jueves, 15 de julio de 2010

Caitanya Mangala, CA, USA: KulimeLA 2009: The Rose of Vidarbha – Krishna Kidnaps Rukmini



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  1. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  2. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  3. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  4. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  5. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  6. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  7. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  8. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  9. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  10. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  11. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  12. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  13. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  14. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  15. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  16. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  17. Candidasa dasa, UK: Hare Krishna Questions and Answers website
  18. ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gangesvara Prabhu
  19. Caitanya Mangala, CA, USA: KulimeLA 2009: The Rose of Vidarbha – Krishna Kidnaps Rukmini
  20. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 9
  21. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Honolulu Airport
  22. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Stuyvesant Falls Routine
  23. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Japa of Mahaprabhu in Gambhira
  24. Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: resolving differences by sankirtana
  25. Gaura Nitai das, Mayapura, IN: The yoga of kirtan makes waves in world music
  26. Japa Group: Most Important And Powerful Practice
  27. H.H. Sivarama Swami: Hari-vallabha dd. asks
  28. Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Don’t Bother About Big Big Buildings
  29. Dandavats.com: Jai Jagannath
  30. Dandavats.com: Wild Kirtan in Rathayatra KL
  31. Dandavats.com: KulimeLA 2009: The Rose of Vidarbha - Krishna Kidnaps Rukmini
  32. Dandavats.com: Multimedia magazine from mayapur.tv
  33. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: ARROW
  34. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: TEN TIPS TO IMPROVE MY CHANTING
  35. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: Chanting Brings Peace Of Mind
  36. New Vrndavan, USA: Vaisnavi Retreat 2010
  37. Mayapur Online: Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra
  38. Gauranga Kishore das,USA: Radhanath Swami - The Journey Home North American Release and Book Tour
  39. H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, July 12th, 2010
  40. H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Thursday, July 8th, 2010
  41. H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Sunday, July 11th, 2010
  42. Gouranga TV: Ratha Yatra 2010 Madrid
  43. Japa Group: The Number One Priority
  44. ISKCON Klang, Malaysia: They are dancing like peacocks
  45. More Recent Articles
  46. Search Planet ISKCON

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1968 July 15: "My special instruction to you all is that you practice Sankirtana very rhythmically and in a responsive way. That means one should chant first, and others should follow him. That is a very nice system."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1969 July 15: "This program of offering grand scale quantities of prasadam amongst the general people was encouraged by Lord Caitanya, because if someone partakes of the remnants of offerings to Lord Krishna, then he is sure to come back to Krishna Consciousness again at one time or another."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1969 July 15: "Regarding Festivals, you may hold as many as possible. If you can hold such festivals daily, that is also nice. Our movement is for ananda, simply bliss, and the method of pushing this movement is chanting, dancing, feasting and philosophizing."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1969 July 15: "To do things hastily and incorrectly is not good. Anything valuable takes a little time to come into existence. Therefore there is no harm in waiting for the best thing. But everything is well that ends well: That should be the principle."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1972 July 15: "Sometimes our Krsnadasa Babaji sings, but it is not approved by Prabhupada. Those songs are for siddha bhaktas. Lord Caitanya never divulged in public, he enjoyed them in the company of his selected three or four devotees."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1970 July 15: "As I have taken this work as my life and soul on the order of my Spiritual Master, similarly if you take my desires as life and soul, then the whole thing is immediately connected with Krsna. That is the meaning of Parampara."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1974 July 15: "The philosophy discourses we had years ago is now lying without any utility, so all devotees are very much anxious to publish it. Why it should be delayed unnecessarily?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1974 July 15: "We wish to hold a grand festival of the opening of Krishna Balarama temple at Raman Reti. There will be seven days function, and the arrangement has been made that anyone who visits our temple may be supplied with sumptuous prasadam both kachi and pakki."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1968 July 14: "This chanting of Hare Krishna will make everything clear. Chanting of Hare Krishna is not meant for achieving any other better thing than Krishna. You will be glad to know here we are performing kirtana in the Expo Worlds Fair."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1971 July 14: "Bhisma was lying on the bed of arrows. The arrows pierced his body only they did not go all the way through. The arrows piercing his back were supporting his body and there were many arrows piercing his chest. There were no arrows in his head."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1972 July 14: "Yesterday I have met with George Harrison and his wife in their place at Henley, and they are both very much favorable. They want to stay with us for some time at Radha-Damodara Temple this winter sometime, I will tell you when."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1972 July 14: "Tourists may concentrate in Vrindaban with us, live with us, and learn from us the spiritual life. What is the use of wandering here and there, simply seeing this and that and going home? Our main business is to teach them Krishna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1973 July 14: "I am holding morning class. There are about 40 devotees living with me, similarly there are 30 devotees in Bury Place. So I shall be glad to hear about Bombay affairs and as you send me every month statements of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, kindly send me that also."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1974 July 14: "The festival must be gorgeously done. It should not be poor. If there is a scarcity of money, it will be supplied. There must be full prasadam for all the guests. You plan for that, and I will supply the funds. Complete prasada distribution must go on."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1975 July 14: "Krishna and Krishna's representative are not different. The Spiritual Master is accepted by all advanced devotees as Hari. Therefore it is said saksadhari."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1975 July 14: "I received report that he was talking privately in his room with a woman. What is this? Private talks with woman are immediately condemned. He is a good preacher, but it is very dangerous to close the door with woman."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

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Candidasa dasa, UK: Hare Krishna Questions and Answers website

I have created a proposal to create a new Question & Answer website for Hare Krishna devotees and need your help.

The proposed website will be built on the same software as stackoverflow.com, a hugely popular site where over seven million computer programmers help each other with difficult programming problems. On Stack Overflow the audience votes for the best answer. Answers with the highest number of votes automatically rise to the top, to be read first. People answering questions gain reputation from each “up” vote for their answer, encouraging them to answer questions well. I can see this proposed site turning into an equally amazing resource.

We need a certain number of people “following” the proposal before the people who run StackExchange see it as important enough to make it into a real website. So, please help out and click the “Follow It” button on this website and enter your email address:

 http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposal…

Please forward this to all your devotee friends and get them involved, so we can get our Q&A site launched very soon.

StackExchange Hare Krishna Questions and Answers Site

Detailed information about what I’m trying to do here:

The primary aim of the site is to give devotees a way to get good answers to all kinds of questions, as well as for more learned devotees to share their knowledge. If an answer is online, then google can find it and it becomes a permanent record for the future. That is much better than a devotee answering the same question over and over again on various forums. It is also better for the person looking for the answer, because the voting highlights what the best answer is, placing it at the top.

I got the idea for this kind of website after a conversation with another devotee. We were talking about facebook and blog controversies and the inability of devotees to do much about them. I thought about this a lot and had the idea for a devotee Q&A site that could address both local and global controversies in an authoritative way that doesn’t look like it is just one person’s biased opinion. A good answer on such a site will visibly have the stamp of approval from a whole group of devotees. Then, a few weeks ago, this StackExchange thing came along and did all the hard work of designing such a site for us. So, I’m very keen to take advantage of this opportunity.

To my knowledge every other devotee attempt at an online community either gets neglected over time, limited to a few hundred people, or has a confusing interface which is too bewildering. This is not any individual’s fault. The fact is that building a website that people will use for valuable high-quality social interactions is very difficult. The best essay on the topic is this one “A Group is its own Worst Enemy”

 http://shirky.com/writings/group_enemy.h…

The author explains in great detail why so many social websites fail. The StackExchange model is exactly in line with the principles recommended to make a site successful. It is expertly designed with identity (once the site is launched, anyone that contributes needs to have an identity and is therefore accountable for what they write - no anonymous answering), voting (the community polices itself), reputation (a way to identify those members of the community that are in good standing) and a barrier to entry (you need a certain good reputation to be able to vote to determine what is a good answer). All this means that a website based on the StackExchange technology can still be useful and manageable with millions of users.

Please help make this amazing resource a reality by clicking “follow” on the proposal and writing some good and bad example questions to go on the site. Bad questions are those off-topic questions that we don’t want appearing on the site to keep the site focused on topics related to Krishna consciousness. We need examples of such bad questions in the proposal stage to define what the site will be about.
(sign up to the site using your Gmail or Yahoo email address - that is what is meant by OpenID).

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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gangesvara Prabhu

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.22.17 - The living entity, prakriti, wants to be the Supreme Purusa.

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Caitanya Mangala, CA, USA: KulimeLA 2009: The Rose of Vidarbha – Krishna Kidnaps Rukmini

Click here to watch the video of “The Rose of Vidarbha – Krishna Kidnaps Rukmini.”

Rupa is graciously hosting all the Kuli Mela videos on his website.

Intrigue, heartache, deception, romance, humor, and triumph mark Krishna’s epic quest to marry His beautiful queen Rukmini and become King of Dwarka.

This artfully woven performance, which combines music, theater, and dance, was brought to life by a troupe of talented local Gurukulis on the steps of the ISKCON New Dwarka Temple in Los Angeles, California.

This drama was recorded August 1, 2009, in front of 1,100 enthusiastic audience members and was a crowning jewel of KulimeLA 2009.

Click here to visit the Kuli Mela Outlet @ Krishna.com and to view the growing selection of Kuli Mela DVDs and CDs.

In the ancient Sanskrit language, Kuli refers to a member of a community. Mela means a festive gathering. Combined “Kuli Mela” transforms 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 as friends in service, association and empowerment.


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H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 9

www.sdgonline.org. SDGonline Daily updates

3:47 A.M.

I slept until twenty minutes to one and then couldn't sleep any longer. So I got up from bed and started chanting. I chanted all my sixteen rounds.  The rounds were all in a row without lagging although my mind occasionally went to other things. I took a break of half an hour to take a nap when sleepiness overcame me. But then I rebounded and finished the quota. I don't have any pain, but I still feel sleepy for my writing. My chanting was not in a mood of Radha and Krishna, but it was efficient "just hear" chanting at a rapid pace. It's a satisfaction having completed the full quota so early in a morning, but I don't want to make a habit of waking so early.

Waking soon after midnight,
I moved unto my japa
and kept going with
not much interruption.
My mind dwelt on some
distractions, some non-devotional
things I did yesterday, but
I pushed them aside like
turds in the Ganges,
and went on with a non-drowsy
quota quickly. I wish
I could have done them
better, but now they're
completed, and you are
free to write. It was
not the best but good
to finish so early
with a clear head.

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H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Honolulu Airport

www.sdgonline.org. SDGonline Daily updates

Prabhupada Smaranam

This is Prabhupada arriving at a Honolulu airport in January 1974. I had been his servant-secretary for just a few weeks in Los Angeles, and I was eager, fresh and feeling myself a special person. Bali-madan Prabhu had given up sannyasa to marry the "Toyota" heiress (and it later became a mystery to us why Prabhupada allowed it). Here she is sprinkling some flowers on his path while he walks contently covered with garlands and carrying one in his hand. In Honolulu they put Prabhupada and his servants up in a skyscraper hotel at some distance from the temple. Life was quiet and private there, and Prabhupada spent time sitting on a terrace watching the people on a beach; he disapprovingly said they were all jumping like monkeys in the surf. When he later saw the surfers close up, he said they would come back in their next lives as fish for their ardent proclivity for mixing in the sea. I had to cook, massage, type his letters and manage Back to Godhead magazine from a distance, and I felt it was too much to do. I told my plight to Prabhupada, and he said Pradyumna should help me with the cooking. Pradyumna discovered a way to cook the capatis on an electric stove by using a metal coat hanger and they puffed up nicely. In reading Prabhupada his mail I could see how he was struggling to maintain a worldwide movement. He said paying attention to the management gave him a headache, but if he did not pay attention to it it would give him an other kind of headache. He received a letter from a GBC man in India saying he wanted to resign because his sannyasi godbrothers were bullying him. Prabhupada wrote back that there was no question of resigning, and he offered him support. While we were in Honolulu we got a phone call that his leader in Los Angeles had left his post. Two senior devotees flew to Hawaii to get direction from Prabhupada, and he had to deal with that. We also received a phone call from Rupanuga that a demoniac person had thrown a firebomb in a window of their preaching center in the south of the USA and a devotee had been burned to death.

Aside from the heavy news, life in Honolulu was pleasant. Prabhupada travelled early to the temple every morning and gave lectures and took part in lively kirtanas lead by Sudama Maharaja. He took pleasant walks on Waikiki Beach

I remained in high spirits and was ready when Prabhupada announced we were next travelling to Tokyo and Hong Kong on our way to India.

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H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Stuyvesant Falls Routine

www.sdgonline.org. SDGonline Daily updates

Baladeva is still unpacking
boxes, filling shelves with
books, and closets with clothes,
and the workers still have a
lot to do with bathroom and
other construction, as we move
in to the house. My room is
mostly settled, and I lead a
quiet life as I did in the Yellow
Submarine. Early rounds and
early rising, Krishna lets me do.

In the C.C. we read how a man named
Raghupati Upadhyaya came to see the Lord. Lord Caitanya asked him to recite some verses
describing Krishna, and he spoke some of his own composition.
The Lord was moved to ecstatic emotion and recited the verse
Himself: "The form of Syamasundara
is the supreme form, the city
of Mathura is the supreme abode,
Lord Krishna's fresh youth should
always be meditated upon,
and the mellow of conjugal
love is the supreme mellow."
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then
embraced Raghupati Upadyaya
in ecstatic love and they both
began to dance. Vallabha Bhattacarya
was struck with wonder at their
dancing, and he brought forth his
two sons and made them bow down
at the Lord's lotus feet.

Vallabha Bhattacarya was worried
that the Lord was jumping
into the Yamuna, so he
took Him to Prayaga by the Ganges.
It was very crowded at
Prayaga so Caitanya Mahaprabhu
went to a place called Dasasvamedha Ghata.
It was here He began to
instruct Rupa Goswami
and empower him in
devotional service.

Life is quiet here on
Albany Avenue. Saci's house
has a sign "YOGA" in the
front window, and there are
classes several times a week.
I don't do asanas but walk
daily in the afternoon on the
nature trail, which is bumpy
with the roots of leafy trees and where, if you're lucky,
you can hear the Wood Thrush call to another Thrush
across the forest. I walk until I'm tired
and sweating and then return
and drink three glasses of
iced lemonade before my
evening snack. Soon
after that it's time to
get ready for bed.

We're doing the same thing every day
with some variety.
Today we'll go to the bank
if Saci is up to it.
I've got my state ID,
and I'm establishing myself
as a citizen of New York.
I like my friends and
my privacy and
I forgot to read my
poets today so I'm going
on my own steam, but I'll get back to them
because their honesty
and lyric grace are so
helpful. I'm determined
to keep up my own
game but help from
the poets and compilers
of scripture is required.
They give me the courage
and the substance to
go on with lines
by Satsvarupa.

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H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Japa of Mahaprabhu in Gambhira

www.sdgonline.org. SDGonline Daily updates

Free write

Lord Caitanya was a great practitioner and propagator of hari-nama japa. When He was living in Vrndavana he would chant His rounds in a solitary place at Imli-tala all morning and in the afternoon he would meet with people and discuss topics of Krishna. On His tour of South India He chanted on beads while walking. In Jagannatha Puri He chanted japa in a room called the Gambhira. He asked His followers to chant a fixed number of rounds daily, and some of them counted up great numerical strength. Haridas Thakura chanted three hundred thousand names a day, and Raghunatha dasa Goswami chanted one hundred thousand names a day.

In this murti, Caitanya Mahaprabhu appears in calm repose, but He is internally feeling emotions of krishna-prema. Lord Caitanya was Krishna Himself, but He appeared as a pure devotee of the Lord and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra with great love and devotion. All of His followers up to the present day chant the Hare Krishna mantra on beads, and the spiritual masters urge them to do so as an essential priority, hearing the names with great attention. Srila Prabhupada has set a minimum quota of sixteen rounds per day for all initiated disciples, and these must be done without fail.

Recently in ISKCON there has been a resurgence of interest in taking japa seriously and many seminars have been conducted to help devotees improve their practice. More active, outward service to the spiritual master should never replace the priority of japa. Rather, Srila Prabhupada has said "of all the instructions of the spiritual master, the chanting of sixteen rounds is essential."

Behind Lord Caitanya is Hanuman, the monkey warrior servant of Lord Rama who is also chanting japa. He's chanting "Rama-Rama" to inculcate praise and service to his worshipable deity. The followers of Lord Caitanya chant the yugala-mantra or a mantra directed to the divine couple, Radha and Krishna. "Hare" is an address to Radharani, and "Krishna" indicates Her Lord. Even the word Rama can be taken to indicate Krishna Himself, who is the supreme enjoyer. Thus the Hare Krishna mantra is all about Radha and Krishna, praying to be engaged in Their service.

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Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: resolving differences by sankirtana

H.H. Tamal Krsna Goswami related that in the early days of ISKCON Los Angeles he was the temple commander and Madhudvisa Prabhu was the treasurer. On weekdays Madhudvisa Prabhu would collect from the devotees the income from sankirtan, but at the weekend, when money was needed for the Sunday festival, he was not to be found. When H.H. Tamal Krsna Goswami complained about this to Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada commented, "He is a first-class treasurer. The first qualification of a treasurer is that he does not like to spend money". Srila Prabhupada further commented that when there are difficulties between devotees, they should engage in a common activity that they can all agree on, and that activity is sankirtan. HH Tamal Krsna Goswami and HG Madhudvisa Prabhu did that and their differences were resolved.

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Gaura Nitai das, Mayapura, IN: The yoga of kirtan makes waves in world music


The Mayapuris debut album Mridanga (CD | iTunes) climbed the iTunes World Music charts today arriving at #7. Generally in the music industry, album sales decline after the initial release week, but the Maypuris sales have only gotten stronger.

We would like to congratulate The Mayapuris on the success of the first two weeks of their album release and we thank you all for supporting them and spreading the word! For all of you waiting to purchase their album on the International iTunes store, it will be available in one week from today.

This post was copied from Mantrology.com
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Japa Group: Most Important And Powerful Practice

Chanting Hare Krsna is the most important and powerful practice in the bhakti-yoga system. By learning the truth about the holy names (nama-tattva), and by establishing a solid relationship with the holy name (sambandha-tattva), one will quickly learn the "simple art of chanting Hare Krsna.

From the Art Of Chanting Hare Krsna by Mahanidhi Swami
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H.H. Sivarama Swami: Hari-vallabha dd. asks

According to a Christian prayer evil is our false ego’s tendency to be independent of Krsna, but elsewhere it is said to be an opportunity – evil ways that is – to advance in KC. Is that true?

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Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Don’t Bother About Big Big Buildings

“That is Vrndavana life. And they are absorbed in this so-called opulence. Krsna has taken birth. They are bringing so many nice, pleasant foodstuff, very well-dressed and ornamented. These are description. In the morning we were reading. How they were happy, the inhabitants of Vrndavana with Krsna and living and cows.

“That I want to introduce. At any cost do it and…Don’t bother about big, big buildings. It is not required. Useless waste of time. Produce. Make the whole field green. See that. Then whole economic question solved. Then you eat sumptuous.

“Eat sumptuously. The animal is happy. The animal even does not give milk; let them eat and pass stool and urine. That is welcome. After all, eating, they will pass stool. So that is beneficial, not that simple milk is beneficial. Even the stool is beneficial. Therefore I am asking so much here and…, “Farm, farm, farm, farm…” That is not my program — Krsna’s program. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Produce greenness everywhere, everywhere. Vrndavana.

“It is not this motorcar civilization. If it has taken in his brain, then it is to be understood that he can do this plan. He’ll be able.”

Conversation Pieces — May 27, 1977, Vrndavana


Filed under: Cows and Environment
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Dandavats.com: Jai Jagannath

By Samba Das

By the blessings of Srila Prabhupad and all the Vaishnva's ISKCON Visakhapatnam Second Rathayatra festival turned out to be very successful with thousands of people attending the program

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Dandavats.com: Wild Kirtan in Rathayatra KL

Amogha das: Last night about 400 devotees were at the temple to greet Lord Jagannath, Who returned from the 6 hour Rathayatra at 10pm. The kirtan was so jubilant, devotees dancing together in several clusters across the temple floor

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Dandavats.com: KulimeLA 2009: The Rose of Vidarbha - Krishna Kidnaps Rukmini

Kuli Mela Association: Intrigue, heartache, deception, romance, humor, and triumph mark Krishna's epic quest to marry His beautiful queen Rukmini and become King of Dwarka

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Dandavats.com: Multimedia magazine from mayapur.tv

Antardwip das: The Mayapur.TV times fun magazine is out now! - please have a read. Learn how to broadcast online! Get information of coming LIVE broadcasts! There is lots of video fun, and of course notices of July/Aug special broadcasts

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Akrura das, Gita Coaching: ARROW

The Vedic mantra pranava is the bow, the pure living entity himself is the arrow, and the target is the Supreme Being.
***
The living entity tries to be happy within this material world, not understanding the target of his life. When he is purified, however, he gives up his bodily conception of life and his false identity as belonging to a certain community, a certain nation, a certain society, a certain family and so on (sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]). Then he takes the arrow of his purified life, and with the help of the bow -- the transcendental chanting of pranava, or the Hare Krishna mantra -- he throws himself toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
***
If with the arrow of chanting the holy name of the Lord one pierces Lord Vishnu's lotus feet, by dint of performing this heroic activity of devotional service one receives the benefit of returning home, back to Godhead.
***
SB 7.15.42

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Akrura das, Gita Coaching: TEN TIPS TO IMPROVE MY CHANTING

1. Chant first thing in the morning
2. Chant 16 rounds in one go
3. Send reports to my chanting success partner
4. Do not eat until I finish 16 rounds
5. Read about the effects of chanting from Sri Namamrta
6. Write on my blog about chanting
7. Inspire devotees to chant more
8. Make chanting as the main pillar of the success of my coaching
9. Make chanting as the main pillar of the success of building communities of care
10. Pray to the holy name

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Akrura das, Gita Coaching: Chanting Brings Peace Of Mind

Initially meditation focuses on controlling the mind, for in our normal condition, we are slaves to any whimsical thoughts, desires, and appetites the mind may generate. We think of something and immediately we want to do it. But the Bhagavad-gita tells us that the meditator must learn to control the mind: "For one who has conquered the mind, then his mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will be the greatest enemy.

The materialistic mind attempts to enjoy by employing the senses to experience matter and material relationships. It is full of unlimited ideas for sense gratification, and being perpetually restless, it constantly flickers from one sense object to another. In doing so, the mind vacillates between hankering for some material gain and lamenting some loss or frustration.

In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna explains, "One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?" By chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, we can control the mind, instead of letting it control us.

Mantra is a Sanskrit word. Man means "mind," and tra means "to deliver." Thus, a mantra is a transcendental sound vibration with potency to liberate the mind from material conditioning.

In his commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada explains, "Our entanglement in material affairs is begun from material sound." Each day we hear material sounds from radio and television, from friends and relatives, and based on what we hear, we act. But as Srila Prabhupada points out, "There is sound in the spiritual world also. If we approach that sound, then our spiritual life begins." When we control the mind by focusing it on the purely spiritual sound vibration of the Hare Krsna mantra, the mind becomes calm.

As "music has charms to soothe a savage breast," so the spiritual sound of the mantra soothes the restless mind. The Hare Krsna mantra, being imbued with God's own supreme energies, has the power to subdue all kinds of mental disturbance. Just as a reservoir of water is transparent when unagitated, our mental perceptions become clear and pure when the mind is no longer agitated by the waves of material desires. The mind in its pure state, like a mirror cleansed of dust, will then reflect undistorted images of reality, allowing us to go beneath the surface and perceive the essential spiritual quality of all life's experiences.

From "Chant And Be Happy" by the BBT

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New Vrndavan, USA: Vaisnavi Retreat 2010

Dear Vaishnavi’s:

This is to let you know the dates of our next annual Vaishnavai Retreat.

We are looking for accomplished presenters as well as “first timer’s.”

This is a gentle venue of loving sisters who are open for sanga and personal improvement.

Topics should be linked with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings but can be variegated levels and themes. Your shared talent, experiences and realizations contribute towards the success of the Retreat.

Much love and affection, at the feet of Srila Prabhupada,
yr servant, malati dd

9 TH ANNUAL VAISHNAVI RETREAT
Dates: Oct. 1, 2, 3rd, 2010.
Venue: New Vrindaban

For further information, please contact:
servingkrishna@aol.com
Malati dasi: 304-845-9591

Dear Leaders and Other’s:

Please pass this information on to ladies in your area.
Thank you

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Mayapur Online: Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra

Devotees ecstatically pulled the chariots of Sri Jagannath , Baladeva and Subhadradevi  from Rajapur to Sri Mayapur.  Though it was raining heavily since morning, still thousands and thousands of enthusiastic pilgrims flocked Sri Mayapur and Rajapur temple.  After the inauguration of  chariots by  Bengali silver screen actor Abhishek and other dignitaries of the region,  the devotees started pulling the chariots. Marching infront of the procession were a musical band,a colorful horse chariot, followed by children dancing and different Sankirtan parties. Their Lordships accepted worship and offering in between at several places  and we were blessed with Maha prasadam varieties throughout the Ratha  Yatra.

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Gauranga Kishore das,USA: Radhanath Swami - The Journey Home North American Release and Book Tour




(From iskconnews.com) American-born spiritual teacher Radhanath Swami will set off on a North American book tour from August 1st to December 1st this year, to promote the US trade release of his autobiography The Journey Home.

The twenty-city tour will include book store signings as well as readings and question and answer sessions at universities, yoga studios, and temples across the nation. It will visit most major cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Dallas, Houston, and Vancouver, and will also include media interviews for radio, television, newspapers and magazines.

Radhanath Swami is also expected to appear at several yoga retreats and events with kirtan musicians Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits and Karnamrita, such as Bhakti Fest at Joshua Tree in California from September 9th to 12th.

First released in summer 2009 for a limited audience of Krishna devotees and yoga practioners, The Journey Home nevertheless sold 30,000 copies and was published in five languages, while a further five are under translation. So expectations for this year's August 10th official US release to the publishing industry, which will make the book available to a wider audience through all major book retailers, are high.

The book tells the story of Richard Slavin, a middle-class Jewish boy born in Chicago in the 1950s, who at 19 years old set out to wander the world in search of a closer connection to God.

The life-changing journey down the path of enlightenment that followed led to his current status as one of India's great spiritual leaders, Radhanath Swami. But not before he experienced a series of adventures and spiritual encounters that even the greatest novelist couldn't have made up.

His story takes us hitchhiking across Europe and the Middle East—through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and eventually India. He survives multiple near-death encounters including run-ins with drug smugglers, robberies at knifepoint, an attack by a pack of wild dogs, being held captive by a large venomous snake, and nearly suffocating in quicksand. Penniless and half-starved, he arrives in India and climbs to remote regions of the Himalayas where levitating recluses are among the many famous and unknown mystics who train him in the life of a wandering mendicant.

He eventually finds himself in a holy forest where his long, matted locks and threadbare garments gain him entrance into the company of renowned yogis and saints. There, he begins to learn that beautiful things happen in life when we "let go of our own ego."

Yoga teachers, authors, and academics alike have already lauded Radhanath Swami's story, with Sharon Gannon, author of Jivamukti Yoga and Yoga and Vegetarianism, calling it "A profound opportunity to enter into presence with spiritual seekers, saints, and holy beings." Shiva Rea, author of Yoga Wave, called it "An inspiring journey for all," and Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now said: "It shows the inner journey of awakening in a fascinating and spellbinding way."

Brigitte Sion of New York University commended Radhanath Swami for his candidness and remarkable honesty, while David Frawley, author of Yoga: The Greater Tradition said: "A generational journey to the East by one who found the real goal of all seeking, The Journey Home is one of the most remarkable and intimate portrayals of the life and adventure of an American swami, providing the reader the opportunity for a similar transformation."
Radhanath Swami himself, however, remains humble about his achievements. A modest man, he resisted urging by many to write his life story for years, and only succumbed to honor a dying man's final wishes.
The one-time Richard Slavin is now one of India's premier spiritual leaders, with public appearances that draw thousands of followers.

Loyal supporters of his efforts donate millions of dollars each year, all of which is used to head up some of the most highly regarded community service projects in Mumbai. From the formation of a massive food distribution center for indigent children to emergency relief programs to the creation of an orphanage, an eye clinic, and a hospital—his contributions to India are so vast they have earned him a celebrity-like status.

Yet his own lifestyle remains simple and unglamorous. As a Swami—or "monk exclusively dedicated to God's services"—he eats once a day, sleeps on a mat on the floor, and has taken vows of poverty, celibacy, and abstinence from intoxicants. He has no property, no bank account, and not a penny to his name. But he has found the one thing so many strive to achieve: the path to enlightenment.

And this brings us to Radhanath Swami's greatest hope for his book The Journey Home: that readers will gain a greater sense of dedication to their own spiritual journey, and the faith to carry them on their way.

The Journey Home will be available as a deluxe paperback from Mandala Publishing (mandalapublishing.com) from August 10th. For a complete updated schedule for Radhanath Swami's book tour, please visit Radhanathswami.com.
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H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, July 12th, 2010

A Fatal Step

Toronto, Ontario

A call came in this morning from Pundarik, wife of Murali Krishna, a dear friend, whose brother just passed away. Samuel Griffis, 48, was hiking in the Buffalo, New York State area at the edge of a cliff when he lost his balance and fell a good 150 feet. He didn't survive.

It was painful to hear about Samuel who was an athletic type, for the outdoors, a vegetarian and friend of numerous monks. What we are to learn form this mishap is that fragility is part of our existence and as we have mentioned before "there is danger at every step". In Sanskrit padam padam yad vipadam refers to the precariousness of the situation.

Naturally, the family is grieving and so I suggested we give a dedication, a mangal arati, a morning ceremony in his honour. I offered Pundarik my condolences, of course, and asked if there was anything more I could do to ease the grieving. Sam's family just need a lot of support now.

The topic of birth and death came up once again today through a presentation made to a group of mature people, some of which are retired. Mr. J.W. Windland organizes yearly a visit by fifty students who come from all around and as far as Washington State, to have as he puts it, "an experience". The experience is not of death as that will take its natural course.

Three folks wanted to know what the chant was all about and more so what we, the followers, were all about. A good number of these attendees have a Christian background but are curious enough to have some experiential Krishna Consciousness.

I would say that whenever I do such presentations, fifty percent of questions revolve around the topic of walking once the audience has heard that pilgrimage went across Canada thrice.

The meal we served in the end left these experienced people satisfied. As they left the building and descended the stairs to reach the sidewalk, I recited mentally, padam padam yad vipadam na tesam. There's danger at every step.

12 KM

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H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Some Pride

Toronto, Ontario

It does happen. The tendency to be proud and to display it is very strong. Here is how I got hit with it this very day.

I woke up at 2 AM, showered, donned my dhoti and wrapped my chauddar around me in such a way as to expose some torso because of the heat. I set out for walking and chanting on my beads thinking proudly, "I'm such a good boy, waging war on the mind doing my mantra meditation so early. I'll return to the ashram to wake the other monks at 4 AM. After all not all twelve residents take the morning sadhana so seriously and therefore, show up a few minutes late. They seem so dependent on me."

All was still and silent through the quiet Rosedale neighbourhood where I chose to walk and where air conditioners were running hard. A good hour and a half passed and I made my return to the ashram. I knocked from door to door but received no reciprocation from anyone. Every last door was locked. Not a sould responded to my call. "Wise guys!" I thought. "They can hear me but they are feigning sleep on the pretense of working hard the previous day. Perhaps another excuse is that the heat is restricting sleep."

Anyways, I was thinking all of them. I then looked up at the main clock at the end of the corridor realizing a discrepancy with my new digital watch. I was off by an hour. The main clock read 5:05 AM. I was surprised.

That meant that everyone was already up, had showered and were already in attendance in the temple room finishing some recitation. Therefore, I ended up being the late one. Nevertheless, I did feel some embarrassment.

I do get guilt-ridden when missing any morning spiritual practices. It is very important to me and it is important that I benefit from the grace that comes from attendance in addition to being the example.

8 KM

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H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Two Men at the Sidewalk

Montreal, Quebec

I was headed westbound on Notre Dame Blvd. Then on Ste. Catherine towards the temple. A man who was squatted in front of a storefront, his head hung low, saw the robes as I strode past him. He raised his head at a tilt and said, "Krishna!"

Another chap on foot coming towards me began begging alms. "I just need a slice of pizza."

"Yeah, right!" I thought, but I said I couldn't help, shook his hand as a friend. It didn't come spontaneous for me to utter a name in Sanskrit for his purification. I reasoned that for now a gesture of friendship was enough.

I met two down and out persons who might have a chance some day and then I thought of those two fellows during a reading of the book, Chaitanya Charitamrita. In the section Madhya-lila, certain passages describe the great master of mantras, Chaitanya, as arranging food lines and personally distributing prasadam (divine food). He was serving his followers but then he noticed some people outside the lines who were poor and were not his followers. He then from the goodness of his heart, arranged for them to be fed.

Chaitanya was so inclusive and not exclusive. At the end of the reading I asked the listeners at the temple to recall what lessons or directives came from the texts and corresponding purports. The responses were good, but of all the remarks made the quick helpful response by Chaitanya towards the poverty-stricken struck me the most. And I'm sure it did others as well.

4 KM

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Gouranga TV: Ratha Yatra 2010 Madrid

Ratha Yatra 2010 Madrid

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Japa Group: The Number One Priority


I was meditating on this today....the importance of making Japa the number one priority in our day - rising as early as possible, chanting in a peaceful and non-distractive environment and focusing on the sound of the Hare Krsna mantra. I remember making a poem for my son Govinda when he was getting enthused to chant each day:

"Chant the words so you can hear, the Maha Mantra loud and clear"

I hope your Japa is going well and that you can feel Krsna in your life.
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ISKCON Klang, Malaysia: They are dancing like peacocks

BY AMOGA DAS KUALA LUMPUR – Last night about 400 devotees were at the temple to greet Lord Jagannatha, Who returned from the 6 hour Ratha yatra at 10pm. The kirtan was so jubilant, devotees dancing together in several clusters across the temple floor. They were spinning, dancing in circles, moving in and out of [...]

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