha before you were qualified? Would you be thinking …?

A FEVER OF SANKIRTANA IN BANGALORE
→ Dandavats

Hare Krishna In Bangalore, we had an excellent time. Almost daily we had house programs and Ratha Yatras with good support from the congregation devotees who collected donations for padayatra. Anadi Jagannatha Dasa sponsored a projector for us, saying “It would be great if wherever you go you could show people videos of Padayatra, Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON. Let people know about ISKCON!.”

Amarujala Samvad 2018 (Album with photos) On 25th March 2018,…
→ Dandavats



Amarujala Samvad 2018 (Album with photos)
On 25th March 2018, Gaur Gopal Das was invited to speak at thought leadership conclave ‘Amarujala Samvad 2018’ at Kanpur Uttar Pradesh. Through his remarkable presentation, he connected to the finest minds and leading people from all walks of life in Kanpur.
He shared dais with eminent speakers like Shri Yogi Adiyanath (Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh), Shri Keshav Prasad Maurya (Deputy Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh), Shri Rajyavardhan Rathod (Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs), Shri Akhilesh Yadav (Ex Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh), Suresh Raina (Indian Cricketer), John Abraham (Film Actor), Raju Srivastav (Comedian), Kirti Kulhari (Film Actress), Irshad Kamil (Poet & Lyricist), Dipa Karmakar (Indian Gymnast), Devendra Jhajharia (Indian Paralympic), Bishweshar Nandi (Dronacharya Awardee).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/6R5LB9

WSN February 2018 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Vijaya Dasa

Things are looking really good in the world. Last year, we again increased the book distribution worldwide, and now for the first time we received book scores from Havana. You read that right: Havana, Cuba. Not only did the Havana devotees send their score but they were the No. 1 temple in Latin America, with 1,791 book points. A government official in Russia once said, before the fall of communism in Russia that three things would cause the downfall of communism: Western dress, Western music, and Hare Krsna. Cuba remained a stronghold of communism for almost six decades, but now with many of Srila Prabhupada's books going out, it's possibly just a question of time before Cuban communism caves in and Krsna consciousness arises. Continue reading "WSN February 2018 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats"

How can we encourage a devotee to do service with someone they don’t like?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post How can we encourage a devotee to do service with someone they don’t like? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Bring out the Hanuman within, not the Ravana within
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Rama Navmi Class at ISKCON, Phoenix, USA]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

Video:

The post Bring out the Hanuman within, not the Ravana within appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Lessons from Hanuman’s devotion to Rama 4 – How Hanuman provoked to deter Ravana from war
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Congregation program at Phoenix, USA]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

Video:

The post Lessons from Hanuman’s devotion to Rama 4 – How Hanuman provoked to deter Ravana from war appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Rama Navami
→ Ramai Swami

The appearance of Lord Ramacandra, Rama Navami, is enthusiastically celebrated in India and around the world.

The devotees in western Sydney invited me for the Rama Navami at a hall they hired for the evening.

I led kirtana and gave class. This was followed by a puspa abhisheka of Sita, Rama, Laksman and Hanuman and then there was a dance, arati and wonderful feast.

St. Augustine 2018 – Festival of Chariots (Album of photos)…
→ Dandavats



St. Augustine 2018 - Festival of Chariots (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Our humble attempt is to distribute the sublime knowledge of India. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Actually, outside India, there is no knowledge. Plainly speaking, their knowledge is as good as animals. Srila Prabhupada – April 17, 1977, Bombay
Find them here: https://goo.gl/d62sxv

Chinese Devotees visit Kurukshetra Dham with H.H. Bhakti Vigna…
→ Dandavats



Chinese Devotees visit Kurukshetra Dham with H.H. Bhakti Vigna Vinasha Narasimha Maharaj. (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A conditioned soul is hampered by four defects: he is sure to commit mistakes, he is sure to become illusioned, he has a tendency to cheat others, and his senses are imperfect. Consequently we have to take direction from liberated persons. This Krsna consciousness movement directly receives instructions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead via persons who are strictly following His instructions. Although a follower may not be a liberated person, if he follows the supreme, liberated Personality of Godhead, his actions are naturally liberated from the contamination of the material nature. Lord Caitanya therefore says: “By My order you may become a spiritual master.” One can immediately become a spiritual master by having full faith in the transcendental words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by following His instructions. From SB 4.18.5 purport
Find them here: https://goo.gl/hQsEHJ

Rama Navami Celebration 2018 in ISKCON Calgary (Album of photos)…
→ Dandavats



Rama Navami Celebration 2018 in ISKCON Calgary (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If we keep ourself on the material platform, then for thousand years we may chant, it will be difficult. That is called namaparadha. Of course, holy name is so powerful that even by chanting with offense, gradually he becomes pure. Therefore we should not give up chanting. Any circumstances, we should go on chanting Hare Krsna mantra. But the warning is that if we keep us on the material platform, then it will be not possible to understand Krsna, His holy name, His attribute, His form, His activities. It will be not possible. Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.15 – June 28, 1975, Denver
Find them here: https://goo.gl/uQhzKY