Sunday, August 20th, 2017
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Vancouver, British Columbia

Sound in Vancouver

The maha mantra was coming through, vibrating through the air and ether at English Bay, in varying formats.  During the annual Chariot procession, Bengali drums provided the rhythm for the chant.  This is standard.

Once the procession ended, the stage program began with Mexican mariachi taking the floor, and under the sombreros the voices sang and guitars strummed to the tune of “Hare Krishna.”  And that’s not all.  Dustin Hines, an accomplished opera singer and Krishna devotee, demonstrated incredible lung power, beginning with praise to guru, Srila Prabhupada, for starters.  Then he sang out the Krishna mantra, contributing to the spiritual dimension of the atmosphere. https://www.facebook.com/madhonmohom.dailydarshan/posts/498689150481094

Finally for a second night in a row, Tatiksava Karunika—more commonly known as TK—blended the mantra through the genre of his rock band sound.  It’s good rock I must admit.  It’s a crowd pleaser.

In conclusion, there is no limit to the way transcendental sound can be invoked and shared.  “No hard and fast rule,” were the words expressed by the master of mantra, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.  Such an approach was applied at this year’s Chariot Fest in Vancouver which honours the Lord of the Universe, Jagannatha.

My role at the event was to lead name chanting, address the crowd as special guest speaker and join my buddy, Ajamil, in singing, while arousing the crowd in dance.  Oh, and I also spent time meeting people and hear their concerns.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Saturday, August 19th, 2017
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Vancouver, British Columbia

Flying and Feeling

At the Krishna House in Las Vegas last night, families arrived after work and our walking team sang, read, ate and discussed various things with them.  It was a sweet gathering.  We were happy to know that the community here are on their way toward building a new temple in the suburbs of the city.  I guess it is something the city could use.  Personally, I don’t know about all this gambling stuff!  I was surprised to see slot machines in the airport. http://btg.krishna.com/krishnas-new-playground

There’s got to be good souls in this place.  Sure enough, I received a call from Hayagriva, who stayed on with the boys while I went off to leave for Vancouver, and I was informed that Atri Rsi, the community co-ordinator in Vegas, arranged and paid for four new tires for our support van! Thank you Atri for your utmost kindness.  What a generous soul you have!

Meanwhile, I find myself in Vancouver where everything is gearing up for the Chariot Festival. It will be  held tomorrow with a procession and then fun at Second Beach in Stanley Park. It’s the event for summer fun in a devotional manner.  I came out to the park to meet old friends, but the big event is left for Sunday.

As I was leaving, a young woman of oriental descent came running after me with a big smile and an inquisitive heart.  Her name was Chai and she was eager just to talk and communicate.  It appeared that her spirit was reaching out, wanting to probe into life’s purpose.  I delivered what I could and left her with the opportunity to speak more tomorrow at Second Beach.

May the Source be with you!

0 mi or km

TOVP: Srila Prabhupada’s murti (Album with…
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TOVP: Srila Prabhupada’s murti (Album with photos)
Ambarisa Das: Locan das prabhu, famous Iskcon sculpture, has been engaged by the TOVP project to make the life size murti of Srila Prabhupada for the Vyasasana in the new temple. This is the work so far. We wanted to capture Srila Prabhupada’s love, compassion, and wisdom. I think it is awesome!!!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/hDMGCT

Appreciate now! Vaisesika Das: After someone dies, friends and…
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Appreciate now!
Vaisesika Das: After someone dies, friends and loved ones suddenly remember the deceased person’s good qualities, how important the person actually was to them, and so on.
“You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone.”
Because this world is unpredictable, one should personally appreciate people while one has the opportunity.
Don’t wait.
Appreciate now.
“Your appreciation of devotees like Upendra and Ananda is super excellent. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this lesson—one who appreciates a sincere devotee is eligible to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Srila Prabhupada letter to Mr. Windisch, 21st March 1969)

HH Gour Govinda Swami Vyasapuja
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Today is the auspicious appearance day festival of one of the most dearmost disciple of Srila Prabhupada, His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja. At Mayapur, the disciples and devotees of Mayapur community came together to offer glorification & pushpanjali  at his puspha Samadhi mandir. In the morning, video class of Gour Govinda Maharaj was played in the temple […]

The post HH Gour Govinda Swami Vyasapuja appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Namahatta Sammelan in Mayapur
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ISKCON Mayapur Nama-hatta, under the leadership of  HH Jayapataka Swami and HH Gauranga Prem Swami, developed several Nama-hatta  preaching centers in & aroud West Bengal. Nama-hatta is the most traditional of the congregational programs and mirrors the organization of a regular ISKCON temple with the leader and his assistants in the center. When HH Jayapataka Swami […]

The post Namahatta Sammelan in Mayapur appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Hallowed Be Thy Name (audio interview)BBC Radio: Musician…
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Hallowed Be Thy Name (audio interview)
BBC Radio: Musician Jahnavi Harrison explores why chanting the name of God can be such a powerful devotional practice.
Drawing on her own Hindu tradition, she recalls hearing her parents chanting and how important it became to her from an early age. “The name of God,” she explains, “is said to be the panacea for whatever ails the mind, body and soul. It was the ever present soundtrack to my life - night, day, birthdays, funerals, weddings and road trips.”
Her experience at a Christian school also showed her that other religious traditions say and sing the God’s name. She notes that she was “thrilled to discover this common thread, and the myriad ways that this praise was expressed.”
Using the words of the Psalms, the Sufi poets and a number of Hindu saints and mystics, Jahnavi celebrates the power of chanting in different ways and locations and, alongside the music of Vivaldi and Rachmaninov, she relishes in the most famous of all Hindu songs, My Sweet Lord by George Harrison, who is quoted in the programme:

“My idea was to sneak up on them a bit. The point was to have the people not offended by ‘Hallelujah’ and, by the time it gets to 'Hare Krishna’, they’re already hooked.”

Presenter: Jahnavi Harrison
Producer: Michael Wakelin
A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Edinburgh Rathayatra, UK – 21st August 2017 (Album with photos)…
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Edinburgh Rathayatra, UK - 21st August 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Chanting involves the activities of the upper and lower lips as well as the tongue. All three must be engaged in chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The words “Hare Krishna” should be very distinctly pronounced and heard. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 17.3 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/XBLxsg

When birth in a wealthy family can deviate one spiritually, how is it spiritually favorable – Hindi?
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Answer Podcast

The post When birth in a wealthy family can deviate one spiritually, how is it spiritually favorable – Hindi? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

If we like to dress the Deities but also want others to appreciate our dressing, is that self-centeredness?
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Answer Podcast

The post If we like to dress the Deities but also want others to appreciate our dressing, is that self-centeredness? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

When bhakti culture is still there in Vraja, was all this destroyed 500 years ago when Lord Chaitanya restored it?
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Answer Podcast

The post When bhakti culture is still there in Vraja, was all this destroyed 500 years ago when Lord Chaitanya restored it? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

When we don’t hear so much about Lord Balarama, how can we become more attracted to him?
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Answer Podcast

The post When we don’t hear so much about Lord Balarama, how can we become more attracted to him? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

While practicing bhakti, should we be concerned about how the world perceives us?
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Answer Podcast

The post While practicing bhakti, should we be concerned about how the world perceives us? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

LEAD acronym – 4 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad-gita
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[Talk to managers at GIT auditorium, Belgaum, India]

Podcast

Podcast Summary

The post LEAD acronym – 4 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad-gita appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

How my laptop was stolen and recovered – and what I recovered in between
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Hare KrishnaBy Chaitanya Charan Das

It was 3.45 am at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. I was at the guestroom of the ISKCON temple, waiting for the ride that would take me to the airport for my flight to Panama. Shanta Vigraha P, the devotee who had coordinated my visit there and who was to drive me to the airport, had been slightly delayed. Meanwhile, I had thought of using the restroom, which was in an adjacent room. Before going there, I had locked the door of the guestroom. But then I went back to open that door slightly, thinking that as the atmosphere outside was hot and mosquito-ridden, Shanta Vigraha P would be more comfortable inside the guestroom than outside. When I returned a few minutes later, he had still not reached, but apparently someone had come in and stolen my MacBook Air laptop. Continue reading "How my laptop was stolen and recovered – and what I recovered in between
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Planting the Seed of Devotion
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON desire tree network

With growing Krishna consciousness all over the world ISKCON has been instrumental in bringing many souls under the shelter of Lord Sri Krishna with its Philosophy, Kirtans, Prasadam, etc., however the villages and tribes located in remote areas remain unaware of the good fortune in Kaliyuga. An initiative was taken by devotees from ISKCON Pune and with dedicated efforts and Krishna’s mercy a new preaching centre ”Bhagavad Darshan Prachar Kendra” was established in Bodhan village, Telangana. It was inaugurated with great pomp on 10th June 2017. Bhakta Manjunath accompanied by two grihastha devotees were invited for the inauguration. Inaugural activities included basic Krishna conscious introduction which further covered the concepts of 4 regulative principles as followed in ISKCON, importance of chanting holy name and community building. This continued for 9 days till 19th June 2017. Nagar Sankirtanas flooded the areas of Pegadapally, Yedapally, Hunsa, Achanpally and Pothangal with the nectarine holy name. Continue reading "Planting the Seed of Devotion
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Sri Krishna Reaches Out on Janmashtami
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON Wellington

Bhakti is ahaituky apratihatā. It can neither be achieved through mundane efforts nor be terminated by any mundane cause (SB 1.2.6). But bhakti can be obtained and nurtured in the association of Lord’s devotees. It can be ignited and spread through the association of Vaishnavas. It was this knowledge, faith and desire to spread the love for Godhead that spurred the outreach Janmashtami program for the greater Wellington urban region. This year, devotees from Wellington’s Journey of Self Discovery (JOSD) group under the guidance of HG Ambarish Maharaj Das and HG Anang Manjari Devi Dasi, chose to celebrate the advent of Lord Sri Krishna with the community in Upper Hutt city.  Continue reading "Sri Krishna Reaches Out on Janmashtami
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No more agitation!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 January 2013, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture)

As long as we are too preoccupied in dealing with what is happening to ourselves, “My situation, my desires, my problems, my issues, my experiences!” as long as that is in the foreground of our thinking, we are in trouble because by nature we will be disturbed. This is just the fundamental script; no matter what the play is, wherever the play is, whoever is in the play, the basic fundamental principle in any play – whether it is Mediterranean or in Helsinki – it does not matter; we will be upadruta, always disturbed. This is the situation; this agitating factor is just the nature of things.

Prabhupada emphasised this point in many situations. He used the Hindi proverb, “Delhi ka laddu khaya, ya nahi khaya,” meaning that whether you have eaten Delhi ka laddu (sweetballs from Delhi) or not eaten, the problem is still there. Some are thinking, “Oh, I never ate this laddu!” Whereas others are thinking, “I have eaten too many laddus!”

In other words, still agitated. Prabhupada used the example of in the case of marriage, “Unhappy when not married, unhappy when married!” So whatever the situation, make the best of it, make it work!

We all carry this agitation within us. It is a fundamental thing. Maya makes us think that the solution to deal with agitation is to find the situation where we are least agitated and that is called a ‘comfortable situation’ even though it is not the solution to deal with agitation.

However, the real solution is to not focus on ourselves but to focus on the well-being of others! This the change the we need to make. It takes a long time to successfully do that. Gradually in spiritual life, we have to embrace the well-being of others and make this our meditation, “How can I pass on mercy to others?” When this becomes our meditation, then spiritual life becomes susukham kartum avyayam (Bhagavad-gita 9.2), joyfully performed!

Rising and Shining with Hare Krishna Mahamantra in school…
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Rising and Shining with Hare Krishna Mahamantra in school morning assembly (1 min video)
Morning assembly in this school with the chanting of Mahamantra gives students a chance to connect with the Lord, and begin the day with a feeling of gratitude and spiritual rejuvenation. Through Kirtan, students learn the value of collective prayer and are exposed to the need to inculcate spiritual and ethical values.
The morning assembly is conducted in every school to help children showcase their talent and ensure a robust start of the day. They are also guided to the path of spiritualism through educational talks organized by school authorities.
Meditation and Kirtan form an integral feature of the morning assembly in this school in New Delhi.
Your Servant
Kanika Khanna
School Teacher
& Member, IGF
ISKCON Punjabi Bagh
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/UuhzKU

Ujjain Yatra Sri Avantika Dhama
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Hare KrishnaBy Chandan Yatra Das

Ujjain is an ancient holy city on the bank of the Kshipra River, today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Ujjain is the place where Lord Krishna, along with Balarama and Sudama, received education from Maharishi Sandipani. Ujjain is one of the four sites in India that host the Kumbh Mela (also called the Simhastha Mela), once in 12 years. On the occasion of Simhastha Kumbh Mela the divinity and spiritual aroma of Ujjain meets its highest peak when millions of pilgrims take dips and worship sacred River Kshipra. The Garuda Purana enumerates seven sacred cities (Sapta Moksha Puri) as giver of Moksha (Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kasi, Kanchi, Avantika, Dwarka); Ujjain or Avantika is one among these seven sacred cities. Lord Ramacandra along with Sita-devi and Laxmana also came to Ujjain. Lord Ramacandra performed the ‘Pind-dan’ ceremony for His father Dasaratha at the Ram Ghat on the bank of Kshipra river, which is the famous holy site of Kumbh Mela. Continue reading "Ujjain Yatra Sri Avantika Dhama
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Gour Govinda Swami’s Vyasa-puja offering to Srila Prabhupada
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Hare KrishnaBy Gour Govinda Swami

It is the causeless mercy of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga that I came here to meet you all, I am very happy at such causeless mercy of Guru and Gauranga. Unless one gets such mercy, how can one cross over this dreadful ocean of material existence and go deep into the other part, the other shore? That means beyond the material ocean, material world, there is the abode of Lord and that is our eternal home. Now the question is how can we go there? The only way to go there is to offer prayer at the lotus feet of that Guru who is an expert navigator, who can ferry us across this dreadful ocean and take us there. Continue reading "Gour Govinda Swami’s Vyasa-puja offering to Srila Prabhupada
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Photos from Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Day 2017 at…
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Photos from Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Day 2017 at ISKCON-London.
Please find below photos from Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Day 2017 at the ISKCON-London Radha-Krishna Temple.
Harinama sankirtan and an Abhishek were also performed.
Slideshow (please turn on sound): https://goo.gl/6dtdiR
Gallery: https://goo.gl/KBPbCT
With best wishes, Hare Krishna, David.

A Spiritual Meditation on the Upcoming Solar Eclipse/ Медитация на духовное в связи приближающимся солнечным затмением
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“Vedic astronomers of five thousand years ago could predict eclipses of the sun and moon just as well as our modern astronomers can. The knowledge of the ancient astronomers went much further, however, since they understood the karmic influences of such events. Solar and lunar eclipses are generally very inauspicious, with certain rare exceptions. But just as the otherwise inauspicious Ekadasi day becomes beneficial when used for the glorification of Lord Hari, so the time of an eclipse is also advantageous for fasting and worship.” [ Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.82.2 purport ]

When the gopis of Vrindavan met Krishna at Kurukshetra on the occasion of a solar eclipse after a long separation, they prayed to Him:

ahus ca te nalina-nabha padaravindam
yogesvarair hrdi vicintyam agadha-bodhaih
samsara-kupa-patitottaranavalambam
geham jusam api manasy udiyat sada nah

“Dear Lord, whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshiped and meditated upon by great mystic yogis and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs.”

[ Srimad Bhagavatam 10.82.48 ]

 

 

Пять тысяч лет тому назад ведические астрономы так же, как и астрономы современные, могли предсказывать затмения солнца и луны. Вот только знание древних астрономов вело дальше, поскольку они осознавали кармическое влияние подобных событий. Как правило, и солнечное, и лунное затмения очень неблагоприятны, за некоторыми редкими исключениями. Но точно так же, как неблагоприятный день экадаши становится благотворным, если используется для прославления Господа Хари, так  и время затмения также благоприятно – для поста и поклонения». [ Шримад-Бхагаватам, 10.82.2 комм. ]

Гопи Вриндавана, после долгой разлуки встретившись по случаю солнечного затмения с Кришной на Курукшетре, молились Ему так:

ахус ча те налина-набха падаравиндам

йогешварайр хрди вичинтйам агадха-бодхайх

самсара-купа-патитоттаранаваламбам

гехам йусам апи манасй удийат сада нах

 

«Дорогой Господь, Твой пупок в точности цветок лотоса, и Твои лотосные стопы – единственное прибежище для попавших в глубокий колодец материального существования. Твоим стопам  поклоняются и на них медитируют великие йоги-мистики и высокоученые философы. Как бы мы хотели пробудить эти лотосные стопы и в наших сердцах, хотя мы… всего лишь обычные люди, занятые домашними делами». [ Шримад-Бхагаватам 10.82.48 ]

 

 

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