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By Kesava Krsna Dasa

It can sometimes be tough being an intellectual in Iskcon. The tendency to keep one foot in the empirical camp and the other in the devotional arena can cause incompatibilities of faith, especially when continuing to grapple with “oddities” like elephant sized mangoes, airborne mountains, talking hyenas and bodily exuded cosmic bubbles. Almost everything is interesting for an intellectual. How things work, or don’t. Statistics and comparisons, complex and more complicated, beyond comprehension and ridiculously out of bounds, all can pose challenges when faced with the “simplicity” of Krishna consciousness. And more so when fantastic and marvellous Vedic accounts remains fabulously beyond belief. Does “simple living” dull down our inquiring spirit to the point of unquestioning obedient acceptance of everything taught to us? Will “high thinking” allow us free reign to explore that which confounds the greatest material thinkers? “Prove that God exists,” Srila Prabhupada would say. This seems the most certain way of engaging a lively intellect. How many sprightly and bouncy intellectual devotees are convinced of this, especially when having to explain in terms of elephants and swans that do inter-planetary travel, and other faith shaking concepts? Continue reading "Intellectual Simplicity
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TOVP: The Kalash Frame on the Small Dome is Complete (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: The work on the Dome Kalashes is progressing very successfully. Currently, one of the engineers from Moscow, Russia, Yurii Tereshkov, is here to assist us with perfecting the measurements and dimensions of our TOVP Kalashes.
Each of the side Domes Kalash frames are layered in 3 sections. On Sunday September 25, 2016 we installed the topmost section (Layer 3) of the Kalash frame onto the Planetarium Wing Dome. The stainless steel section was lifted with a crane to the top of the Dome.
Next, we will lift and install the topmost section (Layer 3) of the Kalash Frame onto Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Dome. Then Yurii and other TOVP engineers will personally climb into the Kalash frames to measure the dimensions. From those measurements they will perfect and finalize the dimensions that will be required to construct the titanium nitrate coverings in Moscow.
After the measurements are finalized here in Mayapur, the engineers in Moscow then may begin the official construction of the Kalash outer shell coverings. We are now moving full speed into this wonderful construction project.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/MRHOvX

​Congregation program at ISKCON, Columbus, Ohio, USA

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​Congregation program at ISKCON, Columbus, Ohio, USA

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Ratha Yatra in Philadelphia, USA (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The process of chanting the holy name of the Lord is al...

​Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Columbus, Ohio, USA

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KK Bindu #384: With first time translation of a little known song describing Lord Gauranga going to battle.
CONTENTS INCLUDE: * CHILDREN AND KRISHNA BHAKTI – His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gives instructions to some of his disciples.
* FLOWING WATER AND MOVING SADHUS – Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami. Maharaja speaks of the only business for saintly persons.
* REMEMBERING KRISHNA – A fresh translation done especially for this issue of Bindu from Srila Jiva Goswami’s Bhakti-sandarbha speaking about different levels of remembrance of the Lord.
* GAURA GOES TO BATTLE – A first time translation done especially for this issue of Bindu of a little known medieval Bengali song.
* EVEN WHEN REJECTED BY THE REJECTED – Another fresh translation from Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati’s Vrindavan-mahimamrtam.
This issue can be downloaded here:
https://archive.org/details/bindu384

Saturday Night Harinam London (24th Sept 2016) (5 min video)
Following are three predictions made by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur:
1. “A personality will soon appear and he will travel all over the world to spread the teachings of Lord Caitanya.”
Jaya Srila Prabhupada !!!
2. “Very soon the chanting of Harinama sankirtana will be spread all over the world. The day will come when people from America, England, France, Germany, Russia will take up karatals and mrdangas and chant Hare Krishna in their towns.”
Jaya Srila Prabhupada !!!
3. “The day will come when the fair-skinned foreigners will come to Sri Mayapur Dham and will join the Bengali Vaisnavas to chant "Jaya Shachinandan, Jaya Shachinandan”.
Jaya Srila Prabhupada !!!
All of these wonderful predictions have come to pass due to the determination and spiritual purity of His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
At the start of the following video clip you will see a blonde lady join in the Kirtan in China Town. Nothing unusual about that. It happens every week, maybe not always a blonde - but members of the public spontaneously join in every week. What is really unusual about this particular video is that shortly after you will see two young Chinese girls approach the Kirtan Party with the clear intent of joining in the fun. The result is that very quickly you will see an English lady dancing away merrily with one of the Chinese girls. I think if you had asked either of them earlier in the day if they thought that before the day was out they would be dancing merrily in such a way in China Town neither of them would have believed it.
The Holy Names are so powerfully attractive that these kind of things are happening everyday all over the world were the Samkirtan Parties regularly go out.
To all the followers of Srila Bhaktivinoda, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and Srila Prabhupada, please take up the challenge of taking the Holy Names out on to the streets. Practically everyone in this movement has been out on Harinam. Remember how blissful it is and try to make it happen again for our own ETERNAL benefit and for the eternal benefit of all human kind
Param Vijayate Sri Krsna Samkirtanam
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada !!!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/awhCsZ

Harinama in Suva, Fiji’s capital (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: Today we arrived in Suva the capital city
of Fiji and Jaya Ram Prabhu the Temple president greeted us very nicely and we all went out on Harinam for the joy of the local people.
Harinam Sankirtan is always the winner!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/hSpmUe

Hare Krishna festival in Borehamwood, UK.
Hundreds are expected to attend the upcoming Hare Krishna festival next Friday.
Next week the Hare Krishna festival will be held at the Fairway Hall, in Brook Close, Borehamwood at 7pm with live music, dance and vegetarian food and is open to the public.
ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and local members of the Hare Krishna movement have teamed up to invite the public to the festivities.
Giridhari Das, a Hare Krishna monk who heads the UK festival team, said: “Probably best known from the Glastonbury Music Festival or for singing in the streets of central London, as the Hare Krishna Festival team we tend to appear all over the place. Whether local carnivals, theatres or town halls we like to be with the people.”
The Hare Krishna Movement follows ancient teachings of devotional yoga with roots in the Vedic culture of India, dating back more than 5,000 years.
It became popular in the 1960’s when its message was brought to western countries by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada – an Indian guru, aged 70, who left Vrindavan, India, and set sail for the United States in 1965 with just a few dollars in his pocket.
Within a year of his arrival he set up ISKCON, and today the movement has more than 700 temples and centres worldwide, including 60 farm communities, 50 schools and 90 restaurants.
The Borehamwood festival, and other festivals across the UK this year, is part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Hare Krishna movement.
Bhaktivedanta Manor, in Aldenham, has been a spiritual retreat for thousands ever since it opened in 1973.
Nathan Hartley, who looks after PR & Communications at ISKCON Festivals, said: “Our philosophy is very rich and attractive to many people. In a world that’s becoming increasingly competitive, and has people believing they will only be happy through material gain, we are showing a deeply positive alternative.
"The Krishna Consciousness message is for everyone. A universal, non-sectarian message of love, simple living, service and above all – connecting the self with the original spiritual source, Krishna.”

“Here is a real saint.”
Bhutatma das: I had made friends with a noted religious scholar, Mark Juergensmeyer, one of the professors in the Religious Studies Department at Berkeley University.
I asked him, “What do you think about having a program with Srila Prabhupada and some of the faculty?”
Juergensmeyer was enthusiastic and one of the people he invited was Dr. Staal, who had already had scholarly exchanges with Prabhupada about chanting the mahamantra. That exchange was printed as a brochure that we distributed to validate the scholarly nature of our movement. Dr. Staal was already well known to devotees.
Twenty or twenty-five faculty members plus their wives attended, quite a big turnout for that kind of group. They were interested to meet Prabhupada because of the history behind our movement. We set up a room and put a vyasasana on top of a table, which I think seemed a little pretentious to them—a colorful, big chair with peacocks on it so high up that the base of it was head height for them. Some of them seemed to question the appropriateness of this arrangement. When Prabhupada arrived, I accompanied him to the building saying, “Prabhupada, it’s an old building, but …” He said, “We don’t care, old or new, the building doesn’t matter.” The entrance to the room was from the back—the people were facing the other way. I held the door and Prabhupada walked in, and as everyone turned around I saw their expression. The moment they saw him, such a transcendent figure dressed in saffron that the little subtle edge melted away. Their sense of someone pretentious or pompous was eliminated, and they sensed, “Here is a real saint.” Prabhupada was pleased by the turnout and he smiled and got on the vyasasana very naturally—"Yes, I do belong here, I’m representing Vyasa.“ He spoke not about Radha Krishna but about Vedic and brahminical culture. Pradyumna, Svarupa Damodar and I sat on the side. After the talk one of the professors asked, "You are interested in making people brahmans and bringing the brahminical culture to the West. What about your followers here, are they brahmans?” I wondered what Prabhupada would say because we were not really brahmans. But Prabhupada handled it adeptly. Prabhupada said, “They are trying to become brahmans,” with a tone that said we weren’t struggling vainly but we were going to be successful, we were on the path. It disarmed the challenge and gave us the appropriate status that we were sincere and we were following the correct process, even though we may still be conditioned by the modes of passion and ignorance. Prabhupada also had a little exchange with Dr. Staal. He said, “I see the illustrious Dr. Staal is here.” Of course that flattery made Dr. Staal happy. Every time I saw Prabhupada interact with anyone, the common theme was that Prabhupada was completely in command, not by dint of assertiveness, but because on some level everyone knew he was a bona fide representative of God. Prabhupada never had a trace of lack of confidence. Neither did he have any hubris or pride. Prabhupada had that overwhelming sense of self-confidence that comes when one’s self-realized. Everyone at this scholarly gathering sensed that. After we left the meeting Prabhupada said to me, “This was an important meeting,” because he had met scholars and had established the credibility of our movement. And later one of the scholars told me, “I was a little skeptical in the beginning. I thought, ‘Maybe this will be some kind of elderly Bengali brahman who is caste conscious,’ but after I heard him speak I understood that this person was someone very special.” That comment confirmed what I had perceived that evening. —Bhutatma . . Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint” by Siddhanta das

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi SJMKL - Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi SJMKL - Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi SJMKL - Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

by Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi Nagar Sankirtan in Chinatown

In response to: On Changing My Dīkṣā

In Bhakti Sandarbha Jīva Goswāmī explains that there are circumstances in which a guru-disciple relationship can be dissolved. He quotes Nārada Pañcarātra: “He who gives irrational guidance, and he who follows that guidance, both attain a horrible destination.”

He also refers to Mahābhārata: “We should even reject a guru who proudly cannot explain the difference between right and wrong, or embarks on the wrong path.”

He also refers to Nārada Pañcaratra, “The guidance and mantras of a non-Vaiṣṇava lead one to hell. One should reject these and accept them from a Vaiṣṇava.”

In Jaiva Dharma Śrī Bhaktivinode explains that these references delineate two different reasons for changing one’s guru. “Though a dīkṣā guru shouldn’t be rejected,” he says, “still there are two causes where rejection is acceptable.”

One cause is when the guru literally opposes very basic Vaiṣṇava philosophies. This is illustrated by the later Nārada Pañcarātra quote, “The guidance and mantras of a non-vaiṣṇava lead one to hell. One should reject these and accept them from a vaiṣṇava.”  

The other cause, however, is less drastic and is illustrated by the former Nārada Pañcarātra quote “He who gives irrational guidance, and he who follows that guidance, both attain a horrible destination.” Bhaktivindode explains, “The disciple may have prematurely accepted the guru without having carefully examined him. Later he will realize that his endeavors are not bearing their expected fruits, so he may reject that guru.”

The Mahābhārata quote makes reference to both reasons: “We should reject even a guru who is proud, cannot explain the difference between right and wrong, or embarks on the wrong path.” The two reasons are (1) improper behavior – “embarking on the wrong path” and (2) improper guidance – “cannot explain the difference between right and wrong.” And this is compounded by “pride” which means the guru doesn’t respond to attempts at correction.

Hari Bhakti Vilāsa also explains that a guru can be rejected under some circumstances. If the guru is found to be or become unqualified, for example. Many qualifications of a guru are given, but the key to all of them is being thoroughly conversant in all śāstra and being able to answer all questions in reference to these śāstra. If a guru falls short in this department, the disciple has legitimate grounds to consider that he does not in fact have a guru, and therefore may seek another guru.

Now I will explain my personal situation:

Neither ISKCON not my guru in it exactly fits into either cateogry entirely, and thus I have not “rejected” them. “Rejection” indicates forsaking something without need for permission or agreement from that party. That is not what I have done. I have dissolved my relationship with ISKCON and my guru in it under mutual consent. Thus I describe it as a “transferral” of dīkṣā, and use the term “dissolve” rather than “reject.”

With mutual consent, the above conditions need not be explicitly met.

I do not feel that ISKCON is “avaiṣṇava” or “against śāstric conclusions” – but I do feel that it is not strong enough in either of these departments for me. I found there was, for me, too much avaiṣṇava behavior in ISKCON as a whole. To mention only a few things, this ranged from child abuse to sexism, coupled with exploitation and pride, (us/them, and better-than-then-ism) leading to anger and divisiveness. And I found, for me, insufficiently broad and mature comprehension of śāstra (I even felt there was unwillingness to change that if it meant challenging their existing conceptions of what is “Vedic” and “bona-fide.”).

As a result I came to feel that I was not truly a disciple, and did not truly have a guru after all.

I explained myself to the parties involved over many months (if not years), and finally we agreed to this course of action. The relationship dissolved. Then with my former guru-disciple relationship dissolved, I sought the shelter of a person I myself can easily see has inspirationally vast comprehension of śāstra, holds śāstra above all else as the prime authority, has exemplary character in both major details and fine, day-to-day behavior. This person more fully inspires me to put in the significant effort it will take for me to one day become a Vaiṣṇava, and more effectively removes my confusions and misconceptions.

Therefore I absolutely do not agree at all with any claim that what I have done is not supported by śāstra.

My ISKCON guru, in fact, should be praised for exemplary behavior in agreeing to this – at is was clearly the best thing for my spiritual development, and a true devotee puts the wellbeing of others ahead of all other considerations.

Vraja Kishor das

www.vrajakishor.com

Tagged: diksha guru, Guru, guru-disciple, guru-disciple relationship

Prabhupada: A Public Yet Private Presence

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 September 2016, Midrand, South Africa, Sunday Feast Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 9.9)

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151)

Life after life, we are travelling through this material universe. Sometimes we reside in higher planetary systems and sometimes we reside here, in the middle planetary systems. Krsna is said to be neutral. This is very interesting because elsewhere in the Gita it says, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram hetunanena kaunteya jagad viparivartate (Bhagavad-gita 9.10), that everything in this universe is going on under Krsna’s control. This is a fact because we are dealing with the energies of Krsna but Krsna is also neutral. Why is it so? Because all Krsna’s desires are directed to spirit and not to matter. Therefore, Krsna’s desires are aimed at the spiritual world, are aimed at the living beings who are also spirit. Krsna has no desire for this material world. In fact, the material world was the desire of the living being who wanted to be independent from Krsna then Krsna provided.

Srinivasa Acarya describes kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī (Prayers to the Six Goswamis). He says that the six goswamis are always engaged in Krsna utkirtan, not just Krsna kirtan. Krsna utkirtan means loud kirtan, loudly chanting the holy names of the Lord, loudly glorifying the Lord. Krsna utkirtan and gāna-nartana-parau, they are chanting and nartana, they are dancing also. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī, they are fully absorbed in the ocean of transcendental love. So this ocean of transcendental love exists between Krsna and his devotees. It exists between Krsna and the devotees in the spiritual world and it also exists between Krsna and the devotees in the material world. Loving exchange – as the devotee makes offerings to Krsna, Krsna also makes offerings to the devotee.

But offerings to Krsna cannot be cheap. One should not have a business mentality. In India, in Vrindavan, there are money changers. At the money changers, for one rupee, you can get a hundred one paisa coins. Now, in India, for a long time, one paisa coins are no longer in circulation. They do not use them anymore, no shop will take a one paisa coins but the money changers have all the one paisa coins. People buy one paisa coins and put them in donation boxes or they put them on the altar. Temples have all the one paisa coins and the only thing the temples can do is sell them to the money changers. What can I say!? So we had kilos and kilos and kilos of one paisa coins in Vrindavan. Anyway, it is going on and we pray, ‘Jaya jagadisha hare, ham ko ek lakh chaahe,’ for this one paisa, we want hundred thousand, one lakh of rupees! So that is business.

Krsna acts neutral in the material world. Krsna is not really neutral. In another sense, he not neutral at all. Krsna has a very strong desire that every living being returns to the spiritual world and that every living being returns to the eternal pastimes. BUT as long as the living beings remain preoccupied with their material activities, Krsna remains neutral. He is witnessing – anumanta. He is overseeing – upadrasta. Yes, some enjoyment will come and some frustration will come. He knows, he is tri-kala-jnana, he knows past, present and future. He knows there is more to come. He knows you already went through so much. But is it enough? Is it enough to come to the point where you say, “Krsna, I am yours”? Prahlad was young but he said, “Krsna, I am yours.” Bhismadev was old and Bhismadev said, “Krsna, I am yours.” But in all cases, Krsna did not immediately give up that neutrality which he reserves for the conditioned souls. Oh, no. He wanted to see genuine offerings, genuine devotion first.

Narada was only five years old when his mother died of a snake bite. Somehow or other, he had served some great guests at home – great saintly personalities, Bhaktivedantas, great devotees who were fully knowledgeable of the Vedic conclusions. With the permission of these sages, he had taken their remnants. Then the sages had given him instructions; they had told him how to meditate actually. After the sages left, Narada remained alone with his mother. Then early one morning, as his mother went out to milk the cow, she got bitten by a snake and died. Although the boy was shocked and obviously affected by the death of his mother because of the transcendental instruction of the sages, he remembered, “The Supreme Lord is my shelter.”

Therefore, he went to the forest and sat down under a tree and meditated on the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord at first did not respond. Narada was meditating and meditating and meditating but there was no sign from the Lord. Did the Lord even exist? Was he really there? How could he know that it was not all imagination? All that meditation and yet no sign.

Then, suddenly, the boy saw the Lord very clear in the eye of the mind. It was so clear as if he was really there. Next moment, he opened his eyes and he saw that the Lord was there. Then the Lord disappeared. That was too much for a five-year-old, “How can you disappear? I have done all this and now you were here and now you are disappearing.” He became angry. So then the Lord returned and the Lord said, “You have meditated but you are not yet completely qualified, not yet completely pure. Therefore, in this life, you will not see me anymore but if you continue your practices, then at the end of your life, then you will again see me and you will attain a spiritual body…” So in this way, the Lord returned to neutrality. Again, even with his devotee, he was maintaining this neutrality which he normally reserves for the materialist. Why so? To test us… Are we really serious? We are chanting but we you really want it? Or is it just rock n roll? Are we ready to give our life? One paisa is not enough. Krsna is not that cheap!

Kitchri For 1000 People Yesterday In Salem, Tamil Nadu :-)
This is our new bronze pot :-) It’s weight is 1090 kg and capacity is 1350 liters…price..almost 8 lakhs..

Nigeria, Nanda Gram Temple - Journalists Interview HH Kavicandra Swami.
Mahavrata Devi Dasi: Maharaja spoke on the need for Ni...

Varnasrama series.

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Philadelphia Ratha Yatra 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By prasadam distribution you will do service to the Lord, and the public will be pleased upon you as well. Gradually increase the number of guests, and don’t deny anyone. Continue in this way. Whatever is there, distribute equally – it may not be very sumptuous, but no one should be denied an equal portion. Letter to Giriraja, April 12, 1972.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mgZTa7

Mothers and Kids.
It is an odd development of the modern world that being excessively anxious about our children is considered a virtue. We consider ourselves good parents if we make life easy for them, reward them for the smallest achievement, and are anxious for their safety and well being at all times.
There is, however, a hidden message in all of this anxious attention and it’s not good. As a teacher and school principal for 20 years, I saw all kinds of kids and all kinds of parents. For those who had confidence in their child, their child did great. Those who worried, who expressed that worry regularly, who tried to ‘fix’ every challenge the child had – their children had a weak sense of self. The hidden message was clear – “My parents are worried because they think I am not competent, I’m not capable.”
Being a mother is not easy. But it’s not that hard either. It is said that if a child has a self-assured and guiding adult in their life, they will grow up to be self-assured and self-guiding adults. Mothering means being there, but also not being there. It is patience, it is trusting that the child will figure it out, and it is watching from a distance as they do so.
There are many aspects to good mothering, but this one is key. We have to give our children the skills and emotional strength to make it through life by letting them experience and learn through real life. And that means letting them experience their own struggles. If we smother them, if we overly fret and protect, then we extinguish the fire of trust and competence. It’s a fine line, but we need to have the maturity and wisdom to make the call.
This famous poem can also inspire us be the balanced and stable parents our children need us to be:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
– On Children by Kahlil Gibran

By Girish Sarin

Each single verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam tastes like transcendental condensed milk of a Surabhi cow mixed with kesar, simply delicious and a nectar most satisfying to even conditioned souls (although it is meant to be tasted by paramhansas – liberated souls). No wonder that, along with Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam is the specific scripture meant for kali-yuga. O my Lord, because You are endowed with causeless mercy, all opulences, all prowess and all glories, strength and transcendental qualities, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of everyone. (SB 6.19.5) This verse, more specifically Srila Prabhupada’s purport, describes how kind is Krishna and how He bestows His causeless mercy on His devotees. Continue reading "Causeless mercy of Krishna
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Ghanashyam Govinda das: Michael had received many books from our book distributors in the past. Fi...