Planet ISKCON

Speaking about Jiva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the present-day most influential Gaudiya-Vaisnava organisation, ISKCON, said: “The Vaisnavas are by far the greatest philosophers in the world, and the greatest among them was Srila Jiva Gosvami.” (Bhaktivedanta, 1983, 354). Jiva is not only praised amongst the followers; acknowledging his greatness, Benares Hindu University dedicates an entire department to the study of his works. Jiva Gosvami’s importance and role in the beginning days of the Gaudiya–Vaisnavas movement cannot be underestimated. As a leader of the first generation of devotees after Caitanya, he finalized the organisation of and systematized the philosophy of the young Gaudiyas movement. S. K. De writes: “Jiva became the highest court of appeal in doctrinal matters as long as he lived.”[ii] For that purpose, Jiva was exceptionally prolific; he wrote about four hundred thousands Sanskrit verses, which is four times more than the numbers contained in the world’s biggest epic Mahabharata. His six treatises on Srimad-Bhagavatam, called Sat-sandarbhas are certainly one of his most important works and methodically present the whole of Caitanya’s philosophy. Continue reading "Is Jiva Gosvami’s philosophy the same as Sri Caitanya’s?
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Appreciating that a visit to the temple is to be in God’s presence.

Prayers required.
Indradyumna Swami: An update on my condition. Unfortunately, the bacterium infection which I contracted from my prostate biopsy has developed into Septicemia, a serious and dangerous blood infection. I am in a good hospital here in South Africa with the best doctors and they are administering strong antibiotics. Once again I am humbly appealing for your prayers that I may quickly recover and continue with my services to Srila Prabhupada.
Jayapataka Swami: The sankirtana devotees were cooking for a preaching program and the gas exploded, causing four to be injured. Their bodies were severely burned. Two are in the ICU. One is serious and doctors don’t know what will happen. The devotees are now in Bhubaneswar. Please pray for them. Their names are Ananta Acarya Dasa, Tirtha Nityananda Dasa, Tribhanga Syama Dasa and Bhakta Rajesh (60% body burned). They are from Mayapur sankirtana bus number nine.

A Helpful Heart Food for Life Nepal (4 min video)
Food For Life Nepal a non-profit organization actively working by feeding 160...

New Delhi – 21st January, 2017: ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) won a prestigious United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Award for India on 18th January in Madrid, leading over 55 countries in the category of ‘Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations’. The UNWTO awards are recognized as one of the world’s most coveted awards in the global tourism sector. The 13th edition of this award saw 139 applications from 55 countries. Govardhan Eco Village, spread over 70 acres in Wada near Mumbai is the first Indian NGO to win a UNWTO Award. It was recognized for its ground-breaking work in using eco-tourism to reduce poverty and provide sustainable livelihoods in one of the most backward tribal regions of India. Continue reading "ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village Wins Prestigious UN WTO Award in Tourism
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The post Gita 11.53 Krishna can’t be known by the Vedas, although the Vedas are meant for knowing him appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

SELF-ABSORPTION isn’t thought of favorably and generally means to be excessively concerned with one’s own life and interests without taking into consideration other people. Some synonyms are egoism, self-centeredness, narcissism, self-importance, self-preoccupation, etc. However, in my thinking this morning while chanting, which is the attempt to “hear” God in his holy names, or become absorbed in the Supreme Self, we need to be self-absorbed in the sense of becoming aware of those parts of ourselves that need to be adjusted and purified. When we are chanting or praying we become aware of our highest ideals and our various types of material interests, or even our lowest worldly desires.

Prabhupada has compared chanting the holy name to making ghee. In ghee making, we boil butter, and must work to skim off the “impurities” or milk solids which rise to the surface. Then we will be able to create clarified butter, or ghee, which has so many medicinal properties and uses. This is an interesting analogy which can help us in our daily spiritual practice.

We can think of our spiritual practices, like chanting the holy name, as the cleansing fire, that is meant to burn up the impurities or material contaminations. If we except to go anywhere spiritually we have to keep turning on the fire of purification through the nine processes of bhakti, especially hearing and chanting, so we can remember who we actually are as sparks of Divinity imbued with the serving nature, beyond material changeable designations.

To go beyond superficial appearances we must dig deep to what we may not want to look at, to uncover our conditioned, or “naked” self, free from colored pretenses, either thinking we are great or are nothing. In spiritual life we must understand where we are, and where we aspire to go.

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ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) won a prestigious United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Award for India on 18^th January in Madrid, leading over 55 countries in the category of ‘Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations’. The UNWTO awards are recognized as one of the world’s most coveted awards in the global tourism sector. The 13^th edition of this award saw 139 applications from 55 countries.

Tirupati class.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskMvmLDn

https://flic.kr/s/aHskT3CZ72

Will you exercise or exorcise the demands of the senses?
In the Gita, Krsna says that only one who is free from sinful life can engage in His service with determination:
“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Bg. 7.28)
Souls conditioned by material nature become used to obeying the demands of the senses.
One Vaisnava poet has compared the senses and their unhealthy demands to “bad masters.”

One who takes seriously to spiritual life must learn to tolerate the impulses of the senses, for by doing so the practitioner gradually becomes peaceful and gains the power to focus his or her mind on the supreme.

On the other hand, those who continually surrender to misdirected sense impulses eventually become addicted to obeying them. A person afflicted by addiction finds it nearly impossible to override the sense impulses with his or her intelligence.

Therefore Krsna recommends, “… in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.” (Bg. 3.41)

It is helpful to note that when one tolerates the impulses of the senses, the impulses gradually go out of the body, mind and senses; and they don’t come back (as long as one does not re-stimulate them).

A human being, equipped with knowledge from the Bhagavad-gita may make the wise choice to regulate and control the senses.

Others without such knowledge, who continue to entertain material desires, are obligated to rotate in the cycle of birth and death.

Fortify and spiritualize your intelligence each day by chanting Hare Krsna with attention, reading Bhagavad-gita, and accepting good association.

Following such an auspicious path, one gradually rises to the position of nistha, or steadiness in spiritual life.

In human life, we have the choice to exercise or exorcise the urges of the senses.

Krsna Himself implores Arjuna (and all of use) to choose the later:

“Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Krsna consciousness] and thus—by spiritual strength-conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust. (Bg. 3.43)
Vaisesika Das

Maha Nectar in Auckland, New Zealand (Album with photos)
When Sri Krishna brought the Maha-Mantra, He did not just bring it so ...

The phrase I often use in my consulting work is “I hear the words but do not see the behaviour”. That phrase would be absolutely obliterated here because they do exactly as they say. They are rooted in simplicity and never veer from it, staying steadfast in their values. I think more than a few companies would do well to take a page out of the Hare Krishna book because too often a business’s values are blurred with little adherence to them! We had a chance to engage with a local (non-Hare Krishna) couple who visit the temple on a weekly basis with their young child to embrace the food and ambiance. This led me to realise something. Coming from a corporate background where companies are paying thousands to find out how to engage people, it was really interesting speaking to the Hare Krishnas and learning about their beliefs and takes on life and people. Continue reading "Crushing Misconceptions At Krishna Village In Australia
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George Harrison Concert. Soul Expressions Christmas Party. The P.M's Faith Advisor. Student Explore Science of Spirituality. Children's Mitzvah Day. The Chief Rabbi. Bulgarian TV. DEVI raises funds for MacMillan Cancer. A Truly Multi-Cultural Wedding. Musical Ramayan at the Watford Palace Theatre. Justice Service. Ladies Sabbatical. London Schools Study the Gita. Remembering Tribhuvananth Prabhu. BBC Young Dancer. Gita Jayanti. Govardhana Eco Village. The Final Offering for ISKCON 50. Community welcomes in New Year Continue reading "News and updates from the Bhaktivedanta Manor community
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His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj gave Sunday feast class in Cape Town on 15th January 2017. Maharaj pointed out how we should understand the importance of the Vedic wisdom and try to take the teachings to our heart.  

The post “Take Spiritual Wisdom to Your Heart” – Sunday Feast Class at Cape Town appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of December 2016. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5 Continue reading "NASN December 2016 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The post Gita 11.52 Vision results not just from perception but also comprehension appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

I don’t think I quite believed in God until I had a trans-rectal prostate gland biopsy. The experience made me a believer. Well, I had to shout out to someone for help.

There are parts of the body that our Creator did not design to be investigated with cameras, let alone 12 needles. I will say no more.

Good news indeed, then, that a breakthrough has been made on the prostate cancer diagnosis front. It may save many men from having to go through the unpleasant experience, especially the 27% of men that didn’t actually need it.

More importantly, it will help to save lives if the diagnosis is less invasive, since men of a certain age tend to be doctor-phobic at just the wrong time of life.

Breakthrough news here.

On my recent visit to New Varshana in Auckland, I had the opportunity to associate with my godbrothers, Janananda Maharaja, Mahavisnu Maharaja and Darmatma Prabhu.

One day there was a celebration of Janananda Maharaja’s Vyasapuja and many disciples and other devotees attended.

I was given a chance to offer my respect and appreciation of Maharaja’s dedicated service and wonderful qualities over the long years that I have known him.

Delhi Class.

Chanting Only.
Question: Is it possible to go back to the spiritual world just chanting the Mahamantra without accepting diksa from a spiritual master?
Romapada Swami: As described in Caitanya Caritamrita, to chant the holy name of the Lord one need not depend upon other paraphernalia or practices, for one can immediately get all the desired results of linking with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It may therefore be questioned why there is a necessity for initiation or further spiritual activities in devotional service for one who engages in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The answer is that although it is correct that one who fully engages in chanting the holy name need not depend upon the process of initiation, generally a devotee is addicted to many abominable material habits due to material contamination from his previous life due to which one is not able to chant the Holy Name without offenses.
Unless one is on the platform of Sukadeva Goswami, one requires diksa. Even in Sukadeva’s case, although fully realized in Brahman with no attraction for anything material [SB 1.7.9], he took the position of sisya to learn SB from Vyasadeva. See SB 2.1.8 “At the end of the Dvapara-yuga, I studied this great supplement of Vedic literature named Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is equal to all the Vedas, from my father, Srila Dvaipayana Vyasadeva.”
Kripa-siddhi is also possible.
Both of these are exceptions to the rule.
In the purport to the verse where Arjuna accepts Krishna as His spiritual master (Bg. 2.7), Srila Prabhupada describes how in this material world, there is perplexity in every step and this behooves one to approach a spiritual master. Arjuna was in total despair and confusion about his duty and what is best for him.
Similarly, by arrangement, the conditioned soul repeatedly finds himself/herself in the midst of perplexities, bewilderment and despondency. Srila Prabhupada also explains the culmination of all these repeated fleeting problems are the insurmountable problems of repeated birth and death.
One, therefore, needs the guidance of a Spiritual Master from whom one can inquire about the ultimate solution to all these problems, and to inquire into the subject of the Absolute Truth.
Specific to diksa, the initiation ceremony, far from being merely a colorful ritual, is a necessity for genuine spiritual life. Although everyone, even if not initiated, is encouraged to chant Hare Krsna and will receive spiritual benefit if he does so, unless one is initiated by a genuine spiritual master he will not receive the spiritual strength to remain steady in chanting Hare Krsna Mahamantra and following spiritual principles, and after some time he may slide down again to material consciousness. The non-initiate is sometimes compared to a student who is allowed to sit in on a professor’s class but who has not officially registered for the course. Although such a student may benefit by auditing the class, he must formally join the class if he wishes to receive college credit. Similarly, only when one is initiated does he become eligible for the full benefits of Krsna consciousness, for then his link to Krsna is established, through his own spiritual master and all the great spiritual masters of the past. Then, by implicit faith in his own spiritual master and in Lord Krsna, all the truths of the Vedic literature are revealed to him. This is the path for the serious candidate on the path of spiritual perfection.

TOVP: Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasasana 2017 Update (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada, our beloved Founder Acarya gave the priceless gem of Krishna consciousness to the world. He is the touchstone for millions of lives, the benefactor of the International society for Krishna Consciousness, and the very fountainhead of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
For his pleasure, we have created an exquisite design for the Vyasasana which will be located directly facing the altars, with an unhindered view of the Guru Parampara, Panchattatva and Radha Madhava inside the TOVP.

The Asana will rest on elephants carved out of Marble. They are symbolic of strength and alluring purity. It is flanked on either side by wooden or marble lions that symbolise courage and the majesty that steers Earth-bound people towards the eternal sanctuary of the Lord.

The entire asana will be sheltered by a wooden Shikhara supported by 4 wooden columns. To add to the grandeur, they will have gold gilding. The backdrop will have exquisite intricate marble carvings inspired by the traditional Gaudiya Vaisnava tilak. The Asana can be accessed through pure white marble steps on all three sides, to make offerings to Srila Prabhupada.

This complex configuration has been meticulously conceptualized by the designers and engineers to arrive at a very stable, sustainable structure, supported by Stainless Steel framework, which will prop up the rest of the structure.

As depicted in the picture, this marks yet another milestone in the history of the making of the TOVP, where the substructure of the Asana is taking shape as a throne for our revered and beloved Founder Acharya.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/tgndBo

Most devotees’ lives and views on devotional service change as their ashram changes. When several devotees pass through ashram changes at approximately the same time-or even if one respected devotee within a temple changes his ashram-a temple can become affected. My writing down these developmental stages, which is similar for both individual devotees and temples (If the majority of devotees within a temple are in a similar ashram situation, it can be said that that temple is at that particular stage of development.), does not seem revolutionary, for these stages have been perceived and acted upon over the years by many experienced ISKCON leaders. The goal of this paper is to assist leaders in becoming more aware of these stages, and their ramifications, so they may more effectively guide individuals under their care and guide temples to grow into mature, thriving communities. Continue reading "Ashram Changes and Temple Development
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I first came to know about ISKCON in Pune at around 1998. My sister informed me about the ISKCON temple on the Janmashtami day. First time when I saw the temple structure from outside I felt that it's not a traditional temple which is seen in India. That was confirmed when I went inside the temple as to see the devotional attitude and energy in the temple was just fantastic. Till that point I had not seen so much devotional energy anywhere else. All the devotees chanting and dancing in ecstacy in the Gaura Arati - Yes, that was what I witnessed first! Though then I did'nt know what Gaura Arati is and who Lord Gaurachandra is? Then I went to Govindadwipa and was amazed by the beauty of the island of Govinda and another amazing thing was all the western devotees (!!!) up at 4.30 am in the morning, wearing dhotis and singing the Guruvashtaka (I did'nt know it was Guruvashtaka then!) with full devotion to Radha-Govinda Continue reading "The greatest fortune of knowing ISKCON
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In September 1969. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya (spiritual master) of the Hare Krsna movement, arrived as a house guest at Tittenhurst Park, the beautiful eighty-acre British estate owned by John Lennon. Three or four times a week, the Swami, who later became known to the world as Srila Prabhupada, gave public lectures in a tall, stately building at the northern end of the property a hundred yards from the main house, in which John and Yoko lived. The building had been formerly used as a hall for chamber-music recitals, but now several of Srila Prabhupada's disciples, who resided along with him in a block of guest houses on the property, installed a small Deity altar and a podium for Srila Prabhupada. The building never really had a name, but after Srila Prabhupada's arrival, everyone called it "the Temple." They still call it "the Temple" today, and except for the recent addition of an enormous crimson-and-gold pipe organ nearly covering the towering west wall, it exists unchanged, now surrounded by a recording-studio complex owned by Ringo Starr. On September 14, John, Yoko, and George Harrison, after enjoying an Indian vegetarian meal prepared by the devotees at the Temple, walked over to Srila Prabhupada's quarters for their first meeting. Continue reading "Chanting for Liberation
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Bhakti Charu Swami glorifies his godbrother His Grace Medhavi Prabhu on his Vyas Puja celebration in Cape Town on 14th January 2017.

The post Bhakti Charu Swami Glorifies Medhavi Prabhu (ACBSP) appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The post Gita 11.51 Right emotion results from right perception appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 October 2016, Johannesburg, South Africa, Nama Hatta Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 9.10)

Prabhupada wrote so many books and some people never read much more than a Whatsapp message! They never get around to finishing the Bhagavatam.

Even after nine years in Krsna consciousness, they are still reading the ninth chapter of the first canto. If they go at this pace of one chapter a year then they might not make it because Bhagavatam has something like 355 chapters, which means you would have to become 355 years old, which is maybe not going to happen and in that case, you might never finish the Bhagavatam!

What happens then… are you then lost forever? Fortunately not. When we hear Bhagavatam from those who have read Bhagavatam and particularly from the great self-realized souls who have read Bhagavatam, they will tell us the essence of Bhagavatam.

From the beginning, Ananda-Lila was enchanted by Indian and Vaishnava clothing, and wanted some for her daughters Jamuna, 10, and Tulasi Priya, 2. But she had never been to India, and it was hard to find something comfortable, attractive and natural. So she began designing her own clothes for her children, to match with hers. Others wanted in too, and a unique new company was born. She called it “Mata and Me”.

In 1998 the CIA ended its research into the intelligence-gathering and espionage potential of ‘remote viewing.’ It had been running since 1973. The research was to study the ability of certain people to see pictures and objects at a distance – without using their eyes. 25 years is a long time for a government agency to investigate what many called a ‘spurious psychic phenomenon.’

A quarter of a century suggests that someone, somewhere, thought it was indeed worth investigating, and that the results from laboratories such as Stanford, one of the universities where the remote viewing was conducted, was actually coming up with tangible results.

Typically a ‘psychic’ would be asked to describe, or reproduce, a drawing being made by a ‘target’ at a remote location. There was no prior contact between them, and no connections at all during the experiment. Yet the results were remarkable, with detailed drawings made in the lab that accurately reproduced the original. The repeated observatory powers of the laboratory psychics seemed to suggest to the scientists that the power of the mind to see is not limited by the eyes.

But how could that be? The working model for neurologists is that the mind is a function of the brain, and that the power of sight is therefore limited to direct perception of an object through the medium of light waves entering the eye. That being so, the results of ‘remote-viewing’ should have been statistically random. But they weren’t. In many cases the experiments showed that the psychics could ‘see’ with startling accuracy.

One such person, it has just been revealed, was the spoon-bending Uri Geller, whose story of CIA-sponsored experiments can now be told.

When we persevere, we progress both materially and spiritually. Materially, we do greater justice to our God-given talents and make tangible contributions in this world. And spiritually, we rise in our consciousness and come closer to Krishna and the unending happiness thereof.

What messages are we teaching our children? Jay Ghanashyam Shetty explains what messages we should give to them.