Planet ISKCON

[Youth Program at Dayton University, Dayton, USA]

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Dearest Jayapataka Maharaj, Please accept my most humble obeisances on this very auspicious day of your Vyasa Puja. All glories to our most glorious spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. I am eternally indebted to Srila Prabhupada for connecting me to you and allowing me to be in your intimate association. For last 41 years, I have […]

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Yesterday, in a beach town on the Gold Coast just north of Brisbane, we had a wonderful kirtan program leading up to the marriage ceremony of my disciples Bhakta Jiggy and Kaishori Sindhu dasi, which takes place this Sunday. Bada Haridas, Sri Prahlada and myself chanted for over 3 hours. The devotees, who are coming for the wedding from all over the world, danced in great happiness. Great to be “Downunder” with so many sweet devotees!

Вчера в одном городке на Золотом Побережье к северу от Брисбана у нас была чудная программа с киртаном, предваряющая свадебную церемонию моих учеников Бхакты Джигги и Кайшори Синдху даси, которая пройдет в это воскресенье. Бада Харидас, Шри Прахлада и я пели больше 3 часов. Преданные, съехавшиеся на свадьбу со всего мира, танцевали в полном счастьи. Здорово оказаться “вверх тормашками” со столь многими милыми преданными!

Camden Town is London’s hippest part of London, attracting thousands of tourists daily. We have been preaching here since 17 years and now we managed to open a nice centre. A four story building just off the high street.

We have daily prasad distribution, yoga classes, plans to open a juice bar but the main thing is we have an oasis for devotees to live and hold the Friday Feast , a chance to give Krishna to the conditioned souls, requesting the devotees blessings.
Your servant
Parasuram das

Rama Navami celebration in Moscow Russa (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna appeared before us just a little prior to the beginning of Kali-yuga, and He returned to His eternal home practically at the commencement of Kali-yuga. While He was present, He exhibited everything by His different activities. He spoke the Bhagavad-gita specifically and eradicated all pretentious principles of religiosity. And prior to His departure from this material world, He empowered Sri Vyasadeva through Narada to compile the messages of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and thus both the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam are like torchbearers for the blind people of this age. In other words, if men in this age of Kali want to see the real light of life, they must take to these two books only, and their aim of life will be fulfilled. Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 1.3.43
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ISKCON Auckland NZ: Ekadasi harinam (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: This Krsna consciousness movement is the greatest boon to humanity because it keeps one always engaged in Krsna’s service. The devotees think of Krsna, act for Krsna, eat for Krsna, sleep for Krsna and work for Krsna. Thus everything is engaged in the service of Krsna. A total life in Krsna consciousness saves one from material contamination. Srila Prabhupada; SB 4.30.19 purport
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HH Navayogendra Swami Maharaj from Iskcon greets Sri Narendra Modi ji, Prime Minister of India, during the recent visit to Jammu and...

[Talk to professional caregivers and counselors at Career Clinic, Belle Mead, New Jersey, USA]

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Willing & Able.
Sutapa Das: Various leadership responsibilities, whether manager, mother or mentor, offer us the privileged opportunity in assisting people to excel. Though the most rewarding role in life, they all come with a good dose of frustration and annoyance. How many times has your sincere and informed advice been received with unresponsiveness and neglect? What to do when faced with ingratitude and irrationality? How long should one persevere? What’s the point at which you ’leave them to it’? Sensing the appropriate time to let go is one of the most important elements in any leader’s job description – it should be neither premature, nor delayed.
While making that call, here’s something to consider: for someone to change, they need to be willing and able. Sometimes people are able but not willing. The inertia is essentially a motivation issue since we’ve failed to ‘sell’ the idea to them. Intimidation, criticism and threats are neither effective nor sustainable – we must generate genuine inspiration, willingness and drive. Other times, people are willing but not able. They want to change but they just don’t know how. The best leaders don’t shy away from the hard work that goes into walking through an experience with someone. It’s not just about charismatic speeches and fantastic visions, but systematic empowerment, frontline mentoring, and one-to-one face-time investment.
We must know what we’re dealing with – the key to progression is to understand the block.
Allen Ginsberg, the beat poet who was at the cutting edge of the counter culture, beautifully summarized Swami Prabhupada’s leadership approach; patience, humor and regiment were essential ingredients in cooking up the revolution: “Swami Bhaktivedanta came to the USA and went swiftly to the archetype spiritual neighborhood, the New York Lower East Side, and installed intact an ancient, perfectly preserved piece of street India. He adorned a storefront as his ashram and adored Krishna therein and by patience and good humor, singing, chanting and expounding Sanskrit terminology day by day established Krishna consciousness in the psychedelic (mind manifesting) center of America East. To choose to attend to the Lower East Side, what kindness and humility and intelligence!”

KK Bindu #397: Where is bhakti to be found?
Srila Prabhupada: I beg to submit herewith that by the Grace of Sri Krishna through His mercy personified—my spiritual master, I have realized it most thoroughly that going “Back to Godhead” is the highest privilege of mankind and that is the supreme perfection of human life.
Unfortunately, the present day human civilization is very much attracted with the beauty of Apara Prakrti the illusory material Nature and as such they are overpowered by a demoniac form of propensity in the atheistic set up of civilization manifested in the matter of sense gratification. This tendency is dangerously harmful to the real progress of life.
The aim of life should be to make a sincere effort to go “Back to Godhead” but contrary to this, the tendency is to go back to hell or in the cycle of evolutionary animal life as it is described in the 16th chapter of Bhagavad-gita.
Please therefore save them from the great falldown. Believe me or not, I have got the clue of going “Back to Godhead” just after leaving my present material body and in order to take along with me all my contemporary men and women of the world, I have started my paper “Back to Godhead” as one of the means to the way.
Please do not think of me as an wonderful or a mad man when I say that I shall go “Back to Godhead” after leaving my present material body! It is quite possible for everyone and all of us.
In the Bhagavad-gita it is said very clearly that whosoever may adopt the specific principle of accepting Sri Krishna the Personality of Godhead, he will be able to achieve the highest transcendental goal of life,—never mind what he is either a born untouchable, a fallen woman, a laborer or a man dealing in rupees annas pies. His being so, what is there difficulty for a pious “Brahmin” and devoted king for going “Back to Godhead”? Everyone should therefore adopt this principle of going “Back to Godhead” in order to get released from the world of miseries, with temporary existence.
This fact is corroborated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the practical demonstrator of Bhagavad-gita and as the most magnanimous incarnation of Sri Krishna—the Personality of Sri Krishna Caitanya has made the path of going “Back to Godhead” so easy for every one that even a boy of the world can swim across the ocean of religiosity, although it is injected with so many dangerous animals ready to devour up a fallen person in that great massive water. I have simply adopted the easy method of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu just suitable to the modern people in general. As such I am feeling as sure of going “Back to Godhead” as I feel without any doubt after taking my dinner that I have eaten to my satisfaction. This feeling is a necessary concomitant factor of the great science of devotional service in the approved line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
I am therefore very eager to broadcast the secret of my success to all men and women of the world as a natural consequence and I am seeking your excellency’s help and co-operation in this great attempt of transcendental service.
I am enclosing herewith 12 (twelve) copies of “Back to Godhead” (I to XII) for your excellency’s reference. If possible kindly go through them all and I am sure that your honour will understand me right about my assertion. If it is not so possible, your excellency can kindly give a glance over the head lines only, and I am sure that will also give your excellency an idea of my definite assertion.
To make a world wide propaganda for this most essential service to humanity, it is necessary that your excellency will stretch the helping hand necessary in this matter, as your exalted honour is personally fit also to do this job. Although the method is very simple for universal adoption, it is not possible for me to express in this letter all the words that I wish to tell your honour. As such, I am seeking an interview with your honour herewith. When your excellency will see personally the papers and programme of work about my bona fides, I am sure your excellency will be interested in co-operating with me. There is immense work to be done so far India’s spiritual asset is concerned and I think the Govt. may take up the matter scientifically for the good of all men. India’s specific culture demands that there should be a ministry of spiritual affairs to save the great culture of “Bharatavarsa”.
I am crying alone in the wilderness at the present moment. So please help me in this noble cause and oblige.
—–
From a Letter of His Divine Grace to: Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of Indian Union
———–
This issue can be downloaded at the following link:

https://archive.org/details/bindu397

Camden Town is London's hippest part of London, attracting thousands of tourists daily. We have been preaching here since 17 years and now we managed to open a nice centre. A four story building just off the high street. We have daily prasad distribution, yoga classes, plans to open a juice bar but the main thing is we have an oasis for devotees to live and hold the Friday Feast , a chance to give Krishna to the conditioned souls, requesting the devotees blessings. Continue reading "New Preaching Centre in Camden Town, London
→ Dandavats"

Srila Prabhupada wrote: “I have formed this GBC for that purpose, to keep the devotional standards at the highest level and at the same time to manage a world-wide 14 organization.” (Letter to Rupanuga, November 4, 1970) Although most management takes place locally, a number of global functions for which the GBC is responsible need funding and staffing for effective operation. As Srila Prabhupada explains in the Bhagavad-gita (12.10, purport): “Every endeavor requires land, capital, organization, and labor. Just as in business one requires a place to stay, some capital to use, some labor, and some organization to expand, so the same is required in the service of Krishna.” Continue reading "GBC: Configuring Zones and Assigning Overseers – Resourcing ISKCON Global Services
→ Dandavats"

Dearest Jayapataka Maharaj, Please accept my most humble obeisances on this very auspicious day of your Vyasa Puja. All glories to our most glorious spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. I am eternally indebted to Srila Prabhupada for connecting me to you and allowing me to be...

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Buffalo NY 1968 & Hitchhiking

“In Alabama the police asked why I was wearing a dress. I didn’t know it, but devotees had already been arrested there for “wearing a dress.” That’s what it was like in the South in 1971″
He hitch hiked from Miami to Houston wearing his Hare Krishna clothes through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.

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Ecstatic Rama Navami Celebrations in Madan, Bangladesh
Nila Kamal das: Madan is a small village located in North Bangladesh. For the last seven years, devotees from ISKCON Netrakona have been preaching there and have established regular Nama Hatta programs. There are around twenty initiated devotees there and they are conducting regular preaching programs there. ISKCON Netrakona devotees visit every month to inspire and enthuse the local devotees.
On the auspicious day of Lord Rama’s appearance, devotees from Madan arranged a wonderful pandal program in which nearly 2000 locals visited, took part in and honoured prasad.
‘Go on holding as many festivals as possible. Your reports are very convincing, this combination of book distribution and public festivals is very good for bringing the people to an attraction for Krishna Consciousness.’ June 5th 1974
On the day of the festival, devotees arrived in Madan around 11am. To the surprise of the devotees there were heavy wind and rain. Locals said that such extreme weather conditions were not to be seen even in the rainy season! At twelve noon, a yajna was performed under the expert guidance of HG Shyamasundarananda das (Mayapur). This was done in order to invoke auspiciousness for the festival. At the end of the yajna, Indra sent his blessings down again in the form of heavy rain. A small abhishek was then performed to a picture of Sita, Rama, Lakshman and Hanuman for Their pleasure. Devotees then went to break their fast and attend other services.
The evening program started at five with ecstatic kirtan. After the evening arati ceremony, various speakers shared their insights and realisations about the festival. Dr Subhananda das (National Heart Foundation, Dhaka) delivered a wonderful speech on how Lord Rama is ‘Maryada Purusottam’ and how He set the ideal example for all to follow. International guests from Spain and England then spoke to the audience and expressed their’ gratitude and happiness to be in Bangladesh to celebrate this festival.
Last but not least, the chief guest of the program; Shyamasundarananda das addressed the audience. He spoke on the paradox of the modern age. He described how the rich culture of Bangladesh is rapidly changing. ‘Every night in villages there used to be topics discussed on Ramayana and Mahabharata but now that tradition is not to be found. Now in the nights we find the villagers watching television or chatting on their smart phones.’ This statement deeply penetrated into the hearts of the locals. His grace then went on to narrate some wonderful pastimes of Lord Ramacandra which few devotees had ever heard off.
To conclude the speeches, HG Jay Ram das (ISKCON Netrakona President) thanked all the participants and volunteers for the festival and encouraged Madan devotees to again hold this festival next year.
The night ended with a drama performance by devotees enacting some sweet pastimes of Lord Rama. We would like to thank all the devotees who put in hard work and efforts in order for this program to be successful. We would especially like to thank the brahmacaris from ISKCON Netrakona, many who had sleepless in order to make arrangements for the program.
We hope that Srila Prabhupada and Caitanya Mahaprabhu are pleased with our humble efforts.

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