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By Satyaraja Dasa

Kirtan is an uncomplicated and effective way of communing with God. The Padma Purana tells us, “Because the holy name and the ‘holy named’ are nondifferent, the name is fully complete, pure, and eternally liberated. Indeed, it is Krishna Himself.” Philosophically, this idea can be summarized as follows: matter and spirit are opposites. Thus, since in the material world, all things are relative, and part of that relativity manifests in a thing and its name being different, in the spiritual realm, the opposite must be true: a thing and its name are one. This is the nature of the Absolute. Continue reading "Sacred Sound
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Artists at all levels who want to connect with their creative and devotional sides, and experience bhakti through art, are welcome to attend the upcoming Transcendental Art Seminar at Bhaktivedanta College, Radhadesh. Running from August 21^st to September 2^nd, the seminar will be taught by classically trained husband and wife team Dhriti Dasi and Ram Das Abhirama Das.

Torino Iskcon Cultural Center has celebrated the 2nd Anniversary. A video by Citra Karuni devi dasi.

Joy of Krishna Consciousness (7 min video)
Bhakti yoga is the eternal science of loving service to Krishna or God. The philosophy of this movement is rooted in ancient Vedic texts, particularly the Bhagavad Gita (Song of God), which contains the essential teachings of Krishna on how to achieve the highest perfection of life.
The Hare Krishna devotees are known throughout the world for their melodious chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra, which the Vedas declare as the most sublime and effective means for spiritual enlightenment in the current age:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare RamRam Ram Hare Hare

Krishna is a name of God meaning “the all-attractive one,” and Rama is another name meaning “the reservoir of pleasure.” Hare invokes His presence in our lives. This Maha (great) Mantra is chanted either congregationally (sankirtan), or individually (japa), as a meditation. Since each of us is constitutionally a part and parcel of God, the chanting of His holy names brings one innate satisfaction and the highest pleasure.

The chant is called a mantra, a vibration of sound that cleanses the mind, freeing it from anxiety and illusion. And this is a mantra anyone can chant. It’s for people of all religions, all nations, all colors, and both sexes. No need to pay any fees, join any group, or turn your life upside down. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can try the chanting for yourself and experience its result.

Krishna and His energy are fully present in the sound of the mantra, so even if we don’t know the language or intellectually understand how it works, by coming in touch with Krishna we’ll become happy, and our life will become sublime.

Music:
His Grace Mahatma Das
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/NyIDTP

Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare And Be Happy!!

When? Sunday,July 2,2017 Program starts at 11.00am Where? 6 George Street South Brampton, Ontario L6Y 1P3, Canada Park underground(free) @ City Hall Phone:416-648-3312 New! Listen Click here to listen to previous class recordings on our blog Make a Donation

Bhagavad Gita As It Is (18.66) sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah Translation Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear. 11.00- 11.15      Tulsi Puja 11.15 - 11.30     Guru Puja                                         11:30 –11:55     Aarti & Kirtan                                       11.55 - 12.00    Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers                  12.00 - 1: 00   Vedic discourse   1.00 -  1.30    Closing Kirtan   1.30 -  2.00    Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast **Important Announcement** On account of Festival of India -Toronto on July 15 & 16,ISKCON Brampton will move to Sherbourne Common.We'll be glad to see you there.Please note that it's a public event so feel free to join in with your family and friends.   Find more details here   COMING UP AHEAD Sayana Ekadasi Fasting.....................on Tue Jul 4,2017 Breakfast................ on Wed  Jul 5 ,2017 b/w 5.20am-10.31am Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.   English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is available here    ONGOING PROGRAMS   Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation Next program TBC The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His Energy to give protection to the conditioned soul.japa, when performed with focus and attention, can subdue the agitating effects of one’s mind and senses. The senses, of which the mind is also one, are constantly being stimulated by the external world  - by gross and subtle matter. If you have not chanted before, and would like to participate in this program, we will be very happy to show how you can do this. All welcome. We’ll loan you a set of Beads! Sunday School To register,contact us Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com Call:647.893.9363 The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. School The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC). Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF) “One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas) Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy. Please contact: Dharma Dasa- dharandev58@gmail.com-647.892.0739(Mississauga and Brampton regions) The Mentorship Program Please note that registration in the Mentorship System is now a mandatory requirement for all initiation requests at ISKCON Brampton.It 1.Facilitates  and nurtures devotees aspiring for first and second Initiation.     2.One-on-One personal follow up on a regular basis. 3.Systematic training to devotees in matters of Philosophy, Sadhna, Vaishnava behavior, etiquette, Lifestyle and attitudes. To find details please click here Gift Shop Are you looking for some amazing gift items which are less expensive and more beautiful for your loved ones for festivals or many other occasions?? Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewellery, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.

The post Daily Darshan: July 1st, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

300 kg of paneer from ISKCON farm, Gita Nagari
Everybody has heard about the amazing Sadhu Sanga Retreat in North Carolina last month. What most people didn’t know is that one less publicized dream of Srila Prabhupada was also becoming true. An ISKCON farm, Gita Nagari, delivered 300 kg of paneer, produced with the farm’s milk from protected cows, to the festival kitchen. Hope this will become a reality soon, that the farms will produce food to our temples, restaurants and congregations. All glories to Gita Nagari, for their exemplary karma-free dairy and all glories to the event organizers, who encouraged and valued the farm’s produce by buying it! This is a way to go!
https://www.facebook.com/gitanagarifarm/

H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami has written an wonderful article on the topic ” The Flowering of Consciousness ” on how to Bloom our  Consciousness  for progressing further in Krishna Consciousness. To know more about it please read the below written article:- The Flowering of Consciousness...

The post Article by Bhakti Charu Swami :- “The Flowering of Consciousness” appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

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When I first moved into a Krishna temple, back in the 70s, I discovered that the founder of the Hare Krishna society had dubbed his movement ‘the kitchen religion’. I was somewhat bemused by this – but, as a young man in my 20’s with a keen interest in eating, I was not entirely averse to the idea.
And I soon found out the reason for this culinary epithet when, a few weeks later, a festival was celebrated in the temple. To my amazement and delight a colourful array of vegetarian dishes, around 500 or so, were prepared and presented before the temple shrine. I learned that according to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the ancient Sanskrit teaching which I follow, all food should be offered to God before being eaten.

So to the ringing of a bell and chanting of melodious mantras, the food was duly sanctified and then distributed to the eager temple residents, including yours truly. It was incredibly tasty and I managed to reduce myself to a near comatose condition as I attempted to sample as many of the dishes as was physically possible.

Imagine my excitement when I was informed that six similar offerings were made every single day, although of course with far fewer dishes than on festival days. However, one of the elders pointed me to a verse in the Gita which instructs us to eat in moderation if we want to achieve success in our spiritual practise.
It has taken me a while to master that lesson, at least on festival days, but I’m getting there. Seeing myself as a spiritual being, a part of God, I believe real happiness lies in pleasing him, rather than my own senses. Thankfully, the Gita explains that even eating is an act of devotion when one eats sanctified food offered to God. I have to admit, this is definitely a favourite part of my spiritual practise.

Kolkata Rathyatra Pandal Program (2017) (Album with photos)
Kolkata Rathyatra Pandal Program at TAI Brigade Parade Ground (2017) P.C. Souvic Das & Sourav Saha
Find them here: https://goo.gl/yJbg5L

HH Radhanath Swami at the Denver Hare Krishna Temple (video) Srila Prabhupada: Nowadays people are very much inclined to the meditational process...

Exclusive look of the red carpet at the Los Angeles Premiere of Hare Krishna! The Film with guests including New York Times Best Selling Author and Spiritual Guide Radhanath Swami (3 min video)
Giriraj Swami: I just saw the film for the second time, and got even more out of it than the first time, and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing it again—and again.
…last night at the movie ‘Hare Krishna: The Mantra, The Movement and the Man who started it all’ …….with some wonderful association, including Guru Maharaj, the Producers and the Director (Yadubara das and Visakha dasi) of the film.
I highly recommend it!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/6XFREC

Baltic Sea Festivals began (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we held our first festival of the summer. As I looked at the photos I realized they could have come from any of the 1,200 festivals we have done along the Baltic Sea coast over the last 28 years. But then I realized that each festival is unique in itself, for every year the guests at our events are different. Remembering a purport from Srimad Bhagavatam, I was struck with wonder how by participating in our programs many hundreds of thousands of people [ Srila Prabhupada uses the term ‘onlookers’ ] have benefited:

“As the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God. On the contrary, it increases more and more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is so potent that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the modes of passion and ignorance.” [ SB 1.5.28 purport ]
Find them here: https://goo.gl/iWyFiU

By Vijaya das

Many years ago a man in one village was so inspired when the padayatra arrived that he took a vow to remain silent until the padayatra returned on its next lap around India. It takes the padayatra six years to go around India. When it did return, it was a big thing in the village, because now the man was going to speak again. So a stage was made for all the devotees to do kirtan, and afterward the gentleman would speak. Everyone in the village showed up, and he spoke for three hours, just from Srila Prabhupada's books, because the only reading he had done was from those books. He spoke so powerfully that everyone was completely inspired in Krsna consciousness, including the devotees. Continue reading "WSN May 2017 – World Sankirtan Newsletter – After 6 years of silence a man speaks to the devotees
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By Subroto Das

At Mayapur, the birth place of MahaPrabhu, the devotees of ISKCON today gave a lively presentation of the HeraPanchami pastime. Knowing the importance MahaPrabhu gave to this pastime, the devotees organised a splendid show at the Prabhupad Ghat where the Gundicha temple has been constructed for the first time. Carried on her palanquin a disgruntled LaxmiDevi with a bunch of aggressive servitors came rushing towards the Gundicha temple in the evening where the Lord was gleefully enjoying melodious kirtans being rendered by His devotees. They tried to breach the boundary of Gundicha and in desperation damaged the Rath of Jagannath. LaxmiDevi seemed enraged at her husband for not informing about His whereabouts. She complained that although she was so restless for the last 5 days but the Lord seemed to be basking in the affection and care of His devotees. The servitors of Jagannath did not like this behaviour and a strife ( friendly) between them broke out. Ultimtely Shivji had to interfere and he pacified each group of supporters. It was an amazing spectacle to watch that how much the devotees of the Lord love Him, do not want to leave Him and cannot live without Him for a moment. A pure devotee of the Lord believes that each time he blinks his eyelids he misses an opportunity to see the Lord. He fears nothing except separation from the Lord. Continue reading "HeraPanchami Celebrations at ISKCON Mayapur
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By Bala Govinda das

On Tuesday 27th JUNE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Netherlands of his three-nation tour after concluding his visit to the United States. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi was meeting the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, King Willem-Alexander and the Indian Diaspora in The Netherlands. The ISKCON Hague leader Syamasundara das, Chitra devi dasi, bhn Sandjli Bisesser, bhn Reeshmi Chitan and bh Ashis Autar had the opportunity to meet the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the Royal Residence city. When the Prime Minister arrived at his hotel “The Crowne Plaza” there was a row of fans, huge yelling crowd lining the way cheering and glimpsing. The security was tight, but our ISKCON member Bhn. Sandjli was not going to let this opportunity slip by and gifted the Prime Minister a chadar/shawl on which Lord Jagannatha was present. The Prime Minister deeply appreciated the gift with clasped hands & thankful words and during his warm welcome he walked with the Lord waving his hands. Continue reading "Lord Jagannatha graces India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi
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Have you heard of “Mistik Pizza”?(4 min video)
Turin Hare Krishna Cultural Center in Italy has celebrated the 2nd Anniversary.
It is a miraculous story like the ones of Srila Prabhupada! Prabhu das, Hayagriva das and Abhiram das came to Turin, Italy, to establish ISKCON Turin with nothing in their hands. It was a mission given to them by H.G. MadhuSevita Prabu.
They had only their camper and a desire to give the Holy Name to the city of Turin. With the power of sadhana bhakti, they started preaching and distributing books in Turin and the little cities around the town.
On the way, Bhakta Simone joined them. At the end of the first year, they have already established Hare Krishna Cultural Center, performed programs during the week, organized Sunday Feast every Sunday, distributed food at the homeless shelters of Turin.

They financed everything with donations and by distributing books of Srila Prabhupada. Krsna was generous to their sincere efforts.

Bhaktya Labhya Prabhu and his family was a big help from the start to this transcendental team by always going to the center once a month, cooking and giving lectures right from the start. Mercifully, Sannyasis and elevated Vaishnavas go there to give lectures like H.H. Krishna Kshetra Swami, H.G. Madhu Sevita Prabhu, H.G. Param Gati Prabhu, Ali Krishna Mataji, Gandharvika Mataji, Kaunteya Prabu, Praghosh Prabhu, Harikirtan Prabhu and Parabhakti Prabhu.

Now, they have celebrated the second anniversary and they showed us the power of service attitude. They have doubled the amount of visitors. They have fixed programs during the week. They have created nice relations with the Municipality of Turin and get their support. This enthusiastic bhaktas are already looking forward to create a bigger center to have more guests and to give more service.

Citra Karuni devi dasi / Turin / Italy
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/RTmCka

Harinama in Florence, Italy (8 min video) Srila Prabhupada: Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna, one can be freed from all undesirab...

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2015, Johannesburg, South Africa, Youth Group Lecture)

Srila Prabhupada said 5+5 = 10, 2+2 = 4 but everything + Krsna is Vrindavan. So this formula is very brilliant and very simple and if we can just apply this formula, by adding Krsna, if we simply add Krsna, everything will change. That’s all that needs to be done… add Krsna… somehow or other… in any situation. The Holy Name is one way to add Krsna but prasadam is also a way to add Krsna, listening to some lecture recordings on your phone is another a way to add Krsna, some pictures on the wall…

There are many varieties of things you can do to add Krsna and if we add Krsna then everything automatically starts to work because then life becomes the spiritual world and then all maya will disappear.

The first Chatri Kalash is now officially in place!!!

Last week was the trial placement of the Chatri Kalashes to determine if any adjustments need to be made. After making all the necessary adjustments, the first Kalash has now been permanently fixed to the Chatri and the remaining Kalashes will be similarly installed one after the other.

The Chakras will be installed next and if everything goes according to schedule all the Kalashes and Chakras will be placed by the end of this year and an official installation ceremony performed by Jananivas and Pankajanghri prabhus.

The post First Chatri Kalash Now In Place appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Work on the Chakras is progressing alongside of the placement of the Kalashes on the domes.

The Nava Yogendras, embellishments around the Chakra, are being attached and Sadbhuja, Avatar Gauranga and Ajita Chaitanya prabhus can be seen in the photos doing the final inspection of the work.

The post Chakra Work Progress appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

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We are living in an age where the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.1.10 is ever true. More and more, people high and low are lazy, misguided and constantly disturbed externally or internally. People are either ritualistically positioned in their religious system or people are interested in spaced-out spiritualism.

Ritualism and religion are akin to each other today. People identify religion based on the ritual they perform. It is no more about God, knowing God, serving God and loving God. It is purely about the external aspects of religion that is its rituals.

As for so-called spirituality goes, people are only interested to deal with mundane problems such as stress. In other words, spiritualism has become a space-out technique in the name of yoga or meditation to effectively deal with mundane problems. When there is no problem, there is no necessity to space-out, hence spirituality is used only on a need-to-use basis.

In this superficial civilization of morality, and ethics, to introduce a deeper culture of ethics as enunciated in the Bhagavad Gita or Bhagavatam is practically impossible. This condition only will get worse as time passes. Hence, this place truly is not a place for a gentleman or gentlewoman. This tendency to take the non-physical side of life frivolously (due to laziness) is the bane of modern education and civilization. There will be nobody to blame but our self when our time runs out.

To cultivate faith on a Supreme Transcendent Being requires hard work, determination and will power, qualities we find in the corporate world and not so much in a forum to find God. Hence, today there is so much mistrust, doubt, cynicism, and utter disdain towards genuine seekers. However, without being discouraged one must continue with determination on this path for by practicing the art of shelter unto the Transcendent Lord amidst dualities, eventually though, one will seek the favor of the Lord for that is his or her rightful claim!

Hare Krishna

Beautiful temple room in a devotee’s house (Album with photos)
Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Today we had a wonderful house program at the home of Madhavi devi dasi. Her temple room has been decorated in wonderful ways. She has nice altars and a beautiful ceiling. I think any householders would be proud to have a temple room at home like this.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/MgtdnW

“One should taste the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and who are endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord.” (Cc Madhya 22.131)

Preaching program in Tantris Center for Yogic Science (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “O Lord,” the demigods say, “the impersonalists, who are nondevotees, cannot understand that Your name is identical with Your form.” Since the Lord is absolute, there is no difference between His name and His actual form. In the material world there is a difference between form and name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.2.36 Purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/TycprP

Following in Tribhuvanath Prabhu's foot steps, we maintain this dynamic preaching initiative, as when he was physically with us.