“The Holy Name is everything” – how to appreciate and apply this
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[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Columbus, Ohio, USA]

Podcast

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Meeting with Mr. Amit Shah, BJP National President. We are…
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Meeting with Mr. Amit Shah, BJP National President.
We are happy to inform you about a very pleasant meeting that HH Gopal Krishna Maharaja had with Mr. Amit Shah in New Delhi. Mr. Amit Shah is the National President of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). Mr. Shah was very respectful and appreciated the work of ISKCON after Maharaja explained our various activities. He particularly took a keen interest when presented with Srila Prabhupada’s books, spending nearly 10 minutes reading them and was delighted to be presented the Krishna Art Book whose paintings he said were “brilliant”. As he daily reads Srimad Bhagavatam, Maharaja offered to present him with the Gujarati BBT edition with Srila Prabhupada’s purports. Overall, the 25 minutes meeting was very fruitful.
More photos: https://goo.gl/Mrt7zE

Tribal Care Intiative Convention 2017 begins at Mayapur!
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Tribal people from the states of Assam, Tripura and north eastern states of India have arrived at Mayapur to take part in the Annual Tribal Care Convention 2017, from 9th April to 11th April. The theme of the convention is “Go, Ganga and Gita”. A colorful inaugural function with tribal dance and recitation of Bhagavad Gita […]

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Have you seen a cook’s heaven? Iskcon’s most…
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Have you seen a cook’s heaven? Iskcon’s most professional kitchen. Melbourne, Australia (Album with photos)
Aniruddha Dasa: A few perspectives of kitchen readiness on Saturday. I took these for presentation at the thankyou dinner. We raised another $100,000 on the night. Thanks to all those who helped us raise $1,400,000 thus far on top of the $500,000 provided by the Victorian Government.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/BF9zo6

A devotee in the South Asian Dance Final. A mighty…
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A devotee in the South Asian Dance Final.
A mighty congratulation to the BBC South Asian dance winner, Shyam Dattani. Shyam has spent much of his life at Iskcon’s Bhaktivedanta Manor in UK.
The finalists in this category showcase two of the most popular classical Indian dance styles - Kathak and Bhatanatyam. Judging them is a panel of three of the UK’s top dance experts: the choreographer, performer and academic, Chitra Sundaram; performer, teacher and leading exponent of Kathak dance, Kajal Sharma; and general adjudicator - judging across all four BBC Young Dancer categories - the critically acclaimed choreographer and dance producer, Shobana Jeyasingh. For one of the dancers a place in the Grand Final awaits, with the opportunity to dance on the main stage at Sadler’s Wells.
The finalists are: Akshay Prakash, Jaina Modasia, Anaya Bolar, Shyam Dattani and Anjelli Wignakumar.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08l6sm0

GBC: Ensuring Accountability among Its Commissioners and throughout the Society
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Hare KrishnaBy The GBC

Three months after establishing the GBC, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “Formerly I issued one circular letter requesting all GBC members who are zonal secretaries also, to give me a fortnightly report of the activities in his jurisdiction, but I am not receiving. I’ve received no letter since a very long time from Karandhara, and I’m very interested to know how things are going in L.A. We have a great responsibility to pay $2,000. monthly to the church trustees.” (Letter to Rupanuga, October 28, 1970) Srila Prabhupada acted as overseer of the (then) twelve GBC members and was expecting regular reports of their zonal work. In his physical absence, the GBC should ensure that its commissioners and Zonal Secretaries fulfill their obligations and appropriately supervise and develop their zones, that its Ministers fulfill their mandates, etc. Continue reading "GBC: Ensuring Accountability among Its Commissioners and throughout the Society
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Slowly but surely
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011, New Ekachakra, Slovakia, Lecture)

Growing old happens slowly! You don’t notice it until one day you look in the mirror and you think, “Oh my God! I have a lot of lines! I never had those before.” That is how growing old is, you grow old every day but you do not see it every day. In the same way, we make spiritual advancement every day but we do not see it. But sometimes we have a moment where we feel, “I’m actually getting somewhere!” We are making advancement all the time so we must continue to serve, to endeavour…

Radha Kunda Seva: March 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with…
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Radha Kunda Seva: March 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
7000 buildings around the parikrama path had been marked for demolition and demolished they were. March was a traumatic month for many Govardhan residents …and for us as well when we saw a giant red X painted on the pillar of our temple freshly built at the front end of our property. So far, by Radha and Krishna’s mercy, the government has spared our temple, instead only knocking down the front gate and some of the wall encircling our land. We will put up a temporary fence to replace the broken wall. And our construction managers are cautiously recommending that we delay the building of the kitchen and residence facilities a few months until after the mayhem has died down. And so we wait. With the help of a lawyer, we have now received official permission from the Radha Kunda district magistrate to reinstate feeding chenna prasada to parikrama pilgrims and to continue cleaning all around Radha Kunda. And so with a new sense of confidence and your steady support, we continue the daily service of cleaning and prasadam distribution in Radha Kunda. 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/sVoI49

Why does the Gita consider karma-yoga better than jnana-yoga when jnana-yoga is higher in the yoga ladder?
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Answer Podcast

 

Transcriber: Keshavgopal Das

Question: Why does the Gita consider karma-yoga better than jnana-yoga when jnana-yoga is higher in the yoga ladder?

Answer: As per popular conception, action (karma) in this world is a source of bondage and disconnection (sannyasa) from this world is a source of liberation. This was the same paradigm based on which Arjuna’s question begin in the Gita. He thinks that if he fights the war, he will be bound. On the contrary, if he does not fight the war, he will be liberated. Krishna in the Gita challenges these fundamental conceptions. He says, “Yes, action leads to bondage and renunciation leads to liberation. But things are not so simple. Action, if done with renounced spirit, can also lead to liberation. Also, renunciation, if done without purification, can also lead to bondage. Spiritual growth is a matter of changing our intention.”
The whole principal of the yoga-ladder is based on gradual elevation of our intention.

Initially, the intention is, “I want to enjoy the world”. This is basically karma-kanda mindset. This intention then elevates to “I want to live in this world so that I do not suffer.” This is karma-yoga mindset. Next, the intention elevates to, “This world is a place of trouble, I want to stay away from the trouble, so let me stay away from this world.” These are jnana-yoga and ashtanga-yoga intentions.

Largely, all these yoga processes (karma, jnana, ashtanga) are “I” centric – whether I am enjoying, or staying away from trouble. Bhakti-yoga focusses on Krishna – How can I best serve Krishna? The mindset of a bhakti-yogi is – “If I can serve Krishna by acting in this world, I will act. If I can serve Krishna by renouncing this world, I will renounce.”
In the bhakti perspective, it is possible to have a person connected in this world having a purer intention to serve Krishna than a person who has renounced the world. The person who has renounced the world from material perspective is less entangled in this world. However, the person is still entangled in self-obsession (I do not want to suffer in this world). Therefore, Bhagavad-gita gives a normal hierarchy – action (karma) > renunciation (jnana, dhyana, ashtanga) > devotion (bhakti).

The normal hierarchy that has been talked in Bhagavad-gita is described from 18.47-55. In 18.47-48, Krishna talks about daivi-varnashrama (svakarmana tam abhyarcha, by your work worship him). Then from 18.49-53 Krishna talks about jnana-yoga, renouncing the world (sannyasam upashritaha). Then in 18.54-55, Krishna talks about those who have attained brahman realization (brahma bhuta prasannatma) will attain my bhakti (mad bhaktim labhate param). Therefore, the hierarchy is – karma > jnana > bhakti.

Then in 18.56, Krishna says, “You do not have to go through all this.” (sarva-karmany api sada kurvano mad-vyapashrayah – whatever level you are located at, you start practicing bhakti you will be liberated).

Therefore, one hierarchy is action>renunciation>devotion, but if the action itself is done with devotional intention, then the person is higher than the person who has renounced the world.
So, when, Krishna says, that karma is higher than jnana or ashtanga yoga, he is not simply saying karma as action, but he is saying karma done with yogic (or devotional) intention. Action done with devotional intention is higher than renunciation of the world without devotional intention.

If we see devotion as the criteria for spiritual advancement, then the normal hierarchy can be suspended or rearranged.

End of transcription.

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What is the destination of people who remember God according to their religious revelation?
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Answer Podcast

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Wednesday, April 5th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario

The Way of the World

Tom and I hit the trail.  Down the ravines we went as the sun was also making a descent.  That good hour permitted an immersion in conversation.  We talked about the world.

Tom is a retired teacher and in the late ’80s taught students in Spence Bay or what is now known as Taloyoak in the northern Canadian territory of Nunavut.

“It was interesting up there.  Lots of substance abuse up there.  It’s definitely Kali Yuga (Age of Darkness).  Things are also bad here—all around, everywhere.  Maybe I’m getting old,” he said.

Tom is only sixty-two, but, like anyone at that ripeness of age, there’s a tendency to view the world negatively.  I do the same.  I tend to see flaws, but would subjectively say I also like to draw out what is not pejorative.  Tom is lively, though, and chuckles enough at any discussion.  For someone who has collected 5000 comics over the years, you’ve got to be an optimist.  There’s always a happy ending.

To put in my two nickels worth (pennies make no sense [cents] these days), I must add that we cannot be naïve about the world’s current state of affairs.  I reflect on the misdirection of today—the deception.  The big lie. “I am this body,” is the huge fib.  In truth, “I am spirit.”

In ’96, on my first marathon walk, many newspapers covered my story.  It made the front page of  Sudbury’s main paper.  The article made reference to my statement about this “Big Lie.”

I came upon a statement by Mark Twain on the subject of lying.  “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

May the Source be with you!


5 km

Tuesday, April 4th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario

On Rama’s Birthday

Today is the birthday of Rama, known as Ram Naumi or Ram Navami.  People come from the area to partake in the celebrations held in the evening.  Where I live in the ashram, community members will come for events like this because attached to the ashram is a temple where Rama (who is an avatar of Krishna) is honoured.

Conveniently, my place of residence is also the place of meditation.  Also located on the premises is our vegetarian restaurant, as well as rooms for workshops or seminars.  It’s rather ideal if you can manage that kind of lifestyle.  Your workplace, living quarters and recreational facility (we sing and dance here) are all under one roof.

Joyously people sang, danced and listened in the temple portion of the building.

The listening session was actually a class delivered by American-born Vasu Gosh, who now resides in India.  His message on Rama was well received.  I consider him a dear friend, although in some areas of discussion our opinions on the subject matter of the guru principle clashes.  While I support the concept of female spiritual masters, he does not.

The argument I would take on the topic is that if one is qualified as a teacher and lives a saintly life, what does it matter the gender that one belongs to?  In my heart I’m a supporter of the old school.  I like the traditional approach and as a part of our tradition with roots from the Gaudiya Vaishnava background, women, in some cases, took on the portfolio of taking students/disciples.

What is the difficulty?

May the Source be with you!


5 km

Monday, April 3rd, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario

A Centipede

A centipede was crawling across the floor.  Rarely do I see one but when one does make an appearance, it’s special for me.

One reason for that being so is if ever anyone questions the extra arms some Vedic deities display, like Vishnu, Durga or the multi-armed, half-man half-lion avatar, then I can point out we have examples in nature which demonstrate multiple arms or legs.  Extra limbs are not limited to God.  Another reason why I consider the centipede to be auspicious is I feel that here, in fact, is a display of nature, which is alive and well.  We humans haven’t succeeded at killing everything—yet.  I know centipedes are in the category of creepy-crawlies which do cause some people to cringe or flee.  They are harmless as far as I can understand.

I’ve heard they can bite, but it’s not fatal.  I definitely wouldn’t want one crawling up my leg while in bed.  That would be irritating or disturbing.

I was watching the fellow trying to make his way around.  Like practically every creature on the planet, there is a search for food.  They go after bugs, worms and spiders, even cockroaches.  I think that’s what he was up to.

One line from the book Bhagavatam states, “Jivo jivasya jivanam,” which means “One living being is food for another.”  The food chain is at work here.

My newly-made friend wasn’t exactly bee-lining his way along.  He looked a little confused.

“Shall I go here, or there?”

I did chant before him, hoping the sound would be of some purification for him.

May the Source be with you!


0 km

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario

Everyone Was Out

Everyone was out, meaning in the out-of-doors, wrapped in mild weather.  Wherever there was a trail, families explored with their toddlers and dogs.  The young, the elderly and every age bracket in between came out as nature beckoned.

“Spring is now in the air,” is what Mother Nature seemed to say.

The only thing is you cannot trust this Mama.  She is brown today and will be green next week, then greener, and still greener, in fact so intensely green she will change colours.  She’ll pick a new tone of yellow, orange, and red to deep brown.  Then she’ll become white and silver.  Her texture changes beautifully over the seasons.  She appears to go through emotions and is the ultimate Drama Queen.

But we like the changes.  Variety is the masala—the spice of life.

I had two companions with me as we took to one of those Discovery Walks in the city.  And while we put our hour in for chanting, we also put our legs to work in the ravine for that cherishable escape from indoors.

Praharana, my dear godsister, came in the evening for the Sunday Open House at the ISKCON Centre.  She told me she did the same as we did—strolled and chanted.

Now that would be a perfect world: people going out to touch nature to say to that Queen, “Hello!” and then to “Hello!” everyone else.  If you say the Sanskrit word “Haribol!” then you address the Father (Krishna) and people think you said the more familiar “Hello!”

May the Source be with you!


5 km

Ecstatic Harinama at Leicester Square, UK (4 min. video) Srila…
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Ecstatic Harinama at Leicester Square, UK (4 min. video)
Srila Prabhupada: That there have been no newly initiated devotees from Japan is all right. It doesn’t matter whether they are initiated or not. If they are coming in large number, that is the success of our mission. We are not after making initiated members very many but our concern is that people understand this philosophy in wider circles. Initiated members are for managing the temples and preaching work, but our program is to invite people to our feasts, let them hear our philosophy and dance and chant. That is the basic principle of our philosophy in preaching work. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Sudama – Bombay 11 April, 1971
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/hBGPRg

The passing of Joan Fielder, also known as Yamuna. Ramai Swami:…
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The passing of Joan Fielder, also known as Yamuna.
Ramai Swami:
Joan Fielder, also known as “Jamuna” by the devotees, had been visiting New Gokula farm on and off for around twenty years.
In the last few years she was a regular at the Bhakti tree in Newcastle where she loved to talk to the devotees, listen to kirtan and have nice prasadam.
At a recent Friday evening program, after listening to the kirtan and sitting to take her meal, she had an attack and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Unfortunately, Jamuna, who was 87, passed away while in the ambulance. She will be dearly missed by her family, friends and devotees. Her last moments were in the Bhakti Tree after kirtan and prasadam.
May Lord Krishna bless her soul to continue the journey back home, back to Godhead.

Govardhan Ecovillage Hosts the 2017 GBC College Residential Program
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Hare KrishnaBy GBC College Staff

The first residential session of the 2017-2018 academic year of the GBC College was held at Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV), a farm community and retreat center located in Wada, two hours north of Mumbai at the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains. The residential involved 12 days of training in the fields of leadership development. The GBC College is focusing on imparting training to leaders to establish Zonal Supervisors across the globe. Twenty-five devotee participants attended the residential program, the curriculum for which included lessons in the areas of leadership and management. Participants enrolled in this program came from eleven countries- India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Kenya, Nigeria, Hungary, Russia and Italy. Rasika Raman Prabhu from GEV was the organizer of this residential program and arranged for the various speakers and instructors to participate in it. Continue reading "Govardhan Ecovillage Hosts the 2017 GBC College Residential Program
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GBC: Protecting the Reputation & Ensuring the Endurance of ISKCON
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Hare KrishnaBy the GBC

Srila Prabhupada expressed in the pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.3.23, purport) his own protective feelings about ISKCON: “Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva, were assured that their child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and could not be killed by Kamsa, but because of affection, as they thought of Kamsa’s previous atrocities, they were simultaneously afraid that Krsna would be killed. This is why the word suvismita has been used. Similarly, we are also astounded upon thinking of whether this movement will be killed by the asuras or will continue to advance without fear.” Continue reading "GBC: Protecting the Reputation & Ensuring the Endurance of ISKCON
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The time is NOW!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 January 2010, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.3.33)

In spite of all our transcendental knowledge still, we are running out of time. Everyone gets caught like that. We are running out of time. A lot of time is spent in preparation for better times to come but for how long are we preparing!?

Then one day, from the preparation stage, we just go straight into the “run-out-of-time” stage. This is actually how things move along. Therefore one must be quite resolute in Krsna consciousness and say, “I’ll do it NOW! I’ll do something NOW! I’ll get serious NOW! I will not postpone it.”

This stage of devotion is nista (steadiness) and this is the beginning; the stage where spiritual life begins to enter into the realm of taste, a higher taste!

The passing of Joan Fielder
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Joan Fielder, also known as “Jamuna” by the devotees, had been visiting New Gokula farm on and off for around twenty years.

In the last few years she was a regular at the Bhakti tree in Newcastle where she loved to talk to the devotees, listen to kirtan and have nice prasadam.

At a recent Friday evening program, after listening to the kirtan and sitting to take her meal, she had an attack and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Unfortunately, Jamuna, who was 87, passed away while in the ambulance. She will be dearly missed by her family, friends and devotees. Her last moments were in the Bhakti Tree after kirtan and prasadam.

May Lord Krishna bless her soul to continue the journey back home, back to Godhead.

Small steps to success
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, April 2012, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 200-250)

In spiritual life, we are all facing challenges. We are aiming at a very high goal but we do not want to approach it with fanaticism where we are just going to push ourselves into the most austere situation and try to maintain it. No, sometimes we have to take small steps but we should never take a step back! One should not go backward in spiritual life. Whenever one has accepted a level of higher commitment, one must maintain it!

Harinama Ruci Sankirtana around Taipei (Album with photos) HH…
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Harinama Ruci Sankirtana around Taipei (Album with photos)
HH Mahavishnu Swami and Harinama Ruci devotees.
In Goloka Vrindavan, all speeches are songs, all steps of walking are dancing, everything is just sweet nectar, and the constant companion in everyone’s heart is the sweet sound of Krishna’s flute.
HH Mahavishnu Swami with Harinama Ruci devotees inspiring the street-artist joining the Harinama by playing his musical instrument
Wherever Maharaji and the devotees go, they always try to enlighten people to take Prabhupada’s books and take part of the chanting and singing Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra in the ways under the circumstances that people are with the available facilities ~
Krishna’s devotee-s are the Artist of all artisits ~ All talents and abilities are because of Krishna’s love to His devotees and the devotees’ love for Krishna ~

Spiritual life sometimes may seem lonely as it’s extremely challenging for determination to go against the material flow, to go against the social trends of fashion, to endure the heat and cold of material temperatures, for getting out of the external layers and layers of material coverings from millions of repeated birth-and-deaths, which people are so bound up by their personal material desires, which are the causes of sufferings ~

Therefore, one must strive for on-going advancing on the path of pure devotional services to Guru and Krishna, faithfully with patience, starting from the hearing and chanting the Hare-Krishna Maha-Mantra ~

Let the body and mind be 24 hours engaging in hearing, chanting, remembering and serving Krishna in all circumstances ~

Simple-Living + High-Thinking ~ ~ ~
Simple-Living for Krishna + High-Thinking for Krishna ~
Krishna Consciousness life is ever-lasting promising to all souls ~
*
( Singing+ distributing books in the Boulevards around the toppest Tower Taipei-101 area, blissfully bringing up the good fortune to the people, 2017.April-2.)
*

Jaya Nityananda Gauranga ~
Sri Harinama Sankirtana Ki Jaya ~
Find them here: https://goo.gl/c3NzB7

How can we inspire ourselves to chant when we don’t feel any immediate benefits?
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Answer Podcast

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