By Mayapur.comAfter sravan utsav, kirtan mela is the next big event happening in Mayapur. Kirtan mela adivas took place on 15th evening. HH Loknath Swami led kirtan. Devotees danced along with kirtan. HH Sacinandana Swami and HH Kadamba Kanana Swami were also present on the occasion. The venue for the kirtan mela (Panca tattva hall) has been specially decorated with a blue tent covering the ceiling. Also, Deities of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and Srila Prabhupada are placed with...
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- 18 Feb 2015
By ISKCON CommunicationsThe third day of the ISKCON GBC’s Annual General Meetings opened with a presentation by Madhavananda Dasa, a member of the ISKCON Chowpatty in Mumbai. He informed the GBC body of a mega kirtan festival, Chant for Change, being planned in Jagannath Puri to coincide with the Navakalevara festival wherein the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra are changed once in 19 years. The most unique element of this kirtan festival would be that spiritual leaders and members of the four...
- 17 Feb 2015
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of November. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
...- 17 Feb 2015
Rama dasa: Jnanagamya Prabhu, disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada left his body this morning, February 17th 2015, around 9 am in the holy Dham Sri Mayapur India....
- 17 Feb 2015
By Mayapur.comThere was chanting of mantras by students of Bhaktivedanta academy. Next, there was a coconut breaking ceremony to invoke auspiciousness. Following that, some sanyasis spoke on the occasion. HH Gopal Krishna Goswami told devotees to take advantage of the sadhu sangha, get charged up and preach with enthusiasm on returning back. Compared to earlier situation of Mayapur, present Mayapur Gaur Purnima is surely a festival. Maharaj predicted that next year festival marking 50th anniversary of ISKCONâ€...
- 16 Feb 2015
By Radhanath SwamiOne day, he met a great devotee, Vakresvara Pandita. He was so attracted by the compassion and devotion of Vakresvara Pandita that he wanted to serve him. He invited Vakresvara Pandita to live in his ashram. When Vakresvara Pandita would perform kirtan, he would stand with a stick to make sure that nobody crashed into him or disturbed his dancing. When Vakresvara Pandita in ecstasy would fall, he would catch him. He would clean his body with his own hands. Because he was deeply appreciating the...
- 16 Feb 2015
By Badrinarayan GoswamiI was at one of our temples. The archetype hippies showed up with bells and long hair in a pony tail. It was a husband and wife, couple. The wife's name was Wish. His name was Comet. So naturally I asked, "Where did you get those names?" They said that they gave them to themselves. So naturally I asked why. The wife said, "Because I'm always saying that I wish I had this, I wish I was there, I wish, I wish, I wish." So naturally I asked the husband, "Where'd you get the name Comet?" He said,...
- 15 Feb 2015
By Arjun BhattacharyyaThe people originating from India who have been residing in Trinidad for generations have been cut off from India due to circumstances. However, it was enlivening to see that they kept their original Vedic culture intact in so many ways. Through time they forgot their native Indian languages and English has become their only language of communication. The devotees at Trinidad were extremely loving and caring and they made Deena Bandhu Prabhu’s stay very homely due to their hospitality and ...
- 15 Feb 2015
By Mukunda dasOur Panca-Tattvas Shastra Dana program has now existed for almost six years. The purpose of the Shastra Dana is to enable everyone to participate in the distribution of Srila Prabhupada's books and other Vedic literature. Our goal is to present the spiritual knowledge contained in these books to as many people as possible. The books we donate and puts out to various institutions around the country.
...- 14 Feb 2015
By Rukmini Mohana DasOn 9th February, devotees from ISKCON Patna organized first ever program in, Ranchi at Khel Gaon. The program was aimed at providing the basic understanding about following - The purpose of ISKCON, Bhagavad Gita, contribution of Srila Prabhupada to unabridged humanity. Of course the program also had other usual Krishna conscious attractions like Mantra Rock show and prasadam. Rambhadra Das spoke about the problems and shortcomings in today's modern society and how teachings of Bhagavad gita ar...
- 14 Feb 2015
By Damodar Prasad dasSukadeva Goswami says: “These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity” (SB 6.1.13). The problem of sinful desires, or what may be more neutrally called addictive behaviours, has been of great interest in modern psychology. Different schools of thought have approached the problem differently, but perhaps the most prominent in recent modern history has been the behaviour...
- 13 Feb 2015
By the GBC CRO of the Strategic Planning NetworkDay three immediately built on the enthusiasm and camaraderie developed over the first two days of the SGGS. On this third and last day, participants took on the task of looking seventy years into the future, when all of Srila Prabhupadas disciples – and even most of the devotees who took initiation not long after Srila Prabhupadas departure – will certainly have left the planet.
...- 13 Feb 2015
By Sridama dasaThe Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is Rising! Srila Prabhupada’s gift to Lord Chaitanya is nearing completion of the first stage. Be a part of all the intricate work that’s gone into the construction last year by a dedicated team of devotees at Sridham Mayapur in West Bengal, India. A film by Sridama dasa and the team at the TOVP.
...- 13 Feb 2015
By ISKCON CommunicationsThe current system for processing GBC proposals is that the GBC deputies first review and evaluate the proposal and then present their results to the entire GBC body. The GBC then discusses the proposal and holds a preliminary or “straw” vote. The deputies then implement any suggested adjustments and later on bring back the revised proposal for a final vote.
...- 12 Feb 2015
By Vaisesika DasThere is a way in which to perform tapasya in order to control the senses. It is a kind of combat between the practitioner and the desires and emotions within. But after all, we are sentient beings, which means we have emotions and we have desires. Therefore, the abject denial of desires and emotions can make the heart hard. From a hard heart, anger may arise. Therefore, we as Vaisnavas, perform yukta vairagya. That is, we perform austerities by rejecting anything that cannot be used in the servic...
- 12 Feb 2015
By Jayadvaita SwamiSrila Prabhupada would say that this miraculously transformed educational system would still be a grand failure. Why? Because it would still be built on ignorance, on mistaking the body for the self, and on making the gratification of our bodily demands—the needs for eating, sleeping, mating, and defense—the central focus of our life. The animals know of no higher purposes in life than to eat, to sleep, to defend themselves, and to have sex. Of course, as human beings we share these same ne...
- 11 Feb 2015
By Madhava SmullenPrabhupada wrote to his disciples elsewhere in the world expressing his appreciation of the festival. “The Bhagavata Dharma discourses here in New Vrindaban are going on very nicely, and daily several hundred devotees and guests are coming to hear, and it is truly a wonderful time,” he wrote to Radha Damodar Das. And to Brahmananda, he wrote, “Now go on holding [these] Bhagavata Dharma discourses in every city of the world.”
...- 11 Feb 2015
By the GBC CRO of the Strategic Planning NetworkThe discussions were dynamic and pertinent, and then the participants broke for lunch. After lunch, the participants stood before a large banner on the wall with an important excerpt from a letter from Srila Prabhupada: “This is called unity in diversity. I am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
...- 10 Feb 2015
By Bhajahari dasThere is a verse spoken by Narada Muni, that even by sentiment, not understanding properly the philosophy of Krsna consciousness, even by sentiment. All right, let me also dance and chant like these people, the saffron-colored, shaved head people are doing. Let me do that. So once dancing with them will never go in vain. It will (be) immediately accounted, Ah, he has danced. It is so nice. It will never go in vain. Then these children are dancing. Don't think it is spoiling time. Everything is rec...
- 10 Feb 2015
By Navina-Syama DasaAdmiration for the astounding abilities of Sherlock Holmes is certainly not misplaced. The methods he and his contemporary scientific counterparts use for acquiring knowledge—observation and reasoning—are universal and necessary, and even the Vedic literature of ancient India recognizes them as valid for certain purposes. Nevertheless, they are not sufficient. Because they are imperfect processes, subject to limited certainty and scope, they should not be independently relied upon. Inducti...
- 10 Feb 2015
By Manish GoelI analyzed my work through the lens of Krishna consciousness and found it degrading and contrary to Krishna consciousness. I work for a retail company where I create propositions that entice people to buy more and more. I started feeling that any kind of work is equivalent to contributing to maya's trap of increasing material desires. "I'm on the path of Krishna consciousness to escape the influence of maya, but I'm busy creating material allurements for others." That thought disturbed me constantly...
- 10 Feb 2015
By Kripamoya DasaSome things must, unavoidably, be jettisoned as excess baggage and some things adapted if the distinct religious community is to survive. Yet it would seem that some things – essential aspects of the theology, for instance – must be carefully protected if the religion is to continue to exist at all. Full cultural assimilation may completely swallow up a unique religious tradition causing it to disappear, along with any contribution it offered. The questions confronting religions today, spread ...
- 9 Feb 2015
By Hari Vilas PrabhuIn France we were very poor also. So Prabhupada wanted us to open a temple. So somehow or other by a miracle we opened a temple. And we invited him to come. ...While chanting I noticed there was a brown bag in the temple room. It was a brown paper bag. So I picked it up, I looked inside it was full of money. More money than I had ever seen in my life! So immediately I put it under my arm and covered it with a chadar. (claps) and I started to sweat thinking what will I do if someone comes...
- 9 Feb 2015
By radhanathswami.com staffLast month President Barack Obama took in a regal display of Indian military hardware, marching bands and elaborately dressed camels, becoming the first American leader to be honored as chief guest at India’s 66th annual Republic Day festivities at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In honor of the visit by the U.S. President and First Lady, the President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, hosted an “At Home” reception at his residence Rashtrapati Bhavan wherein m...
- 9 Feb 2015
