Planet ISKCON

Identifying the Deity as Bhagavan.
Question: Kindly inform me on what basis we identify Krishna/Bhagavan Vigraha, which is sat chit ananda, with deity/archa which is made up of matter. I want to know the Gaudiya logic and appropriate scriptural backing.
Romapada Swami: The Personality of Godhead is the source of all energies, both material and spiritual. Because He is full of inconceivable potencies, God can convert His different potencies according to His own will, much as an expert electrician can employ the same electric energy for both heating as well as cooling purposes. For the Lord there is no difference between material and spiritual energies; that He can transform His energies as He wills is Srila Vyasadeva’s sublime teaching of shakti-parinamavada. He is the controller of both energies, and He cannot come under their influence at any time, as we do. A fundamental and axiomatic principle in spiritual science is that unless one accepts this inconceivable nature of God’s potencies, there is no way of understanding Him. The conclusion is that Krishna, being omnipotent, can transform matter into spirit and spirit into matter as He desires, and He can accept our service through any sort of medium.
The Supreme Lord is called ‘adhoksaja’, which means One Who is beyond the reach of our mundane, imperfect senses. It is also stated that we can approach the Lord only by engaging our senses in His service. How are we to serve and learn to appreciate Him who cannot be perceived? Therefore, out of causeless compassion for the conditioned souls, Krishna appears in a so-called material form, just to become visible to and accept His devotees’ service.
Just as the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts various incarnations, similarly He takes on forms made out of clay, wood, metal and jewels, which according to shastra is known as archa-vigraha. By doing so this does not mean that His sac-cid-ananda form has been touched by material influence. The archa-vigraha is not fashioned from an artist’s whimsical imagination but is the eternal form of the Lord, confirming in exacting detail to scriptural injunctions. The Lord Himself personally descends in the archa-murti at the request of the acharyas, and invests all His spiritual potencies within the Deity. Thus the devotees get an opportunity to easily approach Him and serve Him even with their present material senses, thereby purifying and spiritualizing their senses.
As Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita, He is not visible to all (BG 7.25), but reciprocates according to a devotee’s degree of surrender to Him (BG 4.11). Thus, to the degree of one’s faith and devotion, one is able to perceive the presence of the Supreme Lord in His Deity form. There are many historical instances wherein the Deities have personal exchanges with the worshiper, talk to them and accept their offerings. But for one who considers Him to be merely stone or wood, He continues to remains so.
Therefore scriptures warn us to carefully avoid such mundane perception of the archa-vigraha. (Isopanishad Mantras 5,8 purports, Padma purana, quoted in Cc Madhya 5.95-97, etc)

Raval - Gokula in Vrindavana (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: On Christmas Day, we did parikrama of Radharani’s Birthplace Raval, and some very beautiful places in Gokula! We even took a boat ride on the Yamuna! At the end, we visited the Samadhi of Ras Khan, a Muslim who became a Vaishnava and wrote enchanting Braja Poetry. His place is like the forest that we always imagined Vrindavan would be! Pics thanks to Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2idvsj

Govardhana Parikrama with Italian devotees (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: My Guru Maharaja used to say, prana ache yara sei hetu pracara. A person can become a preacher if he has got life. A dead man cannot become a preacher. So you must be very enthusiastic that “I shall preach the glories of the Lord to my best capacity.” It is not that one has to become very learned scholar to become a preacher. Simply it requires enthusiasm, “My Lord is so great, so kind, so beautiful, so wonderful. So I must speak something about my Lord.” This is the qualification, enthusiasm. >>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion – Vrndavana, October 20, 1972
Find them here: https://goo.gl/27hfMV

Acharya Theatrical Distribution (3 min video)
The big news is, we have a distributor who wants to represent our film for distribution in movie theaters in the US and Canada. The company is Abramorama in NYC and recently represented Eight Days a Week, a film on the Beatles by director Ron Howard. Abramorama’s CEO wrote me this after seeing our latest edit:
I watched your film. I think it’s terrific: consistently smart and interesting. I’m certain there’s an audience for it even beyond the core.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/q63Hb7

First, devotees need to understand there is no way to manipulate natural resources for sense gratification without being a burden to the Earth. Srila Prabhupada wrote: According to Vedic understanding, men are transformed into thieves when they plan economic development for sense gratification (SB 4, 18.7) The earth became overburdened due to dharma-glani, or irregular discharge of the Lord's desire. The Lord appeared on the earth to curb the increase in miscreants, and not the increase in population, as is wrongly put forward by the mundane economist (SB 3.3.13) Continue reading "Critique of Environmentalism
→ Dandavats"

His Holiness Vrajendra nandan Swami went to England from Malaysia to study Engineering. He was living in Birmingham at a YMCA. He met ISKCON members there while they were distributing Srila Prabhupada literatures. He was induced to take the books, he liked the books and finally he took the books. He was studying there and he started coming gradually to the Birmingham temple at Hemsworth where he again met the devotees and he took more books. From then on also took the devotees to the Universities, local colleges and Indians to distribute Srila Prabhupada books and literatures. Later on he joined the Bury place temple, a very simple and humble temple where he would do humble service like cutting vegetable and other menial services. He was initiated in London and was working very hard to distribute Prabhupada books. He was once given a bus to lead a travelling sankirtan party. He was a very good book distributor. Continue reading "Reminiscences of His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendranandan Swami
→ Dandavats"

Nathdwara On New Years Eve (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Nathdwara is a town in India’s western state of Rajasthan. It is located in the Aravalli hills, on the banks of the Banas River in Rajsamand District. It is most famous as the home of the Sri Nathji deity. Sri Nathji was discovered at Govardhan Hill in Vrindavan by Sri Madhavendra Puri. He is dearly loved by devotees all over the world. New Years Eve was like any other day in Nathdwara – everyone was rushing to the temple to Sri Nathji. We also rushed to see the Lord and prayed for His blessings in the coming year!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/rqjs69

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 12/16/2016

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes simple living, cow protection, engaging oxen, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Directors: Anuttama, Bhima (Chair), Chaitanya Mangala, Kripamaya, Ranaka and Sri Tulasi Manjari

Participating Advisors: Jaya Krsna, Vraja

Participating Managers: Nitaicandra

Recording Secretary: Jamuna Jivani

1. ECO-V’s Cow Protection Endowment

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to establish a board designated endowment fund for the continued support of cow protection in New Vrindaban.

RESOLVED: That ECO-Vrindaban establishes an endowed Fund to protect cows.

The endowment shall be initially funded by ECO-V with the $655K Promissory Note dated November 13th, 2015 from ISKCON New Vrindaban.

The endowment will be called the “ECO-Vrindaban Cow Protection Fund” and ECO-V may solicit donations specifically for the Fund.

Until the board decides otherwise, the Fund will grant funds only to other 501(c)(3) organizations.

The Fund will establish its own bank account at a bank of Ranaka’s choosing and the authorized signers are to be Douglas Fintel, John Sherwood and Christopher Walker. Any checks over the amount of $5,000 must be executed with two signatures.

Allocation of funds and interest income from this endowment shall be determined by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

A Special Note: The ECO-Vrindaban members acknowledge Madhava Gosh Prabhu’s significant contributions to the development of this cow care endowment. Nearly one year since his passing, fellow board members are pleased to establish this Fund in his memory.

2. January Meetings

There will be an annual board members only meeting on 1/22/17 and regular monthly meeting on 1/29/17.

3. Internal Funding Request: $2K for March 2017 T-shirts & Appreciation Plaques

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to acknowledge the dedication of long time community members, as well as offer a token of appreciation to the INV and ECO-V staff and  volunteers.

RESOLVED: The Board approves up to $2,000 as a budget for plaques and t-shirts to distribute during the March 2017 meeting weekend.

4. Ranaka’s Monthly Report

Ananda Vidya and Lalita Gopi

• Currently milking six cows and Laxmi is bagging up at Nandagram – estimated to come fresh in January.
• Producing 20 gallons of milk per day. Due to less demand for fluid milk this time of year, larger quantities butter and ghee are being produced for the Deities.
• They are very happy with barn improvements that were made over the summer: insulation, new walls, new sliding cow entrance door, and a new higher BTU heater generously donated by Vasudeva Clayton.

Ranaka

• During the winter, Ray’s work is mostly indoors in an effort to keep him out of the harsh weather as much as possible. He is doing remodeling work at the ghee plant, feeding and checking water fountains and lines. Also, Ray is working on an electrical upgrade at the temple barn.
• Ranaka will meet with Bhagavan and Ray next week if the weather clears for the Valley Barn well electrical upgrade project.
• Finalizing 2016 and developing 2017 operating budgets.
• He is working with attorneys to develop a sexual harassment policy for ECO-V staff.

5. Nitaicandra’s Monthly Report

• Nandagram greenhouse earthwork has been mulched.
• The greenhouse frame has been started, but was put on hold due to the cold weather.
• Materials for the Deity flower gardens have been picked up from the Amish country.
• Feed aisle at the Nandagram barn has been reinforced.
• The calves’ barn at Nandagram has been cleaned out and new bedding applied.
• The two houses at Nandagram have been winterized.
• Nitaicandra met with Bhagavan at the temple goshala to schedule Ray to finish up electrical rough work. Once finished, Bhagavan and his crew will complete the upgrade.
• Vyasasan has been asked to winterize the Bahulaban barn water system.

For regular updates, visit the ECO-Vrindaban Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/ECOVrindaban

BY HH JANANANDA GOSWAMI

HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Maharaja was born in Malaysia. He came to the UK to study where he joined ISKCON in 1971 in Birmingham. He was around 33 years old at the time of joining. Subhag, now swami, was his inspiration at that time and remained so throughout his life. It was there in Birmingham that I first saw him. We were both visiting the small temple at the same time and on the first occasion were the only present except Subhag swami.

He then moved to Bury Place temple in early 1972 and served selflessly there for several years – he was known as the simple hard working, surrendered brahmacari who would never miss anything. We were initiated at the same time in July 1972 from Srila Prabhupada on Trafalgar Square. He received the name Vrajendra Kumar. For years we travelled throughout the UK distributing books – our sankirtan party consisted of Prabhavisnu, Mahavisnu, Vrajendra Kumar, myself and Deva Dharma. For several years I had the privilege of his association both in Bury Place and at the Bhaktivedanta Manor until In 1975 he moved to India where he took up the responsibility of temple commander in Vrndavana. He would occasionally return to Europe for sankirtan and raising funds for India.

In 1979 along with Ramasarana prabhu and his wife from the UK – Janaki dasi, he returned to his home country and they established the Malaysian yatra on firm grounds. I came to Malaysia in January 1984 and we worked together for years on end.

In 1983 he accepted sannyasa from HH Jayapataka Swami. From then on he continued to serve in Malaysia, preaching extensively. He would regularly visit India traveling and preaching and other neighbouring countries. In the late 1990’s his health deteriorated developing serious heart problems. The doctors gave him 6 months to live. For some time he went to India and miraculously gained strength. Back and forth to Malaysia he reassumed his preaching and traveling. Around 2011 again his health dipped and he became hospitalized for some time with a failing liver. He pushed on enthusiastically serving in whatever way he could. He faced regular health crises and several time survived against all odds. Over the past few months his kidneys failed and he has had to undergo dialysis.

Around 3 weeks past he went into a coma and although coming back to consciousness his health was ailing to the point the doctors made it clear there was nothing more they could do and in discussion with the devotees – many of whom are themselves doctors – decided to take Maharaja back to the temple where he remained for 12 hours till his glorious departure returning to his eternal position at Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet.

All devotees who knew him will attest to the fact that he was truly a great vaisnava free from malice, envy, lust and greed. Non-duplicitous – the symbol of genuine simplicity, straightforwardness and chastity to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON. Not for a moment did he ever think of leaving ISKCON. He always considered himself a little assistant to the actual preacher Srila Prabhupada. A cent per cent sold out soldier in Srila Prabhupada’s great sankirtan army. We have lost the association of a wonderful soul but his example will stand as a beacon for many to come.

BY SHYAMA RASIKA DASA

It was during 2006. Guru Maharaj got ready for Mangala Arati and came out of his room, and he said, "Today is a very special day." And we rushed to Mangala Arati. Guru Maharaj entered into Narasimha Dev Altar and did Arati to Lord Narasimha dev. After arati Guru Maharaj got some Tulasi leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord and started to distribute to devotees as usual and gave some to His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaj and invites him to join Guru Maharaj in his morning walk. And went in front of Srila Prabhupada and started to chant his Gayathri (Standing). Then along with the devotees Guru Maharaj chanted his 4 rounds in front of Panca Tattva. Then started his morning walk along with His Holiness and devotees.

First we went to Gosala and Guru Maharaj had his fresh Cow urine to drink, and asked Gaura Hari Prabhu (Gosala) to provide one cup for His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendranandan Swami Maharaj and enjoyed his company a lot.

Then the morning walk went through the backside pathway to the International school, and grihastha housing area. And finally reached Sulabh kitchen for Guru Puja.

His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendranandan Swami Maharaj wanted to go and attend Darshan Arati and Srila Prabhupada Puja. But, Guru Maharaj requested, "Maharaj, please take part in Guru Puja and bless devotees and then we will go to Darshan." Maharaj agreed with Guru Maharaj.

Then, Guru Maharaj and Maharaj entered Sulabh Kitchen from the back door. But devotees were already crowded inside the hall.

There were three Vyasa asana. And when Guru Maharaj entered into the Hall, Kirtan started "Jaya Guru deva! Jaya Guru deva!" but Guru Maharaj intervened the Kirtan party, and took over and started singing, "Jaya Bhakti Vrajendra nandan Swami Maharaj! Jaya Bhakti Vrajendranandan Swami Maharaj!" Maharaj was really astonished.

Then Guru Maharaj grabbed Maharaj's hand. And made him sit in the middle Vyasa Asana. And Guru Maharaj sat on his left and Subhag swami Maharaj sat on his right. 

Maharaj was still in shock what is going on. Then Guru Maharaj gave a sound call. Then a cake came. And Guru Maharaj announced "Today is a very special day! today is my beloved God-brother Sri Sri Bhakti Vrajendra Nandana Swami Maharaj's Vyasa Puja!"

Then  Guru Maharaj requested Maharaj to cut the cake. But, Maharaj was in so much happiness and ecstasy, was hugging Guru Maharaj and Subhal Swami Maharaj. And Maharaj requested both of them to join him in cutting this cake. Then three swamis were holding the knife and started to cut the cake. And the whole hall was reverbing "Jaya Bhakti Vrajendranandan Swami Maharaj! Jaya Bhakti Vrajendranandan Swami Maharaj!" And Maharaj took a first piece and fed Guru Maharaj, and Subhag Maharaj and Guru Maharaj took a piece and fed Maharaj and they were posing for the pictures also. Then whatever garland that devotees wanted to offer Guru Maharaj, Guru Maharaj directed to Maharaj. And everyone offered flowers at Maharaj's lotus feet, and three swamis blessed everyone. It was a memorable day. I still able to visualize it.

Whenever Maharaj see me, he asked me in Tamil, "Eppadi irukka?" "How are you?" We will really miss you Maharaj. Seeking his blessings

BY AJAMILA DASA

During the glorification in light of the passing of HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaja please convey to the assembled devotees my prostrated obeisances at their feet and at his lotus feet.

His Holiness has served Srila Prabhupada unswervingly year after year on the preaching front line in Malaysia.

Because of such preaching consciousness Maharaja was always in Vrindavana and thus he left his body in Vrindavana and without any shadow of a doubt he has gone back to Godhead to be with Lord Sri Krishna in Vrindavana.

We certainly lament losing his association but we also joyfully celebrate his successful departure from this mortal world to the land of unending bliss and eternality in Sri Vrindavana Dham.

Hoping this meets you well. Hare Krishna!

A most unworthy and insignificant servant

I’ve made this video to give you an inside look into my course on Śāstra and Bhakti, “The Role of Sacred Text in Gauḍīya Bhakti.”

There are four different ways you can take the course: by self-study, guided-study, group-classes, or private classes.

All four include PDF notes for each session. These notes are also shown in-class and in the recorded videos, but I give them to you as separate PDFs as well, because they are much more easily studied and referenced in that format.

Each session also includes homework questions, to ensure you are correctly grasping the key points.

I also provide you with my own personal answers to the homework questions. If you are taking the course by self-study, you can check your answers against these. If you are taking the course by another method, I personally check and correct your answers, and am available for questions by email and in the dedicated class discussion forums.

Now I will show you selected excerpts from the pre-recorded classes. Thank you for watching. I hope to see you in class soon!

Find out more, and ENROLL NOW at: http://vrajakishor.com/c-veda

Tagged: Bhagavata Purana, Guru Sadhu Sastra, Sastra, shastra

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Gita 11.33 Harmonizing with the divine will is the perfection of human expertise appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

We have now entered 2017 and with it, the Millenium of Sri Ramanujacarya. I wish all the Vaishnavas who will be directly celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the birth a wonderful year, and I wish that his name is broadcast far and wide. May the glories of Ramanujacarya be communicated in 108 languages, by 1,008 great teachers, all over the world.

This morning I received this link and I would urge my readers to have a look and see if inspiration comes to you.

Meanwhile, our efforts to make known the great legacy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada continue past the 50th year celebrations with the new film on his life. The movie is the devoted work of Yadubara Das and his wife Visakha Dasi. It was always going to be quite a monumental undertaking to produce a full-length documentary of this type. But they did it, and now the cinema distribution is the task in hand.

Let’s all make a small contribution to the cost of this (a generous sponsor will double your donation) and this beautiful film will come to a cinema near you soon this year.

Just click here for information.

Can one become his own guru?
Question: “While going through Srimad Bhagavatam, in Canto 11 Chapter 7.19-21, it is revealed that one can become his own guru and experience Krishna’s full potencies. This is contradicting to what Krishna says in BG 4.2, which states that one must learn this knowledge from bonafide spiritual master coming in the line of disciplic succession.”
“So, does Krishna approve both or only the process mentioned in BG 4.2? If He approves the former, where is the question of bogus gurus since everyone can become his own guru, as per scriptural injunctions?”
Romapada Swami: To address your question, let us first refer to two short statements made in the purports to these verses. In the purport to #20, we find-
“Srila Jiva Gosvami states in this connection, gurv-anusarane pravartaka ity arthah: the knowledge acquired by one’s own perception and intelligence leads one to appreciate the value of the representative of Lord Krsna. The word sreyas in this verse indicates that one can advance in life through one’s own intelligence. By good association one should gradually come to understand one’s eternal position as servant of Krsna, and then one becomes very eager to live in the company of other enlightened persons.”
In the purport to #21, we find-
“A spiritual master becomes bona fide by his full surrender to his spiritual master; but as explained in this chapter, one may also act as his own guru. This means that an intelligent and perceptive person can understand the nature of this world and his own limitations. Such a person then becomes very much inclined to associate with the pure devotees of the Lord and to receive the mercy of those who are advanced in Krsna consciousness.”
The emphasis here is that one stage or one level of intelligence, or guru-like direction, can come from one’s own efforts in the matter of perception and discrimination (which is a function of intelligence). What is that guru-like attainment? “This world is limited, and therefore not providing actual shelter. However, as revealed in scriptures and confirmed by my experience, there is a power and an intelligence beyond this machine of the material energy. Let me seek the shelter of one of his representatives, or a tattva-darshi, who can bring me to His lotus feet!”
This is a vartmapradarsaka-guru function, one of the categories of guru, viz one who shows one the path of devotion. See Cc Madhya 8.128. Receiving direction to approach Krishna and to know Him in fullness, as described in BG 4.2 or in 4.34, is the outcome of the process described in SB 11.7.19-21. One type of guru (as Krishna is describing to Uddhava in this Canto 11 reference) leads one to a 2nd type or category of guru (the category which Krishna describes to Arjuna in Ch 4 of BG). The vartmapradarsaka guru instructs us that we must take shelter of the type of guru mentioned in BG 4.2.

New Year prayer for all the devotees.
May the cowherd boy who is a festival of ecstatic bliss for the hearts of the fortunate creatures residing in the groves of Govardhana, who eagerly enjoys loving pastimes in the forests of Vrindavana with the gopīs, and whose complexion is as splendid as a great sapphire, eternally enjoy transcendental pastimes in our hearts.
Selected verses from Sri Vraja-riti-cintamani by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/Pnc1km

The post Daily Darshan: Jan01,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Srila Prabhupada Praised at ISKCON 50 Event in Peruvian Parliament.
On December 12th, Peruvian devotee Bhadra Rupa Das was presented with an honorary doctorate by the National University of Education, Peru at the Peruvian Parliament in Lima. But he quickly turned what was set to be an event in his honor into one in praise of Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON, and ISKCON’s 50th anniversary. The prestigious Parliament setting was a rare opportunity, as the honorary degree is normally presented at the university itself. The ceremony, which turned out to be one of the most significant ISKCON 50 events in South America, was also broadcast all over Peru by national television station Channel Seven.>

HH Bhaktivrajendranandana Maharaja was born in Malaysia. He came to the UK to study where he joined ISKCON in 1971 in Birmingham. He was around 33 years old at the time of joining. Subhag, now swami, was his inspiration at that time and remained so throughout his life. He then moved to Bury Place temple in early 1972 and served selflessly there for several years - he was known as the simple hard working, surrendered brahmacari who would never miss anything. He received initiation in July 1972 from Srila Prabhupada on Trafalgar Square, receiving the name Vrajendra Kumar. For years he travelled throughout the UK distributing books until his move to India in 1975 where he took up the responsibility of temple commander in Vrndavana. He would occasionally return to Europe for sankirtan and raising funds for India. In 1979 along with two other devotees he returned to his home country and they established the Malaysian yatra on firm grounds. Continue reading "Departure of His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendranandana Maharaja
→ Dandavats"