Planet ISKCON

Kirtan @ Dallas City Council meeting - Janmastami Eve 8/24/2016 (5 min video)
Nityananda Chandra das: The mayor gave a stellar ...

Poet, singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen has passed away at 82. Mr. Cohen visited the Festival of India in Montreal in 2006. Viswambhara das wrote:
“On the occasion of this year’s Rathayatra festival in Montreal however, this tender and gentle man of considerable fame and influence seemed content and at ease as he wandered through the various exhibits and activities organized in the framework of the Festival of India. Later, he sat discreetly with friends on the grass at some distance from the tent where Lord Jagannatha, Balarama and Lady Subhadra were being worshiped.
In person, Mr. Cohen proved to be a modest, unassuming man, unimpressed with his own fame, and a respectful listener. In conversation he proved to have a sharp inquisitive mind. After the usual introductions, Mr. Cohen seemed eager to state with evident pride that he had met His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in 1967, in New York’s lower East Side (a search of the Vedabase Folio yielded no record of this encounter and one cannot help but wonder what transpired at the time). He further said he has been practicing Zen Buddhism for the past thirty years and that he often goes to Mumbai, to hear from a certain advaitist guru of some reputation. He also seemed proud to say that he also regularly reads Bhagavad-gita. By good fortune, a devotee timely and discreetly came to offer him a copy of Srila Prabhupada’s original Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. He accepted the book with respect, inspected it briefly and showed it to the man and woman who accompanied him. Surprisingly, the gentleman friend said that the cover illustration of Bhagavad-gita As It Is has been gracing his refrigerator door for more than twenty years. He promised to dig out his copy of the book from his library shelves and read it.
Mr. Cohen expressed appreciation for the work that ISKCON is doing for the people in general by the distribution of song, music and food. He seemed particularly impressed that a new generation of young devotees seemed ready and enthusiastic to take to Krishna consciousness seriously.”
In the film, “I’m Your Man,” a documentary about his life and music, Leonard Cohen said the following:
“There is a beautiful moment in the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna. The general. The great general. He’s standing in his chariot. And all the chariots are readied for war. And across the valley, he sees his opponents. And there he sees not just uncles and aunts and cousins, he sees gurus, he sees teachers that have taught him; and you know how the Indians revere that relationship. He sees them. And Krishna, one of the expressions of the deity, says to him, ‘You’ll never untangle the circumstances that brought you to this moment. You’re a warrior. Arise now, mighty warrior. With the full understanding, that they’ve already been killed, and so have you. This is just a play. This is my will. You’re caught up in the circumstances that I determine for you. That you did not determine for yourself. So, arise, you’re a noble warrior. Embrace your destiny, your fate, and stand up and do your duty.’”
May Krishna please bless Mr. Cohen with further progress in devotional service.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrlNILWslc0
( I was there when Leonard came to the RY. I was sitting with Laksminatha and Visvambara. VIsvambara noticed it was Leonard Cohen and said “ I’m going to give him a Bhagavad Gita ” and he got up and got one and gave it to him. Leonard was with his daughter ~ Gaura das )
Thank you to Padmapani prabhu for passing this on to us.
Recently, Leonard Cohen was profiled by the editor of The New Yorker. He is quoted about halfway through the article:

“I participated in all these investigations that engaged the imagination of my generation at that time,” Cohen has said. “I even danced and sang with the Hare Krishnas — no robe, I didn’t join them, but I was trying everything.” (https://goo.gl/htj21r)

On the most auspicious occasion of Gopastami, ISKCON Kanpur held ca large event with many awareness programs about cow protection, also launching Sri Surabhi campaign and seminars for farmers. The event was graced by the presence of two of the cities prominent officers District Magistrate Mr. Kaushal Raj Sharma and Kanpur Development Authority Vice Chairman Mrs. Jaishree Boj.

By Krishna-kripa das

I share wisdom from the books and letters of Srila Prabhupada. I include excerpts from Satsvarupa dasa Goswami’s Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name and Vaishnava Compassion, as well as his online journal. I share inspiration from a lecture by Bhakti Charu Swami. I share notes on a class by Yogesvara Prabhu on Bhagavad-gita. I include some realizations from Ramabhadra Prabhu, president of Radha Govinda Mandir. I also share notes on the morning classes at The Bhakti Center given by Adi Purusha, Shyamananda, Karuna Gauranga, Vasudeva, Murali Gopal, Natabara Gauranga, and Mahosaha Prabhus, and also by Bhakta Josh and myself. “Do not let even one minute go by without doing some sort of service for Krishna. Because as soon as there is a little gap of Krishna Consciousness, immediately maya makes an attack to grab us again. So keep up with your … engagements and always think of Krishna so that maya will not have a second’s opportunity to try to conquer you. And Krishna gives all assurance that the sincere devotee will never know defeat.” Continue reading "Insights from Krishna conscious classes
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Janananda Goswami led a chanting party from 26 Second Avenue to Tompkins Square Park and around the celebrated Hare Krishna tree to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first public chanting of Hare Krishna there by Srila Prabhupada and his first followers on October 9, 1966. Each Sunday after that original harinama, the early devotees would chant there for 3 hours, thus it was the first regular harinama spot in the Western world. October 9, 2016.

H.G. Jaga Jivan Prabhu served the ISKCON institution and Srila Prabhupada for 45 + years! At the age of 67 he left his body on 10th ...

Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu latest issue: With some fresh translations on the art and science of traditional Vaishnava poetic ornamentation.
Excerpt: The Ornament of Sequential Connections Poetry in Sanskrit is considered most relishable if decorated with poetic ornaments. Scholars of the Sanskrit language broadly classify poetic ornaments into two major categories, sabda-alankara , ornaments based on the sounds of the words (such as alliteration and puns), and artha-alankara , ornaments based on the meanings of the words (such as simile, metaphor and hyperbole).
Ultimately, every ornament has one purpose — to touch the minds and hearts of the reader and leave a magical impression. When this magical impression is caused solely due to the words themselves and not due to their innate meanings then such an ornament is known as sabda-alankara. This includes all varieties of rhyming syllables, poetry created using only one or two syllables, and poetry which can be laid out in the form of a diagram, etc. When the magical impression is created not by the words themselves but by their innate meanings then the resultant ornament is known as artha-alankara.
There are hundreds of such meaning-based ornaments. One of them is yatha-sankhya , the ornament of sequential connections. This ornament manifests when a list of items is given in the initial part of a verse and then these items are sequentially connected to another list of items in the latter part of the verse.
An early example of this in Gaudlya-vaisnava literature can be seen in Srila Rupa Goswami’s Padyavall (7):
Due to showing parental affection ( vatsalya ); due to giving a promise of fearlessness ( abhaya-pradana - samaya ); due to removing the distress of the distressed (artarti-nirvapana); due to showing magnanimity ( audarya ); due to removing all sins ( agha-sosana ); and due to facilitating the attainment of unlimited prosperity ( aganita-sreyah-pada-prapana ) — due to all these reasons, the husband of Lakshmi is the only personality worthy of service in all of the worlds. The witnesses to these qualities [in sequence] are: Prahlad, Vibhishan, Gajendra, Draupadi, Ahalya and Dhruva. [Translator’s Note: Six expressions of how the Lord relates with his devotees are described initially in the verse, while the final line offers six examples of those expressions: Prahlad received parental affection from Lord Nrsimhadeva; Vibhishan received fearlessness from the Lord; Gajendra’s distress was removed; Draupadi received the Lord’s limitless magnanimity; Ahalya’s sins were removed by the foot-touch of Lord Ram; and, finally, Dhruva was granted unlimited prosperity in his own planet.] Srilajiva Goswami in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sesa (4.113) defines this ornament as follows: yatha-sankhyam anuddesa uddistanam kramenayat Yatha-sankhya is a sequential connection of the items described. He then gives an example: strinam arinam mitrdndm krsnas tais tair gunair bhavan smaro danda-dharas candras tridhaiko pi bhavam sthitah Towards ladies, enemies and friends, Krishna reciprocated according to their respective moods. Thus he appeared to them, respectively, as cupid, a chastiser, and the moon. In this way he behaved in three ways although he was the same one person.
[Translator’s Note: To the ladies he appeared as beautiful as cupid, to enemies he appeared as a chastiser, and to his friends he appeared as the soothing moon.]
To read the entire e-magazine click here: https://archive.org/details/bindu387

Sacred Land (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The other day our parikrama party visited Kusum Sarovara and Radha Kunda, two of Vrindavan’s most sacred sites. Once again, a big thank you to Ananta Vrindavan das for capturing the mood for all of you who aren’t here in Vrindavan this Kartika.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/AomY4Q

By Luke Vanderlinden

The American people have demonstrated by their election of Donald J. Trump into the office of president that the greatest significator for success in our modern age is wealth. As the popular saying goes, “Money makes the world go round.” In this way, the deluding potency of the Supreme Lord lulls souls into a false sense of security, thinking that their material assets guarantee perpetual comfort and happiness. However, sastra warns against cultivating such a worldly mentality, as it disables us from taking shelter of the Lord's mercy. Continue reading "Money
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By Krishna-kripa das

Selected quotes from Sadaputa Prabhu’s upcoming book "Maya: The World As Virtual Reality" “This is ironic, since the very feature of consciousness that disqualifies it for many modern philosophers is the starting point for meditative disciplines that try to realize the self by discriminating it from nonself.” “Whether we use quantum theory or classical Newtonian physics, it is clear that no known computer or process of computation will enable us to predict what billions and billions of molecules will do. Physicists have taken it as a matter of faith that all of the molecules in nature move according to their equations, and in this sense, physics can be viewed as a branch of theology.” “The phenomena studied by parapsychologists seem to radically violate the known laws of physics. If they are real, then physics will have to undergo fundamental modifications, and this is a daunting prospect for many scientists. Nonetheless, the laws of physics have been modified in unexpected ways many times in the past, and it will not be surprising if this also happens many times in the future.” Continue reading "Maya: The World as Virtual Reality
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ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 10/16/2016

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, Chaitanya Mangala (chair), Kripamaya, Ranaka and Sri Tulasi Manjari (secretary).

Participating Advisors: Jaya Krsna, Vraja

Participating Managers: Mukunda, Nitaicandra

1. Funding for Tractor Backhoe Attachment

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to invest in equipment to support its ongoing farming-related projects.

RESOLVED: The Board approves up to $8,708 for the purchase of a tractor backhoe attachment.

2. Mukunda’s Monthly Report

• The majority of his time has been at the milking goshala. He has been installing vinyl, trim work, walls, and paneling.
• Next month, he anticipates rewiring the electrical, renovating the steel posts, rebuilding the back door, and finishing the walls.
• For the Steering Committee, he helped plan a meet-and-greet for the Village Council nominees and helped organize the election which will take place at the end of October.

3. Nitaicandra’s Monthly Report

• The vegetable gardens are slowing production: the squash is finished and the tomatoes, okra and peppers are slow to ripen.
• Swiss chard, kale and strawberries are producing nicely.
• Our cover crops are starting to build soil.
• Paw paws are ripe.
• There is a lack of fruit on the apple trees, possibly due to the cicadas or a late frost in May.
• We have finished harvesting potatoes, approximately 5K lbs.
• Cows and oxen are doing well at Nandagram
• Caitanya Bhagavat has been busy with fence mending.
• The oxen are now pulling logs as part of their training.
• We are having a good hay season.
• In the flower gardens, marigold season is over and preparations are being made for next season, including planting 600 bulbs of three new varieties of lilies.
• Anuradha and Nitaicandra walked the garden so she could develop a menu with the cooks for the Prabhupada festival based on the garden’s seasonal availability. This was an important step in reaching our goal of using our produce. We are grateful to her for highlighting our harvest.
• Many varieties of seeds have been saved: tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, beans, okra and amaranth. More will be ready soon.
• Krsna Nama has gone back to Bulgaria for immigration purposes. We miss his contribution to our team and hope that he returns.

Next month, he anticipates:

• Beginning work on the pit greenhouse at Nandagram
• Planting winter wheat and cover crops in the community garden with the help of the oxen
• Harvesting apples and paw paws
• Prepping the garden at Nandagram for next year’s vegetable production

4. November Joint Board Meeting Preparation

A tentative schedule was discussed:

• Friday: pre-weekend afternoon meetings, dinner at the temple
• Saturday: morning department head presentations, afternoon community dialogue, dinner at the temple
• Sunday: a morning tour & a service appreciation ceremony in the afternoon

“The Most Valuable Thing” Puppet show (18 min video)
Jagattarini Dasi (ACBSP): Puppetry was a big part of my life a long, long time ago… it’s a powerful form of artistic expression, and a great way to share a message or a story. Recently, much to the delight of some of my very dear friends (both young and old) who were attending our recent Kartik festivities here at The Sacred India Gallery, I spontaneously revived the puppetry spirit! Here’s a video capturing some more of the fun called “The Most Valuable Thing”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/QY4vmJ

Vaishnava marriage counselors Partha Das and Uttama Dasi were recently invited, under the recommendation of GBC Bhakti Vijnana Swami, to offer marital and premarital education to devotees in Moscow, Russia, for the first time. The effort was an important service to the vast and fast-growing 10,000 member ISKCON Moscow community, who were grateful to learn practical advice and new paradigms.

The Eternal Residents of Vrndavan

Vrinda devi helps Purnamasi plan and orchestrate Radha and Krsna's daily pastimes in Vrindavan. Indradyumna Swami's parikrama party had the good fortune to visit her kunda (pond) and discuss her glories and chant her holy names in that beautiful and sanctified abode. A video by Ananta Vrindavan.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 July 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Spirit Matters Program)

Even when we are so transcendental ourselves, we still have to take people’s feelings very serious, even if they are partially motivated by false ego – it doesn’t matter, just like a child. But when you are an adult, you see it different although a father leaving home is not a small thing; that is real suffering but what can be done!?

When I was a kid, I lost my favourite toy car in a sand-pit; I never got over it. It was a big thing. I dug up the whole sand-pit and sifted through the whole thing but never found my little golden Jaguar, as it was called. What a drama it was!

Now, of course, I look at it a little bit different but my little golden Jaguar stands there to remind me that for me, that was a very important thing. So, what really counts is what is really important to people. I don’t think that we should go around and put labels on people and say, “False ego!”

I think that we should take serious what is serious to others otherwise how will they take us serious. If I am so transcendental that I don’t take anybody serious, that doesn’t make sense at all. Then I become cold and disinterested from people.

Like Prabhupada, he was very transcendental yet he could be very human with human beings. He was able to come down to what moved people although it didn’t move him in the same way.

Two intrepid devotee explorers are set to travel to the last frontier, and bring kirtan and Srila Prabhupada’s books to Antarctica – the southernmost and coldest continent in the world. The continent is largely uninhabited and 98 per cent of it is covered by ice, but it does have a tourist season and many international research stations to reach out to. One thing’s for sure – venturing there is a unique offering to Prabhupada for ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary.

In June 2016, devotees were invited to share Kirtan on the Tedx Platform that was being held at Durham University,

ISKCON Youth Ministry's Mexico bus tour between December 9, 2016  and January 3, 2017, will be an extraordinary adventure presenting Krishna culture festivals in towns, auditoriums and yoga studios, and visiting pyramids, jungle waterfalls and tropical beaches. "It's a life changing experience," says Manorama dasa, one of the organizers. "The young people who travel with us get a taste for the pioneering spirit of adventure, spreading Krishna consciousness, and will make devotee friends for life."

The post Daily Darshan: Gopastami (Nov.8) appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Sastra Dana, Anna Dana & Damodara school programs in Malaysia (Album with photos)
Simheswara Dasa: Scriptures state that the Damodara Kartika month is beneficial for performing devotional services to Lord Sri Krishna. And this is why our ISKCON Sastra Dana Anna Dana & Damodara programme at schools is done this month and which is getting bigger every year. *Since 21 October we have already visited 12 national type Tamil schools and distributed 5,240 plates of vegetarian meals, handed 1,012 free Bhagavad Gitas and 3,682 smaller literatures to 4,410 students and 380 staffs.* *Total of 4,790 participants have offered ghee lamps to Lord Damodara.*

It is also through sponsors and volunteers help are we not only sustaining but also expanding this important project. We are just doing what is possible for us, our sponsors and our volunteers. A prasadam sponsor simply needs to make a gift of RM2 for each student he or she wants to feed. A book sponsor’s gift is RM20 per Bhagavad-gita or RM3 for a smaller literature.

Hard work begins with the ISKCON K.L. temple president H.G. Kripa Sindhu Krishna prabhu. He is personally with this project and as early as 6AM is with H.G. Rasaparayana prabhu to prepare meals while expertly engaging volunteers. H.G. Gokul Damodara prabhu and his team on the other hand manage the prasadam and book distribution to students. Overall it is teamwork to serve the thousands of wonderful students while being an instrument of Lord Sri Krishna.

*Past two days we were at two big schools with 1,707 students and teachers. Our gratitude to H.G. Sulochana Bhakti mataji for assisting with RM2,000 to partially defray cost of yesterday’s programme at the Rawang Tamil school. And at Batu Caves Tamil school today we distributed 192 Bhagavad-gitas, 743 smaller literatures, served our very own New Godruma Dhama farm fresh sugar cane juice and our Nadia Bakery buns apart from the regular full lunch meal to 935 students and 83 teachers. We are indebted to the newly formed Hare Krishna Cooperative Malaysia Berhad for sponsoring RM12,500 to defray the full expenses for today’s programme.*
Find them here: https://goo.gl/RGdtCB

By Bhakta Priya devi dasi

H.G. Jaga Jivana Prabhu was from New York. He joined ISKCON in 1970. Jaga Jivan Prabhu was initiated by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in 1972. He was a GBC member. Thank you, dear devotees for all your heartfelt prayers, but my husband left his body at 7:30pm today, November 10th, 2016, in Bhaktivedanta hospital while Srila Prabhupada`s kirtan was playing. Continue reading "Jaga Jivan Prabhu (ACBSP) left his body
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Today is Gaura Kishor Das Babaji’s appearance day. In our line of gurus he comes after Bhaktivinode Thakur and before Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. He is a very important person because his life was an example of vairagya, or renunciation.

His life was an example of an authentic detachment from sense gratification and the utmost attraction to spiritual gratification. He lived alone most of the time, often on the bank of the Ganges river in Mayapur. He ate very little, and spent his time chanting the maha-mantra. For clothing he simply picked up discarded items, and for food he begged a little rice which he would soak in Ganges water.

When anyone came to become his disciple he would refuse. When they came to ask him questions he would reply that everything  could be found in the songbook of Narottama das Thakur. When they came to him and asked for ‘secret mantras’ he said that everything would be revealed by the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, which in itself was the highest of all mantras.

When they weren’t trying to become his disciples, some of them would try to imitate him. One time a man camped just down the riverbank from him, dressing like him and trying to chant like him. At times the man would let out cries of “Oh Krishna!” as if he was experiencing spiritual ectasy. However, the Babaji could see that the man was trying to attract followers with his behaviour. His comments were typical: “Sometimes a woman cries out with all the sounds of the labour of childbirth – but she is not yet pregnant even! Similarly a man thinks he has developed love of God, but the seed of love has not yet grown within him!”

Gaura Kishor Das Babaji was leading a life that was only possible because he had factually realised the pleasure of chanting Krishna’s names, and simply could not be bothered to cater for his own eating, sleeping and comfort. It is not a life that could be imitated prematurely.

But as much as he shunned public attention, even refusing to have his photograph taken (there was only one picture ever made), he was a regular visitor to the home of Bhaktivinode Thakur. There in the garden they would discuss the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Thakur was very impressed with his company.  At the side of the house was a small brick shed, and the Babaji  would sit inside there on rainy days, the holy name reverberating off the brick walls.

The Thakur insisted that his son, Bimala Prasada, take initiation from the Babaji, but he was educated and the Babaji was illiterate. But the father was so strict he told his son: “If you do not take initiation from him – don’t return to this house!” Repeatedly, Bimala Prasad asked until the Babaji simply said, “Alright, but I will have to ask Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. If he says ‘yes’ then I will initiate you.” The next week, Bimala came and asked what had been the reply. “Oh, I forgot to ask,” responded the Babaji. But eventually Bimala became the one and only disciple, and went on to become, years later, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

However, at first he was confused. His father, Bhaktivinode, was a great preacher, writer, and publisher of books. He moved in high social circles and had a large following. But his guru lived alone, had no followers, was a renunciate and a constant chanter of the name. Who should he follow – his father, a great devotee, or his guru, a great devotee?

He decided to first chant more than 100 rounds of Hare Krishna japa every day, and lived in a simple straw hut, even though the roof leaked. After some years he received the inspiration to begin his preaching mission, the result of which, through his dear disciple Srila Prabhupada, is now in cities all over the world.

Some years ago, I learned that the original shed where the Babaji chanted had been knocked down to make way for a concrete shrine built in his memory. Such things happen in India. I was able to salvage a few chips of one of the original bricks, and still have them for inspiration. Gaura Kishor Das Babaji’s body is now interred in a Samadhi shrine in the grounds of the Chaitanya Math, the original headquarters of the Gaudiya Mission.

Bhisma Pancaka (video-class by Giriraj Swami)
The last five days of Kartika month, Thursday - Monday, November 10 -14, 2016, are known as Bhisma-Pancaka. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. However one observes Kartika-vrata, one should intensify it for the last five days. Bhisma-pancaka refers to a special vow (vrata) that can be taken up by Vaisnavas during the last five days of the Damodara month. Here are some ways to amp up your Kartika vrata:
Read from Srila Prabhupada’s books
Attend morning class
Attend mangal arati
Do some unrecognized temple service
Donate for the cow program
Go on Friday Harinama in Gainesville
Help with Krishna Lunch at Santa Fe College
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/6JB32K

Gopastami celebrations @ ISKCON Kanpur on 50th Anniversary occasion (Album with photos)
Gopastami is one of the very celebrated occasion. On this most auspicious occasion ISKCON Kanpur went on to celebrate a very big event with many awareness programs about cow protection & also launching Sri Surabhi campaign & seminars for farmers​.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskNrdjaK

By Kesava Krsna Dasa

Does anyone aspire to become a sannyasi? Simply having this ambition in the first place is not the desire of a truly renounced person. On the other hand, all those who relish genuine taste in Krishna consciousness, will know what proper renunciation is. For this reason, both men and women can live as sannyasis without having that title. To emphasise renunciation before taste indicates a lack of understanding on the path of Bhakti. Devotees often preach about the importance of following the four regulative principles, before or without first getting a taste for chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Without this taste, then Krishna consciousness just becomes a strict form of adherence, not much different from “dry” renunciation. Continue reading "Misunderstood Renunciation
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By Kurma Rupa Das

If a family keeps a cow and calf and has a few acres of land, a vegetarian diet is easily sustainable. I know a family in Colorado whose cow gives nine gallons of milk a day and she lactates for four to five years. They have enough land for the cow and her offspring to graze on and even with several months of winter they can easily maintain their cow. (see CFC News July 2010). If you mean to ask will protecting a family cow produce enough income to maintain herself and provide for a family of five people with urban habits, then no, it won’t. In an agrarian setting cows actually give more than they take. However, when one tries to produce milk for commercial purposes and requires expensive farming equipment (tractors, bailers, combines, silos etc.) has to pay outrageous prices for veterinary aid, purchase homogenization and pasteurization equipment, conveyances to transport the milk to urban areas and so on, sustainability becomes a problem. In short, what makes cow protection unsustainable today is urbanization and consumerism. Continue reading "Sustainable Cow Protection
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Beautiful Gopastami Darshan of Sri Sri Radha Govinda at ISKCON Tirupati.
When Srila Prabhupada was visiting Detroit in 1976, he met with two clergymen. First he asked them if they believed that God is a person. “Yes,” they agreed. Then he asked, “Aren’t we also eternal persons meant to love God?” They agreed again. “And isn’t the only thing separating us from enjoying ecstatic life with God sin?” Once again they agreed. Like a pouncing lion, Srila Prabhupada challenged, “Then why don’t you teach people how to lead a sinless life!” Srila Prabhupada went on to show that meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxicants, and gambling pollute people’s consciousness, and that if the clergymen rose above these things, others would follow their example. Mundane welfare work or political agitation would be simply a waste of time. As they left with flower garlands around their necks, packages of Bengali sweets in their hands, and Bhagavad-gitas under their arms, one of them turned to Srila Prabhupada. “Why, I feel like we’ve become your disciples.” Srila Prabhupada chuckled. After they’d gone he quoted a Sanskrit verse which confirmed that only a gosvami–someone who has gained complete control over his bodily senses–can give real spiritual life to his disciples. And we knew we had a gosvami for our spiritual master.
Badarinarayana Swami, from a 1978 BTG

Bhakta Priya devi dasi: URGENT! Dear devotees, I need your continued prayers for my husband Jagajivan Das, who is right now in very ...

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Gopinath! (5 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: The beautiful deity of Gopinath was discovered at Vamsivat in Vrindavan 500 years ago by Madhu Pandit and Paramananda Bhattacarya. Madhu Pandit served Gopinath with great love and devotion for many years. Centuries later Gopinath was moved to Jaipur where He has been worshiped along with Srimati Radharani ever since. The temple is popular with the people of Jaipur, who come together daily to chant Radha Gopinath’s glories. Our parikrama party eagerly visits the temple each Kartika.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Ysw70H

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