Planet ISKCON

Can Sexuality Be Spiritual?
Principles of Freedom - By Rukmini Devi Dasi.
“What’s the big deal about sex?” asked a student, “Why does religion demonize what seems to be a natural human expression? How can we expect the world to imbibe such a restrictive philosophy? Is it not harmful to our physical and psychological development if we exert such repression? Is sex not a spiritual experience?” A Bhakti Yoga session at university can sometimes feel like a battlefield. Our theme for the month, “Spirituality and Sexuality” had really stirred the arsenal. Honesty is usually the best ammunition yielding a thoughtful approach towards sacred texts and a broader vision of the world and ourselves. With this in mind, we approach the last principle of freedom: avoiding destructive sexual activity. Does spirituality deny sexuality?

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Congregational Book Distribution: Monthly Sankirtan Festivals
“Monthly Sankirtan Festivals are a great way to engage the entire congregation in book distribution,” says Vaisesika dasa. “At our temple, we combine the festival with a holy day on the Vaisnava calendar. Our meditation during the Monthly Sankritan Festival is that the sankirtan results are our special offering to the Lord.”
Sankirtan is a Sanskrit term which means the congregational chanting and sharing of the names and glories of Krishna, which is the recommended process for spiritual success. In the Hare Krishna tradition, sankirtan is associated with sharing our spiritual culture with the public via the timeless books, translated by Srila Prabhupada.
Vaisesika Dasa is the Temple President of the ISKCON Silicon Valley (ISV) temple as well as the North American Sankirtan Strategist. Over the last seven years, he has used ISV as a testing ground for different book distribution strategies. The Monthly Sankirtan Festival has proven so successful that Vaisesika is now training other temples in this strategy. The Monthly Sankirtan Festivals have spread to Boston, Houston, New York City, Washington, DC. , Toronto and now to Alachua, FL.
Vaisesika says that the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, wanted everyone to conduct book distribution. He remembers that in the early days of ISKCON, the temples were managed so that even the cooks and pujaris had days when they went out on book distribution.
Why did Srila Prabhupada want all of his disciples to engage in book distribution? “Book distribution has so many benefits,” says Vaisesika. “The most important benefit is that it purifies the distributor. All service, including book distribution, should be performed in a way that purifies the servant. Then, the service expands to purify others who are able to take advantage of the sankirtan movement.”
At ISV, before a devotee is allowed to go out on book distribution, he/she must participate in a training seminar. The seminar focuses on how to perform book distribution in a way that is purifying. The most important principle is that we want to leave everyone with a good impression of devotees. This means that devotees must develop the intelligence to know who to approach and who to leave alone. Leaving everyone with a good impression also means freely distributing prasadam. Vaisesika says, “Book distribution is very purifying if we see ourselves as instruments. It forces us to see others as spirit souls and to treat them respectfully.”

A second benefit of book distribution is that it enlivens the devotees. Vaisesika quotes one of our previous acharyas, who said, “One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.” One who “has life” does not identify with the body, which is dead matter. Instead, he identifies as a living, conscious spirit soul. The third-class devotee identifies with the body. The second-class devotee, however, identifies as a spirit soul. Book distribution is the best preaching for a third-class devotee. By engaging in book distribution, the third-class devotee can advance very quickly to the second-class level and “get life.”
A third benefit is that book distribution forces devotees to move out of their comfort zone. Vaisesika says, “Book distribution is good practice for the time of death, when many of us will be out of our comfort zones.”
At ISV, the leadership emphasizes Vaisnava holy days as special opportunities to receive the Lord’s mercy and purification. Thus, the congregation enjoys the Monthly Sankirtan Festival even more than the traditional feast, because the members know they are on the fast-track back home, back to Godhead. The majority of the congregation participates in the Monthly Sankirtan Festival. On large festival days such as Gaura Purnima, over 240 congregational members will be on the streets, performing sankirtan. Vaisesika says that every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching. He says that he has tested the Monthly Sankirtan Festival concept at ISV, and it is now proving successful in other communities.

Harinama in Paris (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chantin...

By Sakshi Mohan Das

None other than HG Jashomatinadan Prabhuji Disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada himself odered the construction of the ISKCON Temple in Kathwada in 2016. Known as the Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar Gaudham, the Vaishnav Temple has vigraha of Lord Krishna and Radha along with those of Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadra and also vigraha of Nityananda Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This is the first ISKCON temple in wich cow is worshipped along with Radha and Krishna. Themple is located on Sardar Patel Ring Road at the Kathwada village and it is a popular attraction not only for Krishna bhakts but also for tourists. Continue reading "ISKCON Temple of Gujarat in Kathwada, Ahmedabad- Enlightening and Elevating
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By Shyamasundara Dasa

"...as we were walking back to the ashram to honor prasadam I noticed some altercation was going on with the security guards. On enquiry I found out that they had caught a shoe thief and had garlanded him with a garland of shoes, as was the custom with shoe thieves" Continue reading "Murder and Mayhem in Mumbai
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The Schedule of Events for the Grand Chakra Installation Ceremony on February 7th, 2018 is now official. You can download it from the link below and view the entire event live on MayapurTV at: www.mayapur.com/media/mayapur-tv/

We request you also print it to post at your local temple and share on your Facebook Page and other social media. Become a TOVP Ambassador and spread the word.

Please note that the schedule times are for India and you will have to adjust that for your own time zone.

To sponsor an abhisheka for one or both Chakras go to:
https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

Schedule of Events can be downloaded by clicking the button below.

DOWNLOAD ZIP  

The post TOVP Chakra Installation Schedule of Events appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Answer Podcast

The post How can we communicate the need of regulation to people who are gung-ho about freedom and rights? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The post Managing the Mind (4) appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Seminar at Govardhan Eco-Village, Wada, Mumbai, India]

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The post Managing the mind 4 – Training the mind by dividing and castigating appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

I am very close to my dear godbrother, Venugopal das, since we were young brahmacaris living and travelling together in the early days of ISKCON Australia.

Venu was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months ago and will leave his body shortly.

Upon hearing of the situation I flew from Sydney with Pratapana, Jayasri and Camari to spend time with him at his home near New Govardhan. He was in such a Krsna Conscious condition that it was extremely blissful being in his ecstatic association.

Breathing Space.
Ananda Vrindavaneshwari Devi Dasi: Last week a dry cough gripped my breath and made it short. I had the experience we all have - appreciating something when it’s gone or not working well.
Breathing is the in and out of life that happens unconsciously until it doesn’t. The idea of my last breath became a reality. What do I breathe? How do I breathe? Can I do it better when I’m better? These were all questions that stayed with me as I slowed down due to shallow breathing.
That experience helped me create some breathing space in my life - the gift of illness is the gift of time. Nothing became more pressing than healing the cough and yet I needed to give it time by giving myself time to slow down and rest. Who wants to be sick? Too much to do! I should push on! I also couldn’t hurry up the recovery - the illness itself needed breathing space to find its feet and work itself through.

Breathing space is needed when we are sick and it is key to keeping healthy when we are healthy. Exercise and rest create breathing space for the body, listening and meditation make breathing space for the mind, and philosophy and reflections on life and death provide breathing space for the intelligence.

And the soul? How to make breathing space for soul? Answer: Intentional devotional service to Krishna, for His pleasure. Taking time to gaze at the beautiful Deity form of the Lord. Making a tasty vegetarian dish and offering it to Him with love and devotion. Joining a kirtan. Taking japa beads and walking or sitting with Krishna’s name. Listening to talks about Krishna. Sharing thoughts about Krishna through writing or speaking.

My favorite example of breathing space is Krishna providing it to Arjuna minutes before the great battle of Kuruksetra. It made all the difference for Arjuna. Keep breathing space close to the top of your new year’s resolutions list - to have some for yourself and to give to others. It’s guaranteed to make all the difference.

It's no secret that Srila Prabhupada wants the devotees to develop rural communities where they produce their necessities while centering their lives around Krsna.

According to modern psychology, the self is made of a combination of conscious and unconscious self. In the unconscious realm, there are collective and personal forgotten images. Images or memories that we collected from our culture, family and our own individual quarks over a period of time. We may not be aware of these intentionally but is a part of us. This is unconsciously present within us. The ego is a sum total of our conscious and unconscious self and this sum total (ego) is exhibited as our personality. Our likes and dislikes (personality) in daily life therefore are a reflection of our ego.

The model can explain many mundane attributes of a person,however, it does not answer what psychologists call the hard problem. Where does consciousness come in all of this? Scientists are not able to explain how a being experiences this phenomenal world. The quality of awareness (qualia) such as the redness in red or the sensation of taste or our passion for a particular work or person or love etc that which defines us is not quantifiable within the scientific community.

I am very astonished that the scientific picture of the real world around me is deficient. It gives a lot of factual information, puts all our experience in a magnificently consistent order, but it is ghastly silent about all and sundry that is really near to our heart, that really matters to us. It cannot tell us a word about red and blue, bitter and sweet, physical pain and physical delight; it knows nothing of beautiful and ugly, good or bad, God and eternity. Science sometimes pretends to answer questions in these domains, but the answers are very often so silly that we are not inclined to take them seriously. 
- Erwin Schrödinger - Nobel Prize Winning Physicist

In fact it is said that Schrödinger was so fed up with the mundanness of science that he gave up hard science in later stages of his life. This is a testimony to how science is good at collecting and interpreting data but falls way short on explaining what makes us human. Most scientists' (my opinion) therefore cannot appreciate the simple things in life, unfortunately. What to speak of an unknown and unseen God!

Anyways, consciousness according to vedic theory is the symptom of the existence of an ethereal substance called soul. The soul is as real as matter (body) but only it does not hold material qualities such as decay or change. It is not affected by material elements of heat, cold, dryness, wetness etc. It is also not subjected to sensual and mental feelings of pain, pleasure, anger, depression etc. So if we remove the sensual, mental and material layers of our self, whatever is remaining is the subliminal soul.

The soul is experiencing this phenomenal world and the quality of awareness stems from the soul. The soul or the actual person is completely independent and in fact entire sense of being (consciousness) of thinking (brain functions), willing and feelings (from our heart) comes from the soul. The body and mind and the ego are windows for the soul to experience and relate with this world. Modern science says that the body+mind+ego=self or person. Vedic science says that soul=self or person and it uses the body+mind+ego as a vessel to experience this world.

Science cannot make any progress in this field of consciousness till they agree to the existence of a completely independent substance called the soul. If they do agree at some point in the future, then the entire field of science has to be re-written.

Hare Krishna

How I came to Krishna Consciousness - HH Bhakti Marga Swami (21 min video)

[Seminar at Govardhan Eco-Village, Wada, Mumbai, India]

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The post Managing the mind 3 – Understanding inclination, infatuation and intention appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Sastra Dana Sweden Report November/December 2017.
Mukunda das: 360 “Bortom födelse och död”
15 “Perfekta frågor och perfekta svar”
10 “En mästares ledning”
8 Bhagavad-gita
1 Srimad Bhagavatam set
Shastra Dana programme in Sweden has now existed over eight years.
From August 2009 - December 2017 we have distributed app 19.500 böcker.
Srila Prabhupada wrote to Cyavana das 26 December 1971:
”Distribution of books and magazines is our most important activity.
Without books, our preaching has no solid basis”
Special thanks to the following devotees for supporting the book
distribution:
HH Smita Krishna Swami, Sri Jayadeva das, Ella & Sune Hellström, Aja das & Pancavati dd, Magnus Hedström, Sten Bergil, Jayesh das, Muktarama das, Mikael Forian, Mikael Johansson, Robert Åkerman, Cathryn Claesson, Astasiddhi dd, Yogindra das, Bahulashva das, Dharani dd

The post Daily Darshan: January 10,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Bodybuilders in Russia become devotees (Album with photos)
Alexander Segolev of Chelyabinsk - master of Sports, judge of the Na...

[Seminar at Govardhan Eco-Village, Wada, Mumbai, India]

Podcast

 

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The post Managing the mind 2 – Understanding how the mind affects our free will appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By the GBC

ISKCON center officials shall be responsible to ensure that any and all web sites published by the center prominently feature a picture of Srila Prabhupada on the introductory page. This picture should be larger than any other individual’s photo (such as the GBC, center President, or guru). Srila Prabhupada should be addressed by his formal name and title: “His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness,” or “ISKCON Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada”, or an equivalent translation. Continue reading "Founder-Acarya Foremost on ISKCON Temple Websites
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By the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

The GBC Body hereby encourages ISKCON managers to monitor the levels of the sound systems in use at their centers. The sound system should be adjusted so that it sounds clear, sweet and attractive as opposed to overly loud, distorted or painful. Whenever possible, the sound pressure levels should regularly be measured using sound pressure level meters to make sure that dangerous sound pressure levels are prevented. Such meters are available on mobile devices. Continue reading "Sound Systems Guideline
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By Bhakti Carudesna Swami

On Saturday, 23rd of December 2017, Iskcon Lomé, Togo, West Africa organized its second Padayatra. Around 45 devotees from different countries of West Africa met in Lomé, the capital of Togo. We had devotees like Bhakti Carudesna Swami from Côte d ‘ Ivoire, Yuga Prabhu, the west African Council chairman from Ghana, Vrajendra Dhulal and Tribhuvanath Prabhus from Nigeria, Candrasekar Prabhu and Bhakta Séverin from the Republic of Benin and many others from Togo like Atmattva Prabhu, Akincana Prabhu, Mother Abla Amouzou etc. Vrajendra Dhulal Prabhu from Nigeria a disciple of Lokanath Swami Maharaja, was on his way to Nigeria but decided to stay for the program. He said: “Padayatra is my Guru Maharaj’ s program, I can’ t afford missing it. I must stay to attend to it.” Continue reading "Togo Padayatra
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Distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books under the snow (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness. Letter to Ksirodakshayi, January 29, 1973
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mfZN1s

Have Darshans of the Most Holiest site of Naimisharanya! (Album with photos)
Chakratirtha……..
Chakratirtha, considered to be the holiest site in Naimisharanya, is also believed to be the epicenter of Prithvimandala (Earth). In the Satya Yuga, some of the most prominent rishis used to perform continual yagnas here, including- Maharishi Shringi, Maharishi Dalabhaya, Maharishi Udallak, Maharishi Shikamketu, Maharishi Pravaan and many others. It is believed that a huge Manomaya Chakra (wheel) fell on this site and created a round “Kund”, which is known as Chakra Tirtha. Devotees taking bath in this Kund are believed to have their soul cleansed and those who perform charity gain wealth benefits. The body is purified through meditation and people who donate “Pinda” are believed to attain the state of Moksha.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/iBsBMy

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 June 2012, Leicester, England, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.7)

When something happens to a devotee, is it karma or is it Krsna acting? This is a big question. Sometimes, we hear, “It’s your karma, Prabhu?” Then at other times, you are told, “Isn’t it Krsna who is behind this?”

Srila Prabhupada explained about how karma works for a devotee in The Nectar of Devotion – the fan (analogous to karma) is spinning and at the time you take up devotional service, the electricity is turned off but the fan continues turning, therefore we are getting diminished reactions.

So are we under the influence of karma or are we directly under Krsna’s influence? Is the pure devotee under the influence of Krsna and is everyone else under the influence of diminished karma? Giriraj Swami has shed some light on this matter:

As Prabhupada said, there is that diminished reaction but Krsna is behind it and Krsna is sort of watching that karma – that diminished karma. Sometimes he interferes and at other times he just lets it act and he watches, anumantā upadrasta (the permitter and the overseer, Bhagavad-gita 13.23). He just witnesses it and oversees everything. As anumantā, he gives ājñā diba – permission. So, in this way Krsna permits it or sometimes Krsna says, “No, scrape off the bill. That is okay, there is no need for that.”

At other times, Krsna puts in an extra test. According to our karma, something was not supposed to happen but Krsna put it in there! So it’s interesting how we, as devotees, are simultaneously under the influence of Krsna’s direction and karma. Krsna is the ultimate cause and therefore we always see Krsna behind it. Whenever something happens to us, we see Krsna as pūruṣa, our maintainer, who is with us at every step of the way. He is caring for us; there is no doubt! He does not leave us alone. Although he puts us through things that we really do not want to go through it, still it is good for us. He is prodding us, activating us like a buffalo because after all, we have become like buffalos!

In India you see the buffalos walking in the street and when cars come from behind, ‘Honk! Honk!’ as Indian cars do, the buffalo does not move an inch and just keeps on walking. Even when a car touches the buffalo a bit, it does not move but with anyone else, they would have moved, So we have a bit of that buffalo consciousness. By being under the influence of the three modes of material nature, we have become dull; we have lost our sensitivity.

When things are happening in our life, it is Krsna prodding us. Gradually, we awaken and we rise above. Sometimes you see a little boy or a little girl walking next to the buffalo with a stick – they are not shy and ‘whack’ with a stick and that’s what gets the buffalo going. Sometimes Krsna also does it to us!

 

HG Shyamsundar Prabhu shares some excerpts from the newly released book “Chasing the Rhinos ” and some from the upcoming volumes, on 7th of Jan 2018 at ISKCON Chowpatty (video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/sviru7

Watch Online the Live Broadcast of the Historic TOVP Chakra Installation Ceremony
The TOVP management has arranged for a live broadcast of the Grand Installation Ceremony of the Chakras onto Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s domes on February 7th, 2018 through MayapurTV. Now every devotee will have an opportunity to view this occasion live right from the comfort of their own home and with their entire family.
This momentous and pivotal occasion, perhaps the most important in ISKCON’s history to date, represents the completion of a seven year phase of construction and the beginning of the remaining phase of construction of the TOVP as we approach the Grand Opening in 2022. It heralds yet another milestone of achievement in our cooperative effort to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s strong desire to build this unique temple and establish Sridhama Mayapur as the spiritual capital of the world, nay, the universe, from whence the sankirtan movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began and Krishna prema flows.

The address to access MayapurTV is: www.mayapur.com/media/mayapur-tv/

A link to download the Schedule of Events is below and we request you print it to post at your local temple and share on your Facebook Page and other social media. Become a TOVP Ambassador and spread the word.
https://cdn.tovp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/schedule-of-events_print_ver.zip

Radha Kunda Seva: December 2017 Photos and Updates (Album of photos)
It is with great joy that we welcome the New Year with this announcement, “Apsara and Navala Kundas are clean!” It took over two weeks for our crew to tackle the buildup of trash there. Now we’ve transitioned to daily maintenance cleaning and moved on to another place badly in need of care. We have started cleaning Dananivartan Kunda situated just about a kilometer south of the Danghati Temple in Govardhan Town. From there, we are slowly working our way south down the side of Govardhan Hill. Our crew is very happy to do this work. In wonder, they expressed how perfect it is that they are earning a livelihood and performing a most important service to Govardhan at the same time!
We had a hope that the Forestry Department would give us some land to care for, but asking the Forestry Minister via mediaries didn’t seem to be going anywhere until… the minister himself showed up as we were cleaning the area near Dananivartan Kunda! Way to get his attention! He was happy with our work and is going to try his best to get us a lease on that tract of forest! If anything, the meeting was certainly a green light for us to continue cleaning right near Govardhan!
For years, we’ve been working with Food for Life Vrindavan to support the construction and running of a girls’ school here in Govardhan. Though that construction has been delayed due to issues with the land, we have decided to offer some classes at local schools in the meantime. Specifically, we are teaching classes in classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam. The girls are so eager to learn! Dancing and singing about Radha and Krishna comes naturally to them since love of Radha and Krishna is the foundation of their lives and culture here in Vraja.
As the new year dawns, our cleaning and prasadam distribution continue. We are deeply grateful for your blessings and support due to which this service is thriving and expanding.
Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com. We are dependent on your help. Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Sri Arjuna dasa, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/yA2tzf

ISKCON devotees’ 7-year-old daughter Vasilisa Yashenko has been recently filmed in a major Russian TV talent show for children entitled as “Luchshe Vseh” or “Best Of All”.
The audience, as well as the host Maxim Galkin - a famous TV-star, husband of Russian primadonna Alla Pugachova, - were responding to Vasilisa’s performance of an Indian dance with great enthusiasm.
Watch Vasilisa’s heart-warming TV performance here: https://goo.gl/XDS1VW

Mayapur Bhakti Vriksha’s Annual Spiritual Picnic: Welcoming the New year, around 800 prospective devotees from Krishnanagar, Dhubulia, Dharmada, Srirampur, Swarupganj etc. took part in Annual Spiritual Picnic, conducted by Mayapur Bhakti Vriksha on 17th Dec 2017.The program took place on the bank of Ganges “ Shree Kunja”, mayapur; a beautiful environment alike the forest of […]

The post Spiritual Picnic appeared first on Mayapur.com.

By Urmila Devi Dasi

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada established ISKCON when it consisted of one rented storefront in New York City. He wrote purposes for his new society—to teach spiritual knowledge, consciousness of our existence as a soul part of the Supreme Godhead Krishna, and a simpler natural way of life Continue reading "What is ISKCON? Who is a member of ISKCON?
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The post Daily Darshan: January 09,2018 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: In a retreat with devotees from Chita in East Siberia. Outside it’s minus 25, but inside it’s nice, and the devotees’ hearts are, as always, very warm. (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Do4474

Gold Coast in HarinamaBliss, Surfer Paradise-Australia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Oh, how glorious are they whose to...