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Gita 14.18 Goodness leads to elevation, passion to stagnation, ignorance to degradation
A Special festival of Gratitude in Memory of Srinathji Prabhu At…
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A Special festival of Gratitude in Memory of Srinathji Prabhu At Iskcon Chowpatty by HH Radhanath Swami On 08 Oct 2017 (video)
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Questions About Prema and Changing Gurus
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Q1:- Possessiveness of Krishna happens at Prema, but is the seed of it in Sādhana?
In sādhana our relationship to Krishna is only a theory that we try to emulate or live up to. Maybe we have a theory that Krishna should be our sweetheart, for example. It is just a theory, not a reality. And we practice seeing the world and ourselves through that theory. In prema, it becomes a manifest reality.
Q2:- As you mentioned that Hanuman doesn’t lack anything but then in comparison to Gopi Prema there is lack. But then isn’t Prema a completely subjective thing, so how can we objectify the different Rasas?
Sugarcane is sweeter than coconut. That doesn’t mean everyone likes sugarcane more than coconut.
Objectively sugarcane is sweeter. Subjectively, some like coconut better.
Q3:- Shouldn’t a Dasya Bhakta be getting complete satisfaction in relation with Bhagvan as much as a Madurya Rasa Bhakta?
Yes, just as a coconut fan gets complete satisfaction from eating coconuts, and isn’t wanting for the taste of sugarcane.
Q4:- Can the initial interest/attraction for Krishna be just very generic meaning one is just attracted to His sweetness or may be greatness or some other aspect, like Bhakti is the best thing that one can do?
Yes, while knowledge of Krishna is vague, attraction is vague. The more knowledge increases, the less vague. The more knowledge matures into experience, the more concrete.
Even in prema, the rasa can go first into śuddha-svacca-rati (a generic love) and later mature into something more specific. We will cover this when we cover the sthayi-bhavas.
Q5:- Can the initial attraction(Shraddha) to Krishna be an attraction to experience the Bhakti of a Vrajavasi – to how that particular Vrajavasi feels for Krishna and experiences Krishna on account of that feeling; rather than being attracted to a specific Guna or Rupa of Krishna?
Technically this is OK, and is rāgānugā-śraddha. But they way many people think of this is a lot like saying you want to know what a sugarcane fan experiences, but you are not interested in sugarcane.
Q6:- If someone gets attracted to say Prasadam or some other feature of an organisation promoting Krishna Bhakti, then could such an attraction be categorised as Shraddha in Krishna Bhakti?
They have śraddhā for prasādam, not for bhakti or anything else. If their understanding of prasādam is very deep, śraddhā for it can be the gateway for śraddhā for bhakti and Krishna.
Śraddha for Thing A is Śraddha for Thing A. Maybe it will lead to Śraddha for Thing B, but unless and until it does, there is no Śraddha for Thing B.
Q7:- If at a particular point one finds that one is not able to nurture one’s Krishna Bhakti in a particular organisational set up, though one may have started from there, then can one switch tracks?
Yes. Best to do it with blessings from the persons in the organization you are leaving. That may not be possible (due to their attachments), but we should at least make a sincere effort for it.
Q8:- Would such switching of tracks be tantamount to being an Apradhi thereby not letting one experience Bhakti?
Don’t unnecessarily use round-about logic – determining A by evaluating B. Use direct logic whenever possible: Evaluate A to figure out A. Evaluate B to figure out B.
Being an aparādhī is being an aparādhī, switching organizations is switching organizations. A person may be one, the other, both, or neither.
If you realize you made a mistake in identifying your guru, try to get that person’s blessings for your change. As I mentioned, its unlikely that you will get such blessings without a great deal of equivocation and strife. This just confirms that you were correct about their spiritual stature, as this reluctance to bless and wish well is a clear symptom of a petty self-concept still plagued by personal and socio-political attachments and ambitions. However we should sincerely try to make it an unoffensive transition, done with blessings from the person formerly considered the guru.
Q9:- How can it be decided if a person is an Apradhi?
Aparādhā as a noun means “hate.” If you feel hatred towards bhaktas or bhakti, that is anartha, and if you express it, that is aparādhā as a verb.
People who have a lot of anartha are very easy to offend, because they have much self-interest. We should try to tiptoe around them, or even humiliate ourselves to placate them, but it is too exhausting and distracting to do that forever, so we should try our best to leave their company on amiable terms.
What is the difference between believing a half-man half-lion and believing a half-man half-spider?
Answer Podcast
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Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma – 5
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[Talk at Retreat in Breckenridge, USA]
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Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma – 4
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[Talk at Retreat in Breckenridge, USA]
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Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma – 3
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[Talk at Retreat in Breckenridge, USA]
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Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma – 2
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Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma – 1
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Friday, October 6th, 2017
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Milton, Ontario
The Start of Another One
Rajasuya, Ananta, young Gopal and I headed down the Bruce Trail, just a short 5 kilometre stretch of this long 840 km footpath, the oldest of its kind in Canada. I guess you could say it’s an official start of another walk, one that I plan to tackle in spurts, by way of day walks. http://brucetrail.org
In any event, off we went to the area of Lake Kelso, which, at the start by Old Bell School Line, was naturally adorned with red sumac. We were greeted by a host of birds seeming to have a party. These Canada geese made for a landing at a fish habitat, and at the base of a cliff along the Niagara escarpment. A frog, a snake, a squirrel, chipmunk and blue jays were also about to give us some companionship outside of our own inner circle.
Oh, and there were enough of those mountain bikers—seems to be a guy thing—who whizzed by, always with a verbal “Hi!” while they were getting ‘high’ on their adrenalin rush. No doubt this trail has its ups and downs, rocky in places while roots of maples, oaks, and more are exposed, giving hiccups to a cyclist and less-so to a walker.
In fact, this kind of path is the best; not regular in its texture, not flat but bumpy. You can’t get better than this. There are look-out spots that offer awesome vistas. It’s like being in a kind of heaven, really.
Oh Krishna, thanks for this day, for these companions and a most exhilarating place to be.
May the Source be with you!
5 km
Thursday, October 5th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario
Turned 65
On past birthdays, I would take a trip northbound and explore abandoned fields, for walking with a purpose. That purpose had much to do with seeking out apple trees yielding varieties of fruit that have been forgotten. You’ll be surprised what kind of flavours were savored, and from thereof, I collected the seeds for a notable seed bank.
Well, today I didn’t leave the city, but rather took two Montrealers and one Calgarian down the trail by the Brickworks where I did my initial training for the extreme walking I do at times. These companions had a sweet time. At one residential front yard, we took a moment of solitude and literally “took time to smell the roses.”
What a birthday experience!
The evening was a bit more boisterous. A planned party ensued. It included chanting, a puja to guru, Prabhupada, a foot bathing—mine—some words of appreciation, a cake, more chanting, a gorgeous video produced by Abhidheya—also featured on YouTube, access https://youtu.be/KnhcFHcYEj0 and the presentation to me of a new book for children called The Walking Monk, an illustrated book written by Anna Milagrits (aka Ananda Rupa Devi Dasi) published by Samhitapress, with pictures by Olena Yanko.
These last two were utter surprises that made the evening very special.
What a birthday celebration!
I also took the liberty of saying something to the crowd about achieving the proper aim in life. “It is the lotus feet of the Supreme we must target, and not let loose and go ‘gun happy’ on innocent people”—referring to the recent tragedy in Las Vegas.
The world needs a calming and healing.
May the Source be with you!
8 km
Plug-Stoppers on the Path of Perfection
Dhirasanta Das Goswami:…
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Plug-Stoppers on the Path of Perfection
Dhirasanta Das Goswami: The practitioners of bhakti or devotional service to Krsna, especially those that are initiated, vow to follow four regulative principles. These are no intoxication, no illicit sex, no meat eating and no gambling. However, watching TV and movies always includes seeing others engaged in intoxication, graphic sex life, violence, and gambling. Therefore in a sense watching it means we are breaking our regulative principles of freedom.
What reason do we have that we should go out of our way to observe and watch these activities of Kali-yuga. Already it’s difficult enough to stay away from them, being bombarded and having our consciousness challenged by them when simply going about our daily activities? And why would I want to bring these things into my own home, to give ideas to my children?
The effect of breaking the regulative principles is that we commit sin. By committing sin, we complicate our spiritual lives, entangle ourselves in material existence, and suffer from the results of that sin. Anything that you see makes an impression in the heart. So the rampant violence, sex, intoxication, bad language, immoral behavior, and fairytale worlds like Spiderman jumping off buildings and flying through the air, these make an impression in the heart. When they do, they become a source of meditation, not only as a reflection of the mind, but something that creates seeds of material desires in the heart and which will also water existing seeds of desire in the heart.
By committing sin there’s an effect in the mind, these sinful thoughts linger in the heart. They come up like bubbles from the mud and become the source of other sinful desires, which then become the result of further sinful acts. Ultimately what devotees see on TV and in movies, they’ll end up doing. If they see infidelity, they’ll end up doing it. If they see violence or other activities, they’ll do that. When they become bewildered into thinking materialism, egoism and pride in the material body are the ultimate goal, they become more body conscious and egotistical. All these things strangle the creeper of devotional service and make one’s devotional life more or less null and void.
The solution is the plug-stoppers of acquiring a taste for reading Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and chanting Hare Krishna. By regularly doing these one will naturally develop a taste for doing more. This in turn will give the spiritual strength needed to resist the social pressures from those that have no taste and wish to be sinful. A devotee will then be able to continue their spiritual journey with a clear conscience.
GBC meetings in Ujain, India (Album with photos)
Bhakti Caitanya…
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GBC meetings in Ujain, India (Album with photos)
Bhakti Caitanya Swami: The GBC meetings have just started in Ujjain. Here are ...
Go Puja, Iskcon Melbourne (Album with photos)Rasanandini Dasi:…
Go Puja, Iskcon Melbourne (Album with photos)
Rasanandini Dasi: Yesterday we celebrated Go Puja and opened our Ahimsa Dairy.
Urja-Vrata
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By Vaisesika Dasa Vows like the urja-vrata are pleasing to the Lord and they come highly recommended by sastra, guru and sadhu. Just by following these simple vows during Kartika month, no matter where one resides, a devotee will gain rapid spiritual advancement by the grace of the Lord. Sastra confirms: Harim vina naiva srtim taranti: “Without the blessings of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot stop the continuous chain of birth and death within this material world.” Trying to find happiness outside of devotional service and without the blessings of Lord Hari is futile. Continue reading "Urja-Vrata
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Bhn. Olga asks whether she needs to have the blessings of her unconsenting father-in law to practice Krsna consciousness and Anonymous asks about dreams
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Vaishnava marriages in Kyiv, Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila…
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Vaishnava marriages in Kyiv, Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The names of the Lord and the Lord are non-different. So Lord Krishna’s instructions to Arjuna to “remember Me” and Lord Caitanya’s injunction to “always chant the names of Lord Krishna” are the same instruction. (Bhagavad-gita, Introduction)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/JtVAZf
Harinama in the public square Plaza Lva Tolstoho of Kyiv,…
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Harinama in the public square Plaza Lva Tolstoho of Kyiv, Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We have seen many philosophical speculators. They simply talk in the meetings and that’s all. And if we examine their private character it is less than ordinary. A person may be a nice speaker but will that help you in your spiritual realization? On the other hand, if you chant Hare Krishna, it will give you immediate results. (Lecture 1968, Los Angeles)
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Beautiful Iskcon Temple Ujjain (Album with photos)
Giridhari…
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Beautiful Iskcon Temple Ujjain (Album with photos)
Giridhari Swami: Bhakti Charu Maharaja has developed an amazing project here, as you will see from the photos. When I tried to praise him this morning for this extraordinary accomplishment, he smiled and said, “All glories to Srila Prabhupada.”
Find them here: https://goo.gl/EGc13y
ISKCON Ujjain
The GBC met at ISKCON Ujjain on the invitation of Bhakti Caru Maharaja, who has his headquarters there.
Ujjain is an ancient city beside the Kshipra River in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. An important pilgrimage destination, it is known for the centuries-old Mahakaleshwar Temple, a towering structure with a distinctively ornate roof.
Nearby, Bade Ganesh Temple houses a colourful deity of Ganesh. There is also the asrama of Sandipani Muni, where the sage instructed Krsna and Balarama.
Quantity of Nāma-Japa?
QUESTION: Why is nama-japa so highly stressed for bhaktas – even for the most beginning yogis?
ISKCON (and most of its branches, I suppose) places this stress on doing a copious amount of nāma-japa even from the beginning, but so far as I have seen, that is not traditional. Even in ISKCON, though, the greater stress is on nāma-kīrtan (which is in line with the traditional Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava approach).
The real ideal is to do nāma-kīrtan and learn the bhakti-jñāna by studying Gītā initially, and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam after that. Without the jñāna from these sources, we only have sentiment to fuel our interest in Krishna bhakti. So, comprehending the essential points presented in Gītā (and more elaborately in Bhāgavatam) is absolutely essential for the beginner. Kīrtan and japa are less important and fruitful then. Once Gītā and Bhāgavatam are well understood and internalized, kīrtan and japa become more fruitful and can be given more focus.
Beginners should also be engaged in a significant amount of seva, as a facsimile of karma-yoga, to give some vent and outlet to our necessity for action.
QUESTION: Can I safely conclude that the holy name is so potent in this age that it is still worth chanting and meditating on without steadiness of mind?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean that bad nāma-japa is advisable or can be allowed to persist.
I have known dozens and dozens and dozens of people, including myself, who chanted copious amounts of nāma-japa for years without any significant progress. Nāma-japa should be done attentively and carefully. Period.
As for the amount, that should be increased naturally as the taste for it increases.
To even chant one māla of attentive, careful nāma-japa is immensely powerful (and significantly advanced – relative to our modern minds). Even to do ten mantras of very attentive, careful nāma-japa is extremely powerful, more powerful than 64 rounds of inattentive japa.
Some people have a different opinion here, but personally I haven’t seen it work. The only one I’ve really seen it work well with was the 24-hour kīrtaniyā, Aindra das of ISKCON Vṛndāvana – but who can match his intensity of dedication and passion for Krishna? Very few if anyone at all. He was a very rare, unique bhakta – though he tried to present himself as a rank-and-file person.
In my opinion, what I am suggesting is the safer path for the majority. And even in Aindra’s case, you’ll find he didn’t “just chant.” He dedicated immense amounts of effort to seva and study.
In any case, we should note here that the 8th Anga of Śrī Rūpa Goswami’s advice for bhakti-sādhana is “yavad arthānuvartita” – to approach life (including sādhana) in a moderate, realistic, appropriate manner.
QUESTION: Especially for those who aren’t completely dedicated to the meditation (who still have a lot of karma-yoga/worldly duties to perform), trying to meditate/practice japa can sometimes feel like a constant battle. Do we just continue to ‘bring our mind back to the mantra’? What other things can be applied to make it more effective in this situation?
Disciplining the mind will never be a stroll amongst the roses. It will always be difficult. It’s always going to be a battle, but that doesn’t mean we should throw ourselves into battles we can win.
For example, first become steady in being able to chant 10 mantras without distraction and with full attention to each syllable. That’s a battle most people can win in some time with some effort, enthusiasm and dedication. Then advance to something more, like 24. If and when you can do that consistently, then try for a māla. Once you can steadily do a complete māla, say for example everyday for a week or a month at a stretch, you are really quite advanced already, and very likely ready to move onto more extensive meditation-based bhakti-sādhana, without the need for significant activity and material considerations. Then you could start to consider the advanced advice about nāma-japa, and doing it for significant amounts of time every day.
Honoring Saradiya Devi Dasi
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By Padmapani das Our dear Godsister, Saradiya devi dasi, departed from this world on Sri Krishna Saradiya Rasayatra to be with her eternal father, Srila Prabhupada. Her sincerity and love for Srila Prabhupada is unparalleled. May we follow in her footsteps. Bonds of Love by Saradiya Devi Dasi. Srila Prabhupada and Saradiya. Bhaktivedanta Manor Pancha-Tattva Painting Continue reading "Honoring Saradiya Devi Dasi
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H.G.Srutakirti Prabhu in a recent SB class, in Vrindavana,…
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H.G.Srutakirti Prabhu in a recent SB class, in Vrindavana, narrates pastimes with Srila Prabhupada (video)
Once some of his disciples were talking lightly about the faults of their godbrothers in a room next to that of his Divine Grace without being aware that he was listening. After a while, Srila Prabhupada appeared and told them: “This kind of gossip destroys your Krishna consciousness!”
Srila Prabhupada was never pleased to hear criticisms and negative talk.
During a morning walk, some other disciples were complaining about similar issues, Srila Prabhupada stopped, turn towards them and said: “You have come only to discourage and I have come to encourage!”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/XnrffU
Gita 14.17 Different modes foster different emotions, dispositions and destinations
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Tolerating phases of bad fortune
khalvāṭo divaseśvarasya kiraṇaiḥ santāpite mastake
vāñchan deśam anātapaṁ vidhi-vaśāt tālasya mūlaṁ gataḥ
tatrāpy asya mahāphalena patatā bhagnaṁ sa-śabdaṁ śiraḥ
prāyo gacchati yatra bhāgya-rahitas tatraiva yānty āpadaḥ
khalvāṭaḥ — a bald man; divaseśvarasya — of the sun; kiraṇaiḥ — by the rays; santāpite — on experiencing burning; mastake — of the head; vāñchan — desiring; deśam — some place; anātapam — free from heat; vidhi-vaśāt — out of his fate; tālasya — of a palm-tree; mūlam — under; gataḥ — went; tatrāpi — there too; asya — his; mahāphalena — by a big coconut; patatā — by falling; bhagnam — cracked open; sa-śabdam — with a great sound; śiraḥ — head; prāyaḥ — usually; gacchati — goes; yatra — wherever; bhāgya-rahitaḥ — an unfortunate person; tatraiva — there too; yānti — arrive; āpadaḥ — his destined suffering;
“A bald man’s head was burning by the strong rays of the sun. He decided to find some relief from the heat, and by the arrangements of providence he found shelter under a palm-tree. Even after finding relief with such great difficulty, a coconut fell on him, breaking open his head with a loud cracking noise. Truly, wherever an ill-fated person goes, his misfortunes follow him.”
— (Nīti-śataka of Bhartṛhari, Verse 90)
We sometimes go through phases of bad fortune when things keep going wrong, one after another. Whatever we do to set things right only makes them worse. Gita wisdom helps us understand that such phases deliver us concentrated doses of reactions to our past karma. To navigate such phases, or even to just survive them, we need patience and tolerance. Kneejerk reactions can cause aggravation, even devastation.
Does this mean that we fatalistically do nothing to solve problems? No, the Vedic tradition wasn’t fatalistic. For example, it didn’t ask the sick to just live with their pain; it treated them with a sophisticated branch of medical knowledge, Ayurveda.
Still, spiritual traditions the world over have been realistic enough to recognize that sometimes, despite our best efforts, nothing works. Such times call for not frantic action, but philosophical contemplation. To become contemplative, we need the capacity to tolerate distress – intolerance keeps us agitated, rushing from one apparent solution to another.
Unfortunately, our capacity to tolerate distress is eroded by modern thought. Most contemporary thought-systems operate on the foundational ideology of self-determination, which holds that we alone are the makers of our destiny. By our intelligence and efforts, we can stave off everything undesirable and attain everything desirable. Or so we are taught to believe. The notion that we are the controllers of our life is so central to our worldview that we define our success and even our self-worth in terms of our capacity to mold our circumstances to our will. Given such self-conceptions, uncontrollable situations don’t just frustrate us – they shatter us. No wonder mental health problems have risen with the spread of modernity.
If we wish to respond to difficulties intelligently, not impulsively, we need to challenge our debilitating beliefs about controllership. Gita wisdom offers a better understanding of our position and purpose in the cosmic hierarchy of things. The Bhagavad-gita (15.07) states that we are souls, parts of the supreme being, God, Krishna. He is the supreme controller, and we, being his parts, are partial controllers. His capacity to control is infinite, whereas ours is finite. We are meant to use our finite controlling capacity to serve him, in whatever situation life sends our way. During phases of bad fortune, the best way we can serve may well be by tolerance.
Tolerating distress doesn’t mean that we become totally passive; it means that we act first for spiritual elevation, not material rectification. The Gita (18.58) urges us to take shelter of the process of bhakti-yoga which raises our consciousness above the material level of reality to the spiritual level, where we find relief through loving absorption in Krishna.
Srimad-Bhagavatam is replete with examples of devotees accepting adversity with spirituality, with devotional dispositions that featured tolerance and fostered transcendence. Its central narrative begins with the great king Parikshit being cursed unfairly with capital punishment for a minor transgression. Rather than resenting or revenging the curse, he absorbs himself in hearing about Krishna and thereby transcends bodily consciousness. Even before his body meets its fated destruction, his soul attains the feted liberation that can’t be attained even by the most zealous material endeavors.
If we too cultivate a devotional disposition of service, the Gita (10.10) assures that Krishna will guide us from within to choose wisely so that we can move closer to him.
When faced with adversities, if we strive first to raise our consciousness to the spiritual level, then we will get the intelligence to act appropriately at the material level in a mood of service.
By thus learning to tolerate adversities, we will not just go through them but also grow through them towards Krishna.
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Sri Gaurachandra’s Installation at New York’s Bhakti Center
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On October 4th, a divine form of Sri Caitanya was installed on the altar of the temple at New York's The Bhakti Center. Accompanied by a chorus of voices chanting Vedic mantras and jubilant kirtan, brahmins began the ceremony by establishing the intention in the minds of the community, honoring and seeking the blessings of the seniors present and commencing the rites with the traditional Vedic fire ceremony.
Sri Gaurachandra’s Installation at New York’s Bhakti Center
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On October 4th, a divine form of Sri Caitanya was installed on the altar of the temple at New York's The Bhakti Center. Accompanied by a chorus of voices chanting Vedic mantras and jubilant kirtan, brahmins began the ceremony by establishing the intention in the minds of the community, honoring and seeking the blessings of the seniors present and commencing the rites with the traditional Vedic fire ceremony.
Daily Darshan : October 08, 2017
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A worthy representative
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 September 2017, Mauritius, Arrival Lecture)
In the spiritual world, devotees also offer aarti when greeting various personalities. This tradition manifested on this planet and in Mauritius too.
When I travel, I see different cultures, sometimes more traditional and other times more modern. Sometimes simply, “How are you?” and that is all but in Krsna Consciousness, we embrace spiritual traditions. Somehow or other, we are all playing a role in one body or another. Male and female are the big division but there are many other divisions as well. Just like, I am playing the role of a teacher given to me by my spiritual master but at the same time, I am learning also. I am learning how to come closer to Krsna every day, which is an ongoing learning process throughout spiritual life.
In the spiritual world, devotees worship other devotees. Srimati Radharani is worshipped by other gopis because worship is purifying. It is easier to worship than to receive. Receiving worship is very difficult. Just like now, you are singing Guru Puja to me instead of Srila Prabhupada. This is very difficult because I am thinking, “What does Srila Prabhupada think of me now?” Then I apologise for my lack of qualification while I sincerely try to represent Srila Prabhupada and the other previous acaryas.
Transcendentally surcharged atmosphere in Vrindavana (4 min…
Transcendentally surcharged atmosphere in Vrindavana (4 min video)
When one offers a lamp during the month of Karttika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eye blink.
New York Supreme Court Declares Historic Decision in favor of Hare Krishna Movement
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New York Supreme Court Declares Historic Decision in favor of Hare Krishna Movement.
New York Supreme Court Justice Randi Sue M...
Enthusiasm means optimism and optimism has three aspects
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Bhakti Vaibhava Swami’s Bhagavatam class
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Ujjain GBC meeting #1.
Srila Prabhupada and Lord Venkateshwara.
Yadubara das: Srila…
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Srila Prabhupada and Lord Venkateshwara.
Yadubara das: Srila Prabhupada stayed in Tirupati for three days, and the highlight of...
Preaching program in Tirana, Albania’s capital city (Album…
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Preaching program in Tirana, Albania’s capital city (Album with photos)
Ananda Tirtha: We had a really, really wonderful six days in Tirana, Albania. The city is pleasant. People are super pleasant. We managed to sell 500 books. Bhakti-grantha and Nayananda Prabhus distributed almost all of them. I managed to meet up with the Indian consul in Tirana, a man in his 60s with moist and lively eyes, a successful businessman of a warm and unassuming nature. He helped us with our mission. I gifted him a copy of the Sri Isopanisad in Albanian, a copy of the Bhagavad-gita in English, and a copy of the Atma magazine in Albanian. We also met a vibrant woman, a yoga teacher, who without thinking twice invited us to give a lecture at her studio. That proved to be a great gathering. One of the men in attendance even offered his help to initiate an Iskcon center in Tirana and translate the Bhagavad-gita into Albanian. We look forward to our next visit to Tirana.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/y1PvWC
Every Picture Tells A Story In Beautiful Vrindavan During Kartik…
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Every Picture Tells A Story In Beautiful Vrindavan During Kartik (Album with photos)
The Evening Programme in Iskcon’s Krishna Balaram Mandir On The 5Th Of October.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/PW8dE5
New York Supreme Court Declares Historic Decision in favor of Hare Krishna Movement
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The case began in 2004 in Freeport, New York, when persons from outside Long Island, through deception and subterfuge, took control of the Long Island ISKCON Temple board of trustees. Those persons opposed GBC authority and taught a philosophical system called ritvik, which the GBC declared a deviation from traditional Hare Krishna, or Vaishnava Hindu teachings.
Dauji, The Older Brother! (Album with photos) Indradyumna…
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Dauji, The Older Brother! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Dauji is a name for Lord Balarama meaning ‘older brother.’ It is also the name of a village in greater Vrindavan, where a very ancient deity of Lord Balarama is worshiped with great love and devotion by the citizens. It’s one of my favorite places in all of Vrindavan. Yesterday we took our parikrama party of 350 devotees to Dauji to see Dauji!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/evTxb9
Rebirth According to the Bhagavad-gita; Epistemology, Ontology and Ethics
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By Ishvara Krishna Das This paper is engaged with the topic of reincarnation in the Bhagavad gītā, better termed “rebirth”. It first looks into the epistemological aspects of rebirth, and highlights the type of knowledge or terminology underlying the vision of rebirth, as opposed to a different type of knowledge that is not suitable for this purpose, and which leads to a different vision of reality. It then looks into the ontological aspects of rebirth, and having highlighted some Upaniṣadic sources, it highlights major Bhagavad gītā sections describing the soul and rebirth. Finally, it looks into the ethics derived from the concept of rebirth; it first characterizes these as “ethics of equanimity”, and then expands these into the “ethics of enlightened action”, which refer to action grounded in the idea of rebirth. Continue reading "Rebirth According to the Bhagavad-gita; Epistemology, Ontology and Ethics
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Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple Damodar AartI Darshan 5th October…
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Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple Damodar AartI Darshan 5th October 2017 Live from ISKCON Chowpatty (14 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/xosMMq
After He had snuggled into Yasoda’s embrace, Krsna had become both the victim of neglect and the beneficiary of bliss. It was an extraordinary experience, one that He continued to enjoy until His rebellious mind thought,
“She has left Me for some milk.”
Following the experience of separation came thoughts of being neglected, and from those thoughts emerged corresponding feelings that stoked the anger of love. Burned thus by the fire of indignation, Krsna boiled like a baby-volcano.
Mother Yasoda was also a beneficiary of a similar but even more intense sweetness.
Upon feeding Krsna she had tasted the heavenly nectar of His touch, and when she put Him down she drank the abysmal poison of His absence. But as she rushed to save the boiling milk, her ecstasy amazingly increased step by step. Like Krsna, she too was intoxicated by the love of separation. However, because He was the object of love and she the subject because He was unlimited and she limited, her pleasures, both nectarean and poisonous, were a hundred times greater than His. So when divine love forced Yasoda to rush to the stove, she was so disoriented that in an invisible way Yogamaya had to guide her.
Knowing that His mother’s bliss exceeded His own, Krsna felt further deprived.
“Another injustice!”
Pierced thus from multiple directions, His mounting anger finally erupted.
Although a little boy of three, Krsna was the origin of anger, material and spiritual. The forms of Virabhadra and Nrsimha may have appeared ferocious by comparison to baby Krsna, but the fierceness of the anger that He felt was no less than theirs.
In this way, frustration at being neglected, jealousy of the boiling milk, and the injustice of being spiritually short-changed caused a host of bodily symptoms.
His hands clenched and unclenched, His little chest heaved with rapid breathing, and His black complexion became tinged with red. Eyes reddish, eyebrows flitting, and lips trembling, Krsna glared in the direction of the kitchen, bit His lower lip, and vowed,
“I will get revenge.”
Sri Damodara-janani
(HH Sivarama Swami)