Leicester sees huge Hare Krishna chariot pulled through streets
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Hare KrishnaBy the BBC

Hundreds of festival-goers have joined a procession in which a 40ft (12.1m) chariot was pulled through Leicester city centre. The Hare Krishna Festival of Chariots began in Granby Street with a welcome ceremony and ended at Cossington Park, in Belgrave, on Sunday afternoon. Leicester hosts one of the largest celebrations of its type in Europe, organisers said. The chariot carried deities of the Lord Jagannatha and his sister Subhadra. The vibrant procession was accompanied with music, singing and dancing as it made its way through the city. Continue reading "Leicester sees huge Hare Krishna chariot pulled through streets
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That Special Song
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Hare KrishnaBy Indradyumna Swami

“I just wanted to thank you for your talk. It literally saved my life.” “Saved your life?” I said, thinking that perhaps she was speaking metaphorically. “Yes,” she said. “Two years ago my only child, my 16 year old son, was killed in a head-on car collision. I was devastated and as a result my relationship with my husband deteriorated quickly. We began quarreling and fighting and eventually separated. Six months ago we divorced. Because I was so distraught I couldn’t focus at work, and several months ago I lost my job. My friends were unable to cope with me, and one by one they abandoned me. I couldn’t make sense of it all. I kept asking, ‘why is all this happening to me?’” She paused and then said: “There seemed to be no reason to keep living. So I came up here to the coast last week with the intention of ending my life.” Continue reading "That Special Song
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A lifetime in preparation
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 June 2012, Leicester, England, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-Lila 7.21)

I remember the very first social development conference in ISKCON, which was very interesting because all the ashrams got to speak about their lives. I remember there was a gṛhasta who said, “I’m tired of being considered a second class citizen. Everyone is looking upon me like I’m fallen.” This was in the days when there were more brahmacaris than gṛhastas.

Then his wife spoke and she said, “Do you know what it’s like to chant outside the temple room? We always have to go out with the kids when the Swamis come.”

Then the brahmacari came and he said, “I feel unprotected since every time I say that I want to be a brahmacari then someone will say that the statistics are against me.”

It was a very entertaining morning then finally we got a vanaprashta and he said, “You know what, I have an identity crisis. Yes, I have an identity crisis, I don’t exist!”

Sometimes hearing about vanaprashta sounds intense because it sounds like an attack on your life! Like, at age fifty, they are going to pull out the rug from under your feet. But scripture recommends vanaprashta so our question is how does one do it?

Gṛhasta means that we work for this life. You are young and just married. Life is serious. No more time to play around, you got to build up something. So it goes on and you move into a bigger house and have two kids and you are so happy and you have a big garden… So this is the middle of life – the gṛhasta life, hard work!

Then you make a plan to get out of work by age fifty. So that is the first step – a plan to get out of entanglement early; a plan to get out of the rat race; a plan to get out of wanting and expanding. It is about simplifying because that is what retirement is about. So that is the principle – SIMPLIFY AND MAKE TIME FOR SPIRITUAL THINGS. It does not sound like the end of the world!?

The hot potato question is – should husband and wife separate? And the answer is that there is no injunction that at age fifty the husband and wife should separate. However, in some cases, they cannot wait until they are fifty! I know some cases where it is the wife who wants to take vanaprashta! But it is not necessary that husband and wife separate!

So organise life in a way where one can take up devotional service and vanaprashta is actually something good. Now the question is what do you do with your life?

Vanaprashta is not something you think about when you are fifty, it is something you think about when you are twenty-five. So, let us think about what we can do to spiritualise our life in future. Vanaprashta is an internal adjustment; it is a change of heart which has to take place on how to increase spirituality in our lives. Whatever detachment we have to practice in life will help us to prepare for the ultimate detachment. Some preparation is needed to deal with the ultimate detachment which is needed at the end of life.

Sunday, July 16th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario

Nice Bananas

Nine bananas went into the fire.  The reason for that figure could have some connection with ‘Cloud Nine’ which usually refers to cumulonimbus, those fluffy, white, heavenly clouds that can rise to ten kilometres up in the air and denote happiness.

It was actually nine happy people who stepped forward this morning for initiation into the bhakti culture.  The largest contingent of the group was from our Brampton community—three couples in fact.  Along with the commitment each member makes, they also agree to vows of dharmawhich are no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication and pre-family planning.  The positive injunction is to practise chanting every day.

In fact, I emphasized in my talk at the havan (fire ceremony) that initiates are expected to share three things with the public—wisdom, sacred sound and sacred food.  The Vedas of India have so much to offer for our wellness, what to speak of mantrasfor purging a polluted ether, and the radical change to healthy devotional food.

Three single women also came forward—Anne Lisa of Toronto, now Amala Purana, Mylene of Montreal, now Madri, and also from Quebec was Priya Radha, who sat at the fire on behalf of her guru, Gopal Krsna Goswami.

The elderly couple from Brampton, Satish and Prem Lata, are now Shyam Das and Prithvi. Manish is Murali Manohar Das.  His wife, Deepa is now Dhrti.  Finally Umesh is now Ugresh.  His life partner, Usha is now Urvi.  These three last female names are celebrated ways of addressing the goddess Earth.  In total, nine people gave nine bananas to the fire which represents God’s tongue.

May the Source be with you!

7 km 

All India Padayatra Visits Guruvayur, Kerala and Celebrates Chida-dahi Mahotsava In Chemmanur
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Hare KrishnaBy Acarya Dasa

It is believed that the deity of Guruvayurappan was once worshipped by Vasudeva and Devaki, Lord Krishna’s parents, and represents the Maha Vishnu form as revealed to them when Krishna appeared. The deity was also later worshipped by Krishna Himself. Carved from ‘Patala Anjanam’ stone or black bismuth and in a standing pose the deity is a four-armed form of Vishnu carrying the conch Panchajanya, the discus Sudarshana Chakra, the mace Kaumodaki, the lotus and adorned with a divine Tulsi garland. The deity faces east and is four feet tall. Despite the size of the deity devotees consider Him to be little Krishna. He is worshipped according to pooja regulations stipulated by Adi Sankaracharya and later formally recorded in the Tantras by Chennas Narayanan Namboodiri (born in 1427). Continue reading "All India Padayatra Visits Guruvayur, Kerala and Celebrates Chida-dahi Mahotsava In Chemmanur
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The Miracle Garland! Acarya Dasa: Our pada-yatra party was…
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The Miracle Garland!
Acarya Dasa: Our pada-yatra party was passing through the village of Talugudi on June 14th. Rupa Ragunath Maharaj was about to leave for Argentina after having spent some time with us. He said to me that day, “We should dress Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar very nicely with beautiful garlands.” We usually make simple garlands but I agreed that having nice garlands for Their Lordships would attract more people to take Their darsana too. After walking for some time I came across a garland shop where I saw a pair of fresh and beautiful garlands. I rushed over to the shopkeeper and asked him about the garlands. He said that the garlands had been ordered by a marriage ceremony and was priced at 1800 rupees. I thought about how beautiful the garlands would’ve looked on Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar and was saddened that I could not get them.

No coincidences!

While I was thinking like this a local namahatta devotee came to pay obeisances to the Lord. He wanted to offer something to the Lord so he went to the very same garland shop and bought the very same garlands I was looking at. When he approached me with the garlands I was so happy I immediately offered them to the Lordships. They looked very beautiful. Afterward, I asked the devotee, how he obtained the garlands since they were ordered for a marriage ceremony? He said that the couple had canceled their order and took some other garlands.

This was no coincidence! It is all part of the Lord’s lila. He must have inspired the namahatta devotee to bring the garlands for Him. Everything is possible for the Lord. He can read the hearts of His devotees and the devotees have no desire except to please the Lord.

Such are the glories of our Sri Sri Nitai Guarsundar.
In the photo Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar wearing the garlands.

Pada yatra 2017 in Tapolca and Keszthely, Hungary (Album with…
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Páda yátra 2017 in Tapolca and Keszthely, Hungary (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: As far as possible, therefore, the devotees in the Krishna consciousness movement gather to chant the holy name of Krishna in public so that both the chanters and the listeners may benefit. (Sri-Caitanya-Caritamrta, Antya-lila 1.101)
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The relief of turning away from the social mirror
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How pleasant is the day when we give up striving to be young – or slender.

 –  William James

While navigating through life’s inevitable challenges, we often increase our burdens by uncritically accepting prevailing definitions of success as our life’s goals. One incessantly glamorized success-definer is an ideal figure, which nowadays means a young, slender figure.

Of course, we need to be healthy, and we would like to look good. But when looking good becomes an obsession, we subject ourselves to unnecessary torment. We adopt dubious dieting fads, swallow ‘fat-cutting’ magic pills and potions or undergo extreme exercise routines. Our mood goes up and down in inverse proportion to the reading on our weighing machine. Obsession with the ideal figure sentences us to hours and years of agitation and dissatisfaction.

To prevent such torment, we need to protect our self-conception from becoming distorted by the social mirror. After all, the social mirror is fickle – what figure is considered ideal varies according to cultural and historical conceptions of beauty. Not many generations ago, several parts of the world considered a moderately plump figure attractive, for it indicated prosperity; a thin figure indicated poverty and was considered not so-attractive.

Someone may argue, “But today’s social mirror is what matters for me.” Yes, and we can work to improve our figure as needed. But we needn’t let it become an obsession. We need the confidence that we are at our core far better than the reflection shown by the social mirror.

Such confidence comes naturally when we cultivate spiritual knowledge. Wisdom-texts such as the Bhagavad-gita explain that we are eternal souls, different from our physical bodies. As we are eternal parts of the all-attractive whole, God, Krishna, we partake of the attractiveness of the whole. Presently, we can seek to increase our attractiveness in two ways – by working outwards to improve our looks or by working inwards to excavate our soul’s attractiveness. Working outwards gives at best ephemeral results. Bodily looks come with an expiry date, which can’t be extended much. In a materialistic culture, old people are frequently considered unattractive, unwelcome and unworthy. Hence, the fervent attempts of many senior citizens to look younger using hair-dyes and face-lifts. But it doesn’t work – even with the best of technology, the body’s degeneration remains unstoppable.

In contrast, working inwards to manifest our soul’s attractiveness yields enduring results. Recognizing that we are souls and that our bodies are our vehicles, we focus less on how the vehicle looks and more on where we are going with the vehicle. When we live with spiritual purpose, we find inner contentment through our fulfilling inner connection with Krishna. Whatever our looks or age, spiritual knowledge paves our way to inner security and satisfaction. Thus breaking free from the compulsion to look good in the social mirror, we feel liberated – liberated to be ourselves. The Bhagavad-gita (13.10) indicates that knowledgeable people refuse to get carried away by the opinions of the masses.

When we accept ourselves for what we are, we get enormous relief. We stop wasting our mental energy obsessing over our looks – not that we become negligent about how we look, but that we become confident about who we are.

Our spiritual self-confidence manifests in our conduct; we radiate the natural comfort and joy that comes from self-acceptance. Such comfort and joy, even if not glamorous or eye-catching, carry a charm that attracts the hearts of those who come close to us. And because this charm is not a show, but expresses our substance, it is sustainable. Naturally, relationships formed on the basis of our substance, not our appearance, are more real, more enduring and more fulfilling.

 

The post The relief of turning away from the social mirror appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Iskcon Zagreb’s sankirtan festival (Album with photos)…
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Iskcon Zagreb’s sankirtan festival (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna movement is present in every millennium of Lord Brahma’s life, and the holy name is chanted in all the higher planetary systems, including Brahmaloka and Candraloka, not to speak of Gandharvaloka and Apsaroloka. The sankirtana movement that was started in this world five hundred years ago by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is therefore not a new movement. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.7.15 Purport)
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Is it easier to go from aversion to renunciation than from attachment to renunciation?
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Podcast

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For preaching, is it enough to simply hear classes of senior devotees and repeat?
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Podcast

The post For preaching, is it enough to simply hear classes of senior devotees and repeat? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

As science fiction movies show robots with emotions, can’t scientific progress imbue robots with consciousness?
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Podcast

The post As science fiction movies show robots with emotions, can’t scientific progress imbue robots with consciousness? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The Gopis: An Ambrosial Dance Crew or Something More?
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Hare KrishnaBy Venu Gopal Das

The consciousness of the gopis is exemplary.The entire day they think of how to serve Krishna. Their minds are not focused on material desires or selfish delusions. When they meet amongst each other, instead of going on about themselves, they constantly glorify the Lord and teach His message without discrimination. These are indicators of those who have surrendered themselves to God. Their actions, thoughts and words are never independent of the Lord. Continue reading "The Gopis: An Ambrosial Dance Crew or Something More?
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Chosen for a Purpose
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Hare KrishnaBy Nikunja Vilasini Dasi

Nick Vujicic was born without arms and legs. “Why me?” he always asked until he discovered that God had chosen him for a purpose. Because of his disability, he was able to reach out to people and give them courage. Nick’s zest for life and faith in God’s will drove him to learn to swim, surf, travel the world, and do things that even able-bodied people fail to do. He touched people with his conviction that God loves us unconditionally and that whatever He does is for our highest good. He exemplified that faith in God should not depend on what He dishes out for us; rather we should see His higher plan at work. Sometimes adversities make us question God’s love and His presence in our lives. We become weak to face the storms in a positive spirit. But Nick took strength from God. The more he took shelter of Him, the more he could see God’s purpose unfold. Continue reading "Chosen for a Purpose
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Saturday, July 15th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario

Destroy What’s Bad

Due to the extensive flooding that occurred on the Toronto Islands, the usual location of the annual Festival of Chariots / India, a new venue was secured.  Next to Sugar Beach at the city’s waterfront in a new condo district.  Not yet occupied as a residential area, the space was available to our organizers.  Out east here, there have been record-breaking watery days.  The earth and the weather are going through incredible changes.

The procession went well but for a few glitches with sound.  This walk, combined with stage, display units, boutique and more, make up the festival—a party of a unique kind, free from booze.

Regarding make-up, our young men from the youth bus tour had their first crack at eye accentuation.  I told them that the stage lights wash out your face.  “Certain areas of the face need to be defined.”

At age ten to sixteen, you are going to get some abrasive reactions in the beginning.  But they surrendered, and in terms of performance and what was an actual dress rehearsal, they scored well.  Raj, who played Krishna, is a natural.  Rakta, he is a good build but needs to develop those emotional elements for the role of Arjuna.

With time, all will come together.  In fact, the script for “The Gita” includes the famous, profound line, “Time I am, destroyer of what is bad (the Kauravas).”

Through devotional service, all that’s inauspicious will be dissolved in the message of “The Gita.”

May the Source be with you!

6 km

People of character
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 April 2010, Radhadesh, Belgium, Lecture)

If I think of what I would desire to achieve, it is to become a strong individual – strong in integrity, strong in character, to be someone who lives by his word, to be someone who embraces principles regardless of whether it brings me gain or loss, comfort or distress.

This is what I would like to be and that is what I would like to transmit to all of my disciples. I would like my disciples to be people who live by principles, who live by their word regardless of the situation, who can recognise that the illusory energy is strong but who remains an observer of themselves and who are not just going to fall prey to their mind and senses, but who will say, “No!”

For this, one needs to be strong in knowledge. Knowledge is not just a matter of parroting. It is a matter of hearing, assimilating and thinking.

Sometimes, I give the example of you are not this body; you are an eternal spirit soul. It is a nice slogan for on a T-shirt. But, one can also ask, “If I’m not this body, then what are the consequences?” And the consequences are many. One has to think it through in Krsna consciousness. Just as, “We are the eternal servants of Krsna!” What are the consequences of this? That no matter what happens; we are the eternal servants of Krsna. Nothing in the world can ever change that! This is very important for me; this is one of my meditations.

A lot of my Krsna consciousness comes from thinking about things. Not just hearing and reading Srimad Bhagavatam but thinking about it, “What does this mean for me? What are the consequences of what I’m reading here?” and this kind of thinking process can eventually make us what Srila Prabhupada phrased as INDEPENDENTLY THOUGHTFUL. This means a lot to me. I am looking for people who deeply think about what are they doing with their lives and why are they doing it! People who live very consciously and in this way become strong in their own conviction and independently thoughtful, and I would be glad to add to it!

Something I learnt from Tamal Krishna Maharaj, by observing him, is that the duty of the spiritual master, the principle duty of the spiritual master is to give people a greater vision for themselves than what they came up with on their own! I want disciples who have a vision about their life, who know where they are going and what they are trying to achieve in this life!

Causal Causes Causalty
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The message runs through loud and clear – a casual approach will inevitably cause casualties. We’ve witnessed it in catastrophes of the past, we’re witnessing it now and if we look closely, we’ll witness this principle constantly playing out in our own life.

Indian Parliament’s Speaker Visits ISKCON Moscow
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On July 10th, an official delegation of the Parliament of India visited ISKCON’s Sri Sri Dayal Nitai Sacisuta temple in Moscow. The delegation was led by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. She has arrived in Russia on a five-day visit to address the Russian Parliament Duma on July 12. Among other guests of the ISKCON temple were actress and MP Hema Malini, India's Ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran, as well as other deputees from different Indian states and representatives of the Russian Duma. 

Hindu Forum of Europe Meets in Lisbon, Portugal
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Several members of the Hindu Forum of Europe (HFE) met with leaders of the Hindu Community of Portugal on 23rd of June 2017 at a hall offered by the City of Lisbon. Mahaprabhu dasa, General Secretary made a presentation of the work of HFE and how it is important for Hindu Communities in different countries in Europe to create platforms to represent them to the government, media and religious leaders.