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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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(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.

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By Varshana Swami

This was just unacceptable that Srila Prabhupada could not show his love by not handing out cookies in gurupuja. So Radhanath Swami very quickly took the Deities’ plates with the offerings from mangala arati and tried to offer these to Srila Prabhupada as mahaprasadam. But the secretary said, “No you can’t offer this to Srila Prabhupada.” Then Maharaja snuck around the other side where there was a more lenient servant and placed the tray there. Then Srila Prabhupada, like a little child, he had very small silver spoons, began distributing prasadam to the devotees as they lined up. He gave spoonfuls of sweet rice and other preparations that Srila Prabhupada would taste and then distribute to the devotee. When Srila Prabhupada came to the gulabjamun, he bit into one and it popped and the juice sprayed all over the devotees. When he sampled the second one the same event repeated itself. The devotees were so ecstatic, and Srila Prabhupada was beaming like a little child as he was spoon feeding. Continue reading "Loving relationships with devotees
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By Mahatma das

You feel entitled to special treatment or status, and when you don’t get it you become critical of those who should give it (or who should arrange for it to be given). You have a strong need to be right which manifests as a strong need to make others wrong. You are trying to get attention or communicate your feelings but you lack the proper skills to do this, and thus the only way to get attention is through criticism. You are an expert in a specific area(s) and therefore criticize or condemn others for their ignorance or inability. When you are misunderstood, your frustration manifests as criticism of other’s lack of ability or intelligence to understand you. You feel rejected by someone through their words or behavior and you condemn them for rejecting you. Continue reading "Reasons We Blame or Criticize Others
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By Romapada Swamii

Here are some of the following few ways to practically apply and understand whether the happiness experienced is for own satisfaction or for the satisfaction of the Lord: 1. We can check our internal consciousness when we experience happiness (i.e. introspect). Ask yourself “Is this experience based on a selfish motivation, e.g. derived from an activity that we love to do, or perhaps an activity which will put us in the forefront, making us more noticeable thus helping us to gain appreciation from others?” Continue reading "Happiness in Devotional Service
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Congregational home program with a sneak-peek at Yadubhara’s upcoming Srila Prabhupada bio movie for cinemas. It’s looking beautiful.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/quYB6a

A disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Bhajahari prabhu, left his body at 9.45 this morning in UK. It was very very peaceful. He was hearing Srila Prabhupada chanting and had Radhakunda water in his mouth, tilak and neckbeads and Radharani's garland on his head.
Here is a 4 min. video of him talking about his memories in re...

Our concept of male and female is limited to our experience of male and female. We have only experienced incomplete, flawed males and females. Therefore to say that God is either male or female is seriously problematic, because it implies to our minds that God is like something flawed. On the other hand, to say God is neither male nor female also leaves us feeling blank, because we cannot comprehend such a thing.

Śāstra makes all such statements. In some places it describes divinity as female; in some places, as male; in some places, as both; in some places, as neither.

But by sādhana (deep contemplation with mantra practice) we can gradually perceive the actual truth in all these statements.

God is both male and female, because God is everything. Yet, God is neither a male nor a female because God has no flaws or limitations. So, God is the manifestation of an unlimited entity, which is both perfectly male and perfectly female.

This is why we don’t depict or conceive of Śakti (perfect femininity) without Śaktiman (perfect masculinity), nor Śaktiman without Śakti. 

In short, Krishna in Vṛndāvana surrounded by his gopīs, headed by Rādhā is our conception of God. He does not exist without the gopī saturated Vṛndāvana. Bhāgavatam says dhāmna svenda sadā — He exists only in his dhāma. 

And even in Krishna himself, you find a peacock of a hero. 

And even in Rādhā herself, you find a brave hero of a woman.

And you will not find one without the other.

Vraja Kishor

Tagged: female, goddess, male

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 December 2016, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.46)

In deity worship, everything is prescribed from beginning to end e.g. one cannot chastise someone in front of the deity, one cannot cry in front of the deity except for tears of ecstasy, one should not eat in front of the deity except pure maha prasadam which should be honoured immediately because that is mercy and the nature of mercy is such that if we don’t take it straightaway, it may disappear!

Therefore when mercy comes, take it without delay! Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was woken up by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Straight from bed, Mahaprabhu gave him prasad of Jagannatha and he took it without brushing his teeth or anything… Maha prasadam is to be taken without delay!

We remember that in the early days of Iskcon, Brahmananda and Tamal Krsna Maharaj were seated next to each other at the time of taking prasad. Prabhupada had given a very big simply wonderful to Tamal Krsna Maharaj and Tamal Krsna Maharaj was saving it for the end of the meal. Brahmananda saw that simply wonderful and suddenly just grabbed it and swallowed it! Tamal Krsna Maharaj said to Prabhupada, “But… He just…” and Prabhupada just said, “That’s the nature of mercy!” If you don’t take it straightaway, it may disappear!

In this way, we can appreciate that we must be eager and awake. A vaisnava has a radar to detect mercy – always scanning everywhere and when we see it, we take it. And not only edible mercy but mercy in any form.

Once I did a study on mercy and I found throughout the Bhagavatam different words are used for mercy – sometimes daya, sometimes kripa, sometimes anukampa. But in the tenth canto, when it comes to Vrindavan and the transcendental situation of the eternal residents of Vrindavan, there is only one word for mercy: PRASAD! They see everything as prasad, as coming from Krsna and they are always looking for Krsna’s mercy.

But we are dull, Prabhupada often said that we are dull and not sensitive to the mercy; we are just not seeing it! Krsna is here in so many ways, right here in the material world – this is the amazing thing. The spiritual world is right here.

By Romapada Swami

The reason why Lord Caitanya's identity is concealed is stated within the Bhagavatam itself: the incarnation for this age does not directly assert Himself to be the Personality of Godhead. Prahlada Maharaja states this in Bhagavatam (7.9.38): "According to the age, O my Lord, You protect the principles of religion. In the age of Kali, however, You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who appears in three yugas." It is by His own desire that the Lord chooses to appear as a 'channa-avatara' or 'gupta-avatara' (hidden incarnation). Through one action the Lord accomplishes many purposes; one of the external reasons for His maintaining His identity discrete is understood thus: Lord Caitanya appears in the mood of a devotee to teach by example the process of devotional service. Continue reading "The Divinity of Sri Caitanya
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By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Krishna's abode in the transcendental kingdom is called Goloka Vrindavana. The city in India named Vrindavan, where I have come from, is called Bhauma Vrindavan, which means the same Goloka Vrindavana descended to earth. Just as Krishna descends to earth out of His own internal potency, His dhama, or His abode—Vrindavana dhama—also descends. Continue reading "Attaining Krishna’s Abode
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“Indian day” class.
Kamalini Dasi Darling: This picture is in the Emerson Waldorf School Calendar (in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US). In the 5th grade they learn about India, so every year they have us come to teach a class. They all dress up and wear tilak and we tell Krishna pastimes and have a Kirtan.

Dauji! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The village of Dauji is a one hour drive from the town of Vrindavan. In Dauji everyone and everything revolve around the local temple where a famous Deity of Lord Balarama resides. Dauji is another name for Balarama meaning ‘older brother.’ After taking an amazing darshan we wandered around the village visiting various sites and meeting with the local people. The village so much reminded me of the town of Vrindavan 30 years ago. Everything was very simple. People were in love with the deity of Dauji. The temple was a bustle of transcendental activity. A most wonderful experience. I will return!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/nHvQYD

By Ananda Tirtha das

As the United Airlines jet descended on the San Francisco Bay area, Srila Prabhupada turned to his disciple Ranacora and said, "The buildings look like matchboxes. Just imagine how it looks from Krsna's viewpoint." Srila Prabhupada was seventy-one years old, and this had been his first air trip. Ranacora, nineteen and dressed in a suit and tie, was supposed to be Srila Prabhupada's secretary. He was a new disciple but had raised some money and had asked to fly to San Francisco with Prabhupada. During the trip Srila Prabhupada had spoken little. He had been chanting: "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." His right hand in his cloth bead bag, he had been fingering one bead after another as he chanted silently to himself. When the plane had first risen over New York City, he had looked out the window at the buildings growing smaller and smaller. Then the plane had entered the clouds, which to Prabhupada had appeared like an ocean in the sky. He had been bothered by pressure blocking his ears and had mentioned it; otherwise he hadn't said much, but had only chanted Krsna's names over and over. Now, as the plane began its descent, he continued to chant, his voice slightly audible- "Krsna, Krsna, Krsna..."-and he looked out the window at the vista of thousands of matchbox houses and streets stretching in charted patterns in every direction. Continue reading "January 16: 50th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada in San Francisco
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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I am entering the mood of preparing for my talk a week from Friday, on the 20th. This means for me, hours of chanting, prayer, deep contemplation and writing, in order to be as prepared as possible to say what is most essential for the audience who might attend. I always keep high ideals! The presence of my listeners is a gift for me since they bring me to higher levels of being, knowing and loving in devotion. Though I am responsible for what I bring to any discussion, the audience is considered at least 50 % of the equation, as their mood affects the speaker, either expanding or contracting the possibilities.

We give who we are, so I have to prepare myself to be on the highest, most compassionate, and loving platform, to manifest vital, life-giving wisdom, practical and transcendent. Though I am always praying to be my most empowered spiritual self, speaking to others gives me more urgency to be all I can be to serve and uplift. This is beneficial for me, as well as whoever listens with an open heart. Meditating on this mood with the prayer to share is exciting, and I very rarely use that word!

I’m endeavoring and praying to be open to receive much more than ordinary materialistic, limited thinking might deem possible. Then I may reach high to be a spiritual possibility thinker, or spiritually and miraculously minded, by connecting to the higher spiritual realms, and be guided by my seen and unseen spiritual benefactors and teachers. As we shower with water to cleanse our body, I am meditating on being more deeply cleansed through the divine Light shower of the holy names, prayer, and the serving mood in bhakti, offered to our Deities, and ideally put into everything I do, with whoever I am with.

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Harinam Mela 2017 at Hyderabad

By Vaishnava das

Winter Festival is being held in exceptionally beautiful place - Seminar and recreation center “Dubingiai”. Residential space is located in 4 separate buildings. Conference halls are in a separate enclosure near residential buildings. During the festival the devotees are able to rest in comfortably furnished rooms. In each room there are comfortable beds, white linens, shower, wc. Children at the festival will be able to participate in their own workshops, which will take place in a separate room. One separate room will be devoted to recreation for mothers with young children. Continue reading "Vaishnava winter festival – BALTIC 2017
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On 13th Evening Anand Utsav(Festival of Joy) was celebrated at Dharm Sabha Bhawan, Gaya. Inspite of a cold weather about 500 people attended and enjoyed the festival. Program started with a melodious kirtan followed by a wonderful lecture by Hg Devaki Nandan Prabhu (Zonal Secretary, Bihar & Jharkhand). He declared that very soon a beautiful Radha Krishna temple will be built in the holy land of Gaya. A drama on Me & Mind was performed. Program ends with Aarti and delicious dinner prasadam

Discourse in our Vraja front yard on the evening of November 9th

West Africa 2016 book distribution Marathon.
The Ibadan, Nigeria Nagara Sankirtana Group led by Yadhunath prabhu won the West A...

By Yadava Hari das

The peak of the Gita-jayanti festival was held at Grand Ballroom Pertamina, Jakarta on December 24, 2016. Many Hindu from around Indonesia participated on the celebration. Minister of Religious Affairs Republic of Indonesia through Director Jendral of Indonesia Hindu Council said that he was delighted appreciated that ISKCON in Indonesia along with Hindu organization in Indonesia celebrated the Gita Jayanti Festival. Continue reading "Glorifying the Bhagavad-Gita Through Gita Jayanti Festival in Indonesia
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