Planet ISKCON

QUESTION: I totally see where you are coming from with the notion that “love is the spontaneous reaction to beauty.” But how do you discern beauty — Is it in the object or in the subject? 

Beauty is neither in the object nor in the subject. It is in their combination. Beauty is the link between the object and the subject.

Love causes the link to form, and beauty is the experience of the link. In technical Sanskrit, love is called भक्ति (bhakti), and the experience of beauty is रस (rasa), which is the essence of अानन्द (ānanda).  Bhakti is the cause of forming a link between two entities. Rasa, which produces Ānanda is the experience of that link.

QUESTION: Is it instantaneous?

As soon as the link between lover and beloved is established, love instantaneously manifests.

QUESTION: Does it require varying perspective?

Yes, it does require distinct perspectives. There must be a lover and beloved (in Sanskrit: āśraya and viṣaya).

QUESTION: How does time affect it?

Time increases it.

Lust and love are different ways of reacting to beauty. Lust diminishes, because it is exhausting. So lust for a person or object diminishes markedly after experiencing that it does not actually fulfill our needs as well as we hoped. Love, however, always increases.

QUESTION: Beauty seems to be a great mystery. Like love, we all think we know it, but we struggle to explain it. Science can’t qantify it. Philosophy doesn’t clearly define it. And, like love, it is deeply subjective. The two seem deeply connected.

Yes, love and beauty are inseparable.

Śrī Viśvanātha, a bhakti-yoga master from a few centuries ago, explained that love disappears when you try to dissect it, but it also disappears if you do not try your best to explore and discover it. Only those who are in awe of love can “explore” it without “dissecting” it. Those who revere love and think of themselves as her servant, they alone can understand love, for love fully reveals her secrets only to them.

QUESTION: Can attractiveness disguising itself as beauty?

Attractiveness comes from a combination of factors, including beauty.

Or, it comes from how much you feel that an object or person will fulfill your needs. If you see someone or something that you feel will really fulfill your needs, you immediately feel attracted to it. 

So, different people find different things attractive, depending on how (and how well) they recognize and understand their true needs.

QUESTION: I would say that attraction of the senses results in spontaneous desire.

Krishna says this explicitly in Gītā. “When the senses contact an object, desire arises.”

Beauty on the other hand is an appreciation that something is pleasing because it is has a benifical essence to it and it is worthy of our respect/devotion.

This shows the difference in our attitude towards beauty. One attitude is “I want to consume it.” This is called “lust.” The other attitude is “I want to worship it.” This is called “love.”

Lust is the desire for the beauty to become an object of our pleasure. Love is the desire to become annexed to the beauty, to augment, amplify, facilitate, and encourage it; to “serve” it.

So, we can see that there are two ways of interacting with beauty. One (love) is flawless and produces happiness. The other (lust) is a flawed way of interacting with beauty, and it produces hunger, which is stressful and leads to suffering. So, it is not guaranteed that beauty produces love. If the perceiver is flawed, it will not produce love, it will produce lust. If it produces love, it will produce pleasure and happiness. If it produces lust, it will produce pain and unhappiness.

So you can see that not only are beauty and love inseparable, happiness is also inseparable. So it is actually a trio: love, beauty, and happiness are all three facets of one single experience.

So the perceiver has to do some work (sādhana) to improve their perception (get rid of avidyā, ignorance) before they can really perceive beauty.

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

Tagged: love and beauty, love and lust

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The post Gita 11.44 Humility in the forgiveness-seeker and magnanimity in the forgiver uplifts both appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31 August 2010, Zagreb, Croatia, Lecture)

How can we face things all alone in this world!? But one who is with Krsna is never alone. When we are in a relationship with Krsna, when we are actively trying to please Krsna then we are never alone because Krsna reciprocates. It is not that we are just working hard in devotional service and hopefully there will be a reward at the end. For a whole life you have to slave day and night for Krsna – get up at an impossible time, live a really austere lifestyle and if you do it very well then at the end of your life, you get the reward, “Welcome, you can now return to the spiritual world!”

No, that is not Krsna Consciousness. In Krsna Consciousness there is reciprocation now – there is reward now and there is reward at the end, simultaneously. Krsna is reciprocating with us now! Krsna is actually with us all the time and Krsna is making arrangements in our life in different ways.

Have you also had those kinds of experiences where Krsna is clearly interfering – some divine intervention happens? I think everyone has had it at some point. When you open up a book and it just lands on a page and the topic describes just what you were talking about ten minutes ago; it is just right there – those things happen!

 

King Sagara performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice to declare his sovereignty over the neighbouring kingdoms. The 60,000 sons of Sagara were following the horse when they saw it enter a cavern where the sage Kapila was meditating. Not seeing the horse, they presumed that Kapila had hidden it.

They did not kill Kapila as he was a sage but they started disturbing his meditation. Annoyed at being disturbed, Kapila, with a curse burnt the 60,000 sons of Sagara. Time passed and later Bhagiratha, the great grandson of Sagara, chanced to come across the bones of his dead ancestors. He wanted to perform the shraddha of his ancestors but there was no water available for the ceremony.

Bhagiratha prayed to Brahma who asked him to pray to Vishnu, to allow the heavenly Ganga to come down to earth. Lord Vishnu asked him to request Shiva, to allow the torrential rain to fall on his head before it came to the earth as the river was very forceful and if allowed to come down unchecked, her fall would split the earth.

Shiva agreed to take the gigantic weight of the cascading Ganga on the matted hair piled high on his head. This ensnared and delayed the progress of the river which, in meandering through the labyrinth of his hair, lost its force and then gently descended to the Himalayas from whence it flowed to the plains bestowing its waters on the parched earth.

Once again, my heartfelt thanks goes out to all the devotees worldwide who contributed their might to support the construction of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in 2016. Without you this immense project would simply not be possible. Together we are all endeavoring to develop ISKCON’s World Headquarters and especially its centerpiece temple which will preach to the world the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the yuga dharma.

2016 was a challenging year for the TOVP. However, we have come through unscathed and stronger than before. Construction continues unabated, and fundraising is branching out into newer areas all the time. Significant challenges remain, including the recent currency upheaval in India. The TOVP is more than ever depending on the friends and supporters of Srila Prabhupada’s TOVP to finish this project for the glory of Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.

Here are some highlights from 2016:

Fundraising Highlights

•  Total income was $5 million (U.S.).
• On Thursday, April 14th, in conjunction with the auspicious appearance day of Lord Ramachandra, the new U.S. TOVP office celebrated its Grand Opening in Gainesville, Florida. The celebration also coincided with the formation of the new U.S. non-profit, TOVP Foundation, Inc..
• To date over $1.7 million has been given by the BBT/BBTI to the TOVP project.
• The TOVP Fundraising Team consisting of Their Graces Jananivas, Ambarisa, Vraja Vilas and Svaha prabhus, and led by the holy Padukas (shoes) of Lord Nityananda and Satari (helmet) of Lord Nrsimhadeva, toured South Africa for ten days raising over $2 million in pledges, matching the results from the first tour there in 2014.
• Our second year fundraising event at His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja’s Vyasa Puja celebration raised over $350,000 in pledges, much coming from devotees who had already pledged last year when we raised $2.4 million.
• The ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) seminar during Gaur Purnima raised $250,000 in pledges from attendees.

Construction Highlights

• External concreting of the three main Domes and eight Chatris was completed.
• The main Dome Kalashes, Chatri Kalashes and three Chakras being manufactured in Russia are almost complete with the first shipment expected to arrive in February, 2017.
• 72 GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) Dome brackets for Kalashes are in production at the GRC factory on location in Mayapur.
• Titanium Nitrate ribbons were installed on the Chatris and blue tile laying commenced.
• Chatri marble cladding, pillar placement and ornamental peacock installation commenced.
• A CNC router was purchased to create custom molding patterns for GRC molds.
• Artisan work and marble cladding on the inner staircase walls commenced.
• Rainwater piping installation on the exterior walls and underground continues.
• Metal casting of various fences and railings commenced.
• Waterproofing, electrical work and brick laying is ongoing.

Other News Highlights

• On October 17th His Grace Sri Nathji prabhu (Dr. N.D. Desai), one of the original supporters of the TOVP, passed from this world.
• His Grace Ravindra Svarupa prabhu published his remarkable new essay, Revealing the Heart of ISKCON, in which the esoteric as well as external purposes of the TOVP are explained with great insight.
• The TOVP phone App went live.
• Lightning Arrester installation began at over 40 locations atop the TOVP.
• A Vishwakarma Puja was performed on September, 17th in service to Radha Madhava to obtain blessings for the successful construction of the TOVP.
• The TOVP Mayapur office creates a Communication Team to stay in touch with devotees worldwide by phone.
• A Sudarshana /Harinama Yajna performed on May 19th brought rain and the blessings of the Lord to the TOVP project.

As many of you are aware, the demonetization of the Rupee has taken its toll on fundraising in India in general. It has greatly affected the flow of monthly pledge payments and new donations from India sources to the TOVP. To counter-balance the demonetization problem we are now planning tours to other parts of the world such as Malaysia, Australia, China, etc. to increase outside sources of income. Our tours to North America, South Africa, the Middle East, etc, in previous years were very successful and we pray to the Lord for good results from the planned tours in 2017.

Please pray for the continued success of the TOVP project. Your support and love has been pivotal in the ongoing progress for the satisfaction of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

To make a contribution to the TOVP please go to https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/

Your servant,
Ambarisa das
TOVP Chairman

The post TOVP Chairman’s 2016 Year End Report appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Resolutions are like a pod of seeds. They’ll grow.

It’s still not too late for a New Year’s resolution. You can do it. Whatever it is, rallying your determination now can make all the difference to the rest of the year.

For those of us walking the spiritual path, January is a great time for looking at the year ahead and fixing our determination to reach a target. Yes, even the spiritual life has targets, and spiritually-motivated development of mental strength is an essential prerequisite. Visualising your goal comes first, then verbalising it as an affirmation. A determined resolution is known as a sankalpa, and expressed as a verbal commitment becomes a vrata.

It’s much easier to reach any goal when you have friends who share the same path, and especially when one of them gives you encouragement and occasional guidance. Such a person can be a patha-pradipika guru for you, someone who ‘keeps the path illuminated.’

A coach is someone who helps you reach your goals, often in sport. He or she will listen carefully as you describe what sort of physique you wish to have, the level of stamina you want, and the lap times you’d like to reach. The coach will then suggest exercises and a fitness regime that will suit you. In spiritual life it’s just the same. We all need someone who’ll listen to the goals we’d like to reach and offer us guidance to get there.

You may already have such a person in your life, or you may be looking for one. Finding one, trusting them, and being honest when you don’t make your chosen target is a key element in keeping your resolutions and becoming an improved version of yourself.

 

 

Vaisnava dasa: How can you say that,” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, I am a barber and I just worked on you!” “No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did there would be no people with long dirty hair and untrimmed beards like that man outside.” “Ah, but barbers do exists! What happens is people don’t come to me.”

“Tulsi shared how the Bhagavad Gita continues to serve as an inspiration in her life, and how grateful she is to the people of Hawaii for allowing her to continue to serve in Congress,” said a statement from her office.

Titiksava Karunika Das: So I'm sitting there on the planter box watching all this and at this point I get up and yell at this guy "Hey don't be pushing my friend"! So the guy looks at me then looks at Dhruva and says "I know how to deal with you punks", pulls out a small hand gun and points it right at my chest and pulls the trigger. Bham!

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami: When Srila Prabhupada visited Hawaii, he had to deal with controversial persons who claimed to be his followers and yet who denounced the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada wanted to encourage everyone to go on chanting Hare Krsna, yet at the same time he wanted to clearly establish that his sincere follower works within ISKCON. The questions and answers after his lectures in Hawaii often dealt with these matters.

Kunja Bihari Devi Dasi: Although they speak about universal love and brotherhood, the non-theistic moralists, like their immoral brothers, are unable to appreciate others as anything more than dull matter. Their perception is limited to the external body, and the relationships they form with others are similarly skin- deep—shallow, short-lived, and ultimately prone towards exploitation. Since they identify themselves as temporary matter, there is no reason for them to perform truly selfless acts.

By Gour Govinda Swami

“Krishna is My life. Now My life has gone out. I cannot see Krishna, I cannot find Krishna.” He cried piteously when Haridas Thakur disappeared. “Krishna is so merciful. He gave Me the association of such a dear devotee who was always with Krishna. But now he disappeared, so I cannot feel the presence of Krishna who is My life. I am without life, I am without life.” That is how one should cry. Continue reading "After the Disappearance of Sri Guru
→ Dandavats"

By Gour Govinda Swami

Still, after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, a black period was there. Who fulfilled Mahaprabhu’s prediction? Bhaktivinode Thakur started. Because India was blindly following the West, he thought that the books and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu should be presented in English‚ and that this science should be taught in the Western world. Continue reading "After the Disappearance of Sri Guru – Part Two: The Dark Period
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Krishna - kshetra Swami: At the end of one of lectures Srila Prabhupada asked for questions. One middle-aged man - apparently a Christian - stood up and said, "I am afraid there is no religiosity present here whatsoever!" Srila Prabhupada responded immediately, with a look of genuine concern, "Oh, you are afraid?" Continue reading "“Oh, you are afraid?”
→ Dandavats"

Tirtho Banerjee: Sindoor can cause local irritation and skin toxicity, says N. M. Khanna, an ex-Central Drug Research Institute scientist. The nature of sindoor or kumkum can change with exposure to the environment over time and this can result in blisters, itching, rashes, pigmentation and, at times, serious dermatological disorders.

By "an insignificant soul"

A colleague, Andrew, began to have headaches at the end of January. It took about 3 weeks to discover that he had a brain tumour and needed urgent surgery. Andrew's father died of cancer and had spent a year travelling the world because he had feared that he never wanted to be like his father who had always put off enjoying life until later because it was not meant to be. Andrew had a successful operation and within days was at home recovering. However, the tumour was malignant. Andrew was devastated but determined to fight. On Tuesday 18 April Andrew's stepfather phoned the office and explained that Andrew had been in a semi-coma for a few days and his condition was critical. He suggested that colleagues visit to say goodbye. Everyone was devastated by this news. My manager intended to go immediately, I agreed to go with him because I felt helpless sitting at my desk worrying about him. It was awful seeing a body that was unrecognisable as a person I had associated with him for many years. Andrew had a huge bandage on his head. His eyes were struggling to focus. He had a tracheotomy in his throat so he could not speak and a massive bandage on his right hand to stop him from pulling his drips out. The left hand side of his body was paralysed. It was a terrible sight but I put this aside and spoke to Andrew as I would have done if he was healthy. As I went to leave and said goodbye to him, he raised his right hand to wave bye to me. Andrew's mother was amazed, this was the first time he had done this since going into a coma. I felt really pleased that he was aware that I had been with him. Continue reading "Who am I? Nobody!
→ Dandavats"

The post Daily Darshan: January 12,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Preaching program in Kiev (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If, by good fortune, one who has fallen into the ocean of material existence renders service to the pure devotees of the Supreme Lord, who are freed from all material desires, the Lord will deliver him, out of His causeless mercy. Simply by rendering service to the spiritual master and other advanced devotees, one surely receives the mercy of the Lord. It is a well-known fact that the Lord is more mercifully inclined toward those who consider themselves devotees of His devotees than those who claim to be His direct devotees. (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada’s commentary on SB 11.17.44)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/R9VchK

By Candrabhaga Devi Dasi

On December 20, 2016 an international group of around 35 devotees (12 matajis, rest prabhus) left Sri Mayapur Dham from Srila Prabhupada's Bhajan Kutir for a seven day, 80 km padayatra to Katwa tirtha. Katwa is the place where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken sannyasa. Along the way the yatra passed other tirthas including Nrsimhapalli where Lord Nrsimhadeva had washed His nails after the battle with Hiranyakasipu. Krsnapada the ox, on his first walk out of Mayapur lead the party through Krishnanagar, Baluka, Kanainagar, Navadvip, Srirampur, Kalikatala, Agradvip, and on to Katwa. Thanks to HG Hrimati mataji who entrusted him and the rath cart which became home to Nitai Pada Kamala, Gaura Nitai who reside at the Bhajan Kutir in Mayapur. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada Sankirtan Padayatra Iskcon 50: Mayapur to Katwa
→ Dandavats"

Who is Srila Prabhuada, no one knows? But certainly an empowered and loving spiritual master, father and grand father for his sincere followers. Somehow or the other, i have been lucky to have gotten his mercy. It is up to me to accept it or reject it.

A memory:

I was traveling. I intended to come to Europe to do street clowning with my girlfriend. In New York City, we met a sankirtan devotee who gave us a book and a record, Radha Krishna Album. And when we heard this music, I remember thinking that there is nothing I want to do besides find out what this means and meet the people who are singing this music. So we went to England. That was in March of '77. So it was only four months later that the devotees said Srila Prabhupada is coming, and we all considered it a wonderful miracle that somehow or other we were actually going to be able to meet him. Many of the older devotees were pained to see him in that condition; but to me, it was the first time I saw him and he was so incredibly attractive. He was glowing like the sun, just so beautiful like the ripened fruit of tapasya.

I had never experienced anyone who was exuding so much love. I was astonished. I had an interesting experience that while he was giving this first lecture, I was sitting back in a corner where I could see him but so many devotees around. But I had the strange feeling that while Prabhupada was speaking, he was looking directly at me and speaking to me. It was as if he had sat down in front of me and said, "My dear child, this is why you've been suffering in the material world and now it's time for you to go back home, back to Krishna. Come with me and I'll take you home." I felt pretty silly due to my big false ego thinking that I had received special attention.

So after the lecture when I went out into the hallway, I overheard some devotee speaking that "Oh, I had this strange experience that Prabhupada was looking straight at me and speaking directly to me." And then I heard another group of people speaking, and at least three or four different groups of devotees mentioned like this. I was stunned, "What kind of person is this?" It was also interesting while I was in this lecture, I had a unique feeling that Prabhupada was looking straight into my soul, that he was looking at my essential self and not at the person who I had previously thought I was, but looking through all the layers of my conditioning to see my true self, that I was an eternal spiritual living entity, a servant of Krishna. And that he would hold this realization of me so strongly, it felt as if that could bring me out of all those layers of conditioning to the point where I can also realize who I am. So because I was a latecomer and in one way felt unfortunate that I was only able to see Prabhupada in his very last days, in another way I felt like I received a wonderful benediction.

by Gopimata Devi

Hare Krishna

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2009, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture)

There is one thing I want to say about charity – vaisnava charity is not about giving donations here and there because when a vaisnava gets charitable, he does not just give some of his wealth, a vaisnava gives himself. This is the greatest charity, when we give ourselves.

This is how it works in devotional service, vaisnava generosity goes beyond the logic; it goes beyond calculation; it goes beyond the limits and somehow or other Krsna helps…

Of course, there is such a thing as over endeavour. Over endeavour is when we begin to sacrifice our essential spiritual practices like chanting, rising early and reading. When we are so busy with service that we have no time for reading and chanting, then it is time to say, “No, Prabhu! It is not possible.”
We have to chant and we have to read. If we do so much service that we cannot chant and cannot read, then it is useless. Useless! We are shooting ourselves in the foot. This is over endeavour!

Otherwise, this vaisnava generosity is a very beautiful thing where a vaisnava goes out of his way to please another vaisnava or anyone else and preaching is also based on this principle of generosity.
When I first went to a Sunday feast, those were the days! There were fifteen preparations and every preparation was far out. And it was for free which was amazing. It really was overwhelming that they gave all that for free. It was extraordinary. It really did impress me.

So, we can only conquer people by our generosity. It is the only way. Krsna can attract anyone but if we can be of any help in attracting someone to Krsna consciousness, then it is only through generosity; if we extend ourselves then we will conquer and touch people’s hearts.

Plants perceive the world without eyes, ears or brains. Understanding how can teach us a lot about them, and potentially a lot about us as well.

VIP Tour in Sacred India Gallery, Australia (2 min video)
Rita Saffioti MLA Member for West Swan in the Western Australian Parl...

On Thursday 5^th January 2017, ISKCON-London and Bhaktivedanta Manor, co-hosted the UK film premiere of The Joy of Devotion at the Camden Centre in central London to a large and enthusiastic turnout of approximately 300 leaders, community members and those who have recently taken an interest in the ISKCON movement, as well as those who participated in the film.

Recipe - Til ki chikki (7 min video)
Sesame Seeds (Til)
Sugar (Sakkar)
Cardamom (Elaichi) Powder
Watch it here: ...

The post Daily Darshan: 11 Jan, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Indians and Bhagavad Gita Make The History. Wherever Lord Krishna and Arjuna are present, Victory is there!
As if leading Microsoft (Mr. Sundar Pichai), Google (Mr. Satya Nadella), Mastercard (Mr. Ajaypal Banga) and many others Giant companies is not enough, Indians are leading in each and every field in US. This year has been a significant benchmark for success of Indians in American Politics as well. American Politics impacts the entire world in the most unique and powerful way. In the recent elections in the United States, history was made. A fivefold growth of prominent politicians of Indo-American origin has been observed and more have won lesser significant posts such as mayor, school board, county council etc.

To celebrate this success, Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist and philanthropist M. R. Rangaswami came with a brilliant concept - Indiaspora Inauguration gala. Diaspora means - the dispersion of any people from their original homeland. Indiaspora - is a congregation of Indians in the United States. The Indiaspora Inauguration gala is a bipartisan event to celebrate the success and significance of the Indian-American community, to welcome in the new administration and strengthen relationships with existing administration! A successful press conference preceded the gala. TV Asia, Diya News, India Bazaar, India West and many other prominent media channels attended it.

Congressman Joe Crowley, a former Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, in his address to the Indiaspora gala, said this kind of success is phenomenal. Congressman Ami Bera, a third-time elect, addressed saying “What is remarkable that in one generation our community has done so much.” Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard lighted the first candle at the gala, followed by all other dignitaries. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii has been the very first person to take the oath on a Gita in the United States in January 2009. Gabbard is the first ever Hindu to be elected to the US Congress. Her appreciation for Bhagavad Gita is a noteworthy topic across the internet.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/YgCKLu

Bhaktivedanta Research Center Participates in International Open Access Week.
BRC was pleased to have the opportunity to participate in Open Access Week this year from the 24-30 of October. Open Access Week is an event whose purpose is to bring awareness to the potential applications and benefits of Open Access to scholarship and research throughout the world. BRC’s participation is in line with our commitment to preservation and dissemination, Offering our digitized material freely to the public domain. The Open Access Movement supports the idea that research should be freely accessible online, at no cost to anyone.This free exchange of ideas facilitates more rapid advances in research of many kinds. In only seven days, BRC scanned 2681 pages from 15 rare books and uploaded them, a truly amazing feat made possible to the dedication and commitment of our Head Librarian, Angelo Pugliese (Acyuta Dasa,) and L2C2 Technologies Consultant, Indranil Das Gupta.