| 1972 Octber 27: Now we are staying in the Radha-Damodara Temple in Vrindaban and the programme of speaking morning and evening in the courtyard is going on very nicely. Actually everywhere, wherever Krishna is being glorified, that is Vrindaban."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1970 October 27: "Before preaching of your Spiritual Master, you never consulted me whether it was right. This means you were inspired by some external influence. Why that influence was wasn't cleared up before now? Now go forward straight for preaching this Krishna Consciousness Movement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1970 October 27: "Now forget past incidences and go forward with clear consciousness. Why punishment? There is no punishment. Rather, there is reward. You have been awarded Sannyas so you have the best opportunity to serve Krishna by preaching His glories."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.33 - Self realization means Krishna prema.
1972 October 27: "In the spiritual sky Krsna has no need for living in the heart. They are seeing Krsna face to face always, so what is the use of being in heart? Outside, inside, they are the same, even their heart that is also sat-cid-ananda."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
Our Melbourne Temple prepares special prasadam for the 'Fast Supper' program every Wednesday night and the coordinators have been very impressed. It is part of the Interfaith programs that Bhakta Prabhu organises on a regular basis. Here are some pictures from that InterAction Project.
The Deities certainly look stunning today, especially chota Gaura Nitai dressed by Kadambini Gopi Mataji and chota Radha Krsna dressed by Svarupa Sakti Mataji. Here's the darsana of Their Lordships smiling from the sweet service rendered by Their devotees.
Govardhana Puja: A Time To Show Gratitude To Lord Krishna and Mother Cow Come celebrate Govardhana Puja & the festival of the cows this Saturday 29th October and support produce made and grown on New Govardhana Farming Community. Program is at ISKCON New Govardhana
525 Tyalgum Rd
Eungella, New South Wales, Australia Program starts @ 2pm DST Various milk products including varieties of Kulfi, Burfi, fresh Paneer, Yoghurt and Milkshakes all made from ahimsa, organic milk from the goshalla will be available for a minimal donation. All proceeds go towards GO SEVA. You can find out more about cow protection and how you can do a little to help a lot. Aromatic, freshly cooked Pizza, Hot Chips and Cheese Cake (to name a few delicious delectables) will be for sale from the Benson’s Prasad outlet and all proceeds go to Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Govardhandhari. Fresh Organic Vegetables grown on the farm and picked on the day will also be available for purchase at very reasonable prices. Click here to go to the New Govardhana web site Click here to see more from Brihadmrdanga.com Share this story your way: Print Facebook Twitter Google Bookmarks StumbleUpon Yahoo! Buzz del.icio.us Digg Live MySpace PDF
Her Grace Urmila Mataji will be in Melbourne from the 4th till the 7th November . Mataji's program will be as such: Saturday 5th - Srimad Bhagavatam class
- Seminar on 'Parenting In Krishna Consciousness
(10:30 till 13:00 in the Theatre Room) Sunday 6th - Srimad Bhagavatam class
- Sunday Feast Class
4:38 A.M. Poem for October 26 Two hundred devotees from Bengal arrived in Jagannatha Puri and Prataparudra wanted to know who they were. With Sarvabhauma and Gopinatha Acarya, the king went on the roof of his palace, and Gopinatha pointed out the devotees. First he pointed to Svarupa Damodara and Govinda who brought garlands and [...] Poem for October 26 is a post from: EVERY DAY
From Japa Walks, Japa Talks August 4, 1994 “I don’t want to be presumptuous by talking about harinama. Maybe I can just listen to the holy names. But if talking can be preaching … I’m not inclined to say, ‘Don’t bother me, I’m chanting.’ We don’t favor mauna over krishna-katha. I felt reticent this morning, [...] Selected Writings is a post from: EVERY DAY
By Jonathan Benson for Natural News on 26 Oct 2011  | A new study has found that teenagers who consume high amounts of sugary soda appear to be more prone towards violence than teenagers who consume less or no sugary soda.
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A Godsister, Mohanasini devi dasi, sent me a Facebook post requesting the bona fide story of Lord Ramachandra returning to Ayodhya. This is a blessing from her since it allows me to research, read and write the gems given to us by our merciful Guru, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
Just as many western holidays have become commercialized, so has Diwali. It is associated with crass materialism with some born in the land of Krishna and Rama more concerned about fireworks, gambling parities and food then meditating and worshipping on this important day. Of course now with the mercy of Srila Prabhupada there are many people born inside and outside of India that will spend the day glorifying Lord Ram accompanied by prayers, kirtan, ghee lamps and ending the evening with a prasadam feast.
The first quote I have chosen is from a letter from Srila Prabhupada to an old friend and Godbrother, Hamsaduta. An excerpt from that letter states:
"Diwali ceremony can be observed in the temple by illuminating 100's of candles, in different parts of the temple, and offering special Prasad to the Deity. This ceremony was observed by the inhabitants of Ayodhya, the Kingdom of Lord Ramacandra, while Lord Ramacandra was out of His Kingdom due to His 14 years banishment by the order of His father. His younger step-brother Bharata, took charge of the Kingdom and the day on which Lord Ramacandra took back the charge again from His brother, and seated on the throne, this is observed as Diwali function. This is the original idea of Diwali, and Dipabali. Dipabali means the same thing—Dipa means candles, and bali means numerous. When numerous candles are lighted it is called Dipabali. In India, this Dipabali function is celebrated in a special auspicious occasion."
Indeed there is not requirement for write up on my part to fulfil the request for the bona fide story. I will simply repeat what we find in the ninth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. SB 9.10.33: When Lord Rāmacandra returned to His capital, Ayodhyā, He was greeted on the road by the princely order, who showered His body with beautiful, fragrant flowers, while great personalities like Lord Brahmā and other demigods glorified the activities of the Lord in great jubilation.
SB 9.10.34: Upon reaching Ayodhyā, Lord Rāmacandra heard that in His absence His brother Bharata was eating barley cooked in the urine of a cow, covering His body with the bark of trees, wearing matted locks of hair, and lying on a mattress of kuśa. The most merciful Lord very much lamented this.
SB 9.10.35-38: When Lord Bharata understood that Lord Rāmacandra was returning to the capital, Ayodhyā, He immediately took upon His own head Lord Rāmacandra's wooden shoes and came out from His camp at Nandigrāma. Lord Bharata was accompanied by ministers, priests and other respectable citizens, by professional musicians vibrating pleasing musical sounds, and by learned brāhman as loudly chanting Vedic hymns. Following in the procession were chariots drawn by beautiful horses with harnesses of golden rope. These chariots were decorated by flags with golden embroidery and by other flags of various sizes and patterns. There were soldiers bedecked with golden armor, servants bearing betel nut, and many well-known and beautiful prostitutes. Many servants followed on foot, bearing an umbrella, whisks, different grades of precious jewels, and other paraphernalia befitting a royal reception. Accompanied in this way, Lord Bharata, His heart softened in ecstasy and His eyes full of tears, approached Lord Rāmacandra and fell at His lotus feet with great ecstatic love.
SB 9.10.39-40: After offering the wooden shoes before Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Bharata stood with folded hands, His eyes full of tears, and Lord Rāmacandra bathed Bharata with tears while embracing Him with both arms for a long time. Accompanied by mother Sītā and Laksmana, Lord Rāmacandra then offered His respectful obeisances unto the learned brāhmanas and the elderly persons in the family, and all the citizens of Ayodhyā offered their respectful obeisances unto the Lord.
SB 9.10.41: The citizens of Ayodhyā, upon seeing their King return after a long absence, offered Him flower garlands, waved their upper cloths, and danced in great jubilation.
SB 9.10.42-43: O King, Lord Bharata carried Lord Rāmacandra's wooden shoes, Sugrīva and Vibhīsana carried a whisk and an excellent fan, Hanumān carried a white umbrella, Śatrughna carried a bow and two quivers, and Sītādevī carried a waterpot filled with water from holy places. Ańgada carried a sword, and Jāmbavān, King of the Rksas, carried a golden shield.
SB 9.10.44: O King Parīksit, as the Lord sat on His airplane of flowers, with women offering Him prayers and reciters chanting about His characteristics, He appeared like the moon with the stars and planets.
However before ending this post personally for me Diwali has become synonymous with Damodar lila. In the past few weeks during preaching engagements I have had the fortune to repeat Damodar lila and as confirmed in Srimad Bhagavatam 10th canto, Chapter 9 "Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura, quoting from the Vaisnava-tosanī of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, says that the incident of Krsna's breaking the pot of yogurt and being bound by mother Yaśodā took place on the Dipavali Day, or Dīpa-mālikā"
More of this nectar can be found in last year's Diwali post by clicking [here] Also on a personal note, if you are interested in how we celebrate Diwali in our home, Indresh did a a post about it last year. Please click [here] Happy Diwali! Wishing everyone a year filled with Krishna Bhakti and the mercy of Srila Prabhupada! Jaya Sita - Rama! Can't wait to wish you a Happy Govardhan Puja tomorrow!
4:25 A.M. Poem for October 25 Sarvabhauma tried his best to arrange an interview with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and King Prataparudra, but the Lord flatly denied his request. Then Ramananda Raya came to see Lord Caitanya, and he highly praised King Prataparudra. He said the king had given him release from duties with a full [...] Poem for October 25 is a post from: EVERY DAY
From Japa Reform Notebook “Why on some days is it a struggle to concentrate, while on other days it is easier? This is the very definition of unsteadiness. When it becomes steady, it will be good every day. You can make advancement in japa when you always look forward to doing it, feel pleasure when [...] Selected Writings is a post from: EVERY DAY
November 1997, Varsana, India Kartik was drawing to a close. I had only a few more days left in Vrindavan. Even though I had gotten over my dysentry, I was eager to leave the Holy Dhama. I had started off with ideas of performing austerities like Rupa Goswami. But my neophyte level was exposed to me within days of arriving in Vrindavan. I couldn’t stop thinking about pizza and custard. Now, one month later, I felt as if I had been marooned on a desert island. If my ship didn’t come soon, I might die. There was one place I had to see before I left. And that was Varsana. Varsana is the ‘place of rains’, named after the gopis tears of separation from Krishna. It is the place of Sri Radha, one of the most sacred places in all of Vraja. My travelling companions – Nicholas and Ivor – had other plans, so I ventured out on my own. The autoricksa only arrived in Varsana in the afternoon, leaving only one or two hours of daylight within which to safely pay homage to this holy place. A beautiful Temple loomed in the distance on the sacred hill which was once the site of Maharaja Vrishabanu’s palace. I was excited. I gulped back my Limka and focussed all my efforts on making my way for the sacred Hill and the Sriji Temple on its peak. The first thing that struck me about Varsana was the beauty of the residents. Had this something to do with their relation to Sri Radha? I followed a winding concrete path into the town. After some time, the narrow path opened into a square where I walked into a gentleman sitting on a raised platform. He wore black trousers and a white collared shirt. He sat, like a yogi, while beckoning to me with his right hand. He had a moustache and his hair was bryl-creamed. Being a crime-conscious South African, and heeding the cautions of experienced devotees, I approached the man with due care. He patted the sandstone dais and said to me, ‘You, sit here! Sit here!’ I thought that it would be good manners if I sat with him for a while. The gentleman introduced himself in broken English, ‘I am Braja Mohan. I live here. We are all Radharani’s family here’. He explained to me how the people of the village were mostly Goswamis and were all relatives of Sri Radha. He explained to me that the place where he was sitting was a Temple of Sudhama, Lord Krishna’s Brahmana friend. He then commenced with a fragmentary narration of the pastime of Krishna and Sudhama Brahmana. Somewhat wary, I avoided any discussion of my purpose or plans in the village of Varsana with Braja Mohan.
Filed under: Spiritual Life, Srimad Bhagavatam Tagged: bhakti in india, end of kartik in vrindavan, postaweek2011, sri radha, Srimad Bhagavatam, srimati radharani, sudhama brahmana, varsana        
1. Whatever we do, we do with care—the culture of care should permeate all activities
· The success of a project is judged by the care it provides to devotees
· All forms of devotee care are acknowledged, appreciated, and awarded
2. Principles are global and application of those principles is local
· Practices and systems of care are applied differently according to different circumstances
3. Practical applications of devotee care should uphold Srila Prabhupäda's teachings and mood
· All care should be favorable to the development of the spiritual life of the individual
· Srila Prabhupäda did not compromise with the teachings of the guru parampara, and he applied them in such a way that everyone felt welcome and benefited
4. To each according to his or her needs—devotee care is personal
· Care of devotees should be given in a mature way according to the needs, interests, and concerns of the individual being helped
· Communities may choose to give care in proportion to individuals' level of spiritual commitment
5. Servant mood—we serve to care and care to serve
· Care is given in the mood of a servant
· All categories of ISKCON members are worthy of being respected and valued
· An individual's choice of care should be honored
- Devotee Care Guidebook
By Michael Gilmour for The Huffington Post on 26 Oct 2011  | Do Christians have moral obligations to animate creation? Many say no, citing the mandate to "have dominion" over all living things (Genesis 1:28) as reason enough to dismiss notions of animal welfare as a religious obligation.
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Radha Mohan Das: During a very overcast month Bhaktivedanta Manor was blessed with two sunny days during the annual Janmastami festival. Around 60,000 pilgrims joined in the celebrations, with the majority present on the actual day itself, Monday 22 August. With a whole host of colourful performances and activities on offer, it was a field day for media - with hours of coverage across BBC, Sky News, ITN London Tonight, Radio 4, Radio Five Live and Channel 4
Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:
rasa108 (at) gmail.com
ys
Rasa Rasika dasa
A very wonderful question and answer session in one of Sacinandana Swami's Japa Retreats.
By Taraka Dasi for ISKCON News on 26 Oct 2011
| Beyond the “bamboo curtain” that separates what is sometimes taken for granted (the freedom to worship), are those who strive to cling on to a spiritual identity: Vaisnavas facing the daily challenge to complete their morning hours of sadhana. Recently the word went out that a big festival was in the planning. “It’s big, it’s exciting, and it’s out of the country”.
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Happy Diwali from Toronto's Hare Krsna Centre! The temple will be a buzz of activity in the next five days, so we thought we would share some of the exciting events which you and your family can take part in!
Welcoming HH Bhakti Vasudeva Swami to Toronto!
Toronto's Hare Krishna community is happy to announce that we will be welcoming HH Bhakti Vasudeva Swami for first time to our city! Maharaj will be arriving today and staying until Monday and will be here for our Govardhana Puja, Srila Prabhupada Disappearance Day and Sunday Diwali celebrations! He will also be conducting some morning classes.
Govardhana Puja - Thursday, October 27, 2011
Also known as a "Sweet Hill Festival", Govardhana Puja is one of our biggest festivals of the year. The festival marks the time Krsna lifted Govardhana Hill to protect the citizens of Vrndavana from a torrential rain storm! Govardhan Puja celebrations at the Hare Krishna temple feature a grand "Govardhana Hill" made entirely of sweets in the middle of the temple room! Please join us for festivities from 6:00pm onwards to celebrate this festival! You won’t want to miss it!
Honouring Srila Prabhupada’s Passing – Saturday, October 29, 2011 (12pm)
On Saturday, October 29th at 12pm, we will honour Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day. Marking the date that Srila Prabhupada passed from this world, the temple will be having a wonderful afternoon of kirtan, memories of Srila Prabhupada and more! Join us from 12pm to 4pm for this special festival.
Ashtaprahar Diwali Celebrations – Saturday, October 29, 2011
In conjunction with Toronto's Hare Krishna Temple, the Ashtaprahar Organizing Team is presenting special Diwali Celebrations at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Ontario on the evening of Saturday, October 29th, 2011. The evening festivities at the Hindu Sabha Mandir will include a great line-up of kirtaneers, delicious prasadam and much more! A special call goes out to our Hare Krishna community of devotees to check out this event which will be part of a full weekend of activities!
Diwali Celebrations @ Hare Krishna Temple – Sunday, October 30, 2011
Toronto’s Hare Krishna Temple will celebrate Diwali in grand (kirtan fashion) this Sunday with a special “kirtan-themed” presentation. It will be a spectacular festival that will provide a feast for the eyes, body, mind and soul! The program will begin at 6pm and be an extended program (vegetarian feast served at 8:30pm). We hope you can join us for these special festivities!
Once more, the crows put a stick into the wound and twist it — every chance they get. His tenure ended with series of scandals and racketeering conviction By VICKI SMITH – Associated Press Writer , The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register October 25, 2011 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Swami Bhaktipada, who built a massive farm community and a Palace of Gold that became the crown jewel of the U.S. Hare Krishna movement before scandals and criminal charges led to his downfall, died Monday in India, his biographer said. He was 74. Bhaktipada had been hospitalized in July in Thane, India, with a collapsed lung and a bleeding brain, said spokesman, former disciple and biographer Henry Doktorski. His kidneys began to fail last week, and Bhaktipada died Monday morning. Doktorski lived at the New Vrindaban community near Moundsville for 16 years and said he plans to soon publish “Gold, Guns and God: Swami Bhaktipada and the West Virginia Hare Krishnas.” Under Bhaktipada’s leadership, New Vrindaban grew into what at one time was the nation’s largest Hare Krishna community. But the community’s membership waned after the swami was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to prison time in the 1990s. “Although he played a positive role in the Krishna movement’s earliest years, he later severely violated the strict standards expected of a Krishna devotee, especially a leader,” said community spokesman Anuttama Dasa. Also known as Kirtanananda Swami, Bhaktipada had been born Keith Ham in Peekskill, N.Y., the son of a Southern Baptist minister, who became a Krishna swami in 1966. Without the permission of his leader in India at the time, Doktorski said, Bhaktipada set out to “westernize” the religion by eliminating some traditional elements and chanting prayers in English at a New York City temple. He was evicted from the temple and left New York in 1967, but was later forgiven. In the late 1960s, Bhaktipada and his lifelong partner, the late Howard Morton Wheeler, formed New Vrindaban, the community with a famed Palace of Gold. They started with about 132 acres and eventually acquired nearly 5,000, becoming a destination for pilgrims in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON. Bhaktipada took over the community in the 1970s but was in trouble with ISKCON by 1987, when the governing body expelled him for “moral and theological deviations,” Doktorski said. Sankirtana Das, a New Vrindaban member for more than two decades, told The Associated Press in 1999 that the community had flourished in the late 1970s and had more than 600 members by 1985. That year, Bhaktipada was attacked by a visiting devotee and hospitalized in a coma for a month. In 1987, the FBI raided the community, seizing records and computers, Das said. Bhaktipada and New Vrindaban were excommunicated from ISKCON, and members began to leave as Bhaktipada formed a new League of Devotees. Prosecutors later accused Bhaktipada of ordering the killings of two devotees who had threatened his control of New Vrindaban. One dissident, Charles St. Denis, was killed in 1983 at New Vrindaban. Another, Stephen Bryant, was killed three years later as he sat in his van in Los Angeles. Bhaktipada denied any involvement in the killings, though another man was convicted of the murders and testified that the swami ordered him to commit the slayings. Prosecutors also alleged that Bhaktipada had amassed more than $10 million through illegal fundraising schemes, including the sale of caps and bumper stickers bearing copyrighted and trademarked logos. He appealed his 1991 racketeering conviction, then pleaded guilty at a second trial in August 1996 and was sentenced to 20 years. A judge reduced the sentence to 12 years in 1997, citing Bhaktipada’s poor health. He’d suffered with severe asthma and complications from childhood polio. Bhaktipada was freed four years early from a prison in Butner, N.C., in 2004, but he was barred from returning to New Vrindaban and eventually moved to India in 2008. Dasa said Bhaktipada eventually lost the support of his New Vrindaban followers and left the community entirely in 1994. Shortly afterward, the community petitioned to rejoin ISKCON, and it was restored to full membership in 1996. The conditions for rejoining ISKCON included adhering to traditional worship and new accountability standards, and demonstrating a willingness to work with about 50 other North American temples, Dasa said. Today, New Vrindaban has about 200 members living on or next to the property. It remains a destination for pilgrims, drawing crowds for festivals, major holy days, and weekend or weeklong retreats. Each year, about 25,000 people visit the ornate palace, a rose garden and an organic farm and dairy.
Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever        
Question: What is the significance of Diwali?  Answer: Diwali is one of the most popular festivals in the Indian calendar. The anniversaries of many auspicious historical events comprise this ancient festival. The festivities comprise of firecrackers, ceremonial bathing, feasting, artis, family get-togethers - and illuminations.
The aesthetically appealing illumination dates back to many millennia when the jubilant citizens of Ayodhya welcomed Lord Rama back to their city after His exile. The Ramayana describes, how when Lord Rama was exiled due to the misdirected intrigues of Kaikayi, Ayodhya became almost like a ghost city. All its citizens were plunged into an ocean of separation and sorrow for fourteen agonizingly long years. When Lord Rama finally returned, their heart's innermost longing was at last fulfilled. They spontaneously celebrated this joyful reunion of divine love by illuminating their houses. Apart from being a historical reality, this event also has immense relevance to our lives. Ayodhya is like our heart and Lord Rama is the Lord of our heart, the supreme object of love and devotion for all of us. Due to unfortunate misconceptions, we too have exiled the Lord from our heart. Just as Ayodhya became a ghost town when Lord Rama departed, our heart too has become infested with negative - and often self-destructive - feelings like anxiety, boredom, loneliness, depression, stress, prejudice, envy, anger and hatred. And, just like the citizens of Ayodhya, our lives too have become filled with emptiness and lamentation. There is one important difference between us and the citizens of Ayodhya. They clearly knew that their grief was due to bereavement from the Lord. We however are often slow to recognize this root cause of our malaise. We try to hide and forget the existential emptiness of our life by accelerating its pace in pursuit of mundane goals - wealth, enjoyment, entertainment, fame, power and position. But these illusory substitutes for love of God offer only flickering titillation, not lasting fulfillment. Consequently, despite the frenzied pace and the jazzy gadgets that are the pride of our lives, we still remain largely unfulfilled and disappointed. Historically, the import of Diwali is not the lighting of lamps, but the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya. So our celebration of Diwali will remain incomplete if we continue to restrict ourselves to lighting lamps. Then how can we welcome the Lord back into our hearts and experience the essence of Diwali? Lord Rama answers in the Ramayana through His instructions, which inform us of our actual identity and purpose. We are all eternal spiritual beings, belonging to the kingdom of God, where we eternally enthrone the Lord as the king of our hearts and rejoice in selfless loving exchanges with Him. When we exile the Lord from our hearts, we exile ourselves from that world of endless love and come to this mortal world, where we misidentify ourselves with temporary material bodies. Covered by spiritual amnesia, we play illusory roles and pursue illusory goals, but get only disappointment and distress. Though we exile and forget the Lord, He never forgets us and never actually leaves our heart. He just becomes unmanifest to our vision and continues to accompany and guide us throughout all our adventures and misadventures in this world, eagerly waiting and inviting us back to His loving shelter. By cultivating knowledge from the sacred scriptures about the Lord and His love for us and reviving our dormant love for Him by chanting His holy names, we can invite Him back to our hearts. Therefore while lighting the earthen lamps this Diwali, let us also light our heart with divine wisdom and love.
Forgiving the living is hard enough, shrugging away all the wounds delivered with kisses and curses, the thousand and one petty slights that bled me to an albino shade, that shadow me even in dreams. But the dead are altogether another matter, not easily to be enlightened and quite beyond regretting anything (as far as we can tell) and most likely indifferent to our common currency of tears. And so it is that pissing on your grave doesn’t please me as much as it ought to. Now that you have passed beyond all blaming and shaming, what can I do but rise and proclaim sincere admiration when my turn comes around to speak?
Filed under: Poetry        
Question: Holy places like Vrindavana exist on the surface of the earth just like other physical places. Then why do spiritualists consider these places to be spiritual? Answer: Holy places like Vrindavana are considered spiritual because they exist not just on the physical plane like other places, but also as a parallel reality on a higher-dimensional spiritual plane  It is in this higher, parallel reality of the holy places that the Lord and his devotees have performed sublime pastimes, but this reality is normally inaccessible to us due to our lack of spiritual qualification.
The notion of disallowing access to the unqualified is not a far-fetched religious claim, but is an everyday phenomenon, as in a mainframe computer governed by a system administrator. Although many people may access the same computer, they will be given varying levels of access: where a casual visitor sees no data, in that same place an authorized official sees gigabytes of precious data. A holy place is like a mainframe computer and the invisible higher powers overseeing the spiritual sanctity of the place are like the system administrator. Although thousands of people may visit the same holy place, they will be given varying access: where casual visitors with a mundane sight-seeing mentality see little significant, in those same places spiritual adepts intuit priceless reservoirs of spiritual potency. Lord Krishna in the Shrimad Bhagavatam (11.14.26) explains how we can become spiritual adepts: “When a diseased eye is treated with medicinal ointment, it gradually recovers its power to see. Similarly, as a conscious living entity cleanses himself of material contamination by hearing and chanting the pious narrations of my glories, he regains his ability to see me, the Absolute Truth, in my subtle spiritual form.” Applying this verse to holy places yields three steps for enhancing our spiritual access: 1. Scriptural Description: When we hear sincerely and submissively from saintly devotees the scriptural descriptions of the glories of these holy places, this hearing enhances our intellectual receptivity for sensing their higher parallel reality. 2. Sensory perception: The sights and sounds of the holy places bring to life the scriptural descriptions that we have heard, and both together transport us beyond the outer shell to the inner substance of the sacred sites. 3. Prayerful contemplation: When we integrate what we hear and what we see with prayerful contemplation as induced by soul-awakening sacred music, then the latent spirituality of these places becomes patent to our hearts, wherein we experience the ultimate divine presence and reciprocation. This three-limbed utilization of the head, the eyes and the heart yields unforgettable life-changing spiritual experiences which become a lived and living testimony to the divinity of these places.
Toronto's Hare Krishna community is happy to announce that we will be welcoming HH Bhakti Vasudeva Swami for first time to our city! Maharaj will be joining us until Monday and will be here for our Govardhana Puja, Srila Prabhupada Disappearance Day and Sunday Diwali celebrations! He will also be conducting some morning classes.
Bhakti Vasudeva Swami, a disciple of HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami, has a master degree in philosophy and education with measure in critical and creative thinking and caring community of enquiry. His work is based out of an African institute affiliated to Montclair State University in New Jersey - USA where he will finish his PHD soon. His guru wanted him to be amongst scholars and pundits, sharing our spiritual culture in the best way and giving Krishna consciousness in the highest level possible to show academics and scholars of the beauty of our philosophy.
During the month of Kartik, the Toronto Hare Krishna temple has been having special morning classes with a wide range of topics and speakers! We've been broadcasting these classes every morning. Our next live broadcast will be tomorrow morning Thursday, October 27th at 7:30am. We hope you can join us then!
By Nrsimhananada dasa (GKG) for ISKCON News on 26 Oct 2011  | The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is coming up. If the funding remains strong, by 2014 the Deities of Sri Pancatattva and Sri Sri Radha Madhava will have Their new home. What will visitors experience when they come and see this wonderous temple?
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As long as we want to fulfill our various material desires, we must continuously move from one body to another.
As a piece of grass falls in a river and is tossed about by the river current and waves, we float in the ocean of material existence and are tossed by material conditions.
This is called the struggle for existence.
One kind of fruitive activity causes us to take one form of body, and because of actions performed in that body, another body is created.
We must therefore stop these material activities, and the chance to do so is given in the human form of life.
How can we do that?
Our energy to act should be engaged in the service of the Lord, for then materialistic activities will automatically stop.
We must fulfill our desires by surrendering to the Supreme Lord, for He knows how to fulfill all of our desires.
Even if we have material desires, we should engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
That will purify our struggle for existence and bring all auspiciousness to our lives.
Generally those engaged in spiritual advancement take food only once a day, either in the afternoon or in the evening.
If you take food only once a day, you will not become fat.
Part one:
 Documentary Film for Vedic Expo at ISKCON New Delhi from TGKI Production & Entertainment on Vimeo. Part two: Vedic expo, an exhibition inside ISKCON Delhi, with its own museum and artifact collection, along with paintings and other exhibits intended to pass on the supreme knowledge of the Bhaghavad-gita and familiarise audiences with the rich epic history of India. Shot on: Canon 5D Mk II
Edited by: Vineet Das & Ranjeet Singh
DOP/Director: Kshitij Sheetak
Ass. Dir/ Screenplay: Abhishek Saluja
Lighting: Akhtar Hasan
Other Eqipment: Mechanical Jib Arm
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 This week will certainly be a special one at Toronto's Hare Krishna temple! On Thursday, October 27th, we will be celebrating Govardhan Puja and on the following Sunday, October 30th, we will celebrate Diwali (actual date for Diwali is Wednesday, October 26th)!
The story of Diwali stems back to ancient times when inhabitants of Ayodhya celebrated the return of Lord Ramachandra. Lord Rama was in exile, away from His kingdom, for many years. The joyful day on which He finally returned is observed as Diwali, or Dipavali (“dipa” means candles, and “vali” means numerous.). We will be celebrating this festival on Sunday during the Sunday Feast.
The day after Diwali is referred to as Annakuta, or Govardhana Puja. On this day the inhabitants of Vrindavan (Lord Krishna’s abode on Earth) would hold a harvest festival in honour of King Indra, the demigod who provided the rains essential for the harvest. One day, however, Lord Krishna wanted to teach Indra a lesson. He convinced the inhabitants of Vrindavan to honor Govardhana Hill instead, whose fertile soil provided the grass upon which the cows and bulls grazed, and to honour the cows and bulls who provided milk and ploughed the lands.
 Outraged, Indra retaliated with terrifying thunderstorms. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, calmly lifted Govardhana Hill with the little finger of his left hand. For seven days and seven nights the Lord held up Govardhana Hill, providing a giant umbrella to shelter the inhabitants of Vrindavan from the torrential rain.
Govardhan Puja celebrations at the Hare Krishna temple have always been popular and this year will also feature a grand "Govardhana Hill" made entirely of sweets in the middle of the temple room! Please join us for festivities from 6:00pm onwards to celebrate this festival!
We hope to see you and your family at the Hare Krishna temple this week!
Click on the video below to see the Mayapuris doing a part from their debut album entitled “Mridanga” at ISKCON Melbourne Mahaprabhu Mandir. This was at the end of the 12 hour Kirtan on Saturday October 22, 2011. Mayapuris: http://www.mayapuris.com/discography Recorded by Shiva Nanda Prabhu and Russell Prabhu with Sony HDR-CX110 and Sony HDRXR150. Edited on iMac with Final Cut Express @ the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. 
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Friendship without a mutual challenge and accountability is quite superficial.
In conjunction with Toronto's Hare Krishna Temple, the Ashtaprahar Organizing Team is presenting special Diwali Celebrations at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Ontario on the evening of Saturday, October 29h, 2011. Festivities during the weekend will also include afternoon celebrations marking Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance and Sunday evening festivities (at the Hare Krishna Temple).
Saturday evening festivities at the Hindu Sabha Mandir will include a great line-up of kirtaneers, delicious prasadam and much more! A special call goes out to our Hare Krishna community of devotees to check out this event which will be part of a full weekend of activities!
On behalf of Ambarisha, Bhavananda, Sadbhuja Prabhus and all the ToVP team, I'm very glad to make this announcement. Trying to follow the prophecy of the acharyas, we are all witness to how the ToVP is progressing each day, and the building is rising from the ground into a true reality. In this regard, many devotees have been expressing their desire to do a program in the ToVP temple room.
I heard in the "Course In Miracles" that you become what you teach. If this is true, then it is smart to choose what you want to become and teach it regularly. You can speak about it, write about it, sing about it, paint about it, make slides about it, etc.
This point eliminates an excuse that "I have to become perfect first, then I can teach, otherwise I am not a good example". The sooner you start teaching about what you want to become, the better, because by speaking about it you oblige yourself to follow it, and you always remind yourself about it. Plus, the people who learn from you benefit, as some of them would like to also become what you want to become, and by teaching them you inspire them to work towards it.
So what is it that you want to become? Define it clearly, in writing. Learn about it, and start teaching it, one way or the other.
 Who sacrificed everything to become associates of Krsna.
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The following lecture was given by H.H. Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja on October 02nd, 2011,in ISKCON Ujjain. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Canto 3:The Status Quo–Chapter33:Activities of Kapila–Text 02 Share/Save
The following lecture was given by H.H. Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja on October 01 st, 2011, in ISKCON Ujjain. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Canto 3:The Status Quo–Chapter33:Activities of Kapila–Text 01 Share/Save
The festivals of Govardhana Puja and Diwali are approaching quickly. In one pastime, Krishna protects His devotees from Lord Indra’s wrath; in the other, Lord Rama protects His devotees from Ravana and is welcomed back to Ayodhya. Through his Sadbhuja form, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed Himself as both Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. As with Lord Rama, devotees around the world have been celebrating Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance ever since Srila Prabhupada introduced the Krishna Consciousness movement. Since Mayapur is the epicenter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance, Srila Prabhupada wanted to bring the world to Mayapur:
Mallika Des Fours – Kirtana New Vrindavana
1970 October 26: "They are frustrated in so many ways and looking for something new kind of happiness. So it is most important to arrange lectures and kirtanas at the schools and colleges. The intelligent boys and girls are very much eager to understand this Krishna consciousness Movement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1967 October 26: "In spiritual life there is no allowance of association of man and woman without being married. In your country such association is without restriction; thus the result is known to you better than I am able to explain."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1967 October 26: "Yesterday we have all come to Navadvipa, a place of one of my Godbrothers. We shall observe his birthday ceremony tomorrow and the brahmacaris shall learn how to celebrate the Spiritual Master's birthday."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1968 October 26: "I don't wish to keep you in that blazing fire. If your parents don't receive you as their beloved son then you shall live with me. At least I shall not make your life miserable even though I am not as rich as your parents."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1970 October 26: "I am very pleased with your sincere service attitude in pushing on our preaching work in these parts of the world and yes, Krsna will give you strength because the more you serve Him, the more intelligence He will give you."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1970 October 26: "Anyone who tries to understand impersonalist philosophy is doomed, their devotion becomes dried up. Don't try to mix with any Swami who has no knowledge of Krsna Consciousness. Their speaking is simply maya, therefore they are called Mayavadis."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1970 October 26: "Preach steadily our Krishna Conscious philosophy in defiance of all atheistic propaganda so much current. The whole Hindu society is absorbed in this demigod business, so unless our preaching work is vigorous it will be very difficult to stop them."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1972 October 26: "I am very pleased how our children are making nice advancement. Children have to be to trained how to obey, otherwise they will be simply spoiled. But the art is how to apply authority and discipline so they will enjoy it and not reject it."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Wednesday 26 October 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger image.) Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. For Transcendental Association Connect With Other Members of this Course. Join this Conference: http://groups.google.com/group/sda_students Help Popularize Our Message By Liking Today's Thought on Facebook: Today's Thought: Krishna in Everything and Everything in Krishna uploaded from Tallinn, Estonia The final instruction I gave to my disciple, Guru das, as we were departing from Riga, Latvia on 24 October 2011 was that he should always see Krishna in everything and everything in Krishna. I explained to him that if he will apply this principle in all aspects of his life, he will always be blissful. This principle is nicely explained as follows in the Sri Isopanisad Mantra 6: yas tu sarvni bhtny tmany evnupayati sarva-bhtesu ctmnam tato na vijugupsate He who systematically sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything nor any being. The fact is that Krishna is always acting everywhere in all times, places, and circumstances with unlimited benevolence. If we can simply learn to always see this, we will eternally be blissful, peaceful, and knowledgeable and will always be able to act expertly in all situations. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Departure from Riga, Latvia--24 October 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Riga_Farewell3.JPG Guru Das on the Far Right http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Riga_Farewell2.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Duties of Husband and Wife Guru Maharaja, Can you please tell me what are the prescribed duties of the husband and wife in Krishna consciousness. How they should live life and act in Krishna consciousness? Rupesh Answer: Help Each to Be Krishna Conscious The husband should provide all material comforts to the wife and make sure that she is properly engaged in Krishna consciousness for going back to Godhead. The wife should faithfully serve her husband and help him to always remain nicely absorbed in Krishna consciousness. Plus the principle of garbhadhana samskara should always be strictly followed, that sex should be utilized only for procreation, not for recreation. In this regard, Srila Prabhupada explains, The birth of a human being is a great science, and therefore reformation of the act of impregnation according to the Vedic ritual called Garbhadhana-samskara is very important for generating good population. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Thought for the Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ultimate.Self.Realization Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. 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