Thursday, January 25, 2018
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Mayapur, West Bengal

Mayapur Fullness

Young Sukhie (Sukadeva), age nineteen, from South Africa, has also arrived.  He and I took to the part brick/part dirt road to the region of the two queens.  By that, I mean the two elephants, Vishnupriya and Laksmipriya.  They appear to be both now fully grown.  It was Sukhie and I who could see them through the trees, even though it was early dawn. 

They are very passive in their setting.  What is calm in the holy dham?  Any place away from motorized conveyances.

I was invited to speak to the older boys in the school, SMIS.  They delighted in hearing of my road adventures: the bear encounters, people, the elements, the police, and mosquitoes.  The idea is to bring to the minds of these young men, a sense of a bigger world, a world to explore and to contribute to.  I have always felt travelling can provide the greater part of education.

I admire them, these eleven to sixteen year olds, who are learning in such a sacred environment, out in the country with its God-centric spirit all around.  It’s a great privilege.

Also, everything is kept so clean on the campus.  The grounds are well-maintained.  There are issues, however, of pop music blaring out from loud speakers into the wee hours of the morning from the village nearby.  That’s a tough item to sort out; at least hard to enforce so far as policies are concerned.

I enjoyed lunch with the couple Kala and Yashomati.  Over a meal of good food, all great relations are cultivated.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, January 24, 2018
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Mayapur, West Bengal

Mayapur Again

We hooked up at Delhi’s airport, then flew to Kolkata for a crazy taxi drive to Mayapura.  It was Pariksit, Parama, Karuna, and some members of our drama troupe who took the last leg of the journey together.  I was greeted by Keshava and swarmed with additional love by Vaishnava, Janaki, and Suniti, Canadians who spend the winter in India.  Also on board was Dustin Hines whom I took for a walk.

Who is Dustin? It seems that just about everyone in Mayapur knows Dustin.  His tenor operatic voice is being used in many venues for chanting on the Mayapur campus.  In fact, next to my room in the Gada building, I sat with Marshall, my support on last summer’s U.S. walk, when Dustin’s voice was on the iPod.  “I know those vocals!” I thought.

I like to take people I know along the Tarampura Road out back, then the trail parallel to the Jalangi River.  “ Here are the trees they tap for the sap,”  I pointed out to Dustin.  “And these are rice paddy fields.  There is mustard growing.  Soon the coriander will manifest.  Perhaps they are ready for harvest.  I just haven’t seen it yet.” https://instagram.com/p/BeZnO6flWpz/

I ventured into the temple room with Dustin when the mic came to my mouth.  “Lead!” Said the chanter.

“Okay!” And I flung the mic to Kripanidhi, another pilgrim from Canada, and we alternately sang.

Yes, here in Mayapur, we reunite with so many friends.  Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, encouraged an annual visit to such sacred places as Mayapur.  It is a battery charger.  As Dhruva from Montreal, who is also sharing the room with Marshall, said, “It is a necessity.”

Yes, a break from mundane doings!

May the Source be with you!
5 km

Tuesday, January 23, 2018
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Delhi, India

Chaitanya

My name was called over the loud speaker at the International Gates in Toronto’s Airport. I went to the counter and was informed that I had been upgraded. Okay! Some secret admirer? Krishna? I accept!

The passenger next to me, a young family man, is from Alabama and going on to Bangalore for business. He asked about my order and I was happy to explain.

“I adapted to an old tradition from India, a form of yoga called bhakti. Our guru came over from India to New York in 1965 to introduce this ancient but relevant way. Our beliefs are based on the text Bhagavad-Gita (song of the Divine), where warrior and wiseman have a dialogue over life-and-death matters. Sri Chaitanya, born in the late 15th century, is a great teacher in our lineage.”

My newly-made friend was listening and said, “I’ll look it up.”

When he went to sleep, I pulled out the latest book by Steven Rosen aka Satyaraja Dasa, a favourite author. I read from the third chapter of his book  Sri Chaitanya’s Life and Teachings where the opening lines define the great motivator and king of kirtan, himself.

“Who is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu?”  At the risk of seeming evasive, the answer depends very much on whom you ask…. Joseph T. O’Connell, an expert on Bengali religion and culture wrote of the traditional Gaudiya Vaishnava perspective: “During Chaitanya’s own lifetime, it became axiomatic among his closer devotees that he was in some fashion Hari/Krishna (Krishna with feelings and the complexion of Radha, descended in human form.”

May the Source be with you!
0 km

Monday, January 22, 2018
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Toronto, Ontario

It’s Who You Know

The acclaimed “Hare Krishna” film documentary is playing at the Cineplex downtown but I’m going to miss it.  I had the pleasure of seeing it in Nevada City this last summer.  The other reason for not viewing this masterpiece this evening is that I have to catch my flight, Air Canada Flight 42 to Delhi and beyond.  I’m on my way to holy destinations.  To be more precise, it’s Mayapura that I’m going to.  This is the birthplace of monk, Sri Chaitanya, the king of kirtan.

Laksman drove me to Pearson Airport to assist with extra luggage—costumes and props for our production “Many Mothers, Many Fathers.”  The personnel at the check-in said, “You’re over-weight.  You’ll have to transfer some content to the lighter bag (a duffle bag, in fact).  Laksman and I proceeded to go and do that transfer. They have a weigh scale facility and counters for adjusting your baggage. An employee came over, a familiar face—someone I had met at the airport before.

“Never mind this. You don’t have to deal with this nonsense. Here, I’ll check you in. You’re ‘The Walking Monk’, aren’t you? I’ve read your blog,” said the accommodating lady. She continued, “You travel a lot, don’t you? I’ve seen you around. Hare Krishna!”

Naturally, I was elated by this, and I would have been even more exploding with joy had she said, “You travel a lot…I’ve seen you walking.”

Anyway, good enough!

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Gita 16.03 Giving appropriate honor promotes harmony, demanding excessive honor disrupts harmony
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 16.03 Giving appropriate honor promotes harmony, demanding excessive honor disrupts harmony appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

How 100 “Hare Krishnas” transformed my Lonely New York City Experience.
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Hare KrishnaBy Julia Djeke

I wasn’t sure if I was ready to admit that I was lonely. I couldn’t use the word “suffering” because that’s reserved for the “real” sufferers like the homeless, orphans, and abandoned veterans—so I found prettier, more poetic ways to describe my sadness. But something happened that night that I did not expect: I started to remember the feeling of community. I realized that a separation had occurred, quite unconsciously, between my communing self and the isolated person I had become. I had chosen to abandon people because New York City had abandoned me—and by making that choice, I divorced myself from the chaotic mess of human beings. Continue reading "How 100 “Hare Krishnas” transformed my Lonely New York City Experience.
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Sankirtan is life changing! And it is infectious! – The joy of sharing Krishna with others!
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Hare KrishnaBy Ganapati Govind Das

ISKCON Of CT has been around for more than 35 years and during that time, the small congregation has been using a small house in East Hartford as a Temple. The presiding Deities are Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi, along with Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. The congregation has been actively distributing books for many years, but the year 2015 brought a dramatic change in the history of ISKCON CT. Continue reading "Sankirtan is life changing! And it is infectious! – The joy of sharing Krishna with others!
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27th January 2018 Disappearance Day of Sri Ramanujacharya…
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27th January 2018
Disappearance Day of Sri Ramanujacharya
Ramanujacharya (1017-1137) was the principal acharya (spiritual teacher) in the Sri sampradaya, one of the four main lines of Vaishnava teachers and disciples. His Vedanta-sutra commentary — Sri-bhasya — establishes the doctrine known as Vishishtadvaita, “qualified nondualism.” A staunch proponent of the philosophy of personalism, he taught that although the Supreme Lord and the individual souls are qualitatively one, there is still a difference between them, for the Lord is infinite and the living entities are infinitesimal.
Srila Ramanujacharya traveled extensively throughout India, teaching personalism and defeating proponents of monistic philosophy. He founded seventy-four centers of Sri Vaishnavism and initiated seven hundred sannyasis (renounced monks), twelve thousand brahmacharis (celibate students), and thousands of householders, including kings and wealthy landowners.

Puri, Orissa Yatra 2018 – Inauguration Ceremony (Album of…
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Puri, Orissa Yatra 2018 - Inauguration Ceremony (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Radha-Krishna. Radha’s name is first. Why? Nobody can be better devotee than Radharani. As soon as Radha’s name is there, Krishna is more pleased. That is the way. If we glorify the devotees, before the Lord, He’s more pleased than to glorify Himself, He directly. Hawaii, March 24, 1969
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Zm31bs

Disappearance Anniversary of Srila Ramanujacarya
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By Jananivas Dasa

Our proposition is to the Ramanujacarya followers because they are very, very strong, especially in South India they are prominent, purifying all of the world actually. It is mentioned in the Bhagavatam that when pure devotees appear in South India they then maintain the pure principles of bhakti. Continue reading "Disappearance Anniversary of Srila Ramanujacarya
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Preparation of Flags for TOVP Installation Ceremony
- TOVP.org

The victory flags for the TOVP domes are now being prepared for the installation ceremony to be hoisted along with the Chakras. This is called Dhwaja Rohan.

Each flag on the dome has a different size based on shastric measurements from the Matsya Purana. Once completed, they will be further decorated with auspicious Vedic symbols like the Sun and Moon.

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

The post Preparation of Flags for TOVP Installation Ceremony appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Tulasi Arati with Lyrics and Meaning
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In the Skanda Purana there is a statement about tulasi, as follows: "Tulasi is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the tulasi tree in the above-mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuntha world."

Mumbai Fest gets “Krishnaized” (Album with…
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Mumbai Fest gets “Krishnaized” (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: I’m in Mumbai for the weekend to participate in Mumbai Fest; a large event celebrating the heritage, culture, art, cuisine and music of Mumbai. Today the program was inaugurated with all major television, radio and newspapers present. I had the chance to meet and speak with many dignitaries. On Sunday I’ll be among 7 spiritual leaders holding a ‘Peace Forum’ at the event. Each of us will speak for 10 minutes on how to achieve peace in the world. The Vice President of India and the Minister of Culture will be in the audience, as well as millions of people watching on TV. Srila Prabhupada, please bless me to be your proper representative and speak the absolute truth as you would do.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/PZWWqv

Advaita assumes a four-armed figure.
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Advaita assumes a four-armed figure.
Rāghava Paṇḍita continued,
“A wise person once told me that Advaita Gosvāmī stayed in Mathurā during His pilgrimage because of the beauty here. At that time there was a worthless brāhmaṇa in Mathurā who invariably spoke ill of the Vaiṣṇavas. That was his worst habit. He was a proud scholar and a wicked man, so the inhabitants of Mathurā feared him.
Once he spoke harshly about the Vaiṣṇavas in front of Śrī Advaita Prabhu.
Advaita became so furious that His lips began to tremble and His eyes grew red. He shouted at the brāhmaṇa,
‘O wicked man, today you will not escape from Me. I shall sever your head from your body with this cakra.’
Advaita assumed a four-armed figure, and the brāhmaṇa began to tremble in fear. He folded his hands and tried to pacify Advaita by saying,
‘O Lord, punish me as You like. Unfortunately, I have lost my good intelligence, and not understanding vaiṣṇava-tattva, I have committed unlimited sins. Please be kind to me and save me from these sins.’
The brāhmaṇa began to cry helplessly, and Advaita concealed his four-armed form. Seeing the wretched condition of the brāhmaṇa, Advaita felt pity for him and decided to bless him. Advaita spoke in sweet words,
‘The sins which you have committed will send you to hell,
but I will tell you what you must do now. Admit your guilty mentality, give up all pleasures, and engage yourself in nāma-sañkīrtana. Serve the Vaiṣṇavas with your heart and soul and be very cautious in your dealings with them. Engage yourself in worship according to the standards of pure devotion and do not tell anyone what you have seen today.‘


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Nakula Dasa asks how the eternally conditioned souls can become liberated if they are “eternally” conditioned
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  • In the material world nitya means for a very long time
  • If nitya-baddha takes to devotional service he can reach the spiritual world and become a nitya-siddha
  • The fish are always wet and we are wet when we go into the water. When we go to the nitya dhāma, we are on the eternal spiritual platform.

700 students receive Bhagavad-gita in Surat
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Hare KrishnaBy Romapada Das

Over 700 students of the LPD School in Surat received copies of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is at an event organized by ISKCON Surat on 18th January. The programme organized by Ramlila Das, a youth preacher in Surat, included skits, prayers, kirtana and a lecture by His Holiness Bhaktiprem Swami. Bhaktiprem Swami described how the Gita was the essence of all the Upanishads, and engaged the students in a question-answer session that was lively and interactive. “Our school is centred around total personality development, in addition to academic learning,” said Vijay Patel, the Principal of the school. “Students are taught the wisdom of our ancient Vedic culture in a manner that can be applied to their daily lives. That is why we were pleased to partner with ISKCON in distributing copies of the Bhagavad-gita to all our senior students.” During the kirtana that followed, most of the students participated in the singing and dancing in an enthusiastic manner. Continue reading "700 students receive Bhagavad-gita in Surat
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Learning to love according to the sastras
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Hare KrishnaBy Dhameshvar Mahaprabhu Das

In the preface to Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Beatle Guitarist and songwriter George Harrison wrote, “All you need is love (Krishna)”. I am glad that he specified what he meant by love. The Hare Krishna movement took roots in the Western World, by the grace of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Shrila Prabhupada, during a time of free love, which he came not to stop, but to redirect. He gave us the Nectar of Devotion, where he explained how “Our love can be fully satisfied only when it is reposed in Krishna.” Continue reading "Learning to love according to the sastras
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The Bhagavatam is the book of this movement!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 August 2017, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja Evening Lecture)

Sometimes there are devotees, that when you ask them, “What have you read?”, they say, “Oh, many of Prabhupada’s books.” Then they give you a whole list of all small books: Elevation to Krsna Consciousness, The Perfection of Yoga. Then they say, “Well, I am trying to finish the Bhagavad-gita…” and then I ask, “Bhagavatam?” and they reply, “Well… not yet but I am planning to start it.”

Bhagavatam is the central core of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement. It is Bhagavatam that is the essence of all our literature. The Bhagavad-gita is simply the introduction. It gives us the basic philosophy. It describes the position of isvara (the Supreme Lord). It describes the position of the jiva (the living entity). It describes prakriti (material nature). It describes karma (cause and effect). It describes kala (time). Like this, Bhagavad-gita gives us the five main topics and the relationship between all those: (1) the relationship between the jiva and the Supreme Lord, (2) the living entity situated in prakriti – in the material world, (3) how to get out of this material world, (4) how the living entity is marginal energy and can be also in the spiritual world, (5) how in the material world everything is under the influence of time and under the influence of karma. All these things are explained in the Bhagavad-gita and it establishes our constitutional position as the eternal servant of Krsna.

That is very nice but it does not say much about Krsna. Although all knowledge is given in the Bhagavad-gita for going back to Godhead and for attaining the transcendental platform, what is missing is the nectar of Krsna’s pastimes on this planet, the nectar of Krsna’s activities. That is in the Bhagavatam! But one cannot understand Krsna’s pastimes on this planet unless one has read about the all the other incarnations of the Lord because one must understand how Krsna he expands himself – advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.33) – in his endless forms. So one must understand the endless forms of Krsna through the Bhagavatam and then Bhagavatam in the tenth canto describes to us everything about Krsna. Bhagavatam is the book of this movement!