Planet ISKCON

A Letter to Rayarama dasa Brahmachari

Dipavali or Diwali means “a row of lights”. It falls on the last two days of the dark half of Karttika (October-November). For some it is a three-day festival, others a five day festival.

There are various alleged origins attributed to this festival. Some hold that they celebrate the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Kali.

Srila PrabhupadaI said that this festival commemorates the triumphant return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the asura Ravana. The citizens welcomed the Lord by lighting the way with tens of thousands of candles.

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON New Vrindaban Communications

View of Nandagram farm in New Vrindaban, WV Autumn 2016

ECO-Vrindaban (ECO-V) – which strives to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s mandates for simple living and cow-protection at New Vrindaban in West Virginia, USA – is on the lookout for a new construction and maintenance person for its ongoing operations.

The ideal candidate would be a journeyman level carpenter with construction or general contracting experience. Basic plumbing and electrical skills would be a major plus.

The candidate’s duties would include painting, restoration and maintenance of farm buildings, as well as new construction projects such as greenhouses and various fencing projects. They would also help with other ECO-V activities when needed.

Thus ECO-V is looking for someone with an experience of and desire for simple country living, and a well-rounded familiarity with farm life – the sort of person who would be comfortable working with animals, lending a hand in the garden, or driving a tractor.

The ideal candidate would also be a self-starter with the ability to think on their feet, work unsupervised, and, at times, manage a small crew.

Nitai Chandra and Chaitanya Bhagavat taking care of the cows.

They would be working at ECO-V with a strong team of six full-time staff and five part-timers. These include General Manager Ranaka Das, who has worked in agriculture and cow protection at New Vrindaban for forty years; and Ox and Garden Manager Nitaicandra Das, who managed ISKCON San Diego’s successful satellite farm for four years before moving to New Vrindaban last September.

The construction and maintenance role will be a full-time, salaried position, and help will be provided to make sure that the candidate and his or her family are adequately situated in the New Vrindaban community, where there is housing, a children’s school, and other facilities.

ECO-Vrindaban is an exciting project with a lot of potential that would appeal to those enthusiastic about Srila Prabhupada’s teachings on simple living. Devotees there are trying to manifest Prabhupada’s own vision for New Vrindaban, established under his direct instructions in 1968.

A non-profit entity launched in 1998, ECO-V works closely with ISKCON New Vrindaban in the areas of cow protection and gardening activities.

The organization looks after a total of around 800 acres interspersed throughout McCreary’s Ridge in the Appalachian mountains. Most of its work focuses on managing four farmsteads – Nandagram, Bahulaban, the Community Garden and Milking Barn near Sri-Sri Radha Vrindabanchandra’s temple, and the Valley Barn area.

The recently acquired 168-acre Nandagram farm, formerly owned by ISCOWP, is now home to part of ECO-V’s vegetable production, twenty retired cows, and its ox program.

“There are excellent ox training facilities there, including roads, forests, and a large barn,” says Nitaicandra. “We have six young oxen in our training program, who are currently pulling logs and going over their commands. They’ll soon be dragging the field for two acres of winter wheat – the first time they’ve been out in the field, which is pretty exciting. Our oldest team will be four-and-a-half and be fully ready for heavy field work in 2018.”

Milking cows at New Vrindaban’s Goshalla.

The seven cows at the Temple Milking Barn, meanwhile, are lovingly cared for by Ananda Vidya Das and his wife Lalita Gopi Dasi, and give an average of 25 gallons of milk a day. Yoghurt, butter, and curd are made from the milk, providing for most of the Deities’ and temple devotees’ needs during offpeak times.

During the growing season, vegetables are being produced at the seven-acre Community Garden for the Deities’ offerings and for two meals a week for the temple devotees. In his first year, Nitaicandra and his garden crew have grown an acre of potatoes, four varieties of tomatoes, okra, summer and winter squash, basil, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, bok choy, and bitter melon.

“We’re making a blueprint to grow from right now, but I’m really happy with what we’ve been able to do in my first year,” says Nitaicandra.

Flowers for the Deities are also grown under Vidya Dasi’s guidance, with more than 37,000 marigolds harvested this year, along with cannas, lilies, and peonies.

“One of the major challenges for temples is flowers, and we’ve really improved local production this year,” Nitaicandra says. “We hope to increase next year.”

Finally at the Valley Barn, where ECO-V’s offices are located, are approximately sixty acres of the 160 from which hay is harvested every year for the cows. There’s also a plan to grow a sweet corn seed crop there next year, to save and use for growing future cornfields.

In the near future, there are plans to begin converting the old milking parlor at the Valley Barn into a food processing facility, with canning, drying and freezing operations.

Other future ECO-V projects which the new maintenance person would take part in include a pit greenhouse – a special type of partially underground greenhouse that is naturally warmed and can be used in winter at high altitudes. There are also plans to use permaculture techniques in creating a ‘food forest,’ a type of low maintenance sustainable food production system.

Ranaka and Ray New Vrindaban 2015

“Why come to serve with ECO-V and live in New Vrindaban?” asks Nitaicandra. “Well, we have excellent staff, a lot of opportunity and potential with the land that we have and lots of exciting goings-on. We’re growing organic food and flowers for our Deities and devotees; we’re expanding our orchards and food forests; we’re protecting cows and training oxen. There’s a nice community of devotees — about 300 living within a thirty-mile radius. And many devotees and guests visit from around the world every year for our many wonderful festivals like the 24-Hour Kirtan and Festival of Inspiration.”

He smiles. “We have a lot to offer, and we’re looking forward to a nice reciprocation with someone who has a lot to contribute towards maintaining our program, too.”

For those interested in the construction and maintenance position, please send a cover letter, resume and any other inquires to Ranaka Das: dfintel@msn.com.

Harinamas and preaching programs in Cochabamba, Bolivia (Album with photos)
This was another special day in our traveling tour. For the first time we flew to another city for Harinam with a return ticket for the same day in the evening. The devotees in Cochabamba arranged for us a whole day’s program. From the airport we drove directly to an interview at the main Bolivian Television channel’s studio. They said approx. 1 million people watch it. Then after a short breakfast we went for Harinam in the city, by the university. After that the Holy Name took us up a mountain to get Jesus darshan. ‘Cochabamba’ they said 'has the biggest statue of Jesus in the world, even bigger than Brazil’. Then we returned down from mountain for another Harinam, we took a short stop for dinner, chanted Damodarastakam kirtan and then left quickly for the Airport.by the mercy of the Holy Name everything is possible…..
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jzsk0w

Kartik inspirations 2016 - October 29.
Sacinandana Swami: As I am going through my Kartik-vrata, by Krishna‘s mercy certain things become alive in my heart. These days I am reflecting deeply about how I can think of Krishna. Thinking about His qualities, lotus feet and so many other things is a wonderful aid we are provided with. Everything here in this universe is bright because of Krishna‘s effulgence. Everything beyond this universe is illuminated by the rays emanating from Krishna‘s body. Also in Vrindavan everything is illuminated by of Krishna‘s effulgence . This world is covered by a dark layer of ignorance (avidya), which is covered with dark layers arround the shell of the universe – so while we are here it‘s very appropriate to think about Krishna, who is extremely effulgent and the source of all other effulgence. This was how Akrura, who we talked about yesterday, thought of Krishna as he was traveling on his chariot to Vrindavan. In his mind he thought: »Simply by the effulgence of Krishna‘s toenails many souls in the past have transcended the insurmountable darkness of material existence.« Thinking about the circle of light which forms around each particular nail on Krishna‘s lotus feet, is a great way to become free from inner darkness. Krishna‘s toenails are compared with effulgent moons that are surrounded by an orb, or a circle of light. Let us meditate about Krishna being supremely effulgent and the inner darkness that gives us so many problems will easily disperse. Hare Krishna.
Read more: https://goo.gl/tlSlDn

In Search of Relief - Vraja Vihari Das (audio)
Karl Marx is famous for saying, “God is the Opium of the masses”. Is there truth to Marx’s statement? What does the Bhagavad-gita say in this regards? We will discuss these questions and look at the key difference between seeking relief via spiritual pursuits and pursuing a true, intimate relationship with the Absolute Truth.
Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/iskconofdc/in-search-of-relief-vraja-vihari-das?in=iskconofdc/sets/sunday-open-house-talks

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King Of The Mountains (8 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Parikrama around Govardhan Hill during the month of Kartika in Vrindavan, India is a favorite devotional activity for devotees of Lord Krsna. Chanting softly on our prayer beads our group of 400 devotees relished every step of the 24 kilometer walk. Ananta Vrindavan dasa’s outstanding footage captured the bliss of the pilgrimage.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/sHqHDT

Diwali comes from the word Dipavali which has two words dipa means light and avali means carrier. Therefore Dipa or Diya (1) signifies 'coming to light'. In the Vedic Literature it is mentioned: "Tamasa Ma, Jyotir Gamaya" means 'Do not remain in Darkness, Come to Light', meaning 'come to spiritual awareness or awakening'. In the Bhagavat Gita Chapter four verse seven and eight Lord Krsna says: 'yada yada hi dharmasya glani bhavati bharata, abhyudhan dharmasya, tadatmana srijyamya ham, Pavitranaya sadhunam, vinasaya ca duscritam'. Translation is 'Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious principles and predominant rise in irreligion, I descend Myself again and again to kill the miscreants and to re-establish the principles of Dharma' This is illustrated in the Diwali celebrations which are in the rememberace of Lord Krsna's various pastimes. Unless the true meanings of these celebrations are understood they will become merely commercialized These events have been celebrated for millions of years. E.g. Lord Rama and his whole entourage had appeared on earth in Treta Yuga Continue reading "Meaning and Reasons for Diwali Celebrations
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Answer Podcast

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The post ​Why does God let difficulties happen in our life – please explain based on your personal life? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Letter from Srila Prabhupada to Hamsadutta dasa written from Seattle). Diwali ceremony can be observed in the temple by illuminating 100s of candles, indifferent parts of the temple, and offering a special Prasad to the Deity. This ceremony was observed by the inhabitants of Ayodhya, the Kingdom of Lord Ramachandra, while Lord Ramachandra was out of His Kingdom due to His 14 years banishment by the order of His father. His younger step-brother Bharat, took charge of the Kingdom and the day on which Lord Ramachandra took back the charge again from His brother, and seated on the throne, this is observed as Diwali, and Deepabali. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada writes about the observance of Diwali
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The post ​How do we see people who use their faith to justify their bigotry? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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Once, this Azerbaijan devotee, Garuda Vahana Das and I were at the University of Utah, where practically everyone is fixed up in Mormonism, and we approached a student reading outside on a bench.
Garuda: (Russian accent) Excuse me, I have book for you, about Yoga, you know, meditation.
Student: That sounds great, but I think I’m okay.

The Stars and Us.
In a recent conversation, I heard about a persons struggle with life, and having the it never rains but it pours experience. What did I do to deserve this? he mused. Something, I replied. That was almost as painful for him to hear as his present situation. And he couldnt accept it. Are you telling me, he ventured, that I have caused as much pain to another that I am experiencing now? Yes, no one makes our bad karma that causes us pain. It may appear that others are doing it to us, or life itself is doing it and Im just an innocent player. Such innocence is not true.

There is so much ignorance in the world now. People are so bewildered, and are becoming more and more bewildered, through the internet, and on television. For example one can get five hundred channels on television nowadays. This is insane. This is completely bewildering people's minds. But Krsna Consciousness is a positive alternative. In Australia, in the early days, the devotees had a traveling sankirtan bus, and on the side of the bus it said, "The positive alternative: Krsna Consciousness." Book distribution is an adventure. We never know what is going to happen. Amazing things happen. Just like yesterday I heard an amazing story. A friend of mine, Tara Prabhu, was distributing books in the Miami airport. He distributed some books to one boy from Columbia. The boy went home and put the books on his bookshelf. The books remained there for five years, sitting there, waiting. A friend of his one day saw these books and asked him if he could borrow them during his upcoming trip to California. He read the books, and he was so inspired by reading them that he became a devotee. He looked in the back of the book and found the address of the L.A temple. He joined the temple. Continue reading "The Importance Of Book Distribution
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Veda London Diwali Event (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: …a devotee does not attach much importance to the pains and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equipoised in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord. He does not endeavor much to achieve something with great difficulty; therefore he is always joyful. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 12.13, Bg 12.14, Bg 12.13-14
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Prabhupada’s Teachings are Not Like a Computer

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 April 2014, Durban, South Africa, Lecture: The glories of the holy name)

Krsna’s beauty is stunning! It is said that those devotees who look at Krsna, they gradually become stunned! I am worshipping Krsna in the form of Giriraja Govardhan. It is said that Govardhan Hill is non-different from Krsna. Somehow or other, my Giriraja is really nice, extremely nice. He really is very beautiful! Look on the internet if you want to see Him.

Srila Prabhupada said that if we worship the deity of Krsna then we must try to decorate that deity very nicely and if you do so, then you will lose all your taste for worldly beauty. So I am trying to do so and I must say that indeed there is a lot of taste! Such kind of taste is the awakening of spontaneous service.

Jaipur 2016: Morning program at Gupta braj. (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Although not having fully realized Krsna, pe...

Humorous and fictitious devotee character “Yama Niyama Dasa Brahmachari” impersonated by Ekendra Das ACBSP, has this Christmas message for you (5 min video)
Hare Krishna. People are now telling me, “Oh, Yama Niyama Dasa Brahmachari, you must not be doing so well in the polls! I do not hear about you on the Fox News or the CNN! Karmi Broadcasting System is devoting precious air time to other rascals only!”
To which I reply, of course we may not be so popular with General Public, but who cares for the General Public? We are servant of Lord. They are all simply servant of tongue, belly, and genital, so if we are trying to serve them, who are we actually serving? You can do the math you are so smart.
Our campaign will go on regardless of rascal public opinion. Therefore, today I will helpfully remind you that Christmas season is already here, if we are to judge by amount of shiny plastic reindeer noses already being stocked on shelves. One very nice devotee has taken great pains to produce one video explaining our views on the Christmas, at least the way it is misunderstood everywhere now. I’m sure you will like.
And of course you will want to start thinking about filling up stockings of Friends and Family with suitable gifts, so our Christmas CD, “Christmas Is…Not On Vaishnava Calendar” is always available on You Are In Maya dot com. Go there now; wasting time is a sin.
Meanwhile, Yamaraja (who is Coming To Town, as the old song goes) will be preparing to visit all the rascals to put coal in their stocking. Hot Coals. While their feet are still in the stockings.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/6vQCpu

Kartik Navadvipa Parikrama (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna. His body is always decorated wit...

Dedicated father and pujari Ragunath Das Zaldivar is currently celebrating an incredible 14 consecutive years of Kartik festivals at his and his wife Yamuna Devi’s home in Alachua, Florida. “People like it because of the personal, family-like environment,” Ragu says. “It’s especially nice for the kids, who can get really involved. Not everyone has home Deities, but they want to see their kids engaged in service to the Lord." 

Srutidharma das was invited to the Diwali function at Number 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister, Theresa May MP. Along with the Prime Minister and other dignitaries such as the Indian High Commissioner Mr Dinesh Patnail, Srutidharma das lit the ceremonial lamp before being invited to say a few words and lead the Diwali prayers.

17th Oct 2016, During the auspicious month of Damodar, ISKCON Vrindavana Namhatta Department organized the 2nd grand Rath Yatra festival in Mathura to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ISKCON. The event co-ordinated with the 2016 Braja Mandal Parikrama with the parikrama devotees gathered in Mathura that very day to attend the festival on Oct 17, 2016. Due to the overwhelming support of the residents of Mathura and the enthusiastic participation of local and visiting devotees, the celebration is now marked to be an annual event on ISKCON Vrindavana's calendar. Continue reading "The Transcendental Pastimes Of Lord Jaganatha’s 2nd Rathayatra in Mathura Vrindavana
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Srutidharma das was invited to the Diwali function at Number 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister, Theresa May MP. Along with the Prime Minister and other dignitaries such as the Indian High Commissioner Mr Dinesh Patnail, Srutidharma das lit the ceremonial lamp before being invited to say a few words and lead the Diwali prayers. He shared three meditations: Diwali is all about giving to our families, community and our country. Through forgiveness we can have a new start. The Lord forgives, so we are we not to? Being grateful. With Remembrance Sunday coming up, a day when all those that made the ultimate sacrifice in war are remembered, he asked those present to be grateful for the religious freedom and equal opportunities we share today. Echoing the Prime Minister’s own words, Srutidharma das added that the fact that the community is celebrating Diwali at the Prime Minister’s home is the symptom of “a fairer Britain.” He then proceeded to recite the first verse of the Sri Isopanisad, the Panca-Tattva mantra and the Hare Krishna mantra. Continue reading "ISKCON devotees attend Diwali at Number 10 (British Prime Minister’s residence)
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Hare Krishna in Tiraspol (1 min video)
Commentator: Last place I would expect to see this. Tiraspol is the capital of de facto ...

Preaching program at Intel Headquarters, Santa Clara, California.
The microprocessor giant Intel Corporation invited Radhanath Swami to speak at their headquarters in Santa Clara, California. The event was organized and coordinated by the Intel India Association.
Speaking on the topic ‘Growing Through Adversity”, Radhanath Swami began the talk by quoting Winston Churchill, “Success means going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” He then narrated the story of Sindhutai Sapkal, a woman he had met who runs many orphanages around India and has nurtured over 1000 orphans. A village woman, she had been married at age ten to a 32-year-old man. When she was nine months pregnant, he beat her senseless and abandoned her, leaving her for dead. When she recovered, Sapkal was deeply depressed. Just as she was about to commit suicide, however, she spotted an orphan and took him under her wing. She had found her calling in life. She began an orphanage, and gradually opened much more, becoming a world-famous philanthropist. She won around 270 national and international awards. Her former husband, now eighty and having lost everything he had, came to her for shelter, and with no resentment, she took him in as her ‘oldest child.’

We have many choices in life, Radhanath Swami explained. But the best way to positively affect society is to use our lives to give love to others, find love within and transform ourselves, and ultimately love God.

He shared that Sapkal had told him, “My life was a path of thorns, but I made friends with those thorns.”

Quoting the Bhagavad-gita, Radhanath Swami said true fulfillment in life comes from within us. “When we don’t have internal fulfillment, nothing external can satisfy us,” he added. Swami stressed on building a strong internal foundation, which can withstand tumultuous storms in our life.

“A meaningful life is what we give not what we get, ” he said. Elucidating this further, he explained how the roots of red wood trees, which have lifespans of thousands of years, move horizontally, and intertwine with the roots of other redwoods and thus gain stability. As human our roots are our hearts.

Sriram Govindarajan, Hardware Design Engineer at Intel Corporation said “ After hearing the talk, I felt at ease to deal with situations around me. The key takeaway for me was having a strong connect with your inner self, makes you realize what is important in life and focus on them rather than the petty disturbances that are usually not in our control. Instead of regretting about things that we lack in life we could give to people who are less fortunate than we are.”

Unique living beings.
Kadamba Kanana Swami: Vedic culture says that nature will respond according to the behaviour of people. The behaviour of nature is directly related to the behaviour of people on the planet. This is something that I never thought of before coming to Krsna consciousness, it had never occurred to me. And the reason for this correlation is because nature has a divine origin – behind nature is the Supreme Lord and everything in this world is going on under the control of the Supreme Lord. As the Bhagavad-gita explains, ‘Not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Lord’.

It is not that he is personally involved with every aspect of it, no, these things are simply going on by his will, by his desire. He does not need to sit in the control room and make sure that nature takes its course but still, nature is acting according to a divine plan. One does not exclude the other.

It is not that we are not in this world… we are! It is not that spiritual life means that we do not deal with this world. Of course, we deal with this world – we live in this world and we have to take care of it but it is not the all and everything.

In most traditions, whether we are looking at a more Asian traditions where Hinduism became predominant…. or even Far East Asia where Buddhist tradition is more prevalent, whatever it maybe, we find that in all these kinds of traditions, the human form of life is recognized to be in a unique position amongst all other forms of life! The human form of life stands out in that sense. In the human form of life one is held responsible for one’s actions. This is a common understanding.

TOVP: Artisan Work in the Inner Staircase (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: We have commenced the ornamentation of the main inn...

Turkey, June 2016.

Did you know about the "septic tank of Iskcon"? "Mother Yamuna's tears made me a devotee!" Lord Chaitanya never had a chilly pepper. As devotees we are the greatest personalists hypothetically, theoretically, scripturally but how many of you are lonely? How should we treat the protective "wire-mesh" that Srila Prabhupada installed around our tender plant of devotion? I was very bewildered, everyone was telling me to do everything, some would say the most important is the chanting, others, reading is the most important thing, others, offering obeisances was the most important, others, prasadam is the most important, it was going on and on and on and everything was the most important. I had no idea what to do! Continue reading "How to really associate with devotees
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Even if someone simply wrote that they were interested in Hare Krishna or Krishna Consciousness and only requested information I'd send them a personal reply inviting and encouraging them to read Prabhupada's books, chant Hare Krishna and write to me with any questions they might have. This personal touch was reinforced by Srila Prabhupada a few years later in L.A. We were giving him a tour of the BBT offices and warehouse facility and he was asking me how many letters we were getting every day. I told him and he then said, "I was doing when I was Dr. Bose's manager. Any inquiry coming from outside, I must continue correspondence with him unless he becomes a customer." Continue reading "Adventures in Mail Order
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