sábado, 27 de noviembre de 2010

Australian News: Get thee to a Kirtan: ALACHUA ONLINE 24 Hour Kirtan



PLANET ISKCON


 
----- Original Message -----
From: FeedBlitz
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010 7:48 AM
Subject: Planet ISKCON - 44 new articles

Your email updates, powered by FeedBlitz

Here are the latest updates for
"Planet ISKCON" - 44 new articles
  1. ISKCON Brisbane, AU: Transcendental Visit
  2. ISKCON Brisbane, AU: Gita Jayanti Festival
  3. Bhakta Chuck, CT, USA: Friday Night Oxen #32
  4. Australian News: Blow your mind with the daily Darsan at Melbourne’s Mahaprabhu Mandir
  5. ISKCON Transcriptions: Can you trust Devotees and can Devotees trust you? (part 2)
  6. Australian News: Get thee to a Kirtan: ALACHUA ONLINE 24 Hour Kirtan
  7. ISKCON Melbourne, AU: When Vraja dhama meets Melbourne dhama...
  8. Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Happy Turkey Day?!
  9. ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
  10. Kripamoya dasa, UK: Cold, Dark and Happy
  11. Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: They must be brahmin to do the arotik
  12. Japa Group: The Sun Of The Holy Name Shines
  13. Dandavats.com: Headteacher Hunt
  14. Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: Book distribution on the move
  15. Book Distribution News: Book distribution on the move
  16. Kurma dasa, AU: Only 4 Shopping Weeks to Christmas
  17. Dandavats.com: New Website for Online Flight Tickets launched
  18. Dandavats.com: The 2010 Prabhupada Marathon and World Enlightenment Day
  19. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  20. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  21. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  22. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  23. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  24. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  25. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  26. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  27. Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Conan O’Brien Goes To India
  28. H.H. Sivarama Swami
  29. New Vrndavan, USA: Varsana With Some New Vrindban Residents In 1980s, Early 90s
  30. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 144
  31. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: From Prabhupada Meditations, Volume I
  32. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Dance and Chant
  33. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Free Write
  34. Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: The Two Towers
  35. Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: W.W.P.S.P?
  36. ISKCON News.com: Amazing Late Bloomers
  37. ISKCON News.com: Diverse and Divided, but Praying as One
  38. ISKCON News.com: Dalai Lama Wants To Give Up Ceremonial Duties
  39. ISKCON News.com: Stem Cell Research at the Crossroads of Religion and Politics
  40. H.H. Sivarama Swami: Gaura Nitai asks questions about Nava Vraja Mahima and succession
  41. Caitanya Mangala, CA, USA: Festival of the Holy Name: Catch it Live!
  42. Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: A Tale Of Two Herds
  43. Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: My Mercy
  44. Gouranga TV: Wonderful kirtan of Shri Prahlad das at home program Toronto
  45. More Recent Articles
  46. Search Planet ISKCON
  47. Prior Mailing Archive

ISKCON Brisbane, AU: Transcendental Visit



Your start to 2011 just got better, because the legendary Deena Bandhu Prabhu (ACBSP) is coming to visit Brisbane. From the 29th December 2010 till the 2nd of January 2011, experience the wonder and magic of Vrindavan without even leaving the country. Tour through Raman Reti, the Yamuna river, Govardhan Hill and countless other holy places, as you relive the wonderful childhood pastimes of Krishna and Balaram. A Brijbasi in an American body, Deena Bandu Prabhu is a walking encyclopaedia on Krishna and His pastimes in Vrindavan. Stay tuned for more details.
  • Email to a friend • •

ISKCON Brisbane, AU: Gita Jayanti Festival

  • Email to a friend • •

 

Bhakta Chuck, CT, USA: Friday Night Oxen #32

Hello Everyone,
…as autumn gives way to winter…
George Henry Durrie
American artist George Henry Durrie is most well-know for his work in the genre of landscape painting.  His depictions of rural life became popular through the mid-19th century and won him acclaim by Currier & Ives.  I must say that in my younger days as an art student, I paid no attention to this style of work or subject matter. We found it very boring and far too quaint.  Nowadays, I hope I take a broader view.
Painters is this genre were masters of light and nuance.  See how the artist captures an entire mood and at the same time, never misses even the smallest detail; his oxen woven into the very fabric of life.  I hope you like them.
Have a nice weekend, is service to the Oxen,
Chuck
Chant
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

  • Email to a friend • •

 

Australian News: Blow your mind with the daily Darsan at Melbourne’s Mahaprabhu Mandir

‘Taking Darsan’ means to present yourself before the deitiy for of Lord Krishna to be seen by Him and to see Him. There is great spiritual benefit in this and it should form part of your spiritual practice.
One of the powerful uses of the Internet is that you can ‘take Darsan’ of Krishna in his deity form from locations all over the world. Many temples take photos of the deities who live there and present them on the Internet for our benefit. Some even stream live video of deities for your benefit. You an see a nice example of this at at the www.mayapur.tv web site.
Here is Australia we can see the beautiful deities at Sri Mahaprabhu Mandir in Melbourne. The wonderful devotees there provice the opportnity for darsan almost on a daily basis.
You can see how fabulously the deities there are dressed and taken care of. What a feast for the eyes and soul it is to gaze upon the deities when ever you chose. There are currently 18 different days to look at and more are being added all the time.
Share this story your way:PrintFacebookTwitterGoogle BookmarksStumbleUponYahoo! Buzzdel.icio.usDiggLiveMySpacePDF
  • Email to a friend • •

 

ISKCON Transcriptions: Can you trust Devotees and can Devotees trust you? (part 2)

Seminar on Vaisnava Culture and Trust given by HH Hridayananda Das Goswami  at ISKCON  Alachua in 2007.
We’re trying to understand one line from the Upadesamrita. We’ll read more of Prabhupada’s purport and then try to understand this.  The first is dadati which literally means he or she gives, and pratigrihnati – takes in return. One gives and one takes in return. Guhyam akhyati – one explains a secret; pricchati – one inquires; bhunkte – one eats; bhojayate caiva – one gives to someone else to eat; shad-vidham priti‑lakshanam – these are the sixfold symptoms of love.
As we read last night, Prabhupada stated that even in ordinary activities these six types of dealings between loving friends are absolutely necessary.  Prabhupada says that ISKCON has been established to facilitate these six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees, and that people must be given a chance to associate with the devotees of Krishna because simply by reciprocating in the six ways mentioned above an ordinary man can fully revive his dormant Krishna consciousness.
So these methods are very important, and Prabhupada goes on to explain that, for example, chanting Hare Krishna is a loving exchange revealing something to people: that people need to give up non-devotee association and associate with devotees… read full story
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Australian News: Get thee to a Kirtan: ALACHUA ONLINE 24 Hour Kirtan

Click on the link below and be transported to Alachua, Florida in the USA where a 24 hour Kirtan is currenty in progress. The live feed is being streamed from the Krishna.com web site and that is where this link leads.
Whils you are there at Krishna.com have alook around, you’ll be amazed.
Click here to get the live feed: http://www.krishna.com/alachua-24-hour-kirtan
Share this story your way:PrintFacebookTwitterGoogle BookmarksStumbleUponYahoo! Buzzdel.icio.usDiggLiveMySpacePDF
  • Email to a friend • •

 

ISKCON Melbourne, AU: When Vraja dhama meets Melbourne dhama...

deena

We will have the great honour and priviledge to host His Grace Deena Bandhu Prabhu for what promises to be 7 divine days.

Here is an excerpt of how the iskcondesiretree.com website describes this great soul:

Deena Bandhu Prabhu is settled in Vraja. Although from a foreign country, he looks exactly like one of the local Vrajabhasis; he speaks the local language and nicely interacts with the locals.

Prabhu loves to take devotees on parikrama in Vrindavana and is part of ISKCON Vraja Parikrama annually.

Besides being an excellent narrator of Krishna's pastimes, Deena Bandhu Prabhu is the source of inspiration for the renovation of Vrinda Devi temple, near Nanadagon.

Also not to be missed: HARINAMA Friday 3rd December
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Happy Turkey Day?!

Picture
Picture from the Daily Herald Article

Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving weekend. Up here in Canada it is celebrated on the 2nd Monday of every October and some jokingly call it Happy Turkey day. Unfortunately, for most Turkey's it is not a happy day as they are slaughtered in mass. Every year, the U.S. President "pardons" a Turkey so that he can roam and live his natural life...the turkey that is.  So I guess, somewhere along the road they understood that the decent and respectable thing to do is to "pardon" a turkey and too bad all the hoop-la on TV News does not translate into a mass  "pardon" of all Turkeys and for that matter all animals.

This year the highlight of our Canadian Thanksgiving day was to spend it with Bhaktimarga Swami and a group of very sincere devotees that are pushing Srila Prabhupada's movement along in the Toronto area. Of course, we enjoyed heaping prasadam and just think, if that entire room was not in Srila Prabhupada's shelter at least 5 or more Turkeys would have been devoured (the opposite of pardoned).

And with so many homes and families being directly or indirectly touched by "Hare Krishnas" perhaps more and more turkeys are being pardoned from Hollywood to Manhattan from bsby boomers to teens.

My impetus for writing this is the fearless and devout leader in Utah, Caru Prabhu who picked up another nice article in the Daily Herald titled "Krishna devotees observe vegetarian Thanksgiving".  Just one more ripple effect in changing Consciousness.

The article is linked here: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/spanish-fork/article_b04e5b5a-f998-11df-a418-001cc4c03286.html
  • Email to a friend • •

ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana

27/11/10

Another quote from Srila Prabhupada today to boost all those who are out on Day-6 of his illustrious book marathon:
"There is only one guru - Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 
So those who simply repeat His words, they also become guru. 
But of course a guru never thinks himself as being God.  He only thinks himself as the servant of the servant of the servant."
So here's the slideshow of Krishna, the one and only Guru, lovingly surrounded by His magnificent associates and direct expansions.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Kripamoya dasa, UK: Cold, Dark and Happy

This morning I scraped a layer of ice off my car windows. It took some effort, and my hands froze. The temperature here is now -1 or -2 in the mornings. We’ve been having icy blasts coming down from the Arctic circle over the past week. Winter has arrived.
A few weeks ago, in southern India, the temperature was 32 Celsius or 89 Fahrenheit one hour after breakfast. I feel as if I’ve been plunged into a walk-in fridge ever since I’ve come back.
But never mind, the cold helps one’s spiritual life. There’s nothing like a prolonged cold water splash in the morning to wake you up and focus the mind on higher matters. Meditation is easier after a cold shower. I speak from years of shivering experience.
My readers in India may be surprised to learn just what the expression ‘cold tap water’ means to us here in wintry England. Whereas in your country the cold water that comes out of the tap is what we would call ‘lukewarm,’ meaning tepid, or not hot, in England and in most Northern climates, the cold water in the home is actually very cold, as if it had just been taken out of a fridge. When my guru, Srila Prabhupada, once asked a disciple to bring him a glass of water during his visit to London, he took one sip and returned it saying: “This is too cold.” On another occasion he wrote a letter to his disciples in England expressing his gratitude that during the cold winter months they were still travelling around the country to sell his books.
During the cold season here it is also dark. The sun does not rise until 7.15 am and then, after passing quite low through the sky, sinks down in the west around 4.20pm. So the days are not long. But we here in England spare a thought for our neighbours to the north in Sweden, where the sun rises at 8.00am and sets at 3.00pm!
The darkness steadily increases until December 22 and then on the 25th there is a celebration of the sun returning, and longer days beginning, which is now marked by Christmas. Although the birth of Jesus Christ was most probably in October, the midwinter festival that fell on the 25th each year was such a fixed feature on the early British calendar that even the might of the Roman empire was not enough to move it. So it has stayed through the centuries.
Of course, for the people of these cold, dark lands, the mid-winter period is a time when their thoughts turn to giving happiness to others and reciprocating for kindness shown to them during the year. The devotees of Krishna hold an annual month-long festival of sacred book distribution during December, and it is amazing just how many books are sold – many being given as Christmas presents! Many people have told us they celebrated their Christmas by reading about Lord Krishna for the first time!
So even in the freezing temperatures and the times when the sun does not like to shine in the sky, we Vaishnavas in England can still be happy. It is during this cold season, of course, that Lord Sri Krishna chose to speak the immortal Bhagavad-gita. There must have been a good reason for the Lord to choose this month!
In the cold British weather, book distributor Chandramohini dasi interests another passer-by in Srila Prabhupada’s books.


  • Email to a friend • •

 

Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: They must be brahmin to do the arotik

Kusa Mataji remembers: There was one incident that I remember... because we had had non brahmins doing the worship and Gaurasundara... because Srila Prabhupada, his health had been fragile he hadn't wanted to tax Srila Prabhupada with making... asking for more initiations. So there were only a few brahmins in the temple and we ladies had been doing the arotiks and what not. Turya das did mangal aratik. And here we were at the situation where we realize we don't have the brahmins. So we phoned to Waimanalo(?) to ask Srila Prabhupada if it was ok if the first initiates do the arotik. I was a first initiate. Srila Prabhupada yelled "No! They must be brahmin." We could hear through the phone...
>From Memories of Srila Prabhupada DVD #48
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Japa Group: The Sun Of The Holy Name Shines

Once the cloud and mist are dispelled, the sun of the holy name shines brilliantly once more and enlightens the devotee with love of Godhead.

Harinama Cintamani - Haridasa Thakura to Lord Caitanya
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Dandavats.com: Headteacher Hunt

Pradyumna das: The I-Foundation - the education charity behind Leicester’s first Hindu state school, which is due to open next September - has launched a global hunt for a head teacher
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: Book distribution on the move

Recently we flew south from a preaching tour in North Queensland, Australia, since our house in Sydney had been sold and we were moving a thousand kilometers north to the New Govardhana farm. We left our van with some friends in Mackay, North Queensland, since it was too far to drive in a short time with a baby and a wife.
So we moved our possessions up north. After doing so much traveling and moving our household, I felt like resting a bit before flying back up to North Queensland to get our van. But my wife insisted that there were some towns we had missed and some bhaktas we had promised to hold a feast for. So we set out to get our van and do another trip. Halfway through the trip, though, we felt maybe it was time to go back. Then we changed our minds and decided try a little more before heading back.
We nearly ran out of books, so we ordered more. When they came I picked them up and we drove to the motel we were staying at. After we got out out of the van, my wife asked me to hang the washing. I walked into the laundry and came face to face with a man with a shaved head. I said "Hare Krsna," and he replied "Hare Krsna" and asked if I had any books. He bought one of all the hard and softcover books I had for $120. (So it pays to always serve your wife if she needs immediate help.)
The next day he came to our morning program and got beads. I asked if he wanted to come out with us that day and do some preaching, since he had no job. The next two days he enthusiastically came out with us and stayed out all day doing books, harinam, and prasadam distribution.
One day we went to a plaza. It was the end of the day and I had to buy something. I told him to wait in the parking lot and approach a few people. I was not expecting much, since he hadn't sold many books so far. When he came back he handed me $170, saying a lady had given him a $100 donation and then bought two Kurma cookbooks for $70! I thought, "This man has some shakti!"
That day he also came to me and said he had a gift. When I opened the envelope, to my surprise it contained $500! To try to enthuse him I asked him to come traveling with us. He came for a week and went out every day, and he even wanted to wash the dishes after every meal! Then he went home but said he would like to come to the Kuli Mela in January at New Govardhana. He has already booked his ticket and will stay with us. If he likes it, he plans to move to the farm. After this experience, we realized that this was Krsna's special plan and that our second trip was well worthwhile.
Your servant Rupa Raghunatha das
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Book Distribution News: Book distribution on the move

Recently we flew south from a preaching tour in North Queensland, Australia, since our house in Sydney had been sold and we were moving a thousand kilometers north to the New Govardhana farm. We left our van with some friends in Mackay, North Queensland, since it was too far to drive in a short time with a baby and a wife.
So we moved our possessions up north. After doing so much traveling and moving our household, I felt like resting a bit before flying back up to North Queensland to get our van. But my wife insisted that there were some towns we had missed and some bhaktas we had promised to hold a feast for. So we set out to get our van and do another trip. Halfway through the trip, though, we felt maybe it was time to go back. Then we changed our minds and decided try a little more before heading back.
We nearly ran out of books, so we ordered more. When they came I picked them up and we drove to the motel we were staying at. After we got out out of the van, my wife asked me to hang the washing. I walked into the laundry and came face to face with a man with a shaved head. I said "Hare Krsna," and he replied "Hare Krsna" and asked if I had any books. He bought one of all the hard and softcover books I had for $120. (So it pays to always serve your wife if she needs immediate help.)
The next day he came to our morning program and got beads. I asked if he wanted to come out with us that day and do some preaching, since he had no job. The next two days he enthusiastically came out with us and stayed out all day doing books, harinam, and prasadam distribution.
One day we went to a plaza. It was the end of the day and I had to buy something. I told him to wait in the parking lot and approach a few people. I was not expecting much, since he hadn't sold many books so far. When he came back he handed me $170, saying a lady had given him a $100 donation and then bought two Kurma cookbooks for $70! I thought, "This man has some shakti!"
That day he also came to me and said he had a gift. When I opened the envelope, to my surprise it contained $500! To try to enthuse him I asked him to come traveling with us. He came for a week and went out every day, and he even wanted to wash the dishes after every meal! Then he went home but said he would like to come to the Kuli Mela in January at New Govardhana. He has already booked his ticket and will stay with us. If he likes it, he plans to move to the farm. After this experience, we realized that this was Krsna's special plan and that our second trip was well worthwhile.
Your servant Rupa Raghunatha das
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Kurma dasa, AU: Only 4 Shopping Weeks to Christmas

Wow! Only four shopping weeks to Christmas!
Why not gift your loved ones a Kurma cookbook or two!
book_qveg: book-cwk:
book-vwf: book_veg:
These are my books. I'll personally sign them for you.
potato and cauliflower curry:
Learn how to cook this delicious Cauliflower Curry.
the kurma dvd:
This is the 11-disc 20-hour Kurma TV cookery show DVD compendium.
Contact Kurma now: kurma.acbsp@pamho.net
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Dandavats.com: New Website for Online Flight Tickets launched

Bhadra Balaram das: In a humble attempt to reach out to ISKCON's worldwide devotee community and congregation members who are able to get cheap air fares on the internet Mayapur Travel Seva has put up a simple website where you can buy online flight tickets the way you could be buying on any other website like makemytrip, yatra, etc.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Dandavats.com: The 2010 Prabhupada Marathon and World Enlightenment Day

By Vijaya das
How the Prabhupada Marathon evolved is interesting. The most successful three days in book distribution history up to 1972 took place at the end of that year in Los Angeles. Three days before Christmas, the Los Angeles devotees distributed more than 17,000 pieces of literature!
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1966 November 26: "I wish to train up the American youths in devotional service and entrust them with Radha Krishna temples in this part of the world and I expect full cooperation of all devotees of Krishna in India for this mighty progress."Prabhupada Letters :: 1966
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1969 November 26: "Your work is very, very nicely done, save and except some typographical mistakes. And the transliteration is also very nice. Maintain this standard and that will be quite sufficient for my satisfaction."Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1970 November 26: "Performing Kirtana and conducting classes at universities is very important. They have innumerable university departments of knowledge but no department for understanding the science of Krishna. We must introduce such a department."Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1972 November 26: "Always remember to chant Hare Krishna. As darkness cannot stand before the light, so maya cannot remain in the presence of Krishna. When Hare Krishna mantra is vibrating on your tongue, there is no question of maya."Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1972 November 26: "This attitude of changing this, changing that, that if by adjustment, by changing, I may create the perfect combination and everything will be all right - this is not at all good attitude."Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1972 November 26: "You have been leader for long time, you are the pioneer there, so why you should be whimsically discharged? Why they have misunderstood these things? We are devotees, not politicians. So this plotting must be stopped."Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1973 November 26: "Regarding your community committee, if sometimes devotees should like to come together and chant and discuss, I have no objection. But we should not take such committees too seriously. In the ultimate capacity our chanting is the only thing that will save us."Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

1974 November 26: "Our movement is being accepted. They are saying that Swamiji is doing nice things. It is all Krishna's grace. So it is up to you Europeans and Americans to push our movement all over the world and if you do - one day you will be the leaders of the world."Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Conan O’Brien Goes To India

No, nothing really socially redeeming about this advertisement, other than a glimpse of Indian ambiance, but interesting none the less. Here is the spot that is playing on TV:

For those who have already seen that, here is the extended YouTube version. More stuff but not as good, IMHO.


Filed under: Jokes
  • Email to a friend • •

H.H. Sivarama Swami

This, our book distribution is the most important task in our society. Therefore I am giving so much stress and I am working so hard on this. Because this is my life and soul according to the order of my Guru Maharaja.
- Srila Prabhupada
  • Email to a friend • •

New Vrndavan, USA: Varsana With Some New Vrindban Residents In 1980s, Early 90s


See more pictures here.
  • Email to a friend • •

H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 144

www.sdgonline.org. SDGonline Daily updates
3:47 A.M.
Excerpts from Sri Harinama Cintamani (spoken by Haridasa Thakura to Lord Caitanya, written by Bhaktivinoda Thakura):
“Excerpt #13    Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana
“Once the cloud and mist are dispelled, the sun of the holy name shines brilliantly once more and enlightens the devotee with love of Godhead.
“The bona fide spiritual master instructs the disciple in sambandha-jnana. The chanting of the holy name is the indication (abhidheya) of this eternal relationship (sambandha). The guru encourages the disciple to take up abhidheya, or chanting.  The sun of the holy name now shines stronger and evaporates the mist of anartha. Chanting at this stage becomes an indispensable need (prayojana). Prayojana leads the devotee to love of Godhead. The jiva now experiences ecstasy in every moment of chanting.”
Sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana are the three stages of devotional service. The spiritual master teaches the disciple these three steps. The first is to know your relationship with God. It is exactingly explained, and the disciple receives it with faith. Krishna is the master, and I am the servant. Once you know the relationship, you have to take it up. Take up service to Krishna. When one forgets this relationship, he stays in the prison house of material nature.
The three stages are: 1. to know your relationship  2. to act in that relationship and 3. to realize the goal. It has been compared sometimes to the relationship of a man and woman. First they meet and develop an initial relationship. When love or intimacy develops, they get married and engage in intercourse. Finally the result of that activity, or abhidheya, is the birth of the child, or prayojana. Prayojana means love. Acknowledging the relationship, acting in the relationship and gaining the fruit of the relationship are the three stages, sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana.
I woke up at 1:30 A.M. and began chanting, but my chanting became drowsy distracted. Narayana did not come up at 2:30, and I was on my own in a kind of spaced-out japa. I only chanted eight rounds from 1:30 to 3:40. I finally went and got Baladeva at 3:30, and he woke up the Deities. Now I’m beginning my writing, but I am far behind in my japa quota.
First you learn of your
relationship with Krishna,
that you are the eternal servant.
From the theoretical stage you
take up eternal service, in the
chanting of the maha-mantra.
When it is done with attention
and devotion, only then you
reach the goal, reciprocation
in love of God.
Under the guru’s order
you pass through these stages,
otherwise you remain
stuck in the prison house
of the material nature
unaware who you are
and who is Krishna.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: From Prabhupada Meditations, Volume I


1.1 – The Assignment
The manager of the Vaisnava Institute for Higher Education wrote, asking me to give a series of lectures as part of an upcoming seminar to be held in Vrndavana, India. He suggested that my topic could be “Prabhupada meditation.” As soon as I heard the idea, I began to wonder what the words meant. It might mean simply a few “thoughts” about Prabhupada. Maybe he wanted me to give a series of biographical sketches modeled after Srila-Prabhupada-lilamrta. But at second sight the words seemed not so simple. “Prabhupada meditations” might mean the method of meditating as taught by Prabhupada, which would call for an elaboration on sravanam, kirtanam, vishnu-smaranam (hearing, chanting, and remembering Lord Krishna); or it might mean that they wanted me to describe what Srila Prabhupada personally does in his own meditations—how does he think of Krishna? Or it could be taken to mean that I should talk about Lord Krishna, since it is He who is the object of Prabhupada’s meditations, as indicated by the title of the record album, “Krishna Meditations,” which has a cover photograph of Srila Prabhupada playing the mrdanga while singing a bhajana. Or the title “Prabhupada Meditations” might mean that all of these possible themes are actually inextricably mixed together, and that the VIHE wanted me to consider them in that way. When I began consider in this last way, which seemed the most interesting, it had one big drawback. I would never be able to come to a definite conclusion. How could I prepare a syllabus on “Prabhupada meditation” unless I could lead students to a conclusion, which they could write down in their notebooks, and on which they could be tested in the final exam?
“But the invitation was intriguing and so I have decided to go ahead, although the subject is ultimately beyond my reach. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unlimited in His glories and qualities, so also His pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada, cannot be measured or contained. In fact, he cannot even be understood except by a qualified Vaisnava. Therefore if I go ahead and speak about “Srila Prabhupada meditation” (whatever it means), my attempt will be like a small bird trying to empty the ocean by carrying drops of water to the land. To be honest, I would prefer to speak my own version of “Prabhupada meditation” and admit it’s not the whole truth. I can give my opinion and show you how I arrived at that opinion. I can tell you the story of how I have taken up  “Prabhupada meditation,” pondered it and made it work in and out of my daily life.”
  • Email to a friend • •

 

H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Dance and Chant

I said my japa rounds
this morning by 3:30 they were done.
One thousand, seven hundred and twenty-eight or whatever
the count, sixteen rounds
of chanting red beads, I completed them.
I hold up his hand. Is he dead?
No he’s just sleeping.
He’s not dead.
He will chant again tomorrow.
Today is Thanksgiving.
We will sing kirtana for an
hour. I can lead the singing
for half an hour if they like.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna.
There will be twenty adults
and that many children and
we shall sing Hare Krishna mantra
with mrdangas and karatalas.
I don’t know who will be
leading the singing, but I could
do it for 15 minutes in a strong voice.
It is Thanksgiving.
Someone may speak all the things he’s
thankful for, starting
with Prabhupada.
We may just sing;
that is thanking also.
I won’t get you to sing with
us. We used to come
singing Hare Krishna on a train
in Massachusetts, they
took our fingerprints
and put us in jail for
disturbing the peace.
It’s a crazy world to
jail people for singing
the holy names, but
it can still happen.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
a group of 20 will sing indoors on a cold
day. They have let
him out of jail.
He can join with us. It is better
to chant where many people can
hear you. But this is nice too, our
extended family gathered
before honoring prasadam.
We sing the mantras in
thanksgiving. Thank God
we can come together.
Eat all you can
then sing the names
again.
Dance! Everyone is supposed
to dance and we did it
together, arms upraised.
Do you remember?
Will you, will you, will you
will you join the dance?
I danced behind him
in his step
wearing my turtleneck jersey,
mustard-colored just like
yours. You were seventy years
old and I was 25. You taught
me how to do it.
We danced fast sweating
and crying and
my feet were dancing
with no limp,
wearing just socks
and dhoti and turtleneck
jersey.
There were some girls there
too. You danced with
ego, but mostly for Lord
Krishna, who you were
just learning about.
“Escape from Gorki Park.”
They caught some Soviet Hare Krishnas, and one man died
in prison. But the survivors go on.
And we go on chanting
and dancing.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Free Write

I turned at random to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 32, text 6:
“By executing one’s occupational duties, acting with detachment and without a sense of proprietorship or false egoism, one is posted in one’s constitutional position by dint of complete purification of consciousness, and by thus executing so-called material duties he can easily enter into the kingdom of God.”
There are two kinds of religious performances. One is called pravṛtti-dharma, which means the religious activities performed by the gṛhamedis for elevation to higher planets or for economic prosperity, the final aim of which is sense gratification. Every one of us who has come to this material world has the sense of overlordship. But the opposite type of religious performance is to act for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Engaged in devotional service in Krishna consciousness, one has no proprietorship claim, nor is one situated in the false egoism that he is God or the master. He always thinks himself the servant. That is the process of purifying consciousness. With pure consciousness only one can enter into the kingdom of God. Materialistic persons, in their elevated condition, can enter any one of the planets within this material world, but all are subjected to dissolution over and over again.
Acting to please Krishna is the real concern in life. If you do it you can qualify to go back home, back to Godhead. Chanting Hare Krishna is the easiest way to achieve this in the age of Kali.
Krishna walked with Balarama through the enchanting atmosphere of Vrndavana. Krishna began praising His older brother. He told Balarama that He was superior to all of the boys. “Just see these tall trees are bending down as if to touch Your lotus feet. Persons take the bodies of trees because they are impersonalists and are given bodies in which they cannot move. But in Vrndavana the trees are taking advantage of Balarama’s presence and bowing to Him. The drones are buzzing all around Balarama because they must have been devotees in their past lives, and they cannot bear to be apart from him. But most of all, the gopis enjoy the presence of Balarama because He embraces them in His strong arms. Krishna and Balarama then get another chance to exhibit Their supernatural powers while playing with the boys in the Talavana forest. The forest is a lovely place with fruit trees and flowers. Around this time, Krishna’s friends Sudama and Sridama approached the brothers and said, “There is a beautiful forest called Talavana. It has very tasty fruits. But unfortunately the forest is guarded by a demon named Dhenukasura. He is in the shape of a gigantic donkey. He is accompanied by cohorts who live with him. They don’t let anyone take a single fruit from the Talavana. But if You brothers could go and get some fruit, we could enjoy them. Frankly, we are very hungry. Don’t you smell the nice aroma from here?”
Krishna and Balarama smiled and agreed to get some fruits from the forest. Balarama entered first and began violently shaking one of the trees. Immediately the fruits fell to the ground. Dhenukasura heard the crashing and came running out and found Balarama taking the fruits. He ran right up to Him and struck Balarama on the chest with his two rear legs. Balarama did nothing, but when the donkey struck him a second time Balarama grabbed his two rear legs and whirled him about and threw him up in the top of one of the trees. The donkey at once died, and he hit the tree with such force that the tree fell down and crashed down a few other trees standing beside it. At once, some of Dhenukasura’s donkey friends came charging out and attacked Krishna and Balarama. The brothers grabbed them by the rear legs and in the same way threw them up upon the trees. The boys all cheered and began gathering the mangoes and other fruits that fell to the ground. Hearing the great event, the demigods from the higher planets began to shower flowers on Krishna and Balarama and began beating drums and offering prayers.
I should rest and not keep writing, do physical exercise or drawing, or even do free writing. I have a headache and would like to rest before the celebration gathering for Thanksgiving. I want to be able to take part in the kirtana and not have to skip it.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: The Two Towers






Watch more videos: [www.youtube.com/madzapple]

  • Email to a friend • •

 

Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: W.W.P.S.P?

Picture
A few months ago my dad wanted me to put this site together and he also wanted a section to write his notes, thoughts and memories. Although he ran an IT company with multiple offices and employees he was not much of a web surfer, so I showed him a few "blogs" and in the process showed him some of the "tabloid" sites I regularly visited to stay "in touch" with what's going on in and around ISKCON.

He began to read and he looked at me critically and asked me a simple question..."Would this please Srila Prabupada?"   Unfortunately (for me) his commentary did not end there and he chastised me  for spending time on these type of sites and directing me to instead spend that same time on helping him with this blog.

So those 5 simple words, "Would this please Srila Prabhupada?" uttered by my father in disappointment set the tone for this blog. It also got me thinking that a few years ago "WWJD" was all the rage in America. It stands for "What would Jesus do?" I guess the ISKCON equivelant could be "WWPD" for "What would Prabhupada do?" but let's face it, I do not think we are qualified to guess what Jesus would do nor what Srila Prabhupada would do in every situation.

However, I do think the we all have a fairly good idea of  "What Will Please Srila Prabhupada?" or WWPSP. Of course everyone's yardstick is a bit different on this and this is a personal question we can ask ourselves. In Vaishnava tradition there is plenty of room for debate and exchange of ideas, but as long as we can personally answer WWPSP.    

So, I am actually grateful for being chastised and asked by him "Would this please Srila Prabhupada?" and thus on every blog entry the first and last check mark item is WWPSP!  

My dad wanted to include the following line from Caitanya Caritāmrta Antya-lila: maryādā - pālana haya sādhura bhusana "Maintenance of the Vaishnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee"

Srila Prabhupada, I sincerly hope this and every entry by worthless servants like us pleases you.
Almost time to hit the publish button...so one last time...WWPSP ~ What Will Please Srila Prabhupada?

~ Indresh
  • Email to a friend • •

 

ISKCON News.com: Amazing Late Bloomers

By Ryan Tracy and David A. Graham for Newsweek on 21 Nov 2010
From religious leaders to the occasional sex adviser, NEWSWEEK takes a look at some of the world's most impressive late-life success stories. Among the fourteen most successful "late-boomers" Prabhupada is mentioned as the fifth.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

ISKCON News.com: Diverse and Divided, but Praying as One

By Peter Applebome for The New York Times on 21 Dec 2010
The Thanksgiving message seemed obvious, that the more people of different religious backgrounds shared their experiences, the more they understood each other and transcended what Mr. Phillips called religious exceptionalism: the belief that there’s only one path to God and that one’s own religion has it.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

ISKCON News.com: Dalai Lama Wants To Give Up Ceremonial Duties

By AP for AP on 23 Nov 2010
The Dalai Lama wants to give up his lesser known role as the ceremonial leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile, an aide said Tuesday, in what appeared to be another step in the aging leader's efforts to prepare his people for life after he dies.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

ISKCON News.com: Stem Cell Research at the Crossroads of Religion and Politics

By Pew Forum for Pew Forum on 24 Nov 2011
Embryonic stem cell research, which uses special cells found in three- to five-day-old human embryos to seek cures for a host of chronic diseases, has sparked a major moral and political debate in the United States.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Gaura Nitai asks questions about Nava Vraja Mahima and succession

Madhupati about praying for better health, Vrsnabhanu about what/who the dust of devotees feet is/are and Payonidhi about harmonizing devotees’ two opinions of other religions.
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Caitanya Mangala, CA, USA: Festival of the Holy Name: Catch it Live!


Festival of the Holy Name
A message from Gaura Shakti, one of the organizers:
We have been doing kirtan for SIX nights…and we’re only getting started! The 24 hours of kirtan begins Friday at 9 AM (EST USA). Come early to hear the morning lecture on how to absorb yourself in chanting the Holy Name. Then, there will be an invocation ceremony before 9 AM. Bada Haridas Prabhu will begin the kirtan in the tent setup outside. Bring your friends, family, and, of course, yourself to immerse your soul in the vibration of the Maha-Mantra. Hare Krishna!
CLICK HERE to tune-in for the LIVE webcast.





Here’s the updated schedule:
FRIDAY, November 26th 2010:
8:30 AM – Invocation Ceremony
9:00 AM – Bada Haridas Dasa
10:00 AM – Acyutananda Dasa
10:30 AM – Gaura Sakti Dasa
11:00 AM – Bhakti-lata Dasi
11:30 AM – Anapayini Dasi
12:00 PM – Chakrini Dasi
1:00 PM – Sughosh Dasa
1:45 PM – Jagannath-kirtan Dasa
2:30 PM – Purusartha Dasa
3:00 PM – Madhava Dasa (Alachua)
3:30 PM – Sarvatma Dasa
4:30 PM – Karnamrita Dasi
5:15 PM – Chaytanya Nitai Dasi
6:00 PM – Radhika Dasi
7:00 PM – Madhava Dasa (Switzerland)
8:00 PM – The Mayapuris

SATURDAY, November 27th 2010:
9:00 AM – The Mayapuris
9:45 AM – Nagaraja Dasa
10:30 AM – Mahatma Dasa
11:00 AM – Lilananda Dasa
11:30 AM – Radhika-ramana Dasa
12:00 PM – Bhadra Dasa
12:30 PM – Ladies bhajan group (Rucira Dasi, Parijata Dasi, Vrindavanesvari Dasi, and others)
2:00 PM – Karnamrita Dasi
3:00 PM – Ananta Vrindavan Dasa
4:00 PM – Manu Dasa
5:00 PM – Chakrini Dasi
6:00 PM – Bada Haridas Dasa
7:00 PM – Madhava Dasa (Switzerland)

  • Email to a friend • •

 

Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: A Tale Of Two Herds

The New Gokul Farm near Watford where they keep happy cattle. Radha Mohan Das with retired cow Karuna at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian
From Juliette Jowit at The Guardian (UK)
"Cows do not belong in fields," said Peter Willes. And with those six words the dairy farmer ignited what could become the defining battle between the decades-old push for cheaper food and the campaign against the factory farming which produces it.
Willes is one of two directors of a company about to announce plans for what would be by far the UK's biggest milk-producing farm: several thousand cows kept, hundreds at a time, inside large barns for the vast majority of the year. Conservative MP and environmental campaigner Zac Goldsmith has called the proposals "squalid" and warned the project would "take farming to a new low".
The application, expected as soon as next week, is a second attempt: the first proposal for building a dairy for 8,100 cows in rural Lincolnshire and keeping them indoors around the clock, throughout the year, was withdrawn in April following public outcry when the vast scale of the Nocton dairy made it a national symbol of and rallying point for critics of the sort of intensive farming which has almost totally separated food and nature.
This week Willes told BBC radio's Farming Today programme the latest plan would be for fewer cows, and they would be allowed outside as a concession to objectors, while other environmental concerns, such as smell from the slurry and traffic through nearby villages, have also been dealt with.
However, documents shown to the Guardian by the developers a week ago still suggest numbers of up to 8,100 cows, which would make it without doubt the biggest dairy farm in the UK – where a typical herd has about 100 – if not in western Europe. The briefing, which could change by the time of the application, also says access to outdoor "loafing areas" will be restricted to 4.5 acres for each "mini herd" of 450 cows, for six to seven hours a day in summer, if the weather is good enough. These areas will not be for grazing and Willes and his co-director David Barnes "don't think many of the cows will want to go out," it adds. For the rest of the time, the mini-herds will be kept in large barns with 8.3 sq metres of concrete and sand for each animal – less than five times the space taken up by an average Holstein-Friesian dairy cow, or, relative to their sizes, roughly equivalent to a human in a standard toilet cubicle.
In these conditions the cows will be milked three times a day – about the rhythm cows choose on farms with on-demand feeding – and are expected to each produce 33 litres a day for 10 months a year. The current national average is 28 litres a day, which is itself nearly double what it was 30 years ago.
Despite the improvements, campaigners have warned they are still unhappy. "The issue really for us isn't so much that big is bad, the issue is the type of cows being used in these very large intensive dairies," said Pat Thomas, director of Compassion in World Farming's anti-Nocton campaign, named "Cows Belong in Fields" in honour of Willes's statement. "When you breed into cows this propensity for high yields you also breed in metabolic problems, and a tendency for mastitis, lameness and infertility, and also early death.
"Nocton is being heralded by its directors as the future of dairy farming. It's a rallying point for us because we don't believe this is the future of British diary farming; we don't believe it benefits the animals, the land, or the farmers." CIWF claims 100 small UK dairy farmers will be put out of business by Nocton, something the developers deny because of huge UK milk imports.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council has said Nocton's plans can provide "satisfactory welfare" (defined by the council as "the legal minimum standard" of welfare) if it is well managed, but there is concern about two previous convictions Willes received at other farms he owns. In 2008 he was fined for polluting a stream in north Devon after a case was brought by the Environment Agency, and in 2005 he had a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to having four types of antibiotics for cows which are illegal in the UK.
Defending their plans, Nocton's developers argue the super-dairy is big enough to allow them to invest in modern buildings and round-the-clock veterinary care, and by keeping cows indoors they can give them a better diet than they would get from grazing. They also point out no soy protein (associated with cutting down rainforests) will be fed to the cows, while surrounding arable land can be used to grow food for the cows, and benefit from the fertiliser they produce. The digester, used to transform cow slurry into fertiliser, will be different to US designs, so no pollution can escape. Willes said of his previous convictions that the spill was accidental and procedures were changed immediately; the drugs, he said, were prescribed by a vet and imported from Ireland to save money.
Explaining his statement to BBC Radio Humberside that "cows do not belong in fields", Willes compared intensive farming to the progress of humans from caves to cities. "Dairy cows throughout the UK spend at least five to six months of the year in buildings because during the winter months it's too wet to go out into the fields and there's no crops growing for them," continued Willes. "By bringing our cows in for longer, more of the year, we can invest in a system that's far better for the cows."
Standing in the centre ground of this debate are people such as Jon Huxley, associate professor of farm animal medicine at the University of Nottingham. Writing in the October Veterinary Record journal, Huxley and his colleague Martin Green said it is "simplistic and naive to blame the industry" or supermarkets for responding to the huge consumer pressure for cheaper milk. "If … future developments such as higher individual yield, total confinement and the super-dairy are not what we as a society want, we have to vote with our wallet and our feet."
Thomas responds: "If people saw the conditions the cows are in, how unnatural the intensive environment is, they'd know it wasn't right. A five-year-old knows cows belong in fields."

John Vidal

It is an picture of unmitigated bliss. Tulsi and Radika, a pair of beautiful dairy shorthorns, shuffle quietly in knee-deep straw; Gopi chomps a carrot offered by a visitor and Sarasavati and Padmavato murmur beside two calves born a few weeks ago. The Hare Krishna herd of 44 cows and oxen at George Harrison's old mansion in Hertfordshire is as calm as a temple.
Last week the 200 people who live and work in what is now called Bhaktivedanta Manor opened their £2.5m "protected cow" complex. It's been called a "Hilton for cows" and a blueprint for sustainable dairy farming, but the 3,000 sq metre building which is the herd's winter home, is a cross between a nursery, a workhouse and an old cows' home. The cradle-to-grave philosophy of the Hindu group known for its bells and chants ensures that any bovine on the 100-acre farm will not just be treated with respect while it lives, but will not be slaughtered if it is born male, if it falls ill or when it dries up – as happens in most commercial dairy farming.
Tulsi, Radika and co may be the most loved cows in Britain, says farm manager Shyamasundara – birth name Stuart Coyle. There are only four farms he knows that have similar no-kill policies. All the animals have names, they have all the space they want and they live on grass most of the year. The 11 that are lactating are hand-milked while listening to traditional Sanskrit music, the calves get their mothers' milk for their first five months and only then are separated. Only four of the 11 are made pregnant each year; the others are expected to pull ploughs and turn a wheel.
But if any society can be judged by how it treats its old, then the Hare Krishna cows appear to live in the ultimate nanny state. The animals all retire at around 15 – about 60 in human years – after which they are only expected to leave urine and dung on the fields to enrich the soil. And when one dies it can expect flowers and a farewell ceremony.
"It's the best a cow can get," says Shyamasundara. "They are part of our community. They give us their lifeblood in the form of milk and we care for them all their life. Of all the animals in the world the cow is the most important to humans. The cow replaces the role of the mother. You wouldn't bump your mum off if she stopped giving milk."
The 11 cows provide about 1,000 litres of "ahimsa milk" (milk produced without harm to any living being) a week, much of which is used by the group, but the plan is to sell it to the general public next year at £3 a litre. It will be the most expensive cows' milk in Britain but so many people have asked for it, they may increase the size of the herd. "Once the new dairy is working we may build it up. We can see ourselves growing it to 200 cows," he says.
According to Hindu philosophy, man and cow were created side by side; the animals are sentient beings and the relationship between them and people is spiritual not economic. Shyamasundara is not too bothered if the cows are a trifle overweight or don't have a "scientifically balanced" diet because they are being fed "for happiness not profit", he says. For him, the very idea of turning them into milk machines, as proposed by the Nocton dairies for Lincolnshire, is abhorrent.
"There's nothing inherently wrong with 8,000 cows. It's how they live and are cared for that is important. But what is proposed [for Lincolnshire] is the most remote system conceivable, the furthest away from nature that you can go. It's factory farming at its most efficient, where a cow is just a number, a chemical-based machine; not loved, but milked robotically and overseen by computers. It's not how life is meant to be. Life should be happy. The nature of cows is peaceful and living near them is relaxing. The automated callousness of that kind of environment must go into the milk," says Shyamasundara.
It is not at all naive or simplistic to farm the Hare Krishna way, he says, because intensive dairy farming has many hidden costs that are not reflected in the price of milk and is heavily subsidised.
"The £3-a-litre cost is the real price of producing the best milk and caring for animals.
This kind of farming is highly efficient in that it employs people and animals, cares for the land and does not pollute. It can provide food for the masses."

The milk taste test: Can our experts tell the difference?

We asked our panel of experts to compare the Hare Krishna milk with the supermarket version
Sam Clark (chef, Moro restaurant, north London)
Looking at both of these, the colour is hugely different, and tells a big story without even tasting them. You can also see that one of the milks has a much better viscosity. One tastes like a very ordinary low-grade milk; you can feel that the cow didn't go to a lot of effort for that, it's probably over-milked.
The other one tastes like a meal in itself. You really feel it's got a lot of goodness, it tastes three times more concentrated, there's not just a marginal difference here. The flavour lasts for a long time, it doesn't just disappear. People are so used to drinking thin, high-volume milk that they might find it difficult to drink this, they might find it too strong. It's sad that we're so used to a watered-down version.
We make all our own cheese and yoghurt here at Moro, and of course I'd love to use milk like this to produce it. You can tell it'd make a great cheese or yoghurt. I wish my kids could drink this. It tastes like you're on a farm. The flavour is very complex and really stays with you. There's no comparison. This is the real thing.
Rosie Sykes (chef and author)
Number two [the Hare Krishna milk] was much richer and more delicious and generally lovelier. It had an amazing silky texture. I've never drunk milk like that before. It even moved in a different way; it seemed very rich. I could imagine that making anything with it would improve it so much. If you made a white sauce or a custard with that it would be incredible. It was almost like cream, it was so rich. When I first opened it I actually wondered if it was all right, because it almost smelt like it was raw; not cheesy but more smelly than ordinary milk. You can't really smell shop-bought milk unless it's gone bad, but this had a definite smell. Once I tried it I realised it was fine, and instantly thought, my god, it's incredible.
I knew the other milk was normal milk as it seemed thin and lighter and bubbly.
John Vidal (Guardian environment editor)
Oooh it's creamy! It's rich! Mmmmmm! It's delicious! The other one is beige and bland. It's like a Stilton compared with Dairylea.
Interviews by Kate Abbott
  • Email to a friend • •

 

Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: My Mercy


[In Bhakti Vaibhava class, in relation to Canto 1, Chapter 6, we were asked to reflect on Krsna’s mercy unto us.  We analyzed how Narada received His mercy and then took some time to look into our own life.  I listed core events of mercy (some have been excluded simply because they are a little confidential).]

Krsna gave me the mercy of being born in a family of devotees – I have never fully appreciate this but understand it to be the most amazing gift a child could ever receive, and such a childhood is the most amazing gift any man could ask for.
Krsna let me be a cowherd boy – people struggle to conceive why Krsna lives in a forest, herding cows but this most confidential subject matter was blatantly obvious to me – what else would you want to do in life?
Krsna took Gurukula away – now I am convinced that the world is a prison and a horrible place, without having to be knocked around the full round.
Krsna gave me the mercy of allowing me to see His holy Dham – surely I, especially then, was not qualified to enter the Dham.
Krsna allowed me to come back before the world burned me out – imagine how much longer I could have resisted what was left of my lingering sentiments of morality?
Krsna let me chase my desires – if that is all the world has, what is the point of going there?  Why such suffering for something such worthless things?
Krsna took my friends – they were my age and they had so much in their life to give to the world.  Who ever said we are immortal?  What have we done to deserve our passage back to Krsna?
Krsna let me escape and do what I actually wanted to do – false duty had me suffering and over endeavoring but Krsna made it easier and more fulfilling.
Krsna let me dive deeper – it was nectar but I didn’t realize it was that nectar!  I was diluting Krsna consciousness with material comforts but it was time to jump out and take the real deal.
Krsna gave me Srila Prabhupada’s books – why did I let them sit on the shelf so long?  Everything I ever wanted was hiding beneath their covers.
Krsna pulled the rug from under my feet – there is no turning back, only walking towards the light.
Krsna gave me adventure – I would waste away without it.
Krsna let me slow down so I could speed up – this brings me to where I am, churning and churning what is already in the pestle.


Subscribe: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/subscribe]

  • Email to a friend • •

Gouranga TV: Wonderful kirtan of Shri Prahlad das at home program Toronto

Wonderful kirtan of Shri Prahlad das at home program Toronto

  • Email to a friend • •

More Recent Articles



 
Your requested content delivery powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 9 Thoreau Way, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA. +1.978.776.9498

 












TABLA - FUENTES - FONTS

SOUV2 BalaramScaGoudyFOLIO 4.2Biblica Font





free counters

Disculpen las Molestias

Planet ISKCON - 2010  ·  Planet ISKCON - 2011

Publicado por Juan y Juana en 20:59 0 comentarios
Etiquetas:
Suscribirse a: Entradas (Atom)

Correo Vaishnava

Mi foto
Spain
Correo Devocional

Archivo del blog