Planet ISKCON

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.7.51.

“These are very important principles. We may have heard them before but as Srila Prabhupada said repetition is important for understanding because we are in the material atmosphere which is full of fog and clouds. Therefore even though something may be clear at a certain time and with the right association, the same things may become clouded over again and we may lapse into certain habitual ways of thinking which are not spiritual or Krishna consciousness. So we have to pray that the truth of Krishna consciousness always remains illuminated within our hearts so we don’t slide back into the fog and clouds of material consciousness.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.7.51, Dallas

Recently I heard someone say, “We [devotees] shouldn’t be too philosophical, because that would drive all the non-philosophical people away.”

This is like a mother saying to her daughter, “Don’t be so beautiful, it will drive away all the ugly men.”

First, who cares if she scares away the ugly men?

Second, what kind of girl thinks it is important to attract people other than her boyfriend? Or to attract friends that her boyfriend doesn’t like so much? In other words, what kind of devotee cares about attracting people besides Krishna, or attracting people Krishna finds unattractive?

In the seventh chapter of Gita, Krishna says that of all the people who come towards him, the philosophical are the “most dear to him.” (priyo hi jñānīno’tyartham). Krishna loves philosophical devotees, and that should be enough information for us!

Third, everyone is attracted to beauty, including the ugly. It makes no sense to say that people who are less philosophical are not attracted to people who are more philosophical.

Knowledge  is one of the six aspects of bhaga (the stuff that is attractive).

aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣaṇṇāṁ bhagam itīṅganā

“The six parts of attractivness are:
Superlative power, bravery, renown,
beauty, knowledge, and dispassion.”

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Two types of people are not attracted to these qualities. (1) Those too blunt and dull to even comprehend the difference between attractive and unattractive, (2) Those who have  psychological complexes about their perceived lack of these qualities. These people have a negative attraction to the qualities – feeling threatened by those who possess them in greater abundance. A group of such people only attract more of the same.

Knowledge is attractive. Even All-Attractive Krishna finds it attractive.

However, putting lipstick over warts does not constitute beauty. Pride in academics and intellectual musculature is such “knowledge-lipstick.” Pride is the opposite of vairagya (“dispassion”) and is therefore ugly. Real philosophy has a shy, humble character to its strength. Real philosophy is essential for understanding Krishna, and also happens to be beautiful and immensely attractive to the sort of people that Krishna likes.

Vraja Kishor das (vrajakishor.com)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011, Stockholm, Sweden, Lecture)

I think that the only thing that can really bond us together is friendship. Just common acceptance of Krsna as the Supreme Lord will bring us together from time to time – we will come together at the temple and festivals – but friendship will take us so much further. Because it is in friendship, in real friendship that we are going to stimulate each other so much more than by just being colleagues!

I have often given this example of how we can be together like colleagues. We are all devotees of Krsna and we are all colleagues. We are all devotees in the same temple and we are all colleagues. We are all chanting Hare Krsna and we are all colleagues. We are all dancing in the kirtan party as colleagues. But when there is no friendship, it is not enough.

If there is friendship, then friendship is different. Friendship is like a family spirit. When your colleague is not performing well and it disturbs your work, you can say, “Get it together! You know, they’ll throw you out of here one of these days if you don’t get it together.”

That is what you say to a colleague but to a family member, you say, “When in the world are you ever going to get it together? But we can’t throw you out because you’re part of the family.”

That is different. That is friendship and in that friendship there is trust. We know we are going to be accepted. We do not have to have a masquerade where everyone acts out to be a pure devotee in a Hare Krsna community. We can just be more honest. If there is friendship, we can just be who we are and still be accepted. In that way, we can get some real human support which is what we need!

We have all heard a great class or read something that really motivated us to change. But why do we often fall back to our old ways within a few days or weeks? It can be because we have not associated significant amounts of pain to holding on to some anartha(s). Unless something disgusts you, unless you feel you can’t take it anymore, it’s unlikely you will change. Think about something you have put off for a long time - years perhaps - that you could have easily done by now. Why haven’t you done it? It is because you feel it will be more painful to do it than to not do it? Fear is defined as an anticipation of future suffering. We are afraid to give up our anarthas because we think we’ll suffer. Continue reading "How Pain Can Motivate
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Most of the times, we are running after money (dhan). Money is what makes the world go round, or so it appears. Many a times, this appears to be true. Money enables us to buy goods and services, food, clothing and other basic necessities of life, possessions, home, car, luxuries, etc; Since Laxmi is the goddess of wealth, we worship her to bless us with her favour and benediction. As we are mostly obsessed with money and its acquisition, we do not realize that Laxmi also benedicts us with beauty (soundarya) , strength (bal), fame (kirti), knowledge (gyan), and renunciation (bairagya). Renunciation is also a sign of Laxmi’s opulence, but since many of us are so much blinded by gross materialism, we do not credit any importance to the spirit of renunciation and detachment, which is one of the opulences bestowed by goddess Laxmi. Continue reading "Running After Lakshmi
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​Congregation program at Sacramento, USA

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​Bhagavam class at ISKCON, Los Angeles, USA

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​Bhagavam class at ISKCON, Laguna Beach, USA

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Spiritual Gardener is someone who first of all cultivates the garden of his own heart. He plants the right seeds, waters them nicely, and also takes out all the unwanted weeds. He also helps others to do the same. The creeper of devotional service, so nourished, gradually grows, and the devotee, acting as a gardener, goes on pouring the water of constant hearing and chanting. The creeper of devotional service gradually grows so high that it passes through the entire material universe and enters into the spiritual sky, growing still higher and higher until it reaches the planet Goloka Vrndavana. The devotee-gardener is in touch with the abode of the Lord even from the material plane by dint of performing devotional service to the Lord simply by hearing and chanting. Continue reading "Secrets of Spiritual Gardeners
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Bhagavad-gita’s commentary about contemporary issues
Urmila Devi Dasi: So, yeah, I’m a US citizen, so, yeah, I watched some highlights of the presidential debate and read/watched some commentary. Here’s Krishna’s commentary, from Bhagavad-gita:
Bg 16.4; 7-18 - “Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance-these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature. Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them. They say that this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control. They say it is produced of sex desire and has no cause other than lust. Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world. Taking shelter of insatiable lust and absorbed in the conceit of pride and false prestige, the demoniac, thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent. They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification. The demoniac person thinks: "So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him, and my other enemies will also be killed. I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall rejoice.” In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance. Thus perplexed by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions, they become too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and fall down into hell. Self-complacent and always impudent, deluded by wealth and false prestige, they sometimes proudly perform sacrifices in name only, without following any rules or regulations. Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion.“

Saturday Harinama Sankirtan Nectar in Cabramatta City, Sydney, Australia (Album with photos)

После путешествия к Кайласу мы отправились на проповеднический тур в Монголию. В Монголии было чрезвычайно холодно, так что мне стало нездоровиться. Наша команда посоветовала мне вернуться во Вриндаван – отдохнуть и поправиться к Карттике, которая начнется через две недели. Вчера приехал во Вриндаван и чувствую себя намного лучше, здесь необычайно теплая погода для этого времени года. Как восстановлюсь – начну готовиться к своим лекциям на нашу Карттика-парикраму. Ожидается 300 преданных. Также работаю над главой дневника о нашей поездке на Кайлас. Ананта Вриндаван дас сейчас в Москве и готовит несколько видео об этом нашем путешествии. В самое скорое время они будут готовы. Множество благодарностей моему дорогому другу Бада Харидасу прабху, который взялся возглавить и очень успешно продолжает проповеднический тур по Монголии. На сегодня это все новости. Джая Шри Радхе!

After our trek to Mount Kailash in Tibet we journeyed to Mongolia for a preaching tour. It was very cold in Mongolia and as a result I fell ill. Our team recommended I return to Vrindavan to rest up and get better before Kartika starts in two weeks. I arrived in Vrindavan yesterday and am feeling much better in the unusually warm weather for Vrindavan at this time of year. As I recover I will begin preparing my lectures for our Kartika parikrama. 300 devotees are expected. I am also working on a diary chapter of our Kailash trip. Ananta Vrindavan das ( in Moscow now ) is preparing several videos of the Kailash journey. They should be ready shortly. Many thanks to my dear friend Bada Hari prabhu who has taken the lead and is continuing very successfully with the preaching tour around Mongolia. That’s all the news for now. Jaya Sri Radhe!

Yama Niyama das Brahmacari weights on the presidential elections (1 min video)
One of the deepest anarthas (dirty things in the heart) is to think that we can make this material world a better place by rearranging matter, whether by voting for a certain politician, political activism (as opposed to spiritual activism), arranging committees, commission, and councils, or taking some kind of self-help seminar. This is a clip from Yama Niyama das brahmacari (Ekendra das’s character) in a comedy bit performed at the Festival of Inspiration 2016.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/aEXoTL

George Harrison on Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra (1 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: It is the special mercy of the Supreme Lord that as soon as He knows that one is glorifying His name, fame and attributes, He personally helps cleanse the dirt from one’s heart. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12 Purport).
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/PhBHJG

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Bhagavatam overview.

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Preaching program for children in Kiev, Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma (Supersoul) in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.2.17).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/hS9653

This baby, Hari das, starts crying every time his father stops chanting the mahamantra :-)
Caitanya Bhagavatam Childhood Pastim...

Q: “Falling down” from the spiritual world is quite a strange idea, but if we never met Krishna how to explain our longing for Him? I feel,  everyone longs for Him only,  as nobody is happy here.

Longing for Krishna is actually a very rare thing that only the most advanced bhakti-sādhaka’s achieve. It is not something that everyone intrinsically has.

Krishna says that even to comprehend god at all is very rare (manuṣyānām sahasreṣu…). And he says that of all those few who do comprehend god, those who can conceive of god in a personal way are still more rare (vasudeva sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabha). Of all those who can conceive of god in a personal form, those who want to develop a devotional relationship with him are even still more rare (yoginām api sarveśaṁ…).

Explaining the Śrīmad Bhāgavata, Śrī Rūpa, in Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu, explains that longing for Krishna (āsakti) is the most advanced stage of sādhana.

So I do not agree that “everyone longs for Krishna.” Practically no one even knows what or who Krishna is, what to speak of has a real, sincere longing for him.

Q: Then what do we feel? What is that hole in the heart that cannot be filled by any amount of material sense gratification?

We are kṛṣner nitya-dāsa. This means that our very constitution is meant to experience Krishna. We are consciousness by nature (jñāna-mātra, svayaṁ-jyoti pratyag-dhāma), and consciousness always longs for an object worth being conscious of. Krishna is the supreme object and subject of consciousness (adhokṣaja, govinda, kṛṣṇa, etc). So we long to fulfill our constitutional potential, of experiencing the most deeply fulfilling object of consciousness. We do not exactly know what that object is. This is why we search around for a million things. But Krishna manifests the Veda to help us discover him, the true supreme object of consciousness (jñeya).

As you mentioned, the idea of leaving a relationship with Krishna is too odd. Because if we could leave it, it must not be fully satisfying and engrossing, therefore it must not after all be the param-jñeya (supreme objective of experience), and Krishna must not be “govinda” or “adhokṣaja” or “kṛṣṇa” etc. Therefore this concept is not acceptable. Śrī Jīva and the other founding ācāryas of Gauḍīya Vedānta clearly never present such a concept. They present the concept that we are anādi-bhagavād-ajñāna – we have never experienced Bhagavan – because we were instead fascinated by the qualities of māyā (yaya sammohita māyā) as a result of our unique and causeless individual nature and disposition.

We are generally happy with māyā except when we do not cooperate with her rules and come under the influence of negative karma. But this in itself provides a clue that this happiness is not perfect for us. Krishna provides the Veda to give us a way to know him and establish a real relationship with him, the Supreme Object of Love and Joy. (anarthopaśamam sākṣāt and the next verse).

Vraja Kishor dās (www.vrajakishor.com)

Please find below recordings of lectures and kirtans by Kadamba Kanana Swami taken during July and August.

** Download ALL (617 MB)

New Vraja Mandala – Spain

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KKS_SPAIN_14August2016_NewVrajaMandala_Lecture_CC_Madhya_11.217

KKS_SPAIN_12August2016_NewVrajaMandala_Lecture_SB_12.13.23

KKS_SPAIN_12August2016_NewVrajaMandala_Kirtan

KKS_SPAIN_11August2016_NewVrajaMandala_Kirtan

Pandava Sena Retreat – Germany 

KKS_GER_03August2016_PandavaSenaRetreat_Kirtan_JayaRadhaMadhava

KKS_GER_03August2016_PandavaSenaRetreat_Intro_Lecture

*We are missing some recordings here as many files were damaged. 

England 

KKS_UK_31July2016_BoatFestival_Kirtan

KKS_UK_30July2016_HouseProgram_Lecture

KKS_UK_30July2016_HouseProgram_Kirtan

KKS_UK_30July2016_Initiation_Lecture

KKS_UK_30July2016_BhaktivedantaManor_CC_Adi_13.66

Swiss Retreat

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KKS_SWISS_SummerCamp_28July2016_Kirtan

Offering to Srila Prabhupada on the celebration of Srila Prabhupada Memorial Festival & 71st Vyasa Puja of H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj 2016 at ISKCON Ujjain on 17th September 2016  

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On 28th September 2016, Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja gave an amazing talk in Bengali at the weekly JSSS meeting in in Sri Dhama Mayapur. Since Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja was not physically present here in Sri Dhama Mayapur for his Vyasa Puja Ceremony, devotees of Mayapur presented him with a huge Vyasa Puja cake to welcome […]

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Amazing Mexico City Harinam, Mexico (Album with photos)
Mexico City is for sure one of the best places for Harinam Sankirtan in the world. Culturally the people are very open minded and they readily join in chanting and dancing and easily take books without any inhibitions. Even death personified is ready to join in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan mission.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Rb59ZN

Our Bhakti Tree Centre in Newcastle is going from strength to strength. Apart from catering for Newcastle University 3 days a week, it is also a fully fledged restaurant operating 5 days a week.

On top of that, there are 2 nights of kirtan/philosophy and one night of showing ISKCON movies followed by sumptuous prasadam.

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