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"Planet ISKCON" - 32 new articles
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Open Day - Saturday 4th December
Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: A Mostly Vegan ThanksgivingAlso on the menu that night: Marmite (England version) based gravy, vegan turkey roast, 3 pumpkin pies, cranberry shortbread bars, peanut butter cookies and full dairy whipped cream. Did I miss anything? Here is a very inspiring article about devotees from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the States inundating the Fijian streets with the nectarean waves of the Holy Names. Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 November 29 : "I have received so many encouraging reports. So long our students remain fixed up to the regulative principles without deviation they will be enthusiastic for spreading this sublime movement." Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 November 29 : "The university community is a prime target for our propaganda work so please try your best to convince the students of the necessity for chanting Hare Krsna Mahamantra." Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 November 29 : "I shall arrange to initiate the two students as soon as possible. This is the greatest service you are rendering and Caitanya Mahaprabhu will certainly bless all my sincere students more and more." Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 November 29 : "Please see the standard of devotional practice is kept very high. Then the atmosphere will naturally be joyful and enthusiastic for working cooperatively for the satisfaction of Krsna." Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 November 29 : "A Krsna Conscious person never associates with the materials of mundane work or with the mundane workers, he is always associating with Krsna by devotional service whatever his position may be." Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 November 29 : "You should not try to speculate on the level of consciousness of the pure devotee. The consciousness of such a devotee is not limited by the influence of maya so do not speculate in that way." ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
"If
he reads one sloka, his life will be successful. If one sloka, one
word. This is such nice things. Therefore we are stressing so much,
Please distribute books, distribute books, distribute books." January 5, 1974. Japa Group: Chant, Chant, Chant
Each day the mind may come up with many excuses and reasons not to chant or to put it off "Don't worry about this chanting, you can do it later...there are more important things right now" - heard your mind preaching like this? What we can do is to ignore this internal dialogue and remember the importance of making Japa the number one priority and to act on this knowledge. Kurma dasa, AU: The Lord of Sweetness
The Sweetness of Lord Sri Krishna by Sripad Vallabha-acharya
adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram hridayam madhuram gamanam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His lips are sweet, His face is sweet, His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet, His loving heart is sweet, His gait (walk) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness. vachanam madhuram charitam madhuram vasanam madhuram valitam madhuram chalitam madhuram bhramitam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His words are sweet, His character is sweet, His dress (garment) is sweet, His posture is sweet, His movements are sweet, His wandering (roaming) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness. venur madhuro renur madhurah panir madhurah padau madhurau nrityam madhuram shakhyam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His flute-playing is sweet, His foot-dust is sweet, His hands are sweet, His feet are sweet, His dancing is sweet, His friendship is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness. gitam madhuram pitam madhuram bhuktam madhuram suptam madhuram rupam madhuram tilakam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His song is sweet, His drinking is sweet, His eating is sweet, His sleeping is sweet, His beautiful form is sweet, His Tilaka (mark on the forehead) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness. karanam madhuram taranam madhuram haranam madhuram ramanam madhuram vamitam madhuram shamitam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His deeds (activities) are sweet, His conquest (liberating) is sweet, His thieving (stealing) is sweet, His love-sports are sweet, His oblations (offerings) are sweet, His countenance is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness. gunja madhura mala madhuram yamuna madhura vici madhuram salilam madhuram kamalam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His gunja-berry necklace is sweet, His flower garland is sweet, Sweet is the Yamuna river, and sweet are her rippling waves, Her water is sweet, and sweet are the lotus flowers also, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness. gopi madhura lila madhuram yuktam madhuram muktam madhuram dhristam madhuram shistam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His gopis (cowherd girlfriends) are sweet, His pastimes (plays) are sweet, His union (meeting him) is sweet, His deliverance (rescue) is sweet, His sidelong glances are sweet, His courtesy (etiquette) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness. gopa madhura gavo madhuram yastir madhura shristhir madhuram dalitam madhuram phalitam madhuram madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram His gopas (cowherd boyfriends) are sweet, His cows are sweet, His cane (herding-stick) is sweet, His creation is sweet, His victory (trampling) is sweet, His accomplishment (fruition) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.
|| iti srimad vallabha-acarya viracitam madhurastakam sampurnam ||
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: to give girls gayatri mantraBalai Mataji remembers: At first Srila Prabhuapada didn't want to, to my understanding, he didn't want to give girls gayatri mantra, in India I believe girls didn't get gayatri mantra but one very outspoken woman, Madhavi Lata devi dasi, insisted that the women, especially her, be given gayatri mantra and Srila Prabhupada gave women gayatri mantra... >From Memories of Srila Prabhupada DVD #48 Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Memories of Srila Prabhupada DVDsAvailable from www.prabhupadamemories.com Highly recommended! H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Bhakti in its Beauty hits Bankersby H.G. Radharaman Prabhu, sent in by H.G. Dina Krishna Prabhu Thursday 11th November 2010 saw history in the making with its first corporate sponsored event in the financial industry to host a Gaudiya Vaisnava sannyasi. In the heart of UK’s financial district of Canary Wharf, over 200 bankers and traders assembled 512 feet high [...] Dandavats.com: Appreciating Purnacandra GoswamiBy Su-gita Vani devi dasi His samadhi will come up in the gosala gardens of the Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan. To those who were familiar with Maharaj’s personality, this venue, with its peace and quiet, complete with cows and monkeys, appears to be the perfect choice for his samadhi H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 1473:45 A.M.Excerpts from Sri Harinama Cintamani spoken by Haridasa Thakura to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and written by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Excerpt #16: Anartha-free namabhasa becomes nama. “Short of krishna-prema, every other success is available in namabhasa. When anarthas are nullified then namabhasa is converted to nama or suddha-nama, the pure name. By pure chanting and by following the rules of sadhana as instructed by guru, sadhu and sastra one slowly but surely acquires krishna-prema—love of Godhead. But namabhasa chanting can never give krishna-prema. “I bow down to that fortunate soul who has freed himself from the contaminating namaparadha, offenses against the holy name, in the namabhasa stage. This namabhasa stage is far beyond knowledge and fruitive work and if ones sraddha is furthermore rooted in rati or attraction and is offenseless as well, then gradually it will lead to the pure name.” The stages are clearly outlined here. The high position of namabhasa is emphasized. Namabhasa brings everything auspicious except krishna-prema. Haridasa Thakura bows down to the person who has attained namabhasa or freedom from the offenses committed against the holy name. There are many forms of namabhasa but the big distinction is when namabhasa is committed with faith. And it can lead one on to suddha-nama or pure chanting. Sraddha-nama clears away the anarthas very easily and quickly and brings one to the stage of namabhasa which turns into suddha-nama. I woke up this morning with the alarm clock at 1:30. I’m getting used to that habit, and it does not seem too late. The only difficulty is I fall into a sleepy chanting and progress very slowly. By 3:40 I had not completed twelve rounds. This is a slump that I must correct myself from. Namabhasa is judged by Lord
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Prabhupada Meditations“Baladeva invites me to be there with Swamiji in 1966, but I’m here in 1990 looking back. It seems so long ago. As soon as I speak about it, I encounter the same “canned memories” which I often repeat. But they are reliable memories, and I am trying to open the cans and see what’s actually in them. B: “When was the first time that he looked at you? S: “That was in the temple room when I asked a question, “Is misery eternal?” He answered, “Yes, material misery is eternal. But there is another world.” B: “It was more than just an answering a question.” S: “I had been there before, and I knew that people raised their hands and he called upon them. In order to call on you he had to look at you and recognize you. Maybe he had already noticed me from the audience. So he asked, “Any questions?” B: “What was your first time alone with him? S: “The memory I always go to which is established in my mind as my first time alone was when I asked a question, “Is there spiritual progress you can make that you don’t fall back from?” He said, “Yes.” We used to imitate Swamiji in various ways, trying to act as spiritual persons, sometimes to show off to newcomers. One thing I began to imitate was a sound that Prabhupada made, an ecstatic utterance which sounded like “Mmmm”. An ecstatic moment in his speech. He might be saying, “Krishna is very beautiful,” and then he would pause and feel something and make that sound, “Mmmm”. When I did it in imitation I was not feeling ecstasy, but I was Swamiji’s follower. It was something that I had picked up and something that some of us did. It was the sakti of Swamiji. We had noted it and taken it up as our way. So one day a guest was eating prasadam with us in Swamiji’s apartment, and he sat down next to me. He was a marijuana smoker, and he was checking people out closely to see their mannerisms. When he sat down next to me there was a moment of silence and then I made that sound, “Mmmm”. He immediately noticed it and appreciated, “Yeah I dig you man! I see what you are into.” My sound had proclaimed, “We are Swamiji’s followers and we are not afraid of anything because we know Krishna.” If I had said the same thing it would have sounded arrogant or untrue but by making that sound, the young hipster picked it up and appreciated it. “Mmmm” implied that we didn’t die, we’re eternal souls, Krishna is full of bliss, He is within your heart.” H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Two BrothersKrishna is the topmost person
Krishna is the crest jewel, peacock
His older brother Balarama just
They are always faithful
They each have Their own set
Balarama wants to be worshiped
What about Radha? Baladeva has His own,
These two brothers have intimate
They have some differences as
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: The End NotesFree WriteI turned at random to Canto 3, Chapter 30, text 18: “Thus the man who engaged with uncontrolled senses in maintaining a family, dies in grief, seeing his relatives crying. He dies most pathetically in great pain and without consciousness.” The example is given that a farmer does not like an old bull who has seized to work. Similarly, when a detached person in family becomes old and is unable to earn, he is no longer liked by his wife, sons, daughters and other kinsmen, and he is consequently neglected, what to speak of not being given respect. It is judicious therefore to give up family attachment before one attains old age and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should employ himself in the Lord’s service so that the Supreme Lord can take care of him and he will not be neglected by his so-called kinsmen. In the Vedic way of life one has to give up family life when he is strong enough. It is advised that before getting too weak and being baffled in material activities, and before becoming diseased, one should give up family life and engage oneself completely in the service of the Lord for the remaining days of his life. It is enjoined therefore in the Vedic scriptures that as soon as one passes fifty years of life he must give up family life and live alone in the forest. After preparing himself fully, he should become a sannyasi to distribute the knowledge of spiritual life to each and every home.
Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: "Gopis from Guyana"That is the title of the article. Might make some of the many great devotees with Guyanese heritage crack a smile :)
Much like a gopi from the Ragamala miniatures, Satyabhama, a 32-year-old Krishna devotee from Guyana, wore a green ghagra or long skirt and embroidered duppatta, teamed with a rust-coloured blouse. Swaying to the music of mridangam and cymbals, she chanted 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare', as she pulled the ropes of the Lord Jagannath's chariot in the yatra organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Old Delhi last fortnight. She was part of a big family of devotees from India and abroad who took part in the festivities. Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spirituality/faith-and-ritual/Gopis-from-Guyana/articleshow/7009605.cms Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Gopal Krishna Maharaj and a Rock Band...Check out the articles in Time of India about the Rock Band called Madhava's who performed over the weekend at the Chandigarh Ratha Yatra.
Found a You Tube clip where Gopal Krishna Maharaj joins in on the chanting... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Hare-Rama-Hare-Krishna-to-come-alive-on-rock-stage/articleshow/6997830.cms http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/ISKCON-rock-band-a-hit-among-the-young/articleshow/7002580.cms Jaya Kesava Das, USA: CATCH AND RELEASE, ... with KnowledgeBefore I left Montreal for St John's Newfoundland yesterday morning, the bhaktas put forth a series of questions, one on the topic of dovetailing our attachment in devotional service. What actually is dovetailing? Especially as we would use it as an ISKCON jargon. Devotional service happens on so many levels and each level, leading up to the highest stage of pure love for God, requires a deeper commitment to serving Krsna as Krsna desires.
So we have to find out, or go deep within and see how materially "sick" we are. And from that understanding see how well we want to become. Those who take the first instruction of "you are not this body" seriously, might take more seriously to the process, where as those who come for other reasons, might not. The underlying principle is being in the know. Of the four types of people who surrender to Krsna, Krsna says He appreciates the one who comes for Knowledge most. He even considers such a person to be like his very self. There is every chance that one who comes for wealth, piety, or solace may leave after they have their wishes fulfilled. But one who comes for knowledge realizes the wealth of knowledge in the books, and ultimately uses that knowledge to transcend the material sphere. More about St. John's in the next blog... but I should say, the people here are toooo cute! It feels like I just walked into the shire. Every one's completely chilled out, etc etc etc... Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: "...Sweet intimate vocals...""It’s the Hare Krishna chanting, sweet intimate vocals and soft repetitive melody that will live on forever in ‘My Sweet Lord’ ~ In Today's Post on Clash Music (Nov. 29, 2010) Under Headline: George Harrison - All things must pass Remains his definitive work. So this You Tube Video which appeared on the Facebook feed over the weekend was an appropriate match. Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: The Heat In The Cold
We gathered at Manu’s house for what is known as “Thanksgiving” (it’s an American word – nobody knows what it means). The general celebration involves eating a lot of food and saying thanks to somebody (probably God). Kumari Mataji did the shopping and was cursing her luck as everything she was purchasing contained traces of alcohol – apple cider, ketchup and so many other things – all had alcohol. In other western countries, we normally have to keep our eyes out while purchasing ingredients, because they may contain traces of animal products, but in Europe (at least in the French-like countries such as Belgium) it seems to be the culture to buff everything up with a bit of alcoholic substance. We sat and made thanks, mostly making jokes about the whole thing and then took prasadam. The crowd wandered on, into the temple, and we stared in awe at the glimmering faces of our beloved Deities. I happily glanced over to see Jaya Bhadra Mataji. Jaya Bhadra Mataji had been in hospital and we were all very concerned for her. It was nice to see that Radha Gopinatha had nicely looked after her. I went to my room, late and keen for rest. I touched my hand on the heater, which I had jacked up to full magnitude, but it was stone cold. Where is my heat? I had just been taught by Manohara Prabhu about the heating system so I went through the phases. First, I opened the valve in my room, to let the excess air out (leaving only hot, sweet liquid) but instead, it sucked air back into the system. Something was wrong so I set off to figure out exactly what it was. I went to the heater room. The pressure was down 35% below recommended. I had heard Jaya Bhadra Mataji’s heater had exploded when she had been in hospital so I quickly found her. I pulled her out of her conversation so I could ask her if her room heater had been sealed (I didn’t want to put the pressure back up and make her room into a lake). She informed me that it had been sealed and replaced with an electric heater. I was still a little bit nervous about putting the pressure back up, just in case there were other reasons for it being so low. We found Bhakta Rick Prabhu, who was sleeping. I simply told him what I was going to do and saw if he objected. He woke enough to make sense of what I was saying and gave me the go ahead. The pressure gauge went up and up; all I could do was pray. I let the air back out in my room and within moments the heat had returned. Warm and snug, I finally made it to sleep, with less than five hours to Mangala arati!
I awoke full of energy (I love these mysteries that Krsna throws on us, which you normally pay for three days later). After the morning program had abated, I looked out to see snow! I had seen a little snow the night before but this was the serious deal. I picked up big fluffy handfuls, giving one to Hilary Mataji (the other token Aussie – ignorant to such cold miracles). On the way to the library I observed a snow ball fight between Narottama and Manoj. I quickly collected ammunition and joined in the fray. Feeling sufficiently snowed, Narottama and I took a full tour of the Castle, making sure to catch all the views of the snow, from each of the Two Towers. We collected ourselves in our room, letting the numbness in our hands die away. I was glad that the heat was on, as the cold set in in Radhadesh. It was a fridge on the outside and an oven on the inside – the best kind.
[25-26/11/2010]
Read original post: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/the-heat-in-the-cold]
Subscribe: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/subscribe] Mayapur Online: Sri Ksetra Parikrama – An ecstatic experience!Sri Kshetra Dham is the conchshell shaped abode of the Lord of the Universe, Jagannathdev. Here He resides with His transcendental brother Baladeva and sister Subhadradevi in a magnificient temple with 3 grand domes. This wonderful place was where we went on parikrama from the 24th to 26th November. It was truly an ecstatic one especially in the association of exalted, leading devotees of our movement. H.H. Sivarama Swami: Rasamrta dd asked me to speak about Radha DamodaraSo here is a little about Them. H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, November 26th, 2010Bagels and cream cheese
H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Thursday, November 25th, 2010We can start to live
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Bhakti Sara PrabhuSrimad Bhagavatam 11.27.25-26 - Krsna is the reservoir of all beauty (lavanya). H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Class – 27 November 2010I met Indradyumna Maharaja in Vrindavana at the ceremony for Purnacandranbsp;Maharaja's samadhi, and Indradyumna Maharaja got on my case a little for notnbsp;making any classes available on my web site. So here is a class I gave innbsp;Vrindavana on the 27th November. Gouranga TV: Spontaneous Dancing On Harinam 11/20/10Spontaneous Dancing On Harinam 11/20/10 More Recent Articles |
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