Planet ISKCON

The perfection of life: Jagannatha maha-prasadam!
Srila Prabhupada: The yogis are trying to control the senses by force. “I shall go to the Himalayas. I shall not see any more beautiful woman. I shall close down my eyes.” These are forceful. You cannot control your senses. There are many instances. You don’t require to go to Himalaya. You just remain in Los Angeles city and engage your eyes to see Krsna, you are more than a person who has gone to Himalayas. You’ll forget all other thing. This is our process. You don’t require to change your position. You engage your ears for hearing Bhagavad-gita As It Is, you’ll forget all nonsense. You engage your eyes to see the beauty of the Deity, Krsna. You engage your tongue for tasting Krsna prasadam. You engage your legs to come to this temple. You engage your hands to work for Krsna. You engage your nose to smell the flowers offered to Krsna. Then where your senses will go? He’s captivated all round. The perfection is sure. You don’t require to control your senses forcibly, don’t see, don’t do it, don’t do it. No. You have to change the engagement, the status. That will help you. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.62-72 – Los Angeles, December 19, 1968

Meet Norman. He met Prabhupada shortly after arrival in NYC September 1965. (3 min video)
A devotee who is a taxi driver in New York recently picked a person who after seeing Srila Prabhupada’s photo in the car he recalled his meeting with him 50 years back!
“Very providentially he and wife were going to get a rental car, passed by the taxi and decided to take it. I had been sent to a different taxi stand but it was full, so I met them there…. my good fortune!”
This is the video recording of what he said.

Devotees to Hold First Kirtan in Antarctica. Two intrepid devotee explorers are set to travel to the last frontier, and bring kirtan and Srila Prabhupadas 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 things for sure venturing there is a unique offering to Prabhupada for ISKCONs 50th anniversary. To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/zWjLdJ

HH.Jayapataka Swami meets HH. Sri Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swami. (Album with photos)
In his recent visit to Udupi, Jayapataka Swami met with Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of the Pejawara Adhokshaja Mutt. Sri Vishwesha Tirtharu is the current Svamiji of the Pejavara Adokshaja Matha, founded by Sri Madhvacharya. Born in 1931, Sri Vishwesha Swami took Sanyas at a very young of 8.
The Krishna deity in Udupi was personally worshiped by Lord Krishna’s queens. Vishwesha Swami is now under a two year term, during which he worships Udupi Krishna.In the two year term, he will not be leaving the temple premises.
Both Vishwesha Swami and Jayapataka Swami were delighted to see each other.In an affectionate manner,Vishwesha Swami expressed that he if not for his vow, he would come and met his old friend, Guru Maharaj.They both share a relationship that goes back over 20 years.Guru Maharaj had hosted Vishwesha Swami at Sri Dham Mayapur about 20 years ago. The two were recollecting those wonderful days.Guru Maharaj had hosted the Swami at Mayapur about 20 years ago and now he was reciprocating to the Swami’s visit.
Its’s rather special that Guru Maharaj suggested that they celebrate Gaura Purnima at the Udupi Math, for which Viswesha Swami readily agreed.
The Swami said , Jayapataka Swami means Victory and he will bring victory where ever he goes and that he has and will continue to sow the seed of Krishna Bhakti.
Sitting with Guru Maharaj before the Diety of Sri Vyasa-Tirtha in the Udupi temple complex, Vishwesha Swami said that since both the Swamis belong to the same sampradaya, it was like meeting a dear brother! Before taking leave, Swami made strong petition to Udupi Krishna , requesting him to improve Guru Maharaj’s health and prayed that Guru Maharaj be in good health for a long time and preach Krishna consciousness all over the world.
A team of devotees from Bangalore headed by HG Varada Krishna Prabhu along with local devotees from Manipal, Udupi and Mangalore facilitated the entire program.
Photos by Mahavaraha Das
Find them here: https://goo.gl/hAbQOf

Srila Prabhupada’s books in Chinese (Album with photos)
And here are the latest blissful photos of Chinese book distribution to university students and tourists from mainland China. In this case, all of them insisted on getting an assortment English books after being delighted, and even shocked, to receive books in their own language!
** Make this bliss happen every single day at the universities and tourist spots in your own area! It’s not only easy and ecstatic to do, but it increases your local language book sales at the same time! Leave a message or write us at info@bbtfeme.com for step-by-step details… **
Find them here: https://goo.gl/tJcllN

Good morning Vrindavana! (Album with photos)
Vrindavana wakes up. The time of sunrise in Vrindavana is an amazing experience, d...

By Krishna Prema dasa

Gita Nagari Baru (GNB) is a village where one hundred and fifty devotees live. GNB has six cows and one bull. They are Surabhi, Candani, Godavari, Kaveri, Gauri, Subhadra, and Ram. We have started to make a replica of Vrindavan forests since 2014. Our goal is to make our village like Vrindavan village, and it will help the devotees to remember Krishna’s lilas more easily. Since we opened this forest, we always gather together once a month to do Go-Puja. Some of our cows will be there for grazing every day. Continue reading "Vrindavan Forests At GNB – Indonesia
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By Visvadhika dasi

On the very auspicious 8th day of the bright fortnight of Kartika, Mayapur Goshala celebrated Gopashtami. It was a jubilant day celebrated by residents of Mayapur, devotees and guests from many different regions of India and from all over the world. To celebrate the day that Krsna and Balarama reached their Pauganda age and became Gopalas, Goshala staff, with assistance, cleaned and festooned the area with colorful cloths and an abundance of flower garlands for several days before the occasion. Continue reading "Gopashtami Celebrations at Mayapur Goshala
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The Eternal Residents of Vrndavan

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 October 2015, Sydney, Australia, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.339)

Question: I have not done anything for Krsna. Why would he care about me?

Long before… what happened is this… One day, you were in a street and you did not remember your name. You stood there, looking and you did not know your name or where you are from. You were suffering from amnesia! You had lost your memory and your identity. Anyway – some people saw you and they kind of took care of you. They noticed which languages you spoke and someone of the same language took care of you. So somehow or other, since that time you have been living with this false identity. You got used to it and now this is almost like your real self. But once before, in your original identity, you did so much service for Krsna. You forgot but Krsna never forgets because he has no amnesia.

Srimati Radha Padma Devi Dasi is giving an amazing, for her age, class during Kartika (8 min video)
Bhagavad Gita as it is, Ch...

https://flic.kr/s/aHskGUBaSk

The post Gopastami 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

On November 7^th, US Ambassador to India, Mr. Richard Verma, visited Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi temple in Delhi. After offering pushpanjali to Srila Prabhupada and an arati to Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarati, he was taken on a guided tour of the museum by Gopal Krishna Goswami. The Ambassador was very keen on knowing the full story of Srila Prabhupada and how he established ISKCON.

Vaishnava Marriage Counselors Give First Seminars in Russia.
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. Initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1973, husband and wife Partha and Uttama have an incredible amount of experience and wisdom between them. They’ve been happily married for forty-five years, have premarital education training certified by Prepare and Enrich, and have offered that education with the Grihasta Vision Team – a group of professional devotee counselors – for the past decade.

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.