Websites from the ISKCON Universe
“I think people naturally understand that big smokestacks have pollution in them and they understand air pollution, so they can easily make the connection between energy production and the idea of greenhouse gases,” Obama said.
"I remember at the Ardha Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, when some of your disciples felt it was too difficult to rise early, take bath and attend the morning program with you. Seeing this, you encouraged us by personally going outside in the dark of night, at 3 A.M., to bathe in unheated water and in near freezing weather, despite your age and dwindling health. Then, wrapped head to toe in wool, you sat with us outside in the wet predawn cold for a full three-hour morning program—without fail. In this connection, I pray that this vision of you always remain framed in my heart to give me strength against austerities." 
A video by Jay Ghanashyam Shetty.
Forty communications staff will meet in Villa Vrindavana, Italy from May 13th to 16th for the European ISKCON Communications Conference. The conference will tackle several issues that are very relevant to ISKCON today. These include ISKCON and Politics, ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math, and Media and Religious Freedom.
Simhachalam Festival, Germany (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: So this is the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that you go and preach and make propaganda about krsna-upadesa. This is Krsna consciousness movement. We are teaching all our men how to spread krsna-upadesa, how to spread Krsna consciousness. Then anartha upasamam saksat. Then all the unwanted things he has contaminated will be finished. Then pure consciousness… Pure consciousness is Krsna consciousness. (From Srila Prabhupada’s class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.7 – Vrndavana, April 24, 1975)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/moFN15
Revati Ramana Bhagavatam Class.
Following the tradition of Jagannath’s boat festival at Narendra SFollowing the tradition of Jagannath’s boat festival at Narendra Sarovar at Puri, where Lord Jagannath enjoys water pastimes for 21 days of Chandan yatra, at Rajapur, which is non-different from Puri dhama, Jagannath Boat festival shall be celebrated for 2 days. It was a bonus for […]
The post Sri Jagannath Boat Festival appeared first on Mayapur.com.
By Romapada Swami The process of retraction of bad habits can be summed up as follows: Recognition, Regret, Rectification, and Reinstatement - aided by saintly association and devotional practices. Retraction of bad habits was compared by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura as being synonymous to the jiva’s returning back to the spiritual world, because in effect these bad habits are nothing but the binding effects of our long material association and past activities. The first step in overcoming this material conditioning is of course to recognize the bad habits themselves. This recognition should be accompanied by sincere regret followed by firm resolve to give up the habit. But often we find that despite being aware and regretful for their habits, many people are unable to avoid their sinful tendencies, because of the lack of proper effort. It takes great commitment sustained over time to accomplish the result. Continue reading "How to break habits
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By Gargamuni das The man said thanks and walked away towards his next car. Little did he or I know how much that two minute exchange would alter my life forever. To this day, wherever he is, I thank him, for the bomb he dropped on my life that afternoon.
Continue reading "The “bomb” he dropped on my life
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Nrsimha Caturdasi – New Govardhana (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: I was fortunate enough to attend two Nrsimha Caturdasi celebrations, one at Southport and the other at New Govardhan. Although the New Govardhan festival was on a Tuesday evening, there were around 150-200 devotees who participated. I led kirtan and gave a lecture and that was followed by a beautiful dance. Of course, there was also the wonderful Lord Nrsimhadeva feast.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Esos7c
Shri Radharaman Temple, Vrindavan (6 min video)
Today is the divine appearance day of Sri Radha Raman Ji. He manifested into a ...
A few years ago Guru Mahārāj insisted, “For Vyāsa-pūjā, I don’t care about balloons – I want meaningful decoration, full of quotes.” Though I wasn’t involved in décor, his words remained in my mind as unfulfilled instruction. For the 2017 Vyāsa-pūjā, the décor team began the transformation of the hall by placing Caitanya-caritāmṛta quotes on the walls and creating a beautiful Desire Tree of Devotion, as described in Caitanya Caritamrita.
Guru Mahārāj appreciated our endeavours. “Thank you for the decorations,” he said, “It is meaningful. But you could have added more explanation to it – some devotees have not read Caitanya-caritāmṛta and therefore didn’t fully understand the tree. I gave some explanation during the Vyāsa-pūjā lecture, but maybe you could write an article explaining the tree?” So here goes – my first article ever!
This tree, dear readers, is extremely magical. The roots grow deep, the branches expand unlimitedly, and the entire tree even moves! Every one of its parts can perform the action of all the others, and it bestows wondrous fruits which satisfy the hearts of every living entity. Most thrilling of all – we are a part of this tree! One branch sprouts from Rūpa Goswami, the subsequent Gaudiya ācāryas, to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, to Jayādvaita Swami, then to Guru Mahārāja and then to us! Thus, we legitimately attached photos of his dīkṣā and śikṣā disciples onto the Caitanya tree.
We can learn a lot about the Caitanya tree, or the desire tree of devotional service, in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi-lila Chapter Nine, Ten and Eleven. If we carefully read the Ninth chapter we’ll find that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself is the tree of transcendental love of Kṛṣṇa, its gardener and also the bestower and enjoyer of its fruits. He sowed the seed and sprinkled upon it the water of His will. In Śrī Mādhavendra Purī the seed of devotional service first fructified. The seed of devotional service next fructified in the form of Śrī Īśvara Purī, and then the gardener Himself, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, became the main trunk of the tree of devotional service. By His inconceivable powers, the Lord became the gardener, the trunk and the branches simultaneously. Paramānanda Purī, Keśava Bhāratī, Brahmānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī, Śrī Viṣṇu Purī, Keśava Purī, Kṛṣṇānanda Purī, Śrī Nṛsiṁha Tīrtha and Sukhānanda Purī — these nine sannyāsī roots all sprouted from the trunk of the tree. Thus the tree stood steadfastly on the strength of these nine roots. From the trunk grew many branches and above them innumerable others. Thus, the branches of the Caitanya tree formed a cluster or society, with great branches covering all the universe. From each branch grew many hundreds of sub-branches. No one can count how many branches thus grew. At the top of the tree, the trunk branched into two. One trunk was named Śrī Advaita Prabhu and the other Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. From these two trunks grew many branches and sub-branches that covered the entire world. These branches and sub-branches and their sub-branches became so numerous that no one can actually write about them. Thus the disciples and the grand-disciples and their admirers spread throughout the entire world, and it is not possible to enumerate them all.
As a big fig tree bears fruits all over its body, each part of the tree of devotional service bore fruit. Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the original trunk, the taste of the fruits that grew on the branches and sub-branches surpassed the taste of nectar. The fruits ripened and became sweet and nectarean. The gardener, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, distributed them without asking any price. All the wealth in the three worlds cannot equal the value of one such nectarean fruit of devotional service. Not considering who asked for it and who did not, nor who was fit and who unfit to receive it, Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed the fruit of devotional service. The transcendental gardener, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, distributed handful after handful of fruit in all directions, and when the poor, hungry people ate the fruit, the gardener smiled with great pleasure.
If these nectarean descriptions captured your mind, then I have good news for you – there is so much more to relish. Pick up your Caitanya-caritāmṛta, turn to the Ninth chapter, and dive into the ocean of blissful descriptions. There you will read how Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed the fruits and instructed each and every one of us to do the same. In those passages, all the branches and sub-branches of the Desire Tree are also described.
The sweet fruit of love of Godhead distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so intoxicating that anyone who eats it, filling his belly, immediately becomes maddened by it, and automatically chants, dances, laughs and feels transcendental ecstasy. By engaging in this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, we advance step by step, and eventually experience these ecstatic symptoms in our own lives.
So that was the purpose of creating these decorations – to please Guru Maharaj and remind devotees that we are part of this magical process and society established by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I would like to thank the many devotees who spent hours and days preparing our Vyāsa-pūjā decorations. There were so many that I cannot name them all, but at least I’d like to give my sincere thanks to Āniyora, Gaur Mohan, Jalāśaya, Kālindī Nivasinī, Lucka, Mālinī, Manbiharinī, Naimiṣāraṇya, Navadvīp, Sandhinī, Tattvavatī, Tejo-gaura and Yogeśvar.
We plan to produce the same tree again next year, but with more details, more śāstric depth, more acaryas, more pictures, and more photos of disciples. If you would like to help us with artwork or collecting photos, please let me know – the more the merrier! Next year we will be planting pearls…
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I was fortunate enough to attend two Nrsimha Caturdasi celebrations, one at Southport and the other at New Govardhan.
Although the New Govardhan festival was on a Tuesday evening, there were around 150-200 devotees who participated.
I led kirtan and gave a lecture and that was followed by a beautiful dance. Of course, there was also the wonderful Lord Nrsimhadeva feast.
This is the first in a series of lessons that ISCOWP plan to publish with the intent that someone who watches them should attain a good idea of how to train oxen by voice commands from the beginning of their oxen's lives to their maturity. A video by Chaya Devi.
Many works of art with sacred themes have been painted under the inspiration of ISKCON-founder A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. These paintings were originally intended to illustrate books by Prabhupada, author of many original writings and translations, and were also meant to decorate temples and houses of devotees of Krishna. Now, these Prabhupada-inspired paintings have arrived at a new, unusual place: a shopping center in Brazil.
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Radha Kunda Seva - April 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
April was a peaceful month of steady seva – cleaning and prasadam distribution. No new demolitions! The temple still stands! With our newly received permission, we are back to feeding parikrama pilgrims every Purnima (full moon). They sure do work up an appetite making the 13 mile/21 kilometer trek around Govardhan, and nicely spiced chickpeas with their high protein content are perfect for that much-needed energy boost. Today is Nrsimha Chaturdasi, the most wondrous appearance of the half man, half lion form of the Supreme Lord who appeared to save His young boy devotee, Prahlad. On this day we are praying to Him to protect our service from any and all obstacles and hindrances. Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com. Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/fM6T62
Narasimha Chaturdashi, Sri Vrindavan Dham, 9.05.2017 (4 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: May the glorification of the transcendental name, form, qualities and paraphernalia of the Supreme Personality of Godhead protect us from the influence of bad planets, meteors, envious human beings, serpents, scorpions, and animals like tigers and wolves. May it protect us from ghosts and the material elements like earth, water, fire and air, and may it also protect us from lightning and our past sins. We are always afraid of these hindrances to our auspicious life. Therefore, may they all be completely destroyed by the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. –Srila Prabhupada’s translation of SB 6.8.27-28
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/IpkEdp
The Vyasa-puja festival has gone by. The Kingsday is still hurting our feet. And now you can re-live the experience or find out what was happening in the hills of Radhadesh and the streets of Amsterdhama! Here you can find the media that was recorded and links to videos on Youtube. Enjoy!
24 apr 2017
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.67 – Privately in public
Evening Bhajans @Temple Room Radhadesh
25 apr 2017
26 apr 2017
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.67 – 24 apr 2017
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.68 – 25 apr 2016
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.69 – 26 apr 2016
Kingsday 2017 – by Krishna kripa das
Some short videos by Aditya dd
Photos by the Harinam Ruci group
https://www.facebook.com/pg/harinama.ruci/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1687630181266671
See Vyasa-puja photo album on Flickr
See Kingsday photo album on Flickr
