Planet ISKCON

The post Daily Darshan: December 08,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

While being crucified, Jesus cried. But he did not cry for himself, instead he cried for those who were committing the gravest sin. Jesus was continuously praying to God to forgive those who were menacingly torturing and trying to kill him. Jesus, the son of God, had come to this world to spread the message of peace and love and to effect this change he was ready to sacrifice everything Continue reading "Krishna and Christ: Are they same or different?
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Dear Devotee. Since Christmas is just a few days away, I thought it would be appropriate and enlightening to look at Prabhupada’s views on Christmas and Christ Continue reading "Bhagavata-Bhakta Christ
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Class)

Printing books certainly is our family business. There is no doubt about that. Although the early days of ISKCON were centred around harinama and distribution of magazines on the street still Prabhupada printed books. Prabhupada had arranged books to be printed and there were basements filled with books and no one knew what to do with them. 

So the books were being stored in the basement but one devotee in particular, Buddhimanta, once he took some of these books with him in the car. At one point, they needed petrol and had no money so he did a swap – the book for petrol and that is where it started. “People actually take these books. They are not only basement books. They are not only just sitting there but people are actually interested in them.” That is basically what was discovered at the time and book distribution began.  Buddhimanta was one of these pioneers who would drive people. He was like the army sergeant type.

Later, he went to Australia and Hari Sauri mentioned that Buddhimanta just basically told him, “Hari Sauri, get out of the car and distribute this book.”
His mind was totally freaking out, “Please, anything but out of the car.”
“No, out of the car and on the street.”
So he approached someone and that person just took the book. He did not even have to say anything, Krsna was there. That is a fact that the Supersoul is present and if the Supersoul was not there, what can we do? But because Krsna as the Supersoul, as Paramatma is within the heart of everyone, he can just take over!

Narada Muni’s mercy (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by H.H. B.A. Janardan Swami in Vrindavana.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/KZ1Lgt

“I try to find common ground. I think that’s a good way to hold a discussion.” Josiah (in the photo) said.
Mitra Dasa: I was impressed with this 19 year old. He had clarity, wisdom, humility and kindness.
“Your parents did a good job on you.”
He agreed. “Thank you sir. I love them both.”
Josiah was trying to understand the book I’d given him from the Christian perspective he’d grown up with. “If something is true,” he said, “Truth with a capital -T- how can I neglect it? How can I go elsewhere? Jesus made the perfect sacrifice for me. I accept that and shaped who I’ve become.”
“I can see that, and it serves you well.” I replied, “I don’t want to interfere with it”
“But still, I’d like to understand what this book says. Can you explain just a bit?”
“I’ll try, and I’ll be brief because I know you’re busy as a college student you have a heavy study load.”
“No. I’m good. I want to know about this.Tell me as much as you want.”
“Well, in brief, this book begins by saying there’s an unlimited source, an unlimited supply it’s infinite. We have nothing to fear, no worries. The next verse says if you follow the rules, take only as much as you need, there will be plenty for all. Greed is sinful and brings suffering and shortages.” I paused to see his response.
“I’ve got a problem with that.” He said.
“How so?”
“Well, are you married?”
“Yes.”
“Every time you do something for your wife, are you doing it because of rules or is it out of love that you…?”
“I see what you’re getting at and I’m glad you brought that up. Actually rules are meant to bring us to the platform of love. But even in love, you’ve got to have rules. I’ve been married 32 years. Rules hold the daily stuff together, it’s a platform for trust to build and THEN love can grow.”
Josiah agreed.
“Does this book talk about that level?” He pointed to the Ishopanishad in his hand, “I’d like to learn more about it.”
“Uh, well, actually…” I reached into my backpack. We’d been talking a good twenty minutes already. It wasn’t a debate. We were trying to understand each other, sharing. There was no conversion attempt on either side, just sharing. “…this book goes into it more clearly.” I put the Bhagavad Gita into his hands. He looked at it respectfully.
“Is this your main book?”
“Well, sort of, there are…, well, let’s say it’s a good start. We have a lot of books.”
I explained the story line of the Gita, Krishna’s teaching to Arjuna, “See all beings as souls, eternal souls, all bodies change, everything changes and is therefore insignificant, not worth worrying over.”
Josiah agreed.
Then I figured I’d drop the big topic on him, “Krishna reveals that He’s God.”
“Whoa, what? Wait a minute. The chariot driver is God?”
“Yup. And why not? Who can put a limit on what God can or cannot do?”
“Well, I guess they tried to do that with Jesus.”
“Yeah. This is going to challenge what you’ve grown up with. Do you think you’re up to it?”
“I want to look into it.”
“I’m not trying to change your belief. I think you’re mature enough to consider that the truth with a capital T is big enough to accomodate a lot of things you haven’t heard. There’s very little we can understand of the unlimited.”
“Yes, we’re so tiny.”
“What Church did you go to? They did a great job. They must have an excellent youth program.”
He agreed. I don’t remember the name of their church. It used to have the name Baptist in there, but they wanted to open it up, to make Catholics and Lutherans feel welcomed.
“I’m traveling with two monks who live in a van. They do this year round, visiting schools and showing these books. They asked me to try to get donations for them so they can buy gas and stuff. Would you be willing to help at all?”
“Sure.” Josiah opened his wallet and selected a ten dollar bill. “I appreciate what you guys are doing here. I wish I could have conversations like this with my friends.”
“Wow! That’s a sacrifice, coming from a college student. I really appreciate that. Thank you so much.”
We talked some more. I said, “You know, I’ve got to get going and you probably have things you need to do. I’ve taken up your entire morning.”
“Yes, I should get going.”
We talked another twenty minutes, sharing stories, wisdom, challenging each other.
“This is a good sign.” I said, “It’s hard to say goodbye. Which way are you going though? I’ll walk with you.”
“Yes, I’ve got your email. Let’s stay in touch. Let me know next time you come to Clemson.”

TOVP Australasia Tour, Days 8-10 – Fiji
Reaching Fiji on November 24th, we were greeted with great care and attention as preparations were in order for our visit to five temples and communities in Fiji.
Immediately upon our arrival we held our first program in Nadi where twelve families combined together to pledge $30,000. The same evening we were whisked away to the next program in Lautoka where one hundred devotees congregated for the program and together pledged a total of $130,000. The next day, November 25th, we visited the Sigatoka temple where ten families pledged $35,000. On our last day, November 26th, we again had two programs. In Suva the devotees’ combined pledge surpassed $650,000, and finally, in Naosori, 60 devotees pledged an amazing $220,000. In addition, Visvanath prabhu, the organizer of the entire tour personally donated $108,000. The total pledges for our Fiji Tour came to over $1 million!
We want to thank Visvanath prabhu and his father Jayram prabhu for organizing the tour as well as all our visas to Fiji. We also thank Parasuram prabhu and Gita Kirti devi dasi for their support and dedication.

Some of our Kirtan Leicester team chanted backstage with Russell Brand yesterday when he was in town for his Re:Birth tour!

A message from Iskcon Nepal (3 min video)
Do you have 3 Minutes to watch this video?
Do you have the copy of your Bhagavad...

Alachua Iskcon community on the rise!
Vaisesika Dasa: This photo brings back good memories! It is from last weekend in Alachua, Florida where my wife and I visited to get the association of the advanced devotees who live there, to participate in book distribution, and to attend the wedding of my dear friend, Divyanga’s eldest son. Last Saturday, 85 devotees from that illustrious community went out together to distribute books, door to door, in various spots around the area. Near the end of the day, many of us gathered together at a middle-class apartment complex where we engaged in canvassing for Lord Caitanya. This photo was taken after we had finished knocking on every single door in the complex and we were just about to go back to the temple for prasadam and sharing of stories and realizations for the day. I must say that I am very impressed with the devotees at ISKCON Alachua. The temple president, Mukhya Dasi is keenly focused on devotee care, community development, and book distribution, and sets a stellar example for all. And then there’s Alachua’s Sankirtana leader, Sri Vrindavana Dasi, who is a brilliant organizer and under whose watch book distribution in Alachua is on the rise. We found the devotees of Alachua to be highly enthusiastic about all forms of devotional service. We were touched by how they pour out their love and affection to those who visit the community. All glories to Team ISKCON Alachua (TIA) and all the devotees there! My deepest thanks to all the devotees in Alachua for their supreme hospitality.

Famous Indian actor Shriman Dharam Singh Deol, better known as Dharmendra, accepts Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita as it is and immediately tries to explain it to the children.

The Prabhupada Marathon Is Mere Nostalgia, Right? Wrong! Nostalgia is nothing more than a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. Srila Prabhupada's Marathon, the worldwide end-of-year push by ISKCON devotees to increase book distribution, is far from sentimental; rather, it motivates action now and increases the practical results. It is just as important today as it was in December of 1972 when the devotees in Los Angeles, California, started this now-traditional ISKCON event by one day spontaneously staying out late into the night to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books just to please him. And none of the distributors knew that the others had decided to stay out late. It was a spontaneous burst of enthusiasm from everyone all at once, a burst that spread like wildfire throughout the ISKCON world, causing an explosion of new devotees eager to please Srila Prabhupada by distributing his books to the suffering masses. Continue reading "The Prabhupada Marathon. Sentiment or Effective Outreach?
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Answer Podcast

The post Duryodhana felt no moral compunction while persecuting the Pandavas, but Dhirtrashtra did – why the difference? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/can-followers-religions-dont-follow-regulative-principles-go-back-to-krishna/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/did-many-devotees-leave-iskcon-because-they-couldnt-see-suffering-as-krishnas-mercy/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/08/discover-the-baahubali-within-you/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/04/how-can-a-newly-married-couple-new-to-bhakti-strengthen-their-relationship/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/how-did-krishna-as-shanti-duta-use-sama-dama-bheda-and-danda/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/how-to-decide-between-tolerating-a-situation-or-changing-it/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/if-our-mistakes-have-got-us-into-trouble-how-can-we-overcome-the-guilt-that-disheartens-us-while-taking-shelter-of-krishna/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2015/04/is-it-hypocritical-to-criticize-others-for-faults-we-ourselves-have/

https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/03/is-vedic-philosophy-confusing-because-it-has-so-many-holy-books-unlike-christianity-and-islam-that-have-only-one-holy-book/

The post QA transcriptions uploaded on 07-Dec-17 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Reaching Fiji on November 24th, we were greeted with great care and attention as preparations were in order for our visit to five temples and communities in Fiji.

Immediately upon our arrival we held our first program in Nadi where twelve families combined together to pledge $30,000. The same evening we were whisked away to the next program in Lautoka where one hundred devotees congregated for the program and together pledged a total of $130,000. The next day, November 25th, we visited the Sigatoka temple where ten families pledged $35,000. On our last day, November 26th, we again had two programs. In Suva the devotees’ combined pledge surpassed $650,000, and finally in Naosori, 60 devotees pledged an amazing $220,000. In addition, Visvanath prabhu, the organizer of the entire tour personally donated $108,000. The total pledges for our Fiji Tour came to over $1 million!

We want to thank Visvanath prabhu and his father Jayram prabhu for organizing the tour as well as all our visas to Fiji. We also thank Parasuram prabhu and Gita Kirti devi dasi for their support and dedication.

To make a donation and sponsor an abhisheka for Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s and/or Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Chakra during the installation ceremony on February 7th, please go here: https://tovp.org/donate/once-in-a-lifetime-chakra-abhisheka-seva-opportunity/

The post TOVP Australasia Tour, Days 8-10 – Fiji appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Krishna consciousness in Portugal is surprisingly recent. Although there were several attempts by devotees to preach there in the 1970s and 1980s, ISKCON Lisbon was born as late as 1996, as a gift to Srila Prabhupada for his Centennial.

Iskcon Delhi: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Disappearance Day: 07-12-2017 (Album with photos)

Prabhupada: “Prasadam is the most important thing to bring people out of darkness.”
Sravanananda: In Vrindavan, we would go every morning in the early days when it was just huts and a little bit of cement and steel going up.
We would take a mat and Prabhupada would sit on the side of the road, call over mayavadis and then get into a heated debate with them.
They were always respectful, however, but Prabhupada was showing us the fierceness of challenging mayavadi philosophy.
I once asked, “Srila Prabhupada, people are so stuck in darkness.
How do you tell a person who’s blind, that there’s vision, that there’s light even though they’ve never experienced it.”
Prabhupada said, “Prasadam.”
He said, “Prasadam is the most important thing to bring people out of darkness.”
That hit home for me because that pretty much was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me joining the temple because the prasadam broke my attachment to anything.
It was Govardhan Puja.
Prabhupada’s program of prasadam cannot be found in any other yoga group.
In those early days in the temples, the prasadam was just amazing.
The devotees had so much love and devotion, and it was opulent.
We were violently sick at the Mayapur festival in either 1974 or 1975.
In those days, they were using very bad oils to cook with.
Literally everyone was so ill that we could barely pay obeisances to Prabhupada.
Prabhupada walked around where we were sprawled out and he was very disturbed that everyone was so sick.
He immediately ordered that the homeopathic doctor be called.
When the doctor arrived, he put a pill in everyone’s mouth as Prabhupada walked with him and watched over the process.
Literally within minutes after the pill went in our mouth, we woke up out of a slumber of unconsciousness and a horrific disease to being almost fully conscious.
We were bewildered and thought to ourselves, “What just happened?”
I never thought about it too much until decades later when I really felt that Prabhupada was performing a miracle.
To this day I don’t believe that one little white pill could have made us go from such a state of diseased consciousness and dysentery to be standing up and ready to do service again.
It was such a short time frame from being so bad to so good that it had to have been a miracle by Prabhupada’s grace.
There was a time in Mayapur that I remember with Srila Prabhupada that I can only describe as transcendental.
Prabhupada sat on the vyasasana and became very grave.
It was very bright outside but in a short period of time, the light in the temple seemed to be disappearing and dissipating, almost like a cloud covering the sun.
Everybody became very sober.
Instead of singing “Jaya Radha Madhava”, Prabhupada started talking and as the light changed within the temple, Prabhupada’s color also seemed to change.
Prabhupada said, “In your previous life, you were all associates of Lord Chaitanya.
He said, “Somehow or other, I have been designated or assigned as the captain of this ship.
But you have actually done everything to spread this Krishna consciousness.”
Then Prabhupada went into ecstasy.
He just sat there, went into ecstasy, and the whole room was frozen in time.
Everybody was feeling it because everyone was looking at one another and whispering, “Are you feeling this?”
Prabhupada didn’t speak for a long time.
I don’t think anybody wanted this experience to stop.
All of a sudden off to the right side of the temple, I remember Hamsadutta picked up a mridanga and he started to chant Hare Krishna.
His chanting seemed to break the almost samadhi like ecstatic mood.
I felt some anger towards Hamsadutta for breaking the ecstatic wave that we were all feeling together in this boat with our captain.
Later the devotees went to Prabhupada and asked, “Prabhupada, when this happens to you, is this what we should do?”
Prabhupada said, “Yes, that’s okay, but it doesn’t happen so often, does it?”
I can’t grade every experience but I would say this was one of the most directly ecstatic, powerful experiences that I have ever felt.
—Sravanananda

The joy of Krishna consciousness (video)
Sunday Feast By Shubhag Swami at Iskcon Chowpatty on the 3rd of Dec 2017.
Watch i...

The premiere of the film “Hare Krishna!” in Ukraine (Album with photos)
On December 5, the premiere of the film “Hare Krishna! Mantra, Movement and Swami” was held in Ukraine’s capital Kiev.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2JBofi

An angered student finds a solution!
He saw my sign: Meditation, Yoga and Philosophy, then, from a distance he shouted:
“THIS IS WHAT I NEED! THIS IS WHAT I NEED! ANGER IS EATING ME UP.” Then he came to the book table looking for help.
I told him, “The reason you feel so much anger is because you’re thinking you’re something you aren’t. This body – I pointed to his body – is not who you are. You’re the soul within.”
Then I showed him the nice painting of the saintly person seeing the soul in the brahmana, the cow, the elephant, the dog, and the dog-eater.
I said, “When you understand you’re the soul, different from the body, you’ll not only be friendly to people but kind to all living entities. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
He said, “That would be great. And this book teaches me how to be like that?”
I responded, “Yes, it does.”
He gave a nice donation, and I invited him to visit a devotee’s home that has been turned into a bhakti center, where newcomers can hear about Krsna.
This took place at a university in Dallas Texas. The students in Dallas are the most receptive students I’ve found anywhere, I’m going to miss this place.
Leaving soon to Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, Australia, India, South America etc.
Your servant,
Vijaya Dasa

Radha Kunda Seva - November 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
As the air turns crisp and cool, and the flurry of Kartika returns to a normal flow, we have our sights set on the south side of Govardhan. There are two kundas, or lakes at the puchari, or tail of Govardhan. These kundas, called Apsara Kunda and Navala Kunda are the Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda of the southern tip of Govardhan, and they are badly in need of care. An initial deep clean is under way with daily maintenance cleaning to begin shortly. We are hoping to soon expand our cleaning efforts to other kundas around Govardhan too and will keep you posted about our progress in this endeavor. There is even a possibility that the Forestry Department will give us stretch of land to develop as a lush, clean and green forest right near Govardhan Hill. Meanwhile, we are networking with specialists to find ways to treat the kundas’ waters in order to balance and nullify the effects of sewage seepage. Prasadam distribution and cleaning continue. Thank you for your continued support! Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com . Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Sri Arjuna dasa, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/FBZFMm

The post Daily Darshan: December 07, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Class)

If Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura would be with us today then he would be a BBT man because he was trained by this father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, in publishing books. He published so many varieties of books and magazines. Book distribution is a natural thing…

Srila Prabhupada was carrying forward that mood of his spiritual master. Even in the war in 1944, Srila Prabhupada produced a ‘Back to Godhead’ magazine as part of his mission. This was very difficult to do because all the paper was rationed. It was reserved for the war and Prabhupada went to a military commander who said, “Sorry, sir. We cannot give you any paper. It is all reserved for the war.”

“Exactly,” Prabhupada said, “This is why my magazine must be printed because it will end the war.” And he got the paper and printed his magazine.

He started an editorial article, “The frenzy of love and the frenzy of hate.” Hate is the opposite of love. The love for one’s fatherland is the hate for another land. Prabhupada spoke about that – that narrow love of excluding; exclusive love. So in that editorial article, he gave his transcendental universal message in that first Back to Godhead magazine.

If I wrote an article telling you how to double your money in ten days, would you be interested? Of course you would. Well if I knew how I’d tell you. But I don’t, so sorry. But I can tell you something better. I can tell you how to double your blessings in ten days. Are you as interested? Continue reading "Double Blessings for Christmas
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Material desires comprise a similar gravity force that acts on us by dragging our consciousness down to the material level. If we neglect this force, our consciousness will naturally, obviously, inevitably, be pulled down by it to sensual contemplations, and we will fall from our devotional standards to disaster. Continue reading "Why does our consciousness change suddenly from devotional to sensual?
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Terrible, deadly fires have been raging in California recently, devastating homes and everything else on their way. I recalled Srila Prabhupada’s discussion of the first verse of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Sri Gurv-astaka. “This forest fire of material existence goes on perpetually, and the authorized person who can deliver you from this fire is called guru, the spiritual master. How does he deliver you? When there is a fire in the forest, you cannot send a fire brigade or go there yourself with bucketfuls of water to extinguish it. That is not possible. Then how will it be extinguished? Continue reading "Reflections on the Forest Fires
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