Launching of SRI SURABHI App
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Hare KrishnaBy Bhakti Raghava Swami

I thank the few donors who made this possible especially the major donors comprising of Sri Krishna Purushottama prabhu, Sridam prabhu and Sripati prabhu. We also have a small team headed by Shubhananda Hari prabhu and a few other devotees like Yadhava Hari prabhu from Indonesia in helping coordinate the development of the App. This is the first time this is being tried and it requires still some work to be completed nicely. The Sri Surabhi App will serve mainly as a “FRIEND RAISER” (involving devotees in various activities related to the OM Sri Surabhi Campaign) as well as a “FUND RAISER” (to support local village/rural projects and campaign initiatives). Continue reading "Launching of SRI SURABHI App
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ISKCON-London’s Food for Life Initiative Honored by the Queen of England
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON-London Communications

Acyuta Charan dasa will be proudly accepting his BEM award later this year at a grand event presented by a representative of the Queen of England. He shares, "I wasn’t expecting it at all, a few colleagues put me forward for it. This award should really go to all the wonderful volunteers who make Food for Life possible. They sacrifice their precious time to come and distribute to the needy. Each week is a delightful experience. It has been a privilege to be a part of this service for over 10 years." Continue reading "ISKCON-London’s Food for Life Initiative Honored by the Queen of England
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Seminar series on Bhagavad-gita at Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Hare KrishnaBy Hari Narayana Das

There used to be a very vibrant preaching centre in Jalan Pleret, Bantul, Yogyakarta under H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami and taken care of by Narasimha Chaitanya das. Six Brahmacharis used to preach extensively, teaching local people how to chant the maha mantra, reading Bhagavad-gita, distributing books, going to nearby villages. On 26 May, 2007 due to increased volcanic activity at Mount Merapi, an active volcano, a massive earthquake shook the whole of Jogjakarta causing widespread destruction and death by thousands. The building where the centre was located too did not survive the earthquake and all that was left was a pile of bricks and rubble forcing the devotees to move a different location in Bali. Still before leaving the devotees organized food for life program to assist the victims affected by the life changing earthquake. Continue reading "Seminar series on Bhagavad-gita at Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Our Body Is in the Tight Grip of the Three Different Modes of…
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Our Body Is in the Tight Grip of the Three Different Modes of Nature.
Our beloved Srila Prabhupada warns us that the material world is a very dangerous place. Krsna promises His devotee in the Bhagavad-gita that if he takes complete shelter of Him and fully depends on Krsna for protection, then He will certainly protect His devotee without a doubt. One should be convinced of this.
The body is not free and independent, but is under the strict laws of material nature and is in the tight grip of the three different modes of nature. The body is in the midst of this vast ocean of material energy and is part of it. It is constantly being tossed about by these three modes. Everything is completely out of the control of the teeny spirit soul. We only think that we have control, but in reality we have no control. We are helplessly being dragged about through dangerous situations, which are ever changing due to the constant interaction of goodness, passion, and ignorance.
Following our endless desires, Krsna, through the agency of His material nature, creates situations that satisfy those desires to falsely lord it over material nature. Not knowing what desires will actually satisfy us, we receive both good and bad results and suffer perpetually. But when we surrender to Krsna, He protects us from all those reactions that have accumulated for millions of lifetimes. Part of that surrendering process is becoming convinced about Krsna’s firm promise to protect us under any circumstance.
We are always forced to accept the reactions of our material activities. This is due to ignorance. Out of ignorance the conditioned soul identifies with the action as the doer, therefore he is bound to accept the effect of that action. There is no escaping this law of cause and effect. For example, a foolish man not knowing the principles of religion, may decide to kill his business partner and take his share of the profits, which will increase his happiness when he spends that money. But, unknown to him, when the natural and fixed reactions are carried out by material nature, his future is very dark. Rather than more happiness he has created much suffering for himself. But a conditioned entity does not know for sure what will be the results of his actions.
Understanding the helpless condition of each individual in the material atmosphere, it will behoove the bhakta to surrender to Krsna, Who is the source and controller of this energy, and beg His protection. If Krsna wants, He can pick us up from this vast ocean of illusory energy. Otherwise, though we are part of the superior nature, we will constantly be overwhelmed by these three modes, even though they are inferior by nature, due only to their immense vastness. Mahananda dasa

Devotee’s factory grows beyond expectations! Ramai Swami:…
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Devotee’s factory grows beyond expectations!
Ramai Swami: Nimananda Prabhu came with his family from Fiji to New Zealand some twenty years ago. He and his wife performed services in our temples like cooking, deity worship and HK Food for Life.
After a time he started selling bhuja and yogurt to Indian stores in Wellington and Auckland. His business went so well that he thought to supply the Supermarkets.
He found that the demand was so great he needed to rent a factory in Auckland. Everything grew to the point where last year he bought a bigger factory and now will supply milk and ghee as well.
I went with Kalasamvara to visit Nimananda and his son Kanai at their new factory.
More photos: https://goo.gl/TSQHck

Is satisfaction a brahminical virtue that is impractical for kshastriyas and other varnas?
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Answer Podcast

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Gita 15.15 The purpose of perceiving the spiritual through the material is to perceive the spiritual in its own right
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

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The Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda, January 13, Houston
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read Srila Prabhupada’s purport and discussed the song Nitai Pada Kamala by Narottama Dasa Thakura during an evening program.

“We talk about association but what does that mean? In the Nectar of Instruction verse 4, Rupa Goswami discusses:

dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam

So, guhyam akhyati prcchati means revealing ones mind in confidence. It is very important that devotees are able to do that. Otherwise they keep things inside and they fester and grow bigger than what they really are. We need that type of association where we can reveal our minds in confidence. And we also have to be confidential. Otherwise we reveal our minds in confidence and the next thing it’s all over Facebook and all over the town and then we wont be able to reveal our mind in confidence again because we don’t have faith that the confidence will be maintained. So, coming back to Nitai Pada Kamala — the idea is that we realize the truth of this song in the association of devotees. And even if we are together now and we have a sense of the import of this song, we may forget it and be carried away once we leave the association of devotees. So, sticking to the lotus feet of Lord Nitayanada means sticking to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada’s devotees.”

Nitai Pada Kamala purport (Right-click to download)

TOVP Chakra Installation Ceremony Approaching – Sponsor a Chakra Today
- TOVP.org

In less than a month the Grand Installation Ceremony of the remaining two Chakras onto Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s domes will take place. This historic occasion will be ISKCON’s most important event to date and represents almost a decade of effort on the part of all devotees to fulfill the vision of Srila Prabhupada to manifest the adbhuta mandir predicted by Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

Sponsoring one or both Chakras is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve the most auspicious Sri Sudarshana who is dear to the Lord:

“What is this Sudarśana cakra? The Sudarśanacakra is the glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by which He creates the entire material world. Sa aikṣata, sa asṛjata. This is the Vedic version. The Sudarśana cakra, which is the origin of creation and is most dear to the Lord, has thousands of spokes. This Sudarśana cakra is the killer of the prowess of all other weapons, the killer of darkness, and the manifester of the prowess of devotional service; it is the means of establishing religious principles, and it is the killer of all irreligious activities. Without his mercy, the universe cannot be maintained, and therefore the Sudarśana cakra is employed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Srila Prabhupada Summary of Srimad Bhagavatam Canto Nine, Chapter 5

All sponsors will have their names read during the Maha Sudarshana abhisheka and also placed at the base of the Chakra(s) they sponsor. Special imprinted coins will also be awarded to all sponsors as a transcendental souvenir.

Current abhisheka sponsorships

Radha Madhava Chakra – 629 sponsors
Lord Nrsimhadeva Chakra – 722 sponsors

To become a sponsor, go to this link at the TOVP website:
https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

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Sri Nrsimhadeva Dome Chakra Ready To Go
- TOVP.org

The Chakra for Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Dome is completely finished and ready for installation. Preparation of the main Chakra for Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s Dome is on target for completion soon. Both will be installed at the Grand Installation Ceremony on February 7th.

To sponsor an abhisheka for Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s and/or Lord Nrsimhadeva’s domes please go to:
https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

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Gaur Nitai Canvas Posters for Staircase Walls
- TOVP.org

In the temple design, one of the highlights will be the images of Gaur Nitai on the front staircase walls of the temple made out of mosaic tiles. We have created a mock-up of those images to scale on canvas that will be placed on the walls. This gives us an indication of the huge size of each mosaic and what it will look like.

To sponsor an abhisheka for Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s and/or Lord Nrsimhadeva’s domes please go to:
https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

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Stars and Ribbons Being Mounted on the West Wing Dome
- TOVP.org

We have commenced the mounting of the titanium nitrite Stars and Ribbons onto the tiles and ribs of the West Wing Dome. This process is ongoing and we will hopefully be able to complete much of the mounting by the time of the Chakra installation ceremony on February 7th.

To sponsor an abhisheka for Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s and/or Lord Nrsimhadeva’s domes please go to:
https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

The post Stars and Ribbons Being Mounted on the West Wing Dome appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Nimananda das and family
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Nimananda Prabhu came with his family from Fiji to New Zealand some twenty years ago. He and his wife performed services in our temples like cooking, deity worship and HK Food for Life.

After a time he started selling bhuja and yoghurt to Indian stores in Wellington and Auckland. His business went so well that he thought to supply the Supermarkets.

He found that the demand was so great he needed to rent a factory in Auckland. Everything grew to the point where last year he bought a bigger factory and now will supply milk and ghee as well.

I went with Kalasamvara to visit Nimananda and his son Kanai at their new factory.