Planet ISKCON

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By Bhakti-lata Dasi

For many years I have wondered why it is so difficult to find devotees who are inspired to not only correspond with inmates but to do so steadily as well. It’s been quite a bottleneck since there are far more inmates who write than there are volunteers to reply to them. It seems that often the devotees who volunteer with IPM have an unrealistic, romantic view of what this service is and they get discouraged when reality turns out to be different. I am wondering if, in some way, this IPM NEWS itself contributes to this misconception. Why? Continue reading "Prison Ministry: Romanticism versus Realism
→ Dandavats"

By ISKCON Wellington

What began as a wet and cloudy Friday evening marked by long traffic jams quickly opened up into a pleasant, spiritually charged morning as devotees trickled in for Mangala Arati. After Tulsi Arati, the enchanting voice of Srila Prabhupada accompanied the devotees in the chanting of 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Devotees from all walks of life and age groups took part in the programs – from toddlers and teenagers to adults – all gracefully dressed in Vaishnava attire. While the parents and young adults attended the presentation and group activities, the children were engaged in storytelling, games, art and craft to teach them the values of patience and gratitude. Continue reading "Wellington Retreat connects Hearts and Souls
→ Dandavats"

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

Srila Prabhupada explained that this material world is just a tiny little corner of the spiritual sky and that tiny little corner of the spiritual sky is covered by a cloud, therefore we feel disconnected from the sunshine of the spiritual world. But the effulgence of Krsna, the brahma-jyotir, is pervading in all directions and then there is this little corner of the spiritual sky which is covered by a cloud of illusion, thus we think that we are separated from Krsna and that Krsna is far away and that we are alone.

We think therefore we struggling because we are abandoned. We think that we have to cope with things that we cannot cope with, ‘How can all these things happen? How do I deal with this? This is too much. Krsna, come on! You know, give me a break!’

But Krsna has given us a million breaks, a million chances! He gave us like not one, not two but unlimited breaks – all the time. And we just cause so much trouble, but do we see how much mercy there was every time along with it? How when something happened, we survived! Krsna is completely in control even of this little corner of the spiritual sky which is covered by a cloud.

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram, (Bhagavad-gita, 9.10)

Every moment, not just sometimes, Krsna manifests his mercy. Krsna is manifesting his mercy all the time. Never is there a moment when Krsna withdraws his mercy. Krsna is known as the ‘avyakta-mūrtinā,’ (Bhagavad-gita 9.4) or the unmanifested form in the universe.

Regardless the politicians' agenda or the prevailing public opinion, in democracy, everyone has the freedom to follow their OWN moral compasses. A short film about aid workers of different spiritual backrounds, who, despite the hostile public environment, provided help to hundreds of thousands of refugees crossing Hungary in 2015.

A hiphop track about the power of malas and Tulasi! (2 min video)
Gauranga Simha: the lyrics as requested:
There’s power in this string of sacred beads that I carry
they help me understand the kind of person that I can be
by steady meditation realize that I am free … realize that I am me you are you and I worship the sun and the moon as the eyes of the most high witness the beauty of the soul and almost cry choose the light every time and let the ghost die
chant the mantra get high and let my soul fly
Lord is in my heart so you know he’s always close by
These beads give me guidance beads give me hope
when the world gets dark these beads help me cope
wanna wash away your karma these beads are the soap
you can string them on silver string them on rope
these beads keep me high I don’t need no dope
I keep my malas real close to me just the way a lover supposed to be
they’re way more than beads on a string you see and the highest of the high is Tulasi Maharani
now mala thats a fact meditate activate love attract wear a mala round your neck to keep love in tact raise your malas in the air we on a love attack let the people of the world know love is back
let the people of the world know god is black, blue, yellow, green and sometimes white when you get to know the truth then the sun shines bright when my hearts’ in the lyrics then I rhyme tight and lead the people of the world to the sublime light
I can reach up touch the stars when I speak up spit fake nonsense boy you can’t keep up I’m a hurricane you’re a storm in a teacup
I don’t watch that material accumulation I’m all about that spiritual illumination check my progress everyday when I’m in meditation every second celebrate coz life’s a celebration use my mala to accelerate my elevation through the school of transcendental higher education
These beads give me guidance beads give me hope
when the world gets dark these beads help me cope
wanna wash away your karma these beads are the soap
you can string them on silver string them on rope
these beads keep me high I don’t need no dope…
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/skKoRs

Panchkula, Haryana, India - Srimad Bhagavad Katha 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is descri...

New Iskcon temple under construction in the holy place of Kurukshetra (Album with photos)
On December 1, 1975, Srila Prabhupad...

Harinama at Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia - 28 May 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting the Hare Kri...

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON New Vrindaban Communications

On the afternoon of March 25^th—after hearing inspiring news from ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban’s various department heads—Board members and Village Association members settled in for a lively community dialog on some important topics.

Village Association Foundational Document

The first was the presentation of a foundational document for the New Vrindaban Village Association. The Association defines itself as “A loving family of Krishna devotees, spiritual aspirants and friends” whose aim is “to empower and assist devotees to happily live in, or contribute to New Vrindaban.”

The Association also votes to elect members of a Village Council, through which New Vrindaban residents can participate in the governance of their community. The first vote, which elected the first Council, was carried out in November 2016.

Council member Gaura Bhakta Das presented the foundational document. It consisted primarily of rights Village Association members are entitled to, and matching responsibilities that create a good balance of reciprocation between the individual member and the group.

These included the right to spiritual guidance / responsibility to provide spiritual guidance; right to contribute freely / responsibility to focus on what we want; right of respectful disagreement / responsibility to speak up; right of involvement / responsibility to be informed; and others.

The essence of the Village Association was also boiled down to three recommendations: aim in good faith to be spiritually conscious; be a contributing community member; and be aware of Srila Prabhupada’s intents and purposes for New Vrindaban.

After Gaura Bhakta’s presentation, there was some discussion on the meaning and implications of the rights and responsibilities. Some expressed concerns that the document may be too idealistic. Gaura Bhakta responded that the Village Association needed to develop a starting point – however the document is a living one, which can evolve with community feedback.

Success in Re-Routing Rover Pipeline

Next, Gopisa Das reported on the recent legal struggles with the Rover Pipeline and success in getting it re-routed to avoid specific sacred places in New Vrindaban.

The Rover Pipeline is a 713-mile long multi-state project, starting in West Virginia and travelling through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan before ending in Canada. It will deliver gas for distribution throughout the Midwest, Northeast, East Coast, and Gulf Coast.

Rover first contacted New Vrindaban residents two years ago saying that they were seeking eminent domain – a federal right to use private property for public use – to run one of their tributary pipelines through the community.

The route they wanted to take would have passed close to Prabhupada’s Palace and directly across Madhuban hill, where previously there was a Jagannath temple and a house Srila Prabhupada stayed in during his 1972 visit. It would have then cut right through the yard of the original Vrindaban farmhouse, where Prabhupada stayed for one month during his first visit to New Vrindaban in 1969.

Devotees met with Rover over the next couple of years but could not convince them to consider re-routing the pipeline. In February 2017, with no warning, the company announced that it had acquired eminent domain from the Federal Government, and that devotees were summoned for a federal district court hearing.

That meant ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban had just days to put together a full case against the $4.2 billion dollar project. To make matters even more daunting, Rover turned out to actually be Energy Transfer Partner (ETP), the same company that ran the Dakota Pipeline through sacred Native American land.

On the morning of the hearing, devotees organized a Harinama Sankirtana protest outside the court house in Wheeling, which was filmed by Channel 7 and Channel 9 News. Vrindavan Das also gave interviews to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Wheeling News Register.

Gopisa and INV President Jaya Krsna Das first testified, explaining that the specific areas ETP wanted to build through were sacrosanct to Vaishnavas because of Prabhupada’s presence there. They were then directed by the judge to work out an agreement with ETP’s lawyers.

The result was that ETP agreed to re-route the pipeline away from the designated sacred spots despite having full federal support and approval. Gopisa credited this to the power of chanting the Holy Name outside the courthouse, and said it was likely that ETP did not want to face more of the kind of negative media attention that they received with the Dakota pipeline.

During Gopisa’s report, a proposal – first suggested by INV Board Director Ananga Manjari –  was made that a portion of the funds INV and ECO-V receive from ETP could be used to construct a new Community Center. A majority of those participating in the discussion warmly embraced the proposal; and a decision was made to form a Community Center planning committee consisting of Village Association, INV & ECO-V members.

“We also negotiated an agreement with ETP that they would deliver to us all the trees they cut for use in building the Community Center, as well as fixing the old Vrindaban farmhouse,” Gopisa added.

Work on the pipeline is likely to start this spring.

NV 50 Plans and New Jagannath Altar

Rounding off the afternoon, Jaya Krsna Das presented plans for New Vrindaban’s 50^th anniversary next year.

NV 50 themes will be integrated into every festival throughout 2018, and there will be a major celebration at the end of September 2018. There will also be a VIP event, and an Open House day for neighbors and the local community.

Meanwhile Sankirtan Das is interviewing many New Vrindaban devotees for an oral history project so that their experiences, challenges, successes and realizations can be secured for the benefit of future generations. There are plans to create both a video and book from these interviews, along with a shorter souvenier booklet with lots of photos.

Another major offering for the 50^th anniversary will be that of a new altar for Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra at the front of the temple room next year. The reasoning was that devotees currently do not get darshan of Lord Jagannath when facing the main altar during aratis, and show their backs to the Lord during gurupuja.

The move was decided based on a straw vote by residents and support from the ISKCON New Vrindaban board, GBC and ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry. The new altar will be in the spot the six Goswamis currently occupy, and will be an ornate wooden affair covered with gold and silver leaf.

Previously, Jaya Krsna promised devotees they would receive news of the move during this Spring’s weekend gathering, and the announcement was an auspicious and uplifting way to wrap up the Community Dialog.

 

Philosophy means the love of wisdom, the ability to separate truth from error, reality from illusion, and the subsequent discernment as to correct action. Professional philosophers use the word in specific ways according to which type of reality and illusion they are talking about.

Conversation with Bh. Rahul.

Mohanasini Devi Dasi: My husband said something so sweet this week...I just have to share it with you....He said, "This album you post every week is your garland that you offer to Srila Prabhupada...every book distributed is a flower in that garland!" Book totals for this weekend: 11 Perfection of Yoga, 20 Chant and Be Happy, 76 Higher Taste cookbooks, 4 Science of Self Realization, 129 Bhagavad Gitas, and 4 Srimad Bhagavatams 1.1 Total: 244 books.

Srila Prabhupada – Sri Caitanya’s Compassion Personified (video)
HH Radhanath Swami’s lecture in New Dwarka, Los Angeles - 5-28-17
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ZebKBf

Debriefing the Mysteries of the Sacred Universe Workshop.
Raga devi dasi : It’s my pleasure to offer this account of the “Unravelling the Mysteries of the Sacred Universe” workshop sponsored by the Krishna Institute and the Bhaktivedanta Institute of Gainesville held at the Alachua Learning Academy on the May 21-22. It included an all-star cast: Janmastami das did a stellar job of organizing the program, bringing in guest speakers His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami (by internet), Brahmatirtha das in person, and key presenter, Murli Gopal das, who came in from the NYC Bhakti Center, toting an excellent PowerPoint presentation and many large charts and exhibits mounted around the room. Nandini Kishori devi dasi and her friendly helper, Vegavati devi dasi, facilitated online participation.

We began with the premise that the Srimad Bhagavatam’s Fifth Canto can be bewildering, and were quite relieved when Murli Gopal prabhu announced that we were welcome to consider our own appreciation of the information presented and need not conform to a definitive consensus. He cleverly avoided over-thinking complex topics by including two entertaining small group sessions exploring the 5th Canto’s cosmography. Throughout the workshop he presented fascinating Vaishnava pastimes involving this cosmography. We went to the Santa Fe College Planetarium to view “Passport to the Universe,” narrated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. It offered a dazzling tour of the modern scientific conception of the cosmos, which Murali Gopal prabhu skillfully contrasted to the Vedic version analyzed in the book Mysteries of the Sacred Universe by Sadaputa das (PhD in Mathematics from Cornell). Following in his footsteps, Murli Gopal prabhu has studied both science (Ph.D. in Physics from Ohio University) and Sanskrit (Columbia University), as well as Vedic cosmography and astronomy (and he has a 5th degree black belt in Karate!) He brought these impressive credentials to his well-organized talks, along with his deep loving respect for Sadaputa prabhu, plus a humorous, progressive outlook that allowed him to blend cartoons illustrating central concepts along with fascinating sophisticated graphics. The 48 participants (along with 20 more interacting online) appeared to be extremely satisfied with the spectacular presentations. Rucira devi dasi seemed to sum up the prevailing mood with her comment “I have no words to say how grateful I am to acquire this new knowledge.”

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Question: Namaste Swamiji. It is said that we should always associate with selfless people, and that’s very critical. Then, how should we interact with the people who are selfish? As you say, we should also love them as they are also part of God. So, if we are surrounded by such people, how should we act?
Radhanath Swami: By being a good example. Of course, if those people open their minds and hearts for us to speak to them about higher virtues and higher truths in life, then that is our service to them—to offer them that higher ideal, that higher philosophy that’s based on truth. We should not be egoistically thinking, “I know more than you.” We should be humbly serving all living beings by sharing a spiritual message that will enlighten them, bring joy in their life, and relieve them of suffering. So, if we learn the philosophy and the truth nicely ourselves, we can present it in a way that can help convince others of the good way of living.

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The Making of Vrindavan Villages @ Peddagottimukla, Telangana, India (Album with photos)
Gour Gopal Das: Village outreach prog...

Written by Krishna Kirtan

On 10^th of May, Kadamba Kanana Swami came to England after an incredible Sri Nrsimha Caturdasi festival in Simhacalam temple, South-West of Germany. Sutapa and Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Prabhus picked up Maharaj and took him to Krishna Kirtan’s house where he rested well and had some informal talks with them for that day.

The next morning Maharaj came to the Bhaktivedanta Manor to give the morning Srimad Bhagavatam class on the 10^th Canto, chapter 11, verses 33 to 35. Maharaj straight away pulled out his phone to search the commentaries from Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. During the class, he told us that in the morning before japa he was reading the Saratha Darsini commentaries leading up to the Brahma Vimohana Lila, where there were descriptions of Krishna having a top knot. So this description then became Maharaj’s meditation during his morning japa. He was making the point that we need to absorb the mind in Krishna’s Lila and just think of Vrindavan, forget all else. Maharaj spoke a lot about the need for simplicity and how this is very favourable for our Krishna Consciousness. Telling us all that 1978 to 1984 were some of his favourite times in Vrindavan as things were still simple, and no-one had yet modernized or brought any Western culture into Vrindavan yet. The class ended on a very important note for everyone, with Maharaj stating that yes, Srila Prabhupada put Krishna at the front as He’s more known in the West, but he did introduce and give prominence to Lord Caitanya but now it is up to us to internally bring Lord Caitanya to the front! Because when we see our lacking we must turn to Him, Lord Caitanya and He is the one who will take us to Vrindavan.

In the evening there was an informal gathering of disciples and well-wishers at Krishna Kirtan Prabhu’s house. Around 30 devotees had come to spend time with Maharaj. And what a wonderful evening it was. Maharaj began with a short kirtan & then began reading the pastime when Nanda Maharaj was captured for untimely bathing to break Ekadashi vrata. Being captured by Varuna’s guards and then Krishna Himself came to rescue His father. Whilst reading the commentaries, Maharaj began explaining how these Krishna topics are every fresh as stated in the Lalita-Madhava that 1. The pastimes have transcendental potencies and 2. Based on the hearer’s pure eagerness and desire to relish them.

At the end of the evening, there was a small birthday surprise to celebrate and tie a few of the family members together. Hasita Raja Mataji had made an incredible cake for: Maharaj’s belated birthday, Janakinath Prabhu Sutapa Prabhu, Arjuna Raja, and Camplakata Priya Mataji. Maharaj got everyone singing and then all 5 joined hands over one knife to cut it and Maharaj began distributing to each of them.

The next morning Kadamba Kanana Swami left early morning to go to Plas Glansevin in Wales to facilitate the annual ISKCON Soho Street mentorship retreat. All were expecting a cold rainy affair, however Maharaj and the devotees being present in an old mansion house warmed up the atmosphere in no time. Maharaj delivered 6 seminars on the 9 processes of devotional service (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam (SB 7.5.23))

Throughout the retreat Maharaj elaborately in a very unique manner how simply by relishing the Srimad Bhagavatam most the process of devotional service are fulfilled. Everyday Maharaj read from the Saratha Darsini commentaries by Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura, which inspired many others to follow and dive deep into these commentaries. Maharaj brought an abundance of energy to the retreat and devotees in the evenings with his special kirtans. The devotees came away after the 4 day retreat extremely inspired, enlivened and eager to progress after Maharaj’s association and deep presentations, which showed there is great room for individuality.

On Tuesday night Maharaj left Wales to return back to Krishna Kirtan prabhu’s house in London. Wednesday Maharaj spend some times with various disciples, having one to one darsans. Later that evening Maharaj took everyone to his godbrother, Vrajesvara Prabhu’s new house for an auspicious start and an evening to welcome and invite the vaisnavas first. The evening began with Maharaj leading ecstatic kirtan and then speaking for a short time, followed by prasadam and a Vrajesvara Prabhu showing great appreciation and gratitude to Maharaj and the assembled devotees.

The next day, a few disciples came in the early morning to take Maharaj to the London Heathrow Airport for his departure to Brussels. Having a wonderful and humorous time with Maharaj in the airport but unfortunately, he had to leave and carry on his journeys to Radhadesh to enable his writing projects to take priority.

 

After being inspired with a free verse poem as a way to check in with myself and my readers, I saw that it was very similar to a blog I wrote last year, so I am including it here. My intention, in addition to introspection and self-examination, is to encourage you in your own process of personal and spiritual growth. My prayer is to help you be a balanced human being and steady bhakti practitioner with the greatest likelihood of progress in serving and loving Krishna.

Writing as Life and Giving

Even if my thoughts are not profound
or upon reading will change your life,
putting words on the page seems important,
a way of giving myself, my attempt to help,
as I so much believe in being a giver
even as I lack compassion and caring,
which I don’t like, yet don’t worry ‘bout,
since my nature is peaceful and accepting
sometimes to a fault, simultaneously frustrating

read more

After being inspired with a free verse poem as a way to check in with myself and my readers, I saw that it was very similar to a blog I wrote last year, so I am including it here. My intention, in addition to introspection and self-examination, is to encourage you in your own process of personal and spiritual growth. My prayer is to help you be a balanced human being and steady bhakti practitioner with the greatest likelihood of progress in serving and loving Krishna.

Writing as Life and Giving

Even if my thoughts are not profound
or upon reading will change your life,
putting words on the page seems important,
a way of giving myself, my attempt to help,
as I so much believe in being a giver
even as I lack compassion and caring,
which I don’t like, yet don’t worry ‘bout,
since my nature is peaceful and accepting
sometimes to a fault, simultaneously frustrating

read more

A Mountain Retreat (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Close to 2,000 devotees gathered in the Appalachian Mountains in Nor...

Harinama in Barnaul, Russia, 27.05.17 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” If one practices chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, he is naturally expected to chant Hare Krishna when he meets with some accident. Even without such practice, however, if one somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord (Hare Krishna) when he meets with an accident and dies, he will be saved from hellish life after death. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.15 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/i7JeAx

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