Rathayatra festival at Ahmedabad (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: At the beginning of the month, we went to Ahmedabad, for...

Initiation ceremony at the Hare Krishna temple in Auckland (Album with photos)
6 Devotees took initiation today, 23rd April 201...

Harinam in Northampton, UK - 22nd April 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Nityananda Prabhu approached Jagai and Madhai at the risk of being personally injured and still He definitely delivered them. The world is full of Jagais and Madhais; namely drunkards, women-hunters, meat eaters and gamblers, and we will have to approach them at the risk of insult, injury and similar other rewards. To face such reverse conditions of life and to suffer thereby the results of actions is considered as the greatest penance and austerity in the matter of spiritual advancement of life. To sit down in a corner without preaching risk and to make a show of chanting Hare Krishna Mantra is condemned by my Spiritual Master and He has written a very nice song in this connection. The substance is that to become very dear to Krishna or Balarama or in other words to Lord Caitanya and Nityananda is to take the task of preaching work very seriously at all risk. Please always remember this and you will be successful. Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gajendra – Los Angeles 27 January 1970
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Olb8vg

Recently, I took the initiative to encourage the BBT trustees to correct the translation of the refrain in Srila Prabhupada’s Bengali poem written on the Jaladuta as he arrived in America. On September 13, 1965, he wrote: “Today I have disclosed my mind to my companion, Lord Sri Krishna. There is a Bengali poem made by me in this connection.” Coincidentally — precisely fifty-one years later — on September 13, 2016, the BBT trustees discussed the proposed correction. During a Skype meeting, they decided to get the revision’s accuracy endorsed by three qualified Bengali speakers. By early December, three endorsements were obtained. So the trustees accepted the correction and passed this correspondence resolution (CP16-01) Continue reading "Correcting a Bengali Poem’s Refrain
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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada speaks about proper mood for devotees towards the society's temples. It is more intelligent to create a living Matha rather than to build a Matha for comfortable living. Creating a living Matha means to attract faithful persons to surrender at the lotus feet of the spiritual master. The highest welfare activity is to attract living entities to serve the spiritual master’s lotus feet by describing to them the spiritual master’s glories and service. For this we spend gallons of blood. Such preaching will please both guru and Krishna. Therefore, to dedicate body, mind, and speech to such philanthropic activities is the perfection of life. A Matha surcharged with talk of Krishna’s glories and service is non-different from Vaikuntha. Thus living in a Matha is just like living in a dhama. Hari- katha must be prominent in the Matha. There is no use in building a Matha simply to facilitate eating and sleeping. Mathas should be built only to spread hari-katha. This will benefit us and others. Continue reading "What is the purpose of our temples?
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ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 03/19/2017

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes simple living, cow protection, engaging oxen, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Directors: Chaitanya Mangala, Kripamaya, Ranaka, Sri Tulasi Manjari and Vraja.

Participating Advisors: Devala, Jaya Krsna

Participating Managers: Nitaicandra

Recording Secretary: Jamuna Jivani

1. 2017 ISKCON North American Farm Conference Update

Sri Tulasi Manjari reported that the organizers had a meeting where they discussed setting the schedule, creating an open-invitation policy to include the broader community of farmers, and promoting the event through flyers and a Facebook page.

2. Ranaka’s Monthly Report

• The Temple Barn electric project has been completed
• Currently six cows are being milked, producing approximately 17 gallons per day.
• Manjari was moved to the Temple Barn from the Valley Barn, due to her being scheduled to freshen the middle of April. Three heifers are still residing there.
• Jatendra, a volunteer, has been helping with milking and barn activities for the last few weeks.
• Ray finished working on the inside of the school. He still needs to build some more shelving and do some outside work.
• Shyama Gopal, a very old ox residing at Nandagram, recently left his body.
• Ranaka has been communicating with Fil & Sukhayanti. Fil plans to participate in the on-site meetings.
• He is helping with preparations for next week’s Joint Board Meetings.
• He is working on finalizing ECO-V’s 2016 Audit with Rama Associates.

3. Nitaicandra’s Monthly Report

• Nitaicandra will be back in New Vrindaban this coming week.
• The Community Garden Strawberry patch has been heavily mulched.
• Syam Gopal the ox left his body.
• A wind storm dropped some trees on the fence line in Nandagram.
• Caitanya Bhagavat has been working on repairs.
• Next week he will start vegetable seedlings and pick up our potato seeds.

4. On-Site Board Meetings

The tentative weekend schedule:

Friday

Afternoon: ECO-V, INV and the VC meet at the Wellness Center from 3-6p

Dinner: With all three Boards, open to all

Saturday

Morning: Department Head Presentations

Lunch break

Afternoon: Community Dialog

Dinner: With all three Boards, open to all

Sunday

Morning: Meet with Fil and ECO-V advisor candidates. Walk the altered Rover Pipeline route at Madhuban and Vrindaban, see exterior wall and kitchen renovations at Prabhupada’s Palace, and visit the schoolhouse and Yogashala, if time permits.

Sunday Temple Program

Afternoon: Service Appreciation Ceremony to honor Kelly Howard Carter, Tejomaya & Kelly, and Advaita & Madri.

5. ECO-V Website Update

Sri Tulasi Manjari reported that she spoke with Bhismadeva and discussed the design and graphics.

The Currents of Life, Part 1 and 2 (reposted from FB on April 16th, 2013)

Part 1: Have you noticed the invisible currents of life? My experience currently, (using this as an excuse for my not writing for a few weeks), and upon reflection on past events, is that sometimes it is apparent that I seem to be swept along, lifted up as it were, beyond my will into the air of destiny, on some already decided course, which it is best if I accept, and not fight. I have come to see that our free will and power of choice though very small, can be applied, at least, to the attempt to be as present and introspective as possible.

Thus, I feel it is an important practice to develop the wherewithal to be as aware as possible, like a third-party witness, doing our best to accept what is beyond our control, with the hope to learn. Through “mistakes” or trials by fire, learning and growth are essential outcomes, regardless of external results. Furthermore, as an aside to the main topic here, as an aspiring devotee of Krishna, I know now to also add—or look for—Krishna to help me be present in the moment, by chanting the holy name, or remembering his form, pastimes, or instructions. This is “the life” for those on the path of bhakti.

I am applying this truth, which could be seen as awareness of destiny, or synchronicity, first to a recent, seemingly ordinary event, when I was volunteered, as is done in Facebook groups, to be part of an attempted reunion of Prabhupada disciples, and secondly to the events of my past life, which practically forced me to take up the path of bhakti. A few weeks ago I was implored upon visiting this FB site to share my devotional history. Fair enough, and yet, when I began attempting this, the scope of the writing took on a life of its own, as I have found is often the case, turning into more of a detailed autobiography.

read more

The Currents of Life, Part 1 and 2 (reposted from April 16th, 2013)

Part 1: Have you noticed the invisible currents of life? My experience currently, (using this as an excuse for my not writing for a few weeks), and upon reflection on past events, is that sometimes it is apparent that I seem to be swept along, lifted up as it were, beyond my will into the air of destiny, on some already decided course, which it is best if I accept, and not fight. I have come to see that our free will and power of choice though very small, can be applied, at least, to the attempt to be as present and introspective as possible.

Thus, I feel it is an important practice to develop the wherewithal to be as aware as possible, like a third-party witness, doing our best to accept what is beyond our control, with the hope to learn. Through “mistakes” or trials by fire, learning and growth are essential outcomes, regardless of external results. Furthermore, as an aside to the main topic here, as an aspiring devotee of Krishna, I know now to also add—or look for—Krishna to help me be present in the moment, by chanting the holy name, or remembering his form, pastimes, or instructions. This is “the life” for those on the path of bhakti.

I am applying this truth, which could be seen as awareness of destiny, or synchronicity, first to a recent, seemingly ordinary event, when I was volunteered, as is done in Facebook groups, to be part of an attempted reunion of Prabhupada disciples, and secondly to the events of my past life, which practically forced me to take up the path of bhakti. A few weeks ago I was implored upon visiting this FB site to share my devotional history. Fair enough, and yet, when I began attempting this, the scope of the writing took on a life of its own, as I have found is often the case, turning into more of a detailed autobiography.

read more

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[Evening program at Richmond, USA]

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Avanti Court School officially opens in Redbridge, UK.
The official opening of Avanti Court Primary School in Redbridge was mar...

The plight of man is a wonder indeed!
Once a man was chased by an elephant in a forest. Seeing no respite, he climbed a tree but he slipped, was about to fall before he could hold on to a branch. He looked up and found that the elephant is waiting to devour him and two rats, one black and one white, were slowly nibbling the branch he was hanging on to. He understood that very soon the branch would fall to the ground.

 www.narottam.com – на русском

(кнопка переключения языка – в верхнем правом углу)

Herein lies the mystery of His transcendental knowledge. This mystery is transcendental love of Godhead, and one who is surcharged with such transcendental love of Godhead can without difficulty see the Personality of Godhead in every atom and every movable or immovable object. And at the same time he can see the Personality of Godhead in His own abode, Goloka, enjoying eternal pastimes with His eternal associates, who are also expansions of His transcendental existence. This vision is the real mystery of spiritual knowledge, as stated by the Lord in the beginning (sarahasyam tad-angam ca). This mystery is the most confidential part of the knowledge of the Supreme, and it is impossible for the mental speculators to discover by dint of intellectual gymnastics. Continue reading "I Myself exist within everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything
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Two days ago I arrived back in Vrindavan after a short trip to Australia. Tomorrow I leave Vrindavan to begin my preaching duties in the West. As the years go by it is becoming more and more difficult to leave this transcendental abode. But leave we must for it is the order of Srila Prabhupada that his followers share their good fortune all over the world. Today I discovered an old photo of myself following in Srila Prabhupada’s footsteps. I took it to mean that as he left Vrindavan to preach so must I. And it is that very service which qualifies us to come back to Vrindavan in due course of time. I take shelter in the words of Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati:

Sunday April 2, 2017, the old city in Semarang became crowded by people who wanted to watch ogoh-ogoh carnival. The Old City became witness of the diversity of the ethnic, religion, culture and faiths. Narayana Smriti Temple too was officially invited and the devotees pulled Lord Jagannath in the main streets of Semarang. “This is very good proposal. Make the Ratha-yatra festival very great success. This will be a great introduction in your city and people will appreciate it” (SPL to Syamasundara, 4th May, 1967) Continue reading "Lord of the Universe in the city of Semarang
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The 8^th of April, 2017, marked the day when over 15,000 youths from across the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, got the chance to get inspired by spiritual wisdom in a grand event entitled as ‘Xpressions 2017’ in ISKCON Kanpur. Emphasizing on ‘De-addiction’ and ‘Value Empowerment’ within youth, ‘Xpressions 2017’ was an effort by a team of ISKCON devotees to bring the youth closer to their roots, re-introducing them to the rich cultural heritage they have inherited, focusing on the need for a positive approach to life, believing in themselves and working hard.

ISKCON’s Congregational Development Ministry, based in Mayapur, India, has launched a new online marriage counseling service that draws from Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. With the divorce rate in many countries at over fifty per cent, the search is on for the key to stable and successful relationships.  According to the two consultants at new website Bhaktimarriages.com – psychotherapist and Vedic astrologer Sri Radha Govinda Dasi and writer and astrologer Manohar Pandit Das – an important element is training before marriage.

Russia's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Jehovah's Witnesses were an "extremist" organization and must disband and hand over all property to the state, local media said. The religious grouping confirmed the ruling about its "liquidation" in Russia.