Planet ISKCON

With the Swami in the Temple

The post Daily Darshan: September 16th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

By Madhava Smullen

ISKCON New Vrindaban is warmly inviting everyone to attend its Srila Prabhupada Festival this September 30^th to October 2^nd. As an offering of love and appreciation for their service and sacrifices, current and previous New Vrindaban residents, as well as all Prabhupada disciples, will have their lodging and prasadam for the weekend completely covered.

The festival is a revival of the historical Prabhupada Festivals that began in the West Virginia rural community with the opening of Srila Prabhupada’s Palace in 1979, and continued through to the mid 1980s. Lavish affairs, they saw devotees from around the world come together to serve Srila Prabhupada with processions, abishekhas and gift-giving, as well as 24-hour kirtans, dramas, sumptuous feasts, and elaborate fireworks displays.

This year’s festival aims to not only bring back that tradition, but also to reconnect with previous residents who assisted in the gradual development of New Vrindaban; revive a spirit of giving special attention to Srila Prabhupada; and awaken the team spirit and sweet, sincere mood of service that the early devotees had for him.

To do this, much of the festival will be focused on taking participants on parikrama to the tirthas where Prabhupada spent time during his four visits to New Vrindaban, to commemorate those special moments.

On Friday, the parikrama will go to the Madhuban area of New Vrindaban, where Srila Prabhupada stayed in an old farmhouse during his second visit in September 1972. Upon arriving and sitting down in his room in the farmhouse, he was pleased to be back in New Vrindaban and said, “This Vrindaban, that Vrindavan, no difference.”

While at Madhuban, devotees will have a bonfire kirtan, and watch a video of Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindaban. Later that evening, they’ll launch lanterns into the night sky and set intentions for their service to him.

On Saturday, they’ll experience mangala arati at Prabhupada’s Palace and take a japa walk to Nandagram, where Srila Prabhupada visited gurukula students and received gurupuja during his last stay in 1976.

They’ll also hike to the original Vrindaban farmhouse, where the community was focused in its early days, and where Prabhupada spent 32 days in May/June 1969. While there, he marveled at the fresh milk from New Vrindaban’s first cow, Kaliya, the local tulip honey, and the sweet water from the well; and told devotees that everything they needed for a happy life and God realization was there.

He also spent many spring afternoons under a persimmon tree teaching the young devotees of his fledgeling rural community about every element of the simple life, from how to protect and engage cows and bulls to eco-building.

During a special program in a pandal at Vrindaban during the Prabhupada Festival, senior devotees who were actually present back then will recall all these memories and more, tell sweet stories, and show pictures of those days.

Then, taking some downtime, everyone will walk along Big Wheeling Creek, where Prabhupada walked in 1974. There’ll also be a chance for devotees to visit the cows, do yoga, or get a massage at ISKCON New Vrindaban’s devotee care center.

Finally in the evening, there will be a program at Prabhupada’s Palace, which New Vrindaban devotees built as an offering of love to Srila Prabhupada, and which he accepted with love, saying, “These devotees are my jewels.”

Afterwards, Prabhupada’s murti will be carried on a Palanquin around the Palace, just as devotees carried his murti in a procession when they installed him in his Palace in 1979. The procession will make its way down to the Kusum Sarovara Lake, where Prabhupada will ride a Swan boat in an ecstatic twist on New Vrindaban’s signature Swan Boat Festival.

On Sunday morning, there will be a class by New Vrindaban pioneer Kuladri Dasa on the front lawn of Ruci Dasi and Sankirtan Dasa’s house. Srila Prabhupada stayed in this house during his last visit in 1976, and in the evenings met with his disciples on the lawn, where he was famously photographed speaking from a grand vyasasana upholstered in bold yellow silk.

Everyone will then make their way to Govindaji Hill, to recreate the Bhagavat Dharma Discourses Srila Prabhupada gave under a pavilion there, speaking on the Bhagavatam to hundreds of devotees and guests for over a week.

Suhotra Swami recalled the Discourses as “a perfect outline,” going “deeper and deeper into the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam.” And Prabhupada himself described the experience as “truly a wonderful time,” and asked his disciples to “Go on holding Bhagavata Dharma discourses in every city of the world.”

The Bhagavat Dharma experience will be followed by local craft activities such as painting, clay sculpting and woodworking amidst the beautiful nature of New Vrindaban. Then there will be a closing sanga, and finally all the visitors will be seen off with lunch and travel packs.

ISKCON New Vrindaban temple president Jaya Krsna Dasa hopes that the festival will be an ideal way to honor Srila Prabhupada during the 50^th anniversary of his ISKCON. He also hopes that next year’s Prabhupada Festival – for it will be an annual event from now on – will be even bigger, building towards New Vrindaban’s own 50^th anniversary celebrations in 2018.

Until then? “This year I think we will be inspired by hearing about the adventures of the early residents, about how they dedicated so much of their lives to Srila Prabhupada,” he says. “And all the devotees will be inspired to hear stories about Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindaban, and about the instructions he gave for the community, that are valuable for all farm communities and for all devotees around the world.”

To find out more, or to register for the Srila Prabhupada Festival, please call Gaurnatraj Dasa at 304-312-6539 or email him at gaurnatraj@gmail.com.

New Raman Reti’s (Alachua, Florida) recent festival (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: At every step there is danger. Therefore, because the Krishna consciousness movement provides the opportunity for the human being to get out of this material world simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, this movement is the greatest benediction in human society. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 9.7.7 Purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aIK7Xo

Srila Rupa Goswami said that one must associate with devotees to cultivate faith. So how does that faith happen in association? In devotee association, one hears about Krishna. When one hears about Krishna constantly, his or her desire or taste to Krishna and His devotees (Krishna katha) goes on increasing. What is the result of one whose taste to hear about Krishna increases? His faith on Krishna increases. What is the symptom of such a faith on Krishna?

The symptom of faith on Krishna (bhakti) is twofold. This was told by Sage Kavi (one of the nine yogendras) to King Nimi. Sage Kavi said direct experience of the Supreme Lord (pareśānubhava) and detachment (virakti) from worldly things simultaneously occur to one who is in pure Krishna consciousness. This is a good litmus test to see if truly we are making progress in spiritual life. 

Detachment from worldly things or virakti means one’s understanding, enthusiasm, loyalty and faith upon the people, things and relationships of this world gradually reduce and eventually die out completely and instead be replaced with increased understanding, enthusiasm, loyalty and faith of Krishna and His pure devotees. Both has to happen simultaneously. To lose faith in the confidence of people of this world (including our well-wisher, friend and family) is our true test to faith in Krishna. Because both cannot go hand in hand.

When we make that transition of faiths, truly our journey back home back to Krishna is set, in other words, we would have attained mukti from material entanglement.

Hare Krishna

Niranjana Swami – Lecture at the Sadhu-sanga festival, Russia – 14-Sep-2016 (video)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna chant is called the maha-mantra, the great, exalted mantra above all other Vedic mantras, because simply chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra brings so many beneficial effects. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 9.1.17 Purport).
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/JszxTP

Recently, Kadamba Kanana Swami went to Durban for the first of regular health check-ups which are scheduled to happen every six months. All was well, no recurrence of the disease was detected and the low iron also has improved. Maharaj will still focus on recovery and will travel and do programs at a slower pace than in previous years.

By Giriraj Swami

Today is Visvarupa-mahotsava, the date on which Lord Caitanya’s older brother, Visvarupa, took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. And on the same date some four hundred and fifty years later, our own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, also accepted sannyasa. According to Vedic scripture, Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, come in the present age in the role of a devotee. In the previous age, Lord Krsna came in His original feature and spoke the Bhagavad-gita, and at the conclusion He instructed, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: give up all other duties and surrender unto Me. But people could not understand or appreciate Lord Krsna’s instruction. So later, about five hundred years ago, the same Krsna came again, not in His original form but in His devotional form as Lord Caitanya. And Lord Caitanya taught us how to serve Krsna, how to worship God in the present age. Continue reading "Visvarupa-mahotsava and Srila Prabhupada’s Sannyasa
→ Dandavats"

Varnasrama Series at Black Sea Festival (4)

The post Resolving Srila Prabhupada’s different statements appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Tulsi Gabbard’s Speech at ISKCON 50th Anniversary Gala Event in Washington D.C. (12 min video)
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, 2016. The keynote speaker was U.S. Congresswoman from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/tL1WIp

By Madhava Smullen

Religious and Political Leaders Appreciate Srila Prabhupada at ISKCON 50 Gala Dinner in Washington D.C. The response from the VIPs to the evening was overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting that they had been unaware of the depth of Srila Prabhupada’s scholarship, or the breadth of his contributions in spreading the Krishna tradition around the world. The ISKCON devotees present, meanwhile, were very inspired to see so many esteemed personalities appreciating ISKCON’s contributions. “I found the event to be an unprecedented validation of Srila Prabhupada and his contributions to the world,” says Rukmini devi dasi, one of Prabhupada’s earliest female disciples. “To see so many important people appreciating him, chanting and dancing with their arms upraised, and thoroughly enjoying the experience, was just wonderful.” Continue reading "ISKCON 50 Gala Dinner in Washington D.C. – “I was standing in the doorway and you gave me a beautiful flower, which is still blossoming.”
→ Dandavats"

Goshala Murales at Villa Vrindavana (3 min video)
The creation of a 17m long x 4m tall murales, beautifully depicting Lord Kri...

The post One lesson from Subhag Swami’s class today appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Subhag Swami SB Class

The post Being dhira appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Promo video of our Govinda’s restaurant in Eger, Hungary (1 min video)
Avadhuta Raya das: We get many foreign tourists in Eger throughout the year and the town is also only a 1,5 hrs drive from Budapest so many people visiting the capital also venture to Eger.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/DEXuHm

Kirtan Fest - 24 hours of kirtan in the City of Leicester, UK.
ISKCON Leicester will host Kirtan Fest, 24 hours of Kirtan on 17-18 September, 2016…continuing the 50 year celebrations of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Hundreds of devotees from around the UK and further afield will participate in the two-day festival at the Centre at 31 Granby Street, Leicester, 9am-11pm on Saturday, and 9am-7pm on Sunday, which coincides with the 51st anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the US.
The cream of kirtan leaders from around the world will be attending this year’s Kirtan Fest, including Amala Harinama Dasa, Ajamila Dasa, Nadiya Bihari Devi Dasi, Madhava Anderson, Nitai Kirtan Dasa, Nimai Gadhvi, Jay Krishna, Ravi Pattni, and many others. On Saturday night, the chanting and dancing will continue onto the streets of Leicester in a maha street harinama.
This will be the first Kirtan Fest in the presence of Sri Sri Radha Madhava Who arrived in Leicester on August 15. The grade II listed building has been newly refurbished, with a first floor temple, kitchen, classrooms, with an ashram on the top floor, making it a fully functioning temple.
Prashadam will be served over the weekend.
Kirtan Fest, Saturday 17h and Sunday 18th September, 31 Granby Street, Leicester. For accommodation advice, sponsorship information, or volunteering opportunities, please contact the team on:
ISKCON
07597 786676
www.iskconleicester.org
info@iskconleicester.org
Twitter: #KirtanFest16
facebook.com/KirtanFest/

ISKCON Gaya represented sanatan religion.
On 10th september a workshop on “Building a humane and peaceful society” was organized at Gaya college campus. The organizer of the program had invited a leader from each religion to present the teachings of their religion about peace. They invited ISKCON Gaya to represent sanatan religion though there are numerous hindu organizations and leaders in Gaya. ISKCON Gaya’s presentation was appreciated by all the leaders of different religions as it was the only PPT presentation with so much interaction with the students. The presentation concluded with the powerful quote of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur about how to respect other religions. The commissioner of Magadh division was the chief guest. The principal of Gaya College congratulated ISKCON Gaya and invited to organize programs for the youth in college campus. More than 500 students participated in the workshop.

By Gokulananda das

As you walk towards the twin-towered Complexe Desjardins, in the heart of downtown Montreal's popular festival district, just opposite the prestigious Place-des-Arts, you are beckoned by the elegant Bharatnatyam dancer on the 15 x18 ft. banner at the main entrance to come inside to explore the exotic cultural event of Sept. 2-3 : Journey to the Heart of India. Upon entering the impressive central foyer with its 80 ft. ceiling adorned with skylights and saffron/yellow flower umbrellas, you can glimpse below at the fascinating vista: the 50,000 square-foot pristine venue now filled with the colorful array of 20 booths surrounding the large stage, where the best of India's traditional devotional arts of dance and music captivate the hundreds of eager attendants. During this unique showcasing of India's deep spiritual culture, the 15,000 + who attended were treated to an in-depth presentation of Srila Prabhupada's amazing contributions, richly illustrated within the 20 professional displays: Sacred Literature, Bhagavad-gita, Hommage to Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON celebrates 50 years, Spiritual Solutions, Eco-Village, Harmony with the Earth, Higher Taste, Ayur-veda etc. Many of the thousands in attendance were thoughtful spiritual seekers already acquainted with spiritual India's ancient yoga and wisdom traditions, who also donated towards the 2000 books and 1500 meals distributed. Thus this unique and very successful event created quite a buzz within Montreal's prolific cultural landscape, allowing so many to become more deeply aware of Srila Prabhupada's immense spiritual legacy. Continue reading "Joy of Devotion in Montreal: Srila Prabhupada’s 50th festival lights up Montreal’s cultural landscape
→ Dandavats"

Self destruction Strategies 1 – Mistake self-pity to be humility

Private: Self-destruction strategies 2 – Be a perfectionist

Self-destruction strategies 3 – Treat the peripheral as the essential

Self-destruction strategies 4 – Let guilt come between you and Krishna

Self-destruction Strategies 5 – See your work as Maya

The post Self-destruction Strategies Series appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

_____________________

http://www.travelingmonk.com/ru/25376/hvalite-ego-vo-glase-trubnom

Перевод 1

Славьте Бога во Храме Его,
славьте Его на тверди небес,
где явлена сила Его.

Славьте Его в делах мощи Его,
славьте Его во многом величии Его.

Славьте Его гулом труб,
славьте Его звоном лютней и арф.

Да славит Его тимпан и пляс,
да славит Его кимвала звон,
да славит Его кимвала зык.

Все, что дышит, да славит Господа!
Аллилуйя.

Аллилуйя — возглас, буквально означающий «Хвалите Господа!»
(прим. перев., академика РАН, филолога, библеиста С.С.Аверинцева)

Перевод 2

Хвалите Бога во святыне Его, хвалите Его на тверди силы Его.
Хвалите Его по могуществу Его, хвалите Его по множеству величия Его.
Хвалите Его со звуком трубным, хвалите Его на псалтири и гуслях.
Хвалите Его с тимпаном и ликами, хвалите Его на струнах и органе.
Хвалите Его на звучных кимвалах, хвалите Его на кимвалах громогласных.
Все дышащее да хвалит Господа! Аллилуия.

[ Библия, Псалмы ]

10 июля 2013
With The Sounding Of The Trumpet

“Praise God in His sanctuary, praise Him in His mighty heavens, praise Him for his acts of power, praise Him for His surpassing greatness, praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” [ Holy Bible, Psalms ]

http://www.facebook.com/indradyumna/media_set?set=a.10200162580490195.1073741929.1321748113&type=1

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, 2016. The keynote speaker was U.S. Congresswoman from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard. Read more about the event at: http://iskconnews.org/religious-and-political-leaders-appreciate-srila-prabhupada-at-iskcon-50-gala-dinner-in-washington-dc,5803/

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​How can guilt manifest in a way favourable for bhakti? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Is praying for the removal of our material desires a selfish prayer? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Does chanting purely itself give rise to virtues or should we strive to develop virtues? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​What is the difference between remorse and atonement? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​If we surrender to Krishna, won’t he help in taking care of our needs? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Does Gita 09.22 imply that we needn’t care for our material needs? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Are the material needs of pure devotees automatically provided for by Krishna? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post When plants too have life, how is killing plants different from killing animals? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Offering Obeisances to the Spiritual Master

——————
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 9.13 on the morning after Radhasthami.

“In this verse the description of the mahatma is clearly given. The first sign of the mahatma is that he is already situated in the divine nature. He is not under the control of material nature. And how is this effected? That is explained in the Seventh Chapter: one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, at once becomes freed from the control of material nature. That is the qualification. One can become free from the control of material nature as soon as he surrenders his soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the preliminary formula. Being marginal potency, as soon as the living entity is freed from the control of material nature, he is put under the guidance of the spiritual nature. The guidance of the spiritual nature is called daivi prakrti, divine nature. So when one is promoted in that way – by surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead – one attains to the stage of great soul, mahatma.” (Bg 9.13 purport)

To download right click and choose ‘Save As’.
Bhagavad-gita 9.13.

Sri Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy family in the Nadia district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary preaching activities and prolific writing.

The original appearance place of Lord Caitanya had vanished under the indomitable Ganges River. In 1888, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura revealed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s birth place at the Yogapitha

In 1896 he sent to universities around the world a book of slokas, Sri Gauranga-lila smarana which had a forty-seven page English introduction: “Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts.”

in Sridhama Mayapur, living as a maha-bhagavata vaisnava, he stayed in the grhastha ashram until the last few years of his life. Then he renounced everything, went to Jagannatha Puri, accepted babaji, and entered samadhi, totally absorbed in the loving service of Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava.

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 08/27/2016

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes simple living, cow protection, engaging oxen, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Directors: Bhima, Chaitanya Mangala, Ranaka and Sri Tulasi Manjari

Participating Advisors: Jaya Krsna, Vraja

Participating Managers: Mukunda, Nitaicandra

Recording Secretary: Jamuna Jivani

1. INV & ECO-V Monthly Joint Manager Meetings Update

The managers from INV and ECO-V intend to meet on a bi-monthly basis. So far, the managers met once in August and report it is already helping to improve communications and coordinated efforts between the two groups.

2. Kulimela 2016 Final Budget Report

Chaitanya Mangala presented the final KM16 budget report. $68,500 was collected and spent. This covered all expenses, except for post festival video editing, which will have to be raised separately by the organizers. ECO-V Board meeting participants commented that it was an important community building event and felt it was a good investment for ECO-V which should continue to offer positive impacts for years to come.

3. Bahulaban Barn Community Center Proposal Update

Mukunda met with Prakash Patel, who agreed to provide ECO-V with his recommendations of what we would need to do in order to utilize the space for “Community Center” purposes. Also, Mukunda met with the Fire Marshall, who provided important safety specifications, including a two-hour fire-rated floor, exit doors that open outward, raising the deck to the level of the door entrance, and fire blocking. Currently, he is waiting on information from the Health Department. Once he has those details, Mukunda expects to have some rough cost estimates within the next month.

4. Mukunda’s Monthly Report

• Mukunda continued assisting the Steering Committee to prepare for the election of a Village Council.
• He participated in the Governance Group meetings, brainstormed the creation of a voting process, drafted documents based on these ideas, and refined them based on feedback received.
• He participated in the selection of the Village Association Liaison: drafted and publicized an ad for the position, provided information to interested parties, conducted interviews, assisted the selected candidate (Sudha Krsna prabhu) in getting started with his new service.
• He continued organizing ECO-V’s bi-monthly personnel meetings.
• Sri Tulasi Manjari and Mukunda went to Gita Nagari to represent ECO-Vrindaban at the first North American ISKCON Farm Conference organized by Kalakantha and Parijata.
• He installed a new double-door at the deity flower garden shed.
• In the next month, Mukunda plans to install wall paneling inside INV’s milking goshala and get started on the two bull pens that are needed at the ECO-V valley barn.

5. Nitaicandra’s Monthly Report

• Ox training is on hold or a few weeks because of the excessive heat and flies at the Nandagram barn. The oxen have been put out in the pasture to relieve their discomfort.
• Caitanya Bhagavat and Krsna Nama are currently installing a new paddock so that the oxen can be available for daily work and still find shelter in the forest.
• The gardens are now producing nicely. We are regularly harvesting Swiss chard, mustard, kale, tomatoes, summer squash, basil, okra, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries.
• The beets and carrots were lost to rabbits.
• Two groundhogs, a rabbit, and a raccoon have been live-trapped and relocated
• Vidya’s garden has produced a few hundred pounds of bitter melon thus far, and well over 20,000 marigolds.
• We were able to offer over 7,000 flowers for Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Day.
• In July, one WWOOFER came to work in the garden. She had a good experience and plans to return.

Over the next month, Nitaicandra anticipates:

• Apple and paw paw harvest will begin
• A fall garden of brassicas will be planted.
• The oxen will be brought over to the garden for cover crop planting.
• There will be a second cutting of hay.
• Potato harvesting will commence in a few weeks. Community members will be invited.

6. ISKCON Cow Protection & Agricultural Ministry Additional Grant Request

Kalakantha dasa, the ISKCON Cow Protection and Agricultural Minister, requested an additional $1K grant to cover expenses he incurred while traveling to the four farm conferences held around the world. Because ECO-V is planning to host the 2017 North American Farm Conference in New Vrindaban, the managers determined it best to reserve any additional grant funds for that purpose.

7. Joint Board and Steering Committee Meeting Review

Earlier this month, the first formal tri-group meeting was held between ECO-V, INV and the Village Association Steering Committee. The Board members felt it was a positive and productive conversation. Some noted that the time of the meeting may need to be adjusted so that more members can participate. The next meeting is scheduled for September.

8. ECO-V Participation in North American ISKCON Farm Conference

Mukunda and Sri Tulasi Manjari participated in this three-day event held at the Gita Nagari Farm. Their presentation on ECO-V’s various projects in New Vrindaban was well received. This conference provided ECO-V with networking and educational opportunities. ECO-V is pleased to announce the next annual ISKCON North American Farm Conference will be held at New Vrindaban in October 2017.

9. November Appreciation T-Shirts and Plaque Budget

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to acknowledge the dedication of certain community members, as well as offer a token of appreciation to the INV and ECO-V staff and volunteers.

RESOLVED: The Board approves up to $2,000 as a budget for plaques and t-shirts to distribute during the November meeting weekend.

10. ECO-V Website Budget

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to re-establish a web presence for ECO-Vrindaban.

RESOLVED: The Board approves up to $3,000 to revamp the ECO-V website.

11. Increased Financial Transparency

The Board generally agrees that increased transparency would be beneficial towards building trust and increasing broader community engagement. Towards this goal, the Board discussed regularly posting financial reports on the soon to be revamped ECO-V website.

12. Bhima’s Board Retirement Announcement

Bhima announced his plan to step down from the ECO-V Board after the completion of his three-year term, in January 2017. The other Board Members expressed appreciation for Bhima’s significant contributions, especially that of Board Chair, and he has been requested to remain on as an Advisor for one year following the end of his current term.

For regular updates, visit the ECO-V Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/ECOVrindaban

Please Read Full Newsletter at: http://us10.campaign-archive2.com/?u=caceabd1dd05735f04418222d&id=a13b759ab1

 

Though we live in times of chronic movement, we must pause for thought, reflect, and carefully examine our desires and motivations. In a society where life’s success factors tend to be external and tangible ones, such ‘soul-searching’ doesn’t come naturally.

The Juggernauts at Rutgers University Sacred Sounds, April 28 2016. Gaura Vani Buchwald, Visvambhar Sheth, and Purusartha Dasa with special guests Vrinda Devi Sheth ( dance) and Andrea Brachfeld ( flute). "Sri Ram / Jai Ram Let the Shadow Be Undone" ; (words and music by Gaura Vani Buchwald and Marianne Sutin)

Srila Prabhupada, founder acharya of ISKCON, navigated through the tumultuous ocean on a cargo ship, Jaladuta on 13th August 1965, to the western world with a mission to propagate Krishna Consciousness in the western world. Today the Hare Krishna movement has spread all over the world and millions of people have become part of it.

Kirtan is a dynamic call-and-response sacred world music that incorporates the voices of the audience right into the performance. Kirtan is a spiritual journey, a form of bhakti yoga — the yoga of devotion.  A video by The Mantra Room.