Planet ISKCON

Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “As fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one’s sinful activities. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.18)
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Dancing, singing the Hare Krsna mantra, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s book and prasadam @ Ratha Yatra in Jember, east Java, Indonesia, 3.9.2016
Jay Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/0bRjSd

Ratha-yatra in Madrid, Spain (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One should take shelter of Krishna-Balarama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose protective power is so great that it cannot be equaled in the material world. However powerful the reactions of one’s sins, they will immediately be vanquished if one chants the name of Hari, Krishna, Balarama, or Narayana. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.16 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/3rKoOO

A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
One of the few physical features that distinguish Buddhi Wilcox is a small pigtail. But the otherwise ordinary appearance hides a compassionate being, dedicated to helping the less well off in his community.
Buddhi, a member of the Hare Krishna faith, set up the Food For Life programme in Whangarei in New Zealand, feeding the poor, the homeless and children who would otherwise go hungry. But behind the good work is a big team of supporters committed to the vision.
“It’s not just the community we feed but we meet a need for other sectors such as businesses who want to donate their products, money or services to Food For Life. There’s also a large number of people who want to volunteer their labour to help others in the community with worthy projects such as Food For Life.”
Buddhi says organisations such as the Northland Regional Council and the Whangarei District Council have also played a role in the success story of Food For Life.
“Both councils have been quite helpful [regional council provides the building rent and rates free and district council has helped with food hygiene oversight] but it’s really the relationships we have that have made the difference.”
He says that is especially true of Whangarei District Mayor Sheryl Mai.
“She has been generally supportive for what we do and it means a lot to have that. Sheryl has had more to do with our work and organisation – especially on the cultural side – than you would normally expect from a mayor.
“She has a strong sense of community.
“We’re a minority group and we rely on the support of the community – having the backing of the mayor is significant for what we do.”
Buddhi added that Sheryl’s involvement reflects a wider ‘caring’ within the community.
“Whangarei has one of the highest rate of volunteers per capita in the country – it’s a great place to live.”
Source: http://goo.gl/jSZVae

Harinama in UK during the YOUTH MELA (3 min video)
Get a glimpse of Harinam we just had! Far-out response from the public as we...

By Sandeep S Thakkar

The world holy name week (WHNW-16) was celebrated globally from 28th Jul – 14th Aug 2016. Devotees in Singapore at the Gauranga Centre, played their part of spreading the glories of holy name by doing harinaam sankirtan. Indeed, the holy name week had a rousing start as devotees were led by a senior kirtaniya to an ecstatic round of kirtan. In Singapore owing to a hectic work schedule, devotees decided to dedicate their evenings after work to engage in the service of the holy name sankirtan for over ten days. In what is the 50th year of incorporation of our society it was just apt that the devotees were able to account for over 50+ hours of harinaam sankirtan during the 2016 WHNW celebrations. This included 3 days of intense 12 hour harinaam sankirtans apart from the daily two and half hours of kirtan that was done on weekday evenings. Continue reading "World Holy Name Week 2016 Celebrations in Singapore
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By Anuradha Devi Dasi

The evening of Friday, 2nd September saw Durban come out to celebrate ISKCON 50 in grand style through a VIP gala dinner. The event was organised as a special joint effort between the two Durban temples, Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple of Understanding in Chatsworth and New Jagannath Puri Temple in Phoenix. The guest list comprised of close to five hundred of Durban’s elite - professionals, businessmen, academics, government members, media and artists– all especially invited to the evening to join His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in reliving and celebrating the journey of Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON over the last five decades. The programme began with a musical rendition of Srila Prabhupada’s poem, “Markine Bhagavat Dharma”, which he wrote aboard the Jaladuta on arrival in Boston Harbour. The bhajan was sung by ISKCON Durban youth, and the English translation, together with poignant images of Srila Prabhupada was projected on two large screens on either side of the stage. His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami then moved the crowd with the story of ISKCON, touching on Prabhupada’ s early days, his authentic roots, his challenges, his deep faith and his incredible successes. Maharaja’s presentation was followed by a screening of the “Joy of Devotion”. Continue reading "ISKCON 50 VIP Dinner in Durban, South Africa
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By BB Govinda Swami

His Grace Radha Damodara Prabhu succumbed to cancer last evening. He was surrounded by Vaisnavas chanting the Lord's holy names. He was a pioneer, extremely humble, and it was always a pleasure to have moments of his association. He first heard the Maha-mantra in 1979 and began chanting right away. He soon became one of the leaders of the ISKCON movement, which was then illegal in the Soviet Union. In May 1983, he was arrested and imprisoned for his faith. While in prison, he had to work in dangerous conditions, which included using a poisonous glue. He also suffered from malnutrition. Nevertheless, Radha Damodar continued to follow the principles of Krishna Consciousness and to preach. Continue reading "Pioneer of the Russian Yatra has passed away
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Removing the Fear of Prabhupada’s Presence

Gita verse-by-verse podcast

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The post Gita 11.26 The event of death is virtue-neutral, but the destination after death isn’t appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – New York 1966-2016 – Bhagavat Atheneum / Bibliothè Contemporary Art in collaboration with Association Culture del Mondo present "Matchless Gifts: A group exhibition of work by artists related to the Krishna Consciousness Movement from its earliest days to the present" at The Bhakti Center in New York.

Harinama in Poland - in the village of Czarnow (Album with photos)
Today we held a Harinam on one of the Polish festivals - the...

By Ravindra Svarupa dasa

I regard this article as a supplement to my book, Srila Prabhupada: Founder-Acarya of ISKCON. It expands upon discussions relating the importance of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, especially in light of the philosophical and spiritual significance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s parent temple, Sri Caitanya Matha, in Mayapur. As I write, the resplendent Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, its central dome now towering 350 feet above the alluvial soil of Sridhama Mayapur, continues to reveal its form, within and without. This temple, when complete, will realize a key component of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, vital to the fulfillment of the mission of its Founder-Acarya: to construct Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement as the efficacious vessel for delivering humanity worldwide from the rising floods of the spiritual, mental, and physical calamities of our times. By this undertaking, Srila Prabhupada continued his revival of the interrupted mission of his Guru Maharaja, and he has left us with all directions and facilities to complete it. Through us, Srila Prabhupada continues his work. The temple taking shape at Mayapur is central to that task. Continue reading "Revealing the Heart of ISKCON
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Is Radharani mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam?
TRANSLATION: Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.
PURPORT: Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explains that the word aradhitah refers to Srimati Radharani. He comments, “The sage Sukadeva Gosvami has tried with all endeavor to keep Her name hidden, but now it automatically shines forth from the moon of his mouth. That he has spoken Her name is indeed Her mercy, and thus the word aradhitah is like the rumbling of a kettledrum sounded to announce Her great good fortune.”
Although the gopis spoke as if jealous of Srimati Radharani, they were actually ecstatic to see that She had captured Sri Krishna.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti quotes the following detailed description of Srimati Radharani’s footprints, as given by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Sri Ujjvala-Nilamani: “At the base of the large toe of Her left foot is the mark of a barleycorn, below that mark is a disc, below the disc is an umbrella, and below the umbrella is a bracelet. A vertical line extends from the middle of Her foot to the juncture of Her large and second toes. At the base of the middle toe is a lotus, below that is a flag with a banner, and below the flag is a creeper, together with a flower. At the base of Her small toe is an elephant goad, and upon Her heel is a half-moon. Thus there are eleven marks on Her left foot.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11895

Women and Family: social value.
Srila Prabhupada: “We were student of economics and there was a book, Marshall’s Economics. That Mr. Marshall is explaining that economic impetus begins from family affection, family affection. Unless one has got family, he will not try to earn. He will not try to earn money. He will be irresponsible. Therefore it is essential. When one is given some responsible post… Some… I know some English firm in India, I had some connection with him. So he was simply trying to know, “The man who is going to work for us, whether he is family man?” Because unless he is a family man, he has no attraction. He can give up the job at any moment. Because there is no family attraction. This is the psychology. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, it is the duty of the parents to get the sons and daughters married so that they will have family attraction, they will be established, they will be organized, things will go nicely. If there is no family attraction, no responsibility, then the things will not go nicely. This is the basic principle.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/mUpUEj

By Urmila Devi Dasi

The happiness of bhakti is very hard to understand. Generally in the world we take “happiness” as being satisfaction for our body, mind, or both: pleasure of the senses, pleasing thoughts, pleasing emotions, pleasing relationships. Those who are intelligent enough to understand that we are different from body and mind seek a very different kind of happiness: liberation. In the happiness of liberation, peace and freedom are key. There is a sense of balance, detachment, and expansive bliss beyond anything the body and mind have to offer. But the great teachers of bhakti–divine loving service–tell us not to seek either of those two types of happiness. They say that desires for those types of happinesses are like witches or ghosts who make us forget the real essence of life. Continue reading "Bhakti love: A different kind of happiness
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Placing Kaulini Devi’s, dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada, ashes in Yamuna (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Two days ago, we placed our very dear Godsister Kaulini’s ashes in the sacred waters of Yamuna! Also the wife and son of Vijya Vishnu Prabhu from Atlanta placed his ashes. Kaulini was a very gentle, kind-hearted devotee totally dedicated to Srila Prabhupada! My last encounter with her was at the Kalash Yatra for the inauguration of Vrinda Kunda Mandir. After carrying a waterpot on her head with a coconut, she came to me and very sincerely said, “Prabhu, this has changed my whole life!” Come join us through the pictures of Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/d8L2YY

Questions and answers by visiting devotees.

The post What about the spiritual world? (Part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Alachua

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The post The point of this world is to point beyond this world appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The latest news of Iskcon in video by the Iskcondesiretree team. (Playlist of brief videos)
Srila Prabhupada: Keep your health ...

Hungry? - Gopals, Pure Vegetarian! Hare Krishna Melbourne. Is it good? Find out! (3 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Simply by cha...

Request for prayers for a unique devotee, Ramadasa the miniature bull that has been on a rescue ranch under the care of Bhakta Mike ...

By Padmapani Das

We started from Port Said today at about 1 p.m. The Port Said city is nice. It has long narrow neat and clean roads with lofty buildings. The city is not at all congested. While passing the rear point of Suez towards Mediterranean sea, the city is clearly seen. But it is a small city with some industrial factories. Although in the desert in the city all varieties of vegetables available. There is also a Marine drive like Bombay Chowpatty beach. I could see a good park in the city. (Port Said is known as "Egypt's Forgotten Treasure") It's interesting to note that Srila Prabhupada wrote the following in his diary: "The Port Said city is nice. It has long narrow neat and clean roads with lofty buildings. The city is not at all congested. While passing the rear point of Suez towards Mediterranean sea, the city is clearly seen. But it is a small city with some industrial factories. Although in the desert in the city all varieties of vegetables available. There is also a Marine drive like Bombay Chowpatty beach. I could see a good park in the city." Here is some historical information to confirm the words of Krishna's pure devotee: "Port Said was where Western ideas of urban space met the East. Port Said was planned to become a city, laid out on a checkerboard pattern with wide, straight streets intersecting at right angles. Port Said's streets were lit by gaslight in 1876, and by 1891, only nine years after New York, Port Said had electricity. Its rigid geometry was in marked contrast to traditional Middle Eastern cities, with narrow and winding medieval alleys. Egypt's Viceroy Ismail was impressed, and sought to emulate the European model by reconstructing parts of Cairo in belle époque style." Egypt was the first country in which Srila Prabhupada set foot outside of India. He stopped in Port Said on September 2, 1965 and visited the town with the captain of the Jaladuta steamship. Prabhupada said he liked it. As I was based in Cairo from 1978 to 1983, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Port Said in 1979 as a pilgrimage to this historic city. Walking around the docks where the big freighters stopped to gather supplies en route to their worldly destinations provided me with a rare chance to solemnly meditate on Srila Prabhupada's divine mission. Who could imagine the great spiritual significance of such a journey by one lone passenger on an Indian steamship bound for New York? It was the beginning of the worldwide Hare Krishna revolution. While in Port Said I did some research to find out the exact place where Srila Prabhupada and Captain Pandiya would have disembarked in 1965. I took a photo of that place (see below). I've also included some relevant information regarding the spiritual significance of Port Said in Srila Prabhupada's lila. Needless to say, visiting that important city was a milestone in my life and a trip I'll never forget. "To cross the Atlantic Ocean took ten days. This great sea is usually full of storms and fog and is very disturbing. But by the mercy of Krishna, there was no disturbance. The captain of the ship, the main officer, told me, 'This kind of quiet Atlantic I have never seen in my life.' I told them that this is only by Krishna's mercy, nothing else. After the troublesome storm in the Arabian Sea, I knew that if I had had to face a storm like that again, I would die. Continue reading "Holy Pilgrimage to Port Said
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The post Daily Darshan, 01 September 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Package Deal

Srila Prabhupada disciples’ offerings

ISV Devotees’ offerings Part 1

ISV Devotees’ offerings Part 2

Gita verse-by-verse podcast

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The post Gita 11.25 The site of the unfamiliar in the familiar is disorienting appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Dear devotees,

Radhastami in New Vrindaban is coming Friday, September 9th, 2016!  Please don’t miss this very special festival.

See the below schedule and article for further details.

Radhastami in New Vrindaban

On September 9^th, ISKCON New Vrindaban is planning exuberant festivities for the auspicious appearance day of Srimati Radharani. Radharani is the chief associate of Lord Krsna and is also an expansion of the Lord Himself as His internal potency. Her appearance day is one of most significant festivals celebrated amongst the Gaudiya Vaisnavas and marks the once in a year opportunity to take darshan of Radharani’s lotus feet, unveiled for all devotees to see.

The festival will begin early in the morning at the Radha Vrindaban Chandra Temple with Mangal Arati at 5:00am, Greeting of the Deities and Guru Puja at 7:30am, followed by Srimad Bhagavatam class given by His Holiness Varsana Swami.

A special program at Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir will start from 11:30am with His Holiness Varsana Swami. Varsana Maharaj will walk devotees through the sweet pastimes of Srimati Radharani with kirtan followed by a feast cooked by the local Brijabasis.

In the evening, there will be another celebration at Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s temple from 5:00pm with an abhiseka and a class given by His Holiness Bhakti Sundar Goswami. After class, devotees will have the opportunity to write an offering to Srimati Radharani attached to a balloon, which will reach to Her lotus feet. We anticipate everyone ecstatically dancing in kirtan and joyfully chanting to celebrate this blissful occasion before honoring the incredible feast prepared for Her pleasure.

We are very much looking forward in hosting this event. If you have yet to see Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s lotus feet in New Vrindaban, please come and take darshan and enjoy these wonderful festivities. The sweetness involved will be immeasurable.

Ys, Anadi Radha dasi

Harinama in Auckland, New Zealand (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: Harinam Sankirtan will never stop,
It is the desire...

By Tom Zillich

“I went through a lot of pain, physical,” Swami admitted. “The biggest challenge of all is walking on an angle – it’s like walking on a beach. But nevertheless, everything else compensated for that (pain), including meeting fantastic people, meeting characters, being confronted by black bears, grizzlies, whatnot, and finally I became an addict, I like it, gotta do it again.” His first coast-to-coast walk was documented in “The Longest Road,” a 2003 National Film Board of Canada movie about the Trans-Canada Highway. Continue reading "‘The Walking Monk’ in Surrey with tales from cross-Canada trails
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Harinam on a bus in Tel Aviv | ISKCON Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If the surface of the globe is overflooded ...

Since its release in February 2016, the short film celebrating ISKCON's 50th Anniversary has been screened in over fourty countries and seen by hundreds of thousands. Recently, the Russian version has been released. Click here for the English version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44OoZ6GfmK0. For a high definition screening copy please contact Krishna-lila dasi: editor@iskconnews.com 

Holy Name Festival in New Vrajamandala, Spain (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: For a transcendental blissful life, chant ...

10 km