Don’t believe everything you think!
→ Dandavats



Don’t believe everything you think!
Vaisesika das: During the summer months, thousands of people visit scenic Pacific Beach in San Diego, California, some of them staying for a week or longer in the pricey rental apartments that line the shoreline.
As I took my daily walk along Pacific Beach this morning, I observed how vacationers there were doing their best to relish the ocean-side environment. Some lay out in the morning sun on the sandy beach, others jogged or rode bikes, while others sat at trendy sidewalk cafes, picking at their breakfasts while talking to friends and family.

“Consumption” (6 min. video)
→ Dandavats



“Consumption” Video for the day by His Grace Mahatma Prabhu (6 min video)
We can look at consumerism as an addiction, we can look at it as a disease and we can at least acknowledge that the disease is there, or the potential to be addicted or maybe acknowledge that we already are addicted that you know perhaps we waste money or we waste time in shopping so a good motto which I learned from my father when you want to shop is just ask yourself do I need it or do I just want it, and it’s maybe hard to admit that you really don’t get it like you really don’t need that upgrade but of course sometimes you get it for free so that’s ok but if you have to pay you know this has some new bells and whistles but you really don’t need them but you want them and so as devotees I think we should be more in within that culture of simplicity purchase based on needs rather than wants and anyway these are some ideas on consumerism I’ll leave it up to you to process it as you like but I like to start as I thought it was worthwhile to share these things.


Read More...

All India Padayatra In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, South India,…
→ Dandavats



All India Padayatra In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, South India, June 9, 2017 (Album with photos)
By Acarya Dasa
Anantha: On April 14th we reached Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum. It is the capital and largest city in the state of Kerala. The city’s name comes from the presiding deity of the ‘Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple’, who is also known as ‘Anantha’ (one who reclines on the serpent, Anantha). It is said that the deity was originally 18 miles (28 kilometers) long and it would take devotees three days to do parikrama (holy walk) around the Lord. After hearing the prayers of His devotees, the Lord reduced His size to 18 feet (0.3 meters).

A friend from Gujarat

We took darsana of the Lord and the pujaris there helped us arrange our accommodation. We stayed there for a few days doing sankirtana at the beach. We even gave our Lordships, Sri Sri Nitai Guarsundar, a dip in the ocean. One day while doing sankirtan in some part of the city, a gentleman approached us. He was very happy to hear us singing the maha-mantra. I spoke to him and told him about our Lordships and how we started our padayatra from Dwaraka and coincidently he was from Gujarat. He was really surprised, “Wow! So you all are coming from my home town. Jai! And the Lord also came to give us darsana”, he said. He was so happy that he invited us to his home for sankirtana and prasadam. This gentleman had five brothers all of whom attended our sankirtana program the next day. One of them was named Rakesh, and he was blind. He told us he had once heard a recording of Srila Prabhupada singing the maha-mantra. He then started to sing in exactly that manner. We were so happy to see him singing for the pleasure of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar. The Lord showers his mercy on each and every one of us. The family gave us a donation of 7000 rupees and they also took a Bhagavatam set.

Book scores for Kerala

Since entering the district of Kerala on April 6th, we have distributed so many books. It was amazing, anyone who we tried giving a book to would wait, listen to us and then usually after seeing the book they would buy it. To date we have distributed:

5776 Maha Big Books

694 Big Books

4698 Small Books

Total books distributed: 11315

Anandi Gaura Dasa

Anandi Gaura Dasa joined our padayatra party in Nagpur last month. He is very enthusiastic. In South India we have a lot of challenges with language since the majority of people speak Tamil or English but not Hindi. Anandi Gaura Dasa was a great help; he translated from Hindi to English to everyone I spoke to. He also distributed a lot of books: 598 maha big books and 168 small books.

Matsya Avatar Dasa & Uttamnarahari Dasa

Other devotees who also distributed a lot of books were Matsya Avatar Dasa and Uttamnarahari Dasa. Matsya Avatar Dasa distributed 505 medium books and Uttamnarhari Prabhu 486 medium books.

All the padayatris did book distribution. Our book distribution was done to such a large scale that we had to constantly order new sets of books and as soon as I would order them they would get finished. This was all the mercy of the Lord, these were all chamatkars (miracles) and we, padayatris were nimitta-matram (just instruments). We spoke to Lokanath Swami about the book distribution. He was very happy, he said, “Keep going on, support each other and serve the Lord.”

We also attended a one-day Jaganath ratha-yatra (chariot festival) in Trivandrum where we distributed the following number of books:

230 Maha Big Books

60 Small Books
Find them here: https://goo.gl/T57ADV

The secret mantra
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 April 2017, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.68)

The sound of Krsna’s flute was heard by Lord Brahma and then, the sound of that flute came out of the mouth of Lord Brahma through the Gayatri Mantra. So through the Gayatri Mantra we can hear Krsna’s flute. This makes second initiation a little more exciting. It is not only about being a brahmana. It is not only about the mode of goodness but you also hear the Gayatri Mantra which was what came out of Brahma’s mouth after hearing Krsna’s flute. It is said that the Gayatri Mantra is like the sound of Krsna’s flute in mantra form. This is very interesting, this is why it is a secret mantra!

Wednesday June 7, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Fort Collins, Colorado

The Richer the Clothes

Last Sunday, my clothes went for a fresh dye, a richer orange. It was the kindness of the ISKCON Colorado monks who addressed my fading colours. I knew it to be an issue. The sun and regular washing take the life out of the colour.

The police who came to visit me today, on Rd. 74, made some remarks. One of them said, “You got the right colour. Drivers can see you from far away.” The other officer mentioned that it is the colour of prisoners.

As usual, police stop out of concern for safety.They have a point. Thus far, most roads leading into the  Fort Collins/Denver area are heavily trafficked. Car accidents rate high in Colorado compared to the rest of the nation.

It is rare to see a walker. It’s cars that are all pervasive. Cars, cars, and more cars. When I see a train with rail cars full of automobiles, I would like to shout out, “Send them back where they came from. We don’t need anymore.”

A road construction fellow also remarked, “Yeah, in the eighties I remember more people walkin’. It’s madness today, really!”

For a while I was in a cursing mode, condemning the world for letting cars on the loose and attacking the freshness of air, water and space. I managed to tame the lion in me by relaxing under some huge cottonwood trees and catching a whiff of a Russian Olive. And just when I had laid down on the grass, in my perceived area of privacy within a public park, then a fellow with a whipper-snipper came cutting the grass.

Will the operator accidentally cut off my tired feet? They are precious. I have need of them. So I got up and got out of the way, and proceeded to walk.

May the Source be with you!
20 miles
http://www.pinebluffspost.com/story/2017/06/08/news/new-york-to-san-francisco-by-foot/5770.html 

Hollywood actress Marie Avgeropoulos visits Vrindavan and starts…
→ Dandavats



Hollywood actress Marie Avgeropoulos visits Vrindavan and starts a campaign for its underprivileged girls.
The campaign aims to raise funds to support the education of a thousand more girls at the three Sandipani Muni Schools in Vrindavan, Lord Krishna’s birthplace. During her week-long visit, Marie spent her time trying to understand and document the problems underprivileged Brijabasi girls face. Her six-part documentary series on her experience will be released by Without Exception Films through an online campaign this month and will premier during a series of fundraising events in Los Angeles starting with one hosted by Marie herself on June 15th.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/KaoHnw

A Taste for Reading
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Sacinandana Swami

Here I will teach a simple process for reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam (or Bhagavad-gita or any sacred bhakti text) with relish. This process of studying sacred scripture is given in the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad. It entails three elements and the Vaisnavas have added the fourth item: 1) Sravanam – collecting the information in the text, that is, hearing or reading the text, much like attentively listening to a lecture at the university. 2) Mananam – reflecting on the subject matter 3) Nididhyasan – contemplating on how I can practically apply this text in my own life 4) Vandanam – praying for realization Continue reading "A Taste for Reading
→ Dandavats"

4 Ways to Stay
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Ananda V. Devi Dasi

Over 35 years ago I sat before the fire and took the same vows. I am grateful to still be practicing. Later that day I heard a talk which shared 4 reasons why devotees sometimes give up the process of Krishna consciousness, the one they once started so enthusiastically. Turning them into positives, here are 4 things, if we do them well, that can bring us success in our spiritual endeavor, which is to awaken love for Krishna and live to in congruence with that wholesome truth. Humility, offenses, sanga, knowing the path. Continue reading "4 Ways to Stay
→ Dandavats"

Light to see the world – Science, Spirituality and Life’s Big Questions
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk to IIT Kharagpur students at Kharagpur, India]

Podcast

Podcast Summary

 

 

The post Light to see the world – Science, Spirituality and Life’s Big Questions appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

As humans can do a wide variety of activities, doesn’t that prove we have free will?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post As humans can do a wide variety of activities, doesn’t that prove we have free will? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Don’t waste your mental energy on people on whom you won’t waste your time Gita 11.55
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

The post Don’t waste your mental energy on people on whom you won’t waste your time Gita 11.55 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Address misery first by recognizing its fundamental cause then its circumstantial cause Gita 09.33
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

The post Address misery first by recognizing its fundamental cause then its circumstantial cause Gita 09.33 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

First Chakra Arrives in Mayapur
- TOVP.org

On the auspicious day of Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi, one of the Chakras for the small domes as well as the remaining parts for the two small dome Kalashes arrived in Mayapur.

Three Chakras will adorn the top of the three TOVP domes and are made of solid stainless steel plated with pure gold. This gold plating will remain for a long time and the three Chakras will not require re-plating for up to one hundred years.

Once the first Kalash is completely in place the first Chakra will be officially installed with a great ceremony officiated by Their Graces Jananivas and Pankajangri prabhus.

To make a donation specifically for the completion of the Chakras please contact Vraja Vilas at: *protected email*

The post First Chakra Arrives in Mayapur appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

When so many humans are doing bad karma today, how is the human population increasing?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post When so many humans are doing bad karma today, how is the human population increasing? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

How to revive and nourish the soil through efficient waste management
→ Dandavats

Hare Krishna Cintamani dhama dasi: Radha Krishna das (UK) ACBSP has travelled to many farms since 1995 teaching and setting up what is now known as the Howard-Higgins Horticultural System, including Mayapur, Krsna Valley Radhadesh and Bhaktivedanta Manor to name but a few. It has been cited as ‘a Lost Veda’ Indeed Radha Krsna das believes it is one of the Lost Arts, in connection with cow protection, as mentioned in the tenth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. It fits right in with the Varnasrama programme where we hope to train people in what is the ‘noblest profession’ - farming, so that they can make a living in the mode of goodness and train others who will come to this movement through varnasrama preaching.
(This post has been viewed 786 times so far)

Tuesday June 6, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Ault, Colorado
Switching Roads

“Do you sleep in the ditch?” was his question.

“No, I’m not that austere. Someone sponsored a room for me and my supporting team.”

The man with the query was actually a police officer, who along with his companion, heard my explanation for being on the highway at such an early hour. I imagine police meet walkers like myself, from time to time—drifters, marathoners, maybe a monk, once in a while.

They did express to me concern about the speedy traffic and the meagre space in which to walk on Highway 14 in Colorado.

Traffic wasn’t the only challenge. 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. is mosquito hour. Aggressive! Here’s where the big trucks do work in your favour. The gusts of wind they stir up send the little pests off. Still, traffic was too much. It was for the possibility of road rage that we transferred to #14 Highway and entered the state south of us. The Highway 30 which we were on merged into Interstate 80, which is un-walkable. At times we have to ‘jump’ to a parallel road.

Rd 86, a gravel road,  became my new path. Here, I could hear hundreds of prairie dogs in full chorus. They do not bark at all. They sound like those squeaky toys that you squeeze. I also saw elk in the distance.

A regular program at an inter-faith centre at Colorado State University gave me a break from walking, to talking, chanting and dancing. I asked one of the attendees about his take on Krishna.
“He’s the ‘party’ God, isn’t He?”
Not quite, but we partied nevertheless. No drugs. No booze. Just good clean fun!

May the Source be with you! 
19 miles