Planet ISKCON

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The post Gita Jayanti talk – Appreciating the Gita’s message by contemplating the starting and ending names of Arjuna and Krishna appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.2-7)

We should never think that somebody is not a devotee. We should think that everyone is a devotee! The uttama-adhikari sees everyone as a devotee. We should find the devotee in other people. The devotee is there; we should just find it! When we treat someone as though they are not a devotee then they may also say, “Yes, I am not a devotee!” but if we find the devotee; awaken the devotee… then there is a devotee in every person!

“Anyway, print books, distribute profusely, and that will be the best preaching work. What will your three minutes’ preaching do?—but if they buy one book, it may turn their life. So make this your important task, to print our books…and distribute widely, and that will please my Guru Maharaja. Never mind it takes little time […]

The post Gita Jayanti appeared first on Mayapur.com.

After a day off we flew from Australia to New Zealand for a one day program at the Auckland temple of Sri Sri Radha Giridhari on November 23rd. We were welcomed enthusiastically by all the devotees and prepared for the TOVP program at the temple.

300 devotees attended and participated in the Lord’s arati and abhisheka, and listened with great enthusiasm to talks about the TOVP project. Being so inspired, the devotees pledged over $300,000.

We wish to thank the Temple President Kalasamvara prabhu for his efforts and support to make this event successful.

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, Day 7 – Auckland, New Zealand appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Tim Ferriss is a tech investor and advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter and other leading companies. Based on his interactions with more than 100 leading investors and life experts, he shared their collective inputs (about 80% to 90% of them)  regarding success, happiness and meaning. Few of the points below;

• Everyone successful does some type of mindfulness or meditation for 10 to 20 minutes daily in the morning before they turn their phones on in the morning helping them set their mental and emotional states for the day.
• Another point is journaling - to write down a question or answer that arouse within you (the subconscious you) during the day (a type of deep introspection)
• Another point is to try something new (new behavior) but only for a finite amount of time like two-to-four weeks. Brief changes in behavior reduces the pressure of fear of change.
• Successful people choose projects to cultivate skills and relationships even if a project fails and not for the attachment of the outcome or result. 

Today is Gita Jayanti, the day on which Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna. One year on this occasion I heard a beautiful talk in which Srila Prabhupada spoke about the perfection of reading the Gita.

“When Lord Chaitanya was traveling in South India, in a big temple, Ranganath temple, He went to see the Deity, and He saw one brahman was reading Bhagavad-gita. And people were joking with him, ‘Oh, Mr. Brahman, how you are reading Bhagavad-gita?’ Because they were neighbors, they knew that this brahman was illiterate, and he was studying Bhagavad-gita. So they were joking. But the brahman did not care about them. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw this incident. He came to the brahman. He asked the brahman, ‘My dear brahman, what you are reading?’ The brahman could understand, ‘This person is not joking with me; he is serious.’ So he explained, ‘My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabet.’ ‘Why you are reading Bhagavad-gita?’ So he said, ‘My spiritual master knows that I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read Bhagavad-gita. What can I do? Therefore I have taken this book. I am simply seeing. I do not know how to read.’ ‘Oh, that’s all right. You cannot read. But I see that you are crying. How you are crying, if you are not reading?’ ‘Yes, I am crying. Of course, there is cause.’ ‘What is that?’ ‘As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gita, I remember Krishna. Krishna is sitting as driver and Arjuna is hearing. I have heard the story. I know something of the instruction but cannot read. So as soon as I take this book, this picture comes before me and I simply think how Krishna is so nice that He has become a charioteer of His devotee. He is so great. Still, He has accepted a menial service of His devotee. This gives me so much pleasure that I cry.’ Chaitanya Mahaprabhu embraced him, ‘Your Bhagavad-gita reading is perfect. You have taken the essence.’

“If you simply remember how Krishna is teaching Arjuna and Arjuna is hearing—if you simply remember the picture—that is sufficient. Even if you think that you cannot read. Because after all, we have to become Krishna conscious. We don’t have to become a learned man to argue with another learned man. If it is possible, we can do that. But it does not make any difference if I cannot argue with others or if I cannot teach very nicely Bhagavad-gita to others. Simply if I remember this picture, that is perfection. Because we have to become Krishna conscious. We have to simply think of Krishna. You think in any way. That is your perfection. Smartavyah satatam visnuh. This is the injunction. You have to think of Vishnu always. This is samadhi; this is meditation; this is yoga siddhi, perfection of yoga.

“One who has learned to think of Krishna always, he is already on the perfectional stage. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim. If one has come to this stage, just to understand Krishna to be the great, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he’s a surrendered soul: ‘Krishna, whatever You like You do. I am surrendered.’ This is aradhana. Then he isn’t required to undergo any austerities or penance. His everything is finished. And naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim. And if he does not come to this stage, his so-called scholarship, learned argument, this or that—all nonsense, finished. Useless. One has to come to this stage. Therefore Lord Chaitanya embraced the brahman: ‘Yes, your study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect.’ Because one has to come to this stage, thinking of Krishna always.

“So, that is the perfection. Krishna and gopis. They were cowherd girls. Their father, mother, they were only ordinary village [people], keeping cows. That’s all. What was their education? They were not Vedantists. But they learned to love Krishna. That was their qualification. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu certifies, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita: ‘Oh, there is no better worship than that which was contemplated by the gopis.’ They did not know what is Krishna, but they loved Krishna. That’s all. They loved Krishna. Because Krishna was God or Krishna was something great? No. Their natural affection was for Krishna. They could not stay even for a moment without seeing Krishna. That was their qualification. This is Krishna consciousness.

“So, one has to come to perfect Krishna consciousness some way or other. That is perfection. We have presented so many formulas. Why? Not that the formulas are important, but the formulas will help me to remember Krishna always. Just like you are going to sell our magazines. So this magazine selling or taking some contribution is not our business. Our business is that we are spreading Krishna consciousness; people are hearing something about Krishna. And because we are helping, we are also hearing. We are also benefiting. When you speak to somebody about Krishna, then I hear also Krishna. Sravanam kirtanam. The first preliminary steps, hearing and chanting, are going on. So in this way we shall take all opportunities so that twenty-four hours, whether awake[ned] or sleeping, we shall always think of Krishna. That is perfection. This chanting means always remembering Krishna—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. I am cooking for Krishna, I am typing for Krishna, I am going to preach for Krishna, I’m distributing Back to Godhead for Krishna. In this way, always remember Krishna; that’s all. That will make you perfect.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

The Threat of World War III.
Sivarama Swami: In 1914 at the outbreak of World War I, H.G. Wells wrote a series of articles that appeared as a book called ‘The War to end War’. Meanwhile, the retort of Prime Minister David Lloyd George was: “This war, like the next war, is a war to end war.”
And so it was: World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and it continues to this day. At a rough count, 240 million people died during World War I. H.G. Wells didn’t get it right. My mother, who lived through the Holocaust had also told me that at the end of World War II, everyone had thought, “Now we have learned our lesson … no more war.” They didn’t get it right either. Can man stop war? And will next one possibly be a nuclear war? Is World War III, inevitable?

If humanity continues living as it is doing now then the answer is: no you cannot stop war. And World War III may be one of them.

Are there any solutions at all? And what lifestyle do we need to live to bring about an end to this conflict? First let me say what are not solutions—peace treaties, international committees or the United Nations (UN). Since the UN was formed in 1945, there have been over 140 wars. They don’t have it right either.

To solve a problem, you need to know the cause. What are the causes of war? There are two: 1) man’s misuse of his free will 2) the reaction from the misuse of our free will (Karma). Karma means nature’s response to man’s actions. You have to really dig deep into history to find a more sinful and degraded time than we live in today. The scale of it is staggering:

90 billion animals slaughtered for food yearly. 1.5 billion abortions since 1980
Rampant drug abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality Ethnic cleansing
Race discrimination
Pedophelia
Senseless destruction of forests, our waterways and the environment I could go on. The bottom line is this: for every action there is a reaction. For every action not in harmony with God’s and nature’s laws, man will get a reaction— that’s karma. That karma stores up, and when it hits a critical point, a tipping point, then something happens. Plagues, tsunamis, earthquakes and yes, also war. S

So we need to change our lifestyle in order to reduce our accumulation of Karma. Our lifestyle needs to be in harmony with God’s laws. And yes, we need to know what those laws are and abide by them. In this we will live in Peace, not pieces.

Ratha Yatra, Blockhouse Bay, New Zealand, 25th Nov 2017 (5 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: To say nothing of the spiritual advanc...

Life’s lessons from Bharat Maharaj by HG Vaisesika Dasa (video)
Recorded on 11-22-2017, ISKCON of Silicon Valley.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/13yYi4

The guru is responsible for taking all of his disciples back to Godhead.
Room Conversation – December 12, 1971, Delhi:
Devotee (5): Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Devotee (5): The spiritual master, his duty is to take all of his disciples back to home, back to Godhead, and I’ve heard it said that he doesn’t leave until he has taken all his disciples back. What is the position of Lord Jesus when so many people are following but not doing, not in a position to go back to home, back to Godhead? Is he responsible for all of these people, who are attempting to serve him?
Prabhupāda: That is nice question. What is that? Repeat it again.
Devotee (5): Because the guru is responsible for taking all of his disciples back to home, back to Godhead, I was wondering what was the position of Lord Jesus Christ because so many people for so many years have been attempting to follow his teachings, many of them sincere but not getting proper instructions. I was wondering if he is responsible for all of these people who are attempting to serve him.
Prabhupāda: But one thing is we sing daily, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. You have to please your spiritual master. But yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ‘pi, if you displease your spiritual master then you are nowhere. How do you adjust these things? It does not mean that because you have made somebody spiritual master, you displease him, at the same time he takes responsibility. Is it very nice?
Devotee (5): Many times…
Prabhupāda: If you please him, then he is responsible. Yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. If you displease him then you are nowhere. So, if you take it in this way, that my spiritual master has taken responsibility so whatever nonsense I do, it doesn’t matter. The Christians are thinking like that.
Jesus Christ has taken contract for all our sinful activities, so we can do anything, whatever we like. But that is not the fact. If one takes responsibility for you, you must abide by his order. Otherwise how is that, that he simply takes responsibility and you don’t abide by his order? It is reciprocal.
But the Christians are thinking, “Because we have taken to Christian religion, now we are safe. We can do anything we like and Lord Jesus Christ will compensate. He’ll be every time crucified and we can go on doing all nonsense.” Is it not? Then? That’s not a very good idea.
This is, as Viśvanātha Cakravartī said, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. If you please your spiritual master, then God will be pleased. If you don’t please him, then you are nowhere. So first of all you please Jesus Christ, that is reasonable, then he takes the responsibility. If you disobey Jesus Christ in every step, what is his responsibility? That is a misconception.
Devotee (5): There are some Christians who are actually sincere and they feel as though they are doing the proper thing, but they are just misled by the fact that there is no paramparā system coming from Lord Jesus. The churches are teaching the wrong thing, but they are sincere. (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa will direct them (indistinct) the proper authority?
Prabhupāda: Yes. If they are actually following strictly the principles of Jesus Christ, then sometimes when he meets some pure devotee, he will accept. The groundwork will be nice for accepting farther advancement. Just like Jesus Christ says, “Thou shall not kill.” So if anyone follows this principle, “No, I shall not kill,” then he becomes purified. But who is that Christian who is not killing? So where is follow?
Amongst the Christians the more killing process is going on very strongly. So who is a Christian? In that, if you disobey the first principle of Christianity, then where is your Christianity? Why you falsely claim that you are a Christian? “Thou shalt not covet.” What is that next?
Devotee: “Thou shalt not kill.”
Devotee: Honor thy mother and father?
Devotee: There is one about no adulteration.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So adulteration is going on, killing is going on. So many disobedience to Christian principles. So where is the possibility of becoming a Christian?
Devotee: “Honor thy mother and father” is not being respected.
Prabhupāda: Not… So many things. So, if you do not follow the principles of Christianity, simply by stamping yourself as Christian, will that do? So why Jesus Christ will be responsible for you? Simply by stamping yourself that “I am Christian.” Is that very reasonable proposal?
Nara-Nārāyaṇa: Lord Jesus himself never claimed that he would be responsible. As a matter of fact, he would heal certain persons who by their karma were blind, or lame deaf, or some disease, even dead, he would bring them back to life, so many things. And then when he healed them, he invariably said after, he said, “Now go thou and sin no more lest the worst thing befall you.” And he has been saved by Jesus personally, yet Jesus is saying, “lest the worst thing befall you.” How can the worst thing befall you if everything he does then is all right? So that means Jesus does not take that responsibility.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Why he should be responsible? If you are not a Christian, why he should be responsible? Now, here he says that “Now you have sinned, full reaction I have washed, don’t do it again.”
Nara-Nārāyaṇa: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: But they are going to church, confessing every week, and doing the same thing. Who is a Christian, first of all find out, then Jesus Christ will take responsibility.
Devotee: They are gambling and eating flesh right in the churches, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: That’s all right, I mean to say, if you don’t follow the Christian principles, how you can claim yourself to become a Christian and how you can ask Jesus Christ to take responsibility for you? These are misleading, therefore people are coming disgusted. Otherwise Christian religion is all right. It teaches love of Godhead, teaches to become moral, it teaches to love people, that’s nice. These are good principles.

The post Daily Darshan: 29 November, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Gita Jayanti Mayapur
“Anyway, print books, distribute profusely, and that will be the best preaching work. What will your three minutes’ preaching do?—but if they buy one book, it may turn their life. So make this your important task, to print our books…and distribute widely, and that will please my Guru Maharaja. Never mind it takes little time to make progress, our process is slow but sure, and we are confident that if we continue in this way we shall go one day back to home, back to Godhead.”
- Srila Prabhupada in a letter to Bhagavan das, Vrindaban, 5 November, 1972

Over five thousand years ago, Lord Sri Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, a warrior prince, on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Every year on the anniversary of that day, devotees of Lord Krishna gather and recite the Bhagavad Gita.

In Sri Dham Mayapur, seven hundred students from the Bhaktivendanta Gita Academy organize a huge Gita Jayanti festival. They go for mangala arati, then bathe in the Ganga before going to the festival pandal. A beautifully decorated yajna kunda is set up, and oblations are offered into the fire during the recitation of the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita. On average, over four thousand devotees gather in one place to recite the Bhagavad Gita in unison. The atmosphere is surcharged. After the recitation of the Gita, a delicious feast is served.

During this time, many copies of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is are distributed to the visiting pilgrims. This distribution is a combined effort of many of the Mayapur community devotees, as well as some visiting devotees from around the world. Everyone helps in the distribution of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Even little children take part in the distribution of Gitas.

In the Sri Mayapur International School, there is also a Gita Jayanti festival, where all the students and teachers gather and recite the Bhagavad Gita.

In this way, this most auspicious Gita Jayanti festival is wonderfully observed in Sri Dham Mayapur by all the devotees of Sri Krishna.

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Harinam Sankirtan in Mar del Plata, Argentina (Album with photos)
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By Giriraj Swami

Following Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada is explaining that because devotees are living in the material world, they also have activities that they must perform in relation to material existence, in relation to society, state, and so on. Such activities cannot be avoided, because we are in the material world. We have to live in society. We have to live in a country. In the grhastha-asrama, one has to earn a living and pay taxes. We have to do so many things, and those activities are performed in the material world. When we go to the spiritual world, we won’t have to go to the office, pay taxes, or perform social functions, but for now we must. There are, of course, constitutional activities that one performs both here and in the spiritual world. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam. We hear about Krsna. We chant about Krsna. We remember Krsna. And when we go to the spiritual world, we will engage in these same activities. Continue reading "The Advent of the Bhagavad-gita—Some Practical Guidance
→ Dandavats"

By Shyama Mohini devi dasi

At the annual meeting of the global BBT in June, HH Jayadvaita Swami resigned as a trustee of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Since 1988, he has served as a trustee of the original BBT Trust, or as a director of the BBT International, or both (The two organizations work together). His resignation, which the BBT trustees have accepted, means that he no longer holds a post with either. His letter below gives his reasons for resigning. The BBT Trustees and Directors would like to thank HH Jayadvaita Swami for his years of dedicated service to the BBT and are grateful that he continues to serve the BBT as a friend and advisor. Continue reading "HH Jayadavaita Swami’s resignation as a BBT Trustee
→ Dandavats"

Answer Podcast

 

Transcription :

Transcriber: Sharan Shetty

Edited by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: When jnana and karma are different philosophies, how can they both give the same result, as the Gita’s sixth chapter states?

Answer: When Krishna is using the words karma and jnana, he is not necessarily using the words to refer to whole philosophical systems. Arjuna and Krishna are not discussing broad philosophical treatises, they are discussing courses of action, that is why, karma in that context refers to the path of action and jnana refers to the path of inaction or the path of renunciation based on contemplation. There are some connections between the sankhya (which is being talked over there) and the sankhya (which is a philosophy) but they are not exactly the same because words have contextual meaning and context-independent meaning. Here, in the context, Krishna says to Arjuna , in Gita 5.2, nihsreyasa-karav ubhau. This means both will lead to long term benefit, but both will not lead to the exact same benefit. Krishna is not specifying any identical ultimate goal, he is broadly saying that both will lead to nihsreyasa or long term benefit. Therefore, in that context, both are similar.

When Krishna is using the word karma, he is not using it to refer to karma-kanda, he is actually using it to refer to karma yoga because in the context of karma-kanda, Krishna has already told in Gita 2.47, karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana (You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action). The progression from karma-kanda to karma yoga has already happened before Chapter Three. Krishna is talking here about karma yoga which does not mean romanticizing and enjoying the world. Krishna explains karma yoga as working with detachment. There are various places where Krishna is saying asaktah – work with detachment. Among the path of detached action and contemplative knowledge, karma yoga is better, although both will lead to long term benefit.

The yoga ladder, in itself, is an overall truth in which jnana yoga is placed above karma yoga. However, in the Gita’s context, there are very few verses which are actually speaking positively about the jnana yoga, path of inaction. Krishna wants Arjuna to act and so he always stresses on action, not on renunciation. The very fact that Arjuna wanted to renounce the world indicates that he considered renunciation to be higher than action and from a broad cultural understanding; renunciants are respected even by the kings. Renunciation being respectable is a broad Vedic understanding and Krishna is not challenging it. Renunciation of the world for the contemplation of higher reality is considered higher than engagement in the world for the purpose of enjoying the world. So, in the Gita, the hierarchy of renunciation being higher than action, in principle, is already accepted. However, in the context of Arjuna, inaction is not preferable. For him, the path of detached action is preferable. That is why, Krishna is speaking in general principle that both will lead to long term well-being but for Arjuna (and in general, people who are not very detached or not in sattva-guna) the path of detached action is better than path of renounced contemplation. This is the principle which Krishna is explaining in that context.

End of transcription.

The post When jnana and karma are different philosophies, how can they both give the same result, as the Gita’s sixth chapter states? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, May 2011, Radhadesh, Belgium, Lecture)

Our ISKCON movement is growing every day, and not growing only in numbers but it is also growing in complexity! In the earlier days, when Srila Prabhupada was establishing the preaching mission, this movement was simpler; membership was more homogenous – people of a similar age group and all engaged in the same activity.

Now, there is much more diversity! Diversity in different members of this movement and also diversity in different kinds programmes needed. We need a very broad movement! We need a movement which provides various ways for all kinds of people to engage in Krsna consciousness because Krsna consciousness is possible in any condition of life and it is meant for all kinds of people. There isn’t a particular stereotyped way of practicing Krsna consciousness.

In recent years, a lot of focus is on individuality, on engaging according to one’s nature, in finding one’s natural place in Krsna consciousness. In the earlier years of this movement, a lot of emphasis was placed on sacrifice – sacrifice of one’s nature for the mission. But now, people are looking for individual expression and we see more creative ways of engaging in devotional service, which opens up more avenues for more people to connect. So in that way, we established our movement in so many ways to society! That is fine and nice but the spirit of sacrifice still remains very valuable. The spirit of simply putting one’s own idea aside for the higher interest!

CC Madhya 13.001-8 Empowerment Through Service To Our Acharyas 2017-11-11

Lecture – Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 13.1-8 Empowerment Through Service To Our Acharyas 11/11/2017

BG 13.26 Sunday Feast – He wanted everyone to become an Acharya 2017-11-12

Lecture – Bhagavad Gita 13.26 Sunday Feast – He wanted everyone to become an Acharya 11/12/2017

Ten years can seem a long time. Certainly many things have changed in the past ten years. I know the first iPhone was released ten years ago and how that has revolutionized the lives of people. Another big change was the housing market crash which I remember was also changing people's lives. America elected the first black president and he heralded something new into the political and social system. In the past ten years, my own personal life has changed a lot. Certainly ten years can seem long and when we look back we can appreciate our losses and thank our successes.

From the perspective of time itself, ten years is negligible. One of the five things that is talked about in the Gita is Time. Time, Krishna says "I am". Krishna manifests as time factor, how He does it is mysterious. Physicists are trying hard to quantify time but are unsuccessful. Time is elusive and difficult to understand. One thing physicists agree is that time is like an arrow that has already left the bow. It is speeding only in one direction. However, according to physicists',through time-warp we can travel back in time. Of course this is only in theory so far. My point is time is the grandest and mysterious thing of all and is executing our lives as we speak.

Last ten years has been a pleasure for me writing this blog. It was ten years ago to this day I began this blog. Writing my mental ramblings in some ways has been therapeutic for me and also a way to express my thoughts and views related to Krishna and life in general. I hope this can continue by the blessings of devotees and Krishna. Regardless, I thank Krishna for giving me the inspiration to write and the readers whoever you are for taking time to read and sharing your comments.

Thank you very much!
Hare Krishna

The Eye of the Owl.
Sivarama Swami: Let me tell a story from the ancient India Mahabharata. India’s princes were being tested in archery by their martial arts teacher Drona. He had put a wooden owl in the top of a high tree. And then he called the princes to attention. Their target was the eye of the owl. First he called on the prince regent and said, “Set the arrow to your bow, take aim and tell me what you see?”
The regent did as he was told and being polite said, “I see you. I see the tree. I see the branch. And I see the owl.”
The teacher said, “Ease your bow and move out of the way.” The next prince was called.
Again, “Set your arrow, aim and tell me what you see.”
The second prince replied, “I see the tree and the owl.”
The teacher said, “Ease your bow and move out of the way.” The teacher called for the next prince. “Aim your arrow and tell me what you see.”
The third prince replied, “I see the owl sitting on the branch. And I see the eye of the owl.”

Once again the teacher said, “Ease your bow and move out of the way.” By this time there was silent anxiety amongst the princes.

The teacher next called for Arjuna, Krishna’s friend, and the person to whom the Bhagavad-gita would be spoken to in the future.

The teacher said, “Arjuna! Set the arrow to your bow, take aim and tell me what you see.”

Arjuna replied, “I see the eye of the owl.”

The teacher asked, “What else do you see?”

Arjuna said, “I see only the eye of the owl.”

“Don’t you see me?”

“No!”

“Don’t you see the tree?”

“No!”

“Don’t you see the branch its on.”

“No!”

“Don’t you see the owl.”

“No!”

“You don’t see the owl? Then what do you see?”

“I see only the eye of the owl.”

The teacher nodded and said, “Then shoot your arrow.”

Arjuna shot and hit his target.

The lesson is clear. When you have a goal in life. Especially the goal of self-realization. Never take your eyes off it. Don’t get distracted from it by anything or anyone. Then you will be able to reach it.

Keep your aim on the eye of the owl

– HH Sivarama Swami

Bigg Boss Chahte hai…
Madhav Mehra: Such is the craze of this series across the country that just these 4 words instantly brings to the ears a husky and grave voice with no face but a popular name ‘Bigg Boss’. Bigg Boss remains a dominating highlight of television and its discussions are part of our daily meal as a side dish along with our lunch and dinner menu.
We all are ardent followers of freedom, privacy and harmony. Yet, when the contestants are denied all three of these, our subtle mind enjoys the outcome. Secretly we love snatching the rights of people, are curious to track their each and every movement and if, unable to handle the first two impositions, chaos erupts that becomes a cherry on top of this delightful treat for viewers. The show is meant to exploit this exact tendency thus provides the enjoyment in mode of ignorance.

However, it would be too naïve to think the concept as original. If you read the Bhagvat Gita, you can easily perceive that the Bigg Boss show is just a microscopic replica of materialistic world and real BIGG BOSS is Krishna who has been playing this BIGG Boss since time immemorial. Not just the house but the features and functionalities can be proven to be a direct derivation of Laws of our material world and we all have been living in this Bigg Boss’s house as Contestants since eternity. (BG 9.8 “The whole cosmic order is under Me. By my will it is manifested again and again, and by my will it is annihilated at the end”).

Let’s explore some of features of this show which clearly portrays the rulebooks governing the Original BIGG Boss House, This Materialistic World.

1. In Big Boss, once the contestants enters the house, then only they come to know other participants, with whom they have to live during their whole stint at house. Similarly Living beings are not aware who will be their parents, relatives on their birth in this world. Further, irrespective of contestant’s desire, Bigg Boss can ask the contestant to leave the house anytime, correspondingly inspite of all our will, whether we are young or old, we can get order from Supreme to leave this world.

2. When one enters the house, the colors and design captures the sight and heart but as days pass by, each of these artistic objects fade away in the din of day-to-day fights. Krishna created this seemingly beautiful world with so much captivating beauty along with perfectly working Nature, yet himself named it Miserable. Today whole world has been infected with social HIV (Hatred, Intolerance and Violence) which likewise HIV disease seems incurable!!

3. Bigg Boss may boast of 90+ cameras to record every activity of participants but Krishna has created this materialistic world in such a fashion that we are under surveillance every moment and are being constantly judged for our actions. Krishna’s technology is far superior than Bigg Boss technology that not just records physical actions, but is even aware of mind, intentions and heart of person.

4. To maintain the house and the contestants, Bigg Boss allocates them tasks – some necessary and some playful. These tasks are purposefully designed to bring out the real nature of the contestants. No matter how sophisticated they appear when they enter yet they are soon seen fuming with anger, hatred and intolerance to project themselves as the smartest and the worthy-most. These tasks are a reflection of our day to day lives, where we want to win and see only our version of ethics as the correct one. We all harbor intense desire to be the Captain of ours as well as others’ lives.

5. Propelled with the desire to win the show and to prove their supremacy to everyone, contestants do all kind of indecent activities. When their plan doesn’t work they may resort to creating mindless controversy which only promotes the fights, tensions in the house thus raising the anxiety and frustrations in the contestants. In the material world as well, the mind-numbing race of proving oneself better than the other in this short time becomes a cause of frustration and on finding other better than us, burn us in fire of Jealous and Hatred thus degrade our propensity to animal level.

6. Living in so much anguish, negative environment having daily fights, back biting and no one who can be relied upon truly, contestants based on their tolerance level, stay strong in their journey or make desperate attempts to leave the house, similarly being tormented by waves of depression, anxieties, diseases and uncontrollable lust and yet trying to pretend that we are happily living through our Facebook, Instagram posts either leads the individual to commit suicide or keep living with ‘Smiling Faces and Crying Hearts’ lifestyle.

7. Every contestant thinks that If I win the show then it will change my destiny forever as he will become a Star. But what to say of becoming Star, even hard core fans of Big Boss will not able to recall the names of winners of last seasons. Similarly whatever we may achieve in this life whether we become millionaire or Miss World or Most Powerful person of World, all will vanish one day and we have struggle from scratch in next lifetime.

8. Finally, even if you are Big star outside but in Big boss home, Big boss is only master and his orders everyone has to follow, similarly in this life we have to finally go as per plans of Krishna inspite of fact how much planning we have done for our life.

We can see for ourselves that we are living in one such Bigg Boss House . Krishna takes innumerable forms to revive the long-lost souls and take them back to His Original Home. Yet, our bewildered mind is unable to perceive it. We judge the contestants, analyze their actions, predict their role, chuckle at their predicament and feel empowered with these imaginary powers. Like a dust covered kid when sees a mirror, he blames the mirror of being dirty instead of realizing that the dust is actually on him. Similarly, people fail to realize that actually they themselves are living in a BIGG BOSS house leaving their original home, and not the contestants of the show who are being paid huge amounts to deliberately create visual content on-screen.

There is no manual to win the Bigg Boss but to win the original BIGG BOSS, Krishna being most kind and helpful has provided a very Phenomenal manual – Srimad Bhagavad Gita. We saw how traits of an unacceptable behavior is documented in it and so is their answers. As host Salman Khan keep warning the contestants ”Be careful, kyunki uparvala sab dekh raha hai”, likewise Our Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupad (Founder Acharya of ISKCON) regularly warned about original Bigg Boss House that ‘This place is not for Gentleman’ and though his books showed us way to our Original Home ‘Back to Godhead’ far away from this turmoil BIGG BOSS House.

Thanks and Regards,

Madhav Mehra

Lord Krishna’s Lotus Feet (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class by H.G.Rukmini Mataji in ISKCON Vrindavan, 26.11.2017.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/dNgFPy

A Voyage Down the Yamuna River (11 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: A spiritually rewarding boat ride down the sacred Yamuna river...

Preaching program in Delhi (Album with photos)
On 4th Nov 2017, Gaur Gopal das was invited to give a speech on the topic of ‘Spiritual Connect in Management Education and Higher Education,’ at Industry Interface with Higher Education (IIHE) Conclave held at Delhi, India.
IIHE conclave was conducted to discuss current challenges in Higher education and Industry expectations. The talk was attended by high profile academicians (vice chancellors, Directors, Govt. Secretaries, Bureaucrats, Senior Professors) and Top leaders from Corporate sectors.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/WHsSo4

TRIBUTES: Vyasa-puja book for all disciples of Srila Prabhupada.
The annual Tributes Vyasa-puja book is looking to grow its team.
The Tributes book offers all disciples of Srila Prabhupada the opportunity to submit a vyasa-puja offering. Annually the book receives over 250 offerings. We would like to grow this number and reach many more disciples of Srila Prabhupada. The offerings are an opportunity to capture the relationship, stories, realizations of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples.
To continue providing this service, the Tributes team is looking to expand in order to get additional support for the various aspects of the publication. Here’s what we’re looking for:

Production Manager: to oversee the various stages of the book production and working with the teams receiving the offerings, editing, proofing, design, print and dispatching the books.
Location: ideally UK.

Designers: we have a set Adobe InDesign layout for the book and cover that is updated annually. We are looking for experienced or budding designers to help compile the book layout to be print-ready.
Location: anywhere.

Editors: our editorial policy is to keep it light and support the original voice of author. Editors can be based anywhere and will work with our Senior Editor Nimai devi dasi based in the UK.
Location: anywhere.

Sanskrit editors: to look through all the Sanskrit and diacritical markings for each offering.
Location: anywhere.

Proof readers: to check to book for errors and rectify them with the designer.
Location: anywhere.

Website Maintenance: to regularly update and maintain the website.

Marketing agents: connecting with and reaching out to all Srila Prabhupada disciples across the world using local face to face as well as social media networks.
Location: anywhere.

Dispatch: arranging to collect and post all books on time.
Location: UK.

If you’d like to explore one or more of these roles then please send me an email at sptributes@gmail.com and we can set up a Skype call to discuss further. In the meantime you can find more info on the book at sptributes.com.

Thank you.

Hare Krishna.

Your servant,
Pradyumna das

A good question from Anonymous.

Sunday in Bucharest.

[Seminar at ISKCON, Perth Australia]

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Bhagavatam class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.28.22 at ISKCON, Perth, Australia

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