Planet ISKCON

Kirtan led by Narahari Nityananda dasa.

Vedic Sociology Seminar at ISKCON Juhu.
‘Varnasrama Dharma is the society of Vaisnavas in their conditional stage.’ (Bhaktivinod Thakur in Sajjan Toshani)
A 3-day seminar on Vedic Sociology was held at ISKCON Juhu under the aegis of IDVM-India on 1st - 3rd of October 2017. The seminar was given by His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaj. Posters of the event were displayed in the temple premises. Information about the same was also circulated on social media. There was a lot of excitement amongst devotees for the seminar.
The first day of the seminar was an introduction to Vedic Sociology. His Holiness explained that the Vedic Society is primarily an agrarian society and encouraged devotees to lead a more natural life based on land, cows and Krishna. His Holiness also mentioned that cities are supposed to be our preaching bases and villages our living bases. The presentation had many direct statements from past acharyas emphasizing the importance of Varnasrama Dharma. His Holiness explained about the ISKCON’s four movements. His Holiness explained that Srila Prabhupada wanted Krishna Consciousness movement to be not only Religious movement, Cultural movement, Educational movement, but also a social movement.
The presentation was based on Kautilya’s Arthasastra.
The second day of the seminar dealt with another very important topic of Varnasrama Education. His Holiness first explained about the three types of vidyas and then about the five pillars of education. He also explained about the qualities which student and teachers should possess. Maharaja gave the seven pillars of success under the science of politics wherein His Holiness compared the Vedic perspective and their counterpart in a modern organization. Then, Maharaj explained about the char vidyas namely Vedic Philosophy, Vedic Education, Vedic Politics and Vedic Economics. There was an interesting topic about how to determine one’s varna. At the last phase of the seminar on day 2, Maharaja showed an interesting video by Srila Prabhupada on education and politics.
The third day was on Varnasrama Economics. Due to bad health, His Holiness could not present the seminar. His Grace Vishnunam Prabhu, Vice President ISKCON Ahmedabad presented the seminar. Prabhu started with many direct quotes from Srila Prabhupada on cow protection. In his presentation, he shared his own experience with ISKCON Ahmedabad goshala and his experience with the cows. It was interesting to know that milk production could be increased by allowing calves to stay with their mother cow for 12 hours every day. He explained about the animal impact on the land through planned grazing of cows. He also gave few quotes from Vedas regarding taking care of Gomata. He explained how cows help in increasing organic matter of land and thus enables the soil to hold more water. Another interesting point he made was if we eat grains, vegetables etc made out of cow dung and urine, we do not need medicines made out of cow dung and urine.
Devotees attended the seminar in large number. They were very happy to gain holistic vision of Vedic sociology with the seminar and wanted more such kind of seminars to broaden their horizon of thinking. The audience also asked many interesting questions on the topic.
The seminar will be soon uploaded on the youtube channel ‘Varnasrama Media service’. Interested devotees may subscribe the youtube channel to watch full seminar.
Shubhananda Hari Das
To read the entire article click here: https://archive.org/download/VedicSociology/Vedic%20Sociology.docx

Book distribution in Vrindavana.
Kavicandra Swami: This is my God Sister, Radha Kunda dasi. She was Book Distributor par excellence in the 70’s. She inspired me in my early days of book distribution.
She moved to India and helped to establish ISKCON in Gujarat.
She started the Mataji book distribution party in front of Krsna Balaram Mandira. They distribute hundreds of book daily. Note the name tag, made in USA. That is to save time since everyone asks about that.

Bhaktimarga Swami Completes 3,550-Mile Walk Across U.S. for ISKCON 50.
On Friday September 15th, Bhaktimarga Swami, “The Walking Monk,” crossed the finish-line for his 3,550-mile walk across the USA in San Francisco, beneath shining blue skies and rolling white clouds.
It had been two years since he set off.
This wasn’t the Swami’s first adventure on foot. He has walked across Canada from coast to coast four times; and he has trekked across Ireland, the Fiji Islands, Mauritius, Trinidad, Guyana, and Israel, to promote a more simple, healthy and spiritual lifestyle.
But this latest walk, in honor of his guru A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the 50th anniversary of Prabhupada’s International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been the most personally meaningful to him.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/a2cfb1

Vrindavana full of pilgrims for Kartika (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “The essence of all Vedic knowledge—comprehending the three kinds of Vedic activity, the Vedic hymns, and the processes for satisfying the demigods—is included in the eight syllables Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. This is the reality of all Vedanta. The chanting of the holy name is the only means to cross the ocean of nescience.” (Narada-pancharatra)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ZhJby4

Presenting Krishna consciousness (Album with photos)
On 23rd September 2017, Gaur Gopal das was invited to speak at SBI - SBICAPs Conclave.
SBI Capital Markets Ltd, a subsidiary of State Bank of India, organized a Conclave, which was attended by senior officials of State Bank of India, SBI Capital Markets limited, RBI and other corporates.
Gaur Gopal das spoke on the topic “Secrets to renew Energy and Enthusiasm.”
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aToDNG

By Niranjana Swami

We never experienced anything else in Prabhupada’s presence other than his burning desire to give Krishna, and that’s what captured our hearts, and that’s what makes us want to make this life successful by doing something to make Prabhupada smile. And if some day we can become so blessed to be able to do that which he wants us to do, then that’s the only reason why we live in this world. There is nothing else. Continue reading "How I came to Krishna consciousness
→ Dandavats"

By Bradley Malkovsky

There are two strong arguments advanced by reincarnationists against the teaching of one earthly life. The first argument regards reincarnation as a more reasonable expression of divine mercy and love than the disproportionate and unfair infliction of eternal punishment by God upon a human being for a single morally corrupt lifetime. The second argument finds reincarnation to be necessary for the continued exercise of creaturely freedom required for true moral and spiritual maturation. Catholic teaching, by contrast, asserts that a single earthly life followed by purgatory is sufficient for the perfection and completion of the human person. However, in both the satisfaction and sanctification models of purgatory the human person is entirely passive, not actively contributing to its own completion. Such an approach would seem to devalue free human participation in the process of perfection. Continue reading "Belief in Reincarnation and Some Unresolved Questions in Catholic Eschatology
→ Dandavats"

By Satyaraja Dasa

Reincarnation, of course, is accepted as a given in India’s mystical literature, and, according to Eastern sensibility, its truth undergirds any genuine metaphysical understanding of life. We are spirit-soul, say texts like the Bhagavad-gītā (2.13, 21, 22, among others), and not the material body. We are a quantum of energy, and energy, we learn from the natural sciences, is never created or destroyed. It continues to exist in some form. God, too, is spiritual substance, and He/She/It reincarnates as well.1 But whereas regular souls are forced to incarnate according to their karmic activity—for every action there is an equal and commensurate reaction—God appears in various forms according to His sweet will, for the sake of play (līlā) and to educate. Continue reading "The Reincarnation(s) of Jaya and Vijaya: A Journey through the Yugas
→ Dandavats"

https://youtu.be/LIp-LW6Zuk4

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

In the month of Kartika one should worship Lord Damodara and daily recite the prayer known as Damodarashtakam along with offering a Lamp twice a day. Damodar Ashtakam has been spoken by the sage Satyavrata which attracts Lord Damodara. Very naughty yet blissful pastimes of Lord Krishna are beautifully narrated in this Ashtakam. Sri Damodarashtakam Traditional ISKCON Bhajan for Lord Damodara By Madhavas Rock Band (11 min video)

Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

The post Gita 14.15 The modes are not just psychological constructs, they are also post-mortem destination shapers appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

On Friday September 15^th, Bhaktimarga Swami, “The Walking Monk,” crossed the finish-line for his 3,550-mile walk across the USA in San Francisco, beneath shining blue skies and rolling white clouds. It had been two years since he set off.

After a long journey, a full-fledged ISKCON temple is finally set to launch in Las Vegas, receiving its grand opening from April 26^th to 28th, 2018, culminating on Nrsimha Chaturdasi.

Answer Podcast

The post Should medicines be used to treat depression? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post If negative events cause a panic attack, what can we do? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post Our survival instinct tells us to avoid pain, whereas austerity means to accept pain – how to decide what to do? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post Should we be simply attached to the principle of service or to specific services according to our nature? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Reflection at Krishna House, Gainesville, USA]

Podcast

The post Ramayana reflections – Maricha represents worship in fear appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Bhagavatam class at Bhakti House, Jacksonville, USA]

Podcast

Podcast Summary

The post Damodara lila analysis – Going beyond cultural conceptions to spiritual revelation appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Bhakti Shastri Class at Krishna House, Gainesville, USA]

Podcast

Video:

The post How our vision alters our perception – Gita study 01.24-36 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Talk at North Florida University]

Podcast

Podcast Summary

Video:

The post Overcoming negative emotions 2 – Depression appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Bhagavatam class on 1.2.28-29 at Krishna House, Gainesville, USA]

Podcast

Podcast Summary

Video:

The post Is Krishna-bhakti universal when it is so specific? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Kartika Begins! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Today on the first day of Kartika we visited Ram Tal, an ancient holy p...

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON New Vrindaban Communications

 

 

Born to a devotee family in New Vrindaban, West Virginia in 1977, Bhagavan Bauer lived and attended gurukula there until the age of eighteen.

While he developed great friendships with the other gurukula students and has good memories of fun times with them, he also endured the kind of traumatic abuse and neglect that was unfortunately all too common in many of ISKCON’s ashram-based gurukulas at the time.

So it was no surprise that he left in 1995 to create a new life for himself. During his twenty years away, Bhagavan gained a well of experience. He worked in New York City at several different jobs, including fitness trainer, construction worker and electrician. He married his wife Ananga Manjari, and they had two sons, Nava Kishor and Nitya, now 14 and 12.

As a father, still healing from his own negative childhood experiences and looking to give his children a more wholesome upbringing, Bhagavan studied parenting techniques. To pass on his knowledge, he then became a parenting coach and educator himself – a service he still offers.

More recently, after suffering the loss of several relatives, he and his wife sought more stability in their lives. And they felt that New Vrindaban, where Bhagavan’s mother Sukhavaha lives, was the place to find that.

In August 2015, Bhagavan and his family moved back to a very different New Vrindaban – one with a revitalized focus on Srila Prabhupada’s vision, improved devotee care, and increased infrastructure maintenance. He also found dramatically better treatment of children at the local Gopal’s Garden school, where his sons now study and his wife teaches.

When he first returned to New Vrindaban, Bhagavan struggled with what he described as an unhealthy sense of entitlement towards the community due to the trauma he had previously experienced there.

“But I decided to work through it and learn to love New Vrindaban while here,” he explains. “And that, I felt, would help me heal.”

Bhagavan says he is now reconnecting with the community he grew up in – and is at the forefront of efforts to transform it and pioneer the next wave.

Since moving back two years ago, he has been serving as the construction and maintenance manager for ISKCON New Vrindaban, overseeing a team of seven. Together they are assisting the effort to physically revitalize key parts of New Vrindaban, much of which had received little maintenance over the previous thirty years.

In his two years there so far Bhagavan and his team have already done an impressive number of upgrades.

They have upgraded all the floors in the temple prasadam room and hallways with vinyl plank flooring; put in a new sink and cabinets for dishes in the prasadam room; and upgraded the guest kitchen.

The team also helped Gopisa Das finish a host of new apartments for resident devotees near the New Vrindaban Community Gardens. They built the brand newYoga Shala in a record time of four months – a 2,000 square-foot building with a sloped cathedral ceiling, windows on three sides, and a beautiful view of the swan lake. And they built the wittily named “Vishnu Maintenance Workshop” to consolidate all their own tools and make their work more efficient.

Meaningfully to Bhagavan, they also transformed the Palace Lodge ground floor rooms – which had been gurukula ashrams in the 1980s – into comfortable, modern motel rooms.

“Demolishing the old ashram was a cathartic process for me,” he says.

Currently, Bhagavan is redoing the siding on the guest lodge and upgrading the chattras and walkways around the swan lake.

Next, he and his team plan to renovate the old farmhouse at Vrindaban, where the community was originally centered, and where Srila Prabhupada stayed in 1969 – restoring a wonderful piece of history.

After receiving feedback from community members on the details, Bhagavan is also eager to help make a big improvement – upgrading the entire outside of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s temple to give it a fresh, more attractive look.

The challenge in working for the New Vrindaban construction department, according to Bhagavan, is that one doesn’t have the luxury to specialize but has to be able to do everything. So tasks can have a learning curve.

“But I like that we have a dynamic team who work together cooperatively; that we’re constantly upgrading and making New Vrindaban more beautiful; and that I get to help create nice relationships with the devotees,” says Bhagavan, who is well-respected by his team.

As the name of the department’s new workshop suggests, Bhagavan is a big believer in the “Vishnu principle” of maintenance. “The Brahma and Shiva phases might be more fun – but it takes more energy and effort to maintain, which is why Vishnu is the Supreme Being,” he says. “We want to maintain everything nicely so that the beauty of New Vrindaban can be there for years to come, and attract new generations.”

In this vein Bhagavan is also a member of New Vrindaban’s recently elected Village Council, which is working to develop a more appealing environment for families and individuals by providing community members with a stronger voice in running their community.

“New Vrindaban is ever-growing and developing, and we’re working on shifting towards a focus of how to care best for the community member,” he says. “We hope this will encourage younger generations of families to move here and help New Vrindaban grow towards fulfilling Prabhupada’s mission.”

Commemoration of Krishna Lunch and the renewal of the University of Florida plaza. Founded by Srila Prabhupada and serving students ...

Request for blessings…
Rajesvari Seva Devi Dasi: Today I’m deeply grateful for my Spiritual Master Indradyumna Swami. He is my hero, my savior, my inspiration, my hope and my leader. Many years ago he gave me a wonderful gift of initiation and The Holy Name. Today I feel very ashamed and humiliated by the fact that I wasn’t able to stay truthful to my promise to chant 16 rounds of Maha Mantra every day. Since my son Vraj was born most of the time I was alone taking care of him. At that point, I started loosing it and today I stand with no sadhana whatsoever. I chant but not regularly and my spiritual life is based on sentiment and kindness of devotees. Today on this first day of Kartik I would like to take a vow to chant 8 rounds every day for the whole month. It will be my step towards creating a habit and proper time management allowing me to get back to my 16 rounds. I truly want that out of respect for my Gurudeva, for the sake of being a person of my word, for the sake of not wasting my life. There is nothing more valuable and sure in this world than God. Please, dear Devotees and friends, give me your blessings so I can develop deep love and attachment to the Holy Name and to be bound to It as Little Damodar was to a grinding mortar.

Beautiful Iskcon temple in Ujjain (Album with photos)
Bhakti Caitanya Swami: We are now at the ISKCON temple in Ujjain, in Indi...

Many international religious and political leaders honored the founder International Society for Krishna Consciousness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s achievements and contributions at a special ISKCON 50th Anniversary Gala Event in Washington D.C. on September 13th, 2016. The event took place in the Presidential Ballroom at the Capital Hilton Hotel. Three blocks from the White House, the Ballroom has hosted every president since Harry S. Truman and features a permanent eight-foot presidential seal on its wall. Over 300 people attended the Gala event, seventy-five of them special invitees including religious leaders, religious liberty experts, members of the media, government representatives and political leaders. A video by Karuna Productions.

According to a report received by the GBC Brooklyn Temple Sale Committee, it appears that the New York State Office of the Attorney General has declined to approve the pending sale of the Hare Krishna temple property in Brooklyn.