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"Planet ISKCON" - 54 new articles
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Bhakti Sara PrabhuSrimad Bhagavatam 11.26.19-20 - The hard knot of false ego in the heart can be destroyed by bhakti. Australian News: There is no sin incurred if we reject everything and just do bhaktiTranscriptions of the lectures on Srimad-Bhagavatam from Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir HH. Bhanu Swami, SB. 3.32.22 This is a very conclusive verse and we will see in the purport that Srila Prabhupada also has given us a very decisive conclusion, As we know the Srimad Bhagavatam is the final word in all spiritual literature. And what is the conclusion? The conclusion is that we should worship Krishna, no devata, and not even any other form of the Lord – just Krishna because he is svayam Bhagavan and we should not perform any other activities even though those activities maybe mentioned in the scripture. Of course we shouldn’t do the unscriptural activities but even the scriptural activities we don’t do. So we have the activities of karma, jnana and yoga mentioned in the scriptures, even those we shouldn’t do. So sometimes we may get a little confused especially because even the Bhagavatam talks about these things and we will see in Bhagavad-gita also it takes place. For instance we have a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita and Krishna discusses jnana and karma in the first six chapters and then finally gets to bhakti in chapter seven and then He goes back to jnana again in chapters thirteen and fourteen up to eighteen again. So we may get a little confused by all of this. Click here to read the rest at ISKCON Transcriptions Share this story your way:Get excited my friends as we are only 8 WEEKS AWAY!I’m going to keep this short and sweet! You have only until Nov 14th to register yourself at the “Child’s” booking price. This means AU $64 per week, which is half the regular adult registration fee (AU $108). We are on track to set the standard of these events with world class Kirtan leaders and the ideal location. Plus, of course, Seminars, Workshops, Japa Walks, Kuli Association, Sports & Activities, Arts & Fashion, Music, Performances & Amazing Prasadam! For all you internationals, there has never been a better time to come to Australia. Please, do whatever you need to do to come for Kulimela! RSVP now to let us know you’re coming and pay your registration at www.kulimela.com.au. Your Friend & Servant, Nitai – Festival Coordinator “Any questions – Just ask! I look forward to meeting you all!” ISKCON Melbourne, AU: 04/11/2010 Darsana
Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: just to use khols and karatalsAnother time in that same room there was a discussion about kirtan, the Radha Damodar kirtans that we were having on campus or on the street where we set up. Prabhupada was saying we just should use khol and karatals. At that time we had many instruments. We had harmonium, we had esraj--which was like a violin--we had ektara, and we had an instrument that had strings and you play it with little hammers. So there was a discussion where Prabhupada was saying just to use khols and karatals. And Adi-kesava said that people were attracted to the party because of the instruments and Prabhupada didn't seem to take that very seriously. And then Adi-kesava said, "But Visnujana said..." and Prabhupada cut him off and said, "Who is Visnujana? I am your spiritual master." And also in that meeting Prabhupada said that there shouldn't be any harmonium during the aratis. And previously you hear lot of tapes of Bharadvaj and others playing harmonium. So that was stopped during aratis. And it didn't seem like Prabhupada just wanted some expert musicians. He wanted devotees. So that was stopped and that time the Radha Damodar party just went back to mrdanga and karatals on the public kirtans, for a while, and eventually we had a couple of instruments here and there, I had heard with Prabhupada's permission; I don't know for sure. Dravinaksa Dasa, Memories of Srila Prabhupada, DVD #47. Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: my scheduleNov 5-7 sravana-kirtana camp near Hyderabad 8 to Delhi then Vrindavan 9, 10 sravana-kirtana camp in Vrindavan 14 in Delhi 15 to Himachal 17 to Ahmedabad then to Vvnagar 19 to Baroda 20, 21 Nov sravan-kirtan camp Baroda 23-25 north Gujarat then to Valsad 26 to Valsad 7-10 Dec Kuwait 11 Dec to Chennai Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: PuriAnyone planning to go to Puri soon could possibly deliver, on behalf of ITV India and myself, a copy of the Char dham DVD to the Puri Sankaracarya, the king of Puri, and others. Please contact me for further info. hari-guru-vaisnava dasa, BVS Kurma dasa, AU: Kuvanje sa Kurmom! A Letter from SerbiaJGJ from Becej, Serbia wrote: "Dear Kurma, Your books are unlimited inspiration for me. I decided to send you a few photos from last weekend's cooking adventures. All recipes are from your books.
First day I prepared: Insalata di Riso, Focaccia, Carrot Halva, Brussels Sprouts Potatoes and Peas with Sour Cream, Green Tomato Chutney, Spiced Hot Apple Juice Drink, Pumpkin Gnocci with Sage-scented Butter and Parmesan Cheese, Sambar, and Deep-fried Karela - from my garden! Here are the karela (bitter melon) from my garden.
And my pumpkin and bitter melon vines in peak of season.
Second day I prepared : Minestrone Soup, Moussaka, Oven-baked Pumpkins, Indonesian Crispy Corn Fritters, Panir Steaks with Maple Marinade, and Horseradish Cream.
Every weekend I prepare some of Your great recipes, and every of them are perfect.
As you can see in the photos, I invite my friends to these feasts. Thank you again, and best regards from JGJ {second from left in photo above} in Serbia." Japa Group: By Such Chanting One Is BlessedStrictly speaking, when chanting the names of the Panca-Tattva one should fully offer his obeisances: sri krsna caitanya prabhu nityananda sri advaita gadadhara srivasadi gaura bhakta vrnda. By such chanting one is blessed with the competency to chant the Hare Krishna mantra with out offense. From Namamrta by Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Lata, Alachua, USA: Humility as a VerbHow Do I Listen? How Do I Listen to others? As if everyone were my Master Speaking to me His Cherished Last Words. - Hafiz (14th Century Sufi Poet)
This weekend at the 24 Hour Kirtan in New Vrindavan, I learned that one facet of humility boils down to a verb. Listen. No, not hear. Listen. I have realized that it is impossible to be proud and to listen. Listening is a verb of the heart - it means that I set aside my own life, my own chatter, and my own ideas to look into another's eyes and absorb what he or she says. There is no agenda, no plan. Just listen. So at noon on October 30th, I took a vow of silence. I chose to set aside my life, my chatter, and my own ideas for 24 hours to look into the eyes of the holy name with no agenda and no plan. I opened my ears to hear. Many kirtaniyas stepped up to the microphone to sing the holy name. I slowly set aside my inner music critic. Hour after hour passed and the holy name began to circle around and around in my head until it became the only sound I could feel - even the words to the mantra began to roll across my mind's eye. No matter the tune, the beat, or sequence, each kirtan rested like a jewel upon the thread of the holy name. I was disarmed by surprise. I rarely ever feel such unconditional acceptance. In the early evening, my heart began to open. The Hafiz poem echoed in the halls of my strangely quiet mind. Each kirtan became transformed, as if each devotee who sang truly was my beloved master, and each mantra was the last words he or she would ever say. I began to listen to devotees even as they spoke to each other at lunch, or when they walked down the halls. I found Krishna in every word, even if that wasn't the intention. At times I wanted to walk up to someone, anyone, and beg, "Please, tell me your realization. Please tell me about the holy name, please tell me anything," When the clock struck noon on October 31st and the kirtans came to a tumultuous close, I felt as though the holy name was the only way to express the joy in my heart. Now I pray for this attitude to extend beyond 24 hours. Beyond one year... beyond ten years... beyond... out and over and around me until one day, I can sincerely listen to my master of the holy name and speak my own last words. "Silence means don't talk nonsense. Whenever you speak, you speak about Krishna. That is real silence." Srila Prabhupada Vrindavan, 1974 Akrura das, Gita Coaching: BIRDSJust like when a bird flies in the sky, so he has to leave behind him everything, and he has to fly in the sky on his own strength.
Akrura das, Gita Coaching: YOU HAVE TO FLYMany times, devotees who join the ISKCON society think, “Oh, I am now in a successful group of spiritualists,” and after some time they become a little spiritually lazy because they think that the group will take care of them.
Caitanya Mangala, CA, USA: KulimeLA 2009: Bhajan Kutir – Volume 3 CD now available at Krishna.com!KulimeLA 2009: Bhajan Kutir – Volume 3 CD is now available from the Kuli Mela Outlet @ Krishna.com! Heartfelt Kirtans with Krishna Kishor & Visvambhar (Mayapuris), Radhanath Swami, Bada Haridas, Aniruddha das, Gopal Krishna and more… These Kirtans were recorded live in the KulimeLA 2009 Bhajan Kutir at the ISKCON New Dwarka Temple in Los Angeles California. CLICK HERE to hear previews of the tracks and to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections… In ancient Sanskrit, Kirtan is the sacred, joyful, and spontaneous congregational singing and dancing for the glorification of God. A “Bhajan Kutir” is a special place dedicated to Kirtans. “Kuli” refers to a member of a “Community” and “Mela” means “Festive Gathering.” Combined, “Kuli Mela” tranforms into “A Celebration of Community.” The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving an international community by supporting and encouraging its members to come together in service, association and empowerment, with a strong emphasis on spirituality. All proceeds from the sale of this album go to Kuli Mela Association and help facilitate future gatherings and recordings. Please support us by purchasing this album!
Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Copper Kitchen HardwareWhen I did my Horton Brasses blog post on strap hinges, I mentioned my mother-in-law’s kitchen as that post’s muse. One commenter asked for pics. Here they are. Enjoy the old world charm of copper details in the kitchen! I think my mother-in-law’s style mixes mid-mod and traditional floweriness quite well.
In other mother-in-law news, she sent me these pictures from the school she works at. Hooks! Old hooks to be exact. Apparently, they remind her of me. Awwww! Subhvavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Great news from ISKCON MoscowHare Krishna.
I am not in the habit of reprinting emails, i.e. I don't worry about your emails :) However, this news was too good to not pass it on. Thanks to the dedication of so many devotees this type of positive day has come and just think it all started with a seed Srila Prabhupada planted during his visit to Mosow in 1971. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada and his dedicated leaders and devotees! From: Bhakti Vijnana Goswami (GBC) (Moscow - R)
Date: 03-Nov-10 18:34 +0400 To: Subhavilasa (das) ACBSP (Toronto - CA) Comments: Text PAMHO:20614470 by Subhavilasa (das) ACBSP (Toronto - CA) Subject: news ------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Shubhavilasa Prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I am excited and happy to let you know that, by the mercy of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, the great struggle for getting the land from the Moscow government to build a Sri Sri Radha-Krishna temple in Moscow is almost over. After several many months of intense work, on October 22nd, the Mayor of Moscow finally signed the government order allocating 5 acres of land to ISKCON Moscow for the construction of the temple. More than 6 years ago, in June of 2004, we had to relocate to temporary facilities on some land which was given by the government. The former ISKCON temple in Moscow was then demolished. But then the government took back the land they gave. During these years we went through a lot of difficulties and overcame a lot of impediments. Not only were we struggling with the government but we were struggling to maintain enthusiasm for the project amongst our devotees in the face of so many obstacles. For the last seven months the whole project was suspended. On the pretext that all the land in Moscow is supposed to be given through auction, the Control Department of the Moscow government several times rejected our application, even though all other departments including the Legal Department and the Land Department had approved it. Recently the Mayor of Moscow was removed, and on the last day of his tenure in the office the acting Mayor (with the approval of the new Mayor) signed our papers. Here is a link to an article in the Times of India about this event. http://tinyurl.com/29gqkws Many different people contributed to this decision, including the former State Secretary of Russia Mr. Burbulis, the Indian ambassador to Russia, Mr. Shukla, and the Chief-Minister of Delhi Mrs. Sheila Dixit. This is the point of no-return. The work ahead of us is purely technical. The most difficult political decisions have already been taken. In the meantime we have our design and architectural work approved by the Architectural Department, so it means that in a few months we should be able to get permission to start the construction. The light at the end of our long dark tunnel is finally fully within our view. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the devotees who helped us in this very difficult period, and supported us in many different ways. They are too numerous to name all of them, but still I would like to name afew leaders of our Society whose support was the most significant. It is Sripad Gopal Krishna Maharaja, Sripad Niranjana Maharaja, Sripad Radhanatha Maharaja, Sripad Bhakti Charu Maharaja and Sripad Prabhavisnu Maharaja. Of course, now we have to raise the money to build the temple, and then manage and maintain the temple properly. So we still depend on your blessings, good wishes and support. May this dependence on the mercy of Vaishnavas and sincere followers of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada be the bedrock foundation of the future temple in Moscow. Your servant, Bhakti Vijnana Goswami I have heard that you are planning to come to Omsk. Please make sure that you also stay for a couple of days in Moscow. ISKCON New York, USA: 12 Hour Kirtan @ Radha Govinda MandirDear Devotees and Friends, This month’s NYC 12 Hour kirtan will be taking place @ Radha Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday November 6, from 10am to 10pm. Please come and join us in the chanting of Lord Krishna’s holy names in the company of great devotees and friends like Gaura Vani, Ananta Govinda, and Acyuta Gopi. The full schedule will be available here and on Mantralogy.com very shortly. For Address and Directions please visit us online @ Your servants,
ISKCON New York, USA: Celebrate Sri Govardhan Puja Festival!Dear Devotees and Friends, You and your loved ones are cordially invited to celebrate the great festival of Govardhan Puja on Saturday November 6, 2010 at Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir! The festival will begin @ 6pm. ** Festival Highlights ** Bhajans and Kirtans for 12 hours (starting @ 10am), Deepotsava, Annakuta Mahotsava, Hari-Katha, Arati, following by amazing Prasadam Feast. If you would like to contribute towards the feast or flowers for this
For the Annakuta celebration, we cordially invite you and your family
Your servants,
ISKCON New York, USA: Celebrate Deepavali @ Sri Sri Radha Govinda MandirDear Devotees and Friends, We joyously invite you to celebrate the joyous festival of Deepavali on Friday November 5, 2010 @ Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir! Please come with your family and friends to offer beautiful lamps to Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Lord Damodara on this special day. The program starts @ 6pm with Bhajans, followed by Kirtan, offering of lamps, lecture, and prasadam feast. Here’s a video clip from last year’s Deepavali festival Your servants, NY ISKCON H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 121From Namamrta by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: “When one situated on the platform of love of God chants the holy name loudly, everyone becomes initiated in the chanting of the holy name:
“When a devotee is perfectly qualified in chanting the transcendental vibration of the holy name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master and deliver all the people of the world. The chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it gradually establishes its supremacy above everything in the world. The devotee who chants it becomes transcendentally situated in ecstasy and sometimes laughs, cries and dances in his ecstasy. Sometimes the unintelligent put hindrances in the path of chanting this maha-mantra, but one who is situated on the path of love of Godhead chants the holy name for all concerned. As a result, everyone present becomes initiated in the chanting of the holy names—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” (Teachings of Lord Caitanya) When devotees think of how to spread the Krishna consciousness movement, they should remember that the best way is the chanting of the holy name. At one time in the Hare Krishna movement the devotees took to political action and formed a party called In God We Trust, and tried to run for political office. Prabhupada at first encouraged it but then thought it was a diversion of finances and manpower from the main preaching, which is the chanting of the holy name. Formerly, saintly persons used to come down to the political field and take steps to correct the misguided government or royalty. But in Kali-yuga saintly persons are not as powerful as they previously were. Under these circumstances, instead of taking active part in politics, saintly persons should engage in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. By the grace of the Hare Krishna mantra, the general populace can derive all benefits without political implications. Contributing or distributing the holy names of the Lord is a sublime example of contributing or giving charity. Lord Caitanya said, “I am merely a gardener. I have neither a kingdom nor very great riches. I simply have some fruits and flowers that I wish to utilize to achieve piety in My life. So I’m performing welfare activities.” Lord Caitanya presented Himself as not being very rich. Rich people are sometimes very proud they can perform beneficial activities for human society whereas others cannot. But the real purpose of life is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And devotional service is so exalted that it is beneficial and auspicious for every person. So to distribute devotional service, one doesn’t need to be rich. Moreover, Lord Caitanya predicted that the maha-mantra would be spread to every town and village in the world and that the Hare Krishna mantra would be chanted everywhere. In describing Narada Muni’s spreading of the chanting, Prabhupada remarks that devotees should follow his example “and according to personal capacity one should distribute the holy name.” One person’s capacity may be different than another’s, but everyone can do something. I woke up at 12:45 A.M. with a sharp headache. I took medicine and began my chanting. The chanting was slow and hampered by the pain. When Baladeva came up at 3:30 I had 12 rounds done, but my headache still remained. I took more medicine, and my headache is gradually subsiding. I will have to chant the balance of my quota later, at a not-ideal time. Chanting should be done not
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: One Hundred Prabhupada Poems#78
Prabhupada said he was comfortable in those two rooms,
“In this photo Prabhupada
“What is he thinking? What new order is coming from
“‘No, you did right. You established the
Of course this is only my daydream
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Beyond Our Perception
I see through the printed
From here I see forever,
I am avyakta-marga vit
With faith I know
I can see beyond ordinary
read more from SDGonline - daily updates Viraha Bhavan journal H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Free writeI turned at random to Srimad Bhagavatam Canto Three, Chapter 20, text 9: “Vidura said: Since you know of matters inconceivable to us, tell me, O holy sage, what did Brahma do to create living beings after evolving the Prajapatis, the progenitors of living beings?” Significant in this text is the word avyakta-marga-vit, “one who knows that which is beyond our perception.” To know matters beyond one’s perception, one has to learn from a person in the line of disciplic succession. Just to know who is our father is beyond our perception. For that, the mother is the authority. Similarly, we have to understand everything beyond our perception from the authority who actually knows. The first avyakta-marga-vit, or authority, is Brahma, and the next authority is Narada Rishi. Maitreya Rishi belongs to that disciplic succession, and he is also an authority. Anyone in the bona fide disciplic succession is avyakta-marga-vit, a personality who knows that which is beyond ordinary perception. Indra really bad-mouths Krishna. I imagine Krishna may have been amused by it. Indra called him “an ordinary human boy” and “childish” and “talkative” and “unaware of the cosmic situation.” Indra was truly under the influence of maya to be talking that way about his master, and the master of the universe. As a result, he was thoroughly embarrassed. “Just see, your mightiest mystic power is stopped by the pinkie of My left hand.” The cows took their calves under their bodies and approached Krishna and helplessly asked Him for Him to save them. They were smart enough to know who was their savior. Yet Indra kept attacking for seven days before he panicked and retreated, calling off his destructive clouds and flying back to Indra-loka. But then he returned to the earth to ask forgiveness. I’m running out of material for the early-morning journal as I come to the end of Namamrta. Baladeva suggested I use Hari-Nama Cintamani by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Maybe I could spend two or three days on each of the ten offenses in chanting. Not much material left of the 100 Prabhupada Poems to use in Prabhupada Smaranam. I’ll take a look at Prabhupada Meditations and see if I can use them. Keep alive in the journal. The Writing Sessions can provide improvised material. I will start coloring and painting in the art room in the basement. After lunch there’s not much for me to do if I don’t want to watch television, and I’d rather not watch it except on the weekends. So after lunch you could try drawing. You have to see if you want to do it. You do faces. Devotees. Abstracts. Maybe you could do another poem in a day. The poems don’t have to be used in the journal if they are not good enough. You have to keep yourself occupied. Use your hours in Krishna consciousness. How do you do that? Write something. Read something. Draw something. You write in your legal pad. Don’t be bored. Baladeva keeps shopping and going to social services to try to get us benefits. We’ll get food stamps and medical care and some money. We are monks, and we don’t have to go to work. Narayana Kavaca said some of the old-time leaders who are managing ISKCON see me as irrelevant. I took that as a sting and talked with him about it. He said he didn’t think that I was irrelevant but that I was making an important contribution. He said many older devotees live like me and do a project on their own without much interaction in the larger management of ISKCON. Right now I’m not interested in going to India. Narottama dasa Thakura says in this age it is better not to go to the pilgrimage places. But to think of Govinda in any place, that place becomes as good as Vrndavana. I try to keep active in Viraha Bhavan, stretching the day out until it reaches nighttime and I go to sleep. I wake up early and say my japa, but lately I’ve been chanting slowly. I’m tired in the early morning. I must try to stay alert and improve. Keep chanting and make sure you are paying attention. Laksman bows down when he sees me. Subhadra walked past me and ignored me. I am writing now what comes to mind. Laksman and his friend were having a catch with baseball and glove while they bounced on the trampoline. They made crashing catches on their bellies. Then his sister came out and said something, and Laksman and his friend ran into the house. I think they had a snack. They were both back outside in five minutes, jumping and throwing the ball. You’re almost 71 years old. Baladeva from Trinidad said his father is 73 years old and his mother is 70. I said that’s pretty young, considering that Baladeva, their son, is in his 50s. Wearing light long underwear indoors is a little warm, but when I go outside the light long underwear might not be enough. I’ll wear my heavier sweatpants and long underwear and hope that will be enough. When I go to start my poem in the morning, I try to enter with anything Krishna conscious, but not just a dogmatic poem. I start out and then I improvise. So far, I’ve been able to write with something that has an edge to it. Try to keep it up. My Deities are standing and I worship Them, calling on Krishna to help me to keep interesting. Subhvavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Lord Damodar Bestows Great FavorToday we read from Nectar of Devotion. Srila Rupa Goswami quotes from the Padma Purana that just as Lord Damodara is favorably inclined towards His devotees, He is so inclined towards the month of Kartik which is also very dear to Him. Lord Damodar bestows great favor upon His devotees even for a little service.
So please offer a little service to Lord Damodara like a ghee lamp, candle or flower. Sing the Damodar Astaka. A under 5 minute version is linked below. A longer rendition is available in a early blog post from last week. Or if this is too difficult at this stage then simply chant the highest mantra....the maha mantra. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 November 3: "We know very well what is the world situation. It is my personal opinion that except for a few persons, practically there is no man in the world who is strictly religionist, either Hindu, Moslem, Christian, or Buddhist." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 November 3: "Officially they claim some sectarian identification but practically the whole world is without religion. A man without religion is nothing but an animal and being every man is irreligious, therefore, the whole human society is certainly animalistic." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 November 3: "You have tried your best. This is sufficient. We do not calculate so-called success or failure we are simply to discharge our duties and chant HARE KRISHNA loudly. Now as you are free you can come and join me here." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1970 November 3: "About Jiva Goswami it is said there was no comparison with any other philosopher in the world. Gaudiya Vaisnavism is very much proud of having such a great acarya as Jiva Goswami." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1972 November 3: "Print many many books and distribute widely. If they read one book it may turn their life. Krishna is so much appreciative of this preaching work that He will give you every facility, as much as you have ambition." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 November 3: "The Deity is non-different from Krishna Himself. This we have to understand. Every morning I go to the temple and see the Deity and offer obeisances, so I expect each and every one of my disciples should also follow." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 November 3: "Krishna says, 'Nobody is greater than Me.' He says, why should we reject? Our mission is to put Krishna as first, and they may take it or not. We do not interfere with other's choice, but we do it as our duty." H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Caramel with whipped cream and nutsDear devotees, Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. On September 28th I flew from Durban through Johannesburg to Moscow,nbsp;arriving on the 29th, and stayed there overnight in the flat of Dayalnbsp;Caitanya prabhu and Kamala Locana, along with their children Karunamayi andnbsp;Harinamananda. On the 30th morning I flew from there to Sochi, on the Blacknbsp;Sea, which is something like the Riveria of Russia. I was met at the airport by some devotees who didn't speak a lot of English,nbsp;and we then drove to the border of Abhkazia, about 30 minutes away. Abhkazianbsp;is an unofficial country. I know that may sound very strange, but it's true.nbsp;It has been part of Georgia for some time, but when the Soviet Unionnbsp;collapsed Abhkazia decided to become independent, so they fought a war ofnbsp;independence against the Georgians, and are now not under their control. However they are not recognized by any countries except Russia, Venezuela,nbsp;Nicaragua and Nauru. There is another unofficial country named Transnistrianbsp;which recognizes them. I'm sure you've never heard of Transnistria. So we arrived at the border, but because it takes some hours to get throughnbsp;in a car, we decided to walk through with my luggage. We were met by mynbsp;disciple Mahaprabhu Kripa das from Penza, and then started walking. It was anbsp;bit of a labyrinth, going back and forward and around a few corners, andnbsp;then finally we arrived at the Russian border post and immigration centre.nbsp;There were about 30 or 40 people queued up to go through, so we took ournbsp;places in the line, but just as we got near the end a group of about 5nbsp;rather wild looking gypsy women just came pushing into the line and went through. The Russians kept me for about 20 minutes, trying to figure out what to donbsp;with a foreigner, but eventually they let me go, and then we walked to thenbsp;Akhbazian side. This was much more relaxed, and they were actually quitenbsp;friendly to us. When we arrived at the booth where you have to buy medicalnbsp;insurance the policemen greeted us, "Hare Krishna! Haribol!" and we noticednbsp;that in the front window was a nice picture of Mother Yasoda with babynbsp;Krishna. Things were becoming very auspicious! We finally got through to the town the festival was in, named Gagra, andnbsp;took part in the programme with about 2500 devotees for about a week. I didnbsp;a seminar on the 26 qualities of a devotee, and how they should be shown innbsp;Vaisnava Ettiquette. Some of the time we were put in a small hall, out ofnbsp;the way, and not so many devotees came, but when we were put in the mainnbsp;hall we had about 500 or 600 devotees attending. I flew back to Moscow with Prabhavisnu Maharaja and some other devotees, andnbsp;was picked up by my disciple Jai Sacinandana das, who is one of Russia's topnbsp;alternative dj's, known as DJ List. He gave me a copy of one of hisnbsp;creations, an upbeat version of the Govindam prayers we play every day atnbsp;the greeting of the Deities in temples through ISKCON. nbsp;I have included anbsp;copy of it with this message (See bottom of post). His wife, Bhaktin Irina, is a news presenternbsp;on MTV, and is broadcast throughout Russia practically every day. I had beennbsp;sitting in the airport in Novosibirsk some weeks before, waiting for anbsp;flight, when I saw her on a television there, presenting some of the popularnbsp;music of the time. When she finished her presentation she smiled verynbsp;happily at the camera and said, in English, "Hare Krishna everyone!" Whennbsp;they picked me up now I told them about this, and she laughed and said shenbsp;concludes her show every day in the same way, and so far no one hasnbsp;complained about it. From Moscow I flew to Vilnius, Lithuania, for a few days of preaching.nbsp;Unfortunately, even though it has been one of my favourite places for manynbsp;years, more recently the spiritual atmosphere... H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: ISKCON UJJAIN – SARANAGATI DAY 5Transcription & Editing : Syama-Mohini Dasi, Sacikumara Dasa, Atul Krishna Dasa, Premalila Dasi, Ramananda Raya Dasa THE FOL LOW ING IS A CLASS GIVEN BY HIS HOLINESS BHAKTI CHARU SWAMI ON TURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH 2010, AT ISKCON UJJAIN. Six limbs of saranagati are humility, surrender of the self, accepting Krsna as the Lord and Master, [...] Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 November 3: "In the Krishna consciousness movement, we are preaching the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. Those persons who cannot understand, we are helpless. To an animal in the modes of ignorance, how can we preach? Then we are helpless." ISKCON Brisbane, AU: Maha Kirtan 8 and DiwaliSponsorship opportunities for Diwali
Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: An old friend of ISKCONOn November 1, after presenting us with her grandfather’s books, Smt. Srilekha Bose had a brief but happy reunion with HH Jayapataka Swami. She recalled how in 1996, when her brother Tarun Kanti Ghosh passed away, Jayapataka Swami came with a group of brahmacaris from Mayapur and did kirtan at his cremation. For the sraddha ceremony all the family members came out to Mayapur. Tarun Kanti Babu had left instructions in his will that his ashes should be strewn on the pathways of Mayapur so that the pilgrims would walk over them and bless him. Jayapataka Maharaja however told the family members that because he was a genuine devotee there was no question of putting his ashes on the roads. As a solution he had the ashes sprinkled around the base of the trees and everyone was happy. Srilekha mataji expressed her deep appreciation for Maharaja’s care and attention during that difficult time and Maharaja was very happy to see her at our temple. Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: GBC meetings Day 3 – group photoNovember 2 2010 At 1.30PM all the attendees of the Stategic Planning meetings were called to the temple courtyard for a group photo session. Srila Prabhupada took center place, as he has done throughout the meetings. here’s HH Prabhavisnu Swami arriving Bir Krsna Swami, Prahladananda Swami, Bhakti Charu Swami, Devakinandan prabhu and Bhanu Swami grab the best spot at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and wait for the rest of the delegates And here they all are. Some seriously dedicated, hard working devotees doing their best to please Guru and Krsna. On the Web: Kartik: a transcendental sale!Srila Prabhupada gives us the example of a store that has a sale. By a little investment in terms of spiritual practice and service, you can get a great benefit H.H. Sivarama Swami: Vidyagati dd wants to know about the alleged changes to Srila Prabhupada’s books by the BBT(Please see www.bbtedit.com) and B. Csaba asks what service he can do at age 43. Mayapur Online: Devi Mayi dd UpdateWe are very sad and with tears in our eyes, to announce that our very dear Devaki Mayi mataji is in a very delicate health situation, as she may leave her body at any moment. She is now in The Kennedy Hospital Guayaquil, Ecuador. I just spoke to her husband HG Ekanath Gaura Prabhu and our God sister Sarvasakti mataji on the phone, both have minor injuries also. Japa Group: Please Join The Japa GroupPlease share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member: Dandavats.com: History Of New Orleans Ratha Yatra Festival To Be Held Nov. 20, 2010By Yogindra vandana das The Ratha Yatra extravaganza of Lord Jagannath and Co. first graced the denizens of “The Big Easy” (New Orleans) way back in 1975 as a modest, palanquin style parade drawn joyfully down the oak lined, quiet avenues leading to City Park Gouranga TV: Holy name festival 2010 New Vraja-dhamaHoly name festival 2010 New Vraja-dhama Dandavats.com: No man can run a family the way a commander runs an armyBy Sita Rama das Any man who thinks he can control his wife the way a military officer controls an army is living in a fantasy world. Check out chapter 51 of the Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it describes the deliverance of King Mucukunda Dandavats.com: Harinam Sankirtan ki JayaSyam Priya: We have places in the ashram for such devotees (both male and female) in the dynamic and happening temple of New Dwarka in Los Angeles where the weather is always good and there is unlimited scope for preaching H.H. Sivarama SwamiWhen you sit, sit. When you stand, stand. Whatever you do, don’t wobble. - Dan Millman Australian News: Govardhana Puja: Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha MandirGovardhana Puja with special guest Sri-Prahlada 4.30pm Sunday 7th November 2010 SCHEDULE 4:30pm Arati / 5pm Kirtan / 5:30pm Govardhana Puja Parikrama
The day after Diwali is referred to as Annakuta, or Govardhana Puja. On this day the inhabitants of Vrindavana would hold a harvest festival in honor of King Indra, the demigod who provided the rains essential for the harvest. One day, however, Lord Krishna wanted to teach Indra a lesson. He convinced the inhabitants of Vrindavan to honor Govardhana Hill instead, whose fertile soil provided the grass upon which the cows and bulls grazed, and to honor the cows and bulls who provided milk and ploughed the lands. Outraged, Indra retaliated with terrifying thunderstorms. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, calmly lifted Govardhana Hill with the little finger of his left hand. For seven days and seven nights the Lord held up Govardhana Hill, providing a giant umbrella to shelter the inhabitants of Vrindavan from the torrential rain. Realizing the futility of his actions, King Indra bowed down before the Lord with folded hands and offered prayers of supplication. In this way, Lord Krishna demonstrated that He is Deva Deva, the lord of the demigods, and that any purpose for which demigods might be worshiped could easily be served by worshiping Him, the cause of all causes. Several thousand years later, on this same day, Srila Madhavendra Puri established a temple for the self-manifest Gopala Deity on top of Govardhana Hill. To celebrate this festival, devotees build a replica of Govardhana Hill made of various opulent foods, worship Lord Krishna as the lifter of Govardhana Hill, worship the hill as His incarnation, and worship the cows and bulls who are dear to the Lord. At the end of the festival, the hill of prasada (sanctified food) is distributed to the public See the Sydney temple Newsletter here Share this story your way:Srila Prabhupada's Letters1967 November 2: "I wish that in my absence all my disciples become the bonafide spiritual master to spread Krishna Consciousness throughout the whole world. I want it but Kirtanananda is too much puffed up." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1967 November 2: "Kirtanananda wanted to become a spiritual master by dissatisfying his spiritual master and as such he has fallen down. He cannot say anything genuine anymore till he has had revival of his pure consciousness." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 November 2: "He is one of the disciples of my God-brother and instead of replying my letter, he has the impudency of writing to Rayarama. He appears to be as venomous as the other Maharaja. They are all envious of my activities here." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1972 November 2: "Yes, I always think of you. You are one of my first disciples so I am always praying to Krishna to give you His blessings. Wherever you may be, it doesn't matter, but don't give up the principles of spiritual life, that is my request." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1972 November 2: "You are seeing Vrndavana actually, the paintings are so nice. Now you distribute these books by millions all over the world, then everyone will see how wonderful is Vrndavana. That is the best preaching work." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1973 November 2: "As your President Lincoln gave the blacks equal rights, let us cooperate with them. If black men read our books, it will be a great achievement. When a devotee is actually advanced racial distinction disappears." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1973 November 2: "Regarding that rascal, yes, capture and defeat him in debate and prove him as rascal number one. Our propaganda should be for the educational institutions. I am anxious to see these scholars." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 November 2: "Use your intelligence for Krishna's service and not for any personal ambition. This is my only concern. We have worked very hard to establish a great institution - but if we think it is for our personal benefit then it will become ruined." More Recent Articles
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