A vaisnava
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 September 2010, Newcastle, South Africa, Lecture)

A vaisnava has to be someone with a heart. A vaisnava is not just someone who chants many rounds of japa or someone who knows many slokas (sastric verses) or someone who always gets up really early when the whole world is still asleep. This is all wonderful but if that person, in spite of all these wonderful qualities, does not show a heart and does not have a heart, then he is not a complete vaisnava!

Soft Love
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Don’t be surprised to catch yourself playing ‘God’ even when you know better. The scientist wants the credit of universal explanation. The philosopher bathes in the credit of insight, originality and wisdom. The celebrity enjoys the credit of fame, fortune and adoration. The politician wants the credit of power and control. Even an ‘average Joe’ will clutch onto something unique which, at least he thinks, makes him stand out from the crowd.

Krishna Lounge at the temple
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These photographs were taken a few months ago when the lounge was being renovated and the gatherings were taking place at the temple.

Bhadranga – a lover of kirtan
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Hare KrishnaBy Ananta Purushottam Das

He was always known for being jovial and bubbly. Many used to find having conversations with him very entertaining. He was very friendly and got along with any stranger he came across. He was very fond of Aindra Prabhu's kirtans and used to run the 10hr kirtan programme with Nrsingha Tirtha Prabhu at Bhaktivedanta Manor. He was good to talk with about the philosophy and used to share his realisations. After he moved to the Netherlands to pursue his PhD in religious studies. Unfortunately, we lost contact in the last couple of years, but devotees often remembered him and would ask about his wellbeing. Continue reading "Bhadranga – a lover of kirtan
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Abramorama Acquires ‘Hare Krishna!’ Documentary & Releases Trailer
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Hare KrishnaBy Amanda N'Duka

The pic, which was directed by John Griesser and co-directed by Jean Griesser and Lauren Ross, will world premiere on June 3 at Illuminate Film Festival in Sedona, AZ, followed by a nationwide theatrical rollout starting June 16 in New York City. “The perfection of this life is to understand oneself”: Words from the film, which combines Prabhupada’s own recorded words, archival verite and interviews with scholars and his early followers to offer insight to the cultural movement, now known as the Hare Krishna movement. Continue reading "Abramorama Acquires ‘Hare Krishna!’ Documentary & Releases Trailer
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Back In The Motherland
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Фотоальбом на Facebook

Yesterday I arrived back in Moscow. Srila Prabhupada was the first to come against all odds. He had the vision to see the great potential in this country for Krsna consciousness.

Вчера вернулся в Москву. Шрила Прабхупада был первым, кто приехал сюда, несмотря на все трудности. У него было видение огромного потенциала для осознания Кришны в этой стране.

Harinam, book and prasadam distribution @ Sanur beach, 27.4.2017…
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Harinam, book and prasadam distribution @ Sanur beach, 27.4.2017 (Album with photos)
Sanur is a seaside town in the southeast of the island of Bali, in Indonesia.
Srila Prabhupada: This sankirtana or street chanting must go on, it is our most important program. Lord Caitanya’s movement means the sankirtana movement. You may simply take two hours for chanting sixteen rounds daily, two hours for reading congregationally, and balance of time go out for sankirtana. We must do both, reading books and distributing books, but distributing books is the main propaganda. Reading in class for two hours is sufficient and other reading can be done in spare time if one has got it, it is not that one has to be always reading. One hour a morning for Bhagavata class and one hour evening, either Bhagavad-gita or Nectar of Devotion, that is sufficient. —From a letter by Srila Prabhupada to Bali Mardan, Pusta Krishna; 18 September, 1972.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/uxyNnG

Kings day Amsterdam, Netherlands – Full kirtan blast with 250…
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Kings day Amsterdam, Netherlands - Full kirtan blast with 250 kirtaniyas (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: For one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krsna 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. (From Srila Prabhupada’s translation of SB 6.2.12)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2tGnem

Monday, April 24th, 2017
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Le Morne, Mauritius

What Brahmanas Can Do!

I had recommended, the afternoon before, to some new second initiates that what our mission needs is some brahmanas who will take up the role of counsellors and mentors.  Congratulations to Mahesvaree, who took the name of Maha Laksmi.  In addition to her, three formerly initiated devotees became brahminical priests.

“Consider certain scenarios that happen in our communities, such as a man who is abusive to his wife, a daughter is young, unmarried and pregnant, or a young teenage son is getting into drugs.  These are the realities of today.  Both pre-marital and post-marital issues need some help and brahmanas can assist in these areas of social need.”

In brief, my message came like that to the Sunday crowd and it appears some of those sitting at the havan fire, including recent 2nd initiates of Bhakti Brngha Govinda Swami, felt some new opportunities of service were up for their consideration, over and above the rituals they are now proviledged to get involved in.

Today, however, was a significant day with an outing to the ocean and viewing the monument of human tragedy at Le Morne.  My evening was well spent at the Phoenix temple, when I spoke from Chapter 2 of the Gita. “The soul cannot be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor drowned in water, nor dried by the wind.  It is indestructible.”

This is powerfully expressed by Sri Krishna.

May the Source be with you!


3 km

Sunday, April 23rd, 2017
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Bon Accueil, Mauritius 

Bliss Business
  
Feedback on the performances of the “Shakti Show,” was all positive.  Last night the audience of vaishnavas and newcomers was delighted by a magic show, tabla drum performers, a kirtan group and our drama of “Mr. Puri.”  It seems that events like this—events of a more social and cultural nature—haven’t been very much encouraged on this remote island of Mauritius.  There are many devotional activities in motion and with 40% of the population being Hindu you can expect a lot of poojas and such.  Now, kirtan is more emphasized, but entertainment…?

At least one person expressed this concern and offered his opinion on it.

Besides going through a day of contentment with appreciation being expressed all around, our group of four—Balaram, Kala, Bishma and myself—the members of cast and crew for “Mr Puri,” were busy.  It was a marathon of sweetness for me delivering four lessons on bhakti.  One of these lessons was a more casual talk with members of Pandava Sen and Young Warriors of Krishna Balarama.  The topic was to do with the interaction of the generation before them, and how to forge ahead with projects of a devotional nature and not get discouraged.

It was also natural for me to pose the scenario that this group of young talent would indeed succeed in administrative responsibilities for the ISKCON movement for the future.

Indeed our team of four were busy, but we decided to dip in the ocean’s calm waters at 11:00 p.m. after a much needed walk along a sandy trail.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Saturday, April 22nd, 2017
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Bon Accueil, Mauritius

The Layer Cake of Creation


Every morning, I deliver a class from the teaching of Maitreya Muni, who disseminated the Bhagavat philosophy to his student, Vidura.  The lessons, as of late, (speaking from Canto 3 of the Bhagavatam) primarily deal with the topic of creation and how the Divine Intelligence / Personality of Godhead, as Vishnu, presents Himself as both massive and tiny in size through various expansions.  Basically, the evolving of the world begins with Karana Vishnu lying in tranquil slumber on a causal ocean.  From there, two more layers of Vishnu unfold, and then a unique manifestation of Vishva-rupa, the cosmic form of nature’s elements, comes into being.

The description of God’s appearance as a mystical evolutionist is like that of a layer cake.  Some kids in the class liked that analogy.  One of them recently had a birthday and my host, expert at cake-making, baked a layered masterpiece with the theme of Spiderman for the icing.

The Vedic view of creation is a bit more sophisticated than what I've heard from other traditions, nevertheless, it’s a fascinating explanation and it fills the student with wonder and humility.  At least that’s the effect I feel when reading the material.

Reading time is, however, a tough thing to obtain.  Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, assigned us to have a class discussion every morning for our spiritual and intellectual cleansing, and thus, some reading is done.

My report about the evening’s drama “Mr. Puri,” played out by local Mauritian youth, is that it came across most successfully.  A full house capacity of 800 plus enjoyed it.

May the Source be with you!


3 km

Thursday, April 20th, 2017
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Flacq, Mauritius

Sad Story

Mauritius has a sad history with slavery, like most places on earth.  At one peninsula’s end of the island is a towering mountain of 560 metres with lush vegetation.  It was fairly inaccessible.  Slaves from Africa, brought in by the Dutch and French had contemptible treatment inflicted upon them causing many to flee to the forest as well as the mountain.  Caves also provided refuge.

In February of 1835, the British rulers abolished slavery and a delegation was sent which made its way to where the slaves were hiding at Le Morne, the towering mountain, to announce the end of slavery.  Unfortunately, from high up on the mountain’s peak, the soldiers sent were perceived as slave catchers and many former slaves decided to take their own lives by jumping from the cliffs.  They preferred death over the chains of captivity.

Sad, isn’t it?  It’s tragic.

The landscape of Le Morne and surrounding area on the south-west side of Mauritius has its own beauty, but some of the history of the place lacks beauty as you can see.  The number of suicides at that time, less than two centuries ago, is not determined, to my knowledge.  Even the loss of one soul intimidated by brutality under slavery is bad enough in itself.

There are many forms of slavery still existing in the world, but do consider that when you cave-in to your senses all the time, you, too, are a slave.

May the Source be with you!


4 km

Friday, April 21st, 2017
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Flacq, Mauritius

Water Everywhere


Minerals and water—that’s what I’m getting a good share of every day.  The ocean’s swim is a daily affair and rain comes down in buckets, being the rainy season, but then there is the intense humidity resulting in the body’s sweat.

I like the trail Kala sketched out for me near Belle Mare.  We made our way over there before sun-up.  You would expect the combination of ocean breezes and the early coolness of the morning to do the trick and keep perspiration at bay, but no!  No way!  I was drenched with sweat during this three kilometre hike and back.

At least I'm contending with the right chemicals.

For lunch, Kala and I went to the residence of Sanatana Dharma, a tight-quartered place which epitomizes simplicity.  Sanatana was the cook and he did great with his chemicals (spices) in the preps.  Healthy?  Yes!  Tasty?  Yes!  He runs a cooking class and it is televised across the country.  He’s even come out with a cookbook, MangeonsVeg.  It’s in French.

His lovely wife, Ananga Manjari, and daughter, Ganga, are like Sanatana—all about smiles.  So sweet was this visit that it pumped me up for our seven hour rehearsal.  In seven hours you can cover about thirty-two kilometres on foot, but in terms of mileage for a play practice, a lot does get done.  Only here, rain doesn’t reach our deck, our place of practice, whereas mosquitoes and flying cockroaches do.

I'm glad to have service.

May the Source be with you!


7 km

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017
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Belle Mare, Mauritius

Swimming, No Walking


The next best thing to walking is swimming, and one of the best beaches on the island of Mauritius is Belle Mare, which I frequent when I come here.  We justify such recreation after hours in flight and  automobiles.

Blocking out a two hour period was the time slotted for wet fun.  Eight of us guys went—all Krishna devotees.  We took the challenge to swim the distance to the coral reef, taking care to step where you see white sand; everything else that’s dark below could be a prickly urchin, or who knows what.  Varieties of fish surrounded us.  We were in scaly company.

Reaching the reef was a first for our group.  Of course, I'm just a visitor, but I guess it takes a North American’s bravado, or foolishness, to dare what some locals will not.

This was a kind of a milestone for us because of the distance.

Nick, from Russia, watched over our beachwear and belongings while we got wet.  On our return he said, “I counted eight of you who went in but only seven came out.”

“Who was missing?” we asked.

It was Bishma from South Africa.  He got out of the water fast for what they call in this part of the world, “a toilet break.”

“Who’s breaking a toilet?” the question was asked, and all in good fun.

The fun continued.  Seven hours were then given to the spiritual theatre practice I'm involved in so often.  It’s so rewarding.  People tell me all the time, “Thanks for engaging our youth.”

May the Source be with you!


0 km

Tuesday, April 18th, 2017
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Durban / Johannesburg / Mauritius

Moving / Improving

I got in a few rounds of chanting japa (on the beads) and in the round, circumambulating the temple in Durban, before embarking on a flight to Johannesburg and then on to Mauritius.  A sannyasi (monk) is always on the move.  He’s always stirring up dust, in certain ways, influencing people’s lives while actually kicking dust in the air with his walking.

The walking for the day stopped there.  Your jet-age monk has different modes of travel.  However, nothing can replace moving one foot forward and then the opposite one doing the same thing; one at a time.  It was pleasant being at the Johannesburg airport considering the size that it is.  To go from one place to another, you are forced to walk.

For today’s sojourn, I had as my companions Kala, Dinanath, Bishma and Balarama.  Two persons cancelled out on this trip; one received notice of a new job which began this morning, and the notice added “show up, or else—there’s a long queue of people behind you that seek your position.”

The second person who was due to travel with us lost his passport.  I always say, “There are two things you don’t wanna miss out on in this life—the passport and the purport.”

“Purport” refers to the elaborations made by our guru, Srila Prabhupada, in his books.  Assimilation of these enlightened explanations will change your life.  Heaven knows we all need to improve ourselves.

Prove you can improve through the effort.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

International Vaishnavi Retreat at Govardhan
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The 7thannual VIHE International Vaishnavi Retreat at Govardhana (India) concluded on March 26. The 6-day program, dedicated to celebrating Srila Prabhupada’s mercy upon womankind, had as its special theme “Windows to the Spiritual World”.   The Bal Krsna Bhawan hall in the village of Jatipura, home of the original Gopala Temple of Srila Madhavendra Puri, was duly transformed to host an exhibition of over 60 reproductions of paintings and drawings by various vaishnavi artists from the world over, ranging from well-known BBT artists to young devotees from the St. Petersburg Art University.

After 40 Years, ISKCON Baltimore Expands to 12,000 Sq Ft Temple
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Last week’s Sunday Feast kirtan was an emotional experience for ISKCON Baltimore devotees, who shed tears even as they danced and chanted ecstatically together. The rip-roaring session was their last Sunday kirtan in their old temple, a 2,500 square-foot house where the main worship room can only hold around 35 people. The 110-year-old building at 200 Bloomsbury Avene in Catonsville was becoming dilapidated, and the congregation – now nearly 300 devotees – couldn’t even fit in for morning programs.

Degree of advancement of spiritual master?
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Hare KrishnaBy Romapada Swami

Srila Prabhupada said in certain places that one should accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make one's life perfect. Would it make any difference to one's spiritual progress if the spiritual master one accepted was at a different level of realization to, say, another spiritual master? Continue reading "Degree of advancement of spiritual master?
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A miracle! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar Stop To Meet Their Devotee…
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A miracle! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar Stop To Meet Their Devotee - Tamil Nadu.
Acarya Dasa: After spending some time in Thirukurungudi, we headed off to our next destination. Our padayatra party had been walking for twenty kilometers when suddenly the ratha (cart) stopped moving. We all tried to get it moving again but it was stuck. So, we decided since it was almost time for us to have our afternoon prasadam, we would stop there for the time being.
A dream comes true.
While thinking about what we could do to get the cart moving again a lady came out of one house we had stopped close to. She was in tears as she looked up at Sri Nitai Gaurasundar and paid obeisances. Afterward, she came to speak to us and it so happens she had dreamt about our padayatra last night. She said that in her dream Sri Nitai Gaurasundar had said to her, “We will come to your house to have prasadam.” ‘After waking, she was surprised and couldn’t understand how this would happen. She exclaimed, “Now I see the padayatra cart standing in front of my house and I cannot believe it. If I wasn’t here today I would have missed seeing and serving Sri Nitai Gaurasundar. All glories to Them, They are all merciful!” She was overwhelmed that Their Lordships had stopped to give her darsana and to accept her service.
The Lord’s arrangements
We were all amazed to hear this story. The woman was a disciple of Bhakti Vikas Maharaj, and she and her husband invited us into their home. We took the small festival deities of Sri Nitai Gaurasundar with us and we had a program of kirtana and prasadam. The Lord makes His own arrangements to travel to the homes of his devotees who are eagerly awaiting His darsana. This is the reason Sri Nitai Gaurasundar are on padayatra, so They can give darsana to everyone. As Lord Caitanya states in Caitanya Bhagvat, “Prithivi te ache joto nagar adi gram, sarvatra prachar hoibe mora naam” the Holy Names will be preached in all the villages and towns of the world.
Jai Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar ki! Jai!