Planet ISKCON

By Ramchandra Das

In computer parlance a program is defined as a set of step by step instructions given to get the desired output. Usually, even though the program is written perfectly, since the computer just does what is being told in the program, it does not have the intelligence to identify if the user is giving a meaningful input or not. Hence the commonly used term GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) came in vogue. It means that that quality of output depends on the quality of input. If we give the right kind of input, then the output will be as expected. But if we give abnormal (Garbage) data as input, then the output will also be Garbage. So it is upto us to ensure that we know what is our goal and then provide the input accordingly. Lord Krishna has already given a spiritual program to us in the form of Bhagavad Gita with all the instructions of how to lead a life in the material world. Our only aim should be to follow the instructions AS IT IS. The Lord's program is absolutely perfect. We have to have utmost faith in the Lord's instructions and abide by it with all sincerity. Continue reading "Garbage In Garbage Out
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This is a traditional Gaudiya Vaisnava song, composed by Srila Narottama Das Thakura. Music and performance by Dr. Sahadeva Das.

Long, before the advent of Islam, even as early as the third millennium BCE, India had cultural bonds with the Mesopotamian civilization, now the region of Iraq and Iran.  As explained by N. N. Bhattacharya, there are plenty of references to establish a very close contact between India and the Islamic world.

Since Donald Trump’s victory in last year’s election, many Christians became convinced he was chosen by God to be president even though he hardly fits their mold of a virtuous leader.

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

"Mathura-vasa to reside at Mathura or Vrndavana." So we must become a resident of Vrndavana. We must realize that Vrndavana is our home. Now you are in Czech republic and I am in New Govardhana, Australia. But part of us is always in Vrndavana, because Vrndavana is our home. We are now far away from home in foreign countries Czech or Australia, and even although it may be very nice at times still how can we be fully satisfied it is just not like Vrndavana, being in a foreign country we are always feeling the desire to go back to home. In my passport my "place of residence" is written as: "Vrndavana", I feel quite good about that and consider it auspicious and I hope it will bring me back to that Holy land. No one in Vrndavana, nor man, nor animal ever steps on the footprints of Krsna, which are decorating the fine Yamuna sand. "Its great branches extending from one side to the other, a banyan tree is like a bridge across the Yamuna. Playing on that bridge, again and again the cowherd boys cross from one side to the other". "In one place it had a hollow like a palace. In another place it had a delightful branch like a couch. In another place was a vine-covered branch like a swing. What pastime-place did that banyan tree not provide for Lord Krsna?" Gopal Campu 1.84-85 How can I ever forget Vrndavana? Continue reading "How to keep one’s relationship with Vrndavana
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By Mahatma Das

1. Preaching without trying to understand people's needs and interests 2. Continuing to speak without determining if people are understanding or accepting what you are saying 3. Not paying attention when people talk 4. Interrupting people when they talk 5. Not letting people talk 6. Speaking in a dogmatic way rather than making a logical and scientific presentation 7. Introducing or speaking elaborately on a very elevated subject that people may not be able to understand 8. Introducing or getting stuck on controversial topics 9. Compromising the truth to speak palatably 10. Not compromising the truth, yet not speaking in a way to get people to accept 11. Not giving enough preliminary explanation on a subject 12. Not relating the subject to people’s practical lives Continue reading "Preaching Mistakes I Have Made or Have Seen Other’s Make
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Music by Gadabhrit Das, featuring Anjavati Dasi.

An ambitious new ninety-minute documentary film about the life of ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada is set to be released in June this summer, and will be a historic event. It will be released in art theaters in twenty key cities throughout the U.S. beginning with the Village East Theater in New York City, just ten blocks from 26 2^nd Avenue, where ISKCON began.

Music Video - Hari Haraye Namaha (9 min video)
Dr Sahadeva dasa: This is a well known traditional Gaudiya Vaisnava song, composed by Srila Narottama Das Thakura.

New Releases from the Bhaktivedanta Archives.
The Bhaktivedanta Archives is pleased to offer two new releases:
1) The VedaBase™ 2017 update.
2) Original unedited audio of Śrīla Prabhupāda for the year 1970.
The 2017 VedaBase™ update includes:
a) 1970 Reverified Against Original Audio
b) The Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Festivals with Śrīla Prabhupāda (1972–77) by Lokanāth Swami
c) In Conversation with Śrīla Prabhupāda, Contexts and Contemplations. by Lokanāth Swami
d) “These books are the law-books for the next ten thousand years.” by Śrutikīrti dāsa
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/3M0odJ

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture)

Sometimes, we get so caught up in external practices that we are still not remembering Krsna – we wear tilak for years, we hear and chant for years, we serve in a temple and yet we are not really thinking of Krsna as our first priority. Every day, we hear in a lecture how Krsna is the ultimate goal and how he is the priority but still we have so many other considerations – our position in the temple, how people are dealing with us, where do I fit, how am I going to be part of it all and so on rather than just remembering that our priority is Krsna!

The material world is an unreliable place! You never know, just when everything seems to be nicely arranged then suddenly something happens, the whole thing gets turned upside down, and the unexpected comes. What can we say, this is the nature of the material world!

Other times we are in a predictable routine. Prabhupada was explaining one verse which describes how a person is serving the senses, how a person is dedicating his life to his master, the senses, but neither the senses nor the person are satisfied. This is the nature of the material world we are serving that we are not satisfied and it will always be like this until we serve Krsna, until we become absorbed in serving Krsna, until Krsna is first. For the rest, you never know what is going to happen, there is no perfect material situation!

So in spiritual life even when we have a nice arrangement of living in a temple, if we don’t put Krsna first then we can cheat ourselves of a whole lifetime of what we think is Krsna consciousness! Actually we are still not really Krsna consciousness – we are kind of sniffing at Krsna consciousness and we are not really getting into it, not really getting absorbed. Krsna consciousness is very nice and attractive but we are not fully diving into it.

It is really not enough to just join a club or to be part of a temple! Sooner or later we come to that point, you can take 30 or 50 years and wait till you’re really old and then you think, “Well, maybe, finally… I’ll put Krsna first,” but then again, not everyone gets very old so this is the risk you take!  You may want to wait until you are 80 years old but then, what if you don’t make it until then.

So there is not much time, there is not much time at all and it must be in this lifetime – we are not going come back again; we have to go back to Godhead in this lifetime!

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The Bhaktivedanta Archives has just released the 2017 update for the Bhaktivedanta VedaBase. The updated database files are a free download. Also released: new unedited audio files for 1970.

The post Bhaktivedanta Archives releases 2017 VedaBase update appeared first on Jayadvaita Swami.

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.

Author: Vilasini devi dasi
Editor: Suja Nambiar

The post Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasasana 2017 Update appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Today, 17th Dec 2017, was a historical day.

Today was erected and installed the first bracket under Planetarium Kalash. This is an outdoor decoration made in (GFRC) Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete. Total, on the Side Dome will be 16 such a brackets. Each brackets for Side Dome is 2,3 m width and 2,8m height and weighing is 900 kgs approx. The Main Dome will be decorated by 24 pcs of such a kalash brackets. All these elements will be manufactured here in TOVP workshop. Special protect guard coating has been applied to make it weather proof.

The post Side Dome Kalash Bracket appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

https://youtu.be/SU4sDxFMbN4

Simhachalam temple (9 min video)
Simhacalam is a Krishna temple and farm project near Passau, Germany. We’re a community of Krishna devotees with something for everyone; whether you’re spiritual beginner coming for the first time, or you are wishing to deepen your spiritual experience, Simhacalam is a place for you!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Omjn4X

By Shii and Nel

The only thing I knew about the Krishna religion was that it was Indian, duh, and that composers such as Ravi Shankar and George Harrison (being a fan of the Beatles, he was my main role model of my interest in Krishna) made beautiful music about Him. I even thought His name was spelled "Crishne" instead of Krishna. Day or two later, my aunt visited. We were discussing random topics and the conversation turned to George Harrison. I wondered if she knew what Krishna was, so I asked 'casually', "Yeah... he was even a part of India's culture, not just the music... What's the religion there, again?" When she answered Krishna, my suspicion was confirmed. So, the next day I typed in Google "Crishne". It asked if I was talking about "Krishna" and through that I was led to the first result of the search: a website dedicated to Krishna. It was called "www.krishna.com". You couldn't get more direct than that, so I looked at it. Continue reading "Monologue
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By Bhakti Caru Swami

ISKCON is a spiritual organization personally established by Srila Prabhupada. We must take care that it doesn’t become material. Anything (husband-wife relationship, Deity worship, even prasadam) can turn material by one’s consciousness. In any Society, there must be some organization and management, otherwise there will be chaos. Even in the spiritual world, Krsna’s friends are subdivided and supervised (Lord Balarama is group leader for his cowherd boy friends; Candravali and Radharani head up left-wing and right-wing gopis, etc). ISKCON is no different. In order for people interact in a harmonious fashion, dealings and activities must be regulated and orchestrated. Continue reading "Etiquette in Management
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By Radhanath Swami

Narada Muni the great acharya has previously explained to Maharaja Yudhisthira, the story of Prahlada Maharaja who is the perfect example of devotional service. Prahlada Maharaja remained faithful to the words of his spiritual master even in the face of the most impossible difficulties. Depending on a power beyond his own, the mercy of Krsna, he crossed all obstacles. The Lord himself incarnated with a form that will attract all people’s hearts for all time just to show his love. At the conclusion of this pastime - it is said, “wherever devotees are gathered to discuss the subject matter of life, the matter of Prahalad Maharaja is discussed”. How can people apply these teachings practically in their lives? Narada Muni explains the varnasrama system - the four varnas and four ashramas and duties to be performed by devotees, “mahajano yena gatah sa pantha” so that we can follow in the footsteps of the Mahajanas. Continue reading "How to be an Ideal Husband
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Los Angeles Nectar and Bliss (Album with photos)
Amazing Ratha Yatra during Martin Luther King Parade in Los Angeles, USA
...

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The post Gita 11.49 If we maintain a service disposition, Krishna will reveal a conducive vision appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 17 June 2009, Japa Talks)

 “This chanting should go on. Instead of meetings, resolutions, dissolutions, revolutions and then no solutions, there should be chanting.” His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, from Lilamrita, Volume 6, Page 182

I wonder how much time of my life has been spent in meetings. But then again, together we can make a difference, what can I do alone? And then there are personal matters that cannot always be ignored. Yesterday I was thinking of going early to bed and then rising early. But last night, someone came and needed to talk. It was important to him and he is important to me. So what to do, I had to sacrifice my early morning and with it, so many extra rounds that I had been planning to chant. That is what it means to have relationships, it is a matter of giving and taking. The bhajanandi (the devotee who practices solitary devotional service) makes all the time in the world for his chanting, what else is there to do. A ghostyanandi would like to do the same but cannot always because he gives himself to others in preaching Krsna consciousness.

Prithu Prabhu likes to talk about yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa (CC Madhya 7.128), whomever you meet tell them about Krsna. The other day, he said, “We would only think about making devotees. We were always looking if someone could maybe become a devotee and we were making devotees.” And he did make so many nice devotees.

How many of us really have the time to regularly chant 64 rounds? I like the program of rising at 1:30 am, taking bath and just chanting. Then I can 64 rounds before 10 am but then I would miss mangala arati, guru puja and class. Sometimes I want to hang a sign on the door, “Do Not Disturb! Important meeting in progress,” and inside the room I will be trying to meet Krsna by chanting his holy names. Sometimes I want to be alone and other times I want to go on harinama or be at Ratha Yatra. Preaching gives life to our japa…

In the morning I have been listening to Srila Prabhupada’s wonderful talks on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta given in Juhu in November 1975, and today I was struck by his explanation of how we can feel fellowship with each other—free from envy:

“So if we accept this philosophy, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s, without falsely declaring ourself that ‘I am equal to God’ or ‘I am God,’ if you simply accept that jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya dasa’ [Cc Madhya 20.108], that we are eternally servant of Krishna, and act like that . . . Servant of Krishna means he must be always engaged in the service of Krishna. This is called bhakti.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

This is our position. And if we understand that all of us, we are servant of Krishna—you are servant of Krishna, I am servant of Krishna, he is servant of Krishna—then we can understand our position is one. That is oneness—we are all servants. So there is no question of my becoming envious of you or your becoming envious of me. We are all servants of God, so we have to execute the orders of God. That is servant’s business.”

Hare Krishna.

—Giriraj Swami

Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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The post Is speaking about krishna-bhakti to relatives who may be faithless an offense to the holy name? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

The arduous sea voyage from Calcutta to Boston was finally over. The lone passenger aboard the cargo ship Jaladuta, a seventy-year-old Indian holy man, had been given free passage by the owner of the Scindia Steamship Company. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived at Commonwealth Pier on September 17, 1965. For thousands of years krsna-bhakti, love of Krsna, had been known only in India, but now, on the order of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada had come to awaken the natural, dormant Krsna consciousness of the American people. On his arrival day onboard the Jaladuta, he wrote in his diary the following words: Absorbed in material life, they [Americans] think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva [Krsna].... But I know that Your causeless mercy can make everything possible, because You are the most expert mystic ... How will I make them understand this message of Krsna consciousness? ... O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.... I am seeking Your benediction ... I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna.... Continue reading "The Hare Krsna Mantra
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By Sivarama Swami

I first met my spiritual master on March 6th 1975 in Dallas Texas. Srila Prabhupada had just been in South America and had toured the Southern United States. I was on travelling book distribution with a sankirtan party and had strayed quite a distance from Montreal my home base. While reporting to the temple president about our scores, we were informed that Srila Prabhupada was flying from Atlanta to Dallas the next day and would be there for some time. We immediately drove west to see with the idea to meet Prabhupada at the airport. By the time we arrived both Prabhupada and his reception of devotees had left. All that remained was a trail of flower petals through the airport. Disappointed we sped to the temple, but by the time we arrived, gurupuja was over and Srila Prabhupada was finishing his talk. I came in the temple room, offered obeisances and saw my spiritual master for the first time. For almost five years I had seen and known Prabhupada visually from photos. His pictures were on the altar, vyasasana, books, magazines, framed on temple walls, in fact everywhere. Continue reading "Meeting Srila Prabhupada
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TOVP: A historical day! (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: SIDE DOME KALASH BRACKET
Today was a historical day.
Toda...

The post Daily Darshan: Jan17,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

https://vimeo.com/199452878

Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami Appearance Day observed at ISKCON-Delhi: 17-01-2017 (Album with photos)
Shrila Gopal Bhatta Goswami appeared in 1500 AD (though, according to some authorities, he was born in 1503) as the son of Venkata Bhatta in the town of Shrirangam in South India. Their residence was in a village not far from Shrirangam called Belagundi.
According to Narahari in the Bhakti-ratnakara, Shrila Gopal Bhatta Goswami was given a vision in a dream by Mahaprabhu in which he was fortunate enough to witness all the Lord’s Navadwip pastimes. An eternal associate of Krishna, he appeared in a faraway place in order to participate in Lord Gauranga’s pastimes. Even so, he was able to know long before he even saw him that the Lord had appeared and taken sannyas. Gopal Bhatta did not particularly like the Lord’s appearance as a sannyasi. He was distressed and crying alone when the Lord appeared to him and gave him the dream vision of his Navadwip lila. In this vision, the Lord was overwhelmed by ecstatic love, embraced him and drenched him in his tears.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/tQCoZM

A video by Ananta Vrindavan.

By Dravida dasa

*Absolutely no offerings will be accepted after April 15, 2017.* Offerings must be in English. Please restrict the length to a maximum of 3,000 words. Please omit all diacritics on words that can be found in the VedaBase. It’s easier for us to put them in. If you quote a verse from outside the VedaBase or compose original Sanskrit, please include diacritics. Do not "recycle" an offering — no offerings from previous years will be accepted. The Vyasa-puja book is meant for glorifying Srila Prabhupada, not venting grievances. The BBT reserves the right to reject an offering it deems inappropriate or to ask for a rewrite. When writing an offering on behalf of a temple or other unit, please try to write in such a way that the other devotees in your unit can also identify with the offering. Who may write an offering? Continue reading "Second Call for Homages for Srila Prabhupada’s 2017 Vyasa Puja Book
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The post Gita 11.48 Pious action doesn’t qualify us for devotional vision appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture)

Krsna knows what is best for us! Thus a devotee who is intelligent will rely on Krsna. If one desires a wife then Krsna will send someone or maybe he will not. If he does not send one then so be it; what is the point in looking – looking everywhere… maybe this one… or maybe that one… and in the meanwhile just becoming totally obsessed with such mundane things without remembering Krsna. Our business is to remember Krsna and trust that Krsna will make arrangements for us.

Shri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, was born in 1503. He lived for 75 years and left this world to enter into the eternal pastimes of the Lord in 1578.

He was the son of Vyenkatta Bhatta, a brahmana resident of Shri Rangam in South India, who was initiated in the Shri Sampradaya tradition.

During his travels in southern India, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at Vyenkatta Bhatta’s home. At that time Gopal was just a young boy. Both father and son became Gaudiya Vaisnavas, followers of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Gopal Bhatta Goswami later established the Radha-Ramana temple in Vrndavan after one of the twelve shilas he brought back from the Gandaki River, manifested Himself as a fully-fledged Krsna deity.

Srila Prabhupada Accepted me as His Disciple.
Deena Bandhu Das: His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada gave me initiation in the old La Cienaga Temple in LA on the fourth day of the dark half of the month of Magh, which was 25th January, 1970. I remember it was one of the last ceremonies where Srila Prabhupada did everything. He chanted on the beads, did the yajna, and gave the lecture. After this time, Srila Prabhupada would chant on the beads in his room and someone else did the fire sacrifice. This time Srila Prabhupda came down off his Vyasanana, sat on a cushion in front of the yajna kunda and chanted on the beads in front of everyone. There was about 10 of us, so it took a long time. At the end of each round, he then asked the regs, and how many rounds to the person who handed him the beads. When he got to me, I remember, those old natural wood beads from Tandy Leather Co. (didn’t have Tulasi in those days, we strung our own) looking like a string of pearls in his lotus hands! Then he asked me the regs and I rattled off, “16 rounds. No meat eating, no illicit sex, no gambling….” My mind just went blank and I couldn’t think…I froze. Somewhere behind me, some brahmacarini was whispering over and over, no drugs! “Oh, and no intoxication.” He said, “Yes, no LSD!” and broke out into one of those smiles where a thousand suns rise in the sky, completely delighted with his own sense of humor. Then he handed me the beads, and said, “So your name is Dina Bandhu, friend of the humble.” I didn’t quite hear and he must have seen it in my face, so he repeated it and added, “Is it alright?” with a big smile.