Food For Life - Nepal (Album with photos)
First wedding sponsor
Today on the day 19 Feb 2017 our newly wed couples Dr Rajendra Tamrakar and his beloved wife Dr Siprala Tamrakar, and Mr Roshan Tamrakar his beloved wife Ms Ranjita Tamrakar have made a kind donation to the Food For Life Nepal, midday meal program.
Mr Roshan Tamrakar and his better half-Ms Ranjita Tamrakar had visited one of the school and personally feed the children where FFLN is serving the children with mid-day meal. After serving the meal they offered their best wishes to FFLN.
Thank you for the support, love & laughter to the children. We wish you both the couples happy married life.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ZKnReE
HH Badrinarayan Swami has been a member of ISKCON since 1970. He began associating with members of the Hare Krishna movement while still at school and joined the Laguna Beach (California) temple in his eighteenth year. A year later, he took initiation from Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles. Again at an early age, Badrinarayan Swami became a temple president—first at Ann Arbor, Michigan from 1973 to 1977, and then in San Diego from 1978 to 1995. His commitment to the GBC is lengthy, spanning twenty-four years, and he genuinely appreciates his peers as wonderful, kind, intelligent, powerful and humble members of that body, who take on the weight of service and responsibility for the whole society. Remarkably, Badrinarayan Swami has maintained his home base at ISKCON San Diego for the last three decades, which has added to the stability and continuity of the community. Continue reading "From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir – Srimad Bhagavatam class, February 20, 2017 → Dandavats"
HH Romapada Swami Maharaja is a disciple of ISKCON Founder Acarya His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He was first introduced to this movement of Krsna consciousness when he was a college student more than 37 years ago. He has accepted renounced order of life- sannyasa, and preaches the message of true devotion by traveling all over the United States of America, Canada, the Caribbean, India, and many other parts of the world. He is also serving the movement for years as a Governing Body Commissioner (GBC) of ISKCON in the North America region. HH Romapada Swami very strongly believes in educating everyone in the process of devotional service. He frequently makes presentations and delivers seminar lectures across the world, in many famous educational institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Harvad University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Penn State University, Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, BITS-Pilani, and at many renowned corporate offices such as Microsoft, Lucent Technologies, just to name a few. Continue reading "From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir – Srimad Bhagavatam class, February 18, 2017 → Dandavats"
The word vanaprastha is composed of the words vana, meaning “forest” and prastha, meaning “to go,” so a vanaprastha is “One has gone to the forest.” Vanaprastha is an asrama in the Vedic varnasrama system. An asrama can be both a physical and mental place and refers to “a place where one cultivates spiritual life, where culture of the spiritual is foremost.” The vanaprastha order is complete retirement from householder life, a time when one prepares oneself for going back to Godhead. It requires shedding one’s material attachments to become free of the repetition of birth and death (samsara). Every man and woman should be trained for this purpose. Continue reading "The Vanaprastha-asrama and its practical application → Dandavats"
QUESTION: I heard people saying that the eater absorbs the consciousness of the cook. Is that true?
First of all, what is described as “consciousness” here is really referring to the “mind.”
Yes, of course, the mind is influenced by everything it experiences – so eating food cooked by a greedy person will make your mind more greedy. And yes, of course, the mind influences everything it creates – so a greedy person puts some “greed germs” into the food he or she cooks.
But can we please be a little bit realistic and practical here for a second?
Getting OCD about who has cooked what is like standing next to a roaring jet engine and complaining that the person next to you has their iPod headpones turned up too loud. Our minds are always agitated and unsettled by huge and powerful influences. We cannot notice the effect of eating food cooked by a person who has a certain frame of mind.
Except we can all notice the most powerful mental state: love. If someone loves you very much, the way they cook and serve you the food has a very obviously delicious taste to it, much beyond the sugar, salt and spices. So, when food is cooked by really sincere bhaktas there is something noticable about its taste and how it delights our minds in a sublime way.
Q: Does the maha-mantra by itself unfold Jnana or would you have to get some Jnana to chant the mantra effectively?
If you have no impediments, then the mantra alone will allow you to directly experience the full reality: Krishna loving Rādhā in Vṛndāvana.
However, if you are like the rest of us, you have impediments that need to be worked out, so you will need sādhana (“practice” – a method of getting rid of impediments).
If you have a very deep, accurate conception of who and what you, Krishna, and everything else is, then your sādhana will quickly get rid of your impediments and thus allow you to directly experience the full reality via the mantra.
However, if you are like the rest of us, you have a lot of misconceptions about yourself, the world, and Krishna – so your sādhana will not be very useful. That means you need sambandha-jñāna – study of śāstra with guru to get rid of these misconceptions.
So, you simply cannot tell a person “just chant.”
They will lose faith in the whole thing, because nothing really substantial will happen. They will not experience Krishna loving Rādhā in Vrindāvana by “just chanting” for millions of years. They have to take up sādhana-bhakti, and to do that they need correct understanding of what the world even is. So, the best thing to do is to teach people śāstra and help them understand what the world is, and what they are, and what God is. Then they can chant effectively.
Q: Do I need to take the mantra (presumably Diksha) and conception of the mantra (presumably Siksa) from the same person or can I do so from different personnel?
You can get dīkṣā and śikṣā from different persons, so long as you have admiration for both, and so long as there is not conflict of meaning or practice between the two. In other words, if the śikṣā-giver teaches you about the mantra in a way that the dīkṣā-giver disagrees with, you’ll run into problems.
Q: Can I take a second mantra from a different guru than the one who gave the first? I took the Maha Mantra Diksha from Iskcon, which is called Hari Naam Diksha. The next step is Brahaman Diksha where you are given sacred thread and Gayatri Mantra to chant along with Maha Mantra. Do I also need to get this from an Iskcon guru?
The mahāmantra does not need dīkṣā. Anyone can chant the mahāmantra effectively, so long as they have no impediments in their conceptions. “Mahāmantra dīkṣā” is a modern term for a convention followed in ISKCON and, I think, other Gaḍīya Maṭh branches.
Anyone can chant Hare Krishna. But practically everyone has impediments, so dīkṣā and śikṣā are a practical necessity.
Dīkṣā concerns the Krishna-mantras like “kṛṣṇāya govindāya…” and “kāmadevāya vidmahe…” Contemplation of these Krishna Mantras are part of the sādhana to remove impediments to fully experiencing the mahāmantra.
“Threads” and savitrī gāyatrī are not part of Vaiṣṇava dīkṣā. Yes, all Gauḍīya Maṭha branches, including ISKCON, give a thread and savitrī gāyatrī during dīkṣā. Again, this is their own unique convention. It is a holdover from about a century ago, when their Ācārya wanted to radically illustrate his point that Vaiṣṇavas are better than brahmanas and can do anything brahmaṇas can do. The thread and savitrī gāyatrī are not an essential part of Vaiṣṇava dīkṣā. Outside of Gauḍīya Maṭha, no other Vaiṣṇava’s include these in dīkṣā.
Q: You have said, “Only the person who has the full realization is fully qualified to propogate the parampara. Others are less qualified. Some are unqualified entirely.” So, who would decide this qualification of a person or does it become self evident from the speech, behaviour and action of the person? As I understand that no body decided for Suka or Suta but it was self evident and by the Divine arrangement relishable Bhagavatam unfolded for us.
You perceive it directly. “By contacting this person, I experience Krishna so much more clearly and directly.”
Sūta and Śuka are perfect examples. All the sages perceived the qualities of Śuka and therefore made him the guru for Parīkṣit. Same for Sūta; Śaunaka and the Naimiśāraṇya sages made him their guru because they percieved the qualities of his realization.
Don’t accept someone as a guru because other people do, or people other people say “this guy is a guru.”
Most people think jñāna means “knowledge.” OK, fine, but what is knowledge, anyway?
Prathamam pramāṇam pratyakṣaḥ – Knowledge is experience.
Knowledge is not stuff in a book. Those are words, which are a part of gaining knowledge; a part of the educational process, śabda.
You know something when you experience it firsthand. There are other ways of coming to knowledge, such as anumāna (rationale) and śabda (education). But these just lead us to pratyakṣa (experience). Experience is what knowledge really is. You only really know something when you have experienced it firsthand.
Firsthand experience doesn’t necessarily mean perfect knowledge, because our tools for experiencing are flawed. Rationale (anumāna) and education (śabda) help to alleviate those flaws.
Reality is Jñāna
Let’s come back to Bhāgavata’s definition of reality: “reality is jñāna.”
Jñāna is experience. Reality is what you experience.
We experience guṇa (qualities). Specifially we jīvas experience the guṇa of prakṛti (qualities of “matter”). We experience redness, coldness, warmth, loudness, sweetness, smoothness, and so on… kindness, harshness, enmity, friendship, and so on… These objects are inseparable components of experience.
Experience involves the experiencer and experienced. The three things — experience, the experienced, and the experiencer — cannot be separated without causing the whole triplicate to disappear from existence.
This is why Bhāgavata specifically defines reality as advaya jñāna – “unseconded experience” (very difficult term to translate) – the advaya (“non-dual”) part of the phrase indicates that the experiencer and experienced are distinct facets of a single entity: experience.
Redness has no reality unless it is experienced by an experiencer.
An experiencer cannot experience redness without the agency of experience (“consciousness”).
Experience cannot act upon redness without an experiencer (“conscious agent”).
The Vedas
So, we hear that “knowledge is beginningless” or “The Veda (knowledge-source) is Beginningless.” Now you can figure out what that means. The knower (experiencer) and the known (reality) are two eternal manifestations of knowledge (consciousness).
The effort to “gain” knowledge is actually an effor to clarify our consciousness, remove impediments (“anartha”) from our consciousness so that our perception of reality can be direct and fully clear. The Veda and the sādhana of its study are techniques to accomplish that.
So by śabda (education from the Veda) and anumana (the sādhana of deliberation upon and practice of that education) our pratyakṣa (experience) of tattva (reality) will become immediate, firsthand, direct and perfectly clear. Then, according to the same verse of Bhāgavata, we will experience reality to one of three extents: brahman, paramātmā, or bhagavān. (A subject for another post…)
The roots of our ego are in our homes, homeland, upbringing, culture and religion. Tell anyone that their culture or religion has some good point, and they will think you are wise. Tell anyone that their culture or religion is not so refined or evolved, they will call you a racist, etc. etc.
We love our pig shit.
Don’t insult my pig shit.
Objectively speaking, Vedic culture (with its music, dance, poetry, grammar, sciences, and most importantly, its concept of consciousness, divinity, happiness, and love) is far, far, far more evolved and sophisticated than any other culture ever was or will be. The shattered remenants of it survive in disjointed shards in its old stronghold, India. Even these shattered remenants can often put other cultures to shame.
Tell this to an Indian, they will say you are wise.
Tell it to a Westerner, they will think you are biased.
It’s amazing to observe the invisible hand of time, taking you closer and closer to your next life destination without you even realising it. Every Monday, I think back and wonder where the weekend went. When I hit Friday, I look back and wonder where the week went. Before you know it, your entire life has finished. If one lives a life of week days and weekends doing mundane chores, it’s surely fruitless. One must remember everyday that time + material nature is in full control of our day-to-day existence. They make us do stuff and we think we are the doers. To make each day an investment, look for opportunities to pray, worship, remember and serve God. Only in this case, can one not feel guilty of losing time through their fingers.
Radha Kunda 17-02 (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: By the unlimited mercy of Srimati Radharani, we visited the most sacred place in the whole universe, Sri Radha Kunda. Payed our humble respects in the holy dust of many important holy places here. We’ll bring you there through the pics of Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/w0hsTI
Logic vs Scripture.
Question: In CC Adi 17.167 Caitanya Mahaprabhu criticizes Islam as being illogical to Chand Kazi “There are many mistakes and illusions in your scriptures. Their compilers, not knowing the essence of knowledge, gave orders that were against reason and argument.” But in prior verse i.e. 166, he states ” Cow-killers are condemned to rot in hellish life for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of the cow" which is even more illogical and unjust punishment by any standard of Christian scriptures, which is an eye for an eye , a tooth for a tooth. So based on Mahaprabhu’s judgement on Islam, we should reject Srimad Bhagavatam due to its descriptions of illogical/unjust punishments in the 5th Canto
Romapada Swami: Yes, the punishment outlined in the 5th Canto SB is very severe, just as the act of killing one’s mother is very severe. Commensurate with a transgression is the reaction; this is the meaning of ‘eye for an eye’.
From a moral point, because we drink cow’s milk from childhood the cow is considered our mother. According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers and cow is one of them. Just as no civilized person would injure or kill their mother, the Vedas teach that to take milk from the cow and then kill her is the same as killing one’s mother. Similarly, the bull is considered like the father because the bull traditionally helps in the tilling of the fields, and thus is to be respected.
According to Vedic civilization the cow is to be given special protection. Cow is very important animal. Not only one gets from its milk so many nutritious food but it is also said to help in developing the finer tissues of the brain by which one can understand the higher values of life. Cow’s milk is in the category of goodness, and even great sages and saintly persons would subsist only on cow’s milk. Not only do we derive nutrition, but in fact it is said that religious principles are derived from the cow.
The human form of life bears with it great opportunity and corresponding facility – self-realization – as well as great responsibility. If we misuse this facility instead to bring harm to others, a great reaction awaits us.
Srila Prabhupada addresses the concern you raise regarding Cc Adi 17.167 in the purport of Cc Adi 17.168: “In our practical preaching work we meet many Christians who talk about statements of the Bible. When we question whether God is limited or unlimited, Christian priests say that God is unlimited. But when we question why the unlimited God should have only one son and not unlimited sons, they are unable to answer. Similarly, from a scientific point of view, the answers of the Old Testament, New Testament and Koran to many questions have changed. But a sastra cannot change at a person’s whim. All sastras must be free from the four defects of human nature. The statements of sastras must be correct for all time”.
God: The Evidence; The God Delusion; God: The Failed Hypothesis; The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. Apparently, writing about God is the latest rage among scientists, both theistic and atheistic. Many of these authors have also been invited to speak to college crowds, and they are causing quite a stir. But is this really the best way to approach the question of God’s existence? Continue reading "The Science of Knowing God → Dandavats"
To say that most politicians are incompetent, and in many cases downright dishonest, isn’t very controversial. We’ve all read about their blunders, their tricks, and their schemes. So the aim of this article is not to give proof of their failure to bring about world peace and prosperity; it is rather to show that the root cause of their incompetence is selfish materialism, and that the remedy is the re- spiritualization of society through the worldwide propagation of Krishna consciousness. Continue reading "What’s Wrong with Our Politicians – Three Examples of Perfect Leadership → Dandavats"
The sad irony is how little we actually have to do with our choices. The Bhagavad-gita gives an eyeopening account of the many voices behind the "I" that makes a choice and the powers that influence them. You're walking down the street when the smell of freshly baked bread tantalizes your nostrils. You can almost picture the crusty outside and the soft, warm center drizzled with butter. The first voice is so quick its almost imperceptible,"That smells so good." A second voice goes, "I'm hungry. I need to eat." You even feel your mouth watering. "Now," a third voice pipes up, "breakfast was only an hour ago. What about that low-carb diet you resolved to follow for the new year?" The second voice responds, urgent and more forceful, "Forget it. I want it and I want it now. Just one piece wouldn't hurt."Half an hour later you are exiting with a couple of loaves and a bag full of other "baddies" that you never knew you needed. Was this your freedom to choose? Well, Yes. But which part of you? The first voice belongs to our senses which act as receptacles for impulses that the world throws us. Continue reading "Principles of Freedom → Dandavats"
Perhaps casually, perhaps loosely, perhaps as a habit, perhaps everyday, we say 2 words – Thank you – words that can be so life changing. In most cases, our utterance of thanks happens when we have received something we want. But to be thankful to a person or a situation, when it’s completely unfavourable to one’s life is a difficult thing to do. In such situations, we often blame others, or our fate or worse, God. The ancient scriptures of the East requires that every human being understand that we get what we deserve. It’s only a reaction that has manifested due to a past action. The action could be from this lifetime or a previous one. The devotees of Lord Krishna however, accept any challenging situation as a blessing from Him. They do not distinguish between what is good, bad or ugly. This comes from their heart’s full acceptance that they have somehow or another secured an opportunity to remember and worship the Lord. Everything else is just a temporary distraction. If the whole world thought this way, will there ever be hatred, crime, war and anxiety?
She grew up in a nishada family, and it was the day before her marriage, her father having brought thousands of goats and sheep to be sacrificed for her wedding. With compassion and sadness in her heart, not being able to bear to see the slaughter of those animals the young woman ran away into the forest and stayed.
She went to many rsis and asked them to accept her as their disciple and teach her true knowledge, but all of the rsis rejected her considering her unworthy to become their disciple because of her being of lower caste.
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on February 18, 2017)
Where I Went and What I Did
I continued staying in Tallahassee for eight days, chanting at Florida State University for three hours each weekday, distributing vegan oatmeal cookies and invitations to our campus Krishna Lunch program and to the temple Sunday Feast and Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class, and trying to interest people in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita. I also taught a class on mantra meditation there. Then I spent a Wednesday chanting at the Gainesville Krishna Lunch and the Farmers Market and attending a University of Florida interfaith event, a progressive dinner. Then I joined Ramiya Prabhu and his wife, Ananta Dasi, in chanting at and attending our campus Bhakti Yoga Society program at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Friday I chanted at Krishna Lunch and with the Alachua devotees at the University of Florida entrance. Saturday devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, and Tampa chanted for three hours at the yearly Gasparilla pirate festival in Tampa and had a picnic in a park. After attending the Sunday feast in Alachua, I went to Jacksonville to chant with the University of North Florida Krishna Club devotees on that campus and attend the evening program at the Jacksonville Bhakti House. Then I returned to Tallahassee for the final day of January.
I share insights from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures. I share excerpts from Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. I include notes on lectures by Srila Prabhupada disciples from Alachua, namely Mother Nanda, Ramiya Prabhu, and Mother Sukhada. I present notes on a class by Kaliya Damona Prabhu about japa, and quotes from “A Succession Conflict Caused by Selflessness,” a Back to Godhead article by Caitanya Candra Prabhu. I share notes on a class by Hanan of Krishna House, and interesting quotes from a Christian preacher and people from different faiths who attended the University of Florida interfaith progressive dinner.
Thanks to the lady who gave me a donation on harinama at Tallahassee’s Lake Ella.
Itinerary
February 18: Jacksonville Monster Truck Jam harinama
February 19–24: Tallahassee, FSU campus
February 25: Sacred Sounds @ USF, Tampa
February 26–April 8: North and Central Florida campuses
April 9–11: Washington, D.C.
April 12: Albany
April 13: New York City
April 14–September 5: Europe
Harinama at University of North Florida
University of North Florida in Jacksonville is my favorite college to chant Hare Krishna at because so many students from their Krishna Club are willing to join us and so many students passing by are open to taking cookies and invitations.
Special thanks to Amrita Keli Devi Dasi, Hare Krishna chaplain at UNF and organizer of the party, who is playing the drum in the beginning of the video, and thanks to lead singers, Richie, Youssef, and Dorian, respectively (https://youtu.be/tCwwGnW_7UA):
All the devotees had led kirtana except Courtney (on the far right at the end of the above video), who had never led before and who was celebrating her birthday that day. I suggested she lead, but she said she preferred to follow. Amrita had suggested she could sing the Prabhupada tune because it is very easy. So I offered to I play the Prabhupada tune for her while she sang it. She decided to try. Afterwards I complimented her for going beyond her limits, and she replied, “That was awesome! I really loved doing that!” It is nice to be an instrument in people taking another step toward Krishna. If you have a Facebook account, by clicking on this link, you can see Courtney sing in this video taken by Amrita Keli Devi Dasi (https://www.facebook.com/2040949/videos/vb.2040949/10110281001766861/?type=2&theater). Amrita also took a video of me singing (https://www.facebook.com/2040949/videos/vb.2040949/10110281005304771/?type=2&theater). It is nice to see the enthusiasm of the students for the chanting.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee
I chanted at Florida State University in Tallahassee for three hours each weekday, distributing vegan oatmeal cookies and invitations to our campus Krishna Lunch program and to the temple Sunday Feast and Tuesday Bhagavad-gita class, and trying to interest people in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita.
One day a young lady named Isabella stopped by my table, and in the course of our conversation, she mentioned that her mother did meditation and had compiled research showing how meditation actually changes the structure of the brain. I invited her to the Krishna Lunch and the mantra meditation class I was going to do that evening behind the library. She looked at her watch, and realized she had better leave soon if she wanted to make it in time for lunch. As it turns out, she was the only one to show up for mantra meditation. I explained how we have an existence beyond the body and mind and that the mantra nourishes our transcendental self. We chanted twice for ten minutes each, with some discussion in between, and I encouraged her to chant ten minutes each day. She has been doing it for three weeks now and writes, “It is wonderful. I am so happy to have stumbled upon the practice. It has impacted my life very positively.” She also became a regular attender at Krishna Lunch and enjoyed the one Sunday Feast program she came to.
On Inauguration Day, as I was chanting at FSU’s Landis Green I could heard students protesting that event behind me. Of course that made it harder for me to focus on my chanting. Some students seeing me chanting with the protesters behind, expressed to their friends that my contribution was the real solution, and I appreciated that.
One day I made oatmeal with slivered almonds roasted in coconut oil, cinnamon, and turbinado sugar, and offered it to our Gaura-Nitai deities at the Tallahassee temple. It was just awesome. I really think it was the best oatmeal I had this life. Maybe Gaura-Nitai were pleased I decided to cook Them something instead of just having Krishna Lunch leftovers for breakfast.
The last day of the month I returned to Tallahassee. While I was singing, a woman named Suzette came up to me who appreciated the chant. She told me she lived for two months in a Hare Krishna ashram in Chapel Hill.
Looking at her graying hair, I asked, “In the 1970s?”
She replied, “Yes.”
She told me that the Hare Krishnas had the best food in the world, and I smiled and told her of the Krishna Lunch on the FSU campus. Every Tuesday, she takes a class in teaching French, so she promised to check out the Krishna Lunch the next week, and sure enough she did. She was very happy to see the Hare Krishnas still have the best food in the world. She wanted to learn how to cook it, and I told her about Yamuna Devi’s amazing cookbook, Lord Krishna’s Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, that won awards for being the best Indian and the best vegetarian cookbook the year it came out.
Chanting at the Gainesville Farmers Market
The devotees canceled the weekly harinama at the Gainesville Farmers Market because the yearly interfaith dinner was Wednesday night, and they felt there was not enough time to do both. I had returned from Tallahassee on Wednesday just to participate in it, and so I encouraged them to chant at the Farmers Market for an hour so they would have time to do the other event. Later the devotees expressed gratitude that I resurrected the program that week.
Here Krishna Prasada Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Gainesville Farmers Market (https://youtu.be/SEzem0rHa9A):
The University of Florida Interfaith Progressive Dinner
For the last four years or so, the chaplains at University of Florida have organized what they call an interfaith “progressive” dinner. The initial snacks are always at the Hillel House far to the west on University Avenue. The main course is always the Hare Krishna spaghetti which this year was served along with the Lutheran’s salad at their place to the east of Hillel. The Episcopal church serves the hot drinks, usually tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. This year they had Bengal Spice, my favorite of the herb teas.
At that church some artistic types had made a nice sign welcoming the people from the different traditions and thanking Christ and Krishnas:
Other signs in that church had progressive messages:
Standing up for truth is important. Truthfulness is sometimes said to be the distinguishing quality of a brahmana.
What does Krishna say about kind words? “Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.” (Bhagavad-gita 17.15)
I had never heard of Gandhi’s seven deadly social sins. Have you?
This year I decided to talk with some of the older people who encourage the students in their faith instead of the students themselves. I asked one Christian gentleman in charge of a spiritual program for his group what motivates the students the most in a spiritual direction. He explained retreats, where you get away from your daily life and just focus on spiritual activities, either in town or at some remote retreat center, are the most powerful way of motivating the students.
The Wesleyans have the dessert at the end, along with the entertainment.
Chanting with Alachua Devotees at the University of Florida Entrance
Almost every Friday since I moved to Alachua in 1994, I would chant with the Alachua devotees at the corner of University Avenue and Thirteenth Street in Gainesville, on the northeast corner of the University of Florida campus, where the entrance gate stands.
Here Nagaraja Prabhu, editor of Back to Godhead magazine, chants Hare Krishna at University of Florida entrance (https://youtu.be/nA7XcFxv39M):
Here Shankha Prabhu, the famous cook, chants Hare Krishna at the University of Florida entrance (https://youtu.be/ogQ81m7ieLI):
After the Sunday feast devotees who love kirtana, young and old alike, stay and chant in the temple room until the deities are put to rest for the evening, just after 9 p.m.
Here Lilananda Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, chants Hare Krishna after the Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/4gKEf2MuLiM):
Here Dhanya, wife of Bali Prabhu and daughter of Havi Prabhu, chants Hare Krishna after the Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/yo_y9TfM8Nk):
Anasuya, a third-generation devotee girl, chants Hare Krishna after Alachua Sunday Feast (https://youtu.be/2kOtP4esZtY):
Conversation with a Nurse
A nurse asked me what I did as a monk, and I told her that I taught classes on Bhagavad-gita. She surprised me by saying, “I am studying Bhagavad-gita.” I asked her where she was studying the Gita, and she explained that the hospital she was working in had a course on holistic medicine, and that was part of the course.
Later as she reviewed my chart, seeing the date of my birth she exclaimed, “September 30! That is the same day my dog, Bhakti, was born!”
“You have a dog named Bhakti?” I inquired incredulously.
“Yes,” she replied. “I have three of them, Jai Ram, Kali, and Bhakti.”
I asked her how she came up with such spiritual names for her dogs, and she told how a very devout Muslim patient, who gave a her Koran out of gratitude, started her on a spiritual search.
She said that she thought that our meeting was providential.
I had explained I was doing a meditation on my beads, and when I left, I gave her a copy of the new On Chanting Hare Krishna, with the text of Srila Prabhupada’s description of the Hare Krishna mantra from the record album, and I told her about Dhira Govinda Prabhu’s research showing the Hare Krishna mantra decreased stress and depression to a statistically significant degree while a bogus mantra of Sanskrit words in the same pattern was ineffectual from the statistical point of view.
It was striking to me that a Western lady about forty, with a perceptable English accent, would be studying Bhagavad-gita and have dogs named after an incarnation of Krishna, a pure devotee of Krishna, and the process for attaining Him.
Harinama at Gasparilla
The last Saturday in January, devotees from Alachua, Gainesville, and Tampa chanted for three hours at the yearly Gasparilla pirate festival in Tampa and had a picnic in a park.
On college-aged lady told her friend, “They are the Hare Krishnas. They are on all the campuses. I see them at the stadium in Gainesville.”
Cloe, who attends Krishna Lunch at Florida State University in Tallahassee, and who has stopped by my book table behind the library two or three times during the last couple of weeks, greeted me in Tampa, as surprised to see me as I was to see her. She apparently drove at least four and a half hours by herself from Tallahassee to Tampa to attend Gasparilla for the first time. She was amazed to see the large group of devotees, and I explained we have a large community in the Gainesville / Alachua area, and we came down for the event.
One couple, who enjoyed dancing with us, especially the girl, said they had moved here just recently from Colorado, and were happy to encounter us. They wanted to know if we had a Tampa temple, and I made sure they had an invitation card for the local nama-hatta programs. She had graduated from University of South Florida in Tampa, and I gave her a card for the programs we have at that university.
Here are just some of the highlights, including the dancing dinosaur [6 minutes] (https://youtu.be/k7M4s2WN3G0):
“Since no one in this material world can tolerate another’s advancement, everyone in the material world is called matsara, envious. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is therefore said that Srimad-Bhagavatam is meant for those who are completely nirmatsara(nonenvious). In other words, one who is not free from the contamination of envy cannot advance in Krishna consciousness. In Krishna consciousness, however, if someone excels another person, the devotee who is excelled thinks how fortunate the other person is to be advancing in devotional service. Such nonenvy is typical of Vaikuntha. However, when one is envious of his competitor, that is material.”
From a class on Bhagavad-gita 13.26 in New Delhi on September 22, 1974
“When this body, this old body, will not be workable, when the machine will not act, then I – or you, every one of us – will have to change. Suppose your car is going on then somehow or other it stops. Then you take another car and continue your journey. The car’s stopping to work does not mean that the man who is in the car also stops. No. He continues.”
“There are so many different types of next life, beginning from Brahmaloka, the highest planet, down to the smallest insect. So why should we try to make a better position within this material world? Why should we waste our time like that? We have seen that to occupy the post of president, Mr. Nixon had to work so much in the beginning. I was in America at that time. He was advertising, ‘America needs Nixon now.’ He had to spend millions and millions of dollars, and there were so many cliques and there was so much political intrigue. But now, somehow or other, his presidency is gone. He has been dragged down.”
“Krishna’s name, Krishna’s form, Krishna’s qualities, Krishna’s pastimes – everything about Krishna is absolute. You’re chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. It is not only a sound; it is Krishna personally. You are in direct touch with Krishna when you chant Hare Krishna. This realization is Krishna consciousness.”
“So how can one learn about Krishna consciousness? Those who do not know can come to this Krishna conscious center, and they will understand by hearing from the members. We are opening so many centers. Why? Because people do not know about Krishna, and it is our duty to give them the chance to know. They’ll inquire. They’ll see how we are worshiping Krishna, how we are offering prasadam, how we are serving. They also can go back home, back to Godhead by learning from us. It is a school. We are teaching others.”
“We are all eternally the servants of Krishna. That we have forgotten. Now, in this life, we have surrendered to Krishna and accepted His service. ‘Krishna, for so long I forgot You. I am Your eternal servant, but I forgot. Now, in this life, I can understand. Therefore I surrender unto You.’ This is our life. Krishna consciousness means, ‘Krishna, I forgot You. I forgot my relationship with You. But now I have come to know that I am Your eternal servant. Therefore engage me.”’
“Consider Mahatma Gandhi. He was serving his country, but his countrymen killed him. It is a fact. So you cannot satisfy anyone. Who can give more service to his country than Mahatma Gandhi? But what was the return? His countrymen killed him. This is the return. You go on serving your senses in the name of your country, society, and family, and they’ll never be satisfied. So why should you be so serious about serving someone other than Krishna? That is sensible.
“Better to serve Krishna. Then you surpass the jurisdiction of birth and death. You conquer the repetition of birth and death simply by this process of hearing. If you simply hear Bhagavad-gita from realized souls regularly, by hearing alone you will be able to conquer birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the result.”
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:
From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:
“You want to be a part of the spiritual world, of Krishna's pastimes in Vraja. It is beginning to happen. But so far, it is not that real to you. You have only been hearing it for a few years, and it has only been a few months since you gained the focus that this should be the goal of your life. For many years and lifetimes, a file has accumulated, filled with so many real and imagined adventures (they are all actually mayic misadventures). So you cannot be part of any world right now. You cannot sink roots into this earth, and neither can you fly to Goloka. You cannot entirely give up your sense of self in this world, and you are tired of playing the center of existence. The condition of your japareflects this confused state of being.
“I am not confused, but between worlds is a more accurate wording. Arjuna also felt this and expressed it to Sri Krishna: ‘But for Yourself, there is no one who can remove this doubt.’ Arjuna thought that if he followed Krishna’s instructions for self-realization, then he would have to give up his hopes for happiness in this world. But what if he failed to attain the transcendental goal? Then he would be neither here nor there, but be like a small cloud torn apart from a big cloud and floating loose in the big sky. Lord Krishna assured His friend that one who does good never meets with evil. Even if Arjuna could not completely succeed on the path of bhakti, there would be no loss. Whatever gains he had made would be continued in the next life. As a result of his spiritual efforts in this life he would be born in the family of yogis or devotees, or pious wealthy people. From there he would be automatically attracted to spiritual life again, and as soon as possible, complete the course for going back to Godhead.
“Therefore, if we cannot chant with attention right now, chant anyway and chant more. Make efforts to control the mind. Discuss the aparadhas in chanting and be alert to when you may be about to commit them. Be glad if you don’t feel part of this world. Go on hearing the pastimes of Radha and Krishna. Associate with devotees and avoid those who would destroy your faith and enthusiasm. Your devotional activities are all gains. They often seem comical because of the awkward place you are in, so there is no harm in having a laugh at yourself. At least you won’t become proud that you are an accomplished taster of rasa.”
Radhanath Swami:
Quoted by a disciple:
There is no such thing as a mistake, if we are always learning.
Mother Nanda:
The primary characteristic of pure devotional service is favorable and in relationship to Krishna.
Such pure devotional service begins by developing faith in the spiritual master.
If we only look forward we may be discouraged because the distance we have to go is so vast, so it is good to look back sometimes to see how far we have progressed, but it is not good to always look back.
Comment by Gopal: A sign we are advancing is that, although we may still have material desires, our tendency to act on them is no longer present.
Sometimes you realize you are not as advanced as you thought. That realization, although it seems like a step down, is actually a step up.
Ramiya Prabhu:
If we become Krishna’s devotee, we enter Krishna’s inner circle and He takes special care of us.
Our material life is like a quarter. You do not get just the heads, but you get the tails too. You want just happiness, but you get distress as well.
When we see Krishna has helped us, we should feel grateful and do something for Him to express our gratitude.
If we chant the glories of the Lord, He will take seriously our claim to be His devotee.
Like parents, what do they want from the child? Just love. Krishna is the same way.
Bandhu means you are my friend, like on Facebook, but not outside, but suhrt means someone who is always my friend.
Krishna is waiting for everyone in Tallahassee to turn to Him, but most of them are not inclined.
Srila Prabhupada explained that if we offer something to Krishna with the mood, “I have no good qualification to be Your friend, but please accept this gift,” Krishna will happily accept it.
Q: If someone is a great devotee his whole life and then does something wrong, what will happen to him?
A: That is up to Krishna. Bharata was a great devotee, but he become absorbed in taking care of a deer and forgot his devotional practice, and Krishna punished him giving him the body of a deer in the next life. Usually that does not happen to a devotee [that he takes an animal birth], but Krishna wanted to teach him a lesson.
Mother Sukhada:
Formerly kings were so powerful they could end drought and famine.
Srila Prabhupada would make the point there is no scarity only mismanagement.
Srila Prabhupada tried to connect with anyone he could. He would talk to famous amd important people in hopes of convincing them of his message.
Srila Prabhupada made an analogy in a conversation with Toynbee that the situation of the people in general is like children who have a father who has given them a great inheritance but whose dependents are unable to access it and thus benefit by it. God wants everyone to have the joy of Krishna-prema, but the people do not have the knowledge of how to attain it.
The drug problem is so bad that every 19 minutes someone dies of an overdose of drugs.
Srila Prabhupada, while talking with George Harrison and Yoko Ono, praised them for becoming successful in the music industry, and he urged them to take advantage of that popularity by sharing spiritual knowledge through their music. George Harrison took it seriously and thus inspired many in a spiritual way.
Kirtana is so popular that they even have rabbi kirtana in the synagogues.
One lady in Hawaii got a book from the devotees and put it on her shelf. She did not read it for years, but once she was a little depressed, and she took the book off the shelf, and read it. She read it a little bit more, and she moved in the temple in Hawaii.
There is a celebrated story of a man who was so disturbed by a lady distributing books on a bus, he ripped the book in half and stepped on it, and rudely pushed the lady off the bus. So as not to litter, he put the ripped up book in his bag. His maid found the book, repaired it, and put it on the shelf. Years later, the man’s wife died, then he got cancer, and he was depressed and he saw the book on the shelf and read it. He realized it really did tell about ultimate goal of life. He felt so bad about how he treated the lady who was distributing it, he went to the temple, and explained what had happened. He had one desire: to meet that lady and apologize. And the devotees made that arrangment.
Comment by Yugala: I distributed a book to one lady on a bus who wrote me back really grateful she got the book. She said she had decided to kill herself, but on reading the book she changed her mind.
Kaliya Damana Prabhu:
From a japa class:
Srila Prabhupada said that Jayananda was the first pure devotee to come out of ISKCON. Jayananda Prabhu would say, “Always encourage and never discourage.” He would always leave the room when he heard criticism of devotees.
Everything we do is to chant better.
Japa is like the password that unlocks your computer. Everything becomes available if you have the password.
In Denver as an experiment, we had the whole congregation chant one round of japa together at the Sunday feast. We happened to have 500 sets of japa beads on hand, and we engaged in the whole mostly Indian congregation in chanting one round together. We ended up selling 250 sets of japa beads that day and making japa a weekly event.
I find it hard to focus on the holy name on a japa walk. Prabhupada did it, but I know he wasn’t window shopping.
Comment by Abhi: In Jaiva Dharma, Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, “A Vaishnava has no taste for arguments.”
The Bible indicates that Jesus was a vegetarian:
Isaiah 7: 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
Comment by Tulasirani Devi Dasi: I beg Srimati TulasiDevi to help me when I chant japa, and I find very soon she helps me.
Krishna wants us to offer everything to Him, not just the good things. When we offer the bad things into the fire of Krishna consciousness, we become purified.
If thoughts come to mind during japa if you write them down, then they will be off your mind and you can chant peacefully.
Caitanya Candra Prabhu:
From “A Succession Conflict Caused by Selflessness” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 51, No. 3 (May / June, 2017):
“Valuing relations over possessions is foundational for the sustenance of family, society, and humanity. Bharata considered the affection he relished in his relationship with Rama far more meaningful and fulfilling than the gratification of ruling the kingdom. Even if we can’t be as selfless as Bharata, still a slight increase in selflessness in our relationships can significantly improve them and substantially decrease conflicts.”
Hanan:
The difference between the university and life is that in the university you learn first and then you take a test and in life you get a test first and then you learn from the test.
The first six chapters of the Bhagavad-gita deal withkarma-yoga, the next middle six chapters deal with bhakti-yoga, and the final six deal with jnana-yoga.
Bhakti is in the middle because it is confidential and to protect it.
Comment by Dhamesvara Mahaprabhu dasa Prabhu: Without the touch of bhakti, karma and jnana are not fruitful. Thus bhakti is in the middle in order to touch both.
When we hear if we remember Krishna at the end of life that we will attain Krishna, we might conclude, “I will do what I like and then just remember Krishna at the end.” That however is not practical because the time of death is a critical time and it not easy to just remember something that we have no deeply routed attachment for at that time. Therefore, Krishna recommends to practice to remember him.
Patanjali says that attachment is a moment of pleasure we become attached to so we want to do it over and over again.
Shabari was a goat herd girl, who was upset when she told she would be married and some of the her goats would be killed for the marriage feast. She did not want the goats to be killed, so she left home for the forest. She took shelter of the ashram of Matanga Rsi, and she rendered all kinds of services to him. Then the monks left, having attained perfection, and before going they instructed Shabari to continue worshiping Rama with devotion. Rama came by her place when He was in the forest. She would pick fruits, taste them to make sure they were sweet, and then offer them to Rama. Although it was nonstandard to taste fruits before offering them, Rama accepted her devotion, and blessed her she would attain perfection. After Rama left, she sat in trance, meditating on Lord Rama, and attained perfection. We can learn from this that bhakti is so easy that no qualification is needed to execute it.
The whole story of Shabari as told by Radha Govinda Swami in detail, I found online at:
Comment by me during prasadam to guests: We can also learn from the story of Shabari, about the power of associating with devotees in attaining bhakti.
Interfaith Progressive Dinner participants:
A Quaker lady: If you have 2 Quakers, you will have 3 opinions.
A Christian boy: If God leads you to it, He will lead you through it.
A young Mormon preacher: When God gives you a test, you are either strong enough to pass it or about to become strong enough to pass it.
Christian TV preacher:
God loves it when we trust Him. He loves it when we trust Him in all aspects of our life.
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In the Hare Krishna movement, we advise everyone to engage in the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord (sankirtana) and to encourage others also to perform this chanting for their ultimate deliverance from material existence and attainment of spiritual perfection. Lord Caitanya was so advised by His guru, Sri Isvara Puri, who said:
naca, gao, bhakta-sange kara sankirtana
krishna-nama upadesi’ tara’ sarva-jana
“‘My dear child, continue dancing, chanting and performing sankirtana in association with devotees. Furthermore, go out and preach the value of chanting krishna-nama,for by this process You will be able to deliver all fallen souls.’” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 7.92)
New Vrindaban to Host 2017 ISKCON North America Farm Conference
By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON New Vrindaban Communications
Sunflowers grown in New Vrindaban gardens
New Vrindaban is set to host the second annual ISKCON North America Farm Conference from October 13th to 15th this year.
The GBC Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture, which organized conferences on simple living in four continents last year, is behind the event. The conference, themed “Back to the Basics,” will be facilitated by ECO-Vrindaban and ISKCON New Vrindaban.
Organizers include ISKCON Minister for cow protection and agriculture Kalakantha Das; ECO-Vrindaban board chairperson Sri Tulasi Manjari Dasi; volunteer coordinator Mukunda Das; ISKCON Alachua’s Save the Cow program co-director Kesihanta Das; and Gita-Nagari farm representative Keshi Mardana Das.
Representatives from thirty farming efforts all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be invited. The conference will feature presentations, demonstrations and hands-on workshops held onsite at different cow protection and agricultural facilities throughout New Vrindaban. Topics will include cow care, oxen training, planting, cover cropping, disease control, greenhouses, and organic pest control.
The main goal of the conference is to help facilitate a network of support amongst established and aspiring devotee farmers, gardners and cow protectors.
Sunflowers grown in New Vrindaban gardens
“We’re all so spread out, so if we start building relationships, it might just make farming a little bit easier,” says co-organizer Sri Tulasi Manjari. “For instance, one farmer might say, ‘I did this for my cow when it got mastisis,’ and another might share, ‘I use this soap to get rid of aphids.’ It creates a support network where we can just call or email someone who might know the answer to a problem, saving each farmer from having to learn everything from scratch.”
The conference also aims to inspire devotees who are not yet pursuing the simple life to make some effort towards it.
“We hope to raise awareness that farming is an important part of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions,” says Sri Tulasi. “And we’d like to encourage devotees in North America to take up some form of agriculture, whether it be growing flowers for their Deities, starting a local community garden, or working together to protect cows.”
The ‘Back to the Basics’ conference at New Vrindaban is just one of a worldwide series of Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture conferences this year, which will include gatherings in Nova Gokula, Brazil, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary, and more.
“ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban are pleased to host this conference in hopes to inspire as many devotees as possible to engage in farming,” Sri Tulasi beams.
Marriage is like a fortress created by the husband and wife to protect themselves from the powerful enemies of the uncontrolled senses so that both of them may peacefully advance spiritually. “The bodily senses are considered plunderers of the fort of the body. The wife is supposed to be the commander of the fort, and therefore whenever there is an attack on the body by the senses, it is the wife who protects the body from being smashed.” (SB 3.14.20) “There is no difference between a good wife and good intelligence. One who possesses good intelligence can deliberate properly and save himself from many dangerous conditions.” (SB 4.26.16) “One who is situated in household life and who systematically conquers his mind and five sense organs is like a king in his fortress who conquers his powerful enemies.” (SB 5.1.18) As in any battle, if they would be victorious, the fighters must first be enthusiastic. Continue reading "Marriage Matters – What Makes It Stronger → Dandavats"
Days Two and Three of ISKCON GBC, Sannyasi and Guru Sanga.
On the second and third days of the GBC, sannyasi and guru sanga, the participants began to untie this Gordian knot. The morning session of the second day started with a report back by the sanga participants. The three topics tackled by the groups were issues that had been identified from their discussions the previous day. The first subject was “substance versus form”. There was a general feeling that sometimes in ISKCON substance is lost over form. The group explained a number of encouraging ways to deal with this. These included, a Srila Prabhupada founder-acarya seminar so that subsequent generations can have a better understanding of him, evolving a culture that focuses on developing human qualities such as more compassion and kindness, and ensuring that the nine processes of bhakti are better understood by the devotee community. The group surmised that spiritual education, character formation and spiritual insight would boost substance over form.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/UPPydV
Born in the United Kingdom. Janananda Goswami was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1972. He held various positions in ISKCON and served Srila Prabhupada in various countries notably the United Kingdom, Africa, Malaysia, Philippines and New Zealand. Janananda Maharaj travelling and preaching all over the world, the main driving force behind the World Holy Name initiative and various other wonderful projects in ISKCON. He is also member of committee for Kirtans Standards. His kirtans, harinam, spontaneous skits, realizations, scholarliness in the shastras, witty nature, humility and many other transcendental qualities attracts even the most distracted souls to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna. Continue reading "From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir – Srimad Bhagavatam class, February 17, 2017 → Dandavats"
Vijaya Ekadasi Fasting.....................on Wed Feb 22nd,2017 Breakfast................. on Thu Feb 23rd ,2017 b/w 7.04am-10.43am Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.
English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is availablehere
Adult Education At The Temple As part of our adult education at ISKCON Brampton, we would be conducting a series of seminars and courses soon.
The first one will be on Saturday Feb 25 starting 9:30am to 12:30pm. Topic - "Exploring the art of chanting"
To register ($10 per participant) please contact Mother PremaGaurangi premagaurangi.jps@hotmail.com. Prasadam will be included.
Gaura Purnima(Appearance of Lord Caitaniya) **Fasting till moonrise**
Celebration at the temple on March 12
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Person, Krishna Himself, appearing as His own devotee, to teach us that we can gain full enlightenment simply by chanting the holy names of the Lord:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
The present-day International Society for Krishna Consciousness continues the work begun by Lord Chaitanya, who predicted that the chanting of the holy names of Krishna would spread all over the world.
**Details of the full program will be posted shortly**
Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation
Next program is on March 18
The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His Energy to give protection to the conditioned soul.japa, when performed with focus and attention, can subdue the agitating effects of one’s mind and senses. The senses, of which the mind is also one, are constantly being stimulated by the external world - by gross and subtle matter. If you have not chanted before, and would like to participate in this program, we will be very happy to show how you can do this. All welcome. We’ll loan you a set of Beads!
Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)
“One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas)
Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy.
The Vaisnavi Sanga hosted by ISKCON Brampton is a special opportunity for ladies to come together for a spiritual getaway in peaceful, intimate surroundings. It is the perfect occasion for an evening filled with amazing association, spiritually surcharged program, and Krishna conscious discussions. It is a place where we will be able to learn from each other and have a safe forum to express our doubts and open our hearts.
The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. School The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).
The Mentorship Program
Please note that registration in the Mentorship System is now a mandatory requirement for all initiation requests at ISKCON Brampton.It
1.Facilitates and nurtures devotees aspiring for first and second Initiation. 2.One-on-One personal follow up on a regular basis. 3.Systematic training to devotees in matters of Philosophy, Sadhna, Vaishnava behavior, etiquette, Lifestyle and attitudes.
Are you looking for some amazing gift items which are less expensive and more beautiful for your loved ones for festivals or many other occasions?? Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewellery, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.
Today morning’s Bhagavatam class was held by Gokuleshwar prabhu, i believe is from ISKCON Juhu (India) temple. At least that’s what i learnt from a Google search Should have asked someone at the temple. Anyway, what I wanted to say was that it was a great class. It was funny, insightful and a great reminder of where we stand in life.
His allotted verse was from Srimad Bhagavatam, 9.16.24:
TEXT 24
sva-dehaṁ jamadagnis tu labdhvā saṁjñāna-lakṣaṇam ṛṣīṇāṁ maṇḍale so ‘bhūt saptamo rāma-pūjitaḥ
SYNONYMS
sva-deham—his own body; jamadagniḥ—the great sage Jamadagni; tu—but; labdhvā—regaining; saṁjñāna-lakṣaṇam—showing full symptoms of life, knowledge and remembrance; ṛṣīṇām—of the great ṛṣis; maṇḍale—in the group of seven stars; saḥ—he, Jamadagni; abhūt—later became; saptamaḥ—the seventh; rāma-pūjitaḥ—because of being worshiped by Lord Paraśurāma.
TRANSLATION
Thus Jamadagni, being worshiped by Lord Paraśurāma, was brought back to life with full remembrance, and he became one of the seven sages in the group of seven stars.
PURPORT
The seven stars revolving around the polestar at the zenith are called saptarṣi-maṇḍala. On these seven stars, which form the topmost part of our planetary system, reside seven sages: Kaśyapa, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bharadvāja. These seven stars are seen every night, and they each make a complete orbit around the polestar within twenty-four hours. Along with these seven stars, all the others stars also orbit from east to west. The upper portion of the universe is called the north, and the lower portion is called the south. Even in our ordinary dealings, while studying a map, we regard the upper portion of the map as north.
From that simple verse, he expounded important points covering topics such as death, power of time, Krishna’s mindset, why He has pastimes, role of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, hollow statements of space scientists and our own acceptance of Krishna. Some main points below:
Death is inevitable and irreversible. It will force you to disconnect and lose everything you have materially.
The hand of invisible “Time” is present in everything and everywhere. But, we ignore it or forget it.
Krishna’s giving of mercy to someone seems illogical at times but the truth of the matter is that we can’t use our logic to understand Krishna’s actions.
Krishna performs pastimes for the benefit of humanity and to attract us more and more towards Him. Otherwise, He can easily kill each asura one by one with just a heart attack!
When there is a problem, a brahmana offers a solution via knowledge, a Kshatriyas offers it through action, a vaishya through a profit motive and a sudra through a crude emotion. Same problem but each answers/actions belongs to the 3 modes of goodness, passion or ignorance.
Universe did not generate from a Big Bang but generated from a Big Brain! Even if it came from an explosion, then it must be a controlled and an organised explosion in which case, the question arises, “who is the controller of that controlled explosion?”
We have to accept the daily prescriptions of “Dr. Radha Gopinath” with complete trust and faith.
I really enjoyed the last point about Dr. Krishna. As prabhu said, the prescriptions of the doctor is always different for every patient and it might not always be tasty. It can be bitter & painful, perhaps a long term treatment too. At times, the treatment doesn’t make sense either. But, if we accept the doctor’s instruction with complete faith, patience and action, we will get better. “Dr. Krishna’s” allotment of events, trials and tribulations in our lives may not make sense at all either now or later, but if we take it with the understanding that this is what is meant for my life today and tomorrow, and carry on with life – we will surely attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord one day. All liberated patients (acharyas & saints) have clearly promised this.
So, let’s start getting treated! Go to your temple, associate with the devotees, perform service, listen to spiritual discourses, gaze at the deity form of the Lord and continue to accept the favourable and unfavourable situations of life. You will get better one day
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared in Jagannatha Puri on February 6th 1874 as the son of Srila Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In his childhood he quickly mastered the Vedas, memorised the Bhagavad-gita, and relished his father’s philosophical works. He became known as “The Living Encyclopaedia” for his vast knowledge.
He preached convincingly against casteism and philosophical deviations from Gaudiya Vaisnavism. He tried to unite the four Vaisnava sampradayas by publishing their teachings. Srila Sarasvati Thakura earned the title Nrsimha Guru for his fearless and powerful delivery of the Vaisnava siddhanta. Mayavadis would cross the street to avoid confronting the “lion guru.”
The devotees at Sridhama Mayapur celebrated his appearance day very nicely in the Panca Tattva pavilion.
Two South African devotees – brahmachari Narottam Das and his friend Mukharavinda Das, both from ISKCON Sandton – have walked 654 kilometers from Johannesburg to Durban, to raise funds for a new sankirtana bus. Because they are humble, unknown brahmacharis without the pull to draw instant financial support, and their ashrama doesn’t have enough funds to pay for a bus, they decided to get creative to manifest what was important to them.
This short film was made in Russia in October 2015, by a small team of filmmakers who are passionate about sharing the culture of bhakti yoga with the world. It was shot on location in Moscow and Sochi, and profiles Jahnavi Harrison, who grew up with bhakti yoga and serves in the capacity of a kirtan (devotional call and response chanting) leader.
Producer: Shaktyavesha Avatara dasa Director of Photography: Raghunatha Prana dasa 2nd Camera: Hari Mohini dasi Additional Camera: Nityananda Rama dasa Postproduction: Tamal Krishna Dasa Transport: Alexey Pigurenko
Unlike the saintly, we are conditioned souls attached to worldly pleasures. Such pleasures, being temporary, become sources of misery. Despite experiencing such miseries repeatedly, we can’t give up our attachments. Why?
The Nagara Sankirtana party of Ibadan, Nigeria became West Africa’s book distribution marathon champion for 2016. The sankirtan party led by Yadhunath Das has distributed 901 books in December. The Nagara Sankirtan project started off in 2015 with the purpose of reviving the Harinama Sankirtana spirit initially in West Africa, by providing special support and care for book distribution devotees, who are serving and traveling in groups.
By Badrinarayan Swami
By Romapada Swami
By Jaya Gaurasundara dasa
By Navina Syama Dasa
By Rama vigraha Dasa
By Rukmini Devi Dasi
By Visakha Dasi
By Janananda Goswami
Vijaya Ekadasi
Adult Education At The Temple
Gaura Purnima(Appearance of Lord Caitaniya)
Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation
Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)
IB Vaishnavi Sanga
The Mentorship Program
Should have asked someone at the temple. Anyway, what I wanted to say was that it was a great class. It was funny, insightful and a great reminder of where we stand in life.
