"Planet ISKCON" - 45 new articles
H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Friday 17 September 2010--The Zenith of Spiritual Perfection--and--Why We Fell from the ...There are many systems of elevating the consciousness that will bring the practitioner to varying degrees of spiritual advancement. But if one is desires to achieve the topmost platform, the zenith of spiritual perfection, he should heed the words of Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. The Lord reveals in Bhagavad-gita 6:47 that of all yogis or transcendentalists... H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Vyasa Puja Message N° 2Sent in by BCEC (Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture) (South Africa) Sri Vyasa Puja Message HH Bhakti Charu Swami September 2010 In Iskcon it has become a custom to celebrate a spiritual master’s birthday as Vyasa-puja, which is actually a bona fide system. Srila Prabhupada introduced it. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur also conducted that [...] ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Svarupa-sakti MatajiSrimad Bhagavatam 11.24.3-5 - A devotee tries to act above the material modes of nature. Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: Device for detecting propane gas leaksHare Krishna. The following is information on a device commonly installed in motor homes and campers to detect natural gas leaks. Given what just happened to Aindra prabhu and to the temple in Leicester in the UK and also in Nepal recently, devotees that use propane tanks in their sankirtan vehicles should purchase these devices right away. Thanks to Malati mataji for researching the links below. Your servant, Badrinarayan dasa Here are a few sites I pulled from the internet: a.. Propane Gas Detectors | Propane Information | Propane ... Propane gas detectors are special equipment that is designed to sound an alarm if they sense the presence of propane in the air. www.propanedetectors.com/ - Similar b.. Propane Detectors - Camping World RV Propane Accessories > Propane Detectors. Refine your search by. Brand. Mr Heater Corp (1). Mti Industries Inc (1). Price Range ... www.campingworld.com/category/propane-detectors/152 - Similar c.. Propane Detectors LP Gas Propane Gas Increase Home Safety. Propane Detectors for LP Gas and Propane Gas Increase Home Safety. Gas Alarms Sound Alerts for Dangerous Gas Leaks. www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2/sm/propanedetectors.asp... - Similar a.. Amazon.com: Safety Siren HS80504 Propane and Natural Gas ... Natural Gas and Propane Gas Detector Have you lost your sense of smell? Are the gas fumes you smell dangerous? Do you sense a natural gas smell? ... www.amazon.com/HS80504-Propane-Natural-M... - 3 hours ago - Similar b.. Propane Detector - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at NexTag ... Sep 6, 2010 ... Propane Detector - 29 results like the Global Industrial Combustible Gas Leak Detector, Safe-T-Alert 03-0272 Propane Detector, Safe-T-Alert ... www.nextag.com/propane-detector/shop-html - Similar c.. Safe T Alert Propane Detector on Sale Safe T Alert Propane Detectors. Great Prices on Safe-T-Alert Carbon Monoxide & Propane Dectectors and Alarms. Most ship same day. Safe-T-Alert Superstore. www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/lp-gas/safe-t-alert-propa... - Similar (Text D:3551156) ------------------------------------------- ------- End of Forwarded Message ------ Book Distribution News: Device for detecting propane gas leaksHare Krishna. The following is information on a device commonly installed in motor homes and campers to detect natural gas leaks. Given what just happened to Aindra prabhu and to the temple in Leicester in the UK and also in Nepal recently, devotees that use propane tanks in their sankirtan vehicles should purchase these devices right away. Thanks to Malati mataji for researching the links below. Your servant, Badrinarayan dasa Here are a few sites I pulled from the internet: a.. Propane Gas Detectors | Propane Information | Propane ... Propane gas detectors are special equipment that is designed to sound an alarm if they sense the presence of propane in the air. www.propanedetectors.com/ - Similar b.. Propane Detectors - Camping World RV Propane Accessories > Propane Detectors. Refine your search by. Brand. Mr Heater Corp (1). Mti Industries Inc (1). Price Range ... www.campingworld.com/category/propane-detectors/152 - Similar c.. Propane Detectors LP Gas Propane Gas Increase Home Safety. Propane Detectors for LP Gas and Propane Gas Increase Home Safety. Gas Alarms Sound Alerts for Dangerous Gas Leaks. www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2/sm/propanedetectors.asp... - Similar a.. Amazon.com: Safety Siren HS80504 Propane and Natural Gas ... Natural Gas and Propane Gas Detector Have you lost your sense of smell? Are the gas fumes you smell dangerous? Do you sense a natural gas smell? ... www.amazon.com/HS80504-Propane-Natural-M... - 3 hours ago - Similar b.. Propane Detector - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at NexTag ... Sep 6, 2010 ... Propane Detector - 29 results like the Global Industrial Combustible Gas Leak Detector, Safe-T-Alert 03-0272 Propane Detector, Safe-T-Alert ... www.nextag.com/propane-detector/shop-html - Similar c.. Safe T Alert Propane Detector on Sale Safe T Alert Propane Detectors. Great Prices on Safe-T-Alert Carbon Monoxide & Propane Dectectors and Alarms. Most ship same day. Safe-T-Alert Superstore. www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/lp-gas/safe-t-alert-propa... - Similar (Text D:3551156) ------------------------------------------- ------- End of Forwarded Message ------ ISKCON News.com: International Religious Service Centre at Asian Games
ISKCON News.com: Business Class Rises in Ashes of Caste System
ISKCON News.com: Belgium: Amid Sex Scandals, De-Baptism Gains Favor
H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Happy Radhastami !Her Grace Kalindi devi dasi Dear devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Guru Maharaja! Happy Radhastami for all of you. May Srimate Radharani bless you all with Her loving care and service. She is the queen of Vrindavan, the most beloved of Krishna, and Her mercy is what we [...] H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Vyasa-Puja And The Path Of LoveHis Grace Prabha Visnu Prabhu Dear Spiritual family Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Guru Maharaja. The eagerly awaited day of Sri Gurudeva’s Vyasapuja has dawned, bringing to a crescendo our desires to honour our beloved spiritual master on this most auspicious occasion. True to his nature, Guru [...] Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Compulsory retirementAccording to the varnasrama principle, it is compulsory that one retire after the age of fifty, without considering other circumstances. Business offices close at a fixed hour no matter what balance of work remains. Similarly, after the age of fifty one must retire from the active, external life and devote oneself to the introspective cultivation of the human spirit. This retirement must be compulsory, so that foolish old men will no longer disturb the peaceful progress of spiritual culture. In the modern democratic government, no one should be elected after the age of fifty. Otherwise the storm of the ocean of nescience cannot be stopped to allow the ships and boats to sail back to Godhead. The greatest enemies of progressive spiritual culture in human society are the old fossils of political parties who are blind themselves and who try to lead other blind men. They bring about disaster in a peaceful human society. The members of the younger generation are not as stupid as the old politicians, and therefore by state law the foolish old politicians must retire from active life at the age of fifty. >>> Ref. VedaBase => LoB verse 37 Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: laziness is less than demonicPrabhupada: ...People should clearly understand that we don't encourage laziness. We never encourage. According to your capacity, guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13], you must work. Sarira yatrapi te na prasiddhyed akarmanah, Krsna says, "By not working, even if you cannot put on your body and soul together." Krsna says like that. Dayananda: Isn't laziness one of the demonic qualities, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: It is less than demonic. Demonic qualities, they have some activity and laziness is ignorance, darkness. Therefore too much sleeping is very, very bad. That is another part of laziness. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau, one has to conquer over this sleeping and laziness. Eating, nidra, ahara, vihara, sense gratification, vihara means sense gratification. One has to minimize these things up to the point of nil, that is perfect. When there is no more sleeping, no more eating, no more mating, and no more fearing, that is perfection of spiritual life. And that is not possible, but as much as possible. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- February 12, 1976, Mayapura Japa Group: Powerful Tips For Good Chanting ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Maha-Mantra Week!
Daily from 7:15-7:25am Toll-free dial-in: 1-800-617-7801 Conference code: 6833446 (You don't need a security pin. Please press 1 after entering the Conference code) * Japathon challenge to chant 45,000 rounds collectively Enter the number of rounds you've chanted daily! Our collective target is to chant 45,000 rounds to celebrate the arrival of Srila Prabhupada in the West 45 years ago! Click here to log your rounds! Special events during the Maha-Mantra Week: * Downtown Street Harinam - Friday evening Kirtan down the streets of Yorkville with Dhira Grahi das and Friends! Sept 17, Sept 24 and Oct. 1 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm * Sankirtan in Orillia (Beatles Festival) (Pre-Registration Required) - Opportunity to share the holy name at the famous Beatles' Festival in Orillia! Sept 18 (Sat) - 9:00am - 6:00pm - Pre-Registration is Required * Srila Prabhupada Movie Nights - Thursday Movie nights about Srila Prabhupada with popcorn and juice! Sept 23 and Sept 30 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm * Monthly Sankirtan Festival - Chance to share books, the holy name, cookies and a smile with Downtown Toronto! Sep 25th (Sat) - 9:00am - 2:00pm * Double Decker Bus Harinama - For the second time in a row, the popular bus harinama is back! Enjoy the chance to do kirtan aboard a double decker bus as we drive around Toronto! With a modest fee of $25 for the upper level and $10 for the lower level, get your tickets fast! Sept 25th (Sat) - 4:00pm - 8:00pm - Pre Registration is Required - Limited Seating! * 12-hour Kirtan - An extremely grand way to cap off 15 days of fun and bliss with a 12-hour kirtan at the Hare Krishna Temple! Oct. 2 (Sat) - 9:00am - 9:00pm It is going to be busy 15 days but we hope to see you at these events! For more information please feel free to contact: Radha Mohan das - 416-400-7001 Shyama-Mohini dd - 416-844-2937 Mahasundari Madhavi dd - 647-284-7010 You can also send an email to toronto.sankirtan@gmail.com or info@torontokrishna.com!  ISKCON News.com: Mumbai on Red Alert for Festival
ISKCON News.com: Florida pastor calls off Quran burning
H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Photos of the Vedic Lifestyle EXPO (South-Africa)His Grace Sunil Mohan Prabhu Dear Devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. All Glories to Guru Maharaj. Please find below a link where you may view the photographs that were taken at the Vedic Lifestyle EXPO that was held at the Durban ICC on 21and 22 August 2010. Click here [...] ISKCON News.com: The Pope visits Britain
H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: ISKCON Ujjain update 16th September, 2010His Grace Mukunda Prabhu In this material world everything that begins must end. We had that practical example yesterday. At mangal arati Guru Maharaj offered arati to Sri Sri Radha MadanMohan in the presence of devotees from all over the world. The morning class was simply the glorification of Srimati Radharani and to describe her [...] ISKCON News.com: Morality, Love, and Srimati Radharani
David Haslam, UK: Minor errors of judgment are no big deal?The other day I received a letter from the Manor stating that they had failed to deliver a parcel to me and that no further attempts would be made and that if I required the gift being sent than could I go to the Manor reception and pick it up. Well a bit of me [...] New Vrndavan, USA: Calling All VaisnavisGENTLE REMINDER TO ALL VAISHNAVI’S! Your Annual Retreat occurs Oct. 1,2, & 3 in New Vrindaban. There are quality presenters who will offer much guidance and inspiration towards your spiritual journey. You will find gentle satsang and friendship.both old and new. There will be topics of interest for all minds and hearts to engage in, wonderful prasad and fresh country air and it is cost effective! Check vaishnaviretreat.org. It is a simple information site or call 304-845-9591 or servingkrishna@aol.com. Some of the presenters include direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, such as: Some of the “practical to KC” Topics include include putting Bhakti into pranyama, Writing for Krishna, Vedic Women: Then and Now; Auryvedic Massage Workshop; Bharatnatyam Dance Workshop; Krishna Consciousness Parenting; Practicing Forgiveness; Quickly Cooked Snack/Meals; Shooting a perfect video with your own camera; The Magic of Hearing about Krishna; Every Soul Loves Book Distribution; Experience the Happiness. There will be realized discussions on Shastra and chanting the holy name. Ladies, Please get some friends together and head for New Vrindaban, your home away from home (Husbands and family members are also welcome to accompany you.)! (Please forgive any typho’s!) Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: TOVP updateI took a few more photos of the TOVP site just before I set out from Mayapur to come to Dubai. Work is progressing at a rapid pace and is in fact ahead of schedule. Nealry 1,800 piles have been made and by September 20 we should hit the 2,000 mark. If it doesn’t flood this year the entire 2,600 pilings will all be finished by mid-October.
The western boundary of the new temple comes right up alongside Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir
close up of the pile driver
the 20+ meter steel tubes are placed on a steel plate and hammered into the ground
Once the tube is banged into its full depth, a stainless steel tubular cage is lowered down its core (seen here lying on the ground just behind the workman)
When the reinforcing cage is in place, the tube is then filled with concrete.
All the concrete is made to strict quality control in our own concrete making plant:
When the tube is filled, it is extracted, leaving the concrete and stainless steel pile in the ground, and moved to its next location and the process repeated–in our case 2,600 times. Surface construction is going ahead with form work for the concrete appearing rapidly:
view from Long Building looking south
views from the Samadhi east towards the present temple
view from Samadhi north towards Long Building Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: The Modern DiseaseWe sacrifice quality for convenience. Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever         H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 733:08 A.M.From Namamrta by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
"Krishna is the origin of Lord Visnu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and regulations of the sastras should be the servants of these two principles." "This verse is a quotation from the Padma Purana. There are many regulative principles in the sastras and directions given by the spiritual master. These regulative principles should act as servants of the basic principle—that is, to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. This is possible when one chants the Hare Krishna mantra. Therefore one must strictly chant the Hare Krishna mantra twenty-four hours daily (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.113) "While chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, one is reminded of the Lord’s activities: "A devotee always thinks of the Lord continuously. While chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, the words immediately remind him of all the Lord’s activities. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.1.6)
The point here is by chanting Hare Krishna we will always remember Krishna. It is the most important principle, and all other points in the sastras are servants to this principle. The Bhagavatam says also that by chanting Hare Krishna we will remember Krishna’s pastimes. This is an advanced stage, and in the preliminary stage we simply hear the mantra and relish the syllables. But the time comes when the words Krishna and Hare bring us into the realm of Radha and Krishna’s pastimes. Chanting Hare Krishna is not just the preliminary or introductory stage of Krishna consciousness. It is done by the most advanced devotees like Rupa Goswami, Haridasa Thakura and Lord Caitanya Himself. The great souls go on chanting Hare Krishna and helping others around the world to take up the chanting because it is by chanting, more than any other practice, that one will be able to remember Krishna. And when we remember Krishna, we have achieved the goal of life. Remembering Krishna at the time of death assures one to join Him in the spiritual world. Forgetting Krishna is the greatest dilemma. I went to sleep on time after a busy day of Radhastami but could not sleep after 12:00 A.M. I got up and began chanting, but by 1:00 I had a bad headache. I took multiple medicines but could not quell the headache. My chanting session was marred by significant pain. The pain presses down on the head where you have the sensation that the chanting is taking place, so it is a serious obstruction. I went on chanting, but could not stay aware of Hare and Krishna because of the obstruction. Narayana Kavaca came up at 2:30 and gave me some more strong medicine. I chanted 16 rounds. Toward the end of my chanting I got a little relief, but I do not have a good report to give today. When I felt a little relief, I thought of the word "cozy." I felt cozy. Chanting Hare Krishna is the greatest comfort, like curling up in a relaxed position, like finding peace and comfort. When you are cozy, you are with Krishna, your greatest protector, and you feel warm and secure. It is the nicest feeling. Without remembering Krishna, we are insecure and our mind is prone to wandering and flitting all over the universe. Staying in the comfort and proximity of the holy names is the ultimate coziness, like a cat curled up near a fireplace on a cold winter day. I felt a little of this, and especially relief from the headache, toward the end of my chanting. Chanting in physical H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Prabhupada Smaranam
100 Prabhupada Poems #30 One time Prabhpada called Hari Sauri H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Poem from Under Dark Stars1. 2. "You’d be so nice to come home H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Radha TattvaFree Write When I got my chance to speak on Radharani, I went to the wonderful section in the Introduction of Teachings of Lord Caitanya. There Prabhupada says, "In every country and religion there is some hint of love of Godhead, but no one knows what love of Godhead actually is." The Vedic scriptures define what and who the Godhead actually is. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives a practical demonstration of how to love God in a conjugal relationship. He took the part of Radhanrani and tried to love Krishna as Radharani loved Him. This brings up the question of who Radharani is and what Radha-Krishna is. Actually, Radha-Krishna is the exchange of love. Krishna has a pleasure-seeking potency just as we do, and it is called hladini-sakti: when we try to enjoy pleasure we do it through material sense objects. But Krishna, who is always spiritual, doesn’t seek pleasure in matter. His pleasure is beyond the material conception. To learn how Krishna’s pleasure can be obtained we must read the Tenth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, in which His pleasure pastimes are described with Radharani and the gopis. But because these involve Krishna’s embracing and dancing with the gopis, people misunderstand it and think it is mundane lust. They think Krishna is like themselves, and when He embraces a gopi it is like an ordinary man embracing a young girl. Some people become interested in Krishna because they think His religion allows indulgence in sex. This is not Krishna-bhakti but prakrta-sahajiya. We have to know what Radharani actually is. Krishna expands His energy as Radharani and enjoys in loving affairs with Her. Radharani is not separate from Krishna, because there is no meaning to the energy without the energetic. Without Radharani there is no meaning to Krishna, and without Krishna there is no meaning to Radha. In Vaisnava philosophy we first address the internal potency of Krishna. When Krishna wanted to enjoy His pleasure potency, He manifested as Radharani. We say "when," but it is eternal. We say "when" because we think in terms of something having a beginning. Actually, They are eternally two. But when Krishna wanted to understand Himself through the agency of Radharani, He unified, and that unification is known as Lord Caitanya. It is not improper to speak of Lord Caitanya on Radhastami because He and His sankirtana movement are the means to understand Radharani. Then I referred to the confidential reasons Lord Caitanya appeared. Then I read the "aradhitah" verse and told the pastime of Krishna taking Radha from the rasa dance. Then I turned the talk over to Raya-rama. Radhastami 2010 is the 44th anniversary of my harinama initiation by Srila Prabhupada. I vividly remember the circumstances of my not taking initiation at ISKCON’s first initiation on Janmastami, 1966. The initiation was open to any of the young men who were attending classes, so I was eligible, although I was not personally invited. It was understood that I could and would take it. I attended the morning services at the storefront and stayed all morning and afternoon at Prabhupada’s request, fasting and hearing him read from his Bhagavad-gita manuscript. I remember Janaki leaving and saying she had to take care of her cat. Swamiji invited us to take fruit from his refrigerator if we felt hungry or tired. The initiation would be held in the evening. I left in the later afternoon and distinctly remember walking through the streets deciding I would not come back for initiation. I realized initiation was a total surrender of your will to the spiritual master, and I just didn’t feel ready for it. I wanted my independence—that which I had left my parents’ home and a Navy ship to obtain. Maybe later I would do it, but not today. I went to my apartment and spent the evening typing one of Prabhupada’s manuscripts. The next morning I went to Swamiji’s apartment to deliver the completed typing task. He was alone in the apartment and he let me in. Right away he mentioned that I did not attend the initiation. All I said was that I stayed home typing. He said, "That’s all right," and looked over the typed pages. He said they were well done, and he handed me a few grapes. I remember thinking a few grapes were a small reward for all the typing I had done. He gave me another stack of manuscripts to type, and I got up to leave. As I was going out the door he said to me, "Don’t think that this process is mechanical. If you love me then I will love you." Those words really struck me. I realized that I had been holding back in giving my love to the Swami for reasons such as he was an old man, an Indian and other superficial considerations. I felt that on a deeper level I really loved him and wanted to be his disciple. Just by those words of his I felt a surge of affection from him to me and I felt joyful. Within a couple of days, another favorable thing happened. I was in his room when the telephone rang. He answered it, spoke a few moments and then hung up. Then he turned to me and said he was arranging to hold a marriage ceremony between two of his disciples, Mukunda and Janaki, and he invited me to attend the wedding. I was touched by the personal invitation—it was just what I needed. When I attended the wedding I saw all the devotees wearing their big red japa beads around their necks, and they had sanskrit names. I wanted to be like them, initiated. The next day I went up to Prabhupada’s room after his morning class, and I asked if I could be initiated. He said, "You’ll have to be a vegetarian." I said, "I already am." Then he said he was holding another initiation on an auspicious day, Radhastami, and I could take it then. Two other men got initiated along with me. In his lecture he said the disciple incurred a debt to the spiritual master and it was called "guru daksine." Our guru daksine was to tell others about Krishna consciousness. I also remember an emotional-mystical experience during the ceremony. Swamiji asked me to bow before him and repeat after him his guru-pranam mantra. As I said the word "bhakti," in Bhaktivedanta Swami, I felt myself diving down in space. Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Bhajan - Hari das - Hare Krishna
Hari das singing a Hare Krishna bhajan. Dallas, TX Download: 2010-02-13 - 3 - Home Program - Hari das - Hare Krishna.mp3 Srila Prabhupada's Letters1955 September 16: "My dear Sripada Gosvami Maharaja, We must have our own press with good equipments to broadcast the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in all the important languages. Hindi is for all India propaganda while English is for world wide propaganda."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1965 September 16:  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1967 September 16: "Krishna is very kind to all but He is especially kind to his sincere devotee. I know you are a sincere devotee. When you drive your car you always chant Hare Krishna and when I was by your side I could understand how heartily you have accepted this Krishna Consciousness."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1970 September 16: "We have come here eight strong. I am trying to establish a branch and we are getting encouragement. Books and magazines worth $60,000 are coming very shortly, then we will have vigorous preaching work."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1971 September 16: "Ours is the policy of the bumblebee, madhukari. The bumblebee does not eat all the honey in one flower. It goes from flower to flower and takes little. Not that one man gives everything and we become idle. This is material policy."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 September 16: "I understand you received the vote in the election for Temple President. So you should be the president. I am putting my casting vote for you. I have informed the GBC of this by post."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 September 16: "There are so many Hindu centers but no life. Here is life. Make the center attractive to all kinds of men. Krishna is the most intelligent. So if Krishna gives the intelligence who can compete with you?"  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 September 16: "There is great potency for developing there. You should purchase the entire village. If they do not like the noise of our kirtana, we shall make it more noisy. They shall get out, not us. So go on performing Hari kirtana."  Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: Radhastami in Dubai 2010September 14. I arrived just after midnight on an Emirates flight direct from Kolkata. It took 4 hours 15 mins. Emirates have a good reputation and lived up to it. I still wouldn’t rate them against Singapore Airlines though. The seats were a bit too hard for my liking. Plus they have their own airfield in Dubai, and it takes 15 minutes for them to transport you over to the airport proper for immigration, customs and baggage collections. Dubai airport is a huge modern structure like most of the rest of the city. Dubai reminds me of Singapore-a small city state, leaping out of the backwoods to the forefront of tourist destinations in the last 30-40 years. Wide clean streets, big modern buildings, shoppers paradise and a tourist mecca. It is the second largest of the seven United Arab Emirates and is famous around the world nowadays for its grandiose building developments. There were several thousand other passengers queuing at the terminal, a large percentage of them western tourists, so it took quite a while to go through. I have to say I found the immigration officials a bit intimidating. They were all decked out in their starched white keffiyahs or ghutra (traditional headdress) and immaculate ankle length smocks. I didn’t see a single one of them smile at anyone. But at least they were fairly efficient and I had no problems going through. Its still pretty hot here, 94 deg. F at 2.00AM! But I find it easier than India because its not nearly as humid. The only hiccup was that the devotees got my arrival time wrong and I hung out for over an hour before finally managing to make a phone call on a mobile that a resident British lady lent me because I couldn’t figure out how to operate the public phones (they don’t take credit cards). I ended up taking a taxi, which, despite my joining the very long line at about number 150 or so, I was able to get within a few minutes. There are literally hundreds of modern, airconditioned taxis flitting through the airport with expert efficiency. The first taxi I approached had a woman driver. She asked me if I was travelling with a woman, and when I said no, she directed me to a taxi driven by a man–they are not allowed to be alone with a strange man. Rather odd for a taxi driver but them’s the rules in Dubai. My driver was probably typical for the place: a Pakistani fellow who had been in Dubai for about 5 years. He was from the Punjab, and a pleasant enough fellow. There are a huge number of Indians, Pakistanis, and other foreigners and they practically keep the place running. I finally got to the large flat the devotees use for visitors in Bur Dubai at about 2.30 AM. Fortunately I didn’t have any programs till late evening so I got a good rest and a chance to settle in. In the afternoon one of the devotees took time out from his job to run me over to a devotee run Govinda’s restaurant. Nice place, clean, attractive and good food and with its own ice cream parlour adjoining.
In the evening we went out to one devotee’s home for a pre-Radhastami program. It was nice and intimate with just a few families gathered, eager to hear something about Srila Prabhupada and Srimati Radharani.
In Dubai we have no official temple and all the devotees are ‘congregational’ members who work in the day and meet at night in each other’s homes. Most of them are disciples of HH Jayapataka Swami, with a smattering of other guru disciples. Maharaja’s bhakti-vrksa program has been tremendously successful in recruiting new devotees in the Gulf states and you couldn’t hope to meet a more enthusiastic and dedicated group. The program ran for an hour and we got back to the flat about 11.00PM. Australian News: World Holy Name Festival: Canberra Yatra
ISKCON temples around the world will be celebrating Holy Name Festivals during September 17 – October 3, this year. ISKCON Canberra has decided to hold this festival on 18th September 2010. Viraj Krsna Prabhu from Sydney will be our special guest during that weekend. Share this story your way:           Australian News: ISKCON Brisbane Rocks- Radhastami 2010
Photos from Krishnapada Dasa via Facebook
Australian News: Radhe Radhe Radhe, Jai Jai Jai Sri Radhe: Radhastami – Sydney.
Obtain the blessings of Darshan from Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Mandir, Sydney. Radhe Radhe!
H.H. Sivarama Swami: Lokabandhu asks
Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: Banks Grow Wary of Environmental Risks Stephen Crowley/The New York Times A West Virginia surface mine. By TOM ZELLER Jr. in the New York Times Stephen Crowley/The New York TimesA Massey Energy mountaintop site. Some lenders that previously extended credit have eliminated ties to the company.  For a growing number of banks, however, that does not seem to matter. After years of legal entanglements arising from environmental messes and increased scrutiny of banks that finance the dirtiest industries, several large commercial lenders are taking a stand on industry practices that they regard as risky to their reputations and bottom lines. In the most recent example, the banking giant Wells Fargo noted last month what it called "considerable attention and controversy" surrounding mountaintop removal mining, and said that its involvement with companies engaged in it was "limited and declining." The bank was a small player in the sector, representing about $78 million in bonds and loan financing for such companies from 2008 to April of this year, according to data compiled by the Rainforest Action Network, an environmental group tracking the issue. But the policy shift by Wells Fargo follows others over the last two years, including moves by Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citibank, to increase scrutiny of lending to companies involved in mountaintop removal — or to end the lending altogether. HSBC, which is based in London, has curtailed its relationships with some producers of palm oil, which is often linked to deforestation in developing countries. The Dutch lender Rabobank has applied a nine-point checklist of conditions for would-be oil and gas borrowers that includes commitments to improve environmental performance and protect water quality. In some cases, the changing policies represent an attempt to burnish green credentials in areas where the banks had little interest, and there is no indication that companies engaged in the objectionable practices cannot find financing elsewhere. Still, banking analysts and others suggest that heated debate over climate change, water quality and other environmental considerations is forcing lenders to take a much harder — and often uncomfortable — look at where they extend credit, and to whom. "It's one thing if your potential borrower is dumping cyanide in a river," said Karina Litvack, the head of governance and sustainable investment with F&C Investments, an investment management firm based in London. "But if they're dumping carbon dioxide into the air, which is not exactly illegal — what do you do? Banks are in kind of a quandary, because they are competing for business, and if they get holier-than-thou and start to play policeman, they risk allowing other banks to take that business." Environmental risk has been on the radar for lenders since the 1980s and early 1990s, when courts began forcing some measure of responsibility on banks for the polluting factories, superfund sites and other environmental problems that had, to one degree or another, been facilitated by their financing. Congress passed a law in 1996 that limited the exposure of lenders on this front, but since then, most major banks have developed environmental risk management divisions as part of their commercial banking due diligence efforts. Now, the rise of murkier issues like global warming, along with increasing scrutiny by environmental groups of banks' investments in many other industries — like oil and gas development, nuclear power, coal-fired electricity generation, oil sands, fuel pipeline construction, dam building, forestry and even certain types of agriculture — are nudging lenders into new territory. "We're taking a much closer look at a much broader variety of issues, not all of which are captured under state and local laws," said Stephanie Rico, a spokeswoman for the environmental affairs group at Wells Fargo. Ms. Litvack, of F&C Investments, pointed to large protests last week by many climate activists outside the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh. At least a dozen protesters have been arrested in demonstrations against the bank's financing of oil sands development in Canada. The Royal Bank of Canada, meanwhile, responding to intense pressure from environmental advocates denouncing the bank's financing of oil sands projects, hosted 18 international banks in Toronto in February for "a day of learning" on the "regulatory, social and environmental issues" surrounding the oil sands. Globally, banks and environmental advocates are seeking to make things easier by developing best practices and other voluntary standards. Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley helped initiate the Carbon Principles, which aim to standardize the assessment of "carbon risks in the financing of electric power projects" in the United States. Several international financial institutions — including HSBC, Munich Re and others — have formed the Climate Principles, which aim to encourage the management of climate change "across the full range of financial products and services," according to the compact's Web site. In the United States, mountaintop removal mining has become both increasingly common and contentious, as coal companies vie to feed the nation's appetite for inexpensive electricity. An expeditious and disruptive form of surface mining, it involves blasting off the tops of mountains and dumping the debris in valleys and streams below. A report published in May by the Sierra Club and the Rainforest Action Network estimated that nine banks were the primary lenders for companies engaged in mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia, and that they had provided nearly $4 billion in loans and bond underwriting to those companies — chiefly Massey Energy, Patriot Coal, and Alpha Natural Resources — since 2008. The Rainforest Action Network, which has headed a campaign to highlight financial institutions with connections to the mining, said this month that the policy shifts were chipping away at the financing. Citing Bloomberg data, for example, the group noted that Bank of America — listed as recently as 2008 as one of the "syndication agents" on a $175 million revolving line of credit to Massey Energy — has eliminated that and all other connections to the company. The group also pointed to JPMorgan, which had previously underwritten $180 million in debt securities to Massey, but no longer has any financial ties to that company. In May, the bank said it would be subjecting all future engagements with companies involved in mountaintop removal mining to "enhanced review." Some environmental groups have criticized that and other policies as providing too much wiggle room — and whether any of it has any real impact is an open question. Mining industry representatives say such policies often fail to consider laws already in place requiring coal companies to limit their environmental impact, and to restore former mine sites when they are finished. Carol Raulston, a spokeswoman for the National Mining Association, an industry group, said that most of the policies in question position the banks to phase out lending over time — and only to companies that primarily engage in mountaintop removal mining. "Companies are still getting financing for their projects," she said. Roger S. Hendriksen, the vice president for investor relations for Massey Energy, suggested that environmentalists were overstating things, and that his company was having no trouble securing financing. "While some banks no longer provide financing for companies conducting surface mining, there are many who will," Mr. Hendriksen said. "We have and will continue to replace their services with alternate bank providers with little difficulty." But Rebecca Tarbotton, the executive director of the Rainforest Action Network, said in a published statement that the banks' moves nonetheless send "a clear signal that these companies have a high risk profile and that other banks should beware." "Bottom line," she added, "as access to capital becomes more constrained it will be harder for mining companies to finance the blowing up of America's mountains."  ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Janmastami & Srila Prabhupada's Appearance Day Pictures
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