Planet ISKCON

Preparations for the Bhakti Sangam Festival/Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: For a devotee, liberation is no probl...

By Singha Bhatta Das

The annual Bhakti Sangam Festival is surely the most amazing event on this planet, with so many Maharajas and preachers sharing their realizations in seminars, and the evenings are spent in most sublime kirtans. Each seminar block has six presentations running parallel in various venues. Since there is such a huge crowd of devotees many topics can be offered by a variety of speakers to suit everyone's needs and attractions. 103 photos from the opening day of the festival, morning program and evening kirtan Continue reading "Huge Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine (Fotos)
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Janmastami Florida Festival 2016 - Alachua Temple (7 min video)
My name is Bhakta Mike, and I am a 21-year-old brahmachari living at the Krishna House. I am a film student at Santa Fe as well as a community member of the Hare Krishna community in Alachua Florida. I am recently in the stage of finding a way of using my skills in Krishna Consciousness. My Siksa Guru Kalakanta Das once told me that “a way of advancing in Krishna Consciousness is through finding a service that you like” so I’ve started to apply that concept and I’ve noticed its actually true. It helps get out of the mental platform easier than doing other types of services because I am actually enjoying it, so my mind is not all over the place telling me all sorts of things to stop doing, because I actually don’t mind doing it. So I’ve decided in engaging my film making skills and equipment in Krishna Consciousness, I decided to donate the Alachua Temple a promo video of Janmastami Festival for the whole community to enjoy, I made this video so everybody could see how magical the Alachua Temple is, and so every member of this community could enjoy.
The Video is in 4k Cinematic Res. Watch it here: https://goo.gl/zZLd2E or here: https://goo.gl/DN7vdD

Anadi Radha dasi: On September 9th, ISKCON New Vrindaban is planning exuberant festivities for the auspicious appearance day of Srimati Radharani.

*Legends of Jagannath Puri*: The Jagannath Rath Yatra.
A Short Documentary by National Geographic Channel now in HD Quality (42...

Iskcon Coimbatore Showers Golden Lotuses On Balagopal For Janmashtami (2016)
Ratirupa Jahnava Devi Dasi: This year,devotees at ISKCON Coimbatore, offered Lord Krishna , a very special abhishekam of 108 Kanaka Kamalas ( Golden Lotuses), while greeting the Lord on his transcendental birthday.
The grand event , planned in commemoration with the Golden Jubilee celebration, was sponsored by devotees, patrons & well wishers , and was flagged off by the unveiling of a ISKCON 50 plaque dedicated to Srila Prabhupada by HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami Maharaj, Zonal Secretary , ISKCON and Sri .S.P. Velumani. Hon. Minister of Tamilnadu Municipal Administration, Rural developement. The inauguration was also graced by the presence of several dignitaries like,
Sri.P.Nagarajan (Member of Parliament)
Sri.P.R.G.Arunkumar( MLA, North Coimbatore) ,
Sri P.Rajkumar ( Mayor, Coimbatore),
Sri. K.Vijay Karthikeyan( Commissioner, Coimbatore Corporation) Srimati. P. Gandhimathi( Dep. Commissioner, Coimbatore Corporation) and many more other local VIP s . All of them were warmly welcomed and offered special blessings and gifts by HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami Maharaj.
The darshan of their Lordships in their grand designer outfits , on a wonderfully decorated altar left the onlookers spell bound. Various presentations like drama, kirtan, dance, spiritual discourse, interactive sessions with the public, stalls and booths displaying achievements of ISKCON in 50 years , Golden Anniversary Celebrations and events all over the globe etc., kept the vibrant festive mood alive throughout the day till midnight.
The media reported that more than 50,000 visitors queued up to take darshan of the Lord and were lovingly served platefuls of delicious Krishna Prasadam. Devotees reached out to the mass through various exhibits and stalls for Bhakti Vriksha for families , FOLK for children, Spark Youth Club, ISKCON Communications, spiritual games and gifts etc.
Visitors showed keen interest in the upcoming “Moon of Kovai Project” containing a magnificent temple for Sri Sri Radha and Krishna among other elements . Many expressed their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to ISKCON for their 50 years of service to humanity and are eagerly looking forward to the completion of the temple.
For more pictures: http://goo.gl/Nopwdd

Swamiji’s Converts

This is the conclusion of Pṛthu’s discussion with Sanāt Kumār.

Extremely grateful that the self-knowing young children of Brahmā had given him a clear vision his true self-interest, the King said, “Compassionate Hari must have felt compassionate towards me – for all of you blessed spiritualists have come to me. You, his devotees, are equally compassionate, so you have very thoroughly manifest his compassion to me. What can I give you in return?

This illustrates the ideal attitude towards sādhu-guru: “you are the manifestation of Krishna’s compassion on me. And your own part in that is also extremely compassionate.” 

This also illustrates the principle that a recipient of goods, services, or knowledge pays something in return.

“All I have are gifts handed down to me from sādhus. All of those gifts I then gave entirely to the teachers and philosophers. I gave them everything – my kingdom, forces, land, and treasury, as well as my own home, children and wife, and even my own self. I made them the commanders of my armies and the leaders and administrators of my kingdom. I did this because I believe that those who know Vedic śāstra are the only ones truly capable of leading society.

This is how to run a society, and I wish that many of the people trying to run “Vedic” and/or “Krishna Conscious” societies would pay attention to it. The true leader of the society is not the person with charisma or talents. The true leader is the person who very clearly and thoroughly understands Vedic śāstra.

All power and all parts of the society should be given to their care. King Pṛthu set an ideal example here, giving not only what was in his society, but even what was in his own home, and even what was in his own body. That is a true leader. Of course there can be only one King Pṛthu in history, but the rest of the leaders throughout history should look up to his example, emulate it, and feel embarassed when they fail to do so.

“They accepted everything I offered, but distributed it all wisely to the various members of society.

What do the brāhmaṇas (the really intelligent, learned, wise people who have realized  knowledge in practice) do with all the power that should be given to them? They keep none of it!

Then what is the point of giving it to them?

 Because they are wise and neutral and know exactly how to distribute that power to the right people. They put various people in charge of various things, according to their individual abilities and inclinations.

Just as I wish the kṣatriya’s running our religious and “spiritual” institutions would pay attention to the fact that the brāhmaṇas should be running the show, so to do I wish that the people claiming the role of teachers and philosophers in these societies would pay attention to the fact that real brahmaṇas don’t hold on to any power or wealth, but distribute it to the most appropriate people.

I therefore possess nothing to give you. You have shown us our true selves and very conclusively explained how to walk the path towards the All-Attractive, revealed in the Vedas, but how can we repay you? In truth, though, you need no payment, for your constant deeds of unlimited mercy bring you perfect satisfaction which nothing can diminish. All we can do is offer you water in our cupped hands.”

– 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: canto four, Hare Krishna, ISKCON, Payment, prithu, Societies, Srimad Bhagavatam

Gita verse-by-verse podcast

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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!
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“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 ...

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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
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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
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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…