We have doubts sometimes and we think, ‘Chanting doesn’t work! I’m trying to be a devotee for such a long time and I have been chanting for many years, almost every day but I feel that I am still the same fallen person that I always was…’

But Srila Prabhupada said, ‘By chanting the Holy Name once, it can purify more sins than one can commit in an entire lifetime!’

So, my only explanation is that it takes a little longer for us to become completely purified since we have been in this material world for unlimited lifetimes, engaging in unlimited sinful activities and now we are being purified like anything!

Source:https://www.kksblog.com/2016/10/a-sobering-thought/

Dear Devotees

Hare Krishna

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
All glories to ISKCON 50!!

The holy and auspicious month of Kartik commences on 17 October 2016. This
year we have been commemorating ISKCON’s Golden Jubilee Anniversary. 2016
has been filled with so many glorious activities commemorating this
milestone in the history of ISKCON.

This year is really and truly special. The theme for this year’s
Vraja-mandala Parikrama carries forward the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON.

How Vraja-mandala Parikrama started in ISKCON

Our yearly Vraja-mandala Parikrama program is the natural extension of an
instruction Srila Prabhupada gave me in 1976. In the early part of that
year, I was serving with the Gaur-Nitai Travelling Sankirtana Party in two
German buses. When these buses broke down Srila Prabhupada told me to forget
about the buses and instead start a bullock cart sankirtana party travelling
and preaching in the villages of India.

Srila Prabhupada gave me detailed instructions and this led to the birth of
ISKCON’s padayatra program. ISKCON Padayatra had its renaissance in 1984
when we retraced Sri  Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s footsteps in honour of the 500th
anniversary of  Lord Caitanya’s appearance . We began on September 2,1984
and arrived in Sridhama Mayapur on March 20, 1986. Instead of stopping
there, we decided to go back to Dvaraka via Vrndavana. That was in 1987.

My godbrother,  Dhruv Maharaja Prabhu, had gone all around Vraja and taken
photographs, from which we put together a slideshow about the twelve forests
of Vraja. The padayatra devotees watched this enchanting slideshow, and it
occurred to us that we too could circumambulate Vrndavan’s twelve forests.
We set to find out, touring the land of Sri Krsna and establishing ISKCON’s
first ever Vraja-mandala Parikrama. This was in March 1987.

In 1988 we decided to do the Vraja-mandala parikrama during Kartik.

(Adapted from Introduction by HH Lokanath Swami Maharaja from his book
Vraja-mandala Darsana)

We invite you all to be part you be part of this wonderful commemoration
with an abundance of mercy flowing freely.

Kindly find the attached schedule.

Your humble servant,
Dinanukampa dd
(Secretary to HH Lokanath Swami Maharaja)

October 2016

16th:- Vrindavan Parikrama -( Ishtagoshti)
17th:- Vrindavan To Mathura
18th:- Mathura Parikrama
19th:- Mathura to Madhuban
20th:- Madhuban To Shantanu Kund
21st:- Shatanukund to Radhakund
22nd:-Radhakund - Govardhan Parikrama
23rd:- Radhakund - (Bahulashtami) Radhakund
24th:- Radhakund to Deeg
25th:- Deeg to Badrinath
26th:- Badrinath Parikrama - (Indira Ekadashi)
27th:- Badrinath to Kamavan
28th:- Kamavan Interior Parikrama
29th:- Kamavan External Parikrama
30th:- Kamavan to Barsana - (Deepavali)
31st:- Barsana - (Govardhan Puja)

November 2016

01st:- Barsana
02nd:-Barsana to Nandgaon
03rd:- Nandgaon to Kokilavan
04th:- Kokilavan - (Prabhupada Disappearance  Day)
05th:- Kokilvan to Sheshashyai
06th:- Sheshashyai to Shergarh
07th:- Shergarh to chirghat
08th:- Chirghat to Bhandirvan - (Gopastami)
09th:- Bhandirvan to Mansarovar
10th:- Mansarovar to Lohavan
11th:- Lohavan to Dauji - (Utthan Ekadashi)
12th:- Dauji to Brahmand Ghat
13th:- Bramhand Ghat to Raval
14th:- Raval to Mathura - (Kartik Purnima)

Kindly contact:

Syamarup Dasa: shyamrupdas.lok@gmail.com (Hindi and English)

Nitya Kishor Dasi: nityakishordasi@gmail.com(English, Russian and Spanish)

Dear Devotees,

Vyasa puja Pandharpur 2016

This year is a very special year in the history of ISKCON; we are celebrating the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of ISKCON. All the festivals held in ISKCON this year are dedicated to the completion of ISKCON’s 50 wonderful years. Gurudev vyasa puja  in Pandarpur was no different. As Gurudev stated - this 67th Vyasa puja celebration is also dedicated to ISKCON’s Golden Jubilee celebration 

ISKCON devotees have so many festivals coming up on an annual basis and we eagerly look forward  to each one of them. One of them is the Vyasa puja celebration of our beloved Gurudev HH Lokanath Swami Maharaja.  Every year we celebrate Vyasa puja in Pandharpur dhama. It’s said that after Asadi Ekadasi the Lord sleeps for four months. That is the reason Lord Vitthala bhaktas come all the way to Pandharpur dhama to take darsana of Lord Panduranga. But for the disciples of Gurudev the one reason to run towards Pandharpur dhama is for Gurudev’s Vyasa puja. Many of us had never heard of Pandharpur and had not  gone there before joining ISKCON. That is proof of how your spiritual master takes you from nama to dhama. We are not at all qualified, but by his ahaituki kripa he makes us fortunate, he makes us bhagyavan to enter the dhama. All glories to our Gurudev.

Vyasa-puja is an annual offering of special honour to the spiritual teacher, who represents Krsna Himself as well as Krsna's incarnation Vyasadeva, the editor of the Vedas. Krsna recommends that everyone seeking God should first and foremost first seek out God's representative and respectfully accept his guidance.

"Actually there is no difference between hearing directly from Krsna and hearing from Krsna via a bona fide spiritual master like Vyasa. The spiritual master is also the representative of Vyasadeva. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, on the birthday of the spiritual master the disciples conduct the ceremony called Vyasa-puja."

Vyasa puja offerings

Vyasa puja unofficially begins with HG Vrndavanalila Devi Dasi’s service. Her wonderful service commences in June as she starts reminding everybody to write down offerings for Gurudev. That is a sign that Gurudev’s Vyasa puja day will soon be dawning on us. It is a time for celebration for all of us. The devotees start meditating on the glories of Gurudev and Vyasa puja celebrations. Devotees eagerly await this auspicious day. During the entire month of June and before devotees from different parts of the globe write offerings for Gurudev. They try to glorify their spiritual master in their offerings. This writing of an offering is a wonderful event when each one of us sits exclusively meditating on the qualities of our spiritual master. How he saved each one of us from the miseries of the material world and by doing as Srila Prabhupada had done, giving us the higher taste of Krishna consciousness. So by such meditation, individual souls gets connected to Gurudev. This month every disciple meditates on his/her connection with their Guru Maharaja and feels his mercy and blessings flowing into him.  For all us Asadi month is exclusively dedicated to our beloved Gurudev. Many a times it may not be possible for each one of us to personally talk with Gurudev, but in the heart Gurudev understands each one of his disciples. And not only that, he knows what’s going on in each one of our hearts. Based on that, he reciprocates with each one of us.

It’s said that, “a Vaisnava is so pure that just uttering his name can purify the entire universe”. Such is the power of a Vaisnava. And we are so fortunate to have a spiritual master like our Gurudev. We are fallen souls, but due to his causeless mercy we will be saved from the greatest danger. As Prabhupada says : “We can never repay the debt of our spiritual master.” 

Gurudev was born on a very auspicious tithi of Asadi Ekadasi. A devotee once wrote a poem in Marathi in which he described that Gurudev was born in Aravade and was named Raghunath.

asadhi tithi aravade gramat bada janmala raghunatha

It was a three day festival, but the arrangements started months ago - the accommodations,  pandal arrangements, organisation, prasada,  etc.

Thursday 14 July 2016

On 14 July the two Dindis reached Pandarpur drama. The rathas carried Sri Sri Gaur Nitai. The Lordships and the devotees who walked in the Dindi for 15 days were welcomed by grand sankirtana. After honouring prasada and receiving the darsana of Sri Sri Radha Pandharinatha the Dindi  devotees undertook a Parikrama of Pandharpur dhama which went hand in hand with book and prasada distribution. The Dindi devotees and other devotees distributed thousands of Bhagavad-Gita, Santa Tukaram, Bhuvaikuntha Pandharpur and Back to Godhead magazines.

Vyasa puja initiations 

Also there was an initiation ceremony from 8 am to 1 pm. Many devotees were ready to surrender at the lotus feet of Gurudev. 

Taking initiations from bona fide spiritual master is very important for the devotees to reach Krsna. Krsna himself accepted Sandipani Muni as his spiritual master even though he is Supreme Personality of Godhead . This was to show the world that accepting the spiritual master is very important. 

tad viddhi pranipatena    pariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti te jñanam   jñaninas tattva-darsinah

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

Many devotees received either  first initiation or second initiation. Some devotees also entered the brahmacari order. It was a great ceremony for all those present. Everyone was very happy and excited. And for those who were already initiated, for them it was revival of their diksha ceremony and revision of the sankalpa taken during initiation. All in all a wonderful event for everyone. 

In the evening between 05.00 – 07.00 pm the famous Boat festival of Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath and Chandrabhaga Arati is held. Their  Lordships are taken around on  Chandrabhaga maiya and devotees get into boats and follow the boat of the Lordships. It’s a wonderful event. 

Vyasa Puja Adhivasa

Then in the evening from 17h30- 18h00 there was the Vyasa Puja Adhivasa. Senior disciples offered various auspicious ingredients to Gurudev. And followed by it Gurudev sang the most famous bhajan glorifying Lord Vitthal. “jai jai vitthal vitthal vithal….” And made everybody dance on the neactarian voice. Gurudev himself also danced and inspired everybody to dance to their full strength. This is the specaility of spiritual master at every step he inspires his disciples and helps them in advancing in devotional life. 

Friday 15 July 2016 - Ashadi Ekadashi

On Friday, 15th July 2016 was the main festival  Ekadashi Vyasapuja Festival.

The day started with Mangala Arati and at  8h00 – 8h15. Swati Vachanwas was done to invoke auspiciousness on the occasion followed by Vaisnava Bhajans were sung by devotees. 

HG Sacidanandan Prabhu  spoke on the importance of Vyasa puja.

Today is very important  day for us. Gurudev is a representative of Vyasa Dev. But just offering flowers is not Vyasa puja. We should surrender to the guru. Lord says aham bhakta paradhina, so if we want the mercy of the Lord we need the mercy of Gurudev.

So mercy starts flowing when we follow the six elements of sarnagati.

We do not know tatvatha who is Lord. bhokataram yajya tapasa ...we hear this still we want to be bhokta.

So through guru we can know the Lord. Till we don't  get the mercy of pure devotees of the Lord we can't get the Lords mercy. The desire of the Lord is equal to the desire of the Guru. So we should always strive hard to please Gurudev. Through Gurudev all knowledge is revealed. So with offering flowers we should offer our  heart to Guru. We should know what Gurudev wants from us and serve him.

Desire of Gurudev is equal to the desire of Prabhupada. So first should be guru bhakti. So today is a very important day when we can fully surrender to the Lord and guru and serve Them. One may say I am not qualified to serve, but that is also ajnana. So through sastra we should remove this curtain of ignorance and serve Gurudev... HH Lokanath Maharaja ki jai

Offerings by Devotees 

Then there were  Offerings by Devotees (Sabdanjali) – seniors devotees were welcomed on the stage to glorify Gurudev. 

A few lines from some offerings are quoted here:

HG Bhagavan Prabhu:

We can never repay debt of Gurudev. We will always be in debt to Gurudev. Gurudev is mercy of the Lord. We should follow his instructions.

HG Santadas Prabhu:

Whenever I have problems I first pray to Prabhupada but if more dangerous problems come I pray to Gurudev. I get relieved from all problems. Whenever I give a lecture I just remember Gurudev and I become successful... Jai Gurudev. life becomes happy when you always remember Gurudev.

HG Murlimohan Prabhu:

Gurudev loves unity,  so we should surrender to his vani seva. Gurudev started bhaktisangam to get together devotees. So this develops prema between devotees. So he gives importance to unity and we should cooperate with each other.

HG Brajvilas Prabhu:

Once I was in Vrindavan 2002. Gurudev called me. He asked to do  7 days katha. I said if your mercy is there impossible becomes possible. I said I will do but who will call me for katha. So Gurudev said to the  president of Solapur  to keep his katha in Solapur. Gurudev is all powerful and because of his mercy I am doing Katha.

HG Gaur Krsna Prabhu:

Gurudev has saved us and there is no end to his glories. But what is our role? Gurudev has enthused us.  He has inspired us and he has empowered us. So today we should think what we can do for him, we should give our  best and preach to the best extend. So that Gurudev can be happy and he can present something to Prabhupada.

 HG Acharya Prabhu:

Gurudev had come to Salem in Padayatra. Subhang Balaram Prabhu said arrange a good room, but I was thinking who I will arrange. But when Gurudev came he said I have come to my home. Padayatra is my heart. He has come from Lord’s dhama to liberate us. We should do whatever seva he tells us to do.

HG Sundarlal Prabhu

This festival reminds of connection between Gurudev and Tukaram Maharaja. Prabhupada saw the qualities of Tukaram Maharaja  in Gurudev. Gurudev is Tukaram  of ISKCON. Tukaram Maharaja  wrote abhangas and Gurudev also wrote books. Maharashtra is the land of saints. Gurudev was also born in Maharashtra. His family wanted to make him an engineer. Gurudev is a real doctor. He removes the cataract from the eyes. Gurudev is also giving medicines..Hare Krsna..great saints take up  suffering to remove the suffering of others and that’s  the best worship of the Lord. I was with Gurudev in Europe and I realized how eager he is  to preach all over the world.

HG Nandalal Prabhu  (elder brother of Gurudev):
 Guru Maharaja went to Bombay and joined ISKCON and we were sad and we used to say he is gone crazy. Once our mother burned his clothes, but he did he did not say anything.  In 1984 he organized Ratha-yatra in Aravade. All the villagers were amazed.  We all family members are his initiated disciples. He became mad and made us also mad after Krsna.

Gurudev’s vyasa puja address:

As he usually does with Prabhupada in his heart, Gurudev started glorifying Prabhupada.

“yadi prabhupad na hoite tabe ki hoite” then there would be no vyasa puja today we should be so grateful to the Lord.  He gave us Prabhupada. I met Prabhupada in 1971 and its the 45th  anniversary of my meeting with Prabhupada. Whatever we are today “tomar karuna sar"-it's only the fruit of mercy of Prabhupada.

If you don’t serve the holy name then its equal to death. Life is tough then you die and then you are born again, then again life is tough. It goes on cycle of birth and death. Its our  responsibility to spread the holy name all over.

Prabhupada gave me the order to start Padayatra and he was happy when it was started. Prabhupad said we want millions of carts all over the world. This was speciality of Prabhupada he never thought of anything small. Prabhupada only thought of this bullock sankirtana party and now in every nook and corner of world preaching is going on. Your contribution is very important for all this. Prabhupada will be very happy. Hare Krsna

Charan Abhishek/Puspanjali 

Then there was Charan Abhishek/Puspanjali (Pada-puja of Gurumaharaja), 56 Bhoga offering and maha-arati

We hear that Caitanya Mahaprabhu made the animals of Jharakhand festival dance to the holy name. Similarly  a horse who walked in the Dindi procession to Pandharpur  for 15 days would dance as soon Hare Krsna kirtana started. HG Keshav Prabhu noticed this as he was also walking on the Dindi. Such is the power of the holy name. It makes each soul dance. The owner of the horse was also walking with the Dindi and in 15 days he also got the mercy of Nitai Gaursundar and he also became a devotee. The horse was brought in the assembly of 5000 devotees and as soon as kirtana started to everybody’s surprise the horse started dancing. It would raise his forelimbs and dance. It was a wonderful scene. Pram vijayate sri krishna sankirtan. Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki ….jai

Grand Finale

Then at 8.00 there was Deepostava Darsana of Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath, and the oil lamps were lighted all over the temple and specially in the altar around the Lordships. And like adding crest jewel to the event was the nectarian kirtana by our beloved Gurudev. 

21h00 – 22h00  marked the time for dinner prasada.

Saturday, 16th July 2016

 This day was Asadhi Mahadwadashi. Food for life prasada distribution was distributed to all the warkaris. 

Thus we celebrated Vyasa puja of our beloved Gurudev, our heart again longing  for the same day…so that we glorify Gurudev again and again.

Jayabadra Devi Dasi

On August 25th we traveled to Srirangam also known as Rangakshetra, in South India. Srirangam is an island surrounded by the Kaveri River on one side and the Kaveri tributary, Kollidam, on the other. The island forms part of the city of Tiruchirapalli. This place is home to a beautiful temple housing the deity of Sri Ranganatha Swami. Sri Ranganatha is a two-armed form of Lord Vishnu reclining on the divine serpent Ananta Sesa.

Lord Caitanya in Srirangam

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Srirangam during his South India pilgrimage. He spent four months there in the monsoon season during the months of caturmasya vrata and stayed at the home of a brahmana named Vyenkata Bhatta. Vyenkatta Bhatta’s son, Gopala, who was seven years old at the time, served Lord Caitanya continuously during His stay, and as a result, the boy developed an intense love for the Lord. While staying with Vyenkatta Bhatta’s family Lord Caitanya longed for Lord Jagannath in Puri. In this mood of separation, Mahaprabhu lovingly carved His own set of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra deities, which to this day, reside not far from the Bhatta family’s original home. The family descendants of Vyenkata Bhatta also continue to live in Srirangam.

Janmastami celebrations

There is an ISKCON temple in Srirangam called Sri Jagannath Mandir. The devotees there arranged our accommodation at a life member’s house. They were very happy to receive our padayatra party in their town. We stayed and celebrated Janmastami at the temple all padayatris chanted 64 rounds and went on sankirtana with their Lordships. We also had ecstatic kirtana in the temple courtyard with all the devotees who had come to take darsana that day. Initially, when they saw our party, they thought we were there to take darsana but when we told them we were doing padayatra they were very inspired. Many of them joined us on sankirtana and guided us around their city. We went on sankirtana in the city and to the places where Caitanya Mahaprabhu had visited. Thus we remembered the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu while we were there. In the evening there was abhishek at the temple of the Sri Sri Radha Krsna deities followed by katha, kirtana, and cultural programs. This was how we celebrated Janmastami in Srirangam under the shelter of Lord Ranganatha.

Hare Krishna
Close to Radhadesh, opposite our grounds, there is a piece of land for
sale. This is the land that lies right along the same road as Radhadesh and
is 175 long, 30 to 50 meter deep. This land could be sold in parcels: about
7
to 8 building plots.

In the past, many of the congregation members and friends who support the
goals of Radhadesh, have expressed to the management, their desire to live
in Radhadesh or move closer to Radhadesh.

In the beginning of October, we will contact all registrants about how to
continue further.

Please keep in mind that this opportunity is rather rare and there is very
little chance that it will be available in future.

If you are interested in one or more of these plots, please send a message
the latest by 5th of October to malati@radhadesh.com

Kind regards || Vriendelijke groet || Meilleures salutations
Malati Dasi, Manager
Radhadesh Congregational Preaching Department (RCPD)
tel./fax: +32 86401839
mobile: +32486050187
www.radhadesh.com
www.facebook.com/Radhadesh
LIVE on Radhadesh.TV

Bhagavad-gita’s commentary about contemporary issues
Urmila Devi Dasi: So, yeah, I’m a US citizen, so, yeah, I watched some highlights of the presidential debate and read/watched some commentary. Here’s Krishna’s commentary, from Bhagavad-gita:
Bg 16.4; 7-18 - “Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance-these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature. Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them. They say that this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control. They say it is produced of sex desire and has no cause other than lust. Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world. Taking shelter of insatiable lust and absorbed in the conceit of pride and false prestige, the demoniac, thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent. They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification. The demoniac person thinks: "So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him, and my other enemies will also be killed. I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall rejoice.” In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance. Thus perplexed by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions, they become too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and fall down into hell. Self-complacent and always impudent, deluded by wealth and false prestige, they sometimes proudly perform sacrifices in name only, without following any rules or regulations. Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion.“

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31978

I think that the only thing that can really bond us together is friendship. Just common acceptance of Krsna as the Supreme Lord will bring us together from time to time – we will come together at the temple and festivals – but friendship will take us so much further. Because it is in friendship, in real friendship that we are going to stimulate each other so much more than by just being colleagues!

I have often given this example of how we can be together like colleagues. We are all devotees of Krsna and we are all colleagues. We are all devotees in the same temple and we are all colleagues. We are all chanting Hare Krsna and we are all colleagues. We are all dancing in the kirtan party as colleagues. But when there is no friendship, it is not enough.

If there is friendship, then friendship is different. Friendship is like a family spirit. When your colleague is not performing well and it disturbs your work, you can say, “Get it together! You know, they’ll throw you out of here one of these days if you don’t get it together.”

That is what you say to a colleague but to a family member, you say, “When in the world are you ever going to get it together? But we can’t throw you out because you’re part of the family.”

That is different. That is friendship and in that friendship there is trust. We know we are going to be accepted. We do not have to have a masquerade where everyone acts out to be a pure devotee in a Hare Krsna community. We can just be more honest. If there is friendship, we can just be who we are and still be accepted. In that way, we can get some real human support which is what we need!

Source:https://www.kksblog.com/2016/10/the-bond-of-friendship/

ISKCON-Tirupati celebrated Sri Krishna Janmastami -2016 in a grand manner. On the occasion of 50 years Golden Jubilee celebration this year we were blessed with our special guest for Janmastami, His Holiness Sivarama Swami Maharaj, from Hungary. The celebrations went on for 3 days from 24-08-2016 to 26-08-2016. People from all over Tirupati and Andhrapradesh attended  to receive blessings of their Lord ships Sri Radha Govinda and Srila Prabhupada. Around three hundred thousand plates of prasadam were distributed and at Mid Night 12’o clock Maha Shanka Abisekha was performed for the deities.

As Part of Janmasthami celebrations we erected a Huge (30 feet width and 40 feet height) Diorama of Srila Prabhupada and the countries he preached around the world for ISKCON 50 years Golden Jubilee Festival at TTD Grounds opposite to ISKCON, Tirupati temple.

HH Sivaram Swami  Maharaj  ,  HG Revati Raman Prabhu , Sri Ramireddy garu   S P F (Special Police Force) Commandant TTD , Sri Vijaya Saradhi garu  TTD estate officer  , Sri Guruswami garu  Senior Advocate TTD and others  gave the Janmastami message  to the all the devotees.

On 26th August, the Appearance day of our Beloved Founder Acarya His Divine Grace Srila A.C Bhakti vedanta Swami Prabhupada was celeberated in a very grand manner with Maha Shanka abhisekha for Prabhupada’s murthy followed by Pushpanjali, then H H Sivarama Swami Maharaj spoke on Prabhupada glorifying his achievements and his compassionate nature elaborately .

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31994

The conference was entitled “Fifty Years of the Krishna Consciousness Movement: Srila Prabhupada, Messenger of Peace and Spiritual Knowledge” and it was held at the Chamber of Deputies, one of two houses in the Italian Parliament’s bicameral legislature and a spot where all major political decisions are made.

At least one hundred devotees of different ages and “ashramas” or stages of life represented ISKCON at the conference, and the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies introduced it. There were be speeches by Madhusevita Das, President of the ISKCON Italian Confederation, and Parabhakti dasa in the role of Italian Confederation Vice President and Communications Director.

The event included also bhajans, a prasadam buffet, and a screening of the twenty-minute documentary film Hare Krishna: 50 Years of Service and Joy, which showcases ISKCON’s many impressive contributions to the world.

All Members of Parliament received Italian language editions of the ISKCON 50 magazine “The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” in their mailboxes. The magazine is an easily accessible introduction to ISKCON and its founder, history, beliefs and works.

There was a strong media presence at the conference, as it was considered to be a historic event for ISKCON Italy.

“The Parliament remains the most prestigious place to celebrate an event, and this is the first time we’ve done something directly related to our society there,” Parabhakti said. “I believe it will give us strong credit in the political, academic and cultural spheres. And in general, it will have a positive effect on public opinion that remains long after the conference is over.”

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32002

Photo Gallery Click here

The year 2016 is a special year for Hare Krishna communities around the world as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of ISKCON, which was incorporated by our beloved founder Srila Prabhupada in 1966.  Celebrations have been taking place in 600 cities across 75 countries since August 2015 and until December 2016. Here in Canada, the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has shared a congratulatory message for our Canadian Hare Krishna communities! 

Special thanks to one of our dynamic young devotees of our community, Preya Maulkhan for helping to coordinate the official congratulatory message from the Prime Minister's Office! 

Source:http://iskcontoronto.blogspot.in/2016/10/iskcon50-congratulations-from-pm-justin.html

Kadamba Kanana Swami: I think that the only thing that can really bond us together is friendship. Just common acceptance of Krsna as the Supreme Lord will bring us together from time to time – we will come together at the temple and festivals – but friendship will take us so much further. Because it is in friendship, in real friendship that we are going to stimulate each other so much more than by just being colleagues!
I have often given this example of how we can be together like colleagues. We are all devotees of Krsna and we are all colleagues. We are all devotees in the same temple and we are all colleagues. We are all chanting Hare Krsna and we are all colleagues. We are all dancing in the kirtan party as colleagues. But when there is no friendship, it is not enough.
If there is friendship, then friendship is different. Friendship is like a family spirit. When your colleague is not performing well and it disturbs your work, you can say, “Get it together! You know, they’ll throw you out of here one of these days if you don’t get it together.”
That is what you say to a colleague but to a family member, you say, “When in the world are you ever going to get it together? But we can’t throw you out because you’re part of the family.”
That is different. That is friendship and in that friendship there is trust. We know we are going to be accepted. We do not have to have a masquerade where everyone acts out to be a pure devotee in a Hare Krsna community. We can just be more honest. If there is friendship, we can just be who we are and still be accepted. In that way, we can get some real human support which is what we need!

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32009

This morning I happened to visit the Sampradaya Sun web page. Rocan Prabhu has been doing a series entitled ” A journey through India: border to border, bhoga to prasadam” and in the last week has done a two part article on ‘Ghee’. We have reprinted both the first and second part here.

Prasadam – Ghee
by Sun Staff

…the Mother of all ingredients is milk, and all its glorious byproducts. Today we’ll begin an exploration of ghee, which is one of the final foodstuffs derived from processing milk. Cow’s milk is said to possess the essential sap of all plants, and ghee is a most valued derivation of that nutritious stuff. The clear golden liquid known as ghee is the crown jewel of oils, and is one of Srimati Radharani’s most favored ingredients.

The word ghee comes from the Sanskrit ghrta [ghrit], or “sprinkled”. Aayurghritam means ‘ghee is life’, and this is reflected in the many sacred ways the stuff is used in devotional practice, from cooking to feeding the sacred fire, or performing abhisheka with panchamrta. Use of ghee as a substance to anoint the Deities is mentioned in Yajurveda, and the Rgveda has many references to butter and ghee.

Lord Prajapati, the primordial lord of the creatures and father of the seventh lila-avatar incarnation, Yajna, first created ghee by rubbing his hands together, churning butter and producing ghee that was poured onto the sacred fire to engender his progeny. One of the hymns in Rgveda is sung in praise of ghee:

This is the secret name of Butter:
“Tongue of the gods,” “navel of immortality.”
We will proclaim the name of Butter;
We will sustain it in this sacrifice by bowing low.
These waves of Butter flow like gazelles before the hunter…
Streams of Butter caress the burning wood.
Agni, the fire, loves them and is sa0tisfied.
Rgveda describes ghee/butter in relation to the purusha:

“It was Purusa, born in the beginning, which they sprinkled on the sacred grass as a sacrifice. With him the gods sacrificed the demi-gods and the seers.

From that sacrifice completely offered, the clotted butter was brought together. It made the beasts of the air, the forest and the village.

From that sacrifice completely offered, the mantras [Rgveda] and the songs [Samaveda] were born. The meters were born from it. The sacrificial formulae [Yajurveda] were born from it.”

Not surprisingly, modern history tells a different story about the original creation of ghee, not taking into account the ancient Vedic history, which is Absolute. In addition, many early academic references to butter would be more accurately translated as ghee.

Modern historians point to an ancient trade manuscript, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, which indicates that ghee was a trading commodity as early as the 1st century A.D. Of course, Sri Krsna was chasing after Mother Yasoda’s butter (what to speak of the butter of neighboring households) during Hs Vrindavan lila pastimes. Krsna was gleefully eating butter, throwing it at Balarama, and feeding it to the monkeys, and Yasoda Ma was reducing the butter to golden ghee, making wondrous preparations to offer Krsna. Sadly, consumers of modern history are left with the dry tale that butter was first created accidentally, when milk was being transported in skin bags and got churned while traveling over rough terrain. Just see how glorious Krsna Conscious reality is compared to mundane notions.

Ghee is known by many other names around the world. In Hindi it is ghi; in Bengali and Urdu, ghi ; in Nepali it’s ghyu; in Punjabi, ghyo; in Marathi and Konkani it’s tup; in Kannada, tuppa; in Tamil and Malayalam it’s ney; and in Telugu it’s neyyi.

Pure ghee is made by simmering butter churned from the cream portion of cow’s milk. The butter is cooked over a slow fire until the impurities rise to the top and the whey separates, dropping to the bottom. Sandwiched between these two layers is a depth of pure, golden liquid that is carefully separated out.

The quality of ghee is dependent on many things, first and foremost, the quality of life of the cow. Cows treated properly as the sacred Mother are invited to pasture on good quality grasses which produce the richest milk. The richest cream separated from the milk is churned into butter, and separated out from the concentrated butter fats are the liquids, known as buttermilk and skim milk. It takes about five gallons of whole milk to produce just two pounds of butter.

In India and many other countries, ghee is also produced from the milk of other animals, including buffalo, yaks, goats and sheep. Without questions, cow’s milk is far superior to all of these. High quality cow milk ghee can be identified by its color, flavor, and aroma, among other qualities. Lower quality ghees are not a deep golden, but vary from shades of yellow to nearly white. Only pure cows milk ghee is bona fide for use in Deity worship or fire yajna.

Pure cow milk ghee is actually the most potent form of the milk, having been transformed by heat. In Ayurveda it is considered to be sweet in taste, cold in nature, with a sweet aftertaste (vipaka). Buffalo milk ghee is colder in nature, oilier and heavier than cow ghee, and eating it tends to make one lethargic. But as any Krsna Prasadam aficionado knows, high quality bhoga cooked in ghee, offered with love and devotion, results in foodstuffs that leave an amazingly light ‘footprint’. Even the richest ghee-laden and ghee-fried foods can be eaten in great quantities, and do not ruin one’s energy for the remainder of the day, or the next, as feast preparations cooked in lesser oils are likely to do.

Prasadam – Ghee, Part Two
by Sun Staff

There are significant differences in the way ghee is produced in India, compared to the West. In the West, the artisan process is to use fresh, whole cow’s milk, let the cream rise to the top, then churn the heavy cream to butter, and finally slow cook the butter to separate the milk solids and whey from the liquid golden ghee. Unfortunately in the West today, few creameries make their butter by actually churning the cream. Instead, the milk is extruded through a fine screen. The larger fat molecules are captured, and the rest runs off as the commercial equivalent of buttermilk.

The problem with this process is that without churning, the all-important transformative energy is eliminated. The agni quality that was embodied in Lord Prajapati’s churning of butter into sacrificial ghee is absent. In India, butter is traditionally made by hand-churning and hand-working the butter, which imparts a quality much improved over the commercial process due the churning motion. While the differences are subtle, they are among the qualities inherent in sattvic practice.

Ghee-making in the West is sometimes confused with making clarified butter, which is not really ghee at all. Clarified butter is butter that is boiled to eliminate the moisture content, leaving it with a frothy foam on top of the yellow liquefied butter. When making ghee, many Western cooks simply place blocks of unsalted butter in a pan on very low heat, removing the ghee as soon as it has separated, and allowing little carmelization to occur. Indian cooks often encourage carmelization on the bottom of the ghee pot, because it sweetens the entire ghee batch in a lovely way.

In India, ghee making not only ends differently – it begins differently. The whole milk is typically not allowed to sit until the cream rises. Instead, the milk is boiled to eliminate bacteria, then cooled. Next the milk is cultured with yoghurt and allowed to rest, covered, for several hours or overnight, slightly souring the milk. Next morning, a thick layer of yoghurt and cream is removed from the top. The curd is then hand-beaten, and after about 30 minutes of churning, a frothy layer of butter begins to take shape in the bowl.

Gathering together the fresh made butter, it is next placed in a heavy kadai and melted over a medium-low fire. The brown, gritty stuff that layers the bottom of the pan is saved after the golden ghee is poured off, and the leavings are then mixed with sugar as a treat for children, or else it’s thrown into the dal pot, or mixed into the day’s sabji.

Ghee is best made in a stainless steel pot, and aluminum pots should always be avoided, as they leech toxins into the food. The heavier the pot, the more effectively heat will be distributed across the bottom. Whenever possible, make arrangements to cook your ghee over fire, rather than electrical heat. Again, the sattvic qualifies will be much improved this way.

Never stir the pot when you’re making ghee, at any point during the process, as it’s important to let the heat do the job of separating out all the impurities and milk solids, so you can drain off only the pure liquid oil.

Depending on the quality of the butter being used, the milk solids and impurities will rise to the top and drop to the bottom in somewhat different consistencies. If you use salted butter, most of the salt will get thrown off as impurities, in a brown crust that forms on the surface, although some of the salt will remain. Unsalted butter is far preferable to use for ghee.

On the bottom of the pan a whitish liquid forms which is technically ‘precipitated protein’, commonly referred to as whey or curd. The whey still contains 50 percent or more butterfat, which makes it a wonderful ingredient on its own. The whey can be frozen for later use, or immediately cooked into sabjis or dals. One of the best uses for whey is to add it to the water when boiling peeled potatoes. The potatoes hold a much firmer texture after cooking, which makes them perfect for stuffing. Below is our recipe for Stuffed New Potatoes in Saffron Cream, which puts to excellent use the whey leftover from ghee making.

Depending on the size of the pot and temperature, ghee will be done anywhere from a few to several hours. Undercooking it means that there will still be too much moisture in the ghee, and this causes it to splatter when frying, and lessens the shelf life. Over-cooked ghee gets a nutty taste which many find pleasant, although the purest ghee flavor is desirable for many recipes.

Making Ghee in the Oven

When cooking over open fire isn’t possible, our next preferred method of ghee-making is to cook it overnight in the oven. Placing the desired quantity of butter in an uncovered stainless steel pot or pan, leaving it in the oven overnight at about 170 degrees F. In the morning, the end product will be three distinct layers of semi-solids and liquids. The top crust will contain all the butter impurities, the whey collects at the bottom, and the golden oil is between.

In the morning, remove the pot from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes, so the crust hardens even more. This makes it easier to skim off the crust, which you can set aside for later use. These milk/salt solids are wonderful cooked into sabjis and vegetable dishes. Skim the crust off carefully with a spatula or flat utensil, gently getting up under the crust and lifting it off in chunks. Remove as much as possible, on top and around the edges.

Next, pour off or ladle off as much of the golden ghee as possible without mixing in any of the whey. This takes a little practice. The white liquid will want to bubble up into your ghee, as hey don’t naturally mix (like oil and water). When you get whey in with the ghee, then heat the ghee on a hot fire, the whey will ‘pop’ or explode, just like water hitting hot oil, so you’ll want to eliminate that messy event. And again, the whey creates a culture that attracts bacteria, and shortens storage life.

Carefully pour off, then spoon off as much of the golden ghee as you can. When you get down to the point where you just can’t keep the whey from mixing in, stop and set the pan in the refrigerator for an hour. This causes the remaining ghee to solidify into a solid yellow block. They liquid whey beneath it won’t harden.

Remove the pan from the fridge and tip it, just enough to slide the solid block of ghee aside so you can pour off the whey into a separate container. Now take the ghee ‘block’ out of pan, and any whey that remains on the bottom of the block can be easily patted off with paper towel or scraped off with a knife.

Mahamrtunjaya Mantra

According to Vedic tradition, there is a mantra one can chant when making ghee, known as the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra, or the Tryambakam Mantra. This hymn is found in the Rgveda (RV 7.59.12), and also in Yajurveda (TS 1.8.6.i; VS 3.60). The mantra addresses Lord Shiva as Tryambaka, the ‘three-eyed one’: tryambaka yajamahe sugandhi pushti-vardhanam urvarukam iva bandhanan mrityor mukshiya mamritat

Sugandhim refers to the sweet fragrance, and pushti to attaining a well-nourished condition. Vardhanam is one who causes health and strength to increase.

Source:https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/10/05/ghee-is-life/

There is so much realization in the pages of the Bhagavatam given by great saintly sages and rishis. There is deep refined wisdom in the pages of Bhagavad Gita spoken directly by the Supreme Being Sri Krishna. There is so much evidence around us in our immediate vicinity and far away to ascertain the truths as enunciated by these saintly scriptures. Yet, we are convinced we can be happy here and that Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam is for dry philosophers that which is not practical in this day and age!

So while there is ‘raja vidya’, king of knowledge accessible by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, that king of knowledge is rendered ‘raja guhyam’, king of secrets. Why - because we do not see the futility of material life. Therefore, unless we deeply realize from the core of our heart the futility of this world, we will not truly take full shelter of the ‘raja vidya’ and till we take shelter, this will remain ‘guhyam’ or secret and rendered dry philosophy from our vantage point!

Hare Krishna

Source:http://servantoftheservant-ananda.blogspot.in/2016/10/prerequisite-to-take-shelter.html

Niranjana Swami: Everybody really likes to be independent. It’s one of the characteristics of being in the material world is that we like our independence. We don’t want anybody telling us what to do. We don’t want to become completely dependent upon anybody, because to become completely dependent upon somebody in the material world is a sign of misfortune. As soon as you become completely dependent upon somebody then you are obliged, you have to do so many things - things that you don’t want to do, but you feel like you have to do because, “I am dependent on that person.”
And then we always try to make some kind of separate arrangements so that we can gradually release ourselves from the clutches of that dependence. But when we try to release ourselves from the clutches of that dependence, than we have to become dependent on somebody else. But we don’t realize it. Or we may think, “At least this is a better type of dependence. It was better than the previous one.”
And actually that is what Srila Bhaktisiddhanta talks about here in this quote. He is describing what is actual independence. The quote begins with the statement,
“To try to become God is non-devotional. The desire to become independent in this world means to become the servant of others. Material independence is simply a covered form of dependence. Complete independence is obtained by becoming dependent on the Lord, who is full of eternality, knowledge and bliss, and desiring only to serve Him. As long as the living entities hold the rope of the Lord’s mercy they are known as His servants. Those who think themselves self-dependent, or independent, should know that they are actually dependent on others. Only those who depend on the Supreme Lord are truly independent. When we attain actual independence than the conception that we are eternally dependent on Sri Hari becomes prominent. Any object that is a complete whole is transcendental.”
This is an important point to explain.
“Service to, or dependence on that transcendental, absolute truth Sri Hari is actual joyful independence. Otherwise, the show of independence, while identifying oneself as the doer or master, brings only distress. It is nothing but subordination under maya.”

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32011