When the East came west. New Vrindavana – On the weekends,…
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When the East came west.
New Vrindavana - On the weekends, around holidays and Hindu holy days, it gets busier at the temple, said Vrindivan Das, the communications director for the community.
“We see more than 30,000 people a year,” he said. “People come because they are curious. They come to see the beautiful palace, and, also, because they are pilgrims.”
Visitors, he said, come from all over the country and Canada, Europe and India.
“We get a lot more corporate people,” he said. “They come for the meditation and to relax.”

Along with the palace, there’s a community temple that could easily hold several hundred, a gift shop, a yoga studio, an inn and a vegetarian restaurant, which serves Indian food and pizza.

Adherents to the Hindu faith do not eat meat because they believe it attracts negative karma. However, dairy products are permitted. The New Vrindaban Community has a small dairy.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/i9Z42d

Does Association Matter? You Be The Judge!
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Hare KrishnaBy Bhakta Mukesh

Our devotional service gets spoiled when we fail to exercise discretion in the company we keep. One must remember that association always causes transfer of desires. Therefore, it’s imperative that those aspiring for pure devotional service should carefully protect their bhakti-lata by nourishing it in the divine light and company of knowledgeable self-realised souls – and thus augment their chances of relishing the complete nectar of devotion in this very lifetime, and associating with the ambrosial pastimes of Lord Shri Krishna in the life here after. Continue reading "Does Association Matter? You Be The Judge!
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Thursday June 15, 2017
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Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Mountain City

Walden is not a big town, but Carol was able to muster up some interest amongst her friends to hear about “Tales From Trails” at her yoga studio, last night. Not everyone who attended was a yoga student, necessarily. Some keen interest on seeing and hearing a swami was there. We all together went about with some mantra meditation. Thanks, Carol.

This morning’s session of walking led myself and my two helpers, Hayagriva and Marshall, into the bustling mountain city of Steamboat Springs. I like the place. There’s more pedestrians and cyclists than the regular towns I’ve been through.

It had sidewalks for a change, and that’s always a treat coming off of angular walking on the side of a highway. But it wasn’t long before I was back out in the countryside, seeing the occasional fox droppings.

Motorists have been extremely receptive at viewing a new face, with robes. I did, however, come upon a road construction crew, who, for my own safety, refused to let me walk through, even if it meant a slight circumvention.

“No!” said the lady on the construction job who held up a stop sign for the benefit of both motorists and pedestrians. “I can’t let you through. Is it against your religion to take a ride? It’s only about a mile and a half stretch.”

“I’ll co-operate.” So Randy came to drive me, even though there were side offers by motorists when they saw the predicament. I told Randy I was walking to San Fran. “Remember Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Boots’? Well, these bodies were made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do…”

Randy had a good laugh and offered me an apple.

May the Source be with you!

22 miles

Gita 13.25 The many ways to see within are meant to show the same truth within
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast


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Kalindi Vijaya and Her Boyfriends
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Kalindi Vijaya is one of our rescue dairy cows. She is the star of the video "Joyfully Free From the Dairy." Some of our subscribers have asked how she is doing since she was rescued in 2015. 

Kalindi Vijaya is doing well. This video will give you some idea of her life at ISCOWP. 

This spring Kalindi has two boyfriends: Priyavrata and Narayana. They are rescues also. It has been two years since Kalindi was rescued, 5 years since Narayana was rescued and 9 years since Priyavrata was rescued. They have been and are living a peaceful life at the ISCOWP farm where they will live out their natural lives. 

This video represents the spring update for Kalindi, Priyavrata and Narayana. Most of the spring was very dry, in fact we were in a drought. now the rains have come and it is raining everyday. The video clips that show bright green pasture are a result of just a few days of rain.

The world’s biggest statue of Lord Vishnu on Garuda!
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The world’s largest statue of Lord Vishnu on Garuda in Bali (2 min amazing video and photos)
The world’s biggest statue is finally taking shape on a hill overlooking Bali’s international airport.
Twenty-five years and around $100 million in the making, the enormous copper and brass sculpture is of the Hindu god Visnu astride the mythical bird Garuda.
Garuda’s concrete and steel skeleton, with the first pieces of copper and brass skin visible on the statue.
After years of planning, re-designs, cash shortages and stop-start construction, sculptor Nyoman Nuarta says the project should be finished next September.

And the final phase — the fitting of the sculpture’s skin to the concrete and steel skeleton — is well underway.

The copper and brass claws of Garuda are finally gripping an enormous, purpose-built, concrete pedestal.

It should be relatively straightforward, compared to the complex engineering and fundraising for the private project.

“I no longer think about making profit from this project but I just want to work and finish this project because this is my dignity — my family’s and mine — that’s at stake. So it has to be completed,” said Mr Nyoman, speaking to the ABC at his workshop in Bandung, on the island of Java.

“Garuda Wisnu Kencana” is about 75 metres high — 120m if you count the pedestal.

That is about 30m higher than the Statue of Liberty, off New York. But Liberty is tall and thin, while Garuda is almost as wide as it is high — its wingspan is 64m.

That has made life complicated for the project’s engineers. They do not want this Garuda to actually take flight.

“We’ve designed this statue to last for the next 100 years,” construction chief Apul Sihotang said.

“We did wind tunnel tests in Canada, where we calculated the maximum velocity of the wind which will happen in 100 years.

"We have anticipated the wind velocity.”

Strong winds are slowing the installation of the copper and bronze panels — the crane cannot operate if the wind blows more than 10 knots.

Garuda’s shape is so complex that engineers have designed special joints in the supporting structure, with up to 11 enormous steel girders coming together at the same point. Normal construction joints have four or six girders.


The sculpture’s unusual shape also means that maintenance workers will not be able to reach the outside of statue.

“Repairs will be done from inside the statue. We will build a catwalk to fix the statue from the inside so when there is a damage, the statue will be cut out to be fixed from the inside,” the construction chief said.

The statue is being built by Mr Nyoman’s team in Bandung, on the island of Java. It was made in wax, then fibreglass, then copper, then brass, then cut up and driven by truck to Bali for final installation.

Mr Nyoman, who is Balinese, says the project is important for the island.

“We know that Bali thrives from tourism and culture. If we don’t develop the culture it will disappear one day,” he said.

“So we have three responsibilities: to preserve the culture, develop it, and find new alternative cultures.”

The project is important for Indonesia, says one of the people behind the project, Ida Bagus Gede Budi Hartawan.

“Culture is a big thing for our country, our civilisation. When we talk of technology, we may not be there yet. When we talk of economy, we may not be there yet either. But when we speak of culture, we can be equal,” Mr Gede said.

“The latest and greatest masterpiece that this nation has is Borobudur. After that old generation, this nation never produced such creativity again.

"In the global community they underestimate us because of the violence here.

"Thus it is our goal to build something grand for our children and grand-children, for our generation and for the world.”

Watch it here: https://goo.gl/cIHepu

George Harrison and Hare Krishna
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George Harrison and Hare Krishna.
Despite The Beatles incredible fame and fortune, due to the pressures of touring and the constant attention from public and media, peace of mind and happiness had escaped them. So, in 1967 they travelled to Rishikesh. This trip to India was part of a sudden fascination of everything Indian by the vibrant and searching youth of the late 1960s.

(This post has been viewed 1448 times so far)

We are all here because of Srila Prabhupada! (Video) Srimad…
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We are all here because of Srila Prabhupada! (Video)
Srimad Bhagavatam class of Garuda prabhu in Radhadesh, Belgium.
The whole purpose of the Bhagavata Purana is to cultivate, through service, pure love of God.
Devotional service does not depend on material assessment. It is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam, “ahaituki apratihata”. Devotional service must be without any material ambition and there is no material impediment which can check advancement in devotional service.
This is the sum and substance of this Purana: to enculture affection for the Lord.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ZxjwcG

Wednesday June 14, 2017
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East of Steamboat Springs, Colorado

No Divide

Matthew had told us that Jackson County is the largest county in the U.S. with no stoplights whatsoever. Well, we have left that county, on foot, for new territory, which landed us at the Great Continental Divide. Reaching an elevation of over 9,000 feet, where the watershed here has water flowing to both the Atlantic and the Pacific. A local said, “If you pee at that spot, some of you goes to  either ocean.”

From that location, Rabbit Ears Pass, I ventured west through altitude changes. My breath could be seen when up high and when low. I felt some warmth. That’s what I call climate change.

I did have time to reflect during the ascent and descent, and going around the bend. I thought of my colleague, who’s also been a monk for over forty years. Danovir Goswami is American born, has written several books on monastic life, but is now stricken with Parkinson’s disease.

I met him at the ISKCON Denver centre the last two Sundays when our team joined in with the Bhakti-yoga functions. Danovir Goswami has always taken a right-wing stance on issues, and that usually was too abrasive for my liking. It meant that our communication wasn’t strong, although, mutually, we respected one another.

Now, when I saw his condition, I was compelled to go for a long friend’s embrace at each of those two visits. It felt good and right. Let opposing opinions be swept to the side, as we are all truly devotionally one. There is no divide.

During such meditations, a local mason, Tim, pulled over. He was so curious. Also a young pregnant woman stopped after her parents saw me. Unable to veer over their massive camper at a 7% grade decline, they called their daughter, who was in another car, to get some water to the monk.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

ISKCON Plainfield temple celebrates Sri-Jagannath Snana Yatra on…
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ISKCON Plainfield temple celebrates Sri-Jagannath Snana Yatra on 09th June 2017 (Album with 49 photos)
Plainfield, NJ. Radha Krishna Temple and Cultural Center (ISKCON), Plainfield, NJ celebrated Sri-Jagannath Snana Yatra with devotion and active participation by hundreds of devotees. Annual bathing festival popularly known as “Snana Yatra” of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra was held at the ISKCON, Plainfield temple on June 9. The festivities started by bringing the Deities to “Snana vedi”, or bathing altar. The bathing ceremony commenced with chanting of Vedic mantras and Jagannathastakam. The temple priests performed the mirror Abhishek. The priests and assembled devotees bathed the Lordships with herbs and water. Hundreds of devotees gathered in long queues to get a chance to bathe the Lord of the universe. Thereafter, the Deities appeared in Gaja or Hati (elephant) Vesha. Chappan bhoga (56 items) was offered to the Lordships. As a part of His pastime (leela), Lord Jagannath falls sick after the bathing festival and hence the Deities do not give darshan till Rath Yatra day which falls on June 25th 2017. Devotees participated in ecstatic kirtan during Maha-arati and honored sumptuous Jagannath-Prasad. Temple President Madhupati Dasa welcomed the devotees who had gathered in large numbers to celebrate the appearance day of Lord Jagannath.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/59o8K0

No perfect match
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.12.6)

kks_euPure devotees of the Lord are only interested in satisfying the senses of the Supreme Lord, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.2). They are not concerned with the material world because they appreciate that in the material world, everything is only temporary and therefore any relationship that we have with the material energy, will not endure and therefore it will be painful.

Whatever we have, we become attached to and then it will disintegrate in the course of time. That’s the nature of anything material, so what is the point? “I love my beautiful sandcastle; it is so wonderful. But it will not last; it will be destroyed; so many dreams.”

But the love for these dreams comes from the heart because there is a natural need within the living being for happiness and fulfillment. In this material world, we are always experiencing some emptiness within the heart, always experiencing some yearning, some longing for something, some hope that maybe it will happen. Whatever it is, whatever we want, “Maybe I’ll become rich… maybe I’ll become famous… or rich and famous! Maybe one day I’ll wake up and I’ll be beautiful… it’s doubtful but maybe somehow or other, a miracle will happen, you never know! It could happen, therefore, just wait, just in case. Hold onto to that little straw because maybe it will happen and I so much want it to happen. Oh yes, maybe my love will appear. Yes, the one that is my perfect match, the one that is designed for me, that one!’

Of course, that one doesn’t exist; there is no perfect match, it doesn’t exist! It becomes a boxing match sooner or later. It’s not a perfect match, it is not like that. It’s hard work to make relationships work. You cannot say that there is a marriage that just works. No, you have to work for it. It’s hard for relationships to work and then still you don’t really get what you were dreaming of. That’s the material world!

perfect matchAnyway some say, “Yes, but better a blind uncle than none. Better something than nothing at all!” Okay yes, we want something after all. Alright have it, if you want to settle for something but let that something that you want out of the material world not interfere with your eternal progress! So it cannot be sinful because when we fulfill our desires in a sinful way, then we become bound up by the laws of material nature.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
te ’pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ, (SB 7.5.31)

“Come one, don’t be a square! Yeah, it’s okay, everybody’s doing it, everybody.”

Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās, and the blind are leading the blind. Te ’pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ, and the result is that we remain bound up in chains. The whole world is doing it and they all just remain bound up in chains, in this material world. The three gunas, sometimes known as the three qualities of material nature, other times known as the three ropes that bind us; that is what will happen.

So the pure devotee doesn’t even bother with such things. The pure devotee is thinking about Krsna. Krsna is important, Krsna’s desires are important, Krsna’s glory is important, Krsna’s service is important, Krsna’s name is important, tadīyānāṁ samarcanam (CC Madhya-lila 11.31); anything related to Krsna is important. Tadīyā, anything related to Krsna. The Ganga because of the dust of Krsna’s lotus feet. Tulasi Devi is related to Krsna, ‘tulasī kṛṣṇa-preyasi,’ anything related to Krsna.

‘ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam,’ (Padma Purana, quoted in CC Madhya-lila 11.31).

Lord Siva said to Parvarti in the Padma Purana, “Of all that are worshipable, the Supreme Lord Visnu is the ultimate worshipable entity. But greater still are those personalities and things that are related to him in service.’ That is wonderful!

Understanding Karma (video) Questions about Karma answered by…
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Understanding Karma (video)
Questions about Karma answered by Chaitanya Charan Das analyzing the Mahabharata.
Questions answered in this special episode: 1. Why do we accuse Kaurava and Karna for doing wrong and always support the Pandavas. Now the main question is if Krishna has planed everything so that no one can use their free will and even its not going to work because he has already planned. So where is Karna has free will and moreover I think what Vyasdeva is a best script writer, the best multi manager in four yuga has ever seen because he has written which is we can’t even think in this yuga because he has written Mahabharata which we can assume things but we can not verify it not even a one fact because there is no one alive to verify and even if he has written with this more understandings and own assumption then now we understand that Mahabharata is based on our own assumption and based on circumstances. do you think we can ever relate what are written at the current world moreover Mahabharata has happened some of the different yugas and how can we even compare those characters and examples to the current world which I think is completely irrelevant. (Asked by Rakesh Kumar Gudla from Hyderabad, Telangana, India)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/f8zT9d

ISKCON Scarborough- 7th Annual 64 round chanting day on Saturday – July 1st 2017
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Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

We are pleased to announce that our 7th annual 64 round chanting day will take place on Saturday- 1st July 2017 from 10 am to 6 pm. 

Scrumptious prasadam will be served throughout the day.
Every year over 50 devotees take part in chanting 64 rounds at ISKCON Scarborough that takes on CANADA DAY or the weekend of Canada day.
We invite you, your family and friends to ISKCON Scarborough on 1st July to take part in this auspicious event.

Further details about chanting the 64 rounds:
When we chant 64 rounds, we chant over 100,000 names of the Lord!
  • 1 Hare Krsna Maha Mantra(HKMM) = 16 names of the Lord - consisting of 3 transcendental words of Hare, Rama and Krsna (“Hare” is the internal energy of the Lord which is non-different from the Lord, “Krsna” means all attractive and “Rama” means reservoir of all pleasure).
  •  1 round in a japa mala =108 Hare Krsna Maha Mantra= 1728 names of the Lord (16 names of the Lord in 1 HKMM X 108 times in a japa mala)
  •  16 rounds = 27,648 names of the Lord (16 names of the Lord in 1 HKMM X 108 times in a japa mala X 16 rounds)
  •  64 rounds = 110,592 names of the Lord (16 names of the Lord in 1 HKMM X 108 times in a japa mala X 64 rounds)


Why chant 64 rounds of Hare Krsna Maha Mantra?
Caitanya Bhagavat (by Sri Vrindavan das Thakur)- Antya Khanda- chapter 9 verses 116 to 125:
“As the devotees invited the Lord (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) to take His meal in their houses, the Lord took the opportunity to teach them all this topic.

When invited to take a meal, the Lord smiled and said, “First you should become a laksesvara [The word laksesvara is a combination of laksha (“hundred thousand”) and isvara (“master”). In common usage, it would refer to someone who possessed a hundred thousand rupees.].

“I take meals only in the house of a laksesvara.” Hearing this, the brahmanas became worried.

The brahmanas offered prayers to the Lord, “O Gosaani, what to speak of a hundred thousand, none of us possess even a thousand.

“If You don’t accept meals from us, then let our entire household be burnt to ashes.”

The Lord replied, “Do you know who is a laksesvara? He is someone who daily chants a hundred thousand holy names.

“I call that a person a laksesvara. I take meals in only such a person’s house, not in the houses of others.”

Hearing this merciful statement of the Lord, the brahmanas gave up their anxiety and became joyful.

“O Lord, we will chant a hundred thousand names. Please therefore take Your meals in our houses. It is our good fortune that You are teaching us in this way.”
All the brahmanas then began to chant a hundred thousand names everyday so that they could offer food to Lord Caitanyacandra.

Importance of Chanting the Holy names of the Lord:
Srimad Bhagavatam: 6.3.31:
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore, the chanting of the saṅkīrtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.


Caitanya Bhagavat Adi Khanda 16.94 – Namacarya Srila Haridas Thakur
“Even if my body is cut into pieces and I give up my life, I will never give up chanting the Lord’s holy name.”

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.32/Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 3.52/ Caitanya Caritamrta Madya Lila 6.103/ Caitanya Caritamrta Madya Lila 11.100/ Caitanya Caritamrta Madya Lila 20.342/ Caitanya Caritamrta Antya Lila 20.10
In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.

Padyavali- Srila Rupa Goswami:
O Supreme Personality of Godhead, when someone desires to chant Your holy name, sins tremble in fear, the glory of material illusion faints unconscious, Yamaraja’s scribe Citragupta becomes happy and gazes at the chanter’s toenails with awe and reverence, and Lord Brahma prepares madhu-parka to worship him. O Lord, what more can we say than this?

Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.51:
My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna Hama-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom

Padyavali- Srila Rupa Goswami:
May Krsna's holy name, which is a reservoir of all transcendental happiness, the destruction of Kali-yuga’s sins, the most purifying of all purifying things, the saintly person’s food as he quickly traverses the path to the spiritual world, the pleasure-garden where the voices of the greatest saints, philosophers, and poets play, the life of the righteous, and the seed of the tree of religion, bring transcendental auspiciousness to you all.


ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7

Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
www.iskconscarborough.com

Gita 13.24 Sankhya and bhakti are different in form, but similar in essential content and ultimate purpose
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast


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Tuesday June 13, 2017
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West of Walden, Colorado

I Felt Like Mohammad Ali

I felt like Mohammad Ali, today; like a fighter. I was taking on Vayu, the wind god. Oh, he was strong. He swung mostly from the north. He cut from above. When I was in high elevation, he was prominent. At one point, I felt like I was being knocked off my feet. I actually stepped back, once, from his force. It wasn’t until I came down to the base of a major canyon that I felt the stronger.

Humans paid little attention today, with not one motorist stopping to talk. Wildlife took notice, though. An eagle flew above. Coyotes yelped in the distance. A hawk came near, screeching, as a smaller bird pestered him. A second hawk joined the first, causing the smaller bird to retreat until he got brave enough to go for a second attack. Then a crow followed me, forever.

Not all action was in the sky. As mentioned, coyotes were about. The prairie dogs make the dry areas very ‘holey’. When the sun is strongly present, they give off their squeak. It’s hard to tell if they’re laughing or scared and giving warning. But I’m harmless.

With an 8,000 foot elevation, the cold is felt. The temperature didn’t get beyond 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Is it usual in June?” I asked Matthew Shuler, the reporter for the Jackson County Star.
“It’s expected with this elevation.”

Matthew had interviewed me in the Walden Courthouse, a rather handsome edifice for a small town. His questions ranged from, “What’s the funniest thing people ask?” to “How many pairs of shoes take you across the country?”

The answer to the first:  “You’ve got on the colour of a prisoner. Are you?”
To answer the second: “It will take three to four pair, based on my Canadian experience.”

May the Source be with you!

21 miles


Analyzing Social Media 2 – How social is social media?
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Podcast

 

Podcast Summary

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Remembering Srila Prabhupada’s mood and sacrifice – Hindi
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[Talk at Prabhupada Samadhi Mandir to Defense Forces Devotees Yatra]

Podcast

 

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Drinking water and sleeping are both bodily needs – why is sleeping considered in the mode of ignorance?
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Answer Podcast

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How to balance between shunning social media and being obsessed with social media?
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Answer Podcast

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What is the spiritual perspective on death due to dowry harassment apart from past karma?
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Answer Podcast

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