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H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Wednesday 12 January 2011--Onwards to Our Next Destination--and--Eternal Relationships?A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(tm) Wednesday 12 January 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: Onwards to Our Next Destination Uploaded from Auckland, New Zealand 11 January 2011--After a wonderful month of Krishna conscious caring and sharing in Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, we are heading out today for a three nation lecture tour in South America: Argentina, Chile, and Peru. After that we will be going up to Los Angeles, for a three lecture series, and then back to our home base, Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Austin, Texas, where we will remain up until Gaura Purnima, the transcendental appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Travelling all over the world for spreading Krishna consciousness is unlimitedly rewarding because the more we give Krishna, the more we get Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari South America--Our Next Stop http://www.backtohome.com/images/south-america.jpg Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Eternal Relationships? My Dear Gurudeva, Humble obeisances to you. I want to know whether the father-son relationship and husband-wife relationship are eternal. I mean, in the next life also will I be the son of my father, and my wife will be same in the next birth? Sanil Answer: Material Relationships Are Temporary All material relationships are temporary. We've had millions of fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives in millions of lifetimes. This is just like the sticks floating in the ocean which gather together by influence of the waves and are then scattered only to again bunch together in different patterns by the actions of the waves. But, if we have any affection for our present family members, we should become pure devotees of Krishna and make our family members also pure devotees of Lord Krishna. Then we can all go to the spiritual world where we will serve Krishna eternally and will able to remember how we were devotee family members during our final lifetime in the material world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2010-2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address: o H.H. Devamrita Swami: Website under repairDevamrita Maharaja's website is currently broken. We are aware of the problem and are working to fix the issue. Estimate time of completion for the repair is sometime before the end of this month (January). ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Vraja Krsna PrabhuSrimad Bhagavatam 11.29.1-3 - Only way of mind and sense control is through devotional service. Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: MSF all time high at ISKCON of Silicon Valley!By Raxit Jariwalla Hare Krishna Dear Devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! Our annual books marathon referred to as ‘The MSF (Monthly Sankirtan Festival) of 25,000 Books, an Occasion for Selfless Service’, which began in the second week of October 2010 was concluded on January 5th, the day of offering, when the final results were offered to Srila Prabhupada and their Lordships at the Wednesday Night Gita Class held at the ISV temple in San Jose. MSF Goal The main goal of this Annual 2010 Sankirtana Festival was: * To distribute at least 25,000 books, an initial goal, which was revised in early December to 30,000 books MSF Highlights This annual 2010 books marathon turned out to be a major historic event, with ISV devotees distributing thousands of Srila Prabhupada’s books throughout the Bay area and at distant spots, including other parts of the US, Europe and India. Book distribution occurred with much enthusiasm during practically all weekends of the marathon, during several Hari Nama performances in Palo Alto, during special days marking Indian festivals such as Dussehra and Divali, on Govardhan Puja Day, Thanksgiving Day, World Enlightenment Day, the day marking Advent of the Bhagavad Gita, and during Christmas holidays and weekdays involving spontaneous and voluntary Sankirtana activity. The highlight of this MSF was massive door-to-door distribution of books at large apartment complexes and traveling Sankirtana through which ISV devotees distributed hundreds of book packs, Bhagavad Gitas & Krsna books in towns all across the Bay area. Both adults and children were active participants in door-to-door book distribution, including Sunday-School kids who organized their own Kids Sankirtana with a goal of 2500 books, succeeding in distributing totally 2894 books. In addition, numerous cases of Bhagavad Gitas and several Srimad Bhagavatam sets were distributed at temple programs, and hundreds of Gitas were shipped for placement in motels all across the US, with extensive devotee participation by MotelGita team members from different states. (The MotelGita team succeeded in placing more than 10,000 Bhagavad Gitas in motels during this marathon). During this MSF, Srila Prabhupada’s books were also placed in libraries, distributed at weddings and special events, at Indian stores and different venues and at nearby and distant temples. Book distribution continued through Smart Boxes placed in various establishments. The smart box team had made a goal of opening new smart boxes in 2010. We are pleased to announce that by their untiring efforts, they were able to open 19 new smart boxes in the Bay Area. Summary of Results The Final Results of the 2010 books marathon can be summarized as follows: * More than 150 devotees participated in book distribution * They distributed 31,099 books, surpassing the MSF goal and setting a new record for book distribution, crossing the previous high of 23,581 books distributed during the annual marathon of 2009. * ISV devotees raised 55,383 dollars, setting another new record in Laxmi points, surpassing the previous high of $33,864 set also during the annual marathon of 2009. The Laxmi score includes donations, $27,309 of which was made to ISV MotelGita in this year’s marathon. We thank all participating devotees including members of Team ISV and all donors and sponsors who contributed to the success of this MSF. Last but not least we offer our special thanks to HG Vaisesika Prabhu for inspiring us with this MSF of 30,000 books. On behalf of Team ISV, MSF of Thirty-Thousand ki Jaya! Yours in service, Raxit Jariwalla ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Bhakti Vaibhava Classes RecommenceBhakti Vaibhava classes recommence this month.
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Bhakti Shastri Classes RecommenceOur Bhakti Shastri classes recommence next month.
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
Book Distribution News: MSF all time high at ISKCON of Silicon Valley!By Raxit Jariwalla Hare Krishna Dear Devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! Our annual books marathon referred to as ‘The MSF (Monthly Sankirtan Festival) of 25,000 Books, an Occasion for Selfless Service’, which began in the second week of October 2010 was concluded on January 5th, the day of offering, when the final results were offered to Srila Prabhupada and their Lordships at the Wednesday Night Gita Class held at the ISV temple in San Jose. MSF Goal The main goal of this Annual 2010 Sankirtana Festival was: * To distribute at least 25,000 books, an initial goal, which was revised in early December to 30,000 books MSF Highlights This annual 2010 books marathon turned out to be a major historic event, with ISV devotees distributing thousands of Srila Prabhupada’s books throughout the Bay area and at distant spots, including other parts of the US, Europe and India. Book distribution occurred with much enthusiasm during practically all weekends of the marathon, during several Hari Nama performances in Palo Alto, during special days marking Indian festivals such as Dussehra and Divali, on Govardhan Puja Day, Thanksgiving Day, World Enlightenment Day, the day marking Advent of the Bhagavad Gita, and during Christmas holidays and weekdays involving spontaneous and voluntary Sankirtana activity. The highlight of this MSF was massive door-to-door distribution of books at large apartment complexes and traveling Sankirtana through which ISV devotees distributed hundreds of book packs, Bhagavad Gitas & Krsna books in towns all across the Bay area. Both adults and children were active participants in door-to-door book distribution, including Sunday-School kids who organized their own Kids Sankirtana with a goal of 2500 books, succeeding in distributing totally 2894 books. In addition, numerous cases of Bhagavad Gitas and several Srimad Bhagavatam sets were distributed at temple programs, and hundreds of Gitas were shipped for placement in motels all across the US, with extensive devotee participation by MotelGita team members from different states. (The MotelGita team succeeded in placing more than 10,000 Bhagavad Gitas in motels during this marathon). During this MSF, Srila Prabhupada’s books were also placed in libraries, distributed at weddings and special events, at Indian stores and different venues and at nearby and distant temples. Book distribution continued through Smart Boxes placed in various establishments. The smart box team had made a goal of opening new smart boxes in 2010. We are pleased to announce that by their untiring efforts, they were able to open 19 new smart boxes in the Bay Area. Summary of Results The Final Results of the 2010 books marathon can be summarized as follows: * More than 150 devotees participated in book distribution * They distributed 31,099 books, surpassing the MSF goal and setting a new record for book distribution, crossing the previous high of 23,581 books distributed during the annual marathon of 2009. * ISV devotees raised 55,383 dollars, setting another new record in Laxmi points, surpassing the previous high of $33,864 set also during the annual marathon of 2009. The Laxmi score includes donations, $27,309 of which was made to ISV MotelGita in this year’s marathon. We thank all participating devotees including members of Team ISV and all donors and sponsors who contributed to the success of this MSF. Last but not least we offer our special thanks to HG Vaisesika Prabhu for inspiring us with this MSF of 30,000 books. On behalf of Team ISV, MSF of Thirty-Thousand ki Jaya! Yours in service, Raxit Jariwalla H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 1882:11 P.M.Saci came for breakfast this morning. He said he’s feeling much better. He will go to work today and go to manage his basketball team in the early evening. I was glad to see him better. No one in the neighboring houses is very sick any-more. Tomorrow more snow is supposed to come. I have different books lying on the floor. None of which I am reading except the Krishna Book (which I keep on a shelf). I have here Charles Olson’s Maximus poems and the complete poems of e.e. cummings. They don’t make sense. I have two books of collected letters by Charles Olsen which Bhakti-rasa brought me unsolicited. They’re not interesting. I have three different books on journalkeeping and free writing which I don’t find interesting. The books are piled around. A devotee reads the Krishna Book at meal times to me and I paraphrase on it here. I sometimes ask Bhakti-rasa to read to me from John Steinbeck’s Once There Was a War, which we find interesting, war correspondence. I take extra naps because I’m still recovering. I’m forcing myself to drink more water so that I’ll reach 1½ liters a day, which my doctor prescribes. It’s hard for me to do. Baladeva almost slipped off the roof yesterday because he was breaking icicles and then stepping on them. He’s not going to do it anymore. Baladeva had all the electricity turned on at lunchtime, the grill for pancakes, the micro-oven was on, the washing machine, the big oven for raviolis, a basement heater—and the electric fuse blew. All the preparations were ruined. I had ice cream and a stale pancake. I have been walking a little bit longer on my daily walk with Bhakti-rasa at 4 P.M. It’s a little dangerous because it’s a two-way road and it’s narrow and the cars go fast. The sign says 35 MPH but the cars go 50 MPH. Since the heavy snowfall the birds have kept away from our birdfeeder. There is a cat that sits under the house, but he was there before when the birds were coming more. Baladeva said that maybe the birds have found another birdfeeder. He had cleared the ground under the feeder and filled it with first-class birdfeed but they are not to be seen. No squirrels either. Krishna is providing for them in His own way. Some doves do come in the morning and some starlings come later for brad and later the small birds come into the cage for seeds—but not so many. Satrajit offered to give the jewel to Krishna ,but Krishna said He didn’t have any need of it. He said it was better to let it remain in the temple and everyone could derive the benefit from the jewel. Because of the jewel’s presence in the city of Dvaraka there would be no more famine or disturbances created. But after Akrura visited Hastinapura and reported the condition of the Pandavas to Krishna there were further developments. The Pandavas were transferred to a house that was made of shellack and was later set ablaze, and everyone understood that the Pandavas, along with their mother Kunti, had been killed. This information was also sent to Lord Balarama and Krishna. After consulting together They decided to go to Hastinapura to show sympathy to Their relatives. Krishna and Balarama knew that the Pandavas could not have been killed in the devastating fire, but They wanted to go to take part in the bereavement. At Hastinapura some of the people were just faking that they were bereaving, but others were actually very sorry. When Krishna and Balarama were away from the city of Dvaraka their was a conspiracy to take away the Syamantaka jewel from Satrajit. The chief conspirator was Satadhanva. Along with others, Satadhanva wanted to marry Satyabhauma, the beautiful daughter of Satrajit. Satrajit had promised that he would give her to Krishna, but this conspiracy was started and even Akrura and a person named Krtavarma joined the conspiracy because they wanted the jewel for Krishna. They knew that Krishna wanted the jewel and that Satrajit had not delivered it properly. Others joined the conspiracy because they were disappointed in not having the hand of Satyabhauma. Some of them incited Satadhanva to kill Satrajit and take away the jewel. The question is generally raised why a great devotee like Akrura joined this conspiracy. And why did Krtavarma, although a devotee of the Lord, join the conspiracy. The answer is given by authorities like Jiva Gosvami and others that although Akrura was a great devotee he was cursed by the inhabitants of Vrndavana because of his taking Krishna away from their midst. Because of wounding their feelings Akrura was forced to join the conspiracy declared by similar men. Similarly, Krtavarma was a devotee but because of his intimate association with Kamsa he was also contaminated by sinful reaction and he also joined the conspiracy. I will tell more about this later. Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Lamenting that mosquitoes do not enjoy sexBrahmatirtha: One scientist recently did a study on mosquitoes. They found out that all mosquitoes do is have sex and eat. And he was lamenting, he said, "Oh, these mosquitoes..." Prabhupada: Sex and eat. Brahmatirtha: That's all they do. He was amazed that they have so much sex life, mosquitoes. So then the scientist he was lamenting. He was thinking, "Oh, these mosquitoes, they probably do not enjoy the sex life." And he sounded as if he wished he was a mosquito to find out. Prabhupada: Yes, mosquito, flies, I have seen. Even the sparrows. Sex life is the center of happiness in this material world. In all forms of life. That is the only. Brahmananda: They think that sex life for humans is the best, is the better sex life, that the animals, they really don't know how to enjoy. Prabhupada: That is another foolishness. If you take some palatable thing in different pot, does it mean the taste changes? You take some juice in the golden pot or iron pot. Does it mean the taste of the juice is changed on account of golden pot? That is another foolishness. Taste is the same, either you drink it in golden pot or iron pot. Kurusrestha: Bhagavatam says, "Unless a person is influenced by maya, how could he do such a thing?" Prabhupada: Therefore we say that whatever you are doing under the influence of maya, it is suffering. It is not enjoyment. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- June 29, 1975, Denver Akrura das, Gita Coaching: INCREASES THE ENTHUSIASMThe sound of this material world and that of the spiritual world are completely different. Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: TVOP update: views from the TOPAfter our inspection of the construction, it was time to head over to the real attraction. I’ve been dying to get up on the top. In 1989 I went up the scaffolding on the dome of the Puspa Samadhi but this is a whole different beastie. Looking up from the base, it was slightly intimidating and there’s no other way up than to climb the many flights of rungs ascending its steely innards. I confess I had to stop half way up to catch my breath and there was a tricky bit when we had to pass through the swivel gear just below the top but in just a few minutes we were finally there, on the TOP of the TOVP
Fabuloso! Here we are on top of the counter weights at the back of the crane Wonderful vistas of Mayapur from 190 feet up (57 meters) (except for the perpetual haze that seems to hang over most of India nowadays). North South East Straight down The Samadhi looks spectacular from above. A whole new perspective made me appreciate the design of Saurabha prabhu all the more And you can really see a whole new township developing on what was just just open paddy fields just a few years ago The Yoga-pitha could be seen in the distance The jib of the crane is nearly as long as the crane is high It can extend over the front gate and pick up a load from truck parked out on Bhaktisiddhanta Road The site is fast developing and it won’t be long, about one year, before we see the superstructure of the whole building appear. In a couple of months another tower crane will be erected diagonally opposite to this one and the pair of them will eventually extend to 400+ feet high. The blue middle section of the crane is actually a giant hydraulic jack It splits the mid-section, raising the top half of the crane, then a new piece of the stem is picked up and is added into the gap and the top lowered back down onto it. Piece by piece it can be extended upwards to about 450 feet high (can’t wait to get up that one!). To save the workers a long climb when the structure grows, a special cage has been made to transport them to the top of the building via the crane It will certainly make it easier to take photos from the top when the crane gets bigger That’s it for now folks – watch this space for more updates in the coming weeks. Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir Temple of the Vedic Planetarium ki jaya! H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: PURI PARIKRAMA PART FOURSent by Her Grace Chitrangada Devi Dasi Dear Devotees, My apologies for the break in between and the delay in offering you “Puri Parikrama Part 4″. We celebrated Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Kuala Lumpur last weekend at a grand scale. Incidentally, we have 28 Ratha Yatras in Malaysia!…Yes! 28. The festival has indeed put me [...] Japa Group: Saved From All Kinds Of DangerEveryone is thus advised to seek shelter in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and remain engaged in his own occupational duty. There is no loss in this, and the gain is tremendous. Even from a material point of view, everyone should take to chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to be saved from all kinds of danger. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.6.3 Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SIX SUCCESS PRINCIPLESOne can execute the process of bhakti-yoga successfully with: H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Sunshine Coast Retreat With His Holiness Bhakti Caru SwamiAUSTRALIA 14–19 APRIL 2011 WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VAISHNAVA ATTENDANCE…. (Click on the picture for enlarged view) Sent By His Grace Janaka Raja Dasa Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Janmastami Dance - Wo Kisna He - 7/7The Gana Dance Troupe performing a dance on Janmastami to the Bollywood hit "Wo Kisna He". Dallas, TX
Dandavats.com: An Auspicious Start To The New Year With Invigorating Book DistributionBy Indresh We were fortunate to be able to start 2011 off on the right foot by distributing Srila Prabhupada's books during the morning of January 1st David Haslam, UK: Mother Urmila’s books enter the Primary Schools in WalesToday I started to give out the first of Mother Urmila’s books for primary school use here in Wales. The first school was a local one to me, and I was allowed to go into class and show them to the pupils that will soon be using them. To say that the class lit up [...] Dandavats.com: Devotees at ISV distributed 31,099 books during MSF of selfless serviceBy Raxit Jariwalla Our annual books marathon referred to as ‘The MSF of 25,000 Books, an Occasion for Selfless Service’, which began in the second week of October 2010 was concluded yesterday, January 5th, the day of offering, when the final results were offered to Srila Prabhupada and their Lordships at the Wednesday Night Gita Class held at the ISV temple in San Jose H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Correctied Version--Tuesday 11 Jan 2011--How to Shrink this Material Existence--and--How We Accept Krishna as Supreme?A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(tm) Tuesday 11 January 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: How to Shrink this Material Existence Uploaded from Auckland, New Zealand This material world is a vast impossible-to-cross ocean of space. Even if you were to travel at the speed of light or even at the speed of the mind for millions and billions of years, you would not be able to cross over this material existence and enter into three-fourths portion of reality, the transcendental spiritual sky, which exists far beyond time and space. However, if you will take complete shelter of the boat of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, that Supreme Person, who is the source of all existence, that vast insurmountable ocean of material existence will shrink down to the amount of water contained within the hoof print of a calf, and you will easily be able to cross beyond it and enter as a participant into inconceivably sublime pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna in that wondrous spiritual sky. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Shrink Material World to Calf's Hoof Print Size Auckland, New Zealand--7 January 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2010_Tour2/vatsa_padam.jpg Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How We Accept Krishna as Supreme? I humbly request your good self to please tell me on what basis one can accept Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Nagireddy Answer: From Scripture, Acharyas, and Experience Our basis for accepting Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the authoritative evidence given in the Vedic scriptures as confirmed by the great acharyas (saintly teachers) who guided the Vedic civilization for hundreds of thousands of years. Plus when one fully awakens his divine consciousness he will personally experience how Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2010-2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address: o Dandavats.com: More Strength than a Million SunsBy Sacinandana Swami Night is falling quickly this winter evening, and it is snowing again. I am sitting in our little Gaura Bhavan Ashram, on the shore of Lake Wannensee, and thinking about each of you whom I met during the past year. I want to send you a message of hope - realistic hope Dandavats.com: ISKCON and the InternetBy Radha Mohan das As everyone knows, today the Internet is the principle mode of local and international communication, especially for younger generations. It has been with us for about 20 years now, yet in such a short time it has had a profound impact on nearly all individuals, organisations, governments, businesses and institutions. ISKCON, of course, is no exception Dandavats.com: Is Unemployment Equivalent to Murder?By Vrndavanlila Dasi After a long gap, I visited my village, Deviapur, near Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, India. As I got down from the train everything was a surprise. Earlier we used to go to the house from the railway station either on bicycle or bullock cart (as kids we preferred the latter option), but now smoke bellowing car and motorcycles were there to receive us Dandavats.com: Debunking the Equity MythBy Bhakti Raghava Swami "To render service to the husband, to be always favourably disposed toward the husband, to be equally well disposed toward the husband's relatives and friends, and to follow the vows of the husband—these are the four principles to be followed by women described as chaste" Dandavats.com: Times ahead…Puskaraksa das: May Krishna make your year a happy one! Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain, But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes; Not by making your path easy, But by making you sturdy to travel any path; Dandavats.com: “Cameras Ready ! And……Action !”Giribaradhari das: te-naka te-naka te-naka taa ! I hear the mrdanga beat. I'm really completely jet lagged, Still trying to find my feet. Dandavats.com: Come join us at the first Silicon Valley - Bhaktivedanta ForumPusta Krishna das: Forum hosted by a doctor, an attorney, and scientists using the wisdom and practices taught by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the foremost modern proponent of Sanatan Dharma Dandavats.com: ISKCON of Hawaii, Big Island online classesRamananda dasa: We hold online classes for Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita and several online seminars. Daily we hold Skype conference calls with 10 to 20 devotees participating Dandavats.com: Hare Krishna Seminary Of Philosophy And TheologyLilananda dasa: BHAKTI SASTRI COURSE. Recognized by ISKCON BOARD OF EDUCATION in Bhuvanesvara - India. Pedagogical Coordinator: Dhanvantari Swami, ACBSP, BhS Dandavats.com: New ISKCON Center At A South Indian Holy PlaceSahadeva dasa: On 22nd December 2010, devotees inaugurated a Namahatta ISKCON center was at Yadagiri Gutta, a holy place 60 kms East of Hyderabad in South India. This place is known for its hilltop temple of Lord Nrsimhadeva Dandavats.com: Employment Opportunity – Sacred Threads Inc.Krsna katha dasi: Position: Office Staff. Duties/Expectations: Customer Service by phone, including taking orders. Computer proficiency, including: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook – Photoshop a plus Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Krishmas with Bir Krishna Maharaj - The "Brother" in God-BrotherSo after leaving Prabhupada Village we made it to Durham, our destination and southern most driving point. We had no hotel reservation and our devotional clothes were still on, so we drove up to Homewood Suites and after a couple of "double takes" from the registration desk and inspecting the tilak on my dad's forehead we got our rooms and a great deal to boot.
Kishori was happy to see the stove top so we decided to get some groceries at the local Walmart to do some cooking but we forgot it was Christmas eve and as we drove into the parking lot, Walmart and pretty much everything around was closing for the Christmas holiday. So back to the hotel we went to rummage through the magical bag of potatoes and crates from home :) [See Saturday's post to make sense of this] The next morning we headed to New Goloka Dham and took darshan of the stunning and adorable Sri Radha Golokananda and Srila Prabhupada in a unique dome structured temple which sort of reminded me of the Montreal Expo or the Ontario Place Ball. After a few japa rounds we headed next door and Maharaj had just made it back from his walk. Maharaj and my dad exchanged a very warm embrace. Although Maharaj has been to our house around a dozen times, it has been a few years since we all saw him. There was a lot of catching up and they say you learn something new every day. I did not realize that my dad and Maharaj knew each other back in the 70's. I also learned that Maharaj literally built up this community and when I mean literally, he was actually hands on laying bricks for New Goloka's temple and structures. After some recollections and Maharaj recounting some extremely interesting tidbits from the morning lecture about Christmas and Christ's history, it was onto some kirtan. I have always noticed that Maharaj is very personal, hands on and caring. As the room filled up he was asking the devotees where is "this prabhu" or "that mataji" to make sure everyone was there. He knew about everyone's circumstances, health and attendance. Also, earlier on he quickly stepped out to get freshly baked bread that he had made for the devotees. Some matajis were piling up tons of wrapped gifts for the devotees. Me and my wife Kishori looked at each other, both thinking about pacification techiques for our kids, especially our younger two who are 4 and 5 years old, when they saw gifts being opened all around them. So, Bir Krishna Maharaj started giving gifts out to all the devotees and they were all Vedic gifts individually chosen for the unique devotee. One devotee got Forbidden Archeology and another young devotee got a Narshimadeva deity and by their reactions and comments you could tell it was not a random selection. Then Maharaj gave gifts to our kids, Krishna story books which they all loved and the crisis was averted :-) Now of course who does not like gifts and I know most people take my mom and dad seriously but they can act as kids sometimes as well. Maharaj gives a box to my mom and she was thrilled when out pops Gaura-Nitai deities, just perfect and needed for our quick offering altar in the home kitchen. Now for those who know my dad they know his favorite 2 subjects are...Srila Prabhupada and Braj Dham/Vrindavan...so he gets a poster of Krishna's pastimes bubbles around Braj Dham locales. I am chuckling as I write this but how appropriate of a gift. Of course, the Krish-mas party wrapped up with a delicious feast. It was very nice to see that the party was anchored in our Vedic roots, with all Vedic gifts and everyone in devotional clothes. It was also nice to see the multiple generations all together in Krishna's service. Older devotees and Prabhupada disciples with middle age devotees and parents as well as kids and a few Gurukuli alumni all in the mix. I had the pleasure of having prasadam with another former NV Gurukuli and as he said you need to remember and focus on the positives...and I could not agree more... dasanudas, Indresh H.H. Sivarama Swami: Having arrived in Scotland here is my report on preaching in IstanbulSri Prahlad, AU: Different Forms of KirtanThe power of kirtan is not only being increasingly recognised and embraced in the yoga community, but practitioners of other religious traditions are embracing it as well; creating new kirtan forms. What are some of these forms of kirtan and how is a kirtan practitioner to respond to them? Within the Jewish tradition, we have the Kirtan Rabbi. He sings Hebrew Kirtan, which involves a weaving of traditional Jewish liturgy and musical modes with the call-and-response kirtan format as well as kirtan instrumentation. Kirtan Rabbai’s Hebrew kirtan uses the traditional call-and-response form – but utilises traditional Jewish modes of notation drawn from both European and Eastern sources. Then there is Christian Kirtan, which is engaged in some churches to celebrate the service of Holy Communion. One way this practice differs from Hebrew kirtan is that it involves not only using the call-and-response format and instrumentation of kirtan, but also singing in Sanskrit. This is, Sanskrit versions of Christian prayers or Christian versions of Sanskrit prayers such as Jaya Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ (glory to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ). Within the Hindu and Yoga traditions, we find kirtans dedicated to numerous deities such as Kali, Hanuman, Ram, Krishna, and Shiva. Study of the Vedic literatures reveals, however, that kirtan is exclusively a limb of bhakti that stresses devotion to Krishna. In the Gita Krishna stresses the importance of kirtan by characterising his devotees as those who always do kirtana – “satatam kirtayanto mam” (Bhagavad-gita 9:14). Such statements have led to the development of kirtantheology and practice. In the statements of other Hindu deities such as Shiva, Durga, and Kali in Vedic literatures, such mention of kirtan as a means of worship is largely conspicuous by its absence. Nonetheless, although the scriptures endorse Krishna kirtan, the practice is so blissful and satisfying that other spiritual paths have adopted it to chant the names of Siva, Durga, Kali, and other deities. And now Jewish and Christian kirtan have emerged as well. Personally, rather than composing my own chants, I prefer to sing mantras in glorification of Krishna as found in the scriptures, or, as written by great saints. Nonetheless, I acknowledge that whether in Sanskrit, or Hebrew, or any other language, the most important principle in kirtan is that Divine names are being glorified. The great spiritual teacher Srila Prabhupada stated, “Actually, it doesn’t matter – Krsna or Christ – the name is the same. The main point is to follow the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures that recommend chanting the name of God in this age” (Science of Self Realization, Chapter 4). And it is not only the Vedic tradition that recommends the chanting of the holy names of the Divine with musical instruments. In the Old Testament we find: “Praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals” (Psalms 150:4-5). Why not fulfil this injunction to praise the lord, through kirtan! H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Sunday, January 9th, 2011Checking Imbalances
H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Saturday, January 8th, 2011The Changing Bodies Blitz
H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, January 7th, 2011Religious and Secular Extremism
Akrura das, Gita Coaching: HOW TO CHANT ATTENTIVELY?Once the German devotee Uttama-sloka dasa came to Srila Prabhupada with an important question that had been burning in his mind for a long time: H.H. Sivarama Swami: Pictures from Sunday’s programs in Istanbul
Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: Bali School Makes Sustainability A Way Of Life
SIBANG KAJA, BALI — Half a world away from Cancún, Mexico, and the international climate change talks that took place there last month, a school here in Indonesia is staging its own attempt to save the planet. It is small-scale and literally grassroots — and possibly in some respects more effective than the tortuous efforts of politicians to agree on how to stop global warming. In the midst of the lush, steaming jungle of Bali, along a pitted road, past scattered chickens and singing cicadas, Green School has two dozen buildings made of giant bamboo poles. There are no walls, and there is no air-conditioning. Just gracefully arched roofs, concrete floors and bamboo furniture. There is a big, grassy playground, complete with goalposts made — yes — of bamboo; a bamboo bridge across a rock-strewn river; vegetable patches; and a mud-wrestling pit. But there is also a computer lab, a well-stocked library and an array of courses drawn from an internationally recognized curriculum and taught in English. More than 200 children from 40 countries, including Indonesia, are learning math here, as well as grammar, science, business studies, drama and Bahasa Indonesia, the official language spoken in this country of 240 million. The students, whose levels range from kindergarten to 10th grade and who represent 40 nationalities, are also learning to grow and thresh rice and how to make ceramics and paper from materials found on the school site. They get dirt under their fingernails and mud between their toes. Visitors are advised to wear comfortable shoes. High heels are not recommended. If all this sounds a little bit hippie and idealistic, that is because it is. A little. But then, Green School, the brainchild of John Hardy and his wife, Cynthia, is also realistic and practical, designed to give children not just a sense of how to live sustainably, but also to leave them ultimately with the skills to enter academic institutions anywhere in the world. “We want to create future green leaders — we need green leaders,” said a sarong-clad Mr. Hardy, picking his way along a dirt path last month. “We want to teach kids that the world is not indestructible.” Mr. Hardy himself — sarong notwithstanding — is no mere dropout, tree-hugging beach bum. True, he says, he “ran away” from his home in Canada in 1975, to go to Bali. But he is also an entrepreneur, and the upmarket jewelry business he and his wife built over the years was worth enough, by the time they sold it in 2007, to allow the Hardys to set up the Green School. The original idea had been to retire quietly. But then Mr. Hardy saw “An Inconvenient Truth,” the 2006 documentary about the campaign by Al Gore, the former U.S. vice president, to educate people about climate change. “Al Gore ruined my life,” Mr. Hardy, who is now 61, likes to say. The movie prompted him to scrap plans for a quiet life and to try to do his part to change the way young people — and ultimately society as a whole — behave toward their environment. Environment-studies courses and nature excursions have, of course, long been popular in U.S. and European schools. But Green School, Mr. Hardy and its teachers believe, is unique in that it completely immerses children in a world of sustainable practices throughout the school day — with the nonflush compost toilets, the (easily bearable) lack of air-conditioning and the fact that virtually everything in the school is created from bamboo, rather than steel, glass and concrete. “There are lots of schools that have elements of ‘green’ teaching, but I don’t think that anyone has been ambitious or foolhardy enough to try anything on this scale before,” said Ben Macrory, a New Yorker who moved to Bali in 2008 to take on the job of Green School’s head of admissions and whose 4-year-old daughter, Maggie, attends the school. “Every experience the children have here is about how to live with only a minimal impact on the environment.” Yes, there are trade-offs. Schooling is only available from nursery school through 10th grade, with plans to extend teaching for the remaining two years by 2012. Also, students have a more limited choice of languages or other standard courses than might be available at Western schools or other international schools on the island of Bali. But that has not prevented the appeal of Green School, which is in its third year, from growing. Many of the students have come from other schools in Bali, and an increasing number come from families who have moved to Bali recently — often in large part because they want to send their children here. “The atmosphere is magical,” said Barbara Friedrichsen-Mehta, who visited the school with her husband, Rajesh, and their daughters Lena and Vinya last month. The family is considering moving to Bali, once their institute for innovative music has been established in Singapore. “We’ve always missed the educational vision in most of the international schools in the many places we’ve lived, and done a lot of home schooling for that reason,” Ms. Friedrichsen-Mehta said. “But this place is creative, innovative and multicultural. And the girls really, really liked it.” The mystique of Bali — its arts, ubiquitous temples and gentle climate — helps to draw families to this place. And the slightly offbeat profile of expatriates on the island means parents are open to novel concepts like a school without walls that grows its own vegetables. “No boring people move to Bali,” Mr. Macrory said. The island attracts entrepreneurs, artists, healers and some staff members from nongovernmental organizations, rather than the financial and corporate communities that have grown in Hong Kong and Singapore, Frankfurt and New York. Still, Mr. Hardy says he is convinced that the Green School concept can work elsewhere, too, and he hopes the school will be the blueprint — or “greenprint” — for more. “Not just one,” he said — “50!” Will Green School be a game-changer in the global fight to combat climate change? Who knows? But for now, 200 children are visibly enjoying the school. And perhaps the school and its future spinoffs will someday yield another Al Gore to shake up someone’s retirement plans. Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: TOVP update: the first slab; construction scheduleSaturday January 8, 2011 Having just arrived back in Mayapur I was excited to see how much progress has been made in the last couple of weeks on the TOVP. I was also dying to go up the tower crane to take some photos for this blog. I joined up with chief of construction, Pundarika Govinda prabhu in his office at 11 am and we set off for a tour of the site. Scores of men were working on the first phase of the first concrete slab. Huge columns stretch to the sky and the shuttering and steel mesh reinforcing for the slab was nearing completion. The first slab is the pujari level, the floor below the temple room. It is level with the second floor of the Long (Chakra) Building and will be laid in four sections. The temple room floor will be level with the roof of the Long Building. Here you can see the steel form of the first part of the circular beam that will form the base for the central dome. There will be no columns within the circle so thousands of visitors will have an unimpeded view of the Deities. There are four triangular vents in the corners of the temple room which will provide natural air conditioning and double up as accoustic funnels, allowing sound to channel out of the temple room instead of bouncing back in interminable echoes as it does in the samadhi. Concrete is pumped into the structure through this pipeline: Pouring for the first section began yesterday, January 10 and will go on for 24 hrs. a day for four days. It will take a month to complete the pujari floor, in four sections: and a further month to do the temple room floor: According to the schedule the whole superstructure, including the three domes, will be completed by February next year, 2012: Its happening! Gouranga TV: Bhajan – Gopi Gita dasi – Hare KrishnaBhajan – Gopi Gita dasi – Hare Krishna H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Quote Of Guru MaharajaCreated By Bhakta Kartik Agarwal Japa Group: Japa Workshop #5 of 6Here the devotees continue to discuss their realisations and ask questions to Mahatma dasa and Badi Hari dasa. More Recent Articles |
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