Planet ISKCON

Today, myself and several devotees met with His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, the reigning King of the Zulu Nation in South Africa. Ruling over 11 million people King Goodwill plays an important part in South African politics and culture. We had a long discussion about social cohesion and how to unite the diverse ethnic peoples of the country. We agreed that the ultimate solution is a spiritual one, where the people of South Africa understand their common bond is that they are all children of one God, who has many names. The King and I felt a strong bond from our previous encounters together.

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These are pictures of snow flakes taken by Wilson Bentley in 1885 when he was 20 years old. He went on to take over 5,000 pictures of different and individual snowflakes. A book having over 2,500 images was released in the name of Snow Crystals. This book is in print since 1931. Wilson Bentley provided visual evidence that no two flakes are alike - source.

If two small snow flakes are not alike, then how can more complex human beings be alike? Today biological science categorizes species and living beings on their external likeness (morphology). Social science categorizes behavioral patterns among like living beings. Chemists test drugs based on the commonalities in human anatomy and physiology. Categorizing, normalizing and standardizing may be okay to study patterns of behavior and functions among living beings but it is certainly not okay to evaluate an individual. Today, we (including myself) very easily judge people based on these common traits. But actually no two living being is identical, hence we should see them and relate with them entirely on an individual basis.

Because we live in an impersonal and a time-constraint world, we neither have the desire nor the time to know the person we come in contact with. How can we understand God, He is invisible?

Hare Krishna

Today is Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s disappearance day. He comes in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession after Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. He was a renounced ascetic, fully engaged in chanting the holy names of Krishna and meditating on His pastimes. For some time, he made his residence at Surya-kunda in Vraja-dhama, near the temple of Suryadeva, where Srimati Radharani used to come and worship the sun-god—or, I should say, where She used to come to meet Krishna on the pretext of coming to worship the sun-god.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who comes in the disciplic succession after Jagannatha dasa Babaji, accepted Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja as his main guru, his siksa-guru. Once, some of Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disciples in Vraja approached the Thakura. They complained that although they had come to Vraja to live like Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, fully absorbed in chanting the holy names and meditating on Sri Sri Radha-Krishna’s astakaliya-lila, Babaji Maharaja had refused to instruct them in such esoteric topics and had instead engaged them in cultivating tulasi plants, flowers, and vegetables to offer to the Lord. So these disciples requested Bhaktivinoda Thakura to appeal to their guru maharaja to instruct them in the esoteric practices of Krishna consciousness.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura told them, “Actually, your Gurudeva’s instructions are right for you. Because you still have anarthas, for you to try to sit and do nirjana-bhajana [solitary worship] and practice asta-kaliya-lila-smarana [meditation on the Lord’s eightfold daily pastimes] would be artificial, and you would just become degraded. So you should follow your Gurudeva’s instructions with full faith and work hard in Krishna’s service. Then, in time, you may be able to chant the holy names purely.”

Eventually, Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja moved to Mayapur, where he lived by the banks of the Ganges, fully absorbed in chanting the holy names. He had the greatest reverence for the holy land of Navadvipa. Although he was so renounced and so absorbed in Krishna consciousness, as his reputation spread, gentlemen would come to him and give him donations. Once, Babaji Maharaja asked one of his servants to take the donations he had received, which he kept in an old burlap bag, and purchase a large pot of rasagullas. All the devotees were surprised, because Jagannatha dasa Babaji was so renounced and lived so simply. He would eat just the most simple rice and dal. Anyway, the servant brought the sweets, and Jagannatha dasa Babaji offered them to his Deities and then distributed them to the cows and dogs in the dhama. He said the creatures of the dhama were elevated souls and worthy of service.

Later, Babaji Maharaja would not accept prasada until he had shared his food with ten newborn puppies. He would wait until they came, and he would count them with his hands. (In his old age, Babaji Maharaja’s eyelids drooped over his eyes and prevented him from seeing.) So he would count them with his hands, and only after they had begun to eat would he also partake. He would say, “They are puppies of the dhama. They are not ordinary living entities.” He had so much faith in and affection for the dhama.

He had less affection for Mayavadi impersonalists. He used to say, “Let the dogs come in for darsana, but the impersonalists—kick them out!”

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji lived to a very old age. In fact, some Vaishnavas say he was just waiting for Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to come—someone to whom he could impart his special knowledge and realization, for the benefit of humanity. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had requested to be transferred from his post in Orissa to Bengal so he could be near Navadvipa-dhama. And eventually, he was posted at Krishnanagar, near Navadvipa.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura did extensive research to determine the actual birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He studied various old maps, consulted the local people, and visited the different places. Eventually he found a mound where many tulasi trees were growing. He got the intuition that this was the actual birthplace of Lord Caitanya, but still he wanted his intuition to be confirmed. At the time, Jagannatha dasa Babaji was the most renowned Vaishnava, and he was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s siksa-guru. Thus, Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disciples carried him to the place with the mound and tulasi plants. He was so old (over a hundred and forty years old, some say) that his disciples had to carry him in a basket. And his eyelids were so heavy that he had to open them with his hands to be able to see. So, the disciples brought him, but they didn’t tell him that it was the site Bhaktivinoda Thakura had determined to be the birthplace. Still, when Babaji Maharaja arrived there, he spontaneously jumped out of his basket and began to dance in ecstasy, singing the holy names. Thus he confirmed the location of Mahaprabhu’s birthplace.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s bhajana-kutira and samadhi are there in Navadvipa-dhama, in Koladvipa. Devotees who perform Navadvipa-parikrama visit there and get his mercy. We also pray to him for his mercy, that we may be instrumental in fulfilling the desires of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and the other acaryas in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu coming to us through Srila Prabhupada and his disciples.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja ki jaya!
Srila Prabhpada ki jaya!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disappearance day, February 20, 2004, Carpinteria, California]

 

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 February 2009, Srimad Bhagavatam 11.6.11)

Some people think that this world is a gift from Krsna to us, “Krsna was so kind that he made this material world for us so that we can have a good time!” That thought is going on and in the middle of it, some disaster happens and then suddenly it is not such a nice world anymore, “How is this possible? How can this happen?” 

A more sober person who is not so passionate can see things as they really are. A passionate person is so full of desire to enjoy that a passionate person projects that desire to enjoy upon the world, upon everything and then he or she sees wonderful things everywhere! And then, an ordinary girl looks like the Goddess of Fortune!

In the fourth canto of Bhagavatam, remember King Puranjana. He meets this lady in the forest and he is immediately and totally convinced and he said, “My dear Goddess of Fortune, what happened to your lotus flower, have you dropped it in the forest somewhere?” Because the Goddess of Fortune is supposed to carry a lotus flower and this lady was not carrying a lotus flower but she looked like the Goddess of Fortune… so just see! So in other words, projecting, turning her into the Goddess of Fortune which she obviously is not. She is not Lakshmi but he wants Lakshmi so he sees Lakshmi!

A lady wants a prince and ordinary Joe comes around the corner but she is convinced, “Oh, here is Prince Jo…” for a while but it doesn’t last that long!
Those in the mode of passion project upon reality. They project their own desires upon reality and colour it and make it really nice but the truth of the matter is that the material world is not designed for happiness and there is nothing that can fix it… NOTHING! It is like a broken car, it cannot be fixed.

Fix a broken car?? Forget it! It is not even worth it because as soon as you fix one thing, another thing breaks. The material world is like that, it cannot be fixed! So devotees are described as pessimistic about material life, they don’t believe that you can create a perfect happy situation in the material world.

Happiness and distress will come of their own accord, sometimes you get one and sometimes you get the other. Therefore knowing that, a devotee does not put his hopes into the material energy. It doesn’t mean that we do not want some comfort and nice things to happen to us, but we are not going to put all of our hopes in there. The devotee understands, “My real happiness is not here in this material world, my real happiness is in the spiritual world. My real happiness is in the relationship with Krsna!”
The truth is, “We will never be happy in this world!” I know it is a very hard thing to say and not everyone may agree with it but if you don’t agree with it then know: THIS IS MAYA, illusion! This is the work of maya, this is what maya does!

By Vijaya Dasa

Mexico City did very well in January: 8,563 book points made it No. 2 in Latin America. A very nice devotee, Aravinda Prabhu, is the sankirtan leader, and he oversees the BBT activities in Mexico. He's dedicated to distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and to encouraging others to distribute them. Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, also successfully started the new year: With 3,860 book points, it is No. 2 in the Small Temple category. Vasudeva datta Prabhu, the leader there, is a brahmacari who does not like glorification, because it leads to pride. He's dedicated to distributing Srila Prabhupada's books to relieve people's suffering, and he has an appropriate name for his spiritual demeanor. In Lord Caitanya's pastimes, Vasudeva Datta wanted to accept the sinful reactions of the whole world, so that all conditioned souls would go to the spiritual world. Lord Caitanya felt so pleased with Vasudeva Datta that he embraced him. In Africa, the No. 1 temple is Midrand, South Africa, a temple I don't remember seeing in a top position in past newsletters. In January, Midrand scored 774 book points. Continue reading "WSN January 2017 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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By Bhakti Charu Swami

Tamal Krishna Maharaj joined Srila Prabhupada in 1968. Srila Prabhupada went to a place where the young Americans were living in the redwood forest near San Francisco. He was so aloof from the materialistic culture that he was living in the forest. But Srila Prabhupada went to that place and it was just love at first sight. He left everything. Even that commune that he was living in. He came with Srila Prabhupada to San Francisco after one meeting, maybe even just one sight of Srila Prabhupada, attracted him to his lotus feet. Then we see what an important role that he played in the Krishna Consciousness movement. Continue reading "HH Bhakti Charu Swami on HH Tamal Krishna Goswami
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One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.

If one chants the holy name of Hari and then dies because of an accidental misfortune, such as falling from the top of a house, slipping and suffering broken bones while traveling on the road, being bitten by a serpent, being afflicted with pain and high fever, or being injured by a weapon, one is immediately absolved from having to enter hellish life, even though he is sinful.

Authorities who are learned scholars and sages have carefully ascertained that one should atone for the heaviest sins by undergoing a heavy process of atonement and one should atone for lighter sins by undergoing lighter atonement. Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, however, vanquishes all the effects of sinful activities, regardless of whether heavy or light.

As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one’s sinful activities.

If a person unaware of the effective potency of a certain medicine takes that medicine or is forced to take it, it will act even without his knowledge because its potency does not depend on the patient’s understanding. Similarly, even though one does not know the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord, if one chants knowingly or unknowingly, the chanting will be very effective.

Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk.
Krishna-kripa das: I have Harinama videos from different parts of the world.
I have a nice quote by Srila Prabhupada about the importance of the association of spiritually minded people. I share an excerpt from Satsvarupa dasa Goswami’s Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name. I share notes on lectures by Mother Madhumati, Caitanya Carana Prabhu, Ekayani Devi Dasi, Abhimanyu Prabhu, and Bhakta Hanan.
To read the entire report click here: https://goo.gl/im1oy2

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By Bhakti Vikasa Swami

If you really want to see iskcon a lot stronger than it is at present, and if you are ready to take part in a grassroots revolution, here is a program for you. It is non-political and non-controversial, easy to implement, and with negligible cost, yet it will benefit the whole society of devotees worldwide. The program is that all members of the Krsna consciousness movement should read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Of course, many devotees are already reading Prabhupada’s books, but still, far too many are not. Numerous devotees who have been initiated for ten years or more, and are even brahmana-initiated, have not read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books, and apparently have never thought of doing so. Continue reading "Time for a Revolution
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ISKCON Auckland NZ: Holi 2017 (Album with photos)
Around10 thousand guests joined today`s annual holi festival at our farm in ...

George Harrison Appearance Day 2017 London Harinama Sankirtan (Album with photos)
This weekend’s London Saturday night harinama sankirtan coincided with the 74th anniversary of George Harrison’s appearance day (birthday).
The weather was wet so there were fewer people out and about, but still many members of the public did stop to watch or join in.
Actually, one of the things that had endeared the devotees to the
Beatles was that they went out on the streets of London no matter what the weather.
Videos:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=56928266%40N05&view_all=1&text=25%2F02%2F2017%20video

Photo slideshow:
http://davidc.zenfolio.com/george_harrison_appday_harinama_sankirtan_25022017/slideshow

Photo gallery:
http://davidc.zenfolio.com/george_harrison_appday_harinama_sankirtan_25022017

Q: For Gaudiya Bhakts what is the Parampara? Very many descendants of Mahaprabhu are there and each professes to be the correct link to Him.

Your use of the preposition “the” in the phrase “each professes to be the correct link” isn’t exactly correct, because “the” means “the only one” or “the most important one.” There is more than one active, valid, paramparā lineage, so the correct phrase should be “each professes to be a correct link to him.”

Some lineages may indeed profess to be “the” link to Mahāprabhu (i.e. the one and only), but in so doing they prove they are not even “a” link.

Q: I had read that we are in Braham Madhav Gaudiya Sampradaya. Is this Madhvacharya or Madhvendar Puri who is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Guru’s Guru.

We need only trace our lineage to Mahaprabhu, who is Svayam Bhagavān Śrī Krishna’s Audarya Rūpa. But for the sake of others who may not accept this, we can note that Śrī Caitanya accepted dīkṣā in the Madvācārya paramparā (from Śrī Īśvara Puri disciple of  Śrī Mādhavendra Puri), which is a part of the Brahmā paramparā  which is one of the four Vaiṣṇava Paramparā (Brahmā, Śrī, Catusana, Śiva).

Philosophically speaking, the Gauḍīya Paramparā accepts key elements from all four Vaiṣṇava Paramparā.

As for the development of the Gaudīya line after Śrī Caitanya, you can read a lot about that in Caitanya Caritāmṛta (Start at Adi-līlā Chapter 10). Gadādhara Paṇḍit, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, etc. all have important branches in the lineage from Śrī Caitanya. All these branches have their own branches, and so on.

Q: But then I think from Jagannath Das babaji there are many divergent branches.

The problem is not from Jagannatha Das bābājī, exactly, but from Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati. His followers accept that he took dīkṣā from Gaurakiśor dās Bābājī, but other Vaiṣṇava’s do not agree.

There is also a problem with his father, Śrī Bhaktivinode Ṭhākur. He definitely took dīkṣā from Śrī Bipin Bihari Gosvāmī, but Bipin Bihari Gosvāmī, after the passing away of Śrī Bhaktivinode, disowned him as a disciple, apparently due to disputes about the location of Śrī Caitanya’s birthplace.

Because of this, and because of his well-documented strong dislike for the Gosvāmī from the start, Bhaktisiddhānta refused to acknowledge the Goswāmī as his father’s guru, preferring to cite Śrī Jagannātha dās Bābājī instead.

This is a small problem in comparison to the whole Gauḍīya paramparā tree, but it potentially affects many people because the world was introduced to Gauḍīya bhakti mainly through disciples of Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta, especially Śrīla Prabhupāda, who founded  ISKCON.

Q: Is being somewhere in this lineage also important or just learning and realising and experiencing the Knowledge would be sufficient?

Learning, realizing, and experiencing is what is important.

But it is not likely that you’d be able to do that very well without learning it somewhere in the lineage that passes on the realization and experience.

Lineage is not a technicality, because the knowledge, realization and experience is passed down by lineage. Thus, if you study Gauḍīya Siddhānta in detail you will see that the unclear dīkṣā lineage of Gauḍīya Maṭha and ISKCON is not just a technicality. It has an obvious ramification on the clarity of their realization and experience: They are almost like a separate world from the rest of the lineage of Gauḍīya bhakti, with many philosophies and practices that are entirely their own and not shared at all with the rest of the lineage.

Q: One set of people may not recognise the other set of people’s lineage, but supposing Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu accepts all these linkages to Him…

Lack of recognizing plural paths is not a symptom of true Vedic culture. Quite the opposite.

As expected, then, lack of recognizing other branches is not common in the Gauḍīya paramparā. It is, however, a pervasive phenomenon in ISKCON and Gauḍīya Maṭha. Even amongst themselves the “we are the only bona-fide group” syndrome is rampant.  Often one Gauḍīya Maṭha branch will not visit the other Gauḍīya Maṭha branch. ISKCON will not cooperate with or recognize Gauḍīya Maṭha leaders. Etc. Etc. Even the micro-branches within each micro-branch in these groups devote a lot of time and energy to defaming the other nano-branches.

When anyone points any of this out, like this article does, the ISKCON / Gauḍīya Maṭha claims it is an “attack.” It is really a sad, psychologically complex situation.

Q: …is it Ok to switch from one lineage to the other?

No, not really.

But if you are having problems in one branch for some reason, they will help you; and if they can’t, they will help you find a better situation in another branch. If they don’t, you know they are not a genuine spiritual lineage in the first place, and then there is no problem “switching.”

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

Tagged: Gaudiya Matha, ISKCON, lineage, Parampara, sampradaya

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2017, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.13.5)

Caitanya Caritamrta gives the three categories of pious activities. There is karma unmukhi sukriti, moksha unmukhi sukriti and bhakti unmukhi sukriti. Sukriti means spiritual benefit. Karma unmukhi sukriti gives benefit on the realm of karma which gives you good material results. So if you do pious activities – let’s say you make a shelter for people or you give to the poor – these kind of things are pious and they give you good karma and in the next life it comes back. It is said that if you give to a brahmana, it comes back to you manyfold. If you give to a Narayana-parayana, one who is absorbed in the worship of Narayana, it comes back to you unlimitedly. So give donations to devotees and you will become rich in your next life – give to the temple, put money into the donation box and you will be really rich in your next life and you may have a next life so there is nothing bad in putting a little money in the box.

Moksha unmukhi sukriti is where you get involved with knowledge. One spends time studying and it fixes in the consciousness a mood of desiring liberation. Bhakti unmukhi sukriti is the real piety because bhakti leads to bhakti so whatever you do in devotional service, it increases your desire to do more devotional service.

One may ask, “How do I get a desire a serve Krsna? My problem is I do not have enough desire?” Do devotional service and then your desire will awaken! This is why we need ajnata sukriti for people, unknown spiritual benefit. That is why we go out to the streets doing harinama, “Ching Ching Boom!” and people look and think we’re crazy lunatics and we’re a cult but people make spiritual advancement, even the lady who puts her fingers in her ears when we walk past. Somehow or other, all these people get the benefit. Whatever they do, even if they give one donation to a vaisnava for Krsna, they will get unknown spiritual benefit!

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Scenes from Mayapur 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A king or governmental official should be so well qualified that he acts as a father, maintainer and protector of the citizens because of affection and love. He should give the citizens good advice and instructions according to the standard scriptures and should be equal to everyone. Yamaraja does this, for he is the supreme master of justice, and so do those who follow in his footsteps. However, if such persons become polluted and exhibit partiality by punishing an innocent, blameless person, where will the citizens go to take shelter for their maintenance and security? PURPORT The king, or in modern times the government, should act as the guardian of the citizens by teaching them the proper goal of life. The human form of life is especially meant for realization of one’s self and one’s relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead because this cannot be realized in animal life. The duty of the government, therefore, is to take charge of training all the citizens in such a way that by a gradual process they will be elevated to the spiritual platform and will realize the self and his relationship with God. This principle was followed by kings like Maharaja Yudhisthira, Maharaja Pariksit, Lord Ramacandra, Maharaja Ambarisa and Prahlada Maharaja. The leaders of the government must be very honest and religious because otherwise all the affairs of the state will suffer. Unfortunately, in the name of democracy, rogues and thieves are electing other rogues and thieves to the most important posts in the government. Recently this has been proven in America, where the president had to be condemned and dragged down from his post by the citizens. This is only one case, but there are many others. Because of the importance of the Krsna consciousness movement, people should be Krsna conscious and should not vote for anyone who is not Krsna conscious. Then there will be actual peace and prosperity in the state. When a Vaisnava sees mismanagement in the government, he feels great compassion in his heart and tries his best to purify the situation by spreading the Hare Krsna movement. >>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 6.2.3
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Sannyasa initiation of Mahadyuti Swami (Video and album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: CC Antya 6.220 mahaprabhura bhakta-ganera vairagya pradhana yaha dekhi’ prita hana gaura-bhagavan Renunciation is the basic principle sustaining the lives of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees. Seeing this renunciation, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is extremely satisfied. PURPORT: Anyone, whether an ordinary materialistic person or a pure devotee, can understand the behavior of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees if he studies it minutely. One will thus find that the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are not at all attached to any kind of material enjoyment. They have completely given up sense enjoyment to engage fully in the service of Lord Sri Krsna and dedicate their lives and souls to serving Krsna without material desires. Because their devotional service is free from material desires, it is unimpeded by material circumstances. Although ordinary men have great difficulty understanding this attitude of the devotees, it is greatly appreciated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
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Watch the video here: https://goo.gl/iAfIiR

Kisumu, Kenya Preaching (Album with photos)
We visited Kisumu, Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria, 2nd largest lake in the w...

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By Jayapataka Swami

What other avatar thinks how to deliver all the souls? I mean they come into universe, they kill the demons but actually, to think how to get every man, woman and child, how to get everybody all people Krishna Conscious. Where is the other incarnation that have so much mercy. Even as 24 years, he was a grahasta he thought logicians, argumentative students mayavadis, all these people are somehow avoiding me, avoiding my mercy so there he took sanyas. And with that he got all the others. In fact, he went to Banaras, there Kasi Misra and Chandrasekar, Chandrasekar was considered like a sudra. They ate Prasad at the house of Kasi Misra but they stayed at the house of Chandrasekar. But they both approached him. But they couldn’t tolerate hearing all the mayavadi sanyasi criticising Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya, on the way back stopped at Banaras. And then he devised a plan, to liberate the sanyasis. So, a brahmana came and invited for prasadam, he said I have invited all the sanyasis of Banaras. I know that you don’t come, you don’t mix with other sanyasi, but I am begging you, just have mercy on me please come. So, Lord Caitanya agreed. He went and he saw all the mayavadi sanyasis were there, he went by the doorway and washed his feet he offered his obeisance and sat down by the dirty foot water in front of all the brahmanas. Continue reading "From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir – Srimad Bhagavatam class, February 23, 2017
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By Romapada Swami

During our GBC meetings in Mayapur, a consistent theme has arisen about the succession issue. After a study of several religious organizations which succeeded in continuing their missions over the years, it was concluded that only if the intents of the Founder Acarya are understood by the consequent generations of devotees Iskcon will be successful in spreading Lord Chaitanya's movement for many years in the future. This can be accomplished only by a regular study of Srila Prabhupada's books and recordings and not just for an intellectual understanding but for transformational purposes. Continue reading "For Iskcon100 and further only by studying Srila Prabhupada’s books and living your life accordingly
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Here is the most recent newsletter from INNER VOICE Productions, the film company of Yadubara das and Visakha devi dasi, and the current status of their groundbreaking new film, Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All, formerly titled ACHARYA.

Dear Devotees and Friends,
It’s time for an update on Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All. (On our website, the name is still Acharya but it will be changed next month once we begin our marketing campaign.)

The Inner Voice Productions team has been hard at work at Alpha Dogs, a post-production lab in Los Angeles, creating all the finishing touches on the film: color balancing each scene, audio sweetening and mixing, graphics, animation, etc. This will continue for the next few weeks to ensure the film meets the highest production value and cinematic quality.

Currently, we are developing our film’s marketing materials, which includes working with a graphic artist to create posters, handouts, etc. These marketing materials will be the promotional tools placed in prominent public places: store windows, at kirtan festivals, in yoga studios, in newspaper ads and online. Hare Krishna will be seen everywhere!

On February 1, we hired the film distribution company Abramorama for our North American marketing and distribution. Instead of the traditional way of film distribution where a company buys your film outright, we have chosen to hire a company for a few reasons: 1. the filmmaker retains all the film rights, 2. the production company receives much more revenue from box 
office ticket sales, online streaming, TV and DVD sales, 3. the filmmaker controls the marketing campaign and release strategy. We believe this distribution strategy will ensure that Srila Prabhupada’s life story is shared in the broadest possible way and that maximum profits go back into projects that spread his message for years to come.

We feel honored to have Abramorama onboard. They are an industry leader in the focused, personalized form of film distribution, and provide an invaluable, alternative distribution option to independent filmmakers. They have successfully distributed films such as Eight Days A Week (Ron Howard’s film on the Beatles), Awake: The Life of Yogananda, Miss Sharon Jones!, and The C Word.

For their services, we do require substantial upfront funds to cover costs. Through your generous contributions, we do have enough funds to finish the film and are now collecting donations to fund marketing and distribution through Abramorama.

If you are again inspired to help, please visit our crowd-funding campaign at: https://www.generosity.com/fundraising/acharya-marketing-and-theatrical-distribution

Special thanks to those who have already donated for marketing and distribution on our generosity.com website!

As it stands now, we will definitely premier the film for a one week run in June at a theater in New York City. Then, depending on how much funds are raised, marketing and distribution will continue through the summer to potentially hundreds of movie screens throughout North America (and eventually the world). We are confident that devotees worldwide will rally to the cause and help to take Srila Prabhupada on another tour of the country where he first started his Hare Krishna Movement. The benefit the public will receive is inestimable.

If you would like to volunteer to help, please email us at: *protected email*

We would greatly appreciate you sharing our crowd-funding link with as many family and friends as possible!

Thank you very much for your continued support and encouragement!

Yours in service,

The Hare Krishna! Team
Yadubara das, Visakha dasi, Lauren Ross, Krishna Sanchez & Jessica Heinrich

Film Website: http://www.acharyathemovie.com/

Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/mpN60N8jPxo
Acharya Preview Clip: https://youtu.be/–ocjcB3Vg8

To make a donation please use the link above or mail a check made out to INNER VOICE Productions to the address below. INNER VOICE Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.

Copyright © 2017 Inner Voice Productions Inc., All rights reserved.
Thank you for your support! Stay tuned for updates.

Our mailing address is:

Inner Voice Productions Inc.
13505 NW 146th Avenue
Alachua, FL 32615

The post Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All (formerly the ACHARYA film) appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

In a world characterised by the feverish need to succeed, it’s not that difficult to see the growth of pride in one’s character. The dictionary defines pride as follows:

When one is intoxicated with one’s material or even spiritual achievements, the next phase is a fall down. This is because, to be the centre of power or the ultimate controller or enjoyer is a difficult position for the conditioned living entity to manage. This is something only the Supreme Lord can manage well without being contaminated. When we are proud, we strongly identify with our false ego & our body. We imagine us to be better than anyone else and stronger than all those around us. This leads one to thrive on the accolades & recognition from others, eventually making one unfit to receive any feedbacks or constructive criticisms on one’s deficiencies. Surely, a dangerous position to be in.

In yesterday’s Srimad Bhagavatam class, Abhishek prabhu covered the story of King Nahusa from Canto 9, Chapter 18, Verse 03 – 05.

In summary, King Nahusa was given the opportunity to rule heaven in the absence of Lord Indra (original king of heaven). However, the new king became proud of his powerful position and went after the wife of Lord Indra. In order to protect the queen and also punish the king for his pride, the powerful sages who were present in the court hatched a plot to have him cursed. As a part of the plan, the queen requested the new king to come see her in a palanquin  but carried by powerful sages. The proud king intoxicated with his desire to enjoy the queen did not realise the offence he was about to commit. The sages or brahmins are not to undertake such tasks and meant to be worshipped at all times due to their full-time endeavour to immerse in the thoughts of God. The king was blind to his folly and arranged for such a ride to happen In the slow ride on the palanquin, the king got impatient and prodded one of the sages with his foot – a great insult!

He was immediately cursed to became a snake on the earthly planets but was eventually delivered from his low position when he came in contact with the Pandavas. That’s another story.

Basically, you don’t want to offend a devotee or get cursed by one either. If you do, the only way out is to repent, do a lot of service to the devotees and earn their forgiveness. As we all know, the Lord tolerates any insult directed towards Him but he does not do so when it’s directed towards a devotee.

Both the Lord and material nature are very strict and does not tolerate pride especially towards those in the position of a power. A leader has to be incredibly humble and understand that the power invested in him is a mercy of the Lord. That power and the humility that goes with it, is meant to attract the mercy of the Supreme Lord which can then be passed on to the followers, he/she govern. All the followers in turn will also become humble and will not be proud of their own efforts or be envious of the rulers. This is the way to have a just and peaceful society. That is true success.

In conclusion, we must actively keep a watch out for what we think, say and do and remove any elements of pride. This must be a daily effort. Always remember – Pride Hath A Fall.

 

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The post Gita 13.13 That which grants the immortal is the most vital knowable appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Every Saturday night for many years small Radha Madhava have taken a procession around Sridham Mayapur riding majestically on elephants.

They are accompanied by enthusiastic devotees chanting and dancing in front and behind to the amazement of the thousands of pilgrims that visit here.

Today, Sivaratri here, we did special worship of our deity of Gopisvara Mahadeva, gifted to us by His Holiness Indradyumna Swami. We prayed to Gopisvara,

vrndavanavani-pate jaya soma soma-maule
  sanaka-sanandana-sanatana-naradedya
gopisvara vraja-vilasi-yuganghri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupadhi namo namaste

“O gatekeeper of Vrindavan! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon (soma), and who is worshipable to the sages headed by Sanaka, Sanandana, and Narada! O Gopisvara! Desiring that you bestow upon me pure love for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dhama, I offer my obeisances unto you again and again.” (Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Sankalpa-kalpadruma 103)

Lord Siva is in charge of false ego, so I prayed to him to free me from mine and to establish me in my constitutional position of eternal service to Sri Sri Gandhavika-Giridhari and Their divine servants. And I wish the same for all of you.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami