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Youth Preaching In Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu (Album with photos)
Acarya Dasa: The ‘All India Padayatra’ was still in the city of Thanjavur or sometimes referred to as Tanjore. We were busy as per usual, going out daily and doing sankirtana in and around the city. The last time we were in this city was 15 years ago and during that visit the people were very much inspired by the darsana of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar and the programs that were arranged. This time the local newspaper featured an article about padayatra.

In the town of Thirumalaisamudram, in the Thanjavur district there is a university called SASTRA (Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy) University. It is located on the outskirts of the town and is about 10 kilometers away. The university specializes in undergraduate and postgraduate engineering courses, offering courses in engineering, science, education, management and arts. After reading the news that padayatra was in town, the chief of SASTRA University invited us there as guests. He even made arrangements for accommodation, for all of us, in the university guest house. It was so strange that we were on university premises given our vaishnav attire and the fact that we were driving a bullock cart. People who see us often believe that we are not well educated which is why we are going around driving a bullock cart, but the chief of the university was different, he was God’s man. Therefore, he invited us to the university for four days to inspire the students to take up spirituality.

During our stay there we held morning programs, kirtana and gaura arati in the hostel. Akhildhara Dasa gave classes to the students on the importance of spiritual life in modern times. He explained how spirituality can be applied so that one can be happy and prosperous in all fields of life. We also did a question and answer session with them. Afterwards, the students danced with us in sankirtana forgetting all their study-related worries. We were happy that five students started chanting and many took Bhagavad-Gita and other small books.

We had a great experience with the university students and we too felt like we had become students as we danced with them and felt the joy of preaching in our hearts.

All glories to Guru and Gauranga!

Jai Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/k3REZM

All India Padayatra Joins The Vraja Mandala Parikrama (Album with photos)
Every year the ‘All India Padayatra’ joins the Vraja Mandala Parikrama during the auspicious month of kartikka, and this year was no different. Our party joined the parikrama on October 16th. Along with hundreds of other devotees we followed the beloved forms of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar through the streets of Vraja Bhumi. Our team of padayatris, by the mercy of the Lord, was able to do a little service for the parikrama devotees by serving them prasadam and water. We also led kirtanas and held the aratis during the morning programs.
Vraja Mandala, a special treat for padayatris
The month of kartikka is known as urja vrat, urja means power and vrat refers to a vow. So, as the name suggests, we were given the energy and power to keep travelling throughout India to fulfill the preaching mission of Srila Prabhupada. It was a wonderful experience being on the Vraja Mandala Parikrama and receiving mercy from Srimati Radharani, Nitai Gaurasundar and our beloved Lokanath Swami as well as many other senior devotees. When we are on the streets of India on padayatra, we really do miss the association of sannyasis and senior devotees –but on Vraja Mandala it’s a feast for the ears, eyes and tongue. Every day the nectar flowed from the mouths of vaishnavas who described the different lilas of Lord Krishna. Every day on Vraja Mandal Parikrama was a special day, but the most auspicious one was the Govardhan puja celebrations in Varsana Dhama.

Alas it all ended tooquickly and, with heavy hearts, we had to leave Vrindavan Dhama and the parikrama on November 15th. We travelled for two days till we reached Madurai in the southern part of Tamil Nadu on the evening of November17th to rejoin our padayatra party.

Madurai and the kindness of Balaram Dasa

When we arrived in Madurai, Balaram Dasa, a disciple of Jayapataka Swami happily received us. He had a large guest house which he constructed especially for devotees. It was so large it could accommodate a thousand devotees all at once. We stayed there for three days. Balarama also made tasty arrangements for prasadam.

During our stay in Madurai we made all the necessary preparations for our travels on the streets of India. The padayatra cart and trolley required repairs, which we managed to complete in those three days. On November 21st, with all the repairs done, we held a grand harinama sankirtana in Madurai. This was the first sankirtana we did after kartikka. Balaram Dasa had made all the arrangements for the sankirtana, he had even invited the local residents to participate in the procession which included a large elephant! We circumambulated the famous Minakshi Temple while doing kirtana and distributing many books.

When we were about to leave when Balaram Dasa gave us a one lakh rupee donation, about $1643.65, for Prabhupada seva. We thanked him for his generosity and for his wonderful hospitality. So, the ‘All India Padayatra’ is on the move again; this time we are heading towards Rameswaram and hope to reach there by December 15th. Thus, by the mercy of Vraj Dham and Guru and Gauranga, we are back on our mission, preaching on the streets of India with all enthusiasm and spiritual strength.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mngYbu

By Gaurangi Dasi

When we talk about cow protection, we should not forget that it goes hand in hand, or rather hoof in hoof, with putting oxen to work. Otherwise, what will happen to the all the bulls that take birth? When bulls are neutered they are called oxen; they then loose their passionate nature and become very apt, and happy, to use their strength to work in the fields, to pull the handle of an oil-pressing machine, or to haul heavy loads. Padayatra is one of the ways in which to put them to work, and also to directly engage them in the service of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai by pulling Their cart. The experience of oxcart padayatras in western countries for more than thirty years has shown that their presence awakens the interest and affection of the public for these valuable animals, which often results in newspaper articles talking about cow protection. Continue reading "Tirou and Bali, two adorable Galloway kids win hearts, not stomachs, in Dijon, France
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By Ananda Vrindavaneswari Devi Dasi

Perhaps one of the more endearing images in the Bhagavad-gita is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, driving the chariot of His friend, the warrior Arjuna. When we accept the notion of God as a person then we can begin to ask, What does he do? How does he interact with us, and especially how does he interact with his pure devotees, such as Arjuna? Krishna chooses to be the chariot driver of Arjuna in the Battle of Kurukshetra where the Bhagavad-gita was spoken. This role of charioteer gives us much insight into Krishna as a person. He enjoys serving those he loves, loves to sometimes lead from behind, loves to help his devotees succeed, loves to interact and be a part of making the world a better place. Continue reading "The Chariot Driver
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Don’t hold back!
Srila Prabhupada made our lives exciting. He pushed us and he was definitely not accustomed to thinking small. In thinking of what my life was like while Srila Prabhupada walked the planet, I often recall a famous quotation from Helen Keller: ‘Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.’
Life with Srila Prabhupada was and still is a daring adventure.
After arriving in America, at times, Srila Prabhupada barely had enough money to pay his rent. Even during these lean financial times, he wasn’t at all poor. He carried the most valuable currency of all: absolute faith in the words of his guru and Krsna. He took every risk for Krsna. He was fearless at all times.

Because of this, when meeting Srila Prabhupada, young people - with little or no worldly training - became emboldened and went out to conquer the world on Krsna’s behalf. And they did it!

They were convinced that by following the order of their guru, they would not fail. They were correct.

Young boys and girls traveled the world, meeting dignitaries and rock stars, opening temples, making hit albums, organizing festivals, and publishing and distributing millions of magazines and books.

Remembering the miraculous accomplishments of all these devotees, I’m reminded of another quotation, this one by Goethe:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back” Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.

Speaking of boldness, in 1975 the BBT was moving too slowly to keep up with Srila Prabhupada’s translating. The manuscripts for the Caitanya Caritamrta had been sitting for some time without being published.

Then on a morning walk at Venice Beach in Los Angeles, surrounded by senior devotees and the heads of the BBT, Srila Prabhupada suddenly said that he wanted all seventeen volumes of Caitanya Caritamrta published within two months.

Until that time, the BBT had only been able to publish one book every four months. Now, Srila Prabhupada was ordering that all seventeen be finished in two months! The head of the American BBT, Ramesvara dasa, shocked upon hearing Srila Prabhupada’s order, replied, “Srila Prabhupada, I think that’s impossible …”

Upon hearing this, Srila Prabhupada suddenly stopped walking. He planted his cane in the sand and said, “Impossible is a word found only in the fool’s dictionary.”

The devotees were practically speechless.

But as Srila Prabhupada’s order began to sink in, Ramesvara dasa and the other devotees began to feverishly plan how they would execute his order.

With this, the famous Caitanya Caritamrta marathon began. For the next two months, the devotees worked practically without sleeping or eating to publish the seventeen volumes in just two months.

In Bhagavad-gita 3.15, Lord Krsna says “the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.”

Human life is not for working hard for bodily maintenance, but for reawakening our eternal relationship with the Lord and then going back to Godhead. All this can be achieved by acts of divine sacrifice.

The best sacrifice is to please the pure devotee. Fortunately for us, we’ve been given that chance. Srila Prabhupada has left us with as much service as we like - if we like. It is entirely up to us.

Let us be bold in his service.

Think big.

Don’t hold back.

Go Go Go!

Hare Krishna!
Vaisesika Das

‘Looking For My Life’
“Looking for My Life” recounts Prapujaka’s adventures as he visited Vrindavan, staying in the austere Fogal ashram as there was no ISKCON temple at the time. Attending Prabhupada’s lectures in a pandal, he saw the ISKCON Founder-Acharya only from a distance, and struggled to understand his strong Bengali accent. But when Giriraja Swami took Prapujaka on as his assistant and brought him up to see Srila Prabhupada, the young man knew he had found his guru.
Prapujaka might be an ordinary guy, but he does come with some pedigree. A Srila Prabhupada disciple, he is related to celebrated Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, who won the Nobel Prize for literature. And his previous book “A Spiritual Journey,” about his time with the Radha-Damodar Traveling Sankirtan Party from 1974 to ‘77, was dubbed “first class storytelling,” by author Ranchor Prime.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/IJ35Ml

Devotees Take Srila Prabhupada on Historic Trip to Antarctica.
In a unique offering for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary, two devotees have made a preaching trip to Antarctica, the southernmost and coldest continent in the world.
The two held the first kirtan in Antarctica and distributed Prabhupada’s books there for the first time, placing the Bhagavad-gita As It Is in several Antarctic research stations.
What’s more, in bringing a murti of Srila Prabhupada himself with them, they have ensured that the ISKCON Founder-Acharya has now visited every continent in the world.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/EdL6og

By HareKrishna FestivalsUK

For the 15th anniversary of the disappearance from the this world of His Grace Tribhuvanatha Prabhu, at the end of November 2016, devotees premiered at Bhaktivedanta Manor a special 30 minute movie featuring footage of historic and pioneering preaching activities around the world and especially in Africa, and audio remembrances of Tribhuvanatha Prabhu and his preaching efforts. They also spoke and shared memories at the program. After the program at the temple they continued for Maha Harinama Sankirtana, more than 100 devotees in Central London attended. The same video is available now online. In the video below many senior leaders of the movement speak about their memories and realisations about Tribhuvanatha. Continue reading "Tribhuvanatha Prabhu: 15 Years of Remembrance
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By Prabhupada’s Mercy We Can Remember Him

The intrepid explorers are Kesihanta Das, a Prabhupada disciple and co-director of ISKCON Alachua’s Save the Cow program, and Trivikrama Das, bass player for Vaishnava hardcore band 108. The two held the first kirtan in Antarctica and distributed Prabhupada’s books there for the first time, placing the Bhagavad-gita As It Is in several Antarctic research stations. What’s more, in bringing a murti of Srila Prabhupada himself with them, they have ensured that the ISKCON Founder-Acharya has now visited every continent in the world.

ROOFTOP MONKS (4 min video)
A recent video we did in New York. Transcendental sound for our friends!
Srila Prabhupada: His [the Supreme Lord’s] existence can be realized by one who has the single qualification of submissiveness and who thereby becomes a surrendered soul. The development of submissiveness is the cause of proportionate spiritual realization, by which one can ultimately meet the Supreme Lord in person, as a man meets another man face to face. [Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.55 purport]
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/v86C5j

Kartik Nabadvip Mandal Parikram 2016
“A full twelve hours of pure unalloyed Krsna Consciousness.” – (Shatadhanya Prabhu)
“How can I ever have a favourite part? The kirtans are fantastic, there is so much senior association, all the devotees want to serve, the management is par excellent, the prasad is delicious, and the Dham is so beautiful! Still hearing from the disciples of Srila Prabhupada is my favourite part.” – (Nimai Sundar Prabhu)
“The parikram brings the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya to life in our hearts.” – (Laxmimoni Mataji)
“Recommend it!? It’s a must! If you haven’t been on the Mayapur Chandra’s Parikrama, 50% of your life is wasted.” – (Pankajanghri Prabhu)

Dear Devotees, welcome to the Mayapur Chandra’s Parikrama. These were some of the realizations from our attending Vaisnavas and their experience, observations, interactions and discussions have joyously revealed that, though the praise was lavish it was far from exaggerated.
Sunrise to sunset there is one goal on this Parikrama - to hear and chant about Krsna, in His Dham, with His dear most devotees. Members of ISKCON from all over the world and all ages flock in annual attendance to this Prema-filled Parikrama. It is just the perfect package!
There are so many devotees, but not too many; the mood stays intimate. The management is perfect, but flexible; any devotee so inspired always has an opportunity for some service. And best of all, no matter how much your mind tries to wander; there is Krsna Consciousness at every step. No one can escape into the shadows of Maya and the result is brilliant, darkness dispersed, everyone happily accepts their fate and absorbs themselves in the names, abodes, and pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In six short days, you will get the experience of a lifetime. And though admittedly exhausting, it is equally ecstatic.
Ladies and gentleman, this is not some unreachable utopia, nor a lavish lie. This is Navadwip Dham. It is the spiritual world. Respected Vaishnavas, this is Mayapur Chandra’s Kartik Parikrama.

For those devotees who couldn’t attend this year’s Parikrama, can grab the opportunity for next year’s Parikrama. The dates are 18th,19th,21st,22nd,24th & 25th October 2017 (no parikrama on 20th Goverdhan puja & 23rd Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day)

Special participants for Kartik Nabadvip Mandal Parikram are H.H Jayapathaka Swami, H.H Kavichandra Swami, H.H Bhakti Purushottam Swami, H.H Bhakti Brihad Bhagavat Swami, H.G Pankajangri Prabhu, H.G Jananivas Prabhu and many more Srila Prabhupada’s disciple and senior devotees.

Your humble servant Adidev Das

What I love about ISKCON Mayapur.
Urmila Devi Dasi: What I love about ISKCON Mayapur (among many other things) is that there are three–THREE–3–schools here for elementary and high school (primary and secondary). And, and, and, the students in those schools are very prominent, valued members of the community. Every morning it’s the kids who recite the Siksastaka after Tulasi worship. The elephant (hati) procession is almost entirely a program done by the youth. It’s kids and teenagers on the elephants, worshipping the Deities, singing the mantras, playing the drums, drawing the rangooli designs. No, the schools aren’t perfect; yes, involvement from SMIS and the National School in the community could be (should be I would argue) greatly increased, and so many negative (truthful) things could be said. In fact, I say them to the (I hope) right persons at (I hope) the right time and place. But, still, this is one of the few–very few–communities of devotees of Krishna where the roles of the schools and the students in them is so vital and public in the community. YES!!!
In Mayapur, I’ve been doing some service I really relish–assisting the schools here. There are new heads of the Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS) and of the National School. In the SMIS, they have been using our Dr. Best Learn to Read for some time very successfully, as they do in the Bhaktivedanta Academy (usually called the boys’ gurukula). Both of those schools use Learn to Read as their basal (core, main) reading program and love it. We had a training with the National school teachers who have over fifty new sets of Learn to Read so they can also use them as their core reading program.
It was great to take the new SMIS head to see both the Academy and the National School–places to which she had not yet had a chance to visit. I was fortunate to have discussions with the leaders of all three schools about development of school identity and increased visibility and participation in the Mayapur community.
Altogether much positive is going on (though, again, there is always room for improvement) and I feel very encouraged.

Harinama in a cold Arbat street, a pedestrian street about one kilometer long in the historical center of Moscow (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the beginning, a conditioned soul is bereft of Krsna consciousness and is always morose in his material activities. Later, by associating with a pure devotee, one becomes inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth. In this way one begins to engage in the transcendental service of the Lord. Next, by the Lord’s grace all misconceptions are vanquished and the heart is cleansed of all material dirt. It is only then that the pleasure of transcendental bliss is awakened. By the Lord’s mercy one is completely convinced of the value of devotional service. When one can see the pastimes of the Lord everywhere, he is firmly situated in transcendental bliss. Such a devotee is relieved of all kinds of material desires, and he preaches the glories of the Lord all over the world. These Krsna conscious activities separate him from material activities and the desire for liberation, for at every step the devotee feels himself connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although such a devotee may sometimes be involved in household life, he is untouched by material existence due to his constant engagement in devotional service. Thus everyone is advised to take shelter of devotional service to become happy and liberated. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Madhya 10.119
Find them here: https://goo.gl/HzLGHZ

By Purushottam Nitai Das

Since the day I came to know about God, I was told that God is the giver of everything and so I should unhesitatingly ask him to fulfil all my desires. And from that day or rather from that moment onwards I have always treated God just like a shopping mall from where I can buy anything and everything. The only difference is that in a mall I need to pay but in front of God I do not need to pay. Yes it is true that sometimes like many others I have put some paper notes or coins in a hundi (donation box) in a temple. But here too the desire is less to share the wealth with the Lord but it is due to the hope that if I give something to God then in return he will fill my coffers with abundant wealth. God always takes care of all our needs whether we ask for it or not. A baby does not have to run to the market to buy milk as soon as he is born but God makes sure that his mother has sufficient milk to feed her newly born baby. Air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat is supplied by him free of cost. But is God just there to fulfil our needs? Continue reading "Why now I am not with Krishna
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Updates from Bhaktivedanta Research Center.
We’ve decided to implement a new method to keep you up to date. Our new blog, BRC Bulletin, will be continually updated as we make a commitment to keep you more informed and connected to our service developments.
This edition’s topics include:
An index of selected scanned texts in English that have recently been added to online catalog
A University of Oxford scholar explains how his research at BRC library benefited his latest publication
Highlights from our adaptation of Open Source technology, including Koha
Detailed, step by step explanation of how to access scanned texts from our online catalog
A report from our Manuscripts Mission on their recent visits to several libraries in West Bengal
Technologically detailed explanation of our digital processing of text from scanning to cataloging
A new social networking forum for BRC donors and members.

Please note If you would like to be notified each time we post, you may register your email address on the blog.

We greatly appreciate your interest and support. We hope you visit our website often. Please visit us when you come to Kolkata. Our sincere well wishes to you and your loved ones.

- Your aspiring servants at BRC
BRC Bulletin: https://brcbulletin.blogspot.com/

Parikrama in Vrindavana: the best medicine! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Not feeling well for a couple of weeks I had not journeyed outside.Yesterday I took a short walk for some fresh air and brought my camera along with me. It’s amazing what variety of culture one capture in Vrindavan in 90 minutes!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/LbYBcC

Yesterday was the 39th disappearance day of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Here are some pictures from His room in...

By BalGovind Das

HG Rasamandala Prabhu, Director of ISKCON Educational Services, facilitated a four day Devotee Care Course-2, pilot course at ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village (GEV), Wada from 27th to 30th Oct 2016. It was organized by Revatiraman Prabhu, Chairman of the Devotee Care Committee and Gauranga Prabhu, Divisional Director for Devotee Care Committee. Rasamandala Prabhu was given the responsibility of creating a world class Course on Devotee Care in the VTE style and was given all the resources created by the Devotee Care Committee over 6 years. The efforts have been kindly sponsored by ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor, ISKCON Tirupati, ISKCON Chowpatty and HG Gopal Bhatta Prabhu, the Chairman of the Strategic Planning Team. The members of the Devotee Care Committee who were involved in creating the resources over several years of efforts are HH Bhakti Purushottama Swami, HH Bir Krishna Goswami, HH Jayapataka Swami, HH Kavicandra Swami, HH Radhanath Swami, HG Asesa Sandhini Devi Dasi, HG Chandrasekhara Dasa, HG Ekavira Dasa, HG Gauranga Dasa, HG Hare Krishna Dasa, HG Kisori Devi Dasi, HG Patri Das, HG Prashanta Devi Dasi, HG Prema Padmini Devi Dasi, HG Revati Ramana Dasa, HG Sadasivananda Dasa, HG Sridama Dasa, HG Vijay Venugopala Dasa, HG Vrajalila Devi Dasi. Continue reading "Devotee Care Pilot Course Conducted at Govardhan Eco Village
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By Anand Caitanya das

ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village, a 100 acre sustainable farming community and retreat center, based near Mumbai, India received the Green World Environment Award 2016 in the international campaign to find the world's greenest countries, companies and communities. They competed against more than 500 other nominations in the Green World Awards for Environmental Best Practice and were presented with their trophy and certificate at a glittering presentation in The Fantastic Cube, Bucheon City Hall, South Korea on October 28, 2016. Narayana Prabhu and Kamaleksana Mataji from Sri Sri Radha ShyamSundar Mandir, Seoul, South Korea, received this award on behalf of ISKCON GEV. Continue reading "ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village receives the Green World Award 2016 in South Korea for Environmental Best Practice
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Srila Prabhupada’s Ecumenical Message

На карттику провожу больше времени в Шри Вриндавана-дхаме. Может быть, даже останусь здесь на зиму. Таким Вриндаван я еще никогда не видел: очень тихо и умиротворенно. Совершенная атмосфера, чтобы погрузиться в слушание и воспевание. Вчера вечером, прогуливаясь по Ямуне, вспомнил один из своих любимых стихов, его написал преданный по имени Шри Рагхупати Упадхйайа. Эта мольба далека от моего нынешнего уровня сознания Кришны, но все-таки мы все могли бы стремиться к этому:

iha vatsan samacarayad
iha nah svami jagau vamsim
iti sasram gadato me
yamuna tire dinam yayat

“Здесь Господь мой пас телят,
а здесь играл на флейте.
Молю, чтоб проводить мне дни в таких
речах, роняя слезы по берегам Ямуны”.

[ рисунок Mahaveer Swami ]

 

 

I am spending extra time after the month of Kartika here in Sri Vrindavan Dhama. Perhaps I may even stay through the winter. It’s a Vrindavan I’ve never known; so quiet and peaceful. It the perfect atmosphere for going deeper into hearing and chanting. Yesterday on an evening stroll down by the Yamuna I remembered one of my favorite verses by a devotee named Sri Raghupati Upadhyaya. It’s a far cry from my present stage of Krsna consciousness, but something we can certainly all aspire for:

iha vatsan samacarayad
iha nah svami jagau vamsim
iti sasram gadato me
yamuna tire dinam yayat

“Here our Lord herded the calves, and here He played the flute. I pray that I may pass my days shedding tears as I speak these words on the Yamuna’s shore.”

[ Painting by Mahaveer Swami ]

 

(Kadamba Kanana Swami)

Preaching will not become successful if we are not endearing ourselves to Krsna. Preaching does not just depend on some techniques otherwise we could all learn hypnosis and with hypnosis, we could take over the world! There are yogis like that who can bring people under their will, “Chant Hare Krsna!” and look into their eyes. This is not the way we want people to chant – by force! We want people to chant voluntarily. We want service to be voluntary.

When Prabhupada invited everyone to come to the Sunday Love Feast, everyone would eat so much, be totally ecstatic and then, they would go home. Prabhupada never asked, he would wait until someone offered to help. If someone wanted to help then he would make them in charge of that particular task. As soon as one extended help, he would take that help but he never forced anyone. In this way, Srila Prabhupada was very expert and captured everyone.

So there are many ways, many fronts in which we can spread Krsna consciousness while dealing with the modes of material nature – battle it out in the soaking rain with a kirtan party or we can stand soaking in the rain with a bag full of books. We can stand in the street with an umbrella and invite people under the umbrella, it was an old system – boys went out in the rain with a big umbrella and then would call someone over and give them a book. Like that, many tricks were employed. Another system was to sit in the car and call people over. They would think that you are lost and you intend asking for the road – people always want to give directions – and then give the books out of the car. Some would stand on the street and knock on the windows of cars.

Anyhow, we have many fronts with which we can deal with people and Prabhupada was broad minded. In this way, this movement is not stereotyped; it is not that there is a particular mould that everyone would have to fit into and that everyone has to be the same. But in one way, everyone must be the same – we have to start taking responsibility for the Krsna consciousness of others. We may do it on our own front, in the area where we are expert, whatever we are good at.

If we take responsibility for the Krsna consciousness of others, if we keep ourselves preoccupied with that then the mercy will come. If you don’t know what you are good at then we will put you in the book distribution army because that is very powerful.

Prabhupada was good at that. Prabhupada was very good at taking the essence of things from everywhere, from all the teachings of the acharyas, taking it together, taking the spirit and bringing it home to people. The essence which meant surrender to Krsna and if you read Prabhupada’s books, in so many ways, he is telling us to surrender to Krsna. When you read his books, you get hit from so many different angles with the same message: surrender to Krsna.

The real purpose is pure devotional service; the reason is to give up false ego; one should bow down before Krsna, humility means to do everything for Krsna and so on. Finally after you have been reading for a while you think, “Maybe I should surrender to Krsna!” This is what reading does. So in this way, all of us can surrender in our own individual way. That is the one thing we all have in common. We are all very different – some are intellectuals, some are practical – it does not matter!

Everyone is attached to their body and mind. But if we are not this body and mind, then what are we attached to? How can we be attached to something we are not? Like if I am not my car, how can I be attached to my car. The fact is we are not attached to the car, literally speaking. We are attached to the idea of the car.

Similarly, the soul (real self) is not attached to the body or mind. But the soul which has the aspect of cognizance is "attached" to the “idea” or “thought” of being the body and mind. This idea or thought is not real or illusion. So in essence, the soul is attached to an unreal thought. The who process of spiritual life is to give up this unreal thought, not give up the body or mind but give up the unreal thought we are the body and mind.

How to do that? – by pitting another thought in its place, a more powerful thought or idea. That is, we are servants of God Krishna. But it is not that easy because over millions of years (births), we have been mentally trained to be attached to the thought or idea of body and mind. To reverse this takes a herculean effort which only Krishna can do.

For Krishna, it is just a thought. Just as He lifted Govardhan hill, Krishna can banish the thought of body and mind and replace it with His own. Simply, we pray in humility and take shelter of His grace and mercy! Otherwise, its just a thought we are attached to!

Hare Krishna

What’s this world coming to when we’re having a ‘mindful moment’ and we still feel miserable, not having found the happiness we think we deserve? What’s the value of meditation if it only makes us all the more aware of our mundane reality?  

The famous 3-hour parikrama around Vrindavan encompasses walking around thousands of temples, as many samadhis and a multitude of cows, brahmanas, sadhus and sacred places of all kinds. Some Vraja-vasis do it once or even twice a day. A video by Ananta Vrindavan.

Prapujaka Das (Per Jäderstrand) is just ‘an ordinary guy,’ as he’ll tell you himself. He’s not a Swami or a guru. And he’s not from India, or even America or England, but from Sweden. “Nobody knows where Sweden is,” he deadpans. But all that might make his extraordinary tale “Looking for My Life” – about searching for his identity across India and beyond – more relateable.

http://cnn.it/2fUyseA

By Vraja Bihari Das

This realization can be a painful experience. Hence to avoid this realization, we may prefer to believe that chanting is one of the many things to be done in devotional service. If we profess that chanting is the most important activity, immediately we are exposed to the painful reality of our own poor chanting. It seems hypocritical that on the one hand we declare chanting to be most sacred, but on the other hand, our actions are contrary to the reality we preach about. The more we glorify the Holy Names, the more we have to face the stark truth of our own inadequacies of chanting. And this revelation is painful because we want to feel a sense of self-worth and success in our spiritual lives. Hence we avoid discussing the importance of good chanting, because these discussions only confirm to us our abject failure in our vow of chanting. Continue reading "When our ‘failure’ is a success
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