How can we prevent repeated falls from shaking our faith in bhakti?
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Anwser Podcast


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Markendeya Rsi prabhu becomes Bhakti Mukunda Swami!
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Hare KrishnaBy Nanda Priya Nivedita Devi Dasi

Markandeya Rsi das from ISKCON Malaysia accepted the renounced order of life from Jayapataka Swami, on the auspicious occasion of Gaura Purnima,14th of March at Sri Mayapur. His new name is Bhakti Mukunda Swami. Joined on the seats of honor along with Jayapataka Swami were Gauranga Prem Swami, Bhakti Nityananda Swami ,Prabha Vishnu Prabhu and Atul Krishna Das. Over 500 people witnessed the Sanyas ceremony. Prabhu Vishnu prabhu spoke about Bhakti Mukunda Swami’s numerous achievements and wished him all success.Jayapataka Swami expressed his happiness on awarding Markandeya prabhu Sanyas and sincerely wished that he would carry forward Srila Prabhupada’s mission. When he received the saffron cloth from Jayapataka Swami, the audience cheered, chanting “Hari Bol! and the traditional Bengali Ulu dhwani. Continue reading "Markendeya Rsi prabhu becomes Bhakti Mukunda Swami!
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If Krishna is God, why is Vishnu widely considered to be God and Krishna his incarnation?
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Understanding what is our quota in material life – 2
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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Denver, USA]

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TOVP: Temple Column Exterior Mock-up In Progress (Album with…
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TOVP: Temple Column Exterior Mock-up In Progress (Album with photos)
Work has recently begun on the temple columns’ exterior mock-up, a design which will be used on the columns all around the temple.
In the image below you can see half the exterior mock-up as it goes around the main column structure. The final product will be made of two pieces which will wrap around the actual column and be joined together to completely encase it. We are very happy with the design and effects of the mock-up. Once we are fully satisfied we will make the rubber molds and begin casting the column pieces in GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete), after which work will commence to install them.

We are very excited about this new aspect of the interior finishing work that has begun and hope all the devotees are pleased with our progress.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/j325Tp

Ratha Yatra in Medan, Indonesia
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Hare KrishnaBy Harinarayana Das

On the day of the Ratha yatra, 4th March 2016, devotees started to decorate the chariot, prepare the coconuts, made garlands and flowers bouquets, and some others cooked for the deities and the devotees. Many local Hindu families came to take part in the festival; the devotees welcomed them by giving them prasadam. Who does not like Jagannatha prasadam? Then the guests from police department and Counsellor of Hindu Society also came. At 7 pm all devotees and guest participated in the Gaura arati. After Gaura arati Lord Jaganath was seated on the chariot and the ceremony started. The head police officer stated that their duty as police officers was to facilitate and maintain security of the society and that they were happy to be part of the wonderful festival. Then H.H. Subhag Swami gave short speech. Maharaj told about the benefit of seeing ratha yatra and conveyed gratitude to the government authorities for assisting the devotees in organising this Ratha yatra. Maharaj offered arati to the Lord and all people gathered in front of the chariot. they were so happy singing hare Krishna Mahamantra. After arati, coconuts were broken in front of the chariot as the sign that ratha yatra has started. Continue reading "Ratha Yatra in Medan, Indonesia
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Becoming a Disciple: Entering the Ocean of Nectar
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Hare KrishnaBy Kripamoya Das

When Srila Rupa Goswami talked about chanting the holy name of Krishna he said that he wished he had hundreds of tongues to sing it, and thousands of ears to hear it. Not for nothing is his book named the Bhakti-Rasa-Amrita-Sindhu or the Nectar Ocean of Devotion. Strangely enough, he also said that the five primary items in the life of bhakti all had to do with taking shelter of a guru and accepting initiation from a guru. Why strange? Because the very name of Krishna, that sound vibration which made him ecstatic, was the same that had been given away freely by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – without the need for initiation. The giving of a – normally secret – mantra is one of the components of traditional initiation into any of the streams of Vedic philosophy and practise. So why is initiation required when the mantra is no longer secret, and when it has been already given to the prospective chanter, perhaps even in the street? Continue reading "Becoming a Disciple: Entering the Ocean of Nectar
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Amazing aerial photo of Mayapur during the night
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Amazing aerial photo of Mayapur during the night.
Srila Prabhupada: Krsna is coming as Caitanya Mahaprabhu to show us the way how to understand Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu means Krsna Himself, present to teach us how to understand Krsna. So Krsna is so kind: He is coming Himself. He’s teaching Bhagavad-gita. Again He is coming as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as devotee, to become a devotee of Krsna. Krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. He’s not only teaching Krsna but love of Krsna. Krsna, when He personally came, He did not teach how to love Him. He simply asked, “You rascal, surrender to Me.” That’s all. “You are all rascals. You have forgotten Me. I am the Supreme. You are searching after so many wrong things. You have created so many so-called occupational and religious duties, but these are all useless.” That much. But again Krsna came to teach people how to love Krsna. Therefore Rupa Gosvami offers his respect to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te: [Cc. Madhya 19.53] “You are not only giving Krsna but giving love of Krsna.” That is very rare thing. Prema pumartho mahan. People are after dharma, after kama, moksa, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “No, above this, there is fifth perfection. That is prema, Krsna-prema.” Prema pumartho mahan. –From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.15 – Mayapur, February 22, 1976

The Walking Monk 2017-03-16 19:29:00
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Sunday, March 12th, 2017


Scarborough, Ontario


The Birth of Sankirtan


For the occasion, Gaura Purnima, the birth anniversary of Chaitanya, two venues were our destination points for our cultural presentation.  Come to think of it, we haven’t given a name to our piece, which was a narration, danced to in Odissi-style, and sung in Bengali with musical accompaniment.

Now none of us are Bengalis, but we did sing a song in that language—the language of our guru, Prabhupada—as well as the native tongue of the author of the song “Udilo Aruna.”  Bhaktivinode was a song-writer from Orissa who used the Bengali medium.

Here’s the song that I narrated in English for the Scarborough and Toronto crowds:

The Birth of Sankirtan

1.      When a tinge of red on the eastern horizon heralded the sunrise, the jewel of the brahmanas, Gaura, immediately awakened. Taking His followers with Him, He went all over the countryside, visiting the towns and villages of Nadia.

2.      The Khol drums resounded, “tathai tathai.”  The five cymbals chimed in time, and Gaura’s foot bells jingled as His golden form trembled slightly in ecstatic love for the Divine.

3.      Gaura called out to the townsfolk, “Perhaps we are wasting time—sleeping?  Then much time spent on decorating the body?  Try this vibration, with its sweet names, ‘Mukunda?  Madhava?  Yadhava!  Hari!’ engaging our full voices.”

4.      This human body, among all collective species, is a rare gift.  We must ask ourselves, “Just what are you doing?”  Have you given sufficient thought to this question?  If you do not see to the love of the darling of Yashoda, Krishna, it would be a great loss—a shame.

5.      Each time the sun rises and sets, a day passes and is lost.  Why then remain idle, and not honour the Lord of the heart?

6.      Understand this essential fact: life is temporary and full of all kinds of challenges.  So make it a priority by being under the protection of the sweet names and remain engaged in divine service.

7.      Desiring to bless all entities, the sweet name has descended to this world as a response to the need of ending the darkness of ignorance,as this sound shines like the sun in the sky of the heart.

8.      Drinking the pure nectar of the name satisfies the author of the song, Bhaktivinode.  There is nothing but the sacred name within all the 14 worlds.

(End of song)

Additional narration:

People listened to Gaura, the Golden Avatar.  Why wouldn’t they?  He was beautifully imposing ata stature of seven feet tall, broad shouldered, with a chest of a lion, eyes captivating, hair a-flow, as He danced with a swing and a sway.

The villagers were taken by the sight and sound.  With their hearts now embraced, they were motivated to move themselves and to surrender their voices in a splendorous volume, their bodies in rhythmic back-and-forth motion.

Gaura journeyed from one village to the next, offering a new engagement, a new way of being.  He made His plea.  His sharing had been done and all in good fun.  A mission had taken hold, one that would be rather bold in its projection throughout the globe.

To those who participate in Sankirtan, a warmth, a fullness and a love are achieved.

May the Source be with you!

2 km



The Walking Monk 2017-03-16 19:29:00
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Monday, March 13th, 2017
Toronto, Ontario


The Break


Students are content with their break from school.  I’ve answered the phone a few times from callers—parents—who were inquiring about the kid’s daycamp at the ashramwhere I live.

“Oh!  Yes, well, I’ll turn you over to someone who knows more about it than me.”  Eventually the caller would hear from either Geeta or Shyama Mohini, co-ordinators for a five-consecutive-day fun time, doing games, singing songs, eating together and stuff….  This is all done in a Krishna-centric environment, of course.

I popped my head in to peek at the younglings, anywhere from toddler to ten, in the temple room where most things were going on.  There was some noise.  That’s a sign of life.  It was safe sounding noise.

“Lots of energy,” Rukmini confirmed—a facilitator.

And I thought, “When properly channeled you get a great result.”  I also thought of the young children we read about in sastric texts and how they excelled because there was some good direction for them, the likes of Prahlad, Dhruva, Hanuman (who wasn’t totally human) and, naturally, Krishna and Rama.

I had to smile at the fun.  I believe I was a fairly happy kid.  I didn’t know Krishna at the time, but someone with a personality known as God, an overseeing well-wisher, protector.  Every child deserves that type of exposure and understanding.  Considering the crazy world in which we live, walls of security and fun are so essential.

I wish the best to them (all thirty of them) and all the children of the universe.

May the Source be with you!


2 km

The Walking Monk 2017-03-16 19:24:00
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Saturday, March 11th, 2017



Milton, Ontario


Get Ready for Gaura


My walking is strictly indoors right now, and that is very embarrassingly limited.  The gout can’t, at this point, handle the squeeze of the shoes.  I was driven by Nakula, the young son of Umesh, to his home.  Umesh was with me in Cuba.  We swam off the bay in Cienfuegos, where boldly he would grab palm-sized jellyfish and toss them out of his way.  Brave!

Umesh had deities installed in his home in Milton today—deities of Gaura and Nitai.  The entire world of Vaishnavas in the line of Gaura (the golden avatar) is gearing up for his birth anniversary tomorrow.  In lieu of this, we are also basically preparing for the celebrations tomorrow with a bhajan/dance presentation in His honour.

Gaura, also known as Chaitanya, was quite the chanter, and quite the walker.  He roamed throughout the countryside, going from village to village, encouraging the culture of song and dance.  His mission was unofficially inaugurated in the first decade of the 16th century in Bengal and then beyond.  It spread throughout the sub-continent of India.  Kirtan is the word affiliated with Chaitanya.

Not everyone is fully aware of kirtanjust yet.  For instance, Greg, a good friend of mine, who arrived during our practice time for bhajan, recently met a girl with an OM tattoo on her arm.  He asked her if she knew what OM meant.

“Something to do with yoga?” she guessed.

“Yes, but you’re not familiar with kirtan?”

“What’s that?”

It looks like Chaitanya’s influence still needs expanding; a little extra push from adherents like us perhaps?

May the Source be with you!


2 km

German Interfaith Dialog Asks ‘Do Religions Cause Peace or War?’
→ ISKCON News

An interreligious dialog, held in ISKCON Germany/Austria’s headquarters near Frankfurt from April 21st to 23rd, will discuss the very topical question, ‘Religion: Peacemaker or Cause of War?” This will be the third annual such event organized by ISKCON and Religions for Peace, the largest international coalition of world religion representatives dedicated to promoting peace. About 100 people will attend this April’s event

Video: Gaura Purnima Festival
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

This past Sunday, March 12, 2017, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple celebrated one of our largest festivals of the year, Gaura Purnima.  Celebrating the anniversary of the advent of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is none other than Lord Krishna, the festival featured many special events.  Highlights of the festival included a beautiful abhisheka (bathing ceremony of small Deities) and a special presentation by Bhaktimarga Swami, Gaura-Shakti and Syamesvari Devi Dasi.  Check out the video below! (Special thanks to Sathi Prabhu for the video)

2nd Sannyasa Candidate Training Seminar Held in Mayapur
→ ISKCON News

The number of sannyasis grows from year to year in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, to well over 100; and those who take the vows of this final ashram of renunciation are, since recently, receiving formal training over and above what they receive individually in the course of their devotional lives and through the guidance of their sannyasa mentors. In pursuit of this aim of formal training, on February 18 – 22 we held a Sannyasa Candidate Training Seminar in Sridham Mayapur.

Learn to see the material and the spiritual as cumulative, not competitive
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[Talk at Colorado State University, Denver, USA]

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Understanding what is our quota in material life – 1
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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Denver, USA]

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Distributing SP’s books in IRAN! (Album with…
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Distributing SP’s books in IRAN! (Album with photos)
Satyanarayana das: Whether it’s happening within the bustling souks (marketplaces), on the streets or in storefronts, nothing stops blissful Shakatari Prabhu from distributing hundreds of Farsi “Perfection of Yoga” books throughout the cities of Tehran and Shiraz, Iran. And they simply love the books…!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/8V75xo

Hare Krishna Auckland – Gaura Purnima 2017 (Album with photos)…
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Hare Krishna Auckland - Gaura Purnima 2017 (Album with photos)
Hrdayananda: [translating] He’s saying that he thinks the way we dress, our whole way of life, will make our movement only available to a few people, because it requires someone who is prepared to completely change his way of life.
Srila Prabhupada: Well, when there is question of knowledge, only you will find a few people to get the knowledge. When you put this question, “Find out some learned scholar,” generally they will be very…, their number will be very little. But one thing is that if there is one man in real knowledge, he can give the…, distribute the knowledge to many. The example is just like kas candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasah: if you get one moon at night, that is sufficient to dissipate the darkness. And there are millions of stars–it is useless. So it is necessarily not required that everyone should be in perfect knowledge. But if one man is in perfect knowledge, hundreds and thousands can hear from him and they can perfect. So it does not depend on the quantity; it depends on the quality.
From a conversation with professors – February 19, 1975, Caracas
Find them here: https://goo.gl/r4asu0

View of TOVP from the Navadvip Bridge (Album with…
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View of TOVP from the Navadvip Bridge (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: For many years we were meditating how the Temple would look like from few kilometers away.
Here we can see photos from the other side of Navadvip, where the main bridge is, where it crosses the Ganga.
You can see the visibility of Navadvip and the big Temple. Also you can see the contrast of the landscape and the surrounding buildings around the Temple.
Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi is very large building, but compared to the height of the Main Temple it looks so small!
The Temple height is not completed yet. The Main Kalash is 65 feet height (around 20 meters).
And this Main Kalash is not even placed on top as yet, which will make the Temple look even higher.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/oQLB2q

Recordings – March 2017: Updated
→ KKSBlog

Update: Cape Town 

Download ALL (zip file 649 MB)

KKS_SA_CPT_22February2017_SB_1.1.3.23

KKS_SA_CPT_21February2017_SB_1.11.22

KKS_SA_CPT_21February2017_EveningLecture_DevoteeCare

KKS_SA_CPT_21February2017_Evening_Kirtan

KKS_SA_CPT_20February2017_SB_1.1.3.20

KKS_SA_CPT_19February2017_Kirtan_NrsimhaPranam

KKS_SA_CPT_19February2017_SundayFeast_Kirtan

KKS_SA_CPT_19February2017_SundayFeast_Lecture_BG_9.15

 

 

Download ALL (zip file 1.1 GB)

London

KKS_UK_London_07March2017_UniversityProgram_KingsCollege_Kirtan

KKS_UK_London_07March2017_UniversityProgram_KingsCollege_Lecture

KKS_UK_SohoTemple_05March2017_SundayProgram_Lecture

KKS_UK_SohoTemple_05March2017_SundayProgram_Kirtan

KKS_UK_Manor_05March2017_EveningProgram_Kirtan

KKS_UK_Manor_05March2017_Initiation_Lecture

KKS_UK_London_04March2017_PandavaSenaAlumniProgram_Kirtan

KKS_UK_London_04March2017_PandavaSenaAlumniProgram_Lecture

KKS_UK_Manor_04March2017_Lecture_CC_AdiLila_14.40-42

KKS_UK_London_03March2017_HouseProgram_Kirtan

KKS_UK_London_03March2017_HouseProgram_Lecture

 

Amsterdam

KKS_NL_Amsterdam_02March2017_EveningProgram_Bhajans

KKS_NL_Amsterdam_02March2017_EveningProgram_Lecture_BG_9.4

Can Plurality Come From Unity?
→ The Enquirer

Nārada asks where the world, full of so many amazing specifics, comes from.

Brahmā says it comes from Brahman (“Great Being”) – and the fascinating thing is that this great being is “beyond specification” (“Beyond qualities” – nirguṇa) – because if it can be specified or qualified, then it must be delimitable, and then its greatness is not beyond measure.

Then Nārada asks a very big philosophical question which is a very troublesome riddle for Buddhist and Monist schools: “How is it possible that qualities come from something without qualities?”

It seems Brahmā is saying that the Great Being cannot be qualified at all, which is what Buddhists and Monists say. So Nārada asks for clarification, with this question.

Brahmā answers that the Great Being has Great Power (śakti), and this power has various qualities, so the riddle is solved. Buddhists and Monists cannot give this answer because it goes against their fundamental tenant that the Great Being is absolutely one – if it has power, then, they argue, this power is distinct and different from it, so it is no longer absolutely one.

Bhāgavatam is distinct from Buddhism and Monism because it explains from the outset that the Great Being is “Advaya Jñāna” – which means that it is consciousness (jñāna) in which pluralities (dvaya) are not significant (advaya). In other words, it is a unified whole, with distinct intrinsic parts. So it describes the fullest conception of Brahman (the “Great Being”) as Bhagavān, the possessor of Great Potency.

Potency or Power is śakti – sometimes called “energy” – which is defined as, “the means by which an agent accomplishes an objective.”

Bhāgavatam describes the Great Being not just as “consciousness” (brahman) but as “a conscious entity” (Paramātmā). It is consciousness, and it can use consciousness to perceive and act upon itself, which it manifests in various ways – thus producing the world with so much variety and specificity.

[This conversation between Brahmā and Nārada comes from Chapter Five of Part Two of Bhāgavata Purāṇa. You can read it in my translation: Creating the Creator.]


Tagged: Advaita, Brahman, Buddhism, Monism

The Guru: A Checklist
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Hare KrishnaBy Kripamoya Das

Here is a brief checklist to help you with your testing of a prospective guru. Education. Has he studied Vedic literature sufficiently to become a teacher? Has he become an expert in any particular literature? Has he passed any examinations? Can he recite verses from memory? Does he demonstrate his learning by references when he gives classes? Is he faithful to Srila Prabhupada’s translations and commentaries in his presentations? Are you sure that he does not unduly emphasize any particular portion of the philosophy but provides a balanced presentation? Is he knowledgeable of Deity worship? Does he perform Deity worship himself? Can he conduct ceremonies and teach others how to celebrate festivals? Does he know how to cook for Krishna? Does he know the standard Vaishnava songs and prayers? Continue reading "The Guru: A Checklist
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‘Utsaha’ Festival
→ Mayapur.com

For the pleasure of their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancatattva, Sri Nrisimhadev, Srila Prabhupada and all the readers, Mayapur Bhakti Vriksha informing a very remarkable 2nd annual festival UTSAHA that has been held on 26th Feb. 2017, Sunday at Rabindra Bhavan cultural hall, Krishnanagar. This program mainly for the welfare of Mayapur Bhakti […]

The post ‘Utsaha’ Festival appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Temple Column Exterior Mock-up In Progress
- TOVP.org

Work has recently begun on the temple columns’ exterior mock-up, a design which will be used on the columns all around the temple.

In the image below you can see half the exterior mock-up as it goes around the main column structure. The final product will be made of two pieces which will wrap around the actual column and be joined together to completely encase it.

We are very happy with the design and effects of the mock-up. Once we are fully satisfied we will make the rubber molds and begin casting the column pieces in GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete), after which work will commence to install them.

We are very excited about this new aspect of the interior finishing work that has begun and hope all the devotees are pleased with our progress.

The post Temple Column Exterior Mock-up In Progress appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

TOVP 2017
→ ISKCON News

TOVP 2017 is a presentation by TOVP Chairman, Ambarisa das, about the current progress of the TOVP construction and an appeal for donations to help continue the current pace towards its completion in 2022. A video by Thakur Saranga Das.