“Krishna says, svakarmana: ‘Whatever talent you have got, you can serve Me and be perfect.’ That is the program.”

“Yes, it is your good fortune that you can serve Krishna in so many ways — to work, to write, to speak, to paint, to build — all of these talents must be employed in Krishna’s service. That will make you perfect. We are so fortunate to be in this human form of life, and to have the opportunity and the capacity to serve Krishna, and as there is very little time, we must do as much each day as we possibly can to serve Krishna, and to become always engaged in thoughts and activities of Krishna. Maya may try to pull us from Krishna’s service, and try to engage us in her service, but we must simply persevere, and try to do as much as possible for Krishna each day, and gradually it will be easier and easier to keep engaged in Krishna Consciousness activities. And pray to Krishna to please keep us always engaged in the service of His Lotus Feet. Krishna is very kind, and He is never ungrateful, and will give you more and more opportunity to serve Him. That is His Mercy.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 12, 1968)

“So our this movement is based on practical activity. Whatever talent you have got, whatever little strength you have got, education you have got… You haven’t got to learn anything. Whatever you have got, in whatever position you are, you can serve Krishna. Not that you have to learn something first and then you can serve. No. The service itself is learning. The more you try to render service, the more you become advanced how to become experienced servant. We don’t require any extra intelligence.” (Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Mayapur, March 1, 1977)

“Krishna says, svakarmana: ‘Whatever talent you have got, you can serve Me and be perfect.’ That is the program.” (Srila Prabhupada Conversation, January 16, 1976)

“Simply offer all your talents and energies in this service of the Lord and know that Krishna promises that for one who surrenders fully unto Him, He fully protects such devotee from all kinds of material distresses and sinful reactions.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 4, 1971)

“I wanted that you Americans use your talents in spreading this cult, and I can see that you are doing that. In all departments you can use your talents and thus do the greatest benefit for the entire world. So my mission has come out a success by the mercy of my guru maharaj who sent me on this mission. That was my only qualification in coming to your country, that I had the blessings of my guru maharaj.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 17, 1974)

“I wish that you can utilize your best talents in business organization and the result utilize for Krishna’s satisfaction is on the absolute platform. To make the idea more clear, if I am translating Srimad-Bhagavatam, and if you are contributing for its publication and helping for its distribution, this means there is no difference between your service and my service. In the absolute platform there is no such distinction. And service is always on the absolute platform. One has to make the best use of his talent for the service of Krishna. That is wanted. Best example is Arjuna, that he utilized his talents, military science, in the service of Krishna.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 7, 1968)

“I am so glad you are playing music for Krishna. It is a great service of your talent. Anyone’s special talent should be engaged in the service of the Lord, and thereby becomes successful in his life. I think that you can go on playing on your guitar and make it successful for Krishna kirtana. You do not require to learn freshly about sitar. We are not meant for learning something new for the service of the Lord; but we have to engage whatever talents we have already got. Our life is short but any type of education is great and long; so the best part of valor is to utilize properly whatever qualifications we have got for the service of the Lord. If you think still that you want a sitar, I will request you to make correspondence with Messrs Dwarkin and Sons, Esplanade Calcutta.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 3, 1967)

“Now you have got some good understanding of our Krishna consciousness so you write it for publication. I am very glad to know that you have got the experience and talent as well as the desire to write Krishna conscious children’s books.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 19, 1970)

“I think it would be very nice if you would make nice silver jewellery for the Radha-Damodara Deities and in this way your talent will be used in the most perfect way.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 16, 1974)

“I am very much pleased to see your good handwriting. I shall therefore request you to utilize your talent in the service of Krishna. I think if you write Hare Krishna Hare Krishna in the same style as you have sent me one specimen, on bigger type on canvas, say 30 inches by 20 inches in color or black and white, it would be a very good engagement for you and at the same time we can utilize those sign boards hanging in nice places. So if you have got time you can prepare immediately such signboards Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare, as you have sent me the specimen, on canvas. Make the canvas colored bluish Krishna color and write Hare Krishna in white. It will be very nice.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 5, 1967)

“You mention that you were applying your artistic abilities with the deities working with Govinda dasi in Hawaii. If there is more engagement in that way take it up, or try to paint for our books. We can use unlimited amounting paintings for the Bhagavatam, as well as for our temples.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 21, 1977)

“Krishna has given you nice talent for doing business, and I am glad to see that you are using it well.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 17, 1969)

“Now by the grace of Krsna your talents are being utilized in His service. That is what we require in Krsna Consciousness. We do not require to qualify very extraordinarily to serve Krsna. Krsna is Self-sufficient, He does not require anyone’s service, but still the more we render service unto Him the more we become happy.

The example is given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that the decoration on the face of a certain person is not seen by him, but when he sees his face on the mirror he enjoys. In other words, whatever we offer to the Lord, it is actually enjoyed by us. Just like we prepare so many delicious foodstuffs for Krsna, but we eat the Prasadam remnant of foodstuff offered to Krsna. The whole idea is that everything should be offered to Krsna, and afterward we shall enjoy the effects.

You have painted so many pictures of Krsna, and when you see to the pictures you enjoy and at the same time Krsna is pleased. Similarly the foodstuff prepared for Krsna actually we partake for it, but at the same time Krsna is pleased. Those who are cooking for themselves and eating them without offering to Krsna cannot enjoy such blissful life like the devotees.

By serving Krsna we are not the least loser, but we are simply gainer more and more transcendentally. Keep this point always in front, and work for Krsna and be happy.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 9, 1970)

“Expert means whatever he is doing, he must do it very nicely That’s all. Suppose you are sweeping this room. You can do it very nicely, to your best knowledge. That is expert. The people will say, ‘Oh, you have very nicely done.’ Any work you do, do it very nicely. That is expert. Don’t do it haphazardly. To your best talent, to your best capacity, try to finish it very nicely, whatever it may be. You are entrusted with some work. Do it nicely. That is expert. If you think that you are unable to do that work, then whatever work you can do, you take. But do it nicely. That is expert. Don’t imitate. ‘Oh, I have no capacity to work in that way, but I want to imitate. Oh, he is doing that. I shall do that.’ Don’t do that. That is not expert. You take up what you can do very nicely and do it nicely. We have so many works. Krishna is not that He is static. He is dynamic force.” (Srila Prabhupada Conversation, July 16, 1968, Montreal)

“I am in due receipt of your letter with enclosures and have seen the balance sheet. I have seen also the check account. Thank you very much. I think you are now expert account keeper may Krishna bless you for talents and sincere endeavour for service of the Lord. The more you serve the more you become expert in everything.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 3, 1967)

“So that will be the supreme perfection of our existence, to come to that point of being best friend, best devotee of Krishna. And how is that? If we become simply engaged in His preaching work, trying with whatever talent or education or experience or material advantages we have got, to spread Krishna Consciousness message all over the world. That is best friend of Krishna, that is Krishna’s pet dog.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter to George Harrison, Jan. 4, 1973)

“So I can understand that you are very talented boy from your wonderful script, so I think you should apply your talent for painting nice pictures of Krishna and the acaryas in our line, and also you may help Mohanananda in designing work for his press operation there in Sydney.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 22, 1972)

“There is no need of artificial talents. One has to serve Krishna sincerely with whatsoever talent one may have. Guidance of the Spiritual Master and sincere service to the Lord will give us all strength in the science of Krishna.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 20, 1967)

“Learning Spanish is a difficult job. How can you learn? I am very much enthusiastic about expansion of our branches, but if it is dependent upon learning of Spanish language, don’t take this adventure. We should serve Krishna in whatever talents we have already got. However if you are still very much anxious to go there, and you think that you shall be able to get along without knowing Spanish language, then you may go there immediately and push on this Movement. The idea is to recruit active speakers who also speak English to translate and be trained for administering things locally — you simply organize everything and instruct them, and gradually they will take over full management.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 15, 1971)

“Expertness is you just try to do which is easily performed by you. You don’t accept anything heavy task because Krishna does not want that you have to do this heavy task. Whatever you know, you just apply it. You dovetail it in Krishna consciousness. Krishna does not say that you have to become like this, like that, like that, then you can serve Him. Does not say. Just like this cow. Just see. What does it know? He’s an animal. You see? But the calf knows to brush his head and tongue like this, in love. It is doing and Krishna accepting, ‘Yes.’ That is expert. First of all find out what is easily done by you. Don’t take anything which is not easily done by you. You find out what is your occupation, what you can very nicely and easily perform, and do it for Krishna. That’s all. Is that clear? Expert? This is expert. Expert does not mean that I do not know how to drive motor car, and I will have to imitate somebody, ‘Oh, I shall become driver.’ Why? If you do not know driving, why should you attempt driving? Whatever you know, you just try it, that business, and try to satisfy Krishna. If you know driving, that’s all right. But don’t take… My Guru Maharaja explained that you haven’t got to learn anything extra for Krishna’s service. Whatever you know, you just apply it… Then you become successful. Because our time is very short. We do not know when I am going to die. As soon as I am out of this body, I am completely under the grip of nature, and I do not know what kind of body I am getting next. Of course, Krishna assures that His devotee will never be vanquished. He will get good body. But I do not know what kind of body I am going to… Therefore before finishing this body I will have to develop Krishna consciousness very nicely. That is my success.” (Srila Prabhupada Conversation, July 16, 1968, Montreal)

“The two essays which you have sent are very nicely written. It appears that you have good talent for writing, so kindly continue to develop in this way and write more and more of your realizations based upon our books. There is no need to concoct anything new. You simply have to study carefully our books and then in your own words try to express what you have read. This will automatically make you a very successful preacher.

There is no need to learn Bengali. I do not encourage learning any new skills. Whatever material abilities one has when he comes to Krsna consciousness, let him learn to engage these in Krsna’s service: that is sufficient. There is no need of learning new skills now. That will simply be a waste of time.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 13, 1977)

“I am very glad to hear that you are continuing your drawing work nicely. This is your business. Krishna has given you some special talent and you are using it for spreading His glories. This is wanted.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 19, 1975)

“You have a nice talent for writing, practice makes perfect, so continue, it will be appreciated.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 23, 1973)

“Everyone has got some special talent given by God. We should cooperate. That’s it. The hand can work in this way. We cannot walk with hands. That is the business of the hand. Similarly, I cannot cut the papers with leg. So all living entities are endowed with special… We should cooperate. The hand and leg should cooperate for maintaining the whole body. Similarly, everyone should use his talent for satisfaction of Krishna. That is perfection. Not compete with one another. That is mistake.” (Srila Prabhupada Conversation, November 10, 1971, Delhi)

“We should utilize our talents without being envious of others. You should do your best, but you should not be envious of others. In material life there is simply envy of others progress, but in spiritual life one encourages another, Oh you are doing very nice. That is Radharani. She says oh here is a very nice devotee. Please Krishna, you accept him.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 6, 1974)

“You have expressed a fear of becoming attached to your musical activities, but attachment for Krishna’s service is not bad. If you can engage your talent for Krishna’s service, then this attachment will increase your Krishna Consciousness status.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 13, 1969)

“You have tried to explain the reasons for your recent traveling excursions, but there is no need to explain; the reason is that you are restless. I wanted you to concentrate your mind on painting and utilizing your talents for Krishna’s service, but you do not hear me. Any place that you want to live, that is all right, but why don’t you use your talents? That you cannot do, and it is your misfortune.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 13, 1969)

“Your specific talents are to be engaged under direction of the Spiritual Master. Everything, every talent can be employed in Krishna’s service, and how to do it is known to the Spiritual Master. You have the tendency for botany, you can grow nice flowers and fruits for Krishna, that is the utilization of your natural tendency.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 11, 1968)

“When you are typing, you should know that it is as good as chanting, because the work is also on the matter of Krishna. Chanting on the beads and chanting on the typewriter Composer machine are both transcendental sounds of Krishna. Krishna’s Name, His Fame, His Qualities — all of them are on the absolute platform, and therefore there is no difference between one and another. So do not be misled that you are typing and not chanting.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 16, 1969)

“I beg to thank you very much for your letter and I have received your presentation and the prasadam I have distributed to all the devotees. I have read the headline prayer. It is nicely written, correctly spelled, which shows that you are a very intelligent girl and you can use your talent and intelligence for serving the Lord. Young boys and girls are sometimes agitated in mind but if we follow the regulative principles and chant Hare Krishna mantra regularly the onslaught of material nature can be checked. The whole process is, of this Krishna Consciousness movement, to meet the waves of material nature. The waves are called agitation by hunger and thirst, lamentation, confusion, illusion in so called love and affection, pangs of old age and disease and at last meeting with death. All these things can be changed simply by engaging ourselves in the service of the Lord which keeps us always in the transcendental position. Some way or other if we are able to keep in the transcendental position by devotional service we remain completely untouched by the contamination of matter. By the grace of Lord Caitanya things have been reduced to a very easy operation: by chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 7, 1971)

Source: https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/10/03/engage-your-talent-in-krishnas-service/

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31912

“No man is an island,” the great poet once wrote.

We are not alone in our suffering, in our diseases. We are not alone on the highway on the way to work, in the football stadium, watching the tv. We are not alone in our grief, in our outrage, in our happiness. Yet at times we feel so alone, so estranged, so disconnected, even in a crowd.

And so lonely.

Who has not known it, or felt it, or seen it?

We are lonely because we have forgotten Krishna, and forgotten who we are. We have forgotten that Krishna is with us in the heart. The Upanishads describe it’s like two birds in a tree, one is busy eating the fruit, and the other watching. the supersoul, the watching bird, is always with us. Always. But he waits for us to make the first move, to turn to him and say something. Truly we are never alone. Ever.

Try this when you are swept with a sense of loneliness, and the fear and sadness with it. This often happens at night as we lay down to sleep, or if we are ill. “I am situated in everyone’s heart’, Krishna says in the Gita, ‘ and from me comes knowledge, remembrance, and forgetfulness.’ Just think of Krishna, the original personal source of divine love, power, beauty, and energy. Feel loved and supported. Talk to Him. Or just be still in the connection.

The absolute truth is not an idea, it’s a relationship. It’s not about being correct, but of being connected. Krishna, the supersoul ‘bird’ in the heart is not leaving us, no matter who we are or what we have done. We need to turn and exchange with Him. When we face the sun our shadow falls behind us. So too when we connect with Krishna – the shadow of loneliness will be behind us. Forever.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/we-are-not-alone/

In 2010, I visited Athens and the historically interesting Pnyx Hill, with its special atmosphere and amazing views of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the temple that reminds everyone of the glory and the decline of the ancient Greek world. Between visiting members of the Hare Krishna movement and speaking with contemporary Greeks about Sri Krishna, the Supreme Being, I learned of a remarkable resemblance between Classical Greece and the Vedic culture of India. Classical Vedic literature makes a couple of references to very old relations between India and Greece. So it happens that Krishna’s teachings about the transmigration of souls, the creation, and the importance of understanding ultimate causes are all plainly reflected in Plato’s philosophy and cosmology. 

Tad Brennan writes in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

“The idea that the soul is the true locus of personhood, that its welfare is vastly more important than the body’s welfare, that … it survives death, is judged for its actions and may be reincarnated, that the post-mortem fate of the soul provides reasons to embrace a life of earthly virtue—for all of these Socratic commitments there is Presocratic precedent.”

There is a precedent for these Socratic commitments in the Bhagavad-gita, too. There Krishna explains that we are part of Him and will end our transmigration through various bodies when we function naturally in immediate service to Him. We each have a unique relationship with God, and when we properly follow Him, we develop love for Him. The ancient Greeks did not have the refined theology of the Vedic literature, but the citizens of Athens abided by its laws out of love for their city and its patroness, Athena, the virgin-warrior goddess of art, wisdom, and invention (the Greek word parthenos means “virgin”). 

Consider the fascinating parallels between the Vedic account of creation and Plato’s cosmology. The Vedic tradition describes the Vedas as blueprints supplied by Krishna to Brahma, the secondary creator of the universe. The Srimad-Bhagavatam teaches that the shining impersonal spiritual sky, the brahmajyoti, contains the seeds for all species. The seeds come from Krishna. He says, “I am the seed of all beings… . the generating seed of all existences" (Bg.7.10, 10.39). The brahmajyoti, the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth, rests on Krishna, the personal and most complete aspect of the Absolute Truth, or source of everything (Bg. 14.27). Brahma brings forth the universe from seeds in the brahmajyoti, as Srila Prabhupada describes in a purport toSrimad-Bhagavatam (2.5.11):

"Just as the small seed of a banyan fruit has the potency to create a big banyan tree, the Lord disseminates all varieties of seeds by His potential brahmajyoti (sva-rocisa), and the seeds are made to develop by the watering process of persons like Brahma. Brahma cannot create the seeds, but he can manifest the seed into a tree, just as a gardener helps plants and orchards to grow by the watering process." 

Similarly, Plato describes a creator god who envisions an impersonal, self-existent ultimate source and a realm of unchanging ideal Forms and then is able to manifest those Forms in pre-existing matter. Plato concludes that all Forms must have a single, ultimate source, the Form of all Forms, the essence of all essences. Calling this the Form of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, Plato examines those absolute values.

Frederick Copelston, a Jesuit priest who wrote a nine-volume history of philosophy during the mid-1900s, thought that Plato’s main point about the Forms is this: "By rational reflection, we can certainly come to the knowledge of objective and indeed transcendentally-grounded values, ideals, and ends." 

Transcendent goals and values are a dimension of the Absolute Truth, and seeking them is the essential human experience, whether we do so by reflection or by learning a sacred history from gurus or virtuous philosophers. The Vedanta-sutra (written by Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of Krishna) says athato brahma jijnasa: ”Human life is meant for inquiring about the nature of the Absolute Truth.“ 

"We cannot afford to dismiss a priori,” writes Copelston, “the notion that what there is of order and intelligibility in this world has an objective foundation in an invisible and transcendent Reality.”

Whenever people dismiss transcendence, their intelligence does not extend beyond the need to eat, sleep, mate, and defend. Thus the eternal self remains bound to repeated lives of sense enjoyment. 

Plato mentions that the creator god made the stars, planets, and celestial gods and assigned to the gods the task of fashioning the mortal parts of the various souls. Similarly, the Bhagavatam says that Brahma assigned to certain higher beings the generation of the material bodies for the species of life. 

Evidently, people in ancient times had a much different view of the creation than the dominant view today, and the Greek view was broadly consistent with the Vedic tradition. My friend Sadaputa Dasa (the late mathematician Richard L. Thompson) wrote about antiquity, and this is a paragraph of his:

“The ancient Greek writer Aratos tells a story about the constellation Virgo, or the virgin. Virgo, he says, may have belonged to the star race, the forefathers of the ancient stars. In primeval times, in the Golden Age, she lived among mankind as Justice personified and would exhort people to adhere to the truth. At this time people lived peacefully, without hypocrisy or quarrel. Later, in the Age of Silver, she hid herself in the mountains, but occasionally she came down to berate people for their evil ways. Finally the Age of Bronze came. People invented the sword, and ‘they tasted the meat of cows, the first who did it.’ At this point Virgo 'flew away to the sphere’; that is, she departed for the celestial realm. The Age of Iron followed. It is noteworthy that Aratos’s story specifies the eating of cows as a sinful act that cut mankind off from direct contact with celestial beings. This detail fits in nicely with the ancient Indian traditions of cow protection, but it is unexpected in the context of Greek or European culture.”

The description of Virgo illustrates that the Greeks held a widespread belief in a succession of four ages, just as the Indians did. Krishna says that a thousand cycles of four ages constitute a day of Brahma (Bg.8.17), andSurya-siddhanta, the Vedic astronomy text, calculates the length of his day as 8.6 billion years. 

Srilla Prabhupada cites references in Vedic texts to relations between Greece and India. He says that for many reasons culturally advanced ancient people migrated to Europe from “greater India” (which included the Caucasus). For example, when the avatar Parasurama started killing all the degraded ksatriyas (rulers) on the subcontinent, most of the ksatriyas who fled went to Europe, and some settled between Europe and Asia, in Turkey and Greece.

Perhaps Greece and India once shared a common culture that included knowledge of philosophy and astronomy (two of Sadaputa’s books explore the geocentric universe they both envisioned). Over time, great cultural divergences would have developed, but many common cultural features may have remained as a result of shared ancestry and later communication. Srila Prabhupada said that the Greeks kept a connection with India’s culture through their worship of gods, many of whom clearly resemble the demigods mentioned in the Vedas. 

Edwin Bryant, an associate professor of religion at Rutgers University, writes, “The earliest archaeological evidence of Krishna as a divine being (under the name of Vasudeva) is the Heliodorus column in Besnagar, north-central India, dated to c. 100 BCE. The inscription on the column is startling because it reveals that foreigners had been converted to the Bhagavata [Krishna] religion by this period—Heliodorus was a Greek. This would seem to suggest that the Krishna tradition was prominent and prestigious enough to attract a powerful foreign envoy as a convert at the end of the second century BCE.”

After the fall of Rome, the burning of the famous library at Alexandria, and the general destruction of records of the ancient past, the relations between Greeks and Indians diminished and became obscured. Recent studies of the relationship are Thomas McEvilley’s The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies and Edwin Bryant’s The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate.

For various reasons, the West, in the course of two millennia, differentiated itself from certain early Greek understandings and ultimately overturned the order rooted in Plato. But Westerners who study Plato today can acquire some historical self-knowledge and new insights into how ancient thought has shaped their thinking.

In India, the history of ideas has changed less. So, now, as Krishna’s teachings spread worldwide, Westerners encounter a venerable worldview much different from their own—a worldview that inspires spiritual progress, the highest goal of true culture.

Source:http://tvdas.tumblr.com/post/52766365741

Dear Maharaja and Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Greetings from Sridhama Mayapur and blessings from Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimhadeva.

The TOVP Team, consisting of Their Graces Jananivas, Ambarisa and Svaha prabhus along with myself, and led by Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Satari, recently concluded its ten day tour of South Africa on a highly successful note.

This is our second visit to South Africa and the tour took us to Durban, Capetown, Johannesburg and Botswana, as well as some smaller cities. We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, support, cooperation, attentiveness and generosity of the South African Yatra leaders and general devotees, especially considering this was our second visit. We received pledges well over $2 million, matching the amount pledged on our first tour two years ago. The overall feeling was one of deep commitment to the project and unity of purpose. As reported by Swarupa Damodar prabhu, the Regional Secretary of Durban: *“The TOVP team made such exciting and inspiring presentations and although about $1m was ‘liberated’ from the Durban yatra, everyone, including the managers and devotees were so blissful.

This is clearly a project that can unite us all on a macro level, and if we can all band together behind it, we can learn from those unifying elements to work together here in South Africa.”* In addition to the unification that this single-mindedness to the order of Srila Prabhupada can bring about, the tour clearly revealed to us several other important facts. First of all, despite some serious set-backs this year, we see that the Lord’s mercy and blessings transcend any material impediments. With the desire of Srila Prabhupada in the forefront we can accomplish anything. Secondly, we also found that many people outside of ISKCON were ready to support us thus expanding the scope of our donor base. Thirdly, and perhaps most important, we realized even more deeply a concept presented by His Grace Ravindra Svarupa prabhu in his treatise on the TOVP, *Revealing the Heart of ISKCON,*based on an article by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur: “When this central temple (the TOVP, ‘Parent Temple’), by the mercy of devotees, extends outward from its inherently sacred environment into profane regions, these expansions or branches, even though distant from their source, are essentially identical with it.

The analogy of “one lamp lighted by another,” employed by *The Harmonist*, is taken from *Brahma samhita* (5.46), where it is used to elucidate the relationship between Lord Krsna and His expansions, like Balarama, Maha-Visnu, and so on. The use of the metaphor here implies that all the institution’s temples, as integral components of a spiritual organization, will be equally potent, even though one is the original, and the others, its branches or branches of branches.” This concept from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta further solidifies a statement by Srila Prabhupada regarding all ISKCON temples benefiting by serving the ‘Parent Temple’: *“The more you help develop Mayapur, the more Lord Chaitanya will bless your area of the world and it will flourish”* This was also the practical experience of Swarupa Damodar from Durban: “I am also convinced that if the South Africa yatra puts its full weight behind building the TOVP, our own yatras will flourish since the flood of love of Godhead will flow with tremendous current here..

So, I encourage our yatra leaders here to take a leap of faith and support this project whole heartedly and as Jananivasa prabhu comments, “It will be good for the world and it will be good for you.” It is our conviction that not only can all of ISKCON be unified on a grand scale by this purpose of constructing the TOVP, but that each temple will be spiritually nourished and surcharged by such focus of service. In our attempts to fundraise throughout the world this is always our message. Thank you for your time and attention to this brief report of our activities in South Africa. We hope to provide more ecstatic news from our upcoming tours throughout India.

Your servant, Braja Vilas das
Global Fundraising Director

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31923

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
But what Is Krishna Consciousness?
These are notes found in a handwritten diary kept by Srila Prabhupada, outlining how he intended to present the teachings of Krishna consciousness to the Western world.
1. Krishna consciousness means clear consciousness.
2. Material existence means hazy consciousness.
3. Identifying the body as self is hazy consciousness.
4. One has to understand himself first before making progress in Krishna consciousness.
5. Constitutional position of a living entity is being eternal servant of Krishna, or God.
6. God or Krishna means the Supreme Person and the supreme cause of all causes.
7. Forgetfulness of the eternal relationship to God, or Krishna, is the beginning of hazy consciousness.
8. To revive the original clear consciousness of the living entities, the Vedic literatures are there.
9. The Vedic literatures are as follows:
a. The four Vedas.
b. The Upanishads - numbering at least 108.
c. The Vedanta philosophy.
d. The 18 Puranas.
e. The Ramayana (original Valmiki).
f. The Mahabharata.
g. And any book following the tenets.
10. The Bhagavad-gita is part of the Mahabharata.
11. The original Veda is Atharva-veda, later on divided into four for divisional understanding.
12. Mahabharata is called the fifth Veda and is meant for less intelligent class of men who love history more than philosophy.
13. Bhagavad-gita, being part of Mahabharata is the essence of all Vedic knowledge for less intelligent class of men in this Age.
14. B.G. is called the “Bible of the Hindus,” but actually it is the Bible for the human race.
15. In the B.G. the following subject matter has been discussed:
a. What is a living being.
b. He is not the body but spirit soul.
c. The spirit soul is encaged in material body.
d. The body is subjected to birth, death, old age, and diseases.
e. The spirit soul is eternal, never takes birth or dies but he exists even after the annihilation of the material body.
f. The living entity is transmigrating from one body to another.
g. He can however stop this transmigration process and attain eternal, blissful life of knowledge by Krishna consciousness.
16. What is God.
a. God is individual person. He is chief of all other persons of different parts — namely the demigods, the human beings, animals and the birds, insects, trees, and aquatics.
b. All these living entities are sons of God, and therefore they are all servants of God.
(Reprinted from Back to Godhead Magazine)

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31926

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 17

By Krishna-kripa das
(September 2016, part one)

Hull, Sheffield, York, Scarborough, Newcastle

Belfast, Dublin, Kilkenny, New York City Harinam  

(Sent from Manhattan, New York, on October 1, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

Govardhan Dasi, a Prabhupada disciple who loves harinama, and her husband John joined me forharinama in Hull, a city none of us had chanted in before. Then I went to Sheffield for the last time this year, and did two evening programs with a harinama in between, which was attended by three other devotees, more than usual in Sheffield. Then I chanted with Govardhan and John in York and Govardhan’s place of residence, Scarborough. In York, we were joined by three devotees from the Preston area, a pleasant surprise. After the Scarborough harinama I returned to Newcastle to give the Sunday feast lecture, I went to Ireland the next day, and did harinama with Bhagavati Dasi and Ananta Nitai Prabhu in Belfast for five days and gave the evening Radhastami lecture. The next day we had six devotees on a six-hour harinama in Dublin. Instead of going to Govindadvipa for Radhastami, Ananta Nitai Prabhu stayed in Dublin and did three hours of harinama and made sure we had a Sunday feast program as usual. The next day, invited by Eleanora, Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I chanted in Kilkenny. The day after that, I flew to New York City, my base for the autumn season, where I joined the New York City Harinama party, doingharinama for the last three days of the first half of September.

I share a great quote from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I include lots of nice realizations from Janananda Goswami. I have notes on a Radhastami lecture by Bhagavati Dasi, with some descriptions from Ananda Vrindavan Campu in it. I have notes from an amazing lecture on cooperation by Adi Purusha Prabhu, who does Food for Life in Manhattan.

Thanks to Angela for her kind donation to top up my British SIM card and other expenses. Thanks to the Newcastle and Dublin temples for supporting my harinama program. Thanks to Eleanora of Kilkenny for paying our bus fare to chant in her city and for giving us an additional donation. Thanks to Govardhan Dasi for paying for my unexpected harinama in Malton and allowing me to keep our harinama collections in Hull and Scarborough. Thanks to Krishna Katha Prabhu of Belfast for his kind donation. Thanks to Valeri of Latvia for his kind donation. Thanks to Ananta Nitai Prabhu for giving me half of our netharinama collection in Kilkenny and the U.S. currency he collected previously. Thanks to Dennis and the York nama-hatta for their donation toward the cost of my travel to York. Thanks to tall John of Leeds for his donation. Thanks to Madhavi Rani Dasi of Ukraine for her donation. Thanks to Anya, the daughter of two Polish Indradyumna Swami disciples in York, for her kind donation. Thanks also to the old lady who gave me a donation in Malton.

Thanks to Govardhan Dasi for her photos of our harinamas in Hull and Scarborough. Thanks to Joe Kenny for his photos of our Sheffield harinama. Thanks to Narinder Singh for his photo of us chanting in Belfast. Thanks to Stella Montoya for her photos of New York City Harinam in Grand Central Station. 

Itinerary

October 1–November 7: New York City Harinam

November 8: Philadelphia Harinama and Bhakti Garden Tuesday Program

November 9–11: Washington, D.C., Harinama

November 12–27: North Florida

November 28–January 2, 2017: New York City Harinam

January 3, 2017: Atlanta Harinama

January 4, 2017–April 2017: Krishna House (Gainesville) and Florida colleges

Unexpected Harinama in Malton

I took a train from Newcastle to York, which arrived at 8:40 a.m. The train to Scarborough left at 8:40 a.m., so I did not book a ticket for it, but for the 9:40 a.m. train instead. Turns out the 8:40 left at 8:45, so I was able to catch it. I thought if they did not want to honor my ticket, I would just get off at the next stop and wait for the next train, and thus I had nothing to lose. It turned out that they did not honor my ticket because the time was wrong, and they forced me to buy a ticket to Malton, the next stop, which cost £10 (about $13), which is something I never expected and made me really angry. I decided as long as I wasted £10 going to Malton, I might as well chant there, and then I could consider the £10 a preaching expense and feel better about it, and so I chanted for about an hour in Malton.

I walked to the main street, and I set up outside a vacant shop and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra with my harmonium and an amplifier. After perhaps 20 minutes, an older lady threw 47 pence in my basket, saying that would start me off. Then a older man came out of an adjacent eating establishment and complained about my chanting, saying I was following a false religion, and it was cruel to amplify the chanting and force people to listen to it. I said I was just there for 10 more minutes, between trains, and went back to my chanting. Then a lady from the same place complained to me on her way out, and said that no one liked my singing. I pointed to my donation box, and said some people must have liked it, or they would not have given me any money. She said that they probably just felt sorry for me. I continued chanting until it was time to go back to the train station, chanting through the streets of the town, and I continued chanting softly at the train station platform without amplification, waiting for the delayed train to Scarborough. When I told Govardhan Dasi my story, she was happy that I tried to share the holy name in Malton, she told me the poor response simply meant we had not chanted there enough and that we should go back in the future, and she gave me £10 to cover the cost of the train, all of which made me feel a lot better about the whole thing.    

Harinama in Hull

Janananda Goswami once remarked that there are many cities in the UK that have a significant population, but which we never go to for harinama, like Hull, for instance. Thus I suggested to Govardhan Dasi that we might do harinama in Hull sometime. She liked the idea, and she, John, and I drove to Hull on September 1, and chanted for three hours. The whole downtown was under construction for a celebration of Hull as a city of culture the following year, and it was hard to find a quiet place. We encountered people who were curious, people who danced to our music, and people who gave donations. There really was no negativity at all. We decided to return again next year.

As we got back to the car, a young man from a tattoo shop said “Hare Krishna” to us. As we do no regular programs in Hull, I asked him how he knew about Hare Krishna. He said they had one employee who was into Krishna consciousness, and so they were aware of it. They invited us into their shop, and happily participated in our harinama, chanting and dancing in the shop along with us. That was one of the high points of our visit to Hull.

Last Visit to Sheffield for 2016

I took an evening train from Hull to Sheffield, and then traveled to Barnsley, by car with three devotees who had been distributing books in Sheffield. Those devotees try one day each week to distribute books in Sheffield, an increase over past years. At the home of a Latvian couple, Valeri and Alexandria, who are enthusiastic about Krishna consciousness, we had kirtana and wonderful prasadam. I was grateful to Joe for arranging the program and the couple for providing the place and the prasadam. 

That evening we had a program. Some devotees were at a seminar with Bhakti Vikasa Swami in Manchester and one was sick, so it was just Joe, Alex, and Geoffrey, who came after work, just in time forprasadam as usual. 

York Harinama and Program

The most striking thing for me was that Rasesvari Dasi, a Prabhupada disciple from Accrington in Lancashire, on the other side of England, came with two others, an older lady, who is a close friend of hers, and Doug, who has been involved in the Preston nama-hatta for years. Even more amazing than their coming so far to do harinama on a rainy day, was that Rasesvari was very happy she had come and found the harinama to be very ecstatic. She must be a very elevated soul!

A nice feature of the evening program was that several devotees came up from Leeds. The monthly Leeds program the previous week was canceled, and I was thinking I would not see my Leeds friends till next year, but Krishna kindly arranged to bring a bunch of them to York.

Also one devotee was visiting from Glasgow. Thus we had a wonderful program attended by devotees from all over the North UK, my base in the summer.

Somehow during the last ten days I was in the UK I saw friends from Chester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Preston, Leeds, and York, and it was all Krishna’s mercy I was able see them again before returning to America for the winter.

One young lady who called herself Anya, was fascinated by the harinama. Her parents were both disciples of Indradyumna Swami, and she was born in Kolobrzeg, the city nearest our base of the Festival of India in Poland tour. It was coincidental that both Rasesvari Dasi and I had just been in Kolobrzeg a month ago. Anya’s mom makes prasadam to sell in York on the weekends, and she is one of the salespersons. She had a friend, also a daughter of a devotee parent, and both the young ladies came to the program, along with one mom and one dog, and they had a good time, especially participating in thekirtana and relishing the prasadam. Anya even gave me a donation, which is rare for devotee kids and rare in general. I told her about our Newcastle eight-hour kirtanas, which are organized by some young and enthusiastic devotees and which she and her friend would definitely like.

Harinama in Scarborough

I had hoped to chant in Scarborough for a full three hours, but it took us longer to recover from the trip to York than planned. Still we chanted over an hour before I had to leave to Newcastle for the Sunday feast. The sky was threatening to rain, and there were a few sprinkles from time to time. One lady felt happier about life from hearing us and expressed her gratitude, and that alone made the harinama feel worth it. In reality, just our going out on harinama gives great pleasure to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and thus harinama is always a success, whether we perceive it or not.

Harinamas in Belfast

One little girl danced to our music.

We chanted in Belfast on a rainy Radhastami. Four devotees chanted three hours in a sheltered place, distributing eight books to those who helped donate a total of £9.20 and €2.00.

Harinamas in Dublin

We planned a six-hour harinama in Dublin on Saturday. Bhagavati Dasi, Ananta Nitai Prabhu, Bhakta Alec, and I, who had been doing harinama in Belfast during the week, all took the coach to Dublin, where we were joined by Pat of Wexford, for the entire time, and Dina Dayal Prabhu, who came for the end, after his day of book distribution. Dina Dayal Prabhu greatly pleased me by fixing the straps on my harmonium, increasing its utility.

Dublin is my favorite place to do harinama. I always have one or two core people I can count on to chant with me the whole time, and our venue is on one of the busiest streets, just a block from our temple and restaurant. There are people from all over the world, but they are less rushed than in London or New York. They take pictures, chant, dance, buy books, and give donations.

You can see some of these nice features in these video clips (https://youtu.be/jlpJDBLZRmk):

People were so generous we covered the cost of our coach to Dublin, paid for the books we distributed, and gave a donation to the temple as well.

Harinama in Kilkenny

Eleanora externally appears to be a retired lady with a heart condition, but she is incredibly enthusiastic to share the Hare Krishna mantra with the residents of the nearest city to her, Kilkenny. She paid the coach tickets for Ananta Nitai Prabhu and I to come down from Dublin and chant for three hours in Kilkenny, and then she cooked a wonderful Ekadasi meal for us to have afterward. Her health permitted her to join us for just an hour, but she was very happy to participate. It was a little awkward to do a day trip from Dublin the day before my transatlantic flight to New York, and Kilkenny pales when compared to Dublin as a harinama spot, but it was worth it to please a devotee and to do outreach in a neglected area. We were happy to see that we were more favorably received than during our first visit to Kilkenny last year, and we distributed more books and collected more donations as well.

New York City Harinam

I was very happy to rejoin Rama Raya Prabhu’s amazing six-hour a day harinama program in New York City.

The very day I arrived from Dublin, I was able to participate for the last three hours of the harinama, and it was wonderful to see Rama Raya Prabhu’s wonderful enthusiasm for chanting Hare Krishna, and the inspirational effect it had the devotees, and on the onlookers. You can get a glimpse of it from this video (https://youtu.be/BQU7gk8typ8):

The next day the weather was not so nice, so we had to chant in Grand Central station.

The intelligence, technology and human expertise you need to find trusted answers all comes from chanting Hare Krishna. When the heart is purified by chanting, you can hear the Lord speak from within:

One day Binky, who originally became seriously interested in Hare Krishna from encountering the New York City Harinam party, sang my favorite tune, while Yasoda Dulal Prabhu, accompanied her on the harmonium (https://youtu.be/zq88lhAQ3To):

While Kaliya Krishna Prabhu was singing and I was dancing off to the side, I saw one blond lady who seemed ever so happy to see the chanting and dancing, so I approached her and gave her a pamphlet. Because of her joyful demeanor, I told her that she should not be shy but should also dance if she felt like it. She did not immediately take me up on that proposal, but that did not surprise me, and I just went back to dancing to the side. Later, however, I noticed she and one guy had begun to dance. I assumed it was the person she was planning to meet at Union Square, but I later learned it was just another guy who had come by, and who wanted to dance. You can see their enthusiasm for dancing to the Hare Krishna chant in this video (https://youtu.be/HEae1bbVOoM): 

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 20.14:

“The result of chanting is that one awakens his love for Krishna and tastes transcendental bliss. Ultimately, one attains the association of Krishna and engages in His devotional service, as if immersing himself in a great ocean of love.”

Janananda Goswami:

The wreath that garlands the world has flowers of Krishna prema intertwined with the holy name.

Lord Caitanya appeared to Narada and declared, “With the chopper of nama-sankirtana I will deliver people from the sinful activities of this age, and for those who flee to distant corners of the world I will send my senapati bhakta [commander-in-chief devotee] to deliver them.” This refers to our Srila Prabhupada.

In 1886, Bhaktivinoda Thakura made this prediction: "Oh for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtanathrough their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh for the day when the fair skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, ki jaya’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be? On such a day they will say, “Our dear Brothers, we have taken shelter of the ocean of Lord Caitanya’s Love; kindly embrace us" that day will witness the holy transcendental ecstasy of the Vaishnava dharma to be the only dharma, and all sects and religions will flow like rivers into the ocean of Vaishnava dharma. Oh when will that day come?”

Between 1886 and 1896 Bhaktivinoda Thakura predicted very soon someone will appear who will move unrestrictedly throughout the world with Lord Caitanya’s message.

In the history of the Irish yatra about 10% of the people driving the vehicles had licenses. Whenever they got into accident, they would just say that the driver was the one devotee who had a license.

Srila Prabhupada’s song “Krishna Taba Punya Habe Bhai” reveals his mood.

I am sure there is a Jaladuta in the spiritual world going down the river Yamuna.

The mission of Srila Prabhupada was not to tear down physically the Western civilization but to destroy the consciousness that produced it.

Most of the acaryas in our line are followers of Radharani and followers of Lalita Devi because Rupa Goswami is a follower of Lalita Devi.

“Markine Bhagavata-dharma” is very much a mission statement for Srila Prabhupada and us, his followers.

Srila Prabhupada was not a philosophical machine, but rather he had great affection for people.

Srila Prabhupada, when he was in India before coming to America, had plans to send thousands of Back to Godheads to different countries in different continents.

When he was developing the League of Devotees in India, he was planning to have a Sanskrit college as an important part of it.

Old people, who have not lost their youthful desires, suffer greatly.

Old age is created as a warning to all human beings that death is near and to prepare ourselves for it.

When people become old they tend to become fearful and less happy, but Srila Prabhupada said a devotee becomes fearless and happier with age.

Our arguments, our attachments, and our quarrels seem insignificant at the time of death. 

Sincerity of purpose is a key factor in our going back to Godhead. Srila Prabhupada would stress that sincerity is all that is necessary. Sincere means without material motives.

Surrendering to the lotus feet of the Lord means surrendering to His instructions.

Srila Prabhupada that his success was due to his faithful following of his guru’s instructions.

Srila Prabhupada said that no one can follow properly, neither the brahmacaris, nor the grhasthas,the vanaprasthas, or the sannyasis. If I criticize you and you criticize me, we will all go away and no one will go back to Godhead.

Surrender to Krishna is the only way of escaping bondage to sex life and the conception of ourselves as the enjoyer.

By engaging in the service of the Lord one’s consciousness is purified.

St. Francis was traveling with another brother, and they arrived at a monastery too late. The abbot spoke sharply, accused him of being an imposter, hit him with a stick, and knocked him into a ditch. St. Francis took it happily with a smile, seeing it as destroying his material illusions and leaving him to depend on God alone. This was amazing to the brother traveling with him.

People are trying to use Krishna’s property for their own enjoyment, and thus they are subject to punishment, which is meant to rectify their consciousness.

Q (Bhagavati dd) The Bhagavatam speaks even of respectable family life as being a dark well, but in this age people cannot even act properly in their family relationships so I am doubtful about the relevance of those instructions to renounce family life.

A: This age is an ocean of faults. We should give instructions according to peoples’ ability to benefit by them. In the age of Kali, people as described as sudras, and sudras are not allowed to take sannyasa.Those instructions to renounce family life were given to mature people who could understand their purpose. We just encourage people to chant Hare Krishna, which is recommended in this age, to takeprasadam, and to do some service and gradually they can understand other things. The program for sudrasis to get married and stick with one person. If people can do that in this age, they are doing well.

Bhagavati Dasi:

Srila Prabhupada said that Radharani is the best servant of Krishna.

When you cook in the Deity kitchen, you are acting as the servant of Radharani.

When you become conditioned by the material energy, you forget there is a spiritual energy, and you imagine that you are nicely situated in the material energy.

You can have some realization there is a spiritual energy that is superior to the material energy, but to actual realize Srimati Radharani is more difficult.

To have any potency in convince people to get out of the material energy we must be enthusiastic to do so ourselves.

From Ananta Vrindavana Campu:

The night of the rasa dance surpassed the best of the nights of the spring, summer, and autumn seasons combined, having flowers of all the seasons.

If you chant the gayatri mantra perfectly it is said you can hear Krishna’s flute.

The flute of Krishna had an intoxicating effect on Sri Radha.

Krishna’s flute’s sound is the joy of all joys, the sweetest of all sweet things.

The instrumentalists played according to the rhythm of the dancing of the gopis.

The other gopis could not keep up with Radha’s singing and dancing. And other beings, like the Gandharvas and Apsaras, of course, could not compare in the least.

Adi Purusa Prabhu [who does Food For Life in NYC]:

Before class, let us all pray that we will only speak what we have heard from guru, sadhu, and sastra [the revealed scriptures].

The pastimes of the Lord are decorated with the sweet dealings between the Lord and His devotees.

Our own pride and ambition, our desires for profit, love, and distinction, all distort our ability to have loving dealings with others.

There is a story in the Hassidic tradition about a great doubter named Simon. He attended a festival at which they reserve a seat for Elijah, a great prophet of the past. Simon wondered if Elijah actually could come there. Then he saw a hand reach down from the ceiling. He had doubts about grabbing it, but he decided to. Elijah brought him up to the kingdom of God. He saw how everyone was living in harmony. Then Elijah brought him back. He saw the trivial quarrels and bickering between nations and families due to selfishness.

Srila Prabhupada said to the GBC at their first meeting, “When you all agree, I will be there in the decision.”

The Native Americans have games in which everyone wins or no one wins. Such games teach that you have to work together.

The Quakers make decisions by consensus. If 299 agree, but one doesn’t, the 299 think, “What does he see that we do not see?”

We think democracy is really great, but in reality, with it there is the potential for power politics where people form alliances to exclude others.

Krishna expertly and mercifully gives us situations where we cannot proceed until we consider everyone in our decision.

If the brahmacaris form their own clique and are unconcerned with everyone else that is not good.

The brahmanas must go out and encourage others to take part Lord Caitanya’s mission.

When met with a challenge, some people leave the movement, some people go to another temple, etc., but the actual solution is to turn to Krishna. Until we learn to turn to Krishna, we will meet with the same challenges wherever we go.

If we have attachment and aversion, even if Krishna speaks to us, we cannot hear Him.

-----

This verse is another reminder about the amazing potency of chanting the holy name of Krishna. How auspicious is this chanting!

apannah samsritim ghoram

yan-nama vivaso grinan

tatah sadyo vimucyeta

yad bibheti svayam

“Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.14)

Source:http://krishnamonk.blogspot.in/2016/10/travel-journal1217-north-uk-ireland-and.html

When we read about Krsna’s neutrality, we need to understand it in proper perspective. Krsna is looking at all the living beings and thinks, “Please, do not get so entangled in the material energy. Just somehow or other, avoid all this. Use what you need to live but never for a moment think that this is the place to be! The spiritual world is the place where we should be.”

Do not love the place of your birth because birth is not loveable, birth is painful. If you love the place of your birth, you will take birth again and again, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.84.13). The type of intelligence where we love the place of our birth, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.19), is like hogs, dogs, camels and asses as Bhagavatam is stating. This is not intelligent. Our real love should be reserved for the spiritual world, for Krsna and everything there and the devotees in the spiritual world.

We know what this material world is like by now. When you are a child, you think, “Maybe this is a wonderful world.” But by now, I mean… it is not at all. We are meant to have nothing to do with the material world. Zero! Prabhupada said that we should reduce our material involvement to zero, really. We should have nothing to do with it.

Okay, we have to eat, that is alright as long as we offer it to Krsna. We have to pay the bills. As long as it sustains a life that is offered to Krsna then it is not material anymore. Then suddenly, it becomes spiritualized. So we spiritualize all these things that we use…

I mean everyone can appreciate a new car especially when you have to drive in this rainy weather. To have a super slow phone is also very frustrating, it is nice to have one of the better models. When the house is too cramped, it is nice to have some space. These are all nice but we cannot take it serious, “Oh this is my life… this is what I am living for.” This is not what we are living for, we just use these things. We want things that are nice while we are living in the material world but we cannot take it serious. Krsna is the goal of our life, the spiritual world is the goal of our life, getting out of the material world is the goal of our life. As soon as we get to that point, that is when we purchase Krsna, then Krsna is eager to give up that neutrality because it is an external façade. It is only a façade!

Prabhupada said Krsna is more eager for us to go back to Godhead than we are. Prabhupada said that his father used to tell him that Krsna has ten arms. He said if you want to hold on to material things, can you hold on if you deal with someone with ten arms? Those ten arms can come from all sides and he will get it out of you somehow. But if he starts giving with ten arms, then he will give more than you can receive. So ultimately that is it!

We must just remember all of the above while we are here in the material world; using all the things that we are using; living the busy life that we are living, working, making money, surviving. All our time is for Krsna consciousness. It is about the depth. It is about the understanding. Cultivation is like watering the plant but it is not the bhakti plant itself. Therefore, our Krsna consciousness is not the watering of the plant. Our Krsna consciousness is the conviction inside, it is about our consciousness and then we must water the plant by our practices, by our sadhna. But you may not have a lot of time to water your bhaktiplant but do it anyway. 

It is easy because we chant early in the morning before the world gets up, so they will never know. In this way, we do these things but the essence of Krsna consciousness is our conviction. The conviction is, let us just understand: Krsna does not want us to be here! We are here because of foolishness. This is not the place to be. Krsna wants us to return to the spiritual world but until we really want to, we will remain here. We will remain here. Let us somehow or other serve Krsna to the point where we purchase him and he will reveal himself, bestow his mercy and take us back to the spiritual world.

Source:https://www.kksblog.com/2016/10/joy-to-the-world/

We wait for trains, planes and summer rains

we wait in line all the time,
we hold our breath and wait for the score
we wait as a loved one moves to breathing no more
We wait wondering what it’s all about
this life between birth and death and throughout
We wait as we chant for the ego to lift
We wait as we serve for love as the gift
We wait before judging, trusting the good
we wait for grace, knowing we should
Too often we wait till the end of our life
to question the craziness, question the strife
too often we panic when waiting is there
don’t run, wait, and all will be clear
Waiting for Krishna makes everything sweet
no matter how trying the obstacles we meet
never give up, wait with cool head
chant and serve with love it’s said
For one day this existential wait will end
this feeling of not being at home,
of not being complete,
of being bound in time, hands and feet
Wait for the time to come to be free
That wait, is where our waiting should be.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/waiting/

17th Sept (Acc to English Calendar) and 23rd Sept (Acc to Vedic Calendar) marks the historic anniversary of Srila Prabhupada arrival in USA.

Defying all odds, after a long struggle in India, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada arrived in USA to carry out the order given to him by his spiritual master almost 40 years ago of delivering the timeless teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in western world.

Who could imagine at that time that a person with ‘strange appearance’ in saffron robes, having thick Bengali accent and Rs 40/- in his pocket would turn the tide of world in next 11 years by transforming the hearts of millions around the globe, establishing 108 temples, various farm communities, schools, restaurant in all continents of the world?

50 years later, his millions of followers in more than 650 temples are offering their sincere gratitude to His Divine Grace for the selfless struggles he had to endure to offer them a pure, meaningful life based on teachings of Lord Krishna.

Devotees at ISKCON Punjabi Bagh organized a special event on 25th Sept(Sunday) for more than 2000 members to commemorate the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada reaching USA after an arduous journey of 35 days on ‘Jalduta’ ship suffering 2 heart attacks, sea sickness at the advanced age of 70 years.

Program consisted of an elephant procession, “Reliving Prabhupada at Boston(Performance by Gauranga Band)” , “Bigwig in conversation with Srila Prabhupada(Puppet Show)”, Govindam Prayers(Yoga Acrobatics by students from blind school) and Prabhupada Katha by his three senior disciples: HG Pancagauda Pr, HG Hamsrupa Pr & HG RadhaKunda Mj.

The program began by carrying the deity of Srila Prabhupada on a decorated elephant accompanied by hundreds of devotees who were joyfully chanting and dancing in a procession from temple to the nearby venue. The stage program was initiated by suitable invocation, lamp lighting and a short address by HG Rukmini Krishna Das(Temple Co-President).

Many devotees were mesmerized when students from a blind school put up a Yoga Acrobatics show on different pastimes of Lord Krishna. Gauranaga Rock Band sang the poem composed by Srila Prabhupada on Jalduta a day before arriving at Boston. And then, all children rushed towards front to catch every glimpse of a Puppet show featuring conversation of Srila Prabhupada with various dignitaries. Then came the most awaited program of the evening…where by direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada shared their own exchanges and realization with Srila Prabhupada. Many devotees were moved to tears upon hearing the struggles Srila Prabhupada took to give the manking various valuable gifts in form of timeless knowledge, temples, farm communities, books, festivals, lifestyle and a whole culture.

Volunteers who served tirelessly at Janmastami Festival were also thanked by giving a small token of gift by senior devotees.

The program was concluded with a dinner feast for all.

“Hearing about Srila Prabhupada directly from his disciples relating their experiences is one of the most enlivening experience for me. If you would like to have a glimpse of pure love, dedication and sincerity: just see the lives of these disciples and hear from them” said Madhuri Devi Dasi.

“I am missing the most valuable treasure of Prabhupada’s teachings by not reading his books regularly. I have taken a resolve to read them everyday” said Premanjana Das

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31877#prettyPhoto

Atma Tattva: I had a Krishna book and on the back cover was a picture of Prabhupada looking at a champak flower he was holding. I showed the man this picture and said, “This is our Guru Maharaj, he has translated these books.”
The man looked at that picture and then brought some thread and things from a little box and for ten or fifteen minutes measured Prabhupada’s forehead, ears and so on.
Then he said, “This person’s features show me that all the four Vaishnava acharyas are present in him. I wish you had a picture of his full form.”
So I showed him a photograph of Prabhupada’s full form and he did another study, this time with a lens.
Then he said, “I was not wrong. They are all working through this person. You are very fortunate to be with him. I would like to be part of a movement like that in my next life.”
I said, “But I thought your ultimate goal is to go to Kailash,” because he was a Shaivite.
He said, “Yes, if I go there I can tell Lord Shiva that I want to join some movement like this, and I want to spread dharma everywhere.”
He was happy and said, “Please give this book to me. It has given me the highest experience of studying a person’s features. I want to keep this book.” So I gave him a complimentary copy.
Once I showed a movie of Prabhupada lecturing to Dhananjaya and his wife, who were dance experts in Madras.
Dhananjaya looked at that footage three times and then, in terms of Bharatnatyam, he explained Prabhupada’s movements to his students.
In his lecture, Prabhupada spoke intensely about the power of devotion and how, if somebody is chanting the holy name, it means that in his previous lives he has performed all sacrifices and austerities.
While he spoke, Prabhupada’s moods changed every two minutes. He was sometimes jubilant and sometimes frustrated that people were not taking to Krishna consciousness.
It was like a dance except that Prabhupada was making mudras instead of moving his limbs.
Dhananjaya pointed out these mudras to his students and quoted from the Niti-sastra of Bharat, “These are the different ecstasies that we learn in theory. In 28 minutes, this gentleman went through all that.”
Later, in the Nectar of Devotion, I found three or four subheadings describing ecstatic symptoms that Prabhupada manifested while he explained the philosophy of chanting the holy name.
He was not talking about rasa lila or any intimate pastimes, but simply about how one should chant the holy name and what happens when one does.
It appeared like preliminary teachings, but Prabhupada manifested ecstasy while he explained it.
When Dhananjaya finished his explanation, I said, “There is a famous verse in the Brahma-samhita stating that in the spiritual world every word is a song and every movement is a dance.”
Dhananjaya took this so seriously that he began having that Brahma-samhita verse sung before his performances.
This is how people were inspired, from an Arya-samaji to a business magnate to a dancer.
We know Prabhupada inspired the devotees in our movement but this is how he has inspired others as well.
One Ekadasi during the Kumbha-mela in Allahabad, Prabhupada was sitting back with his eyes closed, his legs stretched under his desk, talking about Ekadasi.
Prabhupada said, “Lotus pods fried in ghee are very good on Ekadasi.”
Somebody immediately ran to the market to arrange for lotus pods, but just two minutes later a Ramanandi brahman and his 9 year-old son arrived, both of them wearing Ramanandi tilak.
They paid their obeisances, and the father put a cloth bag from his shoulder on Prabhupada’s desk. Prabhupada put his hand in it and said, “Just see, it has come.”
It was lotus pods fried in ghee. He looked at the Ramanandi and said, “How are you?”
This man happened to be the priest of a Bengali family in Firozabad, U.P., where Prabhupada used to stay.
Even though this person was a Ramanandi, he did the Gaura-Nitai Deity worship for this family.
Prabhupada ate some of the pods, distributed the rest and said to the Ramanandi, “You haven’t taken bath in the confluence, the sangam?”
The Ramanandi said, “Swamiji, I have come to take bath in the sangam,” and he put a plate under Prabhupada’s feet.
Prabhupada adjusted his feet on the plate and this man bathed Prabhupada’s feet in sangam water from his pot while he chanted mantras. Prabhupada looked at him, smiling.
During that time, December 1976, it was rare to get Prabhupada’s charanamrita and all of us desired it.
This Ramanandi sprinkled that water on his head, drank some, and then sprinkled some on all of us.
He said to Prabhupada, “Your feet are the actual sangam. What will we get in bathing that sangam? Your feet will purify the Ganges and since you are not going to the Ganges, I brought the Ganga here. I will mix some of this charanamrita in the Ganga.”
Prabhupada smiled and said, “Give me your son. I will make him an acharya.”
The man said, “He is yours, Swamiji, you can take him any time.”
Prabhupada said, “No, no, any time means no time. You give him to me now. I will make him an acharya.”
The Ramanandi said, “Swamiji, now he is learning Sanskrit grammar. To study the bhasyas, the commentaries, he must know some grammar. Once his vyakarana is over, then I will hand him over to you. He is yours.”
Prabhupada insisted for the fourth time, “No, no, what grammar? We don’t need grammar. Give him to me. I will make him an acharya.”
This man said, “Swamiji, I am not saying no. Everything mine is yours. But he is too small. He will only be trouble for you. In a few years I will hand him over to you.”
Prabhupada said, “Okay, tike, tike,” and he rubbed the boy’s head. After that there were other visitors to see Prabhupada, and this man and his son left.
Years passed and the Ramananda sampradaya broke into many inimical sects.
Then one year I was taking ten gurukula boys to the Allahabad Kumbhamela and I was surprised to learn that the Ramanandas had elected one young sannyasi to lead their whole sampradaya and that they had a huge Ramananda stall at the festival.
I told the gurukula boys, “We will have this leader’s darshan. That one sadhu united a whole sampradaya is unheard of, and you boys should meet the person who has this potency. God knows, tomorrow you may become a guru.”
So we went to see him. We were given priority because some of the boys were from South America, Australia, and so on.
There were about a hundred people with this young sannyasi, men with long beards and matted locks of hair, all three times older than him and leaders in their own right.
This young sannyasi was sitting on a big seat and people were fanning him with a chamara.
We paid obeisances, and a gurukula boy from South America loudly chanted the sannyasa-sukta, which is a traditional way to greet a sannyasi.
As he started chanting, everyone became silent and after he had finished, this young Maharaj composed a Sanskrit poem about Prabhupada.
He recited, “If I say that neither in the past nor in the future will there be an acharya equal to the acharya of the Hare Krishna movement, I won’t be committing an offense to the founder of my line, Ramananda, because in his commentary Ramananda himself predicted that Vishnu worship would spread around the world and that the whole world would take to it.”
As he was talking, I realized that this was the same person who, as a small boy, had his head rubbed by Srila Prabhupada.
He finished four slokas glorifying Prabhupada and ended with the glorification of Lord Jagannatha.
Then he honored each boy separately and when I went up to him he said, “Atma Tattva Prabhu, do you remember me? You used to carry me on your back.”
When I traveled on padayatra we had stayed at his father’s house. At that time I was a brahmachari and I used to carry this boy on my back. He used to call Lokanath Maharaj an “old man” because he had white hair.
He said, “Prabhupada spoke about me becoming an acharya. My father never brought me to the Hare Krishna movement, but before he passed away he told me that I had to study the Sankara-bhasya so that I could defeat it. That was his last wish.”
“So for four years I stayed with the mayavadis in Benares and studied the commentary of Sankara. It was painful. Our whole sampradaya had split up over misunderstandings and I thought that since I had Prabhupada’s blessings, maybe I could unite us. I tried for nine years and this year it has happened.”
“By the blessings of your Guru Maharaj we are united. Ramananda said that as long as we were broken, we would never be able to fulfill his prediction. But Ramananda also said, ‘We don’t have to fulfill that prediction because it has already been fulfilled by these people.’ We simply have to join and preach with them. Their movement is spreading around the world”.
Using us as a catalyst, this young sannyasi preached to everyone assembled there in that way. It was great to hear from him.
—Atma Tattva
Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint” 
by Siddhanta das

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31895

Since temple is a place where people come to take darshan of the Lord or bring something to offer to the Lord, one should be ready to receive them at any time of the day. Especially during darshan hour timings one should anticipate such visits and be ready. The spirit of welcoming should never be lost.

(Two or three devotees can work in shifts throughout the day so that one devotee is not hard pressed. This also helps in developing good rapport with visitors and congregational devotees. People relate more with persons than the policies of the temple, therefore there should be steady devotees in this service.)

Punctuality: The most important aspect of the service is that one should be ready at least 5 minutes before the darshan opens with necessary pamphlets, brochures, prasadam, etc.

Remaining organized: One should be organized. Necessary things should be at hand. One should not be running around here and there in front of the visitors for basic things like pens or paper pads.

Meditation: Before beginning the service one should pray to the Deities and Srila Prabhupada to have proper consciousness. One should meditate that those visitors who are coming to the Temple are special guests of Srila Prabhupada and the Deities & we have been given the blessed opportunity to guide them and introduce them about the wonderful process of Krishna consciousness.

1) How to receive guests on Daily Basis:

It important to properly receive the guests at different times of the day by giving them temple pamphlet, Prasadam and speaking kind words.

– During morning program: (From 5.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.)

To see that they get chanting beads to chant,

morning prayers leaflets, flowers to offer to the Deities during

Darshan arati and to Srila Prabhupada during Guru-puja etc.

(Sometimes some important guests come early in the morning

program. One should expect such visits & greet them

graciously.)

– During SB Class:

Any guests coming during SB class, welcome them without

disturbing Bhagvatam speaker.

– After Breakfast: (From 9.45 a.m. onwards)

To be ready with preaching material (Temple pamphlets/

brochures, prasadam, etc.) before Darshan opens.

– Evening: (From 4:30 p.m. to 9:05 p.m.

To be ready before Darshan opens.

The general guideline for receiving the guests is whenever

darshan is open some devotee should be present. The Deities

should never be left alone.

Following basic courtesies should be observed while dealing with them.

1. To inform them about upcoming events, e.g. Bhagavad Gita course, Festivals, Yoga Retreat, Sunday feast programs.

2. If guests come when darshan is closed, request them to wait till darshan opens.

3. To make guests feel at home, by creating Vaikuntha atmosphere. (This means that Temple – Hall and the premises should be clean in all aspects.)

4. To offer them seat and water. (It may not be practical, however one should at least ask or guide them properly.)

5. To switch on the fans wherever they are sitting, also switch on the lights if they want to read. When temple is to be closed devotees should be sensitive while switching off the lights or fans. If the guests are talking with devotees wait for some time.

6. To show them the different paintings in the temple or books of Srila Prabhupada if they want or explain them different activities displayed on the notice board.

7. Give them chanting beads with bead bag if they want to chant.

8. Talk with them with kind words.

9. Give them relevant information about the temple.

10. If they want to meet with particular devotee communicate diligently.

11. Don’t give those items, which they may not know how to take care of. In case you have to give explain them the spiritual significance.

How to receive guests on Sunday:

After the announcements are made it very important to focus on newcomers and later one can deal with regular visitors and congregational devotees.

Following points should be considered while dealing with newcomers.

1. TEMPLE – PAMPHLET

Giving daily pamphlets

• while giving Welcome pamphlets, explain about Temple timings, Sunday program timings

• Invite them graciously to attend our programs.

• Do not insist them if they are not interested.

• Just encourage them

• While dealing with them, one should try to fan the spark of interest within them.

Daily temple schedule.

Sunday festival (GAUR-ARATI, KIRTAN, PRAVACHAN, PRASADAM.)

Deities.

Festivals (Vaishnav Calendar.)

Various Congregational Programs.

Gurukul/Orphanage

Audio CDs, VCDs, MP3 CDs, Audio tapes/books library.

(Refer the topic ‘important documents’ at the end of this manual for ‘Temple pamphlet’.)

2. FOLLOW UP SLIPS/ADDRESS PADS

Since follow up slips play a very important role in cultivating guests,

following points are to be noted:

1. Please see that all guests write clean and complete address. Please ask them to fill up the slips with complete name & complete address for two purposes:

1. To send them a gift (a picture of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath)

2. To invite them for follow up program.

2. If a person shows interest in

• attending Bhagavad Gita course

• distributing books

• desiring to regularly attend programmes

• counselor system

• giving donation

• or any other information

Kindly note down on that particular slip the specific remarks.

* request them to give their E-mail IDs (if they have) for fast communication.

KINDLY DO NOT TEAR THE SLIPS FROM THE PADS.

3. If a person is interested and wants to know more about our Temple program, take down their name and address, contact number in our personal diary/notebook.

4. To sort (after sending gift and invitation) and give to devotees staying in those areas.

3. SRI SRI RADHA GOPINATH MAHAPRASADAM

Prasadam packet to each new comer.

To regular guests also.

4. BG-COURSE

7-days BG course.

Evening timings (7.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.)

7 days different topics based on BG (Not explaining each chapter) Clears 90-95 % of our basic doubts. (E.g. why there are so many demigods, karma, different yoga systems explained by Lord Krishna.)

Power Point presentation based on related topics.

Questions and Answers followed by Snacks Prasadam.

Notes, Bhakti Yoga kit provided at the end of the course.

6-Sessions Advanced Bhagavad Gita course.

5. BOOK SETS

Need for reading Srila Prabhupada’s books:

To understand our philosophy in a better way.

To advice them to go through small books in the beginning and then gradually Srimad Bhagavad Gita and then Srimad Bhagavatam.

To show them the suggested order of reading books.

To show them BTGs in various languages/ to guide them to BTG stall.

6. PERSONAL TREATMENT

To ask where do they stay.

Where do they work / study. To ask them for prasadam coupon (If they have not received prasadam coupons, to give them or personally take them for prasadam. To inform them about coupon system on Sundays.)

To make them feel at home.

To show them bookstall / library / Deities.

(If they are interested in reading books or hearing tapes or CDs, you can take them to matchless bookstall or books library.)

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31899

The Gita is a book about change. It’s protagonist, Arjuna, is changing his mind about leading the fight. He is having a ‘reality’ check as he faces his opponents, many of whom he knows. He is also facing the consequences of this war – no matter how important or needed, there will be much loss and disruption.

As Arjuna moves through his crisis, asking questions and seeking guidance, we learn so many things about change – both change that happens to us and change we can make happen. It’s a book to help us navigate life as it presents itself before us. We are not Arjuna, but certainly do have our own battles, and face the challenge of change in many similar ways.

Below are some excerpts from the the translations and purports to Bhagavad-gita As It Is that explore the topic of change. While some of us might be experiencing a boring, soul-killing unchanging life, and others struggling with too much change and complexities, either way the Gita can help us respond to questions or situations we may face, and support us in the decisions and choices we have to make.

May the following excerpts inspire you to dig deeper into this great book of knowledge and access its potential to bring deep and lasting change to your life.

On changing our karma:

“The effects of karma may be very old indeed. We are suffering or enjoying the results of our activities from time immemorial, but we can change the results of our karma, or our activity, and this change depends on the perfection of our knowledge. We are engaged in various activities. Undoubtedly we do not know what sort of activities we should adopt to gain relief from the actions and reactions of all these activities, but this is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita.”  

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is

On the constant change in life and ultimately at death:

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.”

Bhagavad-gita 2.13

On changing bodies:

“Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both.”

Bhagavad-gita 2.16

On the unchanging soul:

“This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.”

Bhagavad-gita 2.24

On changing desires:

“Arjuna is hearing the science of God from Krishna. The living entity, if he submits to this hearing process, will lose his long-cherished desire to dominate material nature, and gradually and proportionately, as he reduces his long desire to dominate, he comes to enjoy spiritual happiness. In a Vedic mantra it is said that as he becomes learned in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he proportionately relishes his eternal blissful life.”

Purport to Bhagavad-gita 13.22

On changing consciousness:

“Here the living entity is described as isvara, the controller of his own body. If he likes, he can change his body to a higher grade, and if he likes he can move to a lower class. Minute independence is there. The change his body undergoes depends upon him. At the time of death, the consciousness he has created will carry him on to the next type of body. If he has made his consciousness like that of a cat or dog, he is sure to change to a cat’s or dog’s body. And if he has fixed his consciousness on godly qualities, he will change into the form of a demigod. And if he is in Krishna consciousness, he will be transferred to Krishnaloka in the spiritual world and will associate with Krishna.”

Purport to Bhagavad-gita 15.8

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/the-gita-change/

Last Saturday, on September 24, history was created when ISKCON of Suriname held its first Ratha-yatra festival in the capital City of Paramaribo, with the Lord Jagannath cart parading through one of the busiest streets in the city. The festival was organised as part of ISKCON Suriname’s main 50th anniversary initiative. The procession began at 5:00 pm sharp with the ribbon cutting done by the Raghoebier family, who, over a decade ago, had kindly provided the facility in Paramaribo that ISKCON utilises. The parade was consecrated by offering and breaking dried coconuts, then as the cart began to move there was uproarious cracking of fireworks. The cart started moving from Lallarookh Square and ended at the front lawn of the ISKCON Centre at 459 Kwattaweg. The arrival of the Ratha-yatra cart at the temple was followed by a grand religious and cultural program featuring a drama of Lord Jagannath’s appearance, devotional music, exhibitions and discussions on Vedic spirituality—and a free vegetarian feast. The stage program lasted for full three hours.

Chanting the Lord’s name and dancing in jubilation in the warm late afternoon sun, devotees drew the canopied Jagannath Chariot through a 4.1 kilometre stretch of road. The procession was escorted by police on duty in the lead and a dozen volunteers guiding and keeping the 500 strong crowd orderly, to allow traffic to flow in one lane of the roadway. The one hundred Hare Krishna devotees present were mostly from Suriname, Guyana and some coming from as far as Holland. Hundreds gathered an hour in advance at the start point and many joined on the way, everyone coming alive to the blazing kirtan that was amplified through a high powered sound system.

Project coordinator of the Ratha-yatra Festival, Sharmila Kalidien-Mansaram (Gitapriye-Radha devi dasi), a member of the Suriname Parliament, and Temple president Partha-sakha Prabhu worked tirelessly and beyond the call of duty to organise the festival and meet deadlines. There were financial constraints all along, but Aniruddha Prabhu and his wife Sanatani devi dasi generously funded most of the expenses. Especially challenging were delays and setbacks in airlifting the new set of Deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Lady Subadra from Navadvipa, Mayapur, to Paramaribo. The Deities arrived only four days before the festival which forced devotees to do a late snaan-yatra.

Hundreds of pieces of Lord Jagannath prasadam were distributed on the way. When the cart arrived at the temple ground there was a crowd build-up waiting to have darshan of the Their Lordships, and participate in the evening festivities. Over one thousand plates of full course prasadam were distributed at the program site.

There was widespread media coverage of the entire event, and our Temple is still bombarded with various media and other groups coming to enquire about the meaning and significance of the festival. Later, on Ratha-yatra evening, the biggest news network site, Star News, telecasted more than five minutes coverage of the Ratha-yatra, which was streamed throughout the country. Devotees are so upbeat about the success of this first Ratha-yatra that now they have decided to make it a calendar event in Paramaribo, that is, every fourth Saturday in September will be Ratha-yatra day.

Slightly larger than the state of Michigan, Suriname lies on the northeast coast of South America, with Guyana to the west, French Guiana to the east, and Brazil to the south. It is the only Dutch speaking country on the Continent. Bathed by the north east traded winds from the Atlantic Ocean on the North, Suriname enjoys yearlong mild climate. Influenced by numerous cultures—African, Amerindian, Asian, Jewish and Dutch—the country reflects this diversity harmoniously in its day to day life. The bustling capital and port of Paramaribo, stands guard over the Surinam River. And the striking architecture reminds us of its Dutch colonial past.

The first Hare Krishna devotees to visit Suriname were devotees from Guyana way back in the early 1980’s. The first Center was established about two decades ago, and now there is a vibrant preaching center in the country’s second city, New Nickerie. Today Suriname has many initiated devotees and a large congregation.

Please check the following links for live video of the Ratha-yatra:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RnjkRT7hfdY

https://youtu.be/ctgRBcm8j4s

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31906

On Sunday, 19th September 2016, we had a wonderful ‘2nd One Day PADAYATRA’ in Ahmedabad, as a part of ISKCON 50th Annivarsary celebration. We have three more Padayatras to go, which we will have in every month of the current year. All the devotees suggested having such events every month, for the rest of the years to come. If Srila Prabhupada wishes, we can plan to do so in future.

Details of “2nd One Day PADAYATRA”:

On Sunday, we started the Padayatra from Shri Shri RadhaGovind Dham, ISKCON Ahmedabad at 8.00 am, after Guru Puja. All devotees gathered in the campus, very enthusiastically singing Maha-Mantra. We took the blessing of H.G. Jashomatinandan Prabhu (ACBSP) (Temple President, ISKCON Ahmedabad), before we started. He has not been keeping well these days and has many sleepless nights, but still always encourages all of us for the devotional activities. We have been blessed by such exalted Vaishanavas.

The Padayatra was arranged between ISKCON temple and the famous Jamalpur Jagannath Temple, which is about 10 km away. Sharp at 8.00 am, we started from our ISKCON temple with more than 150 devotees and many more joined on the way. The atmosphere was cloudy, but no rain, so we felt it’s Krsna’s mercy; otherwise we generally have very hot days even during the rainy season. Eventually, it started raining very heavily in the evening, after the completion of the Padayatra. The yatra went on very smoothly and reached in time, as decided, and we served breakfast to the Padayatris in Parimal garden (a well-known public garden). Here at Parimal garden, hundreds of people come for jogging in the morning and this being a Sunday, the crowd was also more than the regular days. Here we had very ecstatic Kirtan all the way in the garden; some of them joined us in Kirtan too. After breakfast Prasadam we continued walking. We halted at every 4 roads for few minutes, with the Kirtan resounding all around. We distributed around 67 Bhagavad Gita and 45 small books for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.

Finally when we reached Jagannath temple, we performed an ecstatic Kirtan, in which all the Jagannath temple’s Sunday congregation devotees also joined. We tried to engage them in chanting by making them raise their hands high up in the air. Hence, many of them participated in the Kirtan and some even danced with us. We sung more of the glories of Srila Prabhupada in the premises of this temple, which was our success. Ultimately we recited Jagannath-Ashtakam and Maha-Mantra Kirtan continued for a long time, until it was time for lunch Prasadam. We took lunch at the ‘Sabarmati river front’, which is very nice place under the bridge. More than 180 devotees honored lunch feast Prasadam.

In this way, by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, kind inspiration of His Holiness Lokanatha Swami Maharaj and the blessings of His Grace Jashomatinandan Prabhu, we completed our second one day Padayatra and hence, purified the environment with Maha-Mantra and Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!!!

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31909

George Harrison sings a song of his separation from Krishna. This same sort of separation is also sometimes felt in regards to the Vaishnavas.

For the majority of my devotional life, Krishna has arranged it so that I’ve never had a devotional community to tap into as a regular daily function. I started off living in Wilmington, DE whereby ISKCON Philly was about an hour drive. This was the closest proximity I’ve ever lived to an active temple. Unfortunately, He made it so that I would be relocating to Maine only after attending the Sunday Feast 3-4 times.

My next situation took me to Portland or rather Cape Elizabeth, Maine. In this set up I was about 2-2.5 hours from the closest temple, ISKCON Boston. Fortunately, He connected me with a lovely devotee family up in Brunswick (Mother Hare Krsna dasi, of cow-protection/varnashrama dharma fame & her lovely children Maha & Asto), as well as, some other nice devotees sprinkled around the state. We would have programs every month or so & eventually I convinced some of the lovely Boston devotees to come up & join in on the fun. Even HH Candramauli Swami came to my home once & blessed us with his association.

Krishna also arranged that at one point I could go to the temple & stay there for 3-4 days out of the week when I did not have work or school which kept me alive spiritually. In addition to this I always had the incredible fortune of having regular e-mail & even phone contact with my beloved spiritual master, His Grace Sriman Sankarshan das Adhikari.

When I was just starting off in Krishna consciousness, I read a lot. Every night I would read for at least a good hour. I was fanatical about not ingesting any non-Krishna conscious media (music, films, books,  etc) except that which was required for my schooling. I would be listening to lectures or kirtans for hours on end while in my studio (as a painting major) & always be engaged in distributing Krishna prasad to my studio mates.

I didn’t have much association so , I made my own.

After finishing up my BFA in Maine, I decided to move down to Austin, TX in order to be in closer physical proximity to my Spiritual Master. Soon after moving down here, my Guru Maharaj’s traveling schedule began to pick up, keeping him in Austin for less & less time each year. While he’s away, we maintain regular Sunday feast programs & try to have some celebration for most major festivals as far as is practical. Yet the facility for daily association is not so great in his absence. That being the case I find myself figuratively back in the same boat I came from, little to no regular daily association.

After struggling to keep my head above water for the past five years, I somewhat spontaneously stumbled back into that habit which kept me afloat; namely the regular reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books & almost constantly hearing bhajans/kirtan or lectures. Recently, I’ve been doing online Bhakti Sastri courses through Bhaktivedanta College, as well as, attempting to read HH Bhakti Vikas Maharaj’s Ramayan & a bit of Srimad-Bhagavatam each day. Though I’m not as strict as I once was about the non-devotional media I ingest, the potency of this wonderful Vaishnava literature seems to outweigh all else & at least keeps my nose above the waves.

That brought me to the simple yet profound conclusion that:

Srila Prabhupada is fully present in his books & various recordings.

So my humble suggestion is that if you find yourself with little to no devotee association or your mind is disturbed by the various politics present within our society, simply go back to the basis of our movement, Srila Prabhupada. Absolutely no harm can come from developing a deeper relationship with Srila Prabhupada & trying our best to understand his mood, mission & what is factually pleasing to Him. After all, our spiritual life depends on this as we can’t even discern right from wrong within ISKCON without having a concrete understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Source:https://strugglingsadhaka.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/srila-prabhupada-lives-in-his-books/

As they walked together under a steel bridge, Prabhupada pointed upward with his walking cane, “Look”-a sign under the bridge read UNALLOYED STEEL-“they have unalloyed steel, and we have unalloyed devotional service.
"What if people don’t want to hear our message?” Pradyumna asked.
“The people might not understand our message, but Krsna will be pleased,” Prabhupada replied. “And that is our mission. They thought Jesus Christ’s mission was stopped. They killed him. But his mission was attained. He preached three years only, but so many followers. He pleased Krsna. We must not be disappointed that no one is hearing Krsna consciousness. We will say it to the moon and stars and all directions. We will cry in the wilderness, because Krsna is everywhere. We want to get a certificate from Krsna that "This man has done something for Me.” Not popularity. If a pack of asses says you are good, what is that? We have to please Krsna’s senses with purified senses.”

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31850

Mukhya Devi Dasi (President of Iskcon’s Raman Reti community in Alachua): We’ve spent the past week in the rarefied atmosphere of Sri Vrindavan Dhama, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. ISKCON’s Krishna Balaram Mandir is chock full of life: kirtan, seva and bhakti vibrating from end to end. Just watching the pilgrims stream through during sundara arati and hearing the 24 hour kirtan in full swing begin dancing as they have darshan of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Sri Krishna Balaram and Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, is an evening activity for us. There is nothing like it in the three worlds. We are charmed and humbled by their natural devotional feelings. Many classes going on from morning to night, in many languages, with many devotees in attendance. There’s even a class for guests that happens right after mangal arati, in an office within the Temple itself.
The holiest of holy tirthas, for me, is here too, Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi, his resting place. His huge murti form emanates a unique expression of compassion, certainly Krishna was guiding the hands of the artist who created this most extraordinary murti. In one form the pure devotee remains within his Samadhi to give mercy to faithful and sincere devotees, and here one can receive inspiration and enthusiasm in his devotional service. Each day after the morning program we leave for parikrama, visiting one or two temples where we can sit and read and chant, before getting into the market for shopping. Some of where we’ve been:
Gopiswara Mahadeva Temple (this linga was installed 5,000 years ago by Lord Krishna’s grandson Vajaranabha) Here we take permission to enter the holy dhama Vamsi Vata (where Krishna called the gopis to dance with Him)
Govindaji Mandir Even after desecration and deterioration, this huge mandir which was originally seven stories high made of huge red sandstone block, intricately carved domes and lattice work screens, seems like an architectural marvel. Somehow they take us right up onto the altar here, then down a secret stairwell to have darshan of an ancient deity of Yogamaya (Krishna’s sister).
Braja Mohan Temple. The deity of Narottam das Thakura, this lovely well maintained, quiet (and monkey proof) spot is one of our favorites. We sit here a while and chant the songs of Narottam das and feel our good fortune. His Holiness Indradyumna Swami gave a donation here to fix up the temple, and they are very nice and personal with us.
Radha Vinode, Radha Gokulanada, deities of Lokanatha Goswami and Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakur. We also visits the Samadhi garden here, chant and circumambulate.
Radha Kunda
We did a half day parikrama of Radha Kund with Dina Bandhu prabhu. The only way to go! We really understood why they say only mad dogs go out in the noon day sun, it was painfully hot for us, but Dina Bandhu was cheerfully carrying on, being respectfully and happily greeted by every baba we met.
64 Samadhis, all the major goswamis and preachers of Vrindavan have either a full or a pushpa, nama, or smrita Samadhi here.
Purnamasi Temple. The mother of Sandipani Muni, everyone considered her on all matters, and she made arrangements with Vrinda devi for Radha Krishna’s pastimes. Situated at a corner of Seva Kunj.
Bath in Yamuna, she was very shallow this week, but cool and refreshing nonetheless.
Radha Damodar Temple. “the center of the spiritual world.” The bhajan place of Rupa Goswami, where he would daily hold discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam with the other goswamis and their close associates. Also here is the Govardhan sila of Srila Sanatana Goswami which has the footprint of Lord Krishna impressed upon it. Srila Prabhupada’s rooms are here, beautifully maintained ‘as they were’. We spend extra time here reading aloud Bhagavad Gita, and chanting bhajan.
We were happy for the chance to visit with His Holiness Gunagrahi Swami, who is absorbing himself in kirtan, nice association, hearing-chanting-remembering. We had a nice chat, sharing realizations and memories. Two more days and we leave for the airport on a very very long trek home. Be it ever so humble…I will be very happy to get there.
Everywhere I go I am praying for all the residents of New Raman Reti, may we always stay engaged in service at Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31857

It is quite easy to find health benefits of a particular food item especially when we like its taste. This is the reason modern food industry keeps adding some sort of taste to anything they sell. Some companies add taste even to packaged water (and spoil it) in order to make it stand out.  The other tactic they use to sell their products is add flavor. Although the word “flavor” sounds attractive you may have noticed that you cannot stand particular flavors that may be favorite of your next door neighbour. For example, if you believe in good and clean food, you cannot stand someone around you cooking or eating filthy stuff like non-veg. To some, even onion and garlic fall in the same category.

Wait a minute, you may ask: non-veg obviously stinks, but why punish onion and garlic? In fact you may be one of those neighbours who love the smell of onion and garlic. After all, onion and garlic are glorified even by the modern medical science for their ability to cure some chronic diseases. Why abandon them just because of their smell?

“While onions and garlic cloves do give off strong odors, the sulfur compounds responsible for those aromas are the same substances that provide health benefits if you eat onions and garlic, the Linus Pauling Institute says.”  –http://www.livestrong.com/article/387792-what-are-benefits-of-onion-and-garlic/

Research shows that garlic helps balance good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol in the bloodstream. Garlic produces a great amount of cells in the blood that can help fight different kinds of infections as well as tumors. Garlic also reduces the risk of blood clots which cause strokes. A compound called allicin in garlic is believed to have potent medicinal properties. Although nutritious, garlic has very few calories. It can combat cough and common cold. The antioxidants compounds in garlic could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia. Garlic can also help detoxify heavy metals in the body.

Similarly, onion also has multiple health benefits. Its antibiotic, antiseptic, antimicrobial and carminative properties helps one stay away from infections. Onions are rich in sulphur, fibers, potassium, calcium, vitamin B, vitamin C and they are low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. If applied correctly, onions can help cure fever, common cold, cough, sore throat, allergies, and other similar diseases. A small piece of onion, when inhaled, can stop or slow down the bleeding through the nose. It is said help in sleeping disorders and digestive system. Onions are also used to cure burnt skin or insect bites.

Onion and garlic have many similarities so far their good and bad effects are concerned. Onions give protection against head, neck and colon cancers, osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. Since it is found to increase the insulin level in the body it can treat diabetes. Similar to garlic, onion also burns the bad cholesterol and protects the good one.

There are many other medicinal as well as nutritional benefits of onion and garlic when consumed or applied under proper supervision. The ones mentioned above are well-known and have repeated mentions on number of websites including this one.  Indeed, there is a lot to say in praise of onion and garlic especially when it comes to their usage as medicine.

But, but, but….

Nothing comes free in this world. By the law of nature, good and bad come bundled together. Those who are intelligent weigh this carefully and accept or reject based on the result. Very good stuff can be very bad if misused. The same applies to onion and garlic.

Adverse effects of consuming Onion and Garlic distinctly outweigh their medicinal benefits

For example, onions can cause drastic decrease in blood sugar level, gastric  burning, skin irritation, heartburn, foul breath, low blood pressure and so on. Similarly, there are risks associated with garlic also.

Botulism is probably the most serious risk associated with garlic. Its sulphurous nature makes it a prime breeding ground for botulism (clostridium botulinum). Botulism is a nasty toxin that can result in major stomach illness sometimes leading to death. The worst danger from botulism comes if raw garlic is stored in oil at room temperature – or even for too long in the refrigerator. Never store raw garlic in oil at room temperature.

Garlic can interfere with certain prescription medicines, especially some anti-coagulants used in surgery. In addition, research published in 2001 concluded that garlic supplements can cause a potentially harmful side effect when combined with a type of medication used to treat HIV/AIDS. Raw garlic is also known to have antiplatelet properties which may present a risk of bleeding to patients taking blood thinning medication such as warfarin. Garlic can also be allergic. Any serious allergy can be potentially life-threatening. As mentioned above, garlic contains allicin, which is extremely powerful and can cause skin reddening, irritation and soreness, and could even damage the digestive tract. (Source)

Because both onion and garlic come from the same allium family they are found to have similar properties.

Acknowledging that modern science repeatedly goofs up and oftentimes the reality comes to light only after the damage is done, onion and garlic advocates may argue that the negatives mentioned above are questionable. The argument could be that anything taken in access is harmful, so why single out onion and garlic?

Again, wait a minute! What about Ayurvedic opinion? As we know, ayurveda is India’s ancient medical science given by none other than Lord Dhanvantari, who is celebrated in the Vedas as Lord Vishnu’s incarnation. Despite widespread propaganda against Ayurveda by the modern medical industry, this ancient science is quickly coming back as the world recognizes its matchless ability to accurately treat and cure many so-called terminal diseases.

Ayurveda warns against consuming onion and garlic for various reasons ranging from its adverse effect on physical to mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Ayurveda places both onion and garlic in the category of tamas, or the mode of ignorance. The other two modes being rajas and satva, and satva being the best among all. Being tamasic in nature, onion and garlic induce aggravation, agitation, anxiety and aggression.

Ayurveda believes in the principle of “what you eat is what you think”, and we all know that what we think and contemplate on is what we eventually want to do. In other words, if you eat tamasic food like onion and garlic, you invariably invite tamasic qualities in you. According to Bhagavad Gita (14.8) these qualities are madness, indolence and desire for excessive sleep. It is explained in verse 14.10 that all three modes of nature struggle to control one another and that when the mode of ignorance takes over, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.

Kurma Dasa, the famous “Australia’s Vegetarian Guru” has following to say about why he doesn’t take nor use onion and garlic in his recipes.

“The Taoists realized thousands of years ago that plants of the alliaceous family were detrimental to humans in their healthy state. In his writings, one sage Tsang-Tsze described the Alliums as the “five fragrant or spicy scented vegetables” – that each have a detrimental effect on one of the following five organs – liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and heart. Specifically, onions are harmful to the lungs, garlic to the heart, leeks to the spleen, chives to the liver and spring onions to the kidneys. Tsang-Tsze said that these pungent vegetables contain five different kinds of enzymes which cause “reactions of repulsive breath, extra-foul odour from perspiration and bowel movements, and lead to lewd indulgences, enhance agitations, anxieties and aggressiveness,” especially when eaten raw.

Back in the 1980’s, in his research on human brain function, Dr Robert [Bob] C. Beck, DSc. found that garlic has a detrimental effect on the brain. He found that in fact garlic is toxic to humans because its sulphone hydroxyl ions penetrate the blood-brain barrier and are poisonous to brain cells.” – http://kurma.net/essays/e19.html

He adds that according to Reiki practitioners, along with tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical medications, garlic and onions are among the first substances to be expelled from a person’s system.  Even Homeopathic medicine comes to the same conclusion when it recognizes that red onion produces a dry cough, watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose and other familiar cold-related symptoms when consumed.

For the followers of Vedic scriptures, especially Brahmans and Vaishnavas, there are more compelling reasons for not eating onion and garlic. There are sastric injunctions prohibiting certain food items during normal course of life, while performing certain rituals, and during certain days or months. We have to understand that not a single word of the Vedas is non-scientific. If modern scientists and researchers can find out the reasons behind certain food restrictions given in the Vedic scriptures, it will be considered their success. If they cannot, it does not, in any way, dilute the authenticity of such injunctions. So far their findings conform to the directives given in the Vedas, we accept their views; if they differ, we reject them. It is that simple. The above-mentioned scientific findings on onion and and garlic, especially about their benefits, are welcome as they conform to the information given in the Vedic scriptures. Until now, modern science has not understood the dangers of consuming meat and wine but if they advance in the right direction it is sure to bring them to Vedic conclusion of no non-veg, no onion and garlic, and no intoxication.

There are mentions in the Vedic scriptures of how onion and garlic were originally produced. One story says it came from the meat of a cow that was being sacrificed in fire by a sage. As per the ritual, any animal sacrificed in fire by the priest is rejuvenated by chanting Vedic mantras. This is the power of Vedic mantras but these days there is no qualified brahmana who can vibrate such mantras perfectly so animal sacrifices are prohibited in this age. When the sage was creating a new body for the sacrificed cow, he found a piece of flesh missing as his wife had thrown it in a nearby place. From that grew onion and garlic.

Another story suggests that onion and garlic were produced from the mixture of blood of two demons and the nectar that came out after churning of the milk ocean by suras and asuras. The two demons, whose heads were severed by Lord Vishnu by His Sudarshan chakra while they were about to swallow the nectar, are Rahu and Ketu. It is said that onion and garlic were produced from the blood that fell on the ground. It is further explained that since the blood was mixed with nectar, its product, namely onion and garlic possesses powerful properties to cure diseases, but because it was demon’s blood, those who consume it become victims of demoniac mentality. This is what is referred to as tamasic qualities in Bhagavad Gita, and this is why Ayurveda has put onion and garlic in the category of tamasic food.

One more incident is described in Varaha purana wherein it says that formerly in the fight between devas and asuras, King Bali was defeated by the suras. From his wounds drops of blood gushed out and from them onion and garlic grew up.

We also hear a story supposedly told by Srila Prabhupada to some congregation members. It says that a yavana king used to slaughter cows on regular basis but before the slaughter he would call a brahmana priest to chant mantras to the effect that “in this life these people slaughtering you, but in the next life you will get the chance to slaughter them”.

“So one time a brähmana came there but he felt lusty and he wanted to eat the cow’s flesh also. However, the system was that he was not allowed to see the slaughter going on, he was supposed to offer his prayers and then leave. So he hid in a corner and witnessed the butchering. After the Muslims had all taken their share of the dead cow and departed, the brähmana came to that spot and he found an ankle of the cow. Because he was not supposed to eat any meat, he took the cow’s ankle into the forest and buried it with the plan that he would return in the night, cook it and eat it. When he came back he dug out the cow’s ankle and found to his great surprise that it had turned into onion and garlic.

Haridäsa said that Prabhupäda told the Malhotras that the cow’s hoof transformed to garlic and the ankle became onion; garlic looks like a cow’s hoof, and just as the cow’s ankle has several layers of flesh similarly the onion has several layers and is the color of flesh. He finished the narration by telling them that when you eat garlic it makes a bad smell come in your mouth and when you cut onion it makes tears come out of your eyes. The tears come because the cow was crying that in Kali yuga even the brähmana wants to eat onion.” (Transcendental Diary by Hari Sauri Dasa)

We can see there are different historical references found in the Vedic scriptures. This may raise a question as to which is story is the right one. The answer is, all of them. The central point is, onion and garlic have blood and bones as their origin.

Apart from historical accounts, some Vedic verses directly prohibit consumption of onion and garlic along with other items. The following scriptural reference are taken from  http://www.iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/why-onion-and-garlic-is. The same references are found elsewhere as well.

In the Kurma Purana it is said:  “One should avoid eggplant, plantain, safflower, asmantaka, onion, garlic, sour cereal, and the sap of trees.”

In the Padma Purana, Padma Purana, Brahma Khanda 19.10, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami says:

palandu lasunam sigrum alambum grjanam palam bhunkte yo 
vai naro brahman vratam chandrayanam charet

TRANSLATION: O sages, one who eats garlic, onions, sigrum (a kind of plant), turnips, bottle gourd and meat, that person should observe a chandrayana fast.

Here the recommendation to observe chandrayanda fast is meant for prayaschitta, or atonement. In other words, eating the above items are considered sinful.

Quoting from Kurma purana, Hari Bhakti Vilasa 8.158,159 says:

vrntakam jalisakam kusumbha smantakam tatha
palandu lasunam suklam niryasan chaiva varjayet
grjanam kinsukan chaiva kukundan cha tathaiva cha
udumbaram alavun cha jagdhva patati vai dvijah

TRANSLATION: One should not eat eggplant, banana leaves, sunflower leaves and asmantaka leaves, onions or garlic. One should not eat sour gruel (a thin watery porridge) or the juice of the tree. One should also give up turnips and beetroots, carrots, kinsuka, forest figs, and white pumpkin. If the twice born persons eat these things, they all become fallen.

Garuda Purana 1.96.72 says:

palandulasunadini jagddhva chandrayanam charet 
sraddhe devanpitrnprarcya khadanmamsah na dosabhak

TRANSLATION: By eating garlic and onion one becomes sinful and as atonement one should perform Chandrayana.

Saknda purnana 40.9 says: “Onion, stool-thriving pigs, Selu, garlic, Goplyusa (milk of a cow before the lapse of ten days from calving), Tanduliya (a grain growing in faecal rubbish) and mushrooms- all these are to be avoided.”

Shiva Purana 7.10-12 says: The householder taking the rite shall avoid heavy indigestible pulses like Nispava, Masurika etc., stale food, defiled food, brinjals, gourds, cocoa-nuts, garlic, onion, intoxicating beverages and all kinds of meat.

Padma purana Vol. 42, 4.56.19b-24 says the following:

(But) “he should avoid stalks of lotuses, safflower, gold or silver, onion, garlic, sour gruel, a thick fluid substance; so also chatraka (a kind of mushroom), vidvaraha, greasy milk of a cow during the first seven days of calving, vilaya (a particular product of milk) and mushrooms. By eating the small red variety of garlic, blossoms of kimsuka, a gourd, so also udumbara, bottle-gourd, a twice-born becomes fallen.”

Similarly, Varaha Purana 16.11b-15 advises to avoid the following items in a Sraddha ceremoney: Garlic, onions, globular radish and Karambha (groats or flour mixed with curds), and other articles devoid of smell and with no taste. According to Manu-samhita 5.5, garlic, leeks and onions, mushrooms and (all plants), springing from impure (substances), are unfit to be eaten by twice-born men, and Manu samhita 5.19 declares that a twice-born man who knowingly eats mushrooms, a village-pig, garlic, a village-cock, onions, or leeks, will become an outcaste.

In conclusion, while onion and garlic may have their own benefits, the risk associated with it outweighs the benefits. Those who are practicing spiritual life must refrain from onions and garlic as they simulate sex desires, which is the worst enemy of spiritual progress. Apart from that, as we read above, these alliums are said to have non-veg origins. And on top of all, Vedic scriptures and previous acharyas have prohibited their consumption for aspiring spiritualists.

There was a time when I also ate onions and garlic. Now I don’t. And you know what? I am so happy about it. What do you think? Do you want to give up eating onion and garlic but have difficulty doing so? Find out from others how they did it and hear from them how they too are happy about it. After all, giving up onion and garlic is in the interest of our own health; physical, mental, and spiritual.

Source:http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/good-bad-onion-and-garlic-comprehensive-guide/

Srila Prabhupada: If we simply place ourselves at the lotus feet of Krishna by taking to Krishna consciousness and keeping always in touch with Him by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we need not take much trouble in arranging to return to the spiritual world. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is very easy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.53 Purport)

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31788