Come join us to celebrate the 23nd annual Queen Street Chariot Festival. See the spectacle unfold as a gigantic colourfully decorated Chariot carrying Jagannatha is hand-pulled up Queen Street by thousands of enthusiastic people. Accompany the boisterous carnival procession by enjoying a rich cultural atmosphere created by strikingly colourful dance performances and the sounds of melodious exotic music.
Over the last forty three years, the Rath Yatra festival, ‘Chariot Festival’ has moved beyond the shores of India being celebrated as an international event all around the world. Due to the great vision of ISKCON’s (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) founder acharya A. C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, today this 2000 year old festival is being celebrated with resounding pomp in over 400 hundred cities around the world including New York, London, Sydney, Washington D.C, Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Mumbai, Paris, Budapest, Dublin, Prague, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Moscow.
Join us to celebrate this grand world-wide festival in the city of Auckland, New Zealand.
Schedule of Events
* 11:30 am Meet up at Parade start point (Britomart Place)
* 12:00 pm Parade commences from Britomart Place down Customs Street
* 12:30 pm Parade enters Queen Street
* 02:00 pm Parade ends by Auckland Townhall (Queen Street)
The ISKCON Midday Meal project—part of a larger program by the Indian Government to give poor children from slum and tribal areas better nutrition, improve school attendance, and reduce the drop-out rate—received permission recently to add a 19th food distribution center.
Two and half months after a huge explosion—caused by a gas leak in the kitchen—ripped through their temple on September 3rd, the devotees of ISKCON Leicester, UK are still pushing on through their most difficult time with faith in Krishna.
Thirty-five members and ministers of the Governing Body Commission attended their second annual meetings from October 31st through November 4th at the ISKCON Juhu temple in Mumbai, India, where they discussed plans to cement ISKCON’s future.
By ISKCON News Staff for ISKCON News on 19 Nov 2010
On the occasion of the auspicious Hindu festival the Diwali, from the 30th of October till the 5th of November Shaunaka Rishi Das the Director of the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies has been offering daily contemplations and meditations on UK`s prestigious BBC Radio 4 Channel.
"A group of us, all friends, will be visiting Australia in May for a few days. We are all vegetarian...We are likely to be on the Gold Coast for a few days. I would be really grateful if you could give us names of a few restaurants."
I replied:
There are a number of excellent Hare Krishna Restaurants in the region you are visiting. Here is a complete list. Happy eating!!
Excerpts from Sri Harinama Cintamani (Haridasa Thakura to Lord Caitanya, as written through Bhaktivinoda Thakura): 3. “The Holy Name is the Fountainhead.
“Of the four characteristic features (name, form, qualities and activities), the Lord’s holy name is the original because it awards cognition of the other three. Therefore chanting the holy name is the prime religious activity of a Vaisnava. From the holy name gradually blossom the Lord’s form, qualities and pastimes. The entire panorama of Lord Krishna’s pastimes is present in the holy name. You have personally declared that Your name is the highest absolute truth.”
By chanting the holy names one gradually gains revelation of the other features of Krishna, starting with His form. Therefore it is said the “entire panorama” of Krishna’s pastimes becomes revealed by this simple process of chanting.
4. “Principal and Secondary Holy Names.
“The holy name can be categorized into two types: principal and secondary. By taking shelter of the principal names of the Lord, the jiva obtains the essence of spiritual life.
The principal names of Lord Krishna describe His transcendental pastimes and contain all of the Lord’s spiritual excellences. They are, for example: Govinda, Gopal, Sri-Nanda-Nandana, Radhanatha, Hari, Yasodamati Prana-dhana, Madana-Mohan, Syamasundara, Madhava, Gopinatha, Vraja Gopala, Ra Khala, Yadava, etc. Anyone who chants these names of the Lord, which depict His eternal pastimes, can attain the Lord’s supreme abode.
5. “Secondary Names and Their Symptoms.
“The Vedas address the Lord with names that characterize His affiliation with the material nature. These are His secondary names, e.g. Creator, Supersoul, Brahman, Maintainer and Annihilator of the World, Yogesvara, Hara, etc. Such names of the Lord are invoked by those pursuing fruitive activities and empirical knowledge. In keeping with the Vedic directions, the chanting of such names of the Lord will succeed in giving one piety and liberation. However, the most consequential result of chanting the Lord’s names—love of Godhead—is to be obtained only by saintly souls who invoke the principal names of Krishna.
Of all the holy names of the Lord, the best combination is present in the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is stated that only by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra can one achieve the ultimate goal in Kali-yuga. The name Krishna means all-attractive, and Hare is an address to Radharani, and Rama means He who experiences the highest pleasure. These names arranged in the Hare Krishna maha-mantra are the principal holy names.
I was again careless last night and did not set my alarm clock. I did not wake until the alarm clock went off at 2:30 A.M. So I’ve gotten a late start. I have chanted ten rounds up to 3:44 A.M. I took medicine for prevention of headache on awakening, and I’ve experienced no pain. I’ve been chanting quickly with attention to the syllables of the names. My concentration is on the accumulation of the quota. Narayana teased me that I should not panic and think that I am up late just because I got up at two-thirty. Two-thirty is still, for most devotees, an early time of the day. So I’ll try to contain myself and go on with my writing, and be assured that I will make up the balance of the quota in good consciousness.
The entire panorama of Krishna’s
qualities emanates from the
fountainhead which is His
names. By offenseless chanting,
one after another, His form,
qualities and pastimes will
be revealed. This may take
much time. We should
be patient living in the
transcendental sound vibration
which comes straight from
Krishna-loka. Narottama dasa
Thakura sings, Golokera prema-
dhana, harinama sankirtana: The holy name comes straight
from Krishna-loka, but he
has failed to make the
connection. Day and night
he is living in this dark
world without seeking to make
the correction. The
“correction” is mindful hearing
of the vibration of the holy
names. There are primary
and secondary names, and
the primary names, said
without offense, bring love
of God. I want to rise
early and concentrate
on the sound vibration and
meditate on the persons Radha and Krishna.
I want to seek to make the correction.
This is a beautiful picture of Prabhupada resting in a chair with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head.
#95
“When did you last hear Prabhupada speak? What was he saying? You beg to hear again. He wrote, ‘This verse is very instructive for sincere workers in the Krishna consciousness movement.’
“‘We should not be jubilant in victory or morose in defeat. We should make a sincere effort to implement the will of Krishna.’ That was given in connection with the speech by Vrtrasura, who encouraged Indra to pick up his thunderbolt and fight. Vrtrasura wanted to be killed by Indra’s thunderbolt because it was created by the order of Lord Vishnu. Vrtrasura actually wanted to go back to Godhead, whereas Indra was interested in keeping his sense gratification in the heavenly kingdom. So Vrtra was a better Vaisnava than Indra.
“Early this morning I begged Prabhupada to accept my writing just as it is. And let me know eventually if it’s off. I ought to worry—the Lord gives a devotee what he wants. He gave Indra the heavenly seat back and let Vrtasura go back to Godhead. I say I want to do what Prabhupada wants, but what do I do?
“When Srila Prabhupada visited the L.A. community he stopped in one of the rooms, and a new devotee, Tirtharthi, came forward and offered him a drink of water from a silver cup on a silver tray. Srila Prabhupada took it. In the photo I am standing Prabhupada, watching. I helped to bring Tirtharthi to Krishna consciousness. I preached to him at Santa Cruz when he was a hippie. Prabhupada has drunk the water and is now returning the cup. It is a very nice moment, and Tirtharthi looks so fresh and new as a devotee, clean and saved and so fortunate to be able to give Prabhupada a drink.
“We were all running after Prabhupada wanting to serve him and be recognized by him. It’s a simple phenomenon but also difficult to explain. After he disappeared in 1977, many disciples stopped serving actively because he didn’t seem to be here. Or they didn’t like the way his leading disciples took charge of things. Some said Prabhupada was pushed out of the center of attention. That did happen . . . Things are better now, I think. Let’s look at the next picture.
Rain and storm
knocked down trees
nearby but not on our own
street. We were spared.
It could have happened.
But Krishna spared us.
In my bicycle fall I
broke my collarbone
but it doesn’t seem so bad.
My left ankle is
permanently crippled, but
I can walk with a
foot brace for half an hour.
Headaches come daily,
but I can check
them with medicine.
The psychiatrists like
Freud and Jung
have their explanations.
I take shelter
of Krishna and don’t complain.
Much worse might
lie ahead, and
I hope you don’t complain.
I turned at random to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 29, text 27 (purport):
“It should not be misunderstood that because the Supersoul is dwelling within the heart of a living entity, the individual soul has become equal to Him. The equality of the Supersoul and the individual soul is misconceived by the impersonalist. Here it is distinctly mentioned that the individual soul should be recognized in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The method of worshiping the individual soul is described here as either giving charitable gifts or behaving in a friendly manner, free from any separatist outlook. The impersonalist sometimes accepts a poor individual soul as being daridra-narayaṇa, meaning that Narayaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has become poor. This is a contradiction. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is full in all opulences. He can agree to live with a poor soul or even with an animal, but this does not make Him poor.”
The best way to be charitable to living entities is to give them Krishna consciousness. All human beings are capable of receiving devotional service and being engaged in Krishna consciousness. The easiest method is to involve them in chanting and hearing the Hare Krishna mantra. Everyone is more or less spiritually poor, so even materially rich persons can be given charity by giving them Krishna and service to Krishna. Less than human beings, animals and birds, etc. can be given Krishna prasadam. There are scriptural examples of being liberated in one lifetime by honoring Krishna prasadam. Giving charity to humans and animals does not mean falsely elevating them to the exalted position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But the same Supersoul lives in the heart of all living beings.
Narayana typed out an itinerary for me taking medicines. The bottom line is to avoid pain. Always take medicine when pain comes and take preventative meds on schedule even when you don’t have pain. The theory is, pain causes damage. Taking meds is less harmful (the side effects) than enduring pain and causing damage to brain capillaries. I will accept it. You take medicine at 9:30 A.M. and 2:30 P.M. even if pain does not occur. And you take medicine on rising and going to bed. I’ll ask him about some details and some contingencies. For example, if I have a headache at 2:00 or 3:00 A.M., do I still take preventative medicine at 9:30 A.M.? The answer seems to be yes. You eat a cracker when you take medicine on an empty stomach. You take an extra medicine at 9:30 if you have extreme headache. Aggressive treatment. He hints that I have not been strictly following this, and it’s not good. I will follow it.
The readings are important. I write paraphrases in my journal. They are perhaps not as interesting as Free Write from the little life. Keep doing Writing Sessions and take little life-excerpts from them. But the paraphrases are in parampara, and that is always good. When you add a little free write to the parampara, it enlivens it. I did that with Nalakuvara and Manigriva. I said they had fun after their reformation, acting ecstatic in the mood of Lord Nityananda. Vrndavana dasa Thakura really lays it on heavily about the ecstatic dancing of Gaura-Nitai and the other associates. They are always chanting “Hari!” and falling unconscious to the ground, and Lord Caitanya sprinkles everyone with tears. I don’t think it is too much. I like it. It is constant. He says it cannot be fully explained. He gives us just a little taste as he is capable of writing.
Rohini Mataji called Krishna and Balarama to stop Their play and come and eat lunch. At first They ignored her, but then They started to come. The other boys threatened Them. “If You leave us now, at the summit of our play, we won’t play with You later.” Krishna and Balarama turned back and joined Their friends at play. Rohini gets Mother Yasoda to call for Krishna. She cries out, “My darling Son, You are not a street boy. You have been playing all morning, and You are dirty and tired. Your father, Nanda Maharaja, has not eaten, and he is waiting for You before he begins.” When He heard this, Krishna returned home. His mother bathed Him and dressed Him in fine clothes and ornaments. It was His birthday, and through His parents, He gave cows and grains and charity to the brahmanas.
Upananda, who was a senior cowherd man, met with Nanda Maharaja and the other cowherd men. They discussed how so many demons had come to harass them. Upananda suggested they should move their residence. He advised they relocate to Vrndavana, which was in the forest and would be safe. They agreed, and they packed up their belongings to carry them by ox-driven carts. Krishna and Balarama were very happy with Their new location, and They explored the Yamuna River and the flowers and orchards.
They started selling papadams in the bazaar, rasagulas too. They began eating the grass that was stored for the horses and donkeys in the rear of their carts. I rode with a friend on the bumpy rickshaw at sunset down Cittagara Road. I started composing Vrndavana haiku in a collection called Under the Banyan Tree. The last poem in the collection was “Driven out of Vrndavana/ by a Sikh/ in a Fiat.” How Baladeva let a cow lick him all over his body. Dogs loping around the circle. In the empty temple: pigeons in the rafters. A dog wiping his rear feet backwards on sacred ground. Baby peacocks in the lane.
In November in Stuyvesant Falls, most leaves are gone from the trees. Narayana points out to me the white picket fences and wooden columns on the porches. We discuss about the geese honking and flying in the sky and decide it’s not the same flock each day and that they are not confused about where they are going. Laksmana’s football and baseball lying in the grass, his catcher’s mitt too. Laksmana bouncing on the trampoline with three-year-old Yogi. Our daily walk: three laps around the yard, making right angle turns. Mushrooms and chestnuts are gone, mulched by the lawnmower.
A monkey sizes me up. Out from the tourist complex jogging, an elephant. Dialogue from Slumdog Millionaire: Boy beaten for begging: “You wanted to see India, so here it is.” Tourists: “And here is America.” (They hand him some money.)
Always situated in pure goodness, the holy name descends to this world in the shape of letters as the complete incarnation and embodiment of the highest sweetness: rasa.
Sri Harinama Cintamani by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
By Mukunda Goswami for The Hindustan Times on 19 Nov 2010
The manner in which we communicate is deeply entrenched in monetary and marketing terminology. Money is often the ultimate measure of success, and the desire to sell goods permeates our language.
Some say that the only bonafide relationship between a devotee couple is one where the wife see the husband as pati guru and worships him. This is not supported by Vedic scriptures or Srila Prabhupada’s purports. This fact needs to be definitively confirmed in ISKCON.
Tomorrow, the glorious full moon night that ends Damodara month marks the last transcedental pastime of the month of Karttik, called Sri Krishna Rasayatra. This is similar to the Krishna's Rasa dance which takes place during Vasant.
To mark this pastime on the 2nd full moon of Karttik and the culmination of this special period, a yellow tinge is offered in dressing as well as extra flowers including jasmine. Also pots of khir are prepared and left for Krishna's pleasure and enjoyment under the clear moonlight. I am simply a neophyte and thus cannot describe this very special Rasa dance , so I must turn to the Purity of Srila Prabhupada as he describes this pastime and a portion of Srila Prabhupada's purport is as follows: Thus hearing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, speaking to pacify them, the gopis became very much pleased. And not only by hearing His words, but also by touhing the hands and legs of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they became completely releaved from the great suffering of separation. After this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead began His rasa dance. When one dances in the midst of many girls, it is called a rasa dance. So Krsna began to dance among the most beautiful and fortunate girls within the three worlds. The gopis of Vrndavana, who were so attracted to Him, danced with Krsna, hand in hand. Krsna's rasa dance should never be compared with any kind of material dance, such as a ball dance or a society dance. The rasa dance is a completely spiritual performance. In order to establish this fact, Krsna, the supreme mystic, expanded Himself in many forms and stood beside each gopi. Placing His hands on the shoulders of the gopis on both sides of Him, He began to dance in their midst. The mystic expansions of Krsna were not perceived by the gopis because Krsna appeared alone to each of them. Each gopi thought that Krsna was dancing with her alone. Above that wonderful dance flew many airplanes carrying the denizens of the heavenly planets, who were very anxious to see the wonderful dance of Krsna with the gopis. The Gandharvas and the Kinnaras began to sing, and, accompanied by their respective wives, all the Gandharvas began to shower flowers on the dancers. Please read the rest of this lila in chapter 33 of the Krsna book.
Sri Krishna Rasayatra ki Jaya! I am forever grateful to you Srila Prabhupada!
p.s. I am preparing another post about what took place 495 years ago on this special day. So stay tuned.
The Hare Krishna Movement in Fiji has invested $4.7 million in the country by building its temple in Sigatoka town. Spokesperson for the Movement Dr Rajesh Maharaj said construction works of the Shri Radha Damodar temple started three years ago and work is still underway.
1968 November 20: "Bhaktivinoda Thakura was associating with impersonalists for sometime and then he manifested himself as pure devotee. So there is no misunderstanding. Everything must be understood through the transparent via media of the bona fide Spiritual Master."Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1969 November 20: "We do not mind if there is no savings. Our policy should be to collect millions of dollars and to spend also millions of dollars or sometimes more. But we should be very careful that we may not be extravagant."Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1971 November 20: "My Guru Maharaja used to say, 'Anything material, if it is used for the service of Krishna, it is a mistake to give it up.' Because I understood this principle, he used to appreciate me in front of my godbrothers. Why you big leaders do not understand?"Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
1974 November 20: "So we should not be confused. A big nation, a big worker, a big ascetic, and all similar big attempts, if they are devoid of bhagavad-bhakti, then such big qualities are exactly like the decoration of a dead body."Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1975 November 20: "Produce just enough for our own use. If you start trading business, then so many problems will be there. Trading leads to envy and jealousy and cheating, then everything is lost."Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 November 20: "Why increase business? This is not required. He came to India simply for business so I gave him sannyasa and now he is finished with all business. Business should be discouraged, our business is simply book distribution."Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 November 20: "Personal example - this is our process of preaching - not that we preach something and then do something else. That is called cheating and we are not that kind of cheater."Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 November 20: "Whatever is suitable, that you should do. This is the meaning of plain living and high thinking. But if the chanting of Hare Krsna is not there, then no high thinking will be there."Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
By Christopher Feliciano Arnold for www.brazzil.com on 11 Nov 2010
Already one of the world's largest suppliers of breathable air, Brazil is an agricultural superpower, poised to become a leading exporter of fossil fuels. The evolution of Brazil's environmental policies is vital to the health of the planet as the country balances (or fails to balance) its booming economy with its responsibility as caretaker of 20 percent of the world's biodiversity.
The scientists say that a rise of even three feet would inundate low-lying lands in many countries, rendering some areas uninhabitable. It would cause coastal flooding of the sort that now happens once or twice a century to occur every few years. It would cause much faster erosion of beaches, barrier islands and marshes. It would contaminate fresh water supplies with salt.
In the United States, parts of the East Coast and Gulf Coast would be hit hard. In New York, coastal flooding could become routine, with large parts of Queens and Brooklyn especially vulnerable. About 15 percent of the urbanized land in the Miami region could be inundated. The ocean could encroach more than a mile inland in parts of North Carolina.
Abroad, some of the world’s great cities — London, Cairo, Bangkok, Venice and Shanghai among them — would be critically endangered by a three-foot rise in the sea.
Climate scientists readily admit that the three-foot estimate could be wrong. Their understanding of the changes going on in the world’s land ice is still primitive. But, they say, it could just as easily be an underestimate as an overestimate. One of the deans of American coastal studies, Orrin H. Pilkey of Duke University, is advising coastal communities to plan for a rise of at least five feet by 2100.
“I think we need immediately to begin thinking about our coastal cities — how are we going to protect them?” said John A. Church, an Australian scientist who is a leading expert on sea level. “We can’t afford to protect everything. We will have to abandon some areas.”
Prabhupada said, “You become guru.” But guru means guru. Guru means heavy, not light. “You become guru”, means to become guru in the true sense. Not an untrue or false guru. Become a true guru. That is what Srila Prabhupada was saying
This is one of the principal teachings of the holy name, namely that the holy name is the same as Krishna Himself. It is not just a combination of letters or a sterile practice. The holy name is Krishna Himself, as good as His form in Goloka Vrndavana.
Cook this delicious Mee Goreng for your friends.
These are my books. I'll personally sign them for you.This is the 11-disc 20-hour Kurma TV cookery show DVD compendium.Contact Kurma now: kurma.acbsp@pamho.net
Govindas (Surfers Paradise), 134 Centro (old Paradise Centre, behind Gloria Jeans and Starshots, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, 07 5538 3788, http://sites.google.com/site/govindasvego/.
Cardamon Pod (Byron Bay), Lawson St, Byron Bay, 02 6672 7383, http://www.byronvegetariancafe.com.au/.Govindas (Brisbane City), 99 Elizabeth St, Brisbane 07 3210 255, http://www.brisbanegovindas.com.au/.
Govindas Cafe (Brisbane Suburbs), Shop 2, 302 Logan Road, Stones Corner, 07 3160 6374.
Discussion about book distribution by the devotee community during the upcoming Prabhupada Marathon.
