Celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON are here and ISKCON Cape Town hosted a formal banquet in honour of ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary with around 120 attendees. This included VIPs, influential friends of ISKCON in Cape Town and religious leaders. The evening was a wonderful combination of information sharing about Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON as well as entertainment, over a sumptuous dinner of Krishna prasadam.

India’s mega kitchens on Nat Geo channel. In the show, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna introduces some of India’s mega kitchens.

A fun music video of devotees seeing Krsna everywhere.

The 40th Annual LA Rathayatra was a spectacular event for the body mind and soul.

Preparations for Janmashtami in Iskcon Auckland, New Zealand (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna has taken birth or taken shelter within the womb of the Krishna consciousness movement. Men of Kamsa’s class, therefore, are very much afraid and are busy trying to stop this movement, especially in the Western countries. But as Krishna could not be killed by Kamsa, this movement cannot be checked by men of Kamsa’s class. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.2.20 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2084m9

Srila Prabhupada has explained that the system of honoring the spiritual master is current in all sections of Vedic followers. In the Mayavadi (impersonalist) sects, the disciples offer respect to the spiritual master every year on Guru-purnima. And in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, the disciples offer homage annually on the appearance day of the spiritual master; this occasion is called Vyasa-puja, because the spiritual master represents Vedavyasa, the empowered incarnation of Krsna who compiled the Vedic literatures, and the bona fide spiritual master presents the same knowledge through disciplic succession. Yet although Guru-purnima is generally observed by the Mayavadi groups, because today has been announced as Guru-purnima, we shall take the opportunity to discuss the principle of guru--and glorify the acarya-sampradaya. Continue reading "Reflections on Guru-purnima
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Tonight I Dined: Govinda’s Houston
Govinda’s opened this summer at the ISKCON Hare Krishna temple in the Houston Heights. The facility was always worth a visit because of the beautiful architecture, and now it’s definitely worth a visit since the opening of this vegetarian restaurant! They are opened for a lunch buffet and a dinner buffet with a mix of Indian and American cuisine. There is a small salad bar and about 8 hot offerings. Everything is labelled, and most of the offerings are labelled vegan. I got two American dishes: pasta and BBQ tofu. The pasta was just ok, I like it more al dente, but the sauce flavor was really good. The pasta seems like a good option for a family dining here with a picky kid. The BBQ tofu texture was really chewy and great, the sauce was tangy, but I wish the flavor was more developed. For the Indian cuisine I tried: Aloo Baingan (potato and eggplant), kidney bean curry, fried cauliflower, papadum (cracker), tamarind sauce, and mint chutney. The fried cauliflower was my favorite thing on the plate, and tasted amazing dipped in the tamarind and mint chutney (which was actually very spicy!). My second favorite was the aloo baingan, it was perfectly spiced and very filling. The red kidney bean curry was also amazing, and a dish I had never tried before! The interior is well decorated and very modern (and quite large, so it would be good for groups). I would definitely recommend this restaurant to vegans, because it is one of the few places in Houston that serves Indian food that labels items as vegan and you don’t have to inquire about the ingredients!
Read more: http://goo.gl/952xsT

32.741 rounds chanted from Krishna Katha Desh devotees for World Holy Name Week and Iskcon’s 50th anniversary.
Krishna Katha Desh celebrated WHNW by chanting for 50 hours non-stop this year to mark 50 years of Iskcon along with World Holy Name Week. All the Devotees started chanting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday 11th August 2016. They continued chanting till Saturday 13th August 2016, 9:00 p.m. 412 Devotees participated in this Japathon and chanted 32,741 rounds. Many Devotees are on vacation else the rounds chanted would have been higher. Please accept this small/tiny offering from Krishna Katha Desh Yatra.

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Harinam Day in Madrid during the Holy Name Festival in Spain (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The performance of sankirt...

Aloha! Dear community members just to let u know that we recently received the award from the HONOLULU MAGAZINE for GOVINDA’S VEGETARIAN BUFFET located at 51-Coelho way.
Thank you all for your support and coo-operation.
A review: Govinda’s is such an exotic, out-of-the-ordinary experience for me living in Hawaii. Located in an old Nu'uanu mansion is a Hare Krishna temple serving the most delicious and spiritually refreshing food on the island. You can tell just by stepping in the door that this will not be your average dining experience, because not only are shoes not required, you are expected to leave them at the door (like any local household- but not restaurant!). Entering the house you are greeted by Hindu art and the sounds of Indian music coming from the gift shop where you pay ($10 for all you can eat). I came at about 1pm on a Wednesday and the buffet had 8 choices of hot items and a salad station. Some of the food (fried cauliflower and lasagna) was running low but it was quickly replaced. I loaded my plate with salad, saffron rice, dal (lentil soup), mild veggie curry, fried cauliflower, steamed veggies, and of course the lasagna. Poured myself a cup of the fresh ginger lemonade and my mother and I went outside to sit beneath the massive banyan tree.
The surreal experience continued as we ate, as each bite brought exotic spices, flavors and delicious new tastes into my mouth. There was no dish I did not love (my mom thought the lasagna was a little spicy). The garden/yard area was so serene and soothing and feeling the grass between my toes as I ate was great. We even had a little friend (black and white cat) visit us and share some love. After I finished my plate I went back for the dessert of halva. I had never had it before and it was like a sweet polenta textured pudding flavored with cinnamon and cardamom with raisins and coconut. It was so delicious! I ate my fill but did not feel overly stuffed, just satisfied, and my mother and I walked through the gift shop looking at jewelry and skirts and sari type clothing.
I had such a great time here I felt so removed from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu and got a great dose of culture and spirituality I was not familiar with. It almost felt like I was experiencing part of an ashram type lifestyle, the gardens would be perfect for meditation and quiet reading. I picked up a Krishna brochure on my way out to try and learn more about this interesting culture, so different from my own religious beliefs, and as a bald Krishna devotee sitting on the stairs said goodbye to us, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I would be back to satiate the urges of my wanderlust disease.
Read more reviews here: https://goo.gl/a0oINa

The spiritual master teaches everything we need to know about the Lord who dwells within us, that one supreme person who is unseen by our eyes. As the external manifestation of the Paramatma, the guru teaches the Vedas, the sound manifestation of God. He teaches the Vedas, the Vedanta, the Puranas, and he does it as a messenger of the Lord’s incarnation, Srila Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa. Srila Vyasadeva is the original spiritual preceptor for all men. And all other preceptors are to be considered his representative Continue reading "What is the meaning of Vyasa Puja
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Cymbals, damru drums, bherries, and big drums vibrated auspicious sounds in specific melodies. A celestial concert of precise poetical meters, proper rhythms, and metrical compositions suddenly manifested there. The musical ensemble inspired the society girls to sing and dance in mirth and merriment. Though not good singers, by the will of the Lord they sang with great virtuoso. Their wonderful songs filled Nanda Maharaja's heart with joy. The combined vibrations of brahmanas' chanting Vedic hymns, the recitation of Puranic lore, and the panegyrists' prayers trans­formed the ethers into sabda brahman. The joy of Krishna's birth celebration taxed the drains of Nanda's capital city as they swelled to the brim with milk, yogurt, and other auspicious liquids. Soon rivers of this nectar flooded the streets of the town and permeated the entire atmosphere with a sweet fragrance. Disguising them­selves as birds, the demigods descended to Vrajapura to happily drink the flood of nectar. The Vrajavasis decorated their cows with gold and jeweled ornaments. Then in great excitement they smeared them with oil, fresh butter, and turmeric paste. Beholding Krishna in their hearts, these fortunate cows looked like the essence of the earth's auspiciousness. The whole world resounded with their jubilant bellowing. Continue reading "Happy Janmashtami!
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As Good As God

The idea for “Sadhu Sanga Sunday” was conveyed by HH Mukunda Maharaja to Pratapana as a follow up to the Sydney Opera House program.

It was held at the Arts Centre in Darlinghurst that was decades ago a local prison. Of course, now it is renovated to a beautiful venue.

The day went very well with special guests, HH Mukunda Maharaja, Bhakti Caru Maharaja, Syamsundara das, Malati dasi and I sitting on stage sharing remembrances of past association with Srila Prabhupada.

The evening was was a wonderful experience of kirtana and dance.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 17 August 2014, Goloka-dhama, Germany, Janmastami, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.41.6-10)  

We remember the pastime of when Krsna first came to Mathura and he met a garland-maker, Sudama, who offered Krsna many nice garlands, sandalwood and other things. That garland-maker actually used go to Vrindavan regularly to collect flowers, so he had previously met Krsna and made offerings to Krsna with flowers, so that garland-maker was already recognized by Krsna as a devotee. At the end, he adorned Krsna and Balarama with beautiful garlands and they looked very beautiful. Then the two Lords offered to the surrendered Sudama, who was bowing before them, whatever benediction he desired. Sudama asked the Lord for unshakable devotion – devotion that could not be destroyed by anything. Then he asked the Lord for friendship with the Lord’s devotees and for transcendental compassion for all living beings. So this garland-maker was very intelligent. What would we ask for if we would suddenly, unexpectedly meet Krsna? What would we ask? It would not be so easy, ‘Well, Krsna, okay, give me love of God!’  But we can see the example of Sudama who was thinking much deeper about the matter than we are. Love of God is very good but Sudama asked to be given unshakable devotion, as he knew maya is very strong and did not want be affected by anything. Unshakable devotion means love of God!

This is very nice – this garland-maker who seems to be, in a way, a background personality; there is not a whole chapter in Srimad Bhagavatam dedicated to the garland-maker who offered some garlands to Krsna. But just see how profound his thinking is and how important unshakable devotion is, how important friendship with the devotees of the Lord are and how important transcendental compassion for all living beings is.

To approach Krsna we require blessings. Janmastami is an opportunity to approach Krsna and to really enter into Krsna’s reality. We are going to spend time remembering various pastimes of Krsna over the next few days and all these activities are actually taking us into Vrindavan because it is through remembering the activities of Krsna that we are getting entrance; as Jiva Gosvami explains, Vrindavan is a state of consciousness. So we are looking for blessings just as Sudama received benedictions from the Lord and asked for the unshakable devotion.  Like this, we are gradually preparing ourselves so may we all be blessed by such a meditation of Sudama.

The fact is that by committing ourselves to Krsna, by focusing, by giving ourselves, by making offerings to Krsna – even if only for a day: chanting, cooking, hearing, intensely focusing on Krsna the entire day – then we will find that our relationship with Krsna has become so much nourished and strengthened that we realize that this Janmastami is not just a festival where we get enlivened by the association of devotees and a wonderful program until the next enlivening festival. No, we actually realize that if we really make a commitment to focus on Krsna, to really get serious, just for a day, then this Janmastami makes a permanent change in our spiritual life. We are permanently coming closer to Krsna, so in this way, each Janmastami is another step closer to Krsna.

Janmastami is particularly meant for us as it is an opportunity to connect in a very serious way with Krsna and in service to him, because then it will be a great source of strength that will benedict us in our spiritual life. We build on that and then we surrender again and in this way we build up our spiritual strength.

Scriptures recommend performing of naimitika kriya – exceptional devotion practice, or special spiritual activity during special occasions that brings new life and that we bring back to our everyday routine devotional practices of nitya kriya. So doing something special on this Janmastami can renew our everyday practice, bring new life and at the same time because we have for one day functioned on a higher level of surrender than usual, we have come one step closer to making that permanent and that has the lasting effect. With this meditation we can begin our Janmastami celebration and get ready to come before Krsna. We are anticipating with great eagerness Krsna’s appearance day and hope everyone will have a wonderful Janmastami, Janmastami that will make all the difference!

I went to the Bhaktivedanta Manor this afternoon. It was a hot summer’s day for England, but a team of dedicated volunteers were underneath a marquee surrounded by chopping tables and hot gas stoves, preparing food for the 30,000 pilgrims that will be arriving on Thursday for Lord Krishna’s birthday. Just last month our teams prepared hot meals for 17,000 in Trafalgar Square. In Glastonbury the Hare Krishna tent fed 15,000 hungry mouths over the festival, and the same team prepare 900 meals daily for the homeless and hungry students.

Besides singing and dancing in public places, or distributing books, giving out blessed food or prasadam is the activity for which ISKCON is known. Today, 50 years after it started, that essential activity of cooking in large quantities has been raised to a fine art. It takes some feat of organisation to prepare food for thousands of people but it seems to be one thing that ISKCON does well.

Here’s how the National Geographic Channel picked up on one such ‘mega-kitchen’ this week:

Dear devotees,­­­­

The Steering Committee is happy to announce it has selected Sudha Krsna prabhu as the liaison for the Village Association. The committee took this decision after publicly advertizing the position for 10 days, and after duly considering all submitted applications.

We hope this will be a first of many effective ways for your future elected representatives, the Village Council members, to hear your ideas and concerns, as well as for you to be regularly updated with relevant information.

Strengthening our community means to increase our communication and to discover ways to help each other.

What follows is a brief Bio of Sudha Krsna prabhu:

My name is Sudha Krishna das. Many devotees know me as “SD” or Sanatan Dharma das. I joined ISKCON in the summer of 1981 in Toronto, Canada and moved to New Vrndaban in the mid 1980’s where I served until the late 1990’s. In 1999, I received diksha from Srila Govinda Maharaja who has inspired my faith in Srila Prabhupada from the day I met him.

After leaving New Vrndaban with my former wife, Lila Avatar d.d., I attempted to be successful in business and relationships for close to 20 years. But after repeated failed attempts and having learned many valuable lessons, I contacted Jaya Murari Prabhu who reminded me of the importance of sadhu sanga, living in the holy tirtha, and taking only Krishna Prasdam.

I therefore recently came back in New Vrndaban with every intention of staying. I feel immensely grateful to be back and my foremost desire is to be of service to all devotees, past, present and future.

While away from New Vrndaban, I have acquired a decent amount of experience in the fields of human services, as a drug and alcohol counselor, in non-profit management, as a caregiver for the elderly suffering from dementia, and as a professional salesman.

Now back to New Vrindaban for less than two weeks, I have already been blessed with various opportunities for service. One that I am highly looking forward to is as a Village Association Liaison. I find it exciting and inspiring to be building bridges amongst community members and being instrumental at communicating with, and informing devotees without personal agenda.

I currently have been provided an office space in the Wellness Center where from I can speak with devotees confidentially.

I feel I can be a productive member of the community as well as a responsible and confidential Village Association Liaison. I look forward to connecting with all of you in the near future.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity,

Your servant,

Sudha Krsna das

Sudhakrsnadas@gmail.com

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 August 2014, Krišnův dvůr, Czech Republic, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.43)

In 1977, I started to take interest in Krsna consciousness but then, in the same year, one after the other, both my parents died. So it was such a family drama. I just had to put everything aside and deal with that situation. So, I joined in 1978.

It would sound, at least to me, it would sound very ridiculous to say that I never met Prabhupada because I know more about Prabhupada than I do about my own biological father and Prabhupada has completely taken control of my life. How can I say I never met him? It does not make sense. I met him in service. I met him in mercy from his followers. So, all of you can also have a direct relationship with Srila Prabhupada. If you think I am speculating then Prabhupada himself said that by reading the books of Rupa Goswami, you can directly associate to Srila Rupa Goswami. Still today, everyone can have a relationship with Prabhupada and still today, everyone must have a relationship with Prabhupada – not to the exclusion of our own spiritual masters but that relationship must be there, nonetheless, with Prabhupada.

So let us find out more and more who was Srila Prabhupada, who is Srila Prabhupada, what did he desire, what did he say, and once we have studied all the instructions then let us not make the mistake to become proud and think, “I know!” Let us remain humble and ready to hear from others what Srila Prabhupada really wanted. All of that will be our saving grace!

An excerpt from the Prabhupada Lilamrta about Srila Prabhupada's mother, Srimati Rajani Devi. Abhay’s mother, Rajani, was thirty years old when he was born. Like her husband, she came from a long-established Gaudiya Vaisnava family. She was darker-skinned than her husband, and whereas his disposition was cool, hers tended to be fiery. Abhay saw his mother and father living together peacefully; no deep marital conflict or complicated dissatisfaction ever threatened home. Rajani was chaste and religious-minded, a model housewife in the traditional Vedic sense, dedicated to caring for her husband and children. Abhay observed his mother’s simple and touching attempts to insure, by prayers, by vows, and even by rituals, that he continue to live. Continue reading "Appearance day of HDG Srila Prabhupada
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Celebrating Iskcon’s 50th anniversary in Beijing, China (10 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: One should invite people, chant Hare Krishna, and then distribute prasada. This yajna will satisfy all the demigods, and thus where will be peace and prosperity in the world. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 4.6.53 Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/eYMu7r

Harinama in Tel Aviv, Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The only sacrifice recommended in this age is the chanting o...

How to Celebrate Janmashtami.
Janmashtami commemorates the earthly appearance of Krishna, who is described in India’s sacred writings as God Himself. One of the biggest religious festivals in the world, it is celebrated by nine hundred and thirty million people around the world–and two million in the US alone. To devotees, it’s Christmas and New Year’s in one, a day of deep spiritual renewal and celebration that effectively finishes an old year and begins a fresh one.
But why Janmashtami, you may ask? What’s so special about Krishna, as opposed to any other form of God? It’s His personable-ness. He reciprocates in unique, personal ways with every devotee who offers Him love—He is the most adorable, mischievous son, the most romantic lover, the most compassionate friend. And on Janmashtami, devotees celebrate Krishna in all of these aspects. For just as Krishna reciprocates individually with His relatives and confidantes, he responds to the distinct feelings and desires held most deeply in the heart of every single worshipper.
So remember that whatever way you worship Krishna on Janmashtami, He will reciprocate with you accordingly. It’s a meditation that makes for an extremely rewarding devotional experience.
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Recently a devotee told me that he had been fighting against a particular conditioning for a long time and was repeatedly relapsing into it despite having made many resolutions to give it up. He had become so disheartened that he said, “Maybe I should just stop practicing bhakti. What is the use of all my practicing and preaching if I can’t overcome such a basic anartha? And I have tried and failed so many times that I am sure I will never be able to give this up.”

“I don’t think you have a right to be so confidently pessimistic,” I told him. “To claim that something will never happen is to claim that even Krishna doesn’t have the power to make it happen.”
“But Srila Prabhupada says that even Krishna can’t help us if we are not determined,” he said despairingly. “And I can no longer be determined because I have lost my confidence.”

I reassured him. “You haven’t lost your confidence – you have just misplaced it. Instead of placing your confidence in Krishna, you are placing it in your conditioning. And that is making you confidently pessimistic. Instead if you place it in Krishna, you can become confidently optimistic.”

“But what is the basis for optimism when I am not able to overcome such a basic conditioning?”

“Don’t judge the progress of your bhakti only by your success in overcoming a particular conditioning. Bhakti practice is meant to increase our attraction to Krishna. And every single bhakti activity we do, it increases that attraction, even if infinitesimally. And that attraction will eventually erase our attraction to worldly things. Some conditionings may be very deep-rooted and may take time to go away. No matter how long our conditionings last, they can’t stop our bhakti practice – they can only interrupt it.

“And for resuming it after the interruption, we can base our optimism on Krishna’s unfailing love for us. He doesn’t disqualify us from bhakti practice, no matter what happens, as he indicates in Gita (09.30-31). The essential message of those verses is that we don’t have the power to do anything that can make Krishna stop loving us. Nothing we do can make Krishna as the Supersoul leave our heart and abandon us. Krishna waits for us because he is confident that one day we will turn towards him.”

I concluded, “Krishna has maintained his confidence in us despite not having much result to show. Why then should we give up our confidence in him just because we don’t have a particular result to show? If he has maintained his confidence in us for so many lifetimes, why can’t we maintain our confidence in him for this one lifetime?”

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Lord Krishna: "One who knows the transcendental nature of My advent and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode." Therefore Krsna says, “Just try to learn about the transcendental nature of My advent and activities.” The advent of Krsna it is a very important thing. We should try to understand Krsna, why He makes His advent, why He comes down to this material world, what His business is, what His activities are. If we simply try to understand Krsna, then what will be the result? The result will be tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so’rjuna: we will get immortality. The aim of life is amrtatvaya kalpate, to achieve immortality. So today, on the advent of Krsna, we shall try to understand the philosophy of Krsna. Continue reading "Why Krsna Comes To This World
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