Planet ISKCON

Answer Podcast

The post Science can’t address God’s existence and spirituality can’t prove it – how then can science and spirituality be reconciled? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post When mood swings are caused by hormonal changes, how can we control our moods by our determination? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post How can we get in our next life the devotional facilities we don’t have in this life? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post If senior devotees chanting for many years still have conditionings, does that mean conditionings are stronger than the holy name? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Haifa, Israel, Beach Sankirtan (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: It is the special mercy of the Supreme Lord that as soon as He knows that one is glorifying His name, fame and attributes, He personally helps cleanse the dirt from one’s heart. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12 Purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jUCknO

Answer Podcast

The post Does duty means doing that which we don’t like to do? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post When doing our prescribed service deprives us of devotee association, what should we do? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post When someone hurts us, how can we avoid becoming vengeful and stay focused on Krishna? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Mayapur Sasi dasa

Vaisesika Prabhu and his team did it again! They had a huge month of distribution in April. ISKCON of Silicon Valley was the No. 2 temple worldwide, with 20,701 book points. No one lives in the temple. It's a congregation of devotees inspired by Vaisesika, who also travels and inspires many other book distributors in temples around the world. Once, Vaiseska approached an Indian couple and showed them books. He befriended them and asked for a donation. The man said, "We'll get a book when we go to the temple." Vaisesika Prabhu responded, "No need! The temple has come to you. These books are nondifferent from the temple." The man said, "OK, so I guess that we'll get one now then." Continue reading "WSN April 2017 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats"

By Prabhupada-priya Devi Dasi

My invitation had been for two weeks, but the more I read the books, the more I became fascinated by the philosophy. The practices the devotees followed, such as chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and worshiping the deity, were not just something made up but were rooted in the teachings of the ancient Vedas. This immense wealth of knowledge existed before the creation and describes in detail the cyclical events of the creation and destruction of the material universes, giving precise time scales for such events. I realized that no matter how many nuclear weapons humans have, the planet cannot be destroyed without God’s sanction. It was comforting to know that there is a supreme controller who is all-good. Continue reading "Seeking Change for Eternal Benefit
→ Dandavats"

By Navin Jani

One aspect of the Vedic culture—knowledge of the future—may seem at first glance to contradict free will, but this is not so. In fact, St. Augustine’s explanation of this phenomenon in relation to the omniscience of God parallels the Vedic understanding. Others had argued that if God already knew what we were going to do, that would prevent us from having free choice; we could not help but act in the way God had foreseen. In response, Augustine explained that God’s vision of the future does not cause anything to happen. Rather, it is akin to human vision of the past. We have the ability to re-member past events, but this doesn’t mean we cause them. Similarly, God has the ability to pre-member future events, but this doesn’t mean His doing so curtails human liberty. He is simply beyond time, unlike us, and He can therefore observe past, present, and future all with equal ease. Continue reading "How Free Are We?
→ Dandavats"

By Romapada Swami

The ability to tolerate comes from the internal faith in Krishna's shelter, even if we don't yet have a strong realization of it. A devotee can always remain happy because of this shelter they feel. Knowing Krishna to be the Supreme Controller and my dearest well-wishing friend, the devotee is confident that Krishna will surely protect me and is orchestrating my life for the best. This trust that if I faithfully follow Krishna's instructions, He will surely protect me (avashya rakibe Krishna) is an important limb of the process of surrender. In addition, a devotee always feels deeply grateful for the numerous blessings Krishna has already provided in their life and is thus not too disturbed by apparent reversals or by what is seemingly lacking. Continue reading "Dealing with unexpected reversals in life
→ Dandavats"

Holy Name Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma (Supersoul) in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.2.17).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/gKb9rx

Harinam sankirtan & book distribution at Twin Tower Car free day Sunday Morning Market. Iskcon Jembrana Bali Indonesia. (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “For one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one’s heart completely.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ALfv9u

Sunday Kirtan, Accra, Ghana, West Africa (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord’s holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.63 Purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/w3JgOs

New Dwaraka (Iskcon community in Los Angeles) - Early Days (video)
Sriman Dayananda Prabhu narrated the history of ISKCON Los Angeles Yatra, during the Annual Prabhupada Festival in New Dwarka, LA

Kasturika Devi Dasi, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, left her body.
Chandanacharya Das: My lovely ex-wife, Kasturika Devi Dasi,...

Los Angeles Prabhupada Festival Harinama 5-27-2017 (8 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: “Although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.3.51 Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Kzy32n

Monk passes through Lexington in cross-country trek to San Francisco.
LEXINGTON — Late Wednesday morning, an orange-clad monk walked through Lexington on 13th Street as part of a cross country journey destined for San Francisco.
Bhaktimarga Swami, a Hare Krishna monk, is known as the walking monk.
Swami said his walk across the country started last summer on the East Coast, but was delayed in August. He recently picked up where the walk left off, at Seward, Neb.
So far, he has walked for five-and-a-half months. Swami said he hopes to reach his destination, San Francisco, in the middle of September. He will take another delay to drive children to an event due to a prior engagement, which will delay his arrival in California.

“I want to stay as close to the Lincoln Highway as I can. It’s America’s original highway,” he said.

The purpose of his walk across the United States is to promote walking and an active lifestyle with social interactions, Swami said.

“People are very bound to automobiles. We have become slaves to automobiles. Our bodies are made for walking. Your whole physical mental well-being can be enhanced by walking a stretch every day,” he said.

Swami is no stranger to cross country walks. He has previously walked across Canada four times, and walked across Ireland, Israel and other island countries. This is his first walk across the U.S.A., Swami said.

He lives in Toronto, Canada.

The vast diversity of land types makes walking across the United States a different and memorable experience, Swami said.

In Iowa, he said he did a lot of bike trail, while in Illinois he walked along a canal system through most of the state.

Compared to walking, where someone is connected to the environment and able to converse freely with others, riding in a car is an enclosed place where one is “in your own world,” Swami said.

“In a span of 24 hours, every human being is a social animal, we need interaction,” he said.

As he walks, Swami said he carries a long chain of 108 beads, known as a japa. As he touches the meditation beads he often recites a mantra, which is “really about expressing gratitude to the creator.”

Holding the japa is a way for someone to keep their mind peaceful, Swami said.

Common conditions many suffer from, such as depression and stress, could be alleviated by walking, which allows the walker time to exhale, process things and provide oxygen to the brain, Swami said.

Health conditions such as heart disease and sedentary lifestyles could also be combated by more physical movement, such as walking, he said.

“If everyone could just put in one hour of a brisk walk every day, they’ll be okay. It helps the heart accept the elements (nature) as they are,” Swami said.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/mWAfRG

Answer Podcast

The post Why is it so difficult to become attracted to God and so easy to get attracted to sense objects? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post If someone has hurt us and we don’t have the courage to tell them, what can we do? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post When anger comes, how can we calm ourselves? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post How can we avoid impulsive reaction to hostile people? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post If we fail in our resolution after sticking to it for some time, how to avoid becoming discouraged? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

The post How to deal with relatively harmless addictions? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Podcast

The post Gita 18.63 The call to the heart complements the call to the head appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Podcast

The post Gita 15.10 The scientific torchlight shows matter clearly, consciousness hazily and God not at all appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Romapada Swami: the distinction between `ego’ and `false-ego’
Question. Our BG discussion group has been rambling for lack of our ability to grapple with the meaning of ‘ego’. All of us generally agree that spirituality is about surrendering the ego or getting rid of 'I consciousness’. But understanding it conceptually itself seems a challenge. We discussed 'I am not the body, I am the soul’, and 'I am the eternal servant of the lord’ aspects. We also cited the example of sage Valmiki - he must have lost consciousness of body altogether. We would appreciate hearing from you about this topic.

Podcast

The post Gita 16.24 Absolute Knowledge doesn’t have to be dogmatic and open-mindedness doesn’t have to relativize everything appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Podcast

The post Gita 18.37 Freedom without framework is paralyzing, not liberating appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Harinama in Moscow, Russia (3 min. video)
Srila Prabhupada: In the material world, if one engages in chanting a material name, ...

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 April 2017, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa-puja Lecture)

In short, I have summarised what I desire and what I request of you. I also thank you all for coming. I do this festival here every year because of the Kingsday. It is just too big an opportunity to let go by. Although in a way, I feel it is quite intense with all those drunken, intoxicated people. And not just ten of them, but more like ten thousand, many, so it is intense!

But every year, miracles do happen on Kingsday. We see people literally having the time of their life in a kirtan – chanting at the top of their lungs. The Dutch people are not slow, they can figure out the maha-mantra, they can do it. They chant it and they get into the kirtan somehow on that day; and every year it happens again. There are people there who have an experience of happiness, of a moment of transcendental happiness, something they will never be able to forget – never ever and therefore every year I am going again, although sometimes I think, “Do I really have to go? Kingsday!” and some of my disciples also say, “Can`t we have the Vyasa-puja somewhere on a sunny island or something?” I know such an island with a nice hotel that is vegetarian and with a nice beach…

But I think that to give out mercy is the greatest thing. That is why every year I celebrate my birthday before the Kingsday. I am very happy that you have come from so far – I highly appreciate that and when we go to Amsterdam just let us forget ourselves. Let us just chant and let us just give out the mercy to the people. If we can do that, then it gets the most blissful!

Everybody always thinks of themselves. That is the nature of people – we just think of ourselves. But if we can sometimes just think of giving to others, this is where life becomes magic.

So this is what I would like to see, more and more, and more and more. And then I feel it is all worth it that I sit here in silk that people gave me, on a huge green seat with lots of flowers, that I had my feet washed as if I could not do it myself and so on and so on…

 

ISKCON LAGOS prasadam distribution. (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If Krishna does not supply you this light, sunlight, you will die. But he does not charge anything. But because you are human being, you should try to repay: “Oh, Krishna is giving us so much facilities. Let me render some service unto him.” This is Krishna Consciousness. This is to acknowledge, “Oh God, You are so kind. You are giving so many things. So I have collected this fruit. It is Your fruit, I know. Still, please accept.” Columbus, May 9, 1969.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/FZLEBz

Challenges in Understanding Srila Prabhupada’s Words (Video)
Sriman Garuda Prabhu’s (Prof Graham Schweig Ph.D.) lecture at ISKCON Los Angeles, yesterday, during the Annual Prabhupada Festival
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ID5mlZ

The post Daily Darshan: May 28,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

        In the Bhagavad-gita we find a recurring theme within it which puts emphasis on what Lord Krishna taught and expected of Arjuna, and all readers of it, for what we really need to accomplish, and the real purpose of it. Out of all of the teachings we find within, Lord Sri Krishna continues to emphasize the need to end our karma, to stop the cycle of birth and death in this material existence, and to ultimately return to the spiritual world, to His abode. And here are a number of the verses that explain that.

Chapter 2, Content of the Gita Summarized, verse 72

That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, after attaining which a man is not bewildered. Being so situated, even at the hour of death, one can enter into the kingdom of God.

 

Chapter 4, Transcendental Knowledge, verse 9

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

 

Chapter 4, verse 24

A person who is fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.

 

Chapter 4, verse 30

All these performers who know the meaning of sacrifice become cleansed of sinful reaction, and, having tasted the nectar of the remnants of such sacrifice, they go to the supreme eternal abode.

 

Chapter 4, verse 32

All these different types of sacrifice are approved by the Vedas, and all of them are born of different types of work. Knowing them as such, you will become liberated.

 

Chapter 5, Karma-yoga–Action in Krishna Consciousness, verses 24-26

One whose happiness is within, who is active within, who rejoices within and is illumined within, is actually the perfect mystic. He is liberated in the Supreme, and ultimately he attains the Supreme.

One who is beyond duality and doubt, whose mind is engaged within, who is always busy working for the welfare of all sentient beings, and who is free from all sins, achieves liberation in the Supreme.

Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.

 

Chapter 7, Knowledge of the Absolute, verse 18

All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider verily to dwell in Me. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he attains Me.

 

Chapter 8, Attaining the Supreme, verses 5-8

And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is not doubt.

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.

Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.

He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Partha [Arjuna], is sure to reach Me.

 

Chapter 8, verses 13-14

After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.

For one who remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Partha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.

 

Chapter 8, verses 21

That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.

 

Chapter 9, The Most Confidential Knowledge, verses 25

Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.

 

Chapter 9, verse 28

In this way you will be freed from all reactions to good and evil deeds, and by this principle of renunciation you will be liberated and come to Me.

 

Chapter 9, verse 34

Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.

 

Chapter 13, Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness, verse 24

One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position.

 

Chapter 13, verse 35

One who knowingly sees this difference between the body and the owner of the body and can understand the process of liberation from this bondage, also attains to the supreme goal.

 

Chapter 15, The Yoga of the Supreme Person, verses 5-6

One who is free from illusion, false prestige, and false association, who understands the eternal, who is done with material lust and is freed from the duality of happiness and distress, and who knows how to surrender unto the Supreme Person, attains to that eternal kingdom.

That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.

 

Chapter 18, Conclusion–The Perfection of Renunciation, verses 55-56

One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.

Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.

 

Chapter 18, verses 65-66

Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

 

Chapter 18, verses 68-71

For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.

There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.

And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation worships Me by his intelligence.

And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful reaction and attains to the planets where the pious dwell.

* * *

        All of these verses from the Bhagavad-gita indicate the ultimate purpose of its teachings, and, quite honestly, the ultimate purpose behind all of Vedic knowledge. We are not really a product of this material creation, nor is it our real home, nor will we ever be able to stay here forever. So Lord Krishna emphasizes the real goal of life within this recurring theme in the Bhagavad-gita.

REFERENCE

The Bhagavad-gita As it Is, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York/Los Angeles, 1972.