Planet ISKCON

A new, shining temple after the earthquake brought everything down in Christchurch Hare Krishna Centre, New Zealand (Album with phot...

Vaiṣṇava devotee means give me simply a place to lay down, little prasādam, whatever little service you have got please give me, that's all. -Śrīla Prabhupāda's Letter to: Gurudāsa, Yamunā — Bombay 19 December, 1972

Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims of the material nature, and because he is so much absorbed in serving Kṛṣṇa, he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or find out some fault. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Letter to: Haṁsadūta — Ahmedabad 10 December, 1972

Devotee means very liberal and kind to everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Letter to: Haṁsadūta — Ahmedabad 10 December, 1972

Devotee means one should be firmly convinced of his being the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.  -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Letter to: Mr. Kair — Los Angeles 8 July, 1969

So to become devotee means to do the best service to the family. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay

A devotee means he knows everything. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)

Devotee means the first sign will be happy, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. If he's not prasannātmā, he's a rascal. He has not entered even devotional life. He's outside. That is the test.-Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne

Devotee means tattva-darśī. He has seen the real truth. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi

Devotee means who follows Kṛṣṇa. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi

Devotee means sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. He is above these material laws. That is devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi

Devotee means brahmacārī. Pure devotee means brahmacārī. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. He has no other desire. That is brahmacārī. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay

Devotee means serious devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia

Devotee means he has no sense gratification. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Room Conversation with Tripurāri -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta

Devotee means one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- June 13, 1974, Paris

Devotee means he does not know anything better than Kṛṣṇa, that's all. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Room Conversation -- November 4, 1973, Delhi

The devotee means who is always pleasing Kṛṣṇa. He has no other business. That is devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Māyāpura

Devotee means to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to chant the glories of Kṛṣṇa, to think of Kṛṣṇa, to offer fruits and flowers to Kṛṣṇa. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Departure Address -- Los Angeles, July 15, 1974

Devotee means to become fully qualified with all the noble qualities. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.119-121 -- New York, November 24, 1966

Devotee means he must be sinless.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976

Devotee, means he is prepared to do anything for God. That is pure devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971

Devotee means not with four hands or four legs, no. The hands, legs are the same. But his mode of thinking different. That's all. That is devotee. Devotee does not depend on the country, color or religion or circumstance. Devotee means the mind. Anyone who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, he is devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976

Devotee means he's not blind.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam1.7.40 -- Vṛndāvana, October 1, 1976

Devotee means he does not ask anything from God.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972

A devotee means who is abiding by the laws given by God. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971

Devotee means complete spiritual. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.2, Bombay, March 22, 1974

Devotee means he is firmly convinced about his relationship with God.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969

Devotee means servant—not paid servant—but servant by affection. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971

Devotee means he can act anything and everything for the Lord. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968

Devotee means one who has engaged his senses cent percent for the service of the Lord, he is devotee, pure devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968

Devotee means although he is very, very powerful, he never thinks that "I am powerful." He thinks that "I am acting simply by the order of the powerful." -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973

Devotee means to finish all miserable conditions of materialistic life. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.46

Hare Krishna

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By Chandan Yatra Das

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in Mayapur, Chand Kazi was the Chief Magistrate of Navadvipa. It is described in Sri Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, when Lord Nityananda Prabhu while taking Jiva Gosvami on Navadvipa-Mandala Parikrama, entered Chand Kazi’s Village, Lord said, "O Jiva, hear My words. The Chand Kazi's village is none other than Mathura. After performing kirtana, Gauranga gave love of God to the Kazi and liberated him. Mathura's King Kamsa of Krishna-lila became Chand Kazi in Gaura-lila. For that reason Gauranga addressed the Kazi as His maternal uncle, and out of fear the Kazi took shelter of Gauranga's lotus feet. Under orders from Hussain Shah, who was the king of the Bengal empire, the Kazi caused disturbance during kirtana performance by breaking the mrdangas. The Lord, appearing in the form of Nrsimhadeva put fear in the Kazi's heart. Like Kamsa, the Kazi cowered in fear. Sri Caitanya, however, gave him prema and thus made the Kazi a great devotee. The very fortunate hear this story of the Kazi's liberation.” Continue reading "Lord Caitanya and the Muslim Chand Kazi
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[Talk at Bhakti house to University of North Florida students, Jacksonville, USA]

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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Alachua, USA]

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4th generation devotee, 6 years old Madhurika Dasi chants during the Kirtan Mela in Mayapur (17 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: My Guru Maharaja explained that you haven’t got to learn anything extra for Krsna’s service. Whatever you know, you just apply it. Then you become successful. Because our time is very short. We do not know when I am going to die. (Srila Prabhupada, Conversation - July 16, 1968 - Montreal)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/B2O2lu

Man Sarovar (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Last week we went to Maan Sarovar, the Lake of Radharani’s Tears. The pujari let us get rare pictures of the Radharani Shila there. Then we went to Bhandirvan, where Lord Brahma did the marriage of Radha and Krishna. Finally we came to Baelvan, where Laksmiji is engaged in penances to be able to enter the Rasa Lila. We returned by boats floating down the Yamuna. Come along with us through the pics of Vittalrukmini Das!
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Madhuvan Talavan 17-02 (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: We came to Vrindavan expecting to see forest. In Madhuvan we can ...

King Of The Zulu Nation (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Today, myself and several devotees met with His Majesty King Go...

By Navadwip Mandal Parikrama devotees

There are about 1.400 devotees in the International party this year. Out of them 800 devotees are camping. Parikrama is the time when you can be fully engaged in hearing, chanting and remember Lord Caitanya's holy names and pastimes. Following will be the highlights of the day: The Parikrama first crossed the Jalangi by boat heading towards Am Ghat- famous for its amazing mangoes planted by Lord Caitanya Himself. Then we reached Suvarna Vihara where the golden Lord appeared to King Suvarna Sena. "Suvarna" means "gold" and "vlihar" means "moving." The devotees were overjoyed to watch the drama on this Lila, directed by HG Pancharatna Prabhu (ACBSP). There we had katha by different senior devotees such as HH Bhakti VV Narasimha Maharaja, HH Bhakti Dhira Swami and HG Rajendra Nandana Prabhu (ACBSP). We heard about the importance of chanting since we are in GODRUMA DVIPA wherein the process is kirtanam! Continue reading "Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama- Day 1
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By Dhaniya devi dasi

The Dominican Republic proved itself to be not only a hotbed of enthusiastic, powerful local devotees, but also a wonderful place for preaching. The people are inquisitive, receptive and looking for an opportunity to learn more about God consciousness. Latin America is brimming with chances to spread the Holy Names and any and all services are welcome from any devotees looking to participate in next year’s festival. Continue reading "Rathyatra in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic
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1. One should never kick cows, for one who does so will have to suffer in hell for a hundred lives. Cows are the abode of all auspiciousness. For this reason, they always deserve worship.

2. Bullocks should never be struck harshly with a goad or whip.

3. One should not proceed through the midst of cows.

4. When cows are grazing or lying down, one should not disturb them in any way.

5. When cows are thirsty and are refused water [ because a person is obstructing their access to a water tank or river ] merely by glancing at such a person a cow will create great difficulties for him along with all his relatives and friends. What creatures can be more sacred than cows, whose very dung is purifying?

6. That man who, before eating himself, gives everyday for a year a handful of grass to a cow belonging to another person, is regarded as undergoing a vow or observance which bestows the fruition of his every wish. Such a person acquires children, fame, wealth and prosperity and dispels all evils.

7. The cow should never be given away for slaughter.

8. A bull or bullock can be used for ploughing, but a cow should never be used to till the soil.

9. A cow should not be given to an atheist.

10. One should not, even in thought, injure a cow. One should always show compassion towards cows.

11. One should never show disregard for cows in any way.

12. One should never cast one’s urine, excreta and other secretions on cow dung.

13. One should never obstruct cows in any way.

14. One should not disrespect cow dung. The circular marks in the cow dung represent Lord Visnu’s chakra.

15. He who, without being checked by the restraints of the scriptures, sells a cow for slaughter, kills a cow, or eats the flesh of a cow, or for the sake of money causes a person to kill cows, rots in hell for as many years as there are hairs on the body of the slain cow.

[ Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva ]

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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 October 2014, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.4.43)

It is a blessing to have some good karma. It is a blessing to be detached. It saves one a lot of trouble. It is a shortcut. Such piety is valuable. The blessings of bhakti are amazing, bhakty-unmukhī sukṛti (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.45 Purport). They are amazing because the blessings of bhakti may naturally make us take to Krsna so easily!

In Germany, once I was sharing a room with Bhakti Bhusana Swami. Bhakti Bhusana Swami is a devotee who joined this Movement in its very early stages in Germany, at the very beginning. Basically what happened was that Krsna consciousness started in America and then it came to Europe…

First, there was one devotee named Sivananda. First, he went to Amsterdam but he could not find a place to stay so he went to Germany. Then in Germany, he started it all by himself. Kirtan on the street with some kartals and a few Back to Godhead magazines that he had brought from America. So this boy went up to him and he was interested and he took a magazine. He read the magazine and the next day, he came back and he joined the Movement and he later became Bhakti Bhusana Swami!

How can you join by reading a magazine!? How can you do it? I mean, I could never do that. I did not get involved in that way.

I asked him, “Maharaj, tell me, how could you do that? How could you just join?”
He said, “I have always been like that. When I was convinced that something was true, I just did it!”

This is bhakty-unmukhī sukṛti. This is piety from devotional service in the last life. Therefore, immediately he knew it. This is it. There was no doubt, he just did it. But we are impious, like in my case, you think like, “Well, um… I do not know. I am not sure.” Such thoughts kept me back. But then, we see how previous devotional service can give us conviction in the case of Bhakti Bhusana Swami..

Therefore, the power of bhakti is that we recognise the truth in our next life. We recognise the truth immediately! We get lifted above our small mindedness – durātmā. A devotee becomes very broad-minded. Srila Prabhupada explains in the introduction to the Caitanya Caritamrta that spiritual life is like taking off in a plane and as you go up, all the things that you are leaving behind become small. So it is like that, all the material things we leave behind, they become small as we go up in devotional service. So like this, all those things that were so important, lose their importance.

Once, I met Reverend Ridley De. After he quietly listened to my lecture for two or three hours, he said, “Since you are saying things that are so similar to Christianity, why don’t you declare yourself a Christian?” To this I said, “Christianity is only a partial representation of – or a step on the ladder of – Vaiṣṇava dharma. Apart from that, we have more, which supplements what Christianity teaches. Things that have not been said in Christianity because qualification is there in a fuller extent in Vaiṣṇavism. Vaiṣṇava dharma is the only supreme religion for all living entities. The other religious systems are either stages of Vaiṣṇavism or perversions of it. To the degree that they are stages, they can be accepted for particular classes of people; if they are perversions, they should be rejected.

- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, Uncommon Dialogues,pg 83

Sri Mayapur Dham Harinam Sankirtan (Album with photos)
Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda, standing on the balcony of his house in God...

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HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Disappearance ceremony in Sydney 27/02/17 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Only an animal is not pessimistic about life in this material world. A man is capable of knowing the threefold sufferings of material life. There are sufferings of the mind and body, sufferings offered by other living entities, and sufferings forced upon us by natural catastrophes and the laws of nature. The world is full of suffering, but under the spell of maya, illusion, we think we are progressing. Ultimately, whatever we do, death is there to annihilate the results. Under these circumstances, there is no happiness within this material world. We may make all arrangements for happiness, but at any moment, death may capture us. So what happiness can we have here? Therefore an intelligent man is always pessimistic about material life. He knows that he will not be allowed to be happy here. As we further advance, we understand the orders of Krsna: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. “Abandon all religions and just surrender unto Me.” [Bg. 18.66] We must surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and after surrendering and understanding Him fully, we can go to the world that is full of bliss, knowledge, and eternal life. Unless we take a pessimistic view of this material world, we will remain attached to it, and the repetition of birth and death will ensue. >>> Ref. VedaBase => William James [1842-1910]
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Mahadyuti Swami Sannyasa Ceremony (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: You have to accept anything from the authorized source. So according to Vedic civilization, all knowledge is received from the Vedas, perfect authorized source. Sruti-pramana, evidence from the sruti, from the Vedas, that is perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. In learned circle you cannot say anything hodgepodge. That will not be accepted. If you support your statement from the evidence of the Vedas, then you are accepted as authority. Therefore our principle is… Not only our; this is the Vedic principle. You’ll find Caitanya Mahaprabhu giving instruction to Sanatana Gosvami, to Rupa Gosvami, or He was talking with Ramananda Raya – in Caitanya-caritamrta you’ll find – and quoting support from the Vedas. Although Caitanya Mahaprabhu is God Himself, Krsna, Krsna-Caitanya, but He is not, what is called, autocratic or, what is called, dictator. No. You’ll never find Him. Whatever He’ll say, immediately He is supported by Vedic evidence. He can say anything. He can manufacture anything. No, that He does not do. He does not violate the principle. In the Bhagavad-gita also… Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He’s also quoting from Vedas. He does not say, “I say.” He says, but He says on the Vedic authority. He doesn’t say anything superfluous. ——From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.9 – February 5, 1975, Honolulu
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Remembering the ‘Quiet Beatle’
February 25 is the birth anniversary of George Harrison, the popular British songwriter and musician known best as a member of the famous Beatles Group.
Harrison , known as the “Quiet Beatle”, passed away at the age of 58 on November 29 ,2001 .He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganga , according to his wishes. Harrison had embraced the Hare Krishna tradition and remained a devotee till his death. In the summer of 1969, he produced the single “Hare Krishna Mantra”, performed by the devotees of the London Radha Krishna Temple. That same year, he and fellow Beatle ,John Lennon, met A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder - acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Soon after, Harrison embraced the Hare Krishna tradition and became a lifelong devotee.

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[Bhagavatam class at Krishna House, Gainesville, USA]

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Kirtan Mela Mayapur 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krsna consciousness means, “I am Krsna’s,” that’s all. Krsna says, mamaivamsah: “All these living entities, they are My part and parcel.” So you have to understand this relationship with Krsna, that you are Krsna’s. And Krsna, what is Krsna? Bhagavan. -From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.1-3 – January 29, 1975, Honolulu
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