By the GBC Executive Committee

His Grace Sri Nathji Prabhu was a Vaisnava of rare caliber indeed, teaching by example the true meaning of selfless devotional service.

From his youth, he was in search of a genuine guru. His mother encouraged his interest by bringing him to the feet of the perfect spiritual teacher: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Although, as Sri Nathji Prabhu himself described, he would utilize his time with Srila Prabhupada to argue in favor of Mayavada philosophy, eventually, he was convinced by Srila Prabhupada’s infallible logic that the highest path of worship is to engage in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.

From that day forward, Sri Nathji Prabhu dedicated mind, body, words, family, wealth, intelligence–everything in his possession–to the service of the Lord and his devotees. It is practically impossible to list the many contributions he has made to ISKCON.

Certainly one of his most wonderful contributions is the creation of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath temple in Mumbai, which has become a beacon of bhakti for tens of thousands of souls. Sri Nathji Prabhu not only gave the land upon which the temple was started, but served as a founding member and provided spiritual, managerial, and financial support throughout the decades.

At the same time, he maintained a level of material success that is rarely achieved, from his many degrees to his management of some of India’s most successful business ventures. For Sri Nathji Prabhu, this success only meant that he and his family had more to offer in the service of the Vaisnavas. He gave financial support, advice, and encouragement to projects and devotees worldwide without the slightest desire for recognition.

In fact, Sri Nathji Prabhu could easily be seen giving Bhagavatam class in the morning, brokering a high profile business deal in the afternoon, and chopping vegetables in the temple kitchen in the evening, such was his humility!

Contemplating the glorious life of Sri Nathji Prabhu, the mind naturally reflects on the parallels to exemplary devotees described in sastra. In particular, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s statement to Ramananda Raya comes to mind. Caitanya Mahaprabhu compares him, a wealthy governor and grhastha, to Sanatana Goswami saying, “[His] renunication of material connections is just like yours. Humility, renunciation and excellent learning exist in him simultaneously.” (Cc. Antya 1.201)

Like Ramananda Raya, Sri Nathji Prabhu managed his material engagements and wealth in the service of the Lord, the real test of renunciation, and exhibited the utmost humility and excellent learning through his ideal behavior.

We pray at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Gopinath that They continue to engage Sri Nathji Prabhu in Their eternal service and empower us to always draw inspiration from his glorious example. We also pray to Their Lordships to shower Their mercy upon Sri Nathji Prabhu’s family, particularly, his esteemed wife, Maithili Priya Devi.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32496

Balabhadra Bhattacarya Dasa: This is a really sweet lady that we met on Harinam last week. She stood in front of the Kirtan party and on her own, by looking at the On Chanting pamphlet, learned the Maha Mantra and started chanting with us. Just as she was preparing to leave she went over to our book table and purchased a few books. Please pray for her further advancement in krsna consciousness.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32499

April 6, 2003

Gargamuni: The background was very interesting because Prabhupada for some reason, I don’t know why, he made me treasurer. I guess he saw that I had business abilities. I used to keep my little office, which consisted of cashier’s books and vouchers, and I used to keep my little office in his room where he lived and translated. So while he was working, he would want me to sit there and do my accounting work. And if I had any questions I should ask him because it was very important that as the institution grew, which in those days wasn’t very much, he wanted everything to the penny accounted for. Even when he would go on the subway or on a bus, he would ask me for twenty-five cents and reluctantly I would have him sign a voucher. But he would say, “Very good,” because that was important, and he would sign “ACB.” This is at 26 Second Avenue, 1966. Of course, I would do this work. But then I felt that Prabhupada was doing more for us than we were doing for him, especially myself, because me and Brahmananda moved right into the temple. Of course, Brahmananda had a job, but I was hanging around all day and I wanted to do stuff. And I didn’t really want to do typing like Striyadisa and some of the nuts were doing because then that would put me in the category of nuts.

Jayadvaita Swami: The nuts were doing the typing?

Gargamuni: They were doing the typing because Satsvarupa had a job, he couldn’t type. Hayagriva would do some typing, but generally it was Striyadisa and anybody else who was around the temple to do the typing.

These were people who were more lost but saw hope in Prabhupada, and Prabhupada was very kind upon them and didn’t discriminate against them at all. And there were the crazies like Striyadisa, who was a mental case. But Prabhupada was so merciful with him also, gave him lots of chapatis and always telling him to get up and dance. He was always the first one to dance, and dance in that Lord Caitanya style in a circle. We used to dance in a circle in front of Prabhupada, and he used to watch us dancing. And so those first…Prabhupada was merciful upon us all.

Then later on, Prabhupada wanted to start the Back to Godhead. That was the next thing.

I used to get this paper, where old things were for sale. It was only three or four pages long, and I remember on the back of it it said “A.B. Dick Machines.” I had looked at other places, but they were so small they were no good. But this looked like they were big machines, two of them. They wanted $150 each, that’s it. Prabhupada ended up paying two for $150. So we all went out there. It was on Long Island someplace. We looked at them. Of course, they looked like they were from the forties. They were real old with the big huge drums, but it was perfect for what we needed to print a magazine. They were big enough.

Prabhupada was already talking about printing the magazine, he wanted to re-establish it. He was saying, “I had my magazine in India, and now I want to start it here.” He wanted it every two weeks. We had it every two weeks in the beginning, fortnightly. And I think that’s how it was in India, fortnightly. I remember that word because I’d never heard of that word, fortnightly, a real British term. So he wanted it fortnightly.

So we got the machines, and Prabhupada paid half [price]. We had to clean them up because they were full of oil and so bad. I had to get new pads for the drums, and we got the stencils. And Rayarama, he did the stencil typing on Hayagriva’s big typewriter. That was the best typewriter, that big white one. I think it was white or tan. Neal used to use that also. That was the only nice typewriter. Brahmananda had given Prabhupada the typewriter he used to use while he was typing, but that was like a portable. That wasn’t sufficient for doing the stencils. So I remember Rayarama would type the stencils, and then I would…

I had a helper, Rancor, also. He used to help in the beginning, but then he went with Prabhupada to be his servant to San Francisco in January of ’67.

The machines were set up in the back of the temple. That temple was very small, and to fit them … there was like an alcove as you walked in. I had them against the wall there where you put your shoes. So even when they weren’t used, I used to put them up against the wall and people would leave their shoes right around there and throw their coats on top of them when they weren’t used. It became a place for the coats because we had no coat hangers in those days, and then I would pull them out so that we could use them.

The hardest part was to print on both machines at one time, because then you could do two pages at a time. And I had to coordinate it because those things would always go… Sometimes they’d be flipping out the pages on one or they get jammed on another because the machines were old, and your hands got all dirty and everything. So finally it was quite a trick to get them to work properly.

The first Back to Godhead was printed on legal paper cut in half so we could print two. We’d get two copies, but Prabhupada didn’t like that. He wanted a full page Back to Godhead. So the first one, of course, was that half legal page. It was a legal size, but we could fit two if we cut it in half. It was our way of saving money, but Prabhupada didn’t like it. He wanted the eight-and-a-half by eleven.

So starting with issue two, it became eight-and-a-half by eleven. And Hayagriva, he did articles. Rayarama, he did most of the editing and setup. He was the main editor. He was writing comic book strips for big name companies, and he would make money. That’s how he paid his rent. He had a way of writing. I used to go to his house and read these scripts. I said, “Wow!” He would get into it and create stories in his brain, and he’d get paid for that. So he was very unique in that way, and he was very good with words. He was also a very good speaker. I always enjoyed his lectures. Next to Prabhupada, he was my best speaker. Because he would explain it so simply and so nicely, and he had a very angelic look. He looked to me like Jesus. And there’s some photos with his eyes up and dancing, and he looked very angelic. Of all the devotees there, I respected him the most.

So all of them were to me literary giants. They knew editing. They all engaged in either writing for Back to Godhead or editing it, Hayagriva and Rayarama, and then later on Satsvarupa. Satsvarupa didn’t have much time, but then he started to pull back on his job. And then I think he became…his job was to interview people to get welfare, and his job became more simplified so he could give more time. Then he also started working at night.

So Back to Godhead was going on. One thing that I remember is that sometimes in the afternoons when nobody was around I’d be printing. I was the only one in the temple. Prabhupada would come down with his beads chanting, and he would sit on the bench and watch me printing. But if you remember, the benches were alongside the opposite wall, so my back then was towards Prabhupada. So I felt very embarrassed that I had to turn my back, and Prabhupada was watching me print the magazine. But Prabhupada, I remember I used to watch his leg, and he would keep beat to the machines and he’d be chanting. So it’s like he was chanting to the beat of the machines because I see his leg going like this. It was like he was following…he was watching and hearing those machines and how I stacked them up page by page.

In a Back to Godhead we’d have twenty to thirty pages in those days, which means if we printed 500 copies, which was the normal run, we’d print 500 copies, I’d have to spread out twenty to thirty pages of 500 copies. When it was all printed, then I would have to collate them by hand and then stack them up and then put on the cover, which was a color offset. We’d use every month or every two weeks, every month, a different color – yellow, green, blue, like that – to show that it was a different issue. Then we’d have the cover offsetted, and then Rayarama would make a special stencil to print on top of that. And then we would print something special on the mimeograph…on the stencil, what articles were inside and what the date was, the date of the magazine. So, therefore, we could keep using the… We only had four colors – yellow, green, and blue, and used them every other…so we’d have different color issues. I can remember the first one was blue, the second was yellow, and the third was green. Then we went back again to blue, yellow, and green.

The third issue, that was the best issue. We printed a thousand. It was Allen Ginsberg, and he was also speaking at the East Fillmore. So I used to go in front.

So first I would collate them, staple them, and then the very first copy I would do, I’d run up to Prabhupada and say, “Here’s the first copy.” And Prabhupada would smile and say, “Very good.” I’d say, “Well, tonight, Prabhupada, I’m going to go out…” I was excited because I wanted to go out and sell them. There was nobody else to sell them anyway, so I used to also go out then and sell them.

I would go to the East Fillmore and say, “Get your program, get your program.” People would line up for tickets, and they would take them for fifteen cents. We sold them for fifteen cents. Or I would go to the Washington Square Park. I would go wherever there was groups of people. So not only was I the first printer, I was the first Back to Godhead seller. And then the next morning Prabhupada would ask me, “So how many?” I’d say, “I sold fifty” or “twenty.” He said, “Oh, very good.” So then I started also wholesaling them for ten cents to the stores, the hippie shops, and they used to sell them for fifteen cents. They would make five cents. I’d put them next to the Berkeley Barb or the EVO. I put them next to the EVO, and people would buy them. “Back to Godhead” was becoming a local term in the East Village.

We did some really stupid things of trying to interview rock stars. That was Purusottam’s idea, in 1968 or so. We went to the Beach Boys. After that I didn’t want to go because these people weren’t interested, and Purusottam would switch things around to make them look like they were Krishna conscious when they didn’t really give a damn. So that didn’t last. That idea was no good.

But we were trying to present Back to Godhead as mainstream, taking current events of the day and putting Krishna conscious. Hayagriva would do like Krishna consciousness in American poetry and things like that, and Rayarama would try and write articles also. Prabhupada wanted us to write articles, not just him. I remember he would say, “Write your realizations.” I was not a literary person.

I was just a worker and a businessman and made money. So I left the writing up to my godbrothers who were better, the intellectuals, which we had a core of them. There was Satsvarupa, Hayagriva, and Rayarama. They were the core of intellectuals, I would say, of our movement who did the writing. Kirtanananda didn’t do writing in the beginning.

So then we started the first distribution. So printing, distribution.

Then we started to do essays, Krsna, the Reservoir of Pleasure, which was a lecture that Prabhupada did and we transcribed it. It was Prabhupada’s idea to make a book of that. And Who Is Crazy. That’s when he met my mother. He gave a lecture, and then he wanted us to… We did three booklets actually – Who Is Crazy, Krsna the Reservoir of Pleasure, and The Peace Formula, which is the most popular. We used to sell tons of those. It was short, but it was great.

And there was one called Two Essays. Maybe Who Is Crazy was one of those two essays. We combined them into one, Krsna Reservoir and Who Is Crazy.

And then, I didn’t stop there. I had an idea on Saturdays and Sundays of having a book table. Something gave me the idea to walk all the way up…I took the bus up to 45th Street to the garment district. Was that 3rd Avenue? I think 3rd Avenue or maybe 8th Avenue, I don’t know. But they wheel around these big huge things with cloth hanging, and they’re on wheels. These big carts, they were six feet long. I had an idea of stealing one and making a table on top and putting up a back because it had these poles, and putting all of our propaganda and everything on the back, I would staple gun it. Having the table, putting a cloth, and putting all of Prabhupada’s books, which was nothing – Easy Journey to Other Planets, Bhagwatam, and all the magazines and essays. We didn’t have Gita then. And then incense and stuff, and going to Washington Square Park and bringing it there. And then I would bring it back and chain it up to the sign in front of the…you know that sign that’s still there, that No Parking sign because of the hydrant? I would chain it up to that. I painted it blue. Prabhupada called it Krishna’s chariot, and he loved that book table. It lasted a month, and then somebody stole it.

I think it was the Puerto Rican kids, who became a problem as we got bigger because we were competing with them in kirtan. Oh, they would have loud kirtans. On the other side of the gas station, they had their storefront and they would be singing their songs. And then we’d have our songs, so it was like a competition. Anyway, that’s the early days of book distribution.

Like  said, we had a core of intellectuals, and that was, of course, Rayarama, who was doing the main editing because Hayagriva didn’t…he was a schoolteacher. He was an instructor, so he wasn’t always there. He was doing some editing, but he was also writing. He did a lot of essays for Back to Godhead. And then Satsvarupa was limited also because of his job. So I felt that it was Rayarama who was doing all the editing…

Prabhupada would brag at his lectures that “These boys are not simply street boys.” I didn’t understand that too much until I saw this book about Bhaktisiddhanta. And I looked at some of the old photographs, and to me education was a very important thing in Bhaktisiddhanta’s movement. Because most of the people that I saw in those photos looked like adivasis, like village people. Prabhupada…there are some pictures of Prabhupada, he really stood out. And I can understand now when Prabhupada says that “I was Calcutta man, and Guru Maharaja was very pleased with that because that meant education.” Because Prabhupada went to the top schools where all the leaders went, and you could see that in the old photos. And now when I look back, Prabhupada would sometimes brag how we have professors and M.A.s and educated people, that this was very important because generally the educated people aren’t interested in these things, that only the poor people and villagers and sentimentalists and adivasis join. And I saw that…like I saw Bhaktisiddhanta’s sankirtan party. They were all like…only three people had shaved head, and they looked like adivasis. I said, “Wow, this is like village people. No wonder Bhaktisiddhanta was upset that none of the educated people were coming forward.” So Prabhupada was groomed. You could see, he was being groomed to carry on this movement for the educated masses, and so Prabhupada was very indebted to Hayagriva. To me, he was one of the most favorite sons of Prabhupada in this movement because of Hayagriva’s stature.

So it was Karlapati and…nobody knows much about him. I wish we could find out because he has an interesting history. But it seems Prabhupada attracted some very intelligent people in the beginning. Karlapati, Ph.D. Karlapati was a Ph.D. from Harvard, and Prabhupada stayed with him for a short time. He was a meat-eater, though. I think that’s how Prabhupada got introduced to Hari dasa, and then he moved to the loft, that loft on the Bowery, through Karlapati.

There was an inner circle of intellectuals and artists, like beatniks. Later on they became hippies. They transcended themselves into hippies. But before they were beatniks, and they were all educated people. And Prabhupada got…he met these people. So even Kirtanananda, wasn’t he a Wilson Scholar? There’s only two a year, so even that. Very educated people. Prabhupada did not attract the sentimentalists. He attracted educated people.

I must have been 19. That was ’67. 18, 19. So we just got consumed in our work, in our preaching. Do Back to Godhead and maintain the temple and try to carry on. Rayarama did an excellent job of giving the classes, and they would rotate. But even Achyutananda would lecture. People had different… Brahmananda would lecture. But Rayarama would do the morning classes, which were the most important, and then we’d rotate in the evening. Even Dwarakadisa would get a chance to speak because he was a good orator.

Prabhupada’s ultimate aim was to have our own ISKCON Press. That was very important. Then later on when he saw the opportunity to go to Dai Nippon and print hundreds and thousands, which he knew we couldn’t do, he went that way. Prabhupada was very flexible according to the time, place, and circumstance. So after we got the mimeograph, then the next thing was to do offset. That became the big thing in those days, offset printing.

I had shifted to Los Angeles to start the Spiritual Sky. I had started it in New York but I didn’t have facility or space, whereas Tamal gave me space at the La Cienega temple to make as much incense as I wanted, and that helped the temple to get money.

There weren’t any problems with printing, but there was a hell of a problem with binding. We had a problem with the binding machine, nobody could operate it properly. I remember in the West Coast when Prabhupada got the Nectar of Devotion, he opened it up and it cracked right in his hand. And a lot of those chapters of the Bhagavatam also, the pages just flew right out. You could rip them like a pad. So there were problems, and it was a growing up stage of getting rid of those problems. We didn’t have expert men. But from the printing side, everything came out nice. There wasn’t a problem with printing. And even in the color, matching up the colors and stuff, they came out very well. It was just in the binding area, which was always a problem in India.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32504

October 23, 2016

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the First Publication of Back to Godhead Magazine in the West

On this day in 1966, Srila Prabhupada’s Diary records: “Back to Godhead published again today.” On the same day, it records that Gargamuni Dasa was initiated.

Gargamuni Prabhu’s account of the beginning of the magazine at 26 Second Avenue is presented in this week’s keynote article. His story is a unique personal glimpse into the mood and happenings of the time. Click here to read it: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32504

For an insight into writing for Back to Godhead, we are presenting an article by Chaitanya Carana Prabhu entitled “Writing for Krishna,” which first appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of Back to Godhead. Click here to read itL http://www.dandavats.com/?p=14022

We would also like to draw attention to “The Back to Godhead Handbook,” which can be found in the Bhaktivedanta VedaBase. Written in 1985 by the staff of the magazine, it gives a clear account of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions regarding the standards required for the magazine. In the years since, the devotees of Back to Godhead magazine have endeavored to remain true to the vision of Srila Prabhupada. Here are his words to one of the editors:

February 1, 1977
I am glad to hear you are enlivened at becoming editor of Back to Godhead magazine. This magazine must be edited very carefully. Nothing irresponsible should be printed, because in the future the articles in Back to Godhead will be taken as Vedic evidence. I am asking the GBC members to also concern themselves with the content of the magazine to assure that it meets the standards I am describing.
— Letter to Sri Govinda

Oh, and please subscribe and keep your subscription up to date. For details log on to Krishna.com, scroll down and click on the Back to Godhead link. Thank you. – Ranjita Dasa

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32501

Indradyumna Swami: Talavan is one of the 12 sacred forests of Sri Vrindavan Dham in India. Even today, it retains much of the beauty it had 5,000 years ago during the appearance of Lord Sri Krsna. Our parikrama party sat and discussed Krsna and Balarama’s pastimes in that transcendental abode and relished the sweet chanting of Krsna’s holy names for many hours.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/mNiUJx

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32518

Dear Respected Devotees,

Hare Krishna, 

Please accept our humble obeisance. All glories to Shrila Prabhupada and Guru Gauranga.  

ISKCON Vrindavan has organized GoKrishi Convention and Global farm community Mega Event from 6th Nov to 8th Nov 2016 in the Temple Premises. India’s agriculture minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh will be the chief guest for the event. Our primary purpose for this event is as below 

1)      To help Goshala with cow based natural sustainable farming activities so they become self-sustainable. 

2)      To help farmers with cow based natural sustainable farming techniques so they start keeping cow and thus abandon cow situation will improve. 

3)      To arrange cow grazing land ( gochar bhumi ) in villages so cow can graze freely. 

4)      To visit villages to perform Sankirtan Yagna and to arrange spiritual programs.  

5)      To support and establish self-sustainable farm communities all around the globe. 

Your most humble unqualified aspiring servant, 

Please blessed the program with your presence.

Indraneelmani Das

+91 8006080019

Bliss Department, Krishna Balaram Temple, ISKCON  Vrindavan

Since its construction, Srila Prabhupada’s Palace has been the heart and soul of the New Vrindaban community in West Virginia. A sacred Smriti Samadhi, it is the greatest memorial to ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya in the Western World.

What’s more, it was beloved by Prabhupada himself, who wanted to retire to it to translate his books, and repeatedly asked when it would be completed.

“When my palace will be ready I shall go there and stay,” he wrote in 1974. “I like very much that place, very calm and quiet.”

So it is inspirational for many that this year has seen renewed energy and attention at Prabhupada’s Palace, as devotees work to again increase the international recognition it receives.

An important step was enlisting a qualified person to facilitate the effort. Enter new Palace Manager Vrajadhama Das from Toronto, who has been a devotee for twenty years and worked as an office manager and sales trainer before joining Prabhupada’s Palace this March.

“Serving Srila Prabhupada nicely is our priority,” he says. “If we’re not doing that, it doesn’t really matter what other improvements we’re making.”

To that end, a priority for Vrajadhama was to renovate a room in the Palace for a pujari, Srinama Das, to live in so that he can attend to Srila Prabhupada’s care full-time.

Devotees are also renovating the Palace kitchen, so that Srinama can prepare Prabhupada’s meal offerings onsite rather than transporting them up the hill from the temple.

The next priority is, of course, making sure that the devotees serving Prabhupada are happy.

“One way I try to do that is by recognizing and appreciating the devotees for the hard work that they’ve been doing here for so many years,” Vrajadhama says. “I walk the grounds of the Palace every morning, and stop and talk to everyone to see if they need anything and if they’re satisfied in their service. I also try to make sure that people are engaged in activities that suit their personal abilities, which was Srila Prabhupada’s philosophy of management.”

These efforts have resulted in increased staff enthusiasm and numbers, with four local people and twenty-one devotees engaged in various capacities, up considerably from previous years.

With the staff numerous and active, Prabhupada’s Palace is also seeing increased attendance at several unique programs that utilize its atmosphere of personal association with Srila Prabhupada.

One of these is the monthly Prabhupada Sangam, started in Spring 2013 by husband and wife Kripamaya Das and Krsna Bhavi Dasi, both Prabhupada disciples, and maintained today by Vrajadhama and his wife Nityananda Dasi.

“The evening starts off with grand disciples or second generation devotees talking about what Prabhupada means to them,” says Vrajadhama. “We then have Prabhupada disciples speak about their personal experiences with him – both local disciples as well as visiting devotees like Nanda Kumar Prabhu or Srutakirti Prabhu, who had lots of one-on-one time with him. It’s very sweet.”

The Sangams are an attempt to bring Prabhupada’s Palace to life. “I really wanted to bring the New Vrindaban community members back to the Palace,” says Vrajadhama. “To let them know, this is not just a place for tourists, but this is Prabhupada’s home – he’s here, and he wants you to come and visit.”

Each event is filmed and archived on the New Vrindaban Youtube page, and the last one was livestreamed on Facebook, an exciting new step in utilizing modern technology.

Meanwhile, as a way of reaching out to the public Kirtan Experience events are held on the First Friday of every month. Introduced in April this year, they are advertised locally in Wheeling and surrounding areas as a way to “enliven, unite and inspire through transcendental music.”

Between 30 and 50 people usually attend these programs, many of them general public who appreciate the sweet and informal vibe. Devotees from different ISKCON New Vrindaban departments take turns leading each time, starting off with slow bhajans and building until everyone is jumping up and down, spinning in circles, and having an all round great time.

Sharing that joy of Krishna consciousness with a much larger public audience was this year’s fifth annual Festival of Colors on September 17th, held on the Palace grounds. Drawing nearly three thousand local people despite rainy weather, it saw families and students chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, dancing, throwing colors and taking tours of Prabhupada’s Palace.

Feedback has been very positive, and weather providing in future years Vrajadhama feels the Festival can again hit previous heights of 4,500 and beyond.

It’s a reasonable expectation: this year, overall tourism at Prabhupada’s Palace already increased from 20,000 annually to approximately 30,000. Vrajadhama attributes this to stronger social media presence, as well as an increasing interest from TV, radio and print media.

“It’s really about getting ourselves out there,” says Vrajadhama. “Because we have so much to offer. People are becoming aware that we’re doing a lot of work here, and that we’re ready to reintroduce ourselves to the world. They’re excited about that, and they want to come and see what we’re up to.”

Besides Srila Prabhupada, the regular events and Palace tours, there’s a lot to see these days, with many physical improvements being made too.

A new Smoothie Shack opened at the Palace on Memorial Day in May, with devotees repurposing and renovating an unused gazebo. Painting it the Palace Wall’s signature salmon pink, they added four matching bistro-style tables with umbrellas, and began serving fresh fruit smoothies, freshly squeezed organic lemonade, and ice cream.

In the future, there are plans to add a grill to offer sandwiches and other hot snacks. More benches will also be added in shaded areas to make the Palace grounds more welcoming.

“It’s an added service for guests who’ve come a long way,” Vrajadhama says. “Now they can sit down and look out over our lotus pond with a refreshing Strawberry Bananarama or Mango smoothie, and just take time to absorb the serene atmosphere. This is a place of pilgrimage, so we really want people to slow down, and see Krishna everywhere in the natural beauty of New Vrindaban.”

Meanwhile, Prabhupada’s Palace itself is undergoing a major restoration project, with beautiful new rose and black granite steps, and a new drainage system to protect against water damage. The outer wall is being stabilized with rebar and concrete, and given a new durable stucco finish, a saffron topping with lotus designs, and ornate black window frames in Jaipur-style arches.

As the construction team does this work, Vrajadhama is overseeing painters who have repainted the Palace’s ornate black and gold exterior, its railings, and its chattras, or lookout towers, giving a fresh new appearance.

Next, the Palace roof, which has been leaking and causing internal damage for years, will be stripped and rebuilt, along with a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

Whatever work devotees do, Vrajadhama feels, it will be successful as long as they keep Srila Prabhupada in the center and remember that he is always present at his Palace. As he told devotees in 1974, “I am already living here and always will be.”

“And that’s evident to both devotees and guests,” says Vrajadhama. “One woman took the tour this summer after she saw the Palace in a commercial. During the tour, she was listening very intently, really absorbing all the information. Then, when we turned the corner, entered Srila Prabhupada’s study, and saw him behind his desk writing in his murti form, she began to cry. Tears were running down her face, and she was overwhelmed with emotion. The others on the tour felt it too. And at that moment I knew that Srila Prabhupada is here – and that although he might physically appear to be absent, he will always be in his Palace.”

“This,” concludes Vrajadhama, “Is what makes Prabhupada’s Palace such an important place, and why it’s so important for us to continue improving and caring for it. Not only for us, but also for our children, and their children, and for the people of America – to be able to come and experience its gifts far into the future.”

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32406

On October 16th the United Nations and the world celebrates World Food Day. In their communications the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasizes: “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.” And they urge everyone: “Let's adapt agriculture to climate change to build the Zero Hunger Generation.”

According to Vladimir Rakhmanin, the European regional director of FAO, “while we have enough food to feed the entire human population, there are still millions out there starving. The problem is, he says, is not the quantity of the food we produce, it is the unbalance in distribution.” 

Rakhmanin also pointed out the importance of adapting the agriculture to the effects of climate change, by switching to sustainable, local agriculture. 

Volunteers of different faith groups discuss the tasks before the food distribution begins.

With its organic farm Krishna-valley, ISKCON Hungary has been one of the most well known champions of sustainability in Europe. To respond to the appeal of the UN FAO about the balanced distribution of food, on Sunday October 16th, ISKCON Hungary organized a major free food distribution event to the needy in Budapest.

Volunteers have distributed 1,600 plates of hot lunch, and gave out tons of dry food, including pasta, flour, vegetable oil, rice and other items from which families can cook from for weeks.

Hare Krishnas, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists worked together to help the needy on World Food Day.

The special feature of the charity event was that at this time, people from other religious communities have also joined the Krishna devotees in their effort in helping the poor. Dozens of Hungarian Muslim, Jew, and Buddhist volunteers contributed with money, food and their time to make the World Food Day free food distribution program in Budapest a great success.

People on the receiving end not only appreciated the food and kind words they got from people of different faiths today, but also the good example they witnessed in their way of cooperation, and their acting upon shared values.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/iskcon-hungary-organizes-interfaith-ffl-on-un-world-food-day,5867/?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed   

I received an email from a budding, but discouraged, devotee writer. He had submitted articles to this magazine but had repeatedly received negative reviews from the editors.

“How is it possible to get an article published in BTG?” he asked.

I thought, “Many other devotee writers are likely to have the same question and may not be resubmitting improved versions of their articles. To perform a service in a public forum, devotees need to come up to certain standards. Through the challenges faced in the service of writing, they can learn general principles for facing the challenges in their regular services.”

That thought gave birth to this article, which is a slightly modified version of the letter I wrote in reply to the above email.

Dear Prabhu,

Thank you for your sincere enquiry.

I will share some of my own experiences about how my first article was published in BTG and how the review process has helped me in my writing.

There Is No Black Hole Here

I wrote dozens of devotional articles before I submitted one to BTG—indeed, before I even came to know that I could submit articles to BTG and that they might be published there. In 2000, I started writing an article every week for my e-zine, The Spiritual Scientist. Since my school days, I used to read the daily spiritual column in a prominent Indian newspaper. So after I had been writing regularly for over a year, in August 2001 I ventured to submit an article about Janmashtami to that paper and was pleasantly surprised (in fact, immensely delighted) to find it published in its national edition on Janmashtami. I continued submitting one article each month. Some of them were published, and many were rejected, usually without any explanation or even a hint. If the article didn't appear in the paper in the few weeks after submission, I would sadly infer that it had entered into a black hole, never to see the light of publication. After a year or so, the black hole started swallowing all my articles. Later I came to learn that the newspaper had adopted the policy of focusing on publishing popular gurus' writings to maximize readership.

Soon after this disappointment, I was informed about the possibility and the process of submitting an article to the international edition of BTG, published in the USA. While emailing an article to the editor, I half-expected that my submission would disappear forever into a black hole. So when I got a response email from Nagaraja Dasa within a fortnight, my first reaction was relief: There was no black hole here! On reading the email, my reaction changed to a sense of awe: Five editors had gone through the article scrupulously, appreciated some points in it, and given several suggestions for improvement. I felt honored that five senior devotees—all of them deeply learned in the philosophy, as was evident from their comments—had used their valuable time to so carefully read an article written by an unknown somebody in some part of India. Not only that, they had even clearly pointed out what needed improvement and how to improve it. What a delightful difference from my earlier experience!

As I got down to work implementing their suggestions and saw my article becoming more persuasive and penetrating, I felt grateful for their guidance. After the article was approved for publication, the chief editor, Nagaraja Dasa, sent me a meticulously edited draft of my article, pointing out several small instances of inconsistent reasoning, non-standard English usage, and unclear writing. All these were minute matters, but his attention to these was precisely what impressed me. I was inspired to see that he had put in so much painstaking effort to improve my article—and all the more so to know that he similarly refined each article published in BTG. Thereafter, I started reading each BTG article with much greater attention, even respect.

Subsequently, the article “Does Religion Cause War?" was published in the Nov/Dec 2002 issue of BTG. I was delighted to see that my service to Krishna had borne fruit. And when I found in the next issue a reader's letter expressing how my article had provided a clear understanding of the nonsectarian nature of Krishna consciousness, the resulting fulfillment sealed my fate; henceforth I would be hooked lifelong to write for BTG.

Since then, many of my articles have been published in BTG, but only after they passed successfully through the same rigorous examination by all the reviewers. In 2009, Nagaraja Dasa invited me to join the panel of editors, and I started reviewing the articles of upcoming devotee writers to help improve their writing by offering my review of their submissions.

Most aspiring devotee writers are surprised to know that, although I am a BTG editor, still my submissions go through the same review process as theirs. They feel that the review process is a price they have to pay for the prize of getting their article published, and assume that as I am an editor, I wouldn't have to pay that price. When I inform them that I would not bypass the review process even if I were given that option, they are intrigued.

Let me explain why I don’t want the prize without the price.

Substandard Deity Worship?

For me, writing is a way to worship Krishna. When we write, we are decorating with our words the deity of Krishna manifested as His message. When we try to get our first article published in a public magazine like BTG, we are like neophyte priests (pujaris) doing their first deity dressing in a temple. The editors who offer feedback to improve the writing are like expert pujaris who offer feedback to improve the dressing.

Improving our service according to their feedback requires our time, endeavor, and perseverance. So we may sometimes feel reluctant and even resentful. Our eagerness to get our first article published is natural, understandable, and desirable, like the eagerness of the new pujaris to complete their first deity dressing. But let’s think from the audience’s viewpoint: If we were waiting to see the deity, would we like to see Krishna dressed hastily, shoddily, or carelessly? Such a sight would distress our devotional sensibilities. If we devotee writers expect our below-par articles to be published, won’t we be subjecting those who see Krishna in His magazine to similar distress? And, more importantly, would Krishna be pleased by such substandard devotional service—pleased either with the writers who rendered it or with the editors who allowed it?

The devotee editors have no desire to discourage any upcoming writer. But like responsible senior pujaris, they have to maintain the standard of worship. Like responsible junior pujaris, we need to raise the quality of our service to come up to that standard.

This brings me to an important benefit I have accrued from the review process.

Writing: Short-term and Long-term Goals

The review process is not always enjoyable, but it is always beneficial.

Like everyone else, I don’t like faults to be pointed out in my articles. But I know that the way to avoid that unpleasant feeling is by writing my articles so carefully that they don’t contain any faults—and not by wishing that there be no one to point out faults. If my articles get published even while they contain faults, then how will my writing ever improve? I may succeed in my short-term goal of getting my article published, but I will fail in my long-term goal of becoming a better writer through the writing and publication of each article.

Over the years, my writing has benefited immensely from the review process and continues to benefit with each review. Why should I lose a long-term gain for a short-term gain when with a little effort I can gain both?

Feel Honored, Not Burdened

The review process, in addition to the opportunity for self-improvement, also offers us the association of several senior devotees. Writing is like speaking in that both are ways to share our faith with others. But writing is like delivering a class with an opaque partition between the speaker and the audience; the speaker can’t immediately see if and how the audience is reciprocating—or if any audience is even present. But I know that if I write and submit an article for BTG, I have a guaranteed audience of at least five individuals—and five senior devotees at that. Imagine if we were giving a class with five veteran devotee scholars in the audience. We would feel honored by their presence and would feel grateful if after the class they gave us some feedback. The same opportunity beckons all of us each time we submit an article to BTG. Why should we let ourselves feel burdened instead of honored by the reviews?

Assistance, Not Interference

Moreover, the review process helps us in our responsibility. If we were nondevotees writing our own ideas for a nondevotional magazine, it might be ok for our article to be published without thorough scrutiny. But when writing for Krishna in His magazine, we are presenting His message and so are responsible to Him as well as to the disciplic succession that has brought His message into our lives. This is no small responsibility; we need all the help we can get to discharge it diligently and competently. When the review process offers us the very help we need—and offers it free—why should we mistake the assistance to be interference?

I try my best to read, edit, and refine my articles before I submit them to BTG, but very few are the occasions when an article gets approved without needing any improvement. No doubt, over the years the things needing improvement have become fewer, but still I feel it is better to be safe than sorry and so am grateful for the review process.

Inspiration from Srila Prabhupada

Modifying our article according to the review suggestions requires time. Many devotee writers have to struggle to find time to write amidst a busy schedule. Where can we get the inspiration to gently but firmly ward off all the demands that encroach on our writing time?

From Srila Prabhupada. He was busier than all of us—thousands of times busier. And his responsibilities were also millions of times heavier than ours. Yet he took time out to write his books.

Obviously, our writing is not as important as his—nowhere near. But that is not the point. The point is that he showed us by his example how to make time for writing.

Moreover, though he knew we were unlikely to be very spiritually advanced or have much capacity to write, he persistently and insistently requested, even instructed, us to write. Here are two of his many quotes to that effect:

“I want all our students to write articles for our transcendental magazine.” (Letter to Satsvarupa Dasa, January 11, 1971)

“Regarding articles for BTG, I have already issued instructions to all centers requesting my disciples to send articles every month, and I am going to repeat it again for the second time.” (Letter to Hayagriva Dasa, July 12, 1969)

We may have many others services in our devotional life. Therefore to be able to invest our time in writing, we need, in addition to Srila Prabhupada’s inspiring example and words, encouragement from ISKCON devotees today. Different devotees have different definitions of success in terms of their specific form of devotional service. Some devotees see distributing huge number of books as success; some, building magnificent temples; some, cultivating a vibrant devotee community. All such definitions of success are valid, for they are given by Srila Prabhupada.

If we wish to focus on a particular service, we need to associate with those whose definition of success is wedded to that service. The Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 22.131) points to this when it urges us to seek association that issajatiyashaye, translated as “endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord.” The word translates literally as those having the same (sa) category (jatiya) of desires (asha) or, put in contemporary idiom, the same definition of success.

So, if we want to improve our writing, we should seek the association of those devotees whose definition of success is high-quality writing for Krishna. Of course, good writers are few in any cross-section of the population—and so they are few even within the devotee community. That’s why we need to treat each devotee writer’s association as precious.

I was fortunate that in the initial years of my Krishna consciousness, I got the priceless guidance of Jayadvaita Swami, who is my writing-guru. When I told him I was feeling torn between various services like writing, managing, and counseling, he replied immediately and emphatically, “Let others manage and counsel; you focus on writing.”

For me, his response was life-defining. Its rationale has stayed with me forever: As writing is a specialized service that not many devotees can do, those devotees who have the inspiration, inclination, and talent to write need to focus on it if Srila Prabhupada’s desire to have devotee writers in his movement generation after generation is to be fulfilled.

Playing Our Part in Fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s Dream

Srila Prabhupada has expressed his fond dream for BTG: “As I have told you several times, I am awaiting for the day when this paper will take the shape of Life magazine or similar other magazines in the matter of its popularity.” (Letter dated June 1968) The popularity of BTG depends on many factors: for example, the reach and appeal of our movement; the magnitude of the efforts to distribute BTG; the format, feel, and cost of the issues. But the most important factor, the factor I can influence, is its core content—the quality of its articles. The only way I can improve the quality of my articles is by improving the quality of my writing. The BTG review process has been a time-tested aid for me in directing my writing-quality graph upward. In fact, this review process—with one dedicated chief editor and several associate editors having broad scriptural learning and wide outreach experience—is, in many ways, already on par with the review process of the world’s best magazines. Now the onus is on me to benefit from it, raise my writing quality, and thereby play my part in fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s dream.

The price of having to conscientiously improve my writing is well worth the prize of pleasing Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, and becoming a competent instrument for sharing their message with the world through their magazine. In fact, the prize is worth much more than the price—definitely, massively, infinitely more.

Every upcoming writer is precious to Krishna and His mission. You have good potential for writing. I hope and pray that this letter will aid you in tapping your potential and will help you see how the review process that might seem discouraging is actually helping you in tapping that potential.

With best wishes,

Your servant,

Chaitanya Charan das

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=14022

” Upon seeing His mothers whipping stick, He cried and rubbed His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes were fearful and His breathing quick, and as Mother Yasoda bound His belly with ropes, He shivered in fright and His pearl necklace shook. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, who is bound with His devotee’s love, I offer my humble obeisances.” (Damodarastakam)

We are now in the month of Damodara (Kartika). In honor and in celebration of the month of Damodara, we will be focusing our attention on the pastimes of Krishna in Vrndavan. Especially Krishna’s childhood pastimes. The following song is sung morning and evening and it is customary to offer a candle or gee lamp as well to a picture of Lord Krsna and Mother Yasoda.

Following song lyrics is a link of Vishnujana Swami chanting the Damodara Prayers

Full song

Sri Damodarastaka
from “Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas” 1974 Edition

namāmīśvaraḿ sac-cid-ānanda-rūpaḿ
lasat-kuṇḍalaḿ gokule bhrājamanam
yaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād dhāvamānaḿ
parāmṛṣṭam atyantato drutya gopyā

rudantaḿ muhur netra-yugmaḿ mṛjantam
karāmbhoja-yugmena sātańka-netram
muhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-trirekhāńka-kaṇṭha-
sthita-graivaḿ dāmodaraḿ bhakti-baddham

itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe
sva-ghoṣaḿ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam
tadīyeṣita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaḿ
punaḥ prematas taḿ śatāvṛtti vande

varaḿ deva mokṣaḿ na mokṣāvadhiḿ vā
na canyaḿ vṛṇe ‘haḿ vareṣād apīha
idaḿ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaḿ
sadā me manasy āvirāstāḿ kim anyaiḥ

idaḿ te mukhāmbhojam atyanta-nīlair
vṛtaḿ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyā
muhuś cumbitaḿ bimba-raktādharaḿ me
manasy āvirāstām alaḿ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ

namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo
prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnam
kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaḿ batānu
gṛhāṇeṣa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ

kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat
tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca
tathā prema-bhaktiḿ svakāḿ me prayaccha
na mokṣe graho me ‘sti dāmodareha

namas te ‘stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne
tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai
namo ‘nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam

1) To the supreme controller who possesses an eternal form of blissful knowledge, whose glistening earrings swing to and fro, who manifested Himself in Gokula, who stole the butter that the gopis kept hanging from the rafters of their storerooms and who then quickly jumped up and ran in retreat in fear of Mother Yasoda, but was ultimately caught. To that Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, I offer my humble obeisances.

2) Upon seeing His mothers whipping stick, He cried and rubbed His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes were fearful and His breathing quick, and as Mother Yasoda bound His belly with ropes, He shivered in fright and His pearl necklace shook. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, who is bound with His devotee’s love, I offer my humble obeisances.

3) Those superexcellent pastimes of Lord Krsna’s babyhood drowned the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy. To the devotees who are attracted only to His majestic aspect of Narayana in Vaikuntha, the Lord herein reveals: “I am conquered and overwhelmed by pure loving devotion.” To the Supreme Lord, Damodara, my obeisances hundreds and hundreds of times.

4) O Lord, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I do not pray to You for liberation, nor eternal life in Vaikuntha, nor any other boon. My only prayer is that Your childhood pastimes may constantly appear in my mind. O Lord, I do not even want to know Your feature of Paramatma. I simply wish that Your childhood pastimes may ever be enacted in my heart.

5) O Lord, the cheeks of Your blackish lotus face, which is encircled by locks of curling hair, have become reddened like bimba fruit due to Mother Yasoda’s kisses. What more can I describe than this? Millions of opulences are of no use to me, but may this vision constantly remain in my mind.

6) O unlimited Visnu! O master! O Lord! Be pleased upon me! I am drowning in and ocean of sorrow and am almost like a dead man. Please shower the rain of mercy on me; uplift me and protect me with Your nectarean vision.

7) O Lord Damodara, in Your form as a baby, Mother Yasoda bound You to a grinding stone with a rope for tying cows, You then freed the sons of Kuvera, Manigriva, and Nalakuvera, who were cursed to stand as trees, and You gave them the chance to become Your devotees. Please bless me in this same way, I have no desire for liberation into Your effulgence.

8) O Lord, the entire universe was created by Lord Brahma, who was born from Your abdomen, which was bound with a rope by Mother Yasoda. To this rope I offer my humble obeisances. I offer my obeisances to Your most beloved Srimati Radharani, and to Your unlimited pastimes.

Source:https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/10/17/month-of-damodara-kartika-2/

As a part of celebrations going throughout the whole world to glorify the Golden Jubilee of the foundation of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), ISKCON Bangladesh has recently organized “Bhaktivedanta National Students’ Competition - 2016”.

More than 10,000 students from different parts of the country took part in the program. The competition took nearly five months to complete, and was held on four levels – zonal level, district level, divisional level and finally on national level. All the participants were divided into two classes – students from standard two to standard five were in the junior class and students from standard six to standard ten were in the senior class. The subjects of competition were verse recitation from the Bhagavad-gita, coloring; drawing transcendental picture, Vedic story telling, bhajan, speech in selected topics; acting in Vedic costumes.

All participating students received different devotional gifts. In the final round, the winners (1st, 2nd; 3rd position holders) of all subjects were rewarded with special crests and Bhaktivadanta Scholarships. One student from each class was announced as “All-rounder” for their extraordinary performances and was rewarded a champion crest and a Bhaktivadanta Scholarship.

The final round was organized on 23 rd September, in which more than 500 students participated from different districts of the country. The prize giving ceremony was held on 24th of September in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. ISKCON GBC and director of the competition Bhakti Purusottama Swami along with many members of the national management committee of ISKCON Bangladesh were present at the ceremony. Honorable minister Mr. Narayan Chandra Chanda and several other important office-holders of the Bangladesh cultural sphere were also present and gave speeches of appreciation.  

The awardees and the chief organizers and guests.

The program was a great success, which could not have been achieved by without the dedicated efforts and selfless cooperation of hundreds of students, guardians, volunteers and devotees.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/10000-students-participates-at-bhaktivedanta-competition-in-bangladesh,5870/

Hare Krishna devotees have their day filled with bliss when they join the procession at the annual Chariot Festival (Ratha Yathra). The main purpose behind this initiative is to take statues of three deities, Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subadhra, to the devotees who are unable to visit the temple regularly. By the time this article is read by Nation readers, the chariot, carrying images of deities, would have been pulled along the streets of Colombo and made participants experience a spiritual bliss.

Temple Priest Maha Kartha Das

Days before the festival (Scheduled for October 15), the priest of Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Kotahena, Maha Kartha Das, said in an interview with this scribe that events like this also help create awareness about Krishna Consciousness. “However, we are careful about the rate at which our religious movement grows. Spreading of a religion must be done in a careful and systematic manner. We don’t want religion to spread arbitrarily,” explained Kartha Das.

As in the past, temple authorities expect about 1000 devotees to return to the temple once the chariot completes its scheduled course in Colombo. The procession generally begins at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple with devotees walking the streets singing songs in praise of the Lord. “When you hear the chanting you are cleansed within and obtain the Lord’s blessings,” said Kartha Das.

The chariot festival has a long history and is celebrated in over 100 cities around the world. This tradition of taking the chariot, along with statues of deities, on the streets originated in Puri, Odisha back in 1968. That was the time when the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) fast gained in popularity. The religious movement experienced a rapid growth globally, thanks to the presence and efforts of its founder A.C Bakthivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Kartha Das acknowledged that people are at present driven more towards material possessions, rather than spirituality. He said that those interested in Krishna Consciousness can follow a devotee, take part in rituals or listen to lectures on the Baghavad Gita. He added that spiritual progress can be slow, but what really matters is whether the effort put in by a practitioner is sincere.

This priest is making a sincere effort to complete a temple project (in Kotahena) he initiated many years ago. There is more work needed to complete the first phase of this project. “When the temple is complete, it will help build a larger congregation,” Kartha Das said.

He said that he wishes to conduct a course titled ‘Gita Life’ which will be aimed at catering to the spiritual needs of the busy people engaged in the corporate world. The six-day course makes it compulsory for participants to attend all sessions. The course will be conducted by Bhakti Vinoda Swami. Participants will be charged a course fee and given a copy of the Baghavad Gita free.

Events like the chariot festival help spread the message that seeking spirituality must be done under the guidance of an experienced devotee or an authorized guru. When the chariot passes on the streets, it gives that little mental nudge to the materialistic person that he is missing something in life. Sometimes that nudge sparks off a search for the truths in life.

The traditional chariot festival concludes at the temple. Here, devotees are served food (prasadam). There is something special in going this full round on the streets and winding up at the temple. If you are a serious devotee, it would feel ‘just like coming home’.
(Pics by Ravi Nagahawatte)

Source:http://nation.lk/online/2016/10/15/receiving-gods-blessings-on-the-street.html

Anuttama das: The other day I was downtown and meeting with the US ambassador and International Religious freedom representative and it was about 15 people there from different religious traditions talking about what’s going on in Russia and they asked me to speak because they know the Hare Krishna devotees were the first ones to get arrested under this new law and people that are in the know are very much concerned, very frightened about these new laws in Russia that rolling back what was for a while very reasonably liberal laws about religious communities, and they are overturning those only going back to like communist era. So they want us there because they know we are Cutting Edge on religious freedom issues. They want to know what’s happening to us what is our experience.

A beautiful video is coming, hopefully will be released during Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day. It talks about Eco communities and focuses on Hungary and this community of Iskcon in Brazil.
The video mentions about our farm in Hungary being the largest conscious living Green community in all of Europe and people come there to study in to see what we’re doing.

To listen to the whole audio lecture: https://soundcloud.com/iskconofdc/sb-1181-anuttama-dasa

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32424

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.32, verses 16 to 22.

” ‘But the reason I do not immediately reciprocate the affection of living beings even when they worship Me, O gopis, is that I want to intensify their loving devotion. They then become like a poor man who has gained some wealth and then lost it, and who thus becomes so anxious about it that he can think of nothing else’ (SB 10.32.20). It happens: We get something with great difficulty and then we lose it and become obsessed with the loss. Or we may take something for granted, and when we lose it we appreciate what we had.

“Then Krishna says, ‘My dear girls, understanding that simply for My sake you had rejected the authority of worldly opinion, of the Vedas, and of your relatives, I acted as I did only to increase your attachment to Me. Even when I removed Myself from your sight by suddenly disappearing, I never stopped loving you. Therefore, My beloved gopis, please do not harbor any bad feelings toward Me, your beloved’ (SB 10.32.21). Here Krishna is saying that it is not true that He did not reciprocate their love. He did, in such a way as to increase their attachment for Him. He was reciprocating—because the gopis‘, or any pure devotee’s, only desire is to love and serve Krishna and to increase their love for Him and their service to Him. And so by removing Himself from them He was reciprocating with their hearts’ deepest, innermost desire—to increase their love for Him.”

To download, right click and choose ‘Save As’.

Source:http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=11495

Endeavour is required to make progress in this material world and austerity is part of it but austerity is not the goal. In Krsna consciousness also, whatever austerities are connected to initiation is not the goal; that is not the meditation. When we speak about four regulative principles, they are actually four prohibitions. So prohibition, restriction and austerity seem to come in that line but the Bhagavad-gita speaks about the regulative principles of freedom which is a different interpretation, a different understanding. In the Bhagavad-gita the regulative principles are not looked upon as restrictive but rather as liberating. This is interesting because generally, we experience these things as restrictions. When we get involved with the Hare Krsna Movement, we cannot eat this and we cannot eat that… there are so many complications… men and women interactions, there are so rules governing the whole thing. So many restrictions that we also tend to perceive these regulative principles as restrictive, even when we take initiation… this is the price we have to pay so we can go back to godhead if all goes well.

But the truth is that these regulative principles are restricting nothing but our maya, our illusion! And actually all these things that we are giving up were the cause of our pain, they were a thorn in our side. They were actually all along the sources of our suffering – eating inedible things is the source of so much suffering, gambling is insanity as it just destroys one’s life, illicit sex and intoxication just bind us in suffering so naturally as we give it up, it is very nice as we become free. We are giving up nothing but suffering!

I learnt this from my spiritual master who summed it up very simple. When he was in New York, a policeman saw him in his robes and asked, “What is it that you guys have to give up??” and his answer was, “SUFFERING!”

We should always remember that we are just getting liberated from all this suffering. We are very fortunate actually… it is very wonderful to live by these principles even if our stubborn, obstinate minds are sometimes rebelling!

Source:https://www.kksblog.com/2016/10/the-regulative-principles-of-liberation/

Indradyumna Swami: Lalita Sakhi is one of Srimati Radharani’s 8 principle girlfriends. Her home in Unchagaon is close to Radharani’s residence in Varsana. Our parikrama party visited Unchagaon on the 1st day of Kartika and enjoyed many wonderful hours of Krsna katha, kirtan and association with the villagers who live in that sacred abode.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/yQh17E

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32429

Sivarama Swami’s latest book, the fourth volume of the Krishna In Vrindavana series, is hot off the press. Shri Damodara-janani weaves a captivating tale of the glories of Mother Yashoda. No other person has ever received the unique mercy that Krishna showed His own mother, teaching devotees for all time that the binding force of love for Him is more powerful than even His own supreme will.

The dedication

A pastime that stopped the demigods in their tracks, captivated the residents of Gokula, and even stunned the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, this most powerful and beautifully scripted spotlight on Mother Yashoda is a revelation that will bind the devotees’ hearts, and in turn, detail the path to hopefully binding the heart of our beloved Sri Krishna.

Totalling 464 pages, with a 40 page introduction, 12 chapters of detailed descriptions of the pastime, and 8 unique, interesting appendices, the book is based on commentaries of the damodara-lila section of theBhagavatam by Shridhara Svami, Sanatana Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, Shrinatha Cakravarti, Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura, Baladeva Vidyabhushana, and the purports of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

The author receives the first printed copy of his new book

At Sivarama Swami’s request in the spring of 1999, Gopi-paranadhana Das translated all the above acharyas' Sanskrit commentaries to the verses relevant to the damodara-lila as an audio recording. Incorporating these recordings and scriptural references from Padma Purana, Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Ananda-vrndavana-champu, Sanatana Gosvami’s commentary on Sri Damodarashtakam, and Gopala-champu, this unique retelling of this special pastime is written as a wonderful narrative like the Krishna Book and it's a flood of sweet nectar. There is also a fresh rendering of the Damodarashtaka prayer.

* * *

To order please visit www.srsbooks.com or write to Bhakti Devī Dasī at srsbookclub@1108.cc and have a wonderful Kārttika month meditation.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/sivarama-swamis-latest-book-praises-motherly-love,5812/

KavicandraSwami: I recentely spent a few blissful days at SRI SRI Radha London Isvara Mandira. 
They were just starting a KRSNA BALARAM marathon. Many devotees, about half of them Bhaktas and Bhaktins, were going out with great enthusiasm and distributing many books while charming the people on Oxford street and other parts of London.
Bhakta Simon was leading in distribution when I left for Africa. Some of the Bhaktas had never distributed before but were telling me that they would probably continue after the marathon.
They even let me go with them a bit. It was interesting that I met one boy from Germany who had seen devotees in Japan (where I serve as GBC). He happily took a Srimad Bhagavatam. It is a small world and we never know were the results of our preaching will fructify.
It is nice to see that so many people in London are very appreciative of the “Hare Krsna”.
Letter to: Jagadisa Hyderabad 18 November, 1972
“The thing is, our main business is to distribute books, either here or there it doesn’t matter. So if there is transcendental competition for increasing sale of books, that is good. If he buys one book his life may be turned, that is best preaching work.”
letter to: Hrdayananda Maharaja Hyderabad, November 23, 1972
“And distribute books, as many as you can and I think you can distribute many millions of books alone, that Krishna will help you do.”
letter to: Rupanuga Sydney, Feb 14 1973
“If someone has desired to distribute books all day he may do this, but he must always follow the principles of rising early, chanting 16 rounds, etc. Just as some rich men have no inclination for studying, but still he opens many schools for others to study at. Like this, all of my students may not be inclined to study but they are very much eager to give others the opportunity to read my books and this should not be discouraged. All programs must go on but it is a fact that this book distribution program is very very important.”
letter to: Balavanta Vrndavana, Oct 4, 1976
“The main thing is to distribute books more and more. That remark by the man in Houston is to your credit, that this movement is becoming an epidemic. Actually, everywhere envious people are against this movement, especially communists, because this movement is a threat to them. The main thing is to distribute books the communist idea is spread practically all over the world on account of distributing huge amounts of literature, but they have no substance. Introduce Rathayatra very nicely and distribute books.”
In the photo: Book distribution in Bali.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32440

Dear Devotees,
Hare KrishnaPlease accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupad.For my upcoming book about Srila Prabhupada in Bombay, we conducted a personal interview with Srinathji Prabhu. In the interview with Srinathji Prabhu, he described his very first encounter with the Hare Krishna devotees.As an offering to HG Srinathji Prabhu, I would like to share his excerpt from the upcoming book.Your servant,
Lokanath Swami

EXTRACT FROM UPCOMING BOOK
It was around March 71, that Srila Prabhupada had come with over 20 of his senior most disciples to the house of Mr N D Desai, a big industrialist, son of a Member of Parliament and a follower of Cinmaya mission. Because of the Cross Maidan Pandal most Bombayites had heard of Srila Prabhupada. Using the opportunity, Prabhupada visited several well known people’s homes making them life members and to see how they could be engaged in Krsna’s service.
Srinathji: My father and I always came home for lunch. I was shocked to see these European and American boys and girls, singing, jumping and dancing in my garden wearing dhotis, saris and tilaka. My very first impression was, ‘What will the neighbours think?’ I was about to be initiated into the original Sankara sampradaya and right then Prabhupada had come into our life and today he was right inside our house. So Ihad kept aloof from all this, because I had read in the papers that they might be CIA, and so on. So, here I saw Prabhupada for the first time and watched him closely in action. 
Even though Mr Desai was influenced by Mayavada, he could not avoid being impressed by Srila Prabhupada’s demeanor and moods which he describes:
He had a shining lustre. Because of his orange sannyasi clothes he looked like a very bright orange type of personality. He was very clean shaven, very neat and clean. Everything was in the correct place and he seemed to be very particular about everything. All the devotees, even though they sang and danced in ecstasy, when they sat down all the boys were on one side and all the girls on the other side, in a very neat way. They were not haphazard at all.

Then it was prasada time. However, Mr Desai could not appreciate the devotees prasadahonouring spirit. When the devotees sang the sarira avidya jal prayers and unreservedly gobbled up so muchprasada, it left Mr Desai mildly irritated. He compared these devotees to the Mayavadis and as far as he was concerned, these devotees had failed hopelessly. Brahma satyaà jagan mithyam – the only reality is the brahman, which translates to the meaning that all else in this world is false. Sounds and forms including tastes, are all false. In this way, when Mayavadi’s taste food, they consider this to be maya, whereas for devotees the taste of food offered to Krsna is non-different from Krsna. That prasada is Krsna, and hence it is relished.

Soon Srila Prabhupada expertly went into business mood.
Upon hearing that Mr Desai’s father was familiar with the Bhagavad-gita and loved Prabhupada’s books, Prabhupada gave him every book he had – the Krishna book, his first set of MacMillian Bhagavad-gita,teachings of Lord Caitanya, Bhakti-rasamrta sindhu and two books or booklets of Srimad-Bhagavatam.Srila Prabhupada’s glorification of his disciples became the impetus for the next bombshell. Prabhupada explained that these boys and girls rise early in the morning, chant a minimum of 16 rounds daily and only eat vegetarian prasada. These Westerners had given up smoking and even drinking tea. After hearing the praise of the disciples Mr Desai was waiting for another bombshell.
Srinathji: So I was thinking, ‘Why is Prabhupada talking so much? There must be some hidden agenda coming up soon.’ Prabhupada knew that my father was treasurer of the Congress party. And sure enough, Prabhupada said, ‘I need visas for all my disciples’. First thing, please realize they are not CIA. You must see that in parliament they stop the inquiry against my pupils and me. My father said that he had a friend who was the minister in charge and he would talk to him and definitely do something.
The third bombshell wiped Mr Desai off his feet. Prabhupada wanted American born Jayapataka who was in his early twenties to be given Indian citizenship.
Prabhupada: I want you to adopt him. There is a procedure for making a foreigner an Indian citizen. You have to stand guarantee.
Srinathji: I thought Prabhupada was either nuts, because I was in the opposite camp, or he is terribly bold, to ask a member of parliament to give a guarantee for someone who we didn’t even know, and that too a foreigner. So my father looked at Jayapataka and he liked him and he said, ‘Yes, I will help him.’ I still have Maharaja’s letter when he became an Indian citizen, thanking my father.
With the last bombshell, Prabhupada signed up my father as ISKCON life member number thirty-nine.
Prabhupada: I have this scheme of making life members, I have so many centres all over the world. You can stay there and have prasada everywhere, but you only have to pay 1111 rupees. To my great shock, my father said, ‘I will just get the money.’ So I went after him to his room and I said, ‘We discussed that you won’t make any more commitments. My father was determined. “No, I think I must help them.” So, Prabhupada got the Rs.1111 and my father became one of the first life member no. thirty-nine.
As a direct result of Prabhupada’s mercy, instead of becoming a disciple of Mayavadi guru, Mr N D Desai became a life member, ardent follower and staunch supporter and eventually Srinathji Dasa, an ISKCON initiated disciple.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32444

Damodarananda Das: BMI-Bhaktivriksha organised and celebrated the First grand Ram Vijayotsava in Bloomington IL on Saturday Oct 15 with burning of 15 feet effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnatha. About 500 people attended a fair like celebration. Festival of India put up many displays. The other highlight was first ever Ram Leela enactment of SundarKanda. The children really enjoyed the performance of an energetic Hanuman and others. There has been a very positive feed back from the community. The local newspaper also covered the celebrations.
Jai Shri Rama!

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32450