Planet ISKCON

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Why did Rama take people’s criticism of Sita so seriously? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​When God is omniscient and knows our suffering, why do we need to go to him to get relief? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​How can the presence of suffering be reconciled with God’s existence? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Can we change our destiny by living according to a particular path? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Every effect has a cause – why can’t this argument be applied to God? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Why didn’t Rama uphold the truth of Sita’s purity? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Why did Rama take people’s criticism of Sita so seriously? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​When the Paramatma is always in the heart, how can Krishna leave the heart? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Is there any evidence that chanting or bhakti-yoga decreases stress? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​How do we explain the triangularity of desires to children? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Two Drunks and a Book Distributor…..
One evening a drunk came to our stall and picked up a Gita and told me that it is an incomplete Bhagavat-gita. He said that by reading the first page, he understood that it is not complete.
Instead of arguing, I was trying to avoid him & looking for an interested person. But the drunk stayed at our stall arguing with me.
Suddenly another drunkard showed up and told the first drunk, ”You cannot take the Bhagavad-gita, because you are not a Hindu.“
The first drunk said, “No, I am Hindu.”
The second drunk then challenged him: "If you’re a Hindu, then take a copy.”
So the first drunk took a copy. Then I showed him the Krishna book, and the second drunk said to the first, "If you are Hindu, take this book also.”
To my surprise, he immediately bought that book, too.
Then the first drunk told the second drunkard, "What about you? You also buy a copy.”
Then the second drunk also bought a Gita. They shook hands and put their arms over each other’s shoulders and proceeded to another destination.
Bhakta Chetan

Prabhupada Disappearance Tribute (38 min video)
Oral histories from those disciples who were with Srila Prabhupada during his ...

Devotion is …
There is no easy translation into English of the Sanskrit word, bhakti. It’s a bit of an anomaly. Bhakti is love, specifically divine love, but even the word love itself is a poor attempt to describe this most cherished of all emotions.

Govindaji (5 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Govindaji is the beloved deity of Srila Rupa Goswami, who discovered the Lord 500 ye...

HG Hari-sauri Prabhu’s health update.
Dear Maharaja’s and Prabhu’s,
Pamho, agtsp.
Many of you have been kind enough to enquire about my current health status so I provide here a brief summery of my one month trip to Denver, Colorado in Sep-Oct 2016.
Before Denver my condition was as follows.
1. Restlessness - I was unable to sit still for more than a few minutes, was constantly pacing up and down, couldn’t lie down or relax.
2. Interrupted sleep - due to the restlessness I could only sleep one to two hours at a time and my sleep was constantly interrupted with only a few hours of rest in the night.
3. Shaking and Tremors - this is getting progressively worse, with shaking on the whole right side and recently the left arm; some mild cramping in the muscles and loss of utility of the right hand by about 60%.
There are other symptoms but these are the prominent ones.
TREATMENT IN DENVER:
The treatment consisted of trying in small doses different strains of canabis oil. This was done under supervision with Mitravinda Mataji and in the first two weeks we tried 7 or 8 different strains.
After two weeks Pranaballabha Prabhu found a local company that makes their oil from hemp rather than canabis. We switched to this company and tried several strains.
RESULTS AFTER DENVER:
I’m very happy to report some significant improvement in reducing the restlessness by about 90%, and consequently relieving me of the sleeplessness. We found one or two strains that were effective and which enable me to lie down and relax and sleep at least 4 to 6 hours at a stretch. We got this result from the canabis oil and fortunately were able to sustain it when we moved to the hemp products.
Unfortunately as of writing we have not found anything to reduce the tremors and shaking, so this we have to work on.
The advantage of using the hemp products is that they are all legal and can be exported from Denver to India or other parts of the world.
SUMMERY:
The one month visit was well worth the effort and expense and yielded significant result. We also got a much better insight into the production and application of the CBD/THC oils.
I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the many devotees who stepped forward with financial assistance, without which, the trip would not have been possible.
I particularly want to thank Mitravinda and Pranaballabha Prabhu’s for their selfless assistance. I also want to thank Tusta Krsna Prabhu, the Denver temple president, for providing one months accommodation and many other small facilities for an anxiety free visit.
My sincere thanks to all the other devotees who have helped.
I will keep this brief, if anybody has any further questions I’ll be happy to provide whatever information I can.
Always in your debt, I remain,
Your humble servant
Hari-sauri das

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post When bhakti provides higher pleasure than sensuality, why does the mind still crave for sense pleasure? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The supreme controller is controlled – and still remains in control. Prayer is the universal language by which the human heart communes with the divine heart. Poetry is an artistic means for verbalizing the heart’s deep emotions. Singing is a popular method to express one’s emotions. The integration of these three – prayers composed poetically and sung individually or collectively – is a powerful and joyful way to channel human emotions towards the divine. In the world’s great theistic traditions are found many examples of beautiful prayer-songs. Such prayers are usually composed by saints who verbalize their love and longing for the Lord. Continue reading "Meditating on the Damodarashtaka
→ Dandavats"

Srila Prabhupada took especial pains to bestow his vakya through the medium of written English and to publish those writings in book form. Prior to embarking from India in 1965 on his solo expedition to the West, Srila Prabhupada, working virtually alone, had composed and published, in three hardback volumes, his English-language translation and commentary on the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He brought boxes of these books with him aboard the Jaladuta, and they accompanied him on the voyage of over 9,000 nautical miles from Calcutta to New York. There he began to gather, organize, and deploy the necessary and spiritual resources—material, human, and spiritual— for their eventual distribution and reception worldwide. Continue reading "Receiving the Blessing
→ Dandavats"

Srila Prabhupada said that a GBC member could have “thousands of secretaries,” and in keeping with this principle the Governing Body has designed new posts for senior devotees to be engaged in assisting the GBC expand the oversight of the Society’s development. One such post is that of Global Duty Officers (GDO), who help the Governing Body and its members by taking up important services giving support and leadership in fields such as preaching initiatives, educational programs, administration and legal matters. They can assist and serve in special projects commissioned by the GBC, assist GBC Standing Committees, assist Global Ministries, assist committees involved in the Strategic Planning Network, and attend and serve during GBC meetings. At their half-yearly meeting in Mumbai in October the GBC Body appointed the following devotees as Global Duty Officers, for a renewable one-year tenure. Continue reading "Appointment of Global Duty Officers by the GBC
→ Dandavats"

Getting Krishna from the Swami

The post Daily Darshan: November 5th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskLfxXhE

ISKCON-Delhi - HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Disappearance: 04-11-2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna’s plan becomes very easy for us when we follow Krishna’s orders, otherwise, we are following Maya’s plan and become frustrated at every step. Following Krishna’s orders means chanting daily 16 rounds, following the four rules and regulations, rising early, associating with devotees, like that. Unless these principles are followed, we cannot expect Krishna’s protection. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Jayadeva — Paris 23 July, 1972
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Z4Wf3V

“It is not so much that because there may be some faults in our godbrothers and godsisters, or because there may be some mismanagement or lack of cooperation, that this is due to being impersonalists, no. It is the nature of the living condition to always have some fault. Even in the Spiritual World there is some fault and envy—sometimes the Gopis will quarrel over Krishna's favor, and once Krishna was so much attracted to Radharani that by mistake he tried to milk the bull instead of the cow. And sometimes when the Gopis used to put on their dress and make-up for seeing Krishna, they would be too much hasty and smear kumkum and mascara in the wrong places and their ornaments and dresses would appear as if small children had been trying to dress themselves. “There are so many examples. But it is not the same as material fault or material envy, it is transcendental because it is all based on Krishna. Sometimes when one Gopi would serve Krishna very nicely, the others would say, ‘Oh, she has done so nicely, now let me do better for pleasing Krishna.’ That is envy, but it is transcendental, without malice. So we shall not expect that anywhere there is any Utopia. Rather, that is impersonalism. People should not expect that even in the Krishna Consciousness Society there will be Utopia. Because devotees are persons, therefore there will always be some lacking. But the difference is that their lacking, because they have given up everything to serve Krishna—money, jobs, reputation, wealth, big educations, everything—their lackings have become transcendental because, despite everything they may do, their topmost intention is to serve Krishna. ‘One who is engaged in devotional service, despite the most abominable action, is to be considered saintly because he is rightly situated.’ Continue reading "Healing
→ Dandavats"

On the 4th of November 2010, 22:25 PM Moscow time Purnacandra Goswami passed away. It is a great loss for the entire ISKCON community.The following is a partially-edited transcript of a short talk I gave during the memorial service for Purnacandra Goswami in Moscow on November, 9, 2010. Purnacandra Maharaja was such a Vaisnava. He was not interested in the external affairs of this world. I know that because of my personal association with him. I'm sure that we'll hear more confirmation of this from others today-- that Maharaja was more interested in sharing substance and less concerned about structure or form. That is one quality of Purnacandra Maharaja I've always appreciated. Purnacandra Maharaja would oftentimes keep his firm commitment to substance even at the risk of being unpopular. He was not at all interested in winning some popularity contest. He was interested in preserving that which was passed on to him by his spiritual master. Continue reading "My Memories of Purnacandra Goswami
→ Dandavats"

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post If we don’t have the inclination to do some service, should we still do it just to purify ourselves? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post In our spiritual life how can we be both satisfied and ambitious? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​When Sita was devastated on Rama’s exiling her, how can we say that she just accepted her exile? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post When we can’t even be sure whether this world will exist tomorrow, why bother thinking about some other world that is anyway held as inconceivable? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Is old age present in the spiritual world? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Yoga Maya can cover Krishna – how is this different from the Mayavadi idea that we all are God covered by Maya? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Iskcon San Diego’s Govardhana Puja 2016 Festival (Album with 68 photos)
Indian lady: How does one contact the spiritual master? Through a book can you contact the spiritual master?
Prabhupada: No, you have to associate.
Syamasundara: “Can you associate through a book?” she asked. Prabhupada: Yes, through books, and also personal. Because when you make a spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in air you make a spiritual master. You make a spiritual master concrete.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Appearance Day, Lecture – London, September 3, 1971
Find them here: https://goo.gl/EyDjDM

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Can individual or group chanting promote world peace? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Some devotees see social issues as irrelevant – isn’t bhakti meant to be socially relevant? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Written by Uddhava Das

Wednesday, 02 November 2016
At around 12 noon, Adi Kesava & Bhakta Vatsala left auspicious Vrindavan to fetch Kadamba Kanana Swami from Delhi Airport. He was scheduled to arrive at 14h30 from Dubai after a long 20 hour journey from South Africa. At 15h30 Maharaj appeared through the gate and was received graciously. They hopped into the awaiting taxi, luggage and all, and set-off for destination Vrindavan!

In the meantime, at the Krsna Balarama temple, devotees slowly gathered at the ISKCON Guesthouse entrance eagerly awaiting the arrival of Maharaj. At 6pm Sangita started a kirtan and 30 minutes later, we drew a mass of spectators and managed to block the side entrance to the temple, Prabhupada’s house and the guesthouse! So we were asked kindly to move our arrival party

At 6h30pm we were updated that Maharaj would arrive in about 45min, so the chanting continued strongly and it was brought to a crescendo when Maharaj finally arrived. The first stop that Maharaj made was at the house of Prabhupada to pay his obeisances. After that he left for his room in the guesthouse. Adi Kesava, Bhakta Vatsala and Uddhava were already inside with the luggage when Maharaj came in, and following him were almost 50 devotees. Maharaj said, “Yes, come in come in!” and the room quickly filled up and we were nice packed together while Maharaj sat on his bed and started a small kirtan. After the intro kirtan he looked upon everyone and commented, “… so nice that you all came.” He made the point that we are all “home” now, Vrindavan is our home, a place to recharge and that we should come at least once a year, like how Prabhupada mentioned to his disciples.

At the end of the small talk he said he was “sick of being sick” and decided to go on parikramas. Adi Kesava and Maharaj created a schedule of places to visit around Braja. The schedule is as follows:

November 05 – Manasi Ganga, Kusuma Sarovara, Uddhava Kund
November 06 – Yavat, Prema Sarovara
November 07 – Varsana
November 08 – Rest and Maharaj will give Bhagavatam class
November 09 – Brahmananda Ghat, Raval
November 10 – Kamyavan
November 11 – Rama Ghat and Chir Ghat
November  12 – Rest
November 13 – Unchagaon
November 14 – Vrindavan

After the talk he distributed dried fruit and nuts to a very eager audience and he concluded by thanking us for coming and hinted that he was ready for his dinner and a shower.

Thursday, 03 November 2016
Kadamba Kanana Swami did not leave his room during the first part of the day because of a flood of people all who wanted to meet and talk to him. He spoke to many people including Kyoko who was to be initiated later that afternoon. At 12 noon, finally Maharaj left the guesthouse to take a much needed japa walk.

After lunch he started to prepare for the impromptu initiation ceremony that was about to take place. Slowly, devotees gathered in the room and at 4pm everybody was present, except Kyoko. But within a short time Kyoko arrived and the ceremony started.

Maharaj started the conversation with a comment about a previous initiation ceremony in a hotel in Switzerland and how it was not possible to have a fire ceremony in the hotel, similarly he could not do one in the ISKCON Guesthouse. He apologised for his inability to organise it elsewhere. But, he said the vows that the disciple promises to follow are just like the fire because they are the essence of the initiation.

He continued his short talk on how our vows, especially in the beginning, are based on conviction. And how we, at a later stage, need feelings or inspiration to continue in our service. We need to put our heart in it to stay afloat. He concluded the talk by addressing the occasion of initiation and focused his attention on Kyoko. When Maharaj asked what four principles Kyoko will promise to follow for the rest of her life, he followed up by asking how can one be sure that one will follow them for the rest of one’s life! How do we know what will happen to us, so how can we make an eternal promise. Kyoko expertly answered that all she can do is pray for the mercy of Krsna and the vaisnavas. Maharaj commented that this was the correct answer!

Following the vows, Maharaj increased the tension a bit when he was about to announce the new name and he broke the anticipating atmosphere by announcing her new name: Keli Vrindavan Devi Dasi. He wanted to give her a name that had Vrindavan in it because actually she got accepted by Maharaj in Vrindavan and now also she received initiation in Vrindavan, so Maharaj thought it proper to give her a name with Vrindavan in it.

After the program concluded Maharaj already had appointments to meet devotees for darshan but the crowd in his room was not about to move. Maharaj made the funny comment, “Thank you all for coming and now… thank you all for going!” And that concluded the private initiation ceremony.

Earlier that morning, Maharaj was invited by the management of Srila Prabhupada’s house to sing the evening bhajans. The news spread quickly and already at 18h45 the bedroom of Srila Prabhupada started filling up. When Maharaj entered at 19h10 the room was packed. Maharaj sat down, offered obeisances and started singing the most enlivening bhajans for the next 90 minutes with Gopal expertly playing mrdanga. The bhajans were sweet and mellow, and at times Maharaj would give it all and then some! He even got some of the crowd to stand up and dance. For the last half hour, people from outside were looking in to see what was happening and the room got even more packed when Maharaj brought the bhajan session to an end. And that concluded the day and devotees left in anticipation for the following day’s festival honouring of Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance.

Visit Flickr to see more photos.