Planet ISKCON – Page 688 – Websites from the ISKCON Universe

The new KKSBlog page on Facebook
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At some point, you become too famous, even for Facebook! Our Facebook account has grown steadily and reached the limit of 5000 friends over a year ago. For some reason, only known to Mark Zuckerberg, we cannot accept more friends. And after reaching this limit, Facebook starts “suggesting” that you create a page. After months of getting those “suggestions”, we decided to breathe life into an official KKSBlog Facebook Page.

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Although things might seem to go on automatically, it actually is a big operation done by our team. Daily and weekly newsletters, new articles on KKSBlog, Facebook, Twitter and on top of that (live) videos. Without the continuous (almost daily) input of our editor, our in-house technician, our transcribers and our various other contributors (who help with recordings, taking photos and supplying other media), this would not be possible. You can see who is and who was on the team, on our About page. And of course, a big thank you to Kadamba Kanana Swami for being the source of all our material

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Closet Catholic
→ Seed of Devotion

I entered the church and the vaulted ceilings lifted my breath and my gaze and my mind.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The morning light filtered through the high windows and stained glass. Warm pools of light illuminated wooden pews, cream-colored pillars, and the massive murals of Saint Brigid and Saint Emeric. The cloth of their painted robes billowed in an unseen breeze, their faces gentle.

That day was our School Mass for the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which takes places several weeks before Christmas.

Although filling with children from ages seven to fourteen, the Church echoed with only quiet shuffles and murmurs. I paced down the center aisle then directed my eighth grade class to file down the wooden pews. When everyone had settled, I took a seat and gazed up at the giant effigy of Christ on the cross.

The service for this special day was filled with devotions for Mother Mary, songs and prayers in her honor. Towards the end of the service, I rose to direct my students to file out of their pew to receive the Eucharist, the sacred wafer that represents the body of Christ. I approached the priest and folded my arms across my chest, which is a sign that I won't receive the Eucharist itself as I am not Catholic, but I would like to receive a blessing. (As a note, one may receive the Eucharist even if one is not Catholic but for now this is my preference.) With a soft smile, the priest put down the wafer and placed his hand on my head in blessing. I felt warm all over.

I walked back to my pew and took a seat. I could see many students had taken to kneeling again. Their elbows were placed on the pew in front of them, their palms folded, heads bowed in silence.

I swung down my kneeler with a soft clunk and knelt on the padded bar. I followed the lead of my students and also placed my elbows on the pew in front of me and clasped my hands together. I bowed my head. Sudden tears came to my eyes.

Thank you, Mother Mary.

Thank you for bringing me to this school to serve and to learn about you and your son, Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Lord, for always protecting me with your loving arms.

I cannot escape You. You will always come for me, even if I do not ask you to come. You have come for me in the form of this position as the English Language Arts and Religion teacher. Every day I get to talk about you and learn about you and share your love. I didn't ask for this, but you guided me here.

That is grace.

What an unexpected, undeserved gift.

Thank you Lord, for showing up in my life, unconditionally. No matter the form you may take, you are here, you are here.

Can self-help techniques be used in Krishna’s service?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post Can self-help techniques be used in Krishna’s service? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Monday, January 15th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Montreal, Quebec

Some People

I spent some time conversing with my Quebec friends, including Gokul, Bhakti Lata from Jamaica, Gord from northern Ontario and a few more. Anubhava is one of my favourite Canadian leaders. He administrates, but maximizes more on ‘doing’. Currently, he’s doing carpentry and making extra space above the auditorium stage.

Madri came to Krishna Consciousness about four years ago. She arrived with plenty of insecurities in life but much of that is now behind her. She has built up so much confidence. She keeps herself occupied. She’s blossoming. I'm happy for her.

Gokul and I lunched together. They make good prasadam here in Montreal—although eggplant curried veggie preps don’t always hit the mark for me. It was something I consumed in the evening.

I was satisfied to deliver two talks today here in the ISKCON temple/ashram, the second one concentrating on one of those beautiful flowing verses from the Bhagavad-gita. From Chapter 2, verse 20—I will avoid the Sanskrit or Roman transliteration for brevity’s sake and in English, not French. Sorry.

“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”

The verse was discussed. We had our eggplant and we went to rest.

A thought came to mind, as crazy as it was. I had the image of Napoleon; his right hand concealed in his waistcoat. Was he secretly chanting on japa meditation beads?

May the Source be with you!

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Sunday, January 14th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Montreal, Quebec

Transit to the East

I had booked a train because experience tells that in the days of extreme winter weather, a train has no delays. The ‘iron horse’ (the train) plows through it all. However, my trip to Montreal saw something different. There were delays. https://instagram.com/p/Bd9-0O7FEtG/

During those delays, and otherwise, I peered out the window from seat 15A, Car 6 of Via Rail, quite often. For anyone who knows this route, you get some pretty good views of massive Lake Ontario. There’s abundant trees and fields, and I could see cleared walking trails alongside bush and creek areas. It was enticing. The sun shone and all of nature looked clean. I even viewed young boys on a natural ice rink where they were skating and carrying hockey sticks. How endearing! How Canadian!

I saw, through my window frames of peace, 19^thcentury buildings—at least the backs of them—and to a past with the vision of towns of long before. Very Victorian! I appreciated the train stations themselves. Before the automobile, they meant everything to people. It was nostalgic to see it all. A former life—or lives, and there perhaps—made me fall in love with those former hubs of activity.

I arrived in Montreal to be greeted by Dhruva. I took a shower, ate some wraps and was rushed to the main temple hall at Pie IX Blvd., a snow-occupied world. By morning, the snow will be removed for ample parking. Each and every one of us are required to remove the snow from our hearts, as well as the street.

May the Source be with you!

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Study scripture as an existential seeker, not as a historical…
→ Dandavats

Study scripture as an existential seeker, not as a historical investigator!
Chaitanya Charan Das: Some people study scripture largely, if not entirely, from a historical perspective – they focus on when it was written, what was the general culture then, and what were the specific contexts for its statements.
Such a history-centered approach, though useful in understanding some aspects of scripture, misses its essence. Scripture essentially is divinity’s guiding revelation to humanity, offering wisdom on life and living whose relevance extends throughout history. The Bhagavad-gita (03.31) declares that its insights are eternal (avyayam) – they can offer liberation and life eternal to one and all at all times.
A trans-historical disposition is evident in the Gita itself – in the words of both the seeker Arjuna and the seer Krishna. Arjuna is confronted by a confounding historical context: indecision at the start of a fratricidal world war. Yet despite the pressures of the situation, his merely question to Krishna (02.07) is not contextual but existential: not “What should I do now?” but “What is my dharma now?” Dharma, as we know, refers to time-independent principles and practices of living.
Krishna responds to Arjuna in not historical but existential terms. He doesn’t analyze the historical context to drive home the socio-political necessity of the war. In fact, a direct call to fight occurs in the whole Gita less than half a dozen times, with no reference at all in its last six chapters. It focuses unrelentingly on perennial existential questions of identity, activity and destiny. The dharmic worldview delineated in the Gita answers the deepest questions that underlie our very existence: “Who am I? What is life? What am I meant to live for?”
If we approach the Gita in the mood of an existential seeker, not a historical investigator, we will discover it to be an unending mine of jewels of ever-fresh wisdom.

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Please find below, audio recordings of lectures and kirtans by Kadamba Kanana Swami captured during December and January in Australia.