Planet ISKCON

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post What is special about kala in the Gita not present in other books? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post How to reconcile Gita bhogaishvarya prasaktanam and Bhagavatam akamah sarva kamo va? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post How do we know everything when we know Krishna? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Are the material problems of a devotee solved automatically? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Can material problems have spiritual solutions or do they need material solutions? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Can wanting to know more about Krishna distract us from bhakti especially from chanting? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post How to avoid thinking about eating food while offering bhoga? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Sacinandana Swami

Srila Prabhupada taught us how to please Lord Krishna by taking full shelter of Srimati Radharani: “Anyone who comes before Radharani to serve Krsna, oh, She becomes so pleased, ´Oh, here is a devotee of Krsna!´ She immediately recommends, "Krsna, oh, here is a devotee. He is better than Me." This is Radharani. I may be a, not devotee. I may be most fallen rascal. But if I try to reach Krsna through Radharani, then my business is successful. Therefore we should worship Radharani first. That is our business. Instead of offering directly one flower to Krsna, you just put it in the hands of Radharani: "My mother Radharani, Jagan-mata, if you kindly take this flower and offer it to Krsna." "Oh," Radharani says, "Oh, you have brought a flower?" Krsna said, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati BG 9.26, but don´t try to offer Krsna directly. Just offer through Radharani. It will be very much appreciated by Radharani.” Continue reading "Radhastami – A Day to Get Down on Our Knees and Pray!
→ Dandavats"

“Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” Tips for Steady Chanting.
Ananda: How can I find the strength to be steady in my spiritual practice of chanting the holy names of even when uncertainties in life come my way?
I believe this is a gradual process. In the beginning, we will come back to that relationship with the holy name after a prolonged time. Then, gradually, we will notice that we are always a little absent in our relationship when life gets tough. And we will grieve about it. We will ask ourselves: “Why am I always turning to Krishna very late – why not earlier?” and based on that realization we will slowly learn to wake up and turn to Krishna earlier.
There will always be uncertainties in life. Everything will always work our differently than we planned it. Once a clever person said: “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” How true. The nature of this life is that we are like fish out of water. The earlier we return to the wonderful fresh water of Krishna consciousness, the less we suffer.
To realize this may take time, but it is necessary for us. Just give your best and trust that Krishna will help. Gradually you will be able to change this unfortunate habit. So, practice, practice, practice…and eventually you will learn the secret of steadiness in your spiritual life.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 December 2013, Soweto, South Africa, Lecture)

Temple life is a little bit like a pressure cooker! Out in the world, there are some outlets – when there is lots of frustration, you can just get drunk one night and get rid of that frustration!.

But as a devotee, all that you can do is eat lots of prasadam; take shelter in that since you cannot drink, smoke or do anything like that. For sex, you have to be married! There is no sexual recreation, it is just for the sport!

In this way, sometimes we may get into a pressure situation in the temple but you just have to tolerate. In a pressure situation, you brought your false ego and someone else has brought his and these two false egos really clash nicely!

So yes, it is very difficult. Lord Caitanya understands, he understands where we come from; he knows that we are not pure; he knows we are full of false egos. So, he knows that in the beginning, sometimes it gets out of hand. I have seen all kinds of cases – I have seen the skinny mataji strangle the fat one…

Lord Caitanya understands that in the beginning, we are going to be a little rough around the edges, and maybe there will be some sparks flying. He does not take it very serious but when we get really envious, “I am going to destroy this guy!” This is vaiṣṇava-aparādha, this is when it really gets to vaiṣṇava-aparādha if you just go after someone.

‘tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā,’  (Siksastaka, verse 3)

Be more humble than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree but if we just go after someone, that is envy and then you get strong reactions. But the little rough dealings between new devotees are not so serious, are not taken so serious. If you keep on doing it, it will destroy some taste!

Otherwise, what chance would we have? Because everybody comes from different background than a pure devotee. You cannot act like a pure devotee overnight. We should try, it is about trying. Sometimes we fail, but we should keep on trying to be more tolerant than a tree, to be respectful!

Celebrating Janmashtami in Hare Krishna Mandir - Warsaw (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: O my Lord, Your holy name alone ...

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Is the goal of commitment to please Krishna or to penetrate through the initial poison? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post How to understand the contradictions between modern cosmology and Bhagavatam cosmology? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post How can we know whether our resolutions are based on our mind or our intelligence? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Should we stick to commitments even if doing so makes our life unbalanced? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Is bhakti centered on commitment to Krishna or on attachment to him? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The post The mysteries of the holy name and initiation into it (Part 2) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Does knowledge of Krishna’s supremacy come before sankhya study or after it? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post Is the initial poison in spiritual life same for everyone? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

A reverential offering of a cake modeled after the TOVP, Srila Prabhupada’s dream project, was made on the special occasion of his divine appearance day.

This kind gesture of gratitude was made by loving devotees from New Dwarka, ISKCON Los Angeles, USA, the headquarters of the western world.

The post Sweet Treat appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Hare Krishna Festivals UK - Pershore Plum Festival - 28th Aug 2016 - Pershore, Worcestershire (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhup...

New Raman Reti - Janmastami 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: All glories to the all-blissful holy name of Sri Krishn...

Young Hare Krishna devotee Subhadra Devi Dasi of Colombia at the famous TV Show @GrandesChicosCO in the service of Krishna with her ...

Beautiful ISKCON Mira Road Temple (12 km from Mumbai) (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Chanting the holy name is the chief...

By Gauranga Das

ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village a 100 acre sustainable farming community and retreat center, based near Mumbai, India received the 2016 Green Apple Awards for Built Environment & Architectural Heritage Award for it’s Green Building initiatives from the Green Organization, UK, at a special ceremony on Monday August 8, 2016 at The Crystal, London Docklands – regarded as the most sustainable events venue in the UK. Radha Mohan Prabhu from the Bhaktivedanta Manor, on behalf of ISKCON GEV, received this award from the hands of Dr. Paula Owen, Chief Fun Officer of Eco Action Games. During that same ceremony GEV was also honored as the International Green World Ambassadors. This recognition comes as a result of the environmental success of their GEV SYMBIOTIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL Project which won a Green Apple Environment Award, presented at Westminster Palace in November last year. As a result of that success, they are having their winning paper published in The Green Book, the world’s only annual work of reference on environmental best practice that is distributed to environment professionals, universities and libraries around the world by The Green Organisation. Continue reading "ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village receives the 2016 Green Apple Award for Built Environment and Architectural Heritage
→ Dandavats"

By Sunanda das

Anish Bikmal is a 15 year old ISKCON Vaisnava who attends South Forsythe High School near Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. as a 10th grade student. He plans to pursue studies in Neuroscience and Psychology. His father and mother, Subal Sakha das and Amrta Gaurangi devi dasi, are from Hyderabad, India and moved to America in 1999, work in the IT field, and are initiated disciples of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami. In 2014 Anish and his older brother, Anirudh, co-founded an educational website called Motivate and Inspire Inc. ‘To motivate & inspire students by giving quality academic help while raising funds to serve those in need’. Through this site they have already donated hundreds of dollars to various ISKCON projects such as Foof For Life, Govardhan Eco Village and Bhaktivedanta Hospice. Recently, Anish won 1st Place in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National competition receiving an award of $1,000. While visiting Mayapur with his family Anish decided that the best use of that prize money was to donate it to the TOVP. His service attitude is an inspiration and example for all ISKCON devotees and especially the younger generation. Certainly Srila Prabhupada and Mahaprabhu are pleased and will give Anish and his family all blessings and mercy. Continue reading "15 Year Old Anish Bikmal Donates $1000 to TOVP
→ Dandavats"

Best way of Life - Harinam Sankitran in Germany (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: That is my ideal of life, to form a nice ...

For three days, many wonderful devotees and friends celebrated Sri Krishna Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja at ISKCON of Silicon Valley, in Mountain View, California, and after the festivities on the last day Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami, Rtadhvaja Swami, Vaisesika Prabhu, and I met at my hosts’ house in Menlo Park. For several hours we shared thoughts and realizations and in Krishna consciousness, as advised by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita (10.9):

mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca

“The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.”

In terms of my personal service, they all implored, or instructed, me to immerse myself in the Juhu book, even at the cost (temporarily) of other worthy endeavors, and to arrange my life to facilitate that process and that project, which, they said, was of paramount importance.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 

Srimati Radharani

“What happens to a living being,” the king asked sorrowfully, “as their consciousness and cognition decays and shrinks?”

“It is so ironic,” the boy said. “By always concentrating on the pursuit of pleasures, a human ruins his chances for attaining any of them; because his powers of cognition and understanding decline, gradually transforming him into an immobile life-form.”

Silence came over everyone as they contemplated this misfortune.

Then the boy said, “If you want to avoid this terrible darkness, never let yourself become obsessed with things that disturb your progress towards the four goals: pleasure, security, morality, and liberation. Of these four goals, be the most interested in liberation, for the fearsome other three are always connected with things that end. Success or failure in those three generates a result in the ever changing qualities of this world. Thus, even the gods cannot avoid destroying the very blessings they bestow in those three areas.”

“How should we progress towards liberation?” the king asked.

“Direct your attention towards the Supersoul.”

“But how,” the king asked, “if there is a veil hiding him from my perception?”

The boy explained how to indirectly perceive the Supersoul in the world that we can readily experience. “Try to see that the All-Attractive shines inwardly and outwardly from the core of every moving and non-moving thing – as the ultimate origin of their consciousness. That brilliant shine is hidden, sheathed within the airs and senses of the body. But one should try to be aware of it, and realize, ‘I am that.’”

“It sounds as if the Supreme Soul is caged within confinements,” the king said. “How can this be?”

“He certainly manifests within these better or worse things,” the boy explained. “But those things are unreal, like ropes mistaken for snakes. By careful consideration, you will see through the illusion and realize that all these ‘snakes’ are just misconceptions of the constantly limitless uncontaminated purity of reality. In truth, the Supersoul is situated in the reality of things, which the stain of karma cannot conquer. This is why we should seek him out!”

Then, moved by a surge of devotional ecstasy, the boy sang of the Supersoul:

The tips of the petals of the lotus of his feet
delight in the dalliances of devotion.

They unbind the bonds of dire desire,
which are wild waves
those devoid of devotion can never damn.

Let us adore that most adorable Krishna,
Vasudeva’s son,
the most brilliant form of consciousness.

The boy then looked affectionately into the king’s eyes and said, with words echoing the same melodious cadence, “Existence is such a hardship. It drowns us hopelessly in a miserable sea of fear, where our life is devoured by six sharks. But if we adore All-Attractive Hari, his adorable feet become a boat that rescues us from that dangerous and terrible sea.”

– Excerpt from an early draft of Part 4 of

Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive

A translation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam’s fourth canto

By Vraja Kishor

Parts 1, 2, and 3 of Beautiful Tales of the All Attractive

are available at VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: Bhakti, canto four, Krishna, Srimad Bhagavatam

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 September 2014, Durban, South Africa, Sunday Feast Lecture) 

If we can have Krsna in the foreground, in every situation – first Krsna and then everything – then we have Vrindavan. Simply Krsna is most important in every situation and this is the spirit of Krsna consciousness.

Then there is another level of Krsna consciousness, where Krsna is the backdrop. It is a nice backdrop, we kind of like it and we would not want any other backdrop in our life; but it is a backdrop nonetheless! In our own pastimes… in activities which are on our mind… in our own life and what we are going through and what we are not going through… in what we wish we would be going through… all these things that had never happened… and all that had happened that we had never asked for… like that, so many things and Krsna was always there.

Nice auspicious life, good life, blessed life when Krsna was always there. But how much better could it be when Krsna was always in the foreground. Then such a life it would just dissolve the demarcation between the spirit and matter. We would be walking in the spiritual world. Our feet would not touch the ground!

Just as the demigods, their feet never touch the ground; the demigods are floating above the ground. But the devotees who always put Krsna first, with every step, they walk in the spiritual world. Not just touching the ground but touching cintamani dham – touching these transcendental touchstones. These cintamani stones are for the spiritual world, the land of the wishful fulfilling desire trees. The land of the Kamadeva, the surabhi cows who can give oceans of milk. That abode, the abode of Krsna…

Gita verse-by-verse podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​Gita 11.22 The vibhutis are astounded by the virata rupa appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

GOALS: What do you want? IDEAS: What can help you succeed? TESTS: What are the obstacles? ACTION: What are you ready to do? GOALS What is the issue which you would like to work on? What outcome are you seeking by the end of this coaching session? In the long term, what is your goal related to this issue? What is the time frame? What intermediate steps can you identify, with their time frames?

Welcome to your first step to becoming a coachee and welcome to the exciting world of coaching! Here’s one definition of a coach that I find comprehensive: "A Coach is your partner in achieving your personal goals, your champion during turnaround, your trainer in communication and life skills, your sounding board when making choices, your motivator when strong actions are called for, your

By Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Knowledge about Srimati Radharani, Her relationship with Krishna, Her relationships with Her sakhis and gopi manjaris is expanded throughout the confidential literatures of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. In recent years these books are becoming more accessible to English speaking readers. We are becoming more aware, at least theoretically, that devotion to Srimati Radharani is the topmost expression of Krishna consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in one of his songs, “Srimati Radhika is the teacher of the mellow of conjugal love. The pure love between Radha and Madhava is meant to be discussed and contemplated.” Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada’s Presentation of Srimati Radharani
→ Dandavats"

Vyasa-puja offering 2016 read in the Warsaw temple for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.
Krishnakshetra Swami: O Master at whose feet all masters sit, O Śrīla Prabhupāda, here is one of your students—by no means a master—bowing at your feet and begging to remain seated there, among my many masters, your followers.
It has been fifty years since you officially established your mission in the form of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. This year we celebrate a half-century of your enduring mission, and I pray to always have a place in your Society for the remainder of my life and beyond.
This year we celebrate your Society’s perdurance, and one aspect of celebration is reflection on successes, but also reflection on challenges, weaknesses, and failures, individual and collective. We do so, always with the aim of reaffirming and better comprehending your vision of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
You often expressed your vision in terms of a “movement,” the “Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.” With your blessings, I wish to reflect on your notion of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, as an appreciation of your vision for the world and as a challenge for us, your followers, to perpetually renew and deepen our comprehension of this vision.
In the Preface to your 1971 unabridged edition of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, you refer several times to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In one passage there you write, “Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized, natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.” These four qualifications—authenticity, historical grounding, naturalness, and transcendence—outline the features of this movement that you wished to emphasize; and each of these features you locate as originating in the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa as given in the Bhagavad-gītā as delivered through a proper teacher-student relationship (“as it is”).
To say that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is “genuine” is to contrast it with other, apparently similar, movements which are in one or more ways lacking in authenticity, hence not facilitating proper training in how to serve the Lord. As you wrote (SB 7.9.17 purport), “Humanity must be trained to engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. That is the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.” We should note that acknowledging that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is genuine does not preclude the possibility that there are other movements of a similar nature which are similarly authentic, or that other missions or organizations than ISKCON might be part of the same Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
To affirm the historical grounding of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to set aside misperceptions that it is a “new religious movement,” calling attention to its pedigree by virtue of disciplic succession. And in case one might express scepticism about the purity and consistency of the message thus delivered (after all, Kṛṣṇa himself admits in the Gītā that the message gets lost in course of time), you point to its “natural” quality: since it is the nature of all beings to serve, and since all beings are part of the Supreme Being, it follows that it is natural for all to serve the Supreme Being. As long as this basic truth is recognized, we can be assured that the essential teaching to be on course.
Finally, you point to the “transcendent” nature of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Here you may be referring to its connection to Kṛṣṇa as the transcendent Lord, and by virtue of this connection you are contrasting this movement with so many social, political, or cultural movements, all of which are tethered to worldly motivations, ideas and ideals. However exalted they may be in their aims, such movements are, at best, limited in their potential to spiritually uplift humanity.
You write optimistically of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: “It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world, especially amongst the younger generation.” Just how one might measure such popularity might be a matter of contention; yet your optimism suggests to me that the “movement” aspect of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement may be perceived on many levels, in unexpected places and by cultural trends that one might not necessarily register as being directly associated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness as we presently understand it.
For me, this raises the question how to conceive the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the broadest terms, aligned with and grounded in your and the previous ācāryas’ teachings, yet truly transcendent in being ever respondent to and fostering solutions to the perceived needs of all kinds of people in the world today. How can we serve and promote the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement as a movement, unfettered by self-imposed limitations that accompany the various forms of unhealthy reification that typically creep into missionizing organizations and institutions? The admittedly vague yet dynamic term “spirituality” may be of help in this reflection.
In her essay “Approaches to the Study of Christian Spirituality,” Prof. Sandra M. Schneiders defines spirituality as “the experience of conscious involvement in the project of life-integration through self-transcendence toward the horizon of ultimate value one perceives” (Schneiders p. 16 in Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality, Arthur Holder, ed., Blackwell, 2005). This is clearly a very broad, inclusive definition, with the advantage that a wide spectrum of people could accept it and see themselves included in it. Understanding spirituality in this way, she notes, allows us to recognize that spirituality is “ontologically prior to its specification by history and theology.” The point for us is that, as you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, have said about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, transcendence is an essential feature: as a movement of spirituality, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant to be manifest in the world, in history; but as a movement of spirituality, Kṛṣṇa consciousness always resists containment by the world.
What does this mean for members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness? To me it suggests that we keep alert for opportunities to engage with the world in a spirit of service, to help everyone, in whatever position they are in, to become more deeply “consciously involved” in their own “projects of life integration,” with respect to whatever they perceive as ultimate value. It means that we remain faithful to our own conviction that Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the sum and substance of ultimate value, but that we can appreciate and honor others’ convictions regarding ultimate value as well. It means that we resist the temptations of sectarianism and constantly stretch ourselves to see the Lord’s presence in all sincere efforts by people to deepen their spiritual lives. In this spirit we may affirm your aspiration to “respiritualize” (Path of Perfection, ch. 1) the whole world through the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and we may thus position ourselves, individually and collectively, as members of ISKCON, in such ways as we can positively advance the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement throughout all spheres of human society.
My prayer, on this day and in this year of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary celebration, is that I may be an instrument—an agent—in whatever small way I can, in the advancement of your mission to foster a truly spiritual movement, one that brings all people together in service to the Lord of all, recognizing and celebrating how indeed everyone follows His path in all respects.
Your aspiring servant,
Kṛṣṇakṣetra Swami

August 5th, 2016

The post Conversation with Adi-guru appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Janmastami & Srila Prabhupada Vyas Puja Celebration in Nava Vraja Dham, Hungary (2016)
Srila Prabhupada: One is understood to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he considers himself a servant of the holy name and in this spirit distributes the holy name to the world. (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.16 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9BFeo5

The Ācārya of the Golden Age!
The first-ever Pencil Shading book in ISKCON released by Rūpa Raghunātha Vāṇī Publications!
The Ācārya of the Golden Age was offered to Śrīla Prabhupāda on his Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on this auspicious Fiftieth Anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON!
About this unique book, His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami said, This book will give wonderful meditation on Prabhupāda to kids and make them Prabhupāda-conscious!
How will The Ācārya of the Golden Age benefit this and the future generations of kids? It will bring out their innate creative abilities and enable them to develop into talented artists who can be positively contributive to Śrīla Prabhupādas ISKCON and humanity at large.
The Ācārya of the Golden Age has three levels of Pencil Shading: 1) sketching, 2) basic shading, and 3) advanced shading. The Pencil Shading skill is doubtless a little demanding; but with constant practice, any kid can perfect himself/herself. When a kid is able to get up to the first-level of Pencil Shading successfully, we should appreciate his/her efforts. We should definitely fan kids interest in something so rewarding as Pencil Shading artwork for Kṛṣṇa. Such encouragement will reward ISKCON with numerous artists and much artwork in the near future.
Last but not least, Rūpa Raghunātha Vāṇī Publications hopes to please all of our ISKCON devotees through its endeavor to give kids of ISKCON devotees a gift of artistic talent, besides hoping that devotees worldwide will allow their kids to take advantage of our humble offering to Śrīla Prabhupāda on this holy Fiftieth Anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON: The Ācārya of the Golden Age.
For further information, please write to us at: ruparughunathavani@gmail.com
Now The Ācārya of the Golden Age book is available in ISKCON, Sri Mayapur Dham Sankirtana Shops - to get your copies please contact us.

This is the work of Kardami Kapila Prabhu, during Janmastami at Bhaktivedanta Manor. (Album with photos)