Here are the latest updates for sricaitanyamahaprabhu.juanymecky@blogger.com
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Prahlad painting
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Maha Kirtan 1 Canberra after party
- ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Interpersonal Devotee Relationship Seminar - Recording
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Kesava Prabhu
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Krishnapada's kirtan from Maha Kirtan in Canberra
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Learn to play harmonium
- ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Sunday Feast Recording - May 9, 2010
- Ekendra dasa, AU: Bad Advertising
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Sitapati's kirtan from Maha Kirtan 1 Canberra
- Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Lecture - Guru-prasad Swami - CC Adi 2.30
- Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: be convinced what kind of civilization we are trying to introduce
- Jahnavi, UK: Crunching in the Big Apple
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: I CAN GET NO SATISFACTION
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: '432' from The Yellow Submarine
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 'Reviving His Memory' from The Yellow Submarine
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 'To Prabhupada' from The Yellow Submarine
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 'Dramas for Krishna…' from The Yellow Submarine
- New Vrndavan, USA: Restoration of Srila Prabhupada's Palace
- Dandavats.com: Queen's day Harinam in Amsterdam
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Caitanya-priya from Coventry asks
- Mukunda Charan das, SA: Chanting On Japa Mala: An Introduction To The Chanting Of Hare Krishna On Beads
- H.H. Sivarama Swami
- Kirtans in Oxford, UK: The Merry Month of May
- Japa Group: Becoming A Merciful Soul
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Nature loss ‘to damage economies’
- Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: The Crisis Comes Ashore
- Gouranga TV: Sacinandana Swami – Hare Krishna kirtan – Varshana japa retreat 2009
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A couple of snapshots of Param Satya and Prahlad doing some painting.
After the Maha Kirtan had officially finished, kirtaniyas from Sydney and Melbourne, who met for the first time in Canberra, continued doing kirtan until late into the night. Here are a few moments that I managed to grab with my camera.
The recording for the seminar by HG Rohini Priya das can be viewed by clicking the image below. As a reminder, the recordings from our weekly live web broadcasts are stored on our ISKCON Toronto Video Archive Blog.
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.21 - The best way to control the mind is harinama-sankirtana.
Here's Krishnapada's kirtan, again from Naveen's stereo recording:
A few people have asked me about learning to play harmonium lately.
Here are some websites:
The recording for this week's Sunday Feast can be viewed by clicking the image below. As a reminder, the recordings from our weekly live web broadcasts are stored on our ISKCON Toronto Video Archive Blog.
This photo amazes me. Factually, this is a very caring initiative where the workers at ISKCON's Mayapur center can bring their children for an education for which they may not otherwise get the opportunity. But the sign is a shocker. The look of the building and the sign combined make for really bad PR. I couldn't believe it when I saw it.
Naveen recorded all of the Canberra MK1 kirtans on a Tascam stereo recorder. Additionally, Krishnapada has most of the kirtans recorded multitrack on his laptop. I'd say that soon cleaned up versions of the mp3s will be available as well as some mix-downs of the highlight kirtans of the day (doing that mix-down is quite time-intensive).
In the meantime, by popular demand, here is the recording of my 1:00pm kirtan, from Naveen's stereo recording.
This melody is a new one that I've been working on, and would like to sing at the 24 hour kirtan in New Vrndavan in June, Krishna willing. The third part was inspired by Tribhuvanesa's lunchtime kirtan, where he would sing a standard melody and change the chord voicings beneath it. Prema Yogi and Vrajadhama helped me with the structure of the kirtan.
A bunch of devotees came up from Melbourne, and Visnuji played mrdanga for me in this kirtan.
Visnuji playing mrdanga at MK1 Canberra Special thanks also to Krishnapada and Gitanjali for singing backing vocals.
Lecture on Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 2, Text 30 by Guru-prasad Swami.
Dallas, TX
2010-03-08
TRANSLATION
"O Lord of lords, You are the seer of all creation. You are indeed everyone's dearest life. Are You not, therefore, my father, Narayana? Narayana refers to one whose abode is in the water born from Nara [Garbhodakasayi Vishnu], and that Narayana is Your plenary portion. All Your plenary portions are transcendental. They are absolute and are not creations of maya."
PURPORT
This statement, which is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.14), was spoken by Lord Brahma in his prayers to Lord Krishna after the Lord had defeated him by displaying His mystic powers. Brahma had tried to test Lord Krishna to see if He were really the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing as a cowherd boy. Brahma stole all the other boys and their calves from the pasturing grounds, but when he returned to the pastures he saw that all the boys and calves were still there, for Lord Krishna had created them all again. When Brahma saw this mystic power of Lord Krishna's, he admitted defeat and offered prayers to the Lord, addressing Him as the proprietor and seer of everything in the creation and as the Supersoul who is within each and every living entity and is dear to all. That Lord Krishna is Narayana, the father of Brahma, because Lord Krishna's plenary expansion Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, after placing Himself on the Garbha Ocean, created Brahma from His own body. Maha-Vishnu in the Causal Ocean and Kshirodakasayi Vishnu, the Supersoul in everyone's heart, are also transcendental expansions of the Supreme Truth.
Download:
2010-03-08 - Guru-prasad Swami - Lecture CC Adi 2.30.mp3 Your material desires, eating, sleeping, mating--fulfill it like a gentleman and save time and make spiritual advancement. This is to be introduced. Why you are inventing so strenuous work and spoil time, valuable time of human life? This we want to preach. Save time, be spiritually advanced, and other necessities, make it gentlemanly short-cut. If you save time, you can read all these literatures, understand what is value of life. Therefore, the literature here. Not for all. The brahmanas, educated. And they'll distribute the knowledge by speaking. Others, those who are less intelligent, simply by hearing, they will be guided. Just be convinced what kind of civilization we are trying to introduce. We should not be carried away. Then finished. In order to check others, if we become carried away, (laughing) then finish all business. To save them from being washed away by maya, if we become washed away, then where is the hope? Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Be strong so that you may not be rascal, and then you can do; others you can check. Otherwise, it will be impossible. How it is possible? A man is drowning. If you are strong enough, you can save. But if you also become drowned, then how you'll save him? So the everything is there. Save yourself, save others. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. First of all save yourself; then try to save others. Or both things can go on simultaneously. The same example. If you want to save somebody who's drowning you must know that I may not be washed away. I have to remain strong; then I can save him.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura
So I’ve been here in New York City for two weeks now. In this time the weather has transformed from dreary grey to startling blue skies and sunshine, making me feel I’ve passed much more than a season here already.
It’s been an adventure so far – living at Radha Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn – a cavernous old building that used to be a church, but has been a Hare Krishna temple for the past couple of decades. It’s the first time I’ve ever stayed in an ashram setting for so long, and though it’s quiet here, it’s great to be able to take advantage of the temple program. Getting up early and having the day begin with prayers, sweet smells and beautiful sights is always a wonderful thing. I’m not a city girl so it’s been interesting getting used to the rhythms of the environment here. Noise of some kind is ever present – whether wailing sirens, juddering trucks, petty fights on street corners or the startlingly sweet song of the birds that alight on the rooftop where I go to chant and see the sun rise.
There’s been so much to digest, record, share and reflect upon – I’m struggling to keep track of it all, but I do hope to write more and more whilst I’m here. For now, just a quick note to say I’m alive and well, despite tumbling headfirst down a dark staircase this morning! Never a dull moment in the big city…
So ultimately I love God. But there are so many impediments. I have forgotten.
I am thinking sometimes to love my body, my mind, like that. But real love is because I am spirit soul, therefore I love myself. And why I love myself? Because it is part and parcel of Visnu. Therefore ultimately you love Visnu. But we have forgotten it.
In relationship with Visnu we have learned to love... Not love. That is our lust. Real love is with Visnu. Because by nature there is love.
Just like the child. It loves the mother. And in the absence of the mother he cries, and when the mother comes he becomes satisfied. So our real love is for Krsna but that we have forgotten. And you are offered, "Why you are crying? You take this. You take this. You take this." No. Nothing will satisfy us unless we again come back to love our original source of life.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975
www.sdgonline.org.
4:09 A.M.
I finally got out of bed at 2:30, which is a little later than I've been getting up, and began rapid chanting. My focus was on accumulating the rounds as quickly as possible. I had no pain, and I was wide awake. I couldn't reach sixteen rounds by 4:15, but I've done twelve. They were not of the deep variety although not the least bit drowsy. I have to learn to give myself plenty of time to chant and then go within myself and chant Krishna's names with awareness that I am with Krishna Himself in the sound vibration. It's not just a counting time but a time to be with the most wonderful person in all the universes.
Clicking off the structured
thirty-two syllable mantra
and immediately beginning
a new one, a constant
stream of mantras pouring
forth. You do them with
the motive to complete
the quota, but that should
not be your main intent.
Move closer to Krishna
with full faith and emotion,
taste the nectar for
which you're always anxious,
chant better than
the mechanical count.
Can you do it in the
balance of your japa
today? Can you make
your brother mind your friend?
read more from SDGonline - daily updates from The Yellow Submarine: My Bhajana Kutir journal www.sdgonline.org.
Prabhupada Smaranam
To be young and walking with your spiritual master on the beach in his morning walk is the happiest time of your life. You are aware it is a wonderful opportunity, but only when you are seventy years old and Prabhupada has disappeared for thirty years do you realize how blissful it actually was. You realize with hindsight how much you have lost. You served simply, walking beside him and holding a microphone to catch his precious words. Because of his supervising presence you had not committed any big mistakes or falldowns. He was kind to you and pleased with you, and you felt privileged to be in his intimate association. The morning walk of Juhu Beach in 1974 with both Prabhupada and yourself in good health, and your Godbrothers and Godsisters beside you…You were aware it was a glorious time, but now you are even more aware of its rarity and how much you have lost.
You have a memory and a photograph to revive your reminiscences, and it reminds you that it was actually a fact, you were there with him, and it is a service that never suffers loss or diminution—and can save you from the greatest fear. The fact that Prabhupada allowed you on his walk is permanently etched in your life, and you are grateful for it, and somehow it is eternal.
www.sdgonline.org.
Prabhupada taught about Krishna
in a certain way and that
is how I wish to know Him.
From the very beginning he said He
was the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and he told us stories
of His lilas in Vrndavana.
He spent much time defeating
the impersonalist conception of
the Absolute, and we should
do that too. He told us
Lord Caitanya said if you
read the Mayavada comments
your spiritual life will
be doomed. He taught
bhakti in all its aspects
and held it as supreme.
He taught about Krishna and
the gopis, but not too much,
giving us just what we could
safely digest. He warned
us not to bring it into
public. He emphasized
preaching and selling his
books, and wanted us
to live in the temples.
In his Bhaktivedanta purports
he gave countless angles of
vision and taught what
Krishna was like. If you read
them you become learned
and bright. You learn
what Krishna wants and
how important it is
to live to please Him.
In Prabhupada's person we
saw one dedicated to spreading
Krishna consciousness with all
his might. All his
energy was used for
Krishna and engaging others
in His service.
Prabhupada knew Krishna
and how best to spread His
mission and make jivas into bhaktas.
He called out to Krishna
in his bhajanas and his
japa and led kirtanas to bring
others to the calling stage.
He was always doing something
practical to achieve Krishna's cause,
and he lamented the lack of actual
devotees in the world. He spoke
strongly against the nondevotees
and made arguments that
tore down their position.
He was regal, with thousands
of disciples and beautiful
temples, but he was humble
and austere, never enjoying
Krishna's property but serving
Him and using matter
in His devotional service.
Prabhupada was very close
to Krishna, having taken
shelter at His lotus feet.
He kindly delivered
the countries of the world
from voidism and impersonalism,
asking nothing for himself
except to praise the glories
and rescue souls from maya.
He is honored in the spiritual
world, and we should
follow him astutely
and with all our hearts.
www.sdgonline.org.
Free write
Dramatic presentations capture the imagination. Here are two versions. One is a full-dress play like the Ramayana with actors in costumes. The other is three persons giving a public reading from a manuscript, such as Dylan Thomas' Under Milkwood or Rupa Gosvami's Vidagdha-madhava. When we sit in an audience and watch a drama we suspend our disbelief and imagine that the story is actually taking place. We are frightened at the appearance of Ravana when he screams "I am Ravana!" and forcibly kidnaps Sita before our eyes, and we are later thrilled and satisfied when Ramacandra kills Ravana with His bow and arrow. If the actors are actually skillful and convincing, we can experience spiritual emotions in a transcendental production of a skit from the Ramayana or Mahabharata or a play by Rupa Gosvami. The twelve rasas of spiritual exchange can be tasted and an audience may even feel emotions of tears, hair standing on end, etc., as in the bodily transformations experienced by devotees in advanced states of bhava.
Lord Caitanya and His associates used to play dramas before qualified audiences at Srivas Thakura's house in Navadvipa. Lord Caitanya sometimes played the Goddess of fortune and amazed all the participants. When Srila Prabhupada was young he played Advaita Acarya in a play put on by a famous Bengali director. The director agreed to work with the young actors only if they rehearsed so hard that their audiences would break into tears. The play was successful and people broke into tears as Srila Prabhupada spoke the words of Advaita Acarya in a play taken from sastras.
"The Festival of Inspiration inspires devotees to do amazing things!,"said Nityodita dasa, President of New Vrindaban Community Board of Directors. "The Palace restoration project actually began when Ramesvara Prabhu attended the Festival of Inspiration in 2009."
Ramesvara Prabhu went for darshan of Srila Prabhupada and took notice of the serious deterioration on the Palace exterior. He could see that although devotees have been working on the Palace one section at a time, there was no comprehensive restoration being done.
Ramesvara, who currently specializes as a building restoration project manager in Manhattan immediately approached Malati, one of the GBCs for New Vrindaban. Malati and Nityodita then spoke with Ramesvara together, and asked him to make recommendations for a comprehensive restoration of the entire Palace.
Ramesvara gave his firm opinion that New Vrindaban take a professional approach to the task. Thus, during the fall and winter of 2009, Ramesvara researched three well established restoration firms and after reviewing their portfolios, the New Vrindaban Community Board of Directors unanimously selected Kayafas Architects of Wheeling, WV. They were contracted to create a master plan for all the areas that need renovation and to supply quotes from various contractors for the work.
"Kayafas is a local firm with an excellent reputation for historic preservation," said Nityodita. "They worked on the historic Strand Theater, the Wesbanco Arena, as well as other prominent local projects."
In April 2010, Kayafas' team of nine specialists met with approximately twenty devotees for five hours. During that meeting, each specialist reported his initial assessment of Palace conditions and his recommended immediate measures. Those recommendations included roofing work; restoring the steel slabs over the restaurant / gift shop; restoring the cupolas; heating system upgrade; plumbing upgrade; and water run-off. Kayafas is now evaluating each of these areas of immediate concern in more depth. Their next report to the Palace Board will include their findings and contractor quotes for the work.
Prabhupada's Palace of Gold is the puspa samadhi of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The Palace is the heart of the New Vrindavan Community and has attracted hundreds of thousands to hear Srila Prabhupada's teachings! It was truly a community effort. Hundreds of young devotees…. men, women and children took part in its construction and did not get paid but did it all as…..selfless devotional service! We must preserve this monument of pure devotion so that whoever visits the Palace will be able to witness with their own eyes the power of Srila Prabhupada's loving influence on his followers, thus opening their hearts to the message of Krsna!
Parasuram das: 30 April 2010 was a special day. the queen of Holland's birthday, and as followers of vedic culture we honour the queen as one of our mothers. So we packed ten devotees in a van and travelled from England to honour her birthday... or not.