Planet ISKCON

The Myth of Empirical Objectivity (video)
Sadaputa prabhu (Dr Thompson) discusses the faulty theories proposed by modern scient...

Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir Kartika Parikrama Schedule.
Deena Bandhu Das: Kartika is glorified in the Puranas as very special for making spiritual advancement and the best place to be in Kartika is Sri Braja Dham. In fact this month is known as Damodar, since in the middle of this month, the Lord performed His very enchanting Damodar Lila. Kartika month also represents Radharani, and devotees perform special austerities to gain Her favor.
With great happiness in our hearts, we invite everyone to join in the auspicious Kartika Festival in Vrindavan. We have organized a wonderful variety of parikramas to the Holy Places of Krishna’s pastimes in Braja for all of you. Almost daily, we will be going by bus leaving in the morning and returning in time for lunch around 3 PM, unless otherwise noted. Sometimes we will also join up with Lokanatha Swami’s Braja Mandala Parikrama and enjoy the association of the many devotees who will be wandering around Braja on foot. Tickets will be available from the Welcome Center next to the temple, and all of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and accompanied family members are free!
The 4th of November is the Holy Disappearance Day Festival of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and we extend a warm invitation to all to come and commemorate this sacred occassion with us in Sri Vrindavan, where His Divine Grace is sitting in Samadhi. Leading up to this day, every evening, senior disciples will be relating their memories of Srila Prabhupada. One day before, we will take Srila Prabhupada in the very same palanquin from 1977 for a grand Sankirtan Procession past all the Goswami temples in Vrindavan.
Parikrama Schedule
16 Oct Moonlit Giriraja Parikrama
18 Vrindavan Temples
19 Madhuvan Talavan
20 Braja Mohan Mandir Narottama Disap
21 Radha Kunda - Kusum Sarovar
23 Javat - Ter Kadamba - Lunch at Vrinda Kunda
24 Barsana
26 Badrinatha
28 Nandagram lunch at Vrinda Kunda
29 Kamyavan
30 Diwali Raval Gokul
31 Giriraja Parikrama
1 Nov Govardhana Puja
3 Srila Prabhupada’s Procession to Goswami Temples
4 Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day
6 Mansarovar, Bandhirvan, Baelvan Return by Boat
7 Ram Ghat - Chir Ghat
9 Javat - Ter Kadamba (Lunch at Vrinda Kunda)
10 Dauji and Lohavan
11 All night Kirtan in Vrinda Kunda
12 Tulasi Shaligram Vivah Vrinda Kunda
In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi,
Deena Bandhu dasa

Saturday Night Harinam London, September 2016 (2 min video)
Bhajahari das: Steak house waitress makes spiritual profit!
This is why we must go out on harinam!
Please watch the following amazing video:
https://youtu.be/r3R-1_V0J80
In this wonderful short clip you will see a young lady whose job it is to stand at the door of the Angus Steak House in Leicester Square, greet customers and then show them to their seats. As soon as the Harinam Party reached outside the Steak House she deserted her post immediately asked me for the garland I was wearing - then just jumped into the Kirtan Party and while holding hands with one of our lady devotees - wholeheartedly danced and chanted for about 5 minutes. You can see she is holding an Angus Steak House menu in her hand all the while. When she finally decides to return to her post outside the restaurant you can see her respectfully bow her head to me while I film her.
Srila Prabhupada states in the Teachings of Queen Kunti:
“It is our duty to make all such unfortunate creatures fortunate. That is our mission. Therefore we go into the street and chant….. And if somehow or other we place some literature in someone’s hand, he becomes fortunate….. Our business is to bring everyone to this Krishna consciousness movement so that everyone may spiritually profit” Over 1,000 small booklets distributed along with 600 pieces of Krsna Prasadam.

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Bhakti Vaibhava Swami’s SB Class.

The post Krsna’s inconceivable svayam rupa appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Death, a reminder of eternal life.
Caitanya Caran das: This ultimate defeat in the form of death is just not acceptable for ou...

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HH Jayapataka Swami is in the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai for routine exams. This didn’t impede him to give a class live, through skype, to a Malaysian convention in Penang where more than 1400 devotees were gathered.
Find more photos here: https://goo.gl/LvzyZm

ISKCON NZ: Padayatra Fiji (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: Tonight, after walking for 5 hours on our Journey around Fiji we...

Harinama in Toronto, Canada (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The mantra delivers the conditioned soul from his bondage; so...

Lunch With Swami: Eat more! 

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 11.

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Kirtan
Disappearance of Haridas Thakura

Varnasrama Series at Black Sea Festival (5)

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Enthusiastic kirtan during the Sadhu Sanga Festival in Russia (4 min video)
Shaktyavesha Avatara Dasa: Some people joked that t...

One of ISKCON’s mantra’s we hear recited time and time again is that of “Simple Living; High Thinking”; however as one observes there is in general not much Simple Living given our conditioning to consume, this being simply what we do.

It is amazing however how one can learn the true meaning of Simple Living and the way to truly connect with the high thinking of understanding the environment one lives in, and truly care for Mother Bhumi.

So I had the opportunity to spend time on Flat Holm Island with Marianna and her team of amazing volunteers who each individually taught me so much; whilst learning how to live within the limited provisions provided.

Watching the amount of water and energy consumed, given the only water is that caught from the rain, the electric from a renewable source (with back up generator when required) and a limited amount of bottled gas; made one conscious of what is used and how precious our resources are.

One was also aware of the amount of food consumed it focused the mind given you couldn’t just run out to the local shops; almost everything was cooked fresh with evening meals being a community activity.

Managing the land included checking on the wildlife, counting the bird and insect species; each piece important to the ecology of the Island. To picking up and documenting the rubbish washed up on the Island impressed on my mind how the smallest thing makes a difference, unlike the hedonistic consumerism which is environment destructive and generally means we use others or ruin their local ecology.

Each day was filled with activities, cleaning roofs to make sure the water remains unpolluted, managing the land, maintenance of the building and equipment and the aforementioned survey’s; their was always something to do, each day was full.

Indeed simple living but with an important aim the maintenance of the small Island ecosystem and to be honest it was difficult to leave; I loved the people on the Island who are a unique special bunch of individual’s

It did impress however why Srila Prabhupada talked and emphasized the farming communities, managing the land is a full time job there is always something to do; and done correctly will also care for and encourage the wildlife; giving especially as devotee’s we are meant to look after Mother Bhumi, it will indeed increase our love of Sri Krishna.

If indeed as devotees we worked together as a community in an organic farming environment, will also make it easy for everyone to attend morning and evening classes, make first class prasadam; and learn how to manage our interpersonal relationship’s working even with those we find it difficult to get on with., indeed you get to see their hidden beauty and appreciate them: given that Srila Prabhupada requested we learn to get on well with each other.

It also impressed upon the mind how insignificant consumerism and the pursuit of material advancement is and that you don’t need a lot to be truly happy; one’s mind is truly regulated something that indeed will help in spiritual advancement.

Sadly however it appears observational wise we want it all, a concept of High Thinking, Simple Living that allows our pursuit of self-centred consumerism which is symbiotic with spiritual life claiming this is the pursuit of real happiness.

Whilst on the Island I noticed that in the simplicity of living was the true great happiness and how humbled one felt being accepted and part of one of this tight integrated group; if not for a short while.

In summery it impressed upon me how Srila Prabhupada gave us a great example to follow, spoke on what we needed to do for spiritual advancement; and how attachment to material consumerism hold’s me back.

So it was with great sadness I left Marianna and her team of volunteers, it has been an interesting learning curve; leaving me with a lot to ponder and some of the sweetest memories which will be hard to surpass.

By Bhurijana dasa

Once, on the Hyderabad farm during a morning walk, Srila Prabhupada was asked whether a particular mantra could be chanted within the temple. Srila Prabhupada's reply was that there was nothing wrong with the mantra, but our principle should be to not change anything. Yet, on another occasion, while he was taking his massage in Melbourne during 1975, I heard Srila Prabhupada explain the reason for his success in preaching in the West as allowing women to live within the temples of the Krsna consciousness movement. He then laughed and said that his Godbrothers criticized him for the change, but that they were unsuccessful. "And the only time they have some attendance is during parikramas on Gaura Purnima in Mayapura. And who attends? Women. Old widows in white." He laughed. "And because I made this adjustment," Srila Prabhupada continued, "I was successful." Continue reading "Increasing a Student’s Desire to Serve Krishna
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The “Conch”, New Govardhana community’s newsletter, in Australia, with all the local news, is now online.
Excerpt: Did You Know? By Vrindavani Briant. You may have noticed the two new buildings at ISKCON New Govardhana. These buildings mark the spot for the new and improved brahmacharini ashrama. Each building contains rooms with upgraded facilities for the brahmacharinis, including air conditioning and individual bathrooms. A third building will be erected to provide a common area that includes a kitchen and laundry facility, and verandahs will be added to all three buildings. Plans also include raised garden beds for flowers and vegetables and additional landscaping of the whole area. As soon as the Council has approved the building plans, work on this new project will be underway!
Find it here: https://goo.gl/Ha0kPq (pdf document)

Bhagavad-gita class.

The post Seeing Krsna is the ultimate and complete perfection appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

What does a Jew, a Muslim and a bunch of Hare Krishnas have in common? (4 min video)
Our New York City Harinam party attracts m...

Wonderful experience of a teacher who visited ISKCON Miraroad with more than 500 Students (2 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Kirta...

In every city and village! (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: A RAY OF LIGHT FROM THE TAKHUR’S VISION
From a sweet village, in the sacred groves of Godrum dvipa in Mayapur, on his appearance day…our party received extraordinary mercy.
The transcendental sky opened and our great grandfather Bhaktivinod Thakur poured his blessings on a pristine village nestled on one of Fijis beautiful emerald Isles.Garlanded in living coral and surrounded in Turquoise seas of the South Pacific ; the unique village of Yaloubi received the blessings of parampara
Our gift to them, they met and matched with open hearted interfaith. It seemed this occasion was a well deserved award for these beautiful people, who didn’t speak so much but showed by perfect example…“Simple living and high thinking”
A direct transcendental link from village to village; an empowered connection…on this unforgettable day… we made leaps and bounds , on our Padayatra to celebrate 50 years of Prabhupada’s ISKCON.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/HHK3qj

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 September 2016, Durban, South Africa, Sunday Feast Lecture)

Living in a temple is nice – it is simultaneously the material world and the spiritual world. I compare temple life to a blanket. I travel a lot and have different blankets all the time and sometimes, the blanket is too long, too short, too thick or too warm. So in the same way, the external feature of the temple may also look like that. There may be many things about it which we do not like – people, facilities, food and so on… But that is all insignificant, all temporary and will change. BUT in the temple, there are people who chant and practice spiritual life seriously and we need that! We need devotees for kirtan and for discussion about scripture – this is actually the essence of temple life and not the external features. One must learn to not get distracted by the external features and other obnoxious things; we must learn to tolerate. Everything can cause anxiety when were separated from Krsna. If nothing goes wrong we think of what CAN go wrong. The opposite is required: Let it go! We are not the controller. We try to keep a certain area in control but we cannot control the world!

*Notes taken my Nimai during the lecture

By Lakshmanesvara Dasa

Many international religious and political leaders honored ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada’s achievements and contributions at a special ISKCON 50th Anniversary Gala Event in Washington D.C. on Tuesday September 13th. The event took place in the Presidential Ballroom at the Capital Hilton Hotel on 16th Street. Three blocks from the White House, the Ballroom has hosted every president since Harry S. Truman and features a permanent eight-foot presidential seal on its wall. Over 300 people attended the Gala event, seventy-five of them special VIP invitees including religious leaders, religious liberty experts, members of the media, government representatives and political leaders. Among them were U.S. Congresswoman from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts Joseph Kennedy, Nepalese Ambassador to the U.S. Dr. Arjun Kumar Karki, Community Affairs Minister N.K. Mishra from the Indian Embassy, and Deputy Chief of Mission Mahbub Hasan Saleh from the Embassy of Bangladesh. Continue reading "ISKCON 50 Gala festival @ Capital Hilton Washington, DC (Photos)
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The post Daily Darshan: September17th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

How I Met the Cowherd Lord, Krishna.
Suraiya Ali: I grew up going to many types of religious houses, but I had never been to a temple sanctioned by ISKCON. I had met the cowherd Lord in books and in my relationships, but now I was going to His house, for the very first time. So we dressed up, as my best friend said that evening, “there is no such thing as being overdressed to the temple, as you’re dressing for the pleasure of Krishna.”

The Lord or the universe takes 1st prize. (Album with photos)
Iskcon Australia: As part of the sugar festival 2016 the devotee...

Фотоальбом на FB

Тибет – самый высокий регион на земле, население 8 млн. человек. Из них два миллиона – кочевники. На нашем пути к Кайласу на время религиозного праздника мы остановились в столице, Лхасе. Многие тибетцы отдыхали, посещая разные святые места в старом городе. Большая часть нашей группы осталась акклиматизироваться на высоте 3600 м, а мы с Ананта Вриндаваном спустились – повстречаться с людьми и понаблюдать за их духовной культурой.

By the Sannyasa Minister

It is the duty of a sannyasi to become advanced in Krishna consciousness by trying to please the Supreme and serve His mission, by cooperating with other devotees to spread Krishna consciousness to the innocent, and by defeating atheistic propaganda. Srila Prabhupada writes in NOI 5 that “this is the way to cultivate devotional service properly.” Sannyasis teaching these methods of spiritual advancement to the those cultivating pure devotional service, whether acting as diksa or siksa gurus are bona fide spiritual masters. amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa (Adi 12.73) Continue reading "ISKCON Sannyasa Ministry Newsletter
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