Bhaktivedanta Book Trust press release

The award-winning book Vanity Karma: Ecclesiastes, the Bhagavad-gita, and the meaning of life is now available as a high-quality ebook at the Kindle Store, on Google Play, and on iBooks.

What is life for? What may give it meaning? Does it have any meaning at all?

Such questions are independently explored both in the wisdom book Ecclesiastes and in the Bhagavad-gītā. InVanity Karma, wisdom meets wisdom as these two perennial classics come together, uniting in a fascinating exploration.

Jayadvaita Swami, an American monk in the Indian tradition of Krishna spirituality, offers us a deep and authentic spiritual understanding that, we may find, can infuse our lives with meaning and with joy.

“As a scholar of Ecclesiastes, I am deeply impressed with his grasp of the book’s message. I enthusiastically recommend this book to all.” –Tremper Longman III, author of the New International Commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes

Vanity Karma is the winner of the 2016 Benjamin Franklin gold award given by the Independent Book Publishers Association for the year’s best book in the category “Religion.”

Source:http://www.jswami.info/vanity-karma-ebook-announcement/

“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains in his Anubhasya, ‘A person who has attracted the attention of the spiritual master by his sincere service likes to dance and chant with similarly developed Krsna conscious devotees. The spiritual master authorizes such a devotee to deliver fallen souls in all parts of the world. Those who are not advanced prefer to chant the Hare Krsna mantra in a solitary place.’ Such activities constitute, in the language of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, a type of cheating process in the sense that they imitate the activities of exalted personalities like Haridasa Thakura. One should not attempt to imitate such exalted devotees. Rather, everyone should endeavor to preach the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in all parts of the world and thus become successful in spiritual life. One who is not very expert in preaching may chant in a secluded place, avoiding bad association, but for one who is actually advanced, preaching and meeting people who are not engaged in devotional service are not disadvantages. A devotee gives the nondevotees his association but is not affected by their misbehavior. Thus by the activities of a pure devotee even those who are bereft of love of Godhead get a chance to become devotees of the Lord one day.” (Cc Adi 7.92 purport)

Source:http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=11417

Hundreds are expected to attend the upcoming Hare Krishna festival this Friday.

On Friday the Hare Krishna festival will be held at the Fairway Hall, in Brook Close, Borehamwood at 7pm with live music, dance and vegetarian food and is open to the public.

ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and local members of the Hare Krishna movement have teamed up to invite the public to the festivities.

Giridhari Das, a Hare Krishna monk who heads the UK festival team, said: "Probably best known from the Glastonbury Music Festival or for singing in the streets of central London, as the Hare Krishna Festival team we tend to appear all over the place. Whether local carnivals, theatres or town halls we like to be with the people."

The Hare Krishna Movement follows ancient teachings of devotional yoga with roots in the Vedic culture of India, dating back more than 5,000 years.

It became popular in the 1960’s when its message was brought to western countries by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada – an Indian guru, aged 70, who left Vrindavan, India, and set sail for the United States in 1965 with just a few dollars in his pocket.

Within a year of his arrival he set up ISKCON, and today the movement has more than 700 temples and centres worldwide, including 60 farm communities, 50 schools and 90 restaurants.

The Borehamwood festival, and other festivals across the UK this year, is part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Hare Krishna movement.

Nathan Hartley, who looks after PR & Communications at ISKCON Festivals, said: "Our philosophy is very rich and attractive to many people. In a world that’s becoming increasingly competitive, and has people believing they will only be happy through material gain, we are showing a deeply positive alternative.

"The Krishna Consciousness message is for everyone. A universal, non-sectarian message of love, simple living, service and above all – connecting the self with the original spiritual source, Krishna."

Source:http://m.times-series.co.uk/news/14759446.Hundreds_expected_for_the_Hare_Krishna_festival/

A small padayatra was held in Malaysia on August 14th. It was organized by ISKCON Teluk (Mayapur Baru) and commemorated ‘World Holy Name Week’ and ISKCON’s 50th anniversary. Srila Prabhupada visited the town of Teluk Intan located in the Hilir Perak district of Malaysia in 1970. He also visited the Mariamman Temple here. Now, years later it was decided that this temple would be the starting point of the commemorative padayatra.

The padayatra was set to take place at 5:30 pm. There were around 50 devotees gathered at the Mariamman Temple. We also carried a murti i of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. We had organized some media coverage from a local newspaper, ‘Tamil Malar.’ They were meant to cover the event from the beginning but unfortunately, because they had arrived late, it didn’t work out. They did, however; agree to publish the event later after we had completed the walk.

We made our way through housing estates, shops, and suburbs. There were many people who came to watch the procession. It was a happy event for all the devotees, even the children cheerfully carried around the maha-mantra signs. Our padayatris distributed small books, pamphlets, and souvenirs to the public.

At 10:00 pm that evening we ended the padayatra at the temple with puja, kirtana, and prasadam. The devotees that joined the padayatra saw their participation as special mercy. Everyone was happy to have had the opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada.

For more photos click here: https://goo.gl/u9Dea2

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31566

On August 9th at 11am devotees gathered at the Lenasia Civic Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Srila Prabhupada had met the people of Lenasia 41 years ago at this very center. This marked the first padayatra held in the province, and commemorated ISKON’s 50th anniversary as well as ‘National Women’s Day’.

Spreading the word

Once the date was set devotees rallied together to advertise the event –from Facebook to Twitter, to ISKCON newsletters and Sunday Love Feast announcements, everyone was hearing about the padayatra. We also partnered with a local radio station ‘East Wave Radio’ where Isvara Puri Dasa did a live telephonic interview the day before. He featured on the radio station’s ‘Drive Show’ which has a listenership of approximately 500 000 people. On the day of the padayatra I gave a talk on the same radio station during the ‘Breakfast Show.’ Our media partner was local newspaper ‘Southern Globe’ whose papers reach 30 000 people. We had an article and photograph of padayatra featured. In addition to this, devotees distributed pamphlets to houses on the route, surrounding areas and to various temples in Lenasia. We were honored also to have esteemed guests Rama Govinda Swami, Subhag Maharaja and a host of other senior members of ISKCON joining us as well as having the support of the entire community.

Srila Prabhupada’s grand entrance

Cars honked, conches were blown and devotees sang and danced. A murti of His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada was transported in a luxury Mercedes-Benz from the temple to the Civic Centre. He was welcomed by over 200 enthusiastic people who had all gathered to celebrate the momentous occasion. Srila Prabhupada was seated a top a vyasasana made especially for him which, fit snugly into the back of a pick- up truck. He was escorted throughout the entire padayatra by five police vehicles.

Speeches, kirtana, sweets and arati

We had arranged for two guest speakers to give inaugural speeches: Nandarani Dasi spoke on behalf of ISKCON and Mrs. LucySigaban, a female community leader in the Gauteng Province, also spoke. The speeches commemorated ‘National Women’s Day’ and ISKCON’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. The formalities also included an invocation by Vishnu Dasa and an arati conducted by both Rama Govinda Swami and Subhag Maharaja. After the ceremonials padayatra made its way down Rose Avenue escorted by street marshals and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officials. The local devotee ‘youth group’ performed kirtana throughout the walk. During the padayatra, we distributed sweetmeats, fruits and books to the public. We made our first stop at the ‘Shree Rameshwar Mahadev Mandir’ where Pundit Girish Bhai conducted arati. The procession then made its way to Rose Park where a team of devotees had already set up distributing sumptuous prasadam to the public.

Who is that?

During the padayatra, people would often ask us about Srila Prabhupada. They wanted to know why he was sitting and not saying anything, and others wanted to know if they could touch his feet. We took this as a good opportunity to explain to people about Srila Prabhupada. The sun was blazing but with a cool breeze accompanying it, the procession kept moving. It was a joyous walk with many African people joining us; they sang, danced and jumped in ecstasy as they all tried to get some mercy. We ended the padayatra at the park with Nrishmadev prayers. Devotees then settled down on the grass and took the prasadam that was being served. We thank the devotees and public for their participation in making this a successful event.

For more photos click here: https://goo.gl/4thTYo

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31571

A recently published news story quickly caught my attention. It suggested that there are principally four types of personalities. After carrying out a research project of its own style, researchers in Spain have concluded that the four distinct personality types are: Optimistic, Pessimistic, Envious, and Trusting. They also suggested there is a fifth one but the computer algorithm they used couldn’t accurately identify it. What I found interesting was the concept of four types of personalities, something that is elaborately and authoritatively explained in the Vedic scriptures as Varnashrama dharma.

“A study on human behavior has revealed that 90% of the population can be classified into four basic personality types: Optimistic, Pessimistic, Trusting and Envious. However, the latter of the four types, Envious, is the most common, with 30% compared to 20% for each of the other groups. This is one of the main conclusions of a study recently published in the journal, Science Advances by researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, together with colleagues from the universities of Barcelona, Rovira i Virgili and Zaragoza. The study analyzed the responses of 541 volunteers to hundreds of social dilemmas, with options leading to collaboration or conflict with others, based on individual or collective interests.” (A study on human behavior has identified four basic personality types)

Four types of personalities

If you know about Varnashrama dharma you may immediately react saying this findings has hardly anything to do with Varnashrama; more specifically the four varnas. This is largely true in that Varnashrama dharma talks of four distinct types of people with specific sets of qualities while this research talks only about total four qualities. This in itself is a huge difference and shows how Varnashrama dharma is much more scientific, versatile and meaningful. The other reason that makes this research practically worthless is, as usual, their conclusion is based on a survey conducted on mere 541 volunteers out of more than a billion on the planet.

However, there is a reason to talk about this particular research; four types of personalities. By personality, they are basically referring to class of people as qualities or attitude is what defines a person’s character. Obviously the four qualities they have come up with, namely, Optimistic, Pessimistic, Trusting and Envious, are among the characteristics of human beings but to divide human temperaments into this four is too limiting and far from perceivable reality.

Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 4.13 that He, the Supreme Lord, has divided human society in four varnas and four ashramas according to their qualities and work.

chatur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram avyayam

TRANSLATION: According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable. (B.G. 4.13).

In verse 18.41, Lord Krishna again speaks about this:

brahmana-ksatriya-visham shudranam cha paran-tapa
karmani pravibhaktani svabhava-prabhavair gunaiḥ

TRANSLATION: Brahmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaishyas and shudras are distinguished by the qualities born of their own natures in accordance with the material modes, O chastiser of the enemy.

Although modern society tends to reject Varnashrama dharma in the name of rejecting caste system based on birthrights, Varnashrama dharma is actually based on guna (qualities) and karma (work) as mentioned in the verse above. Besides, simply by passing legislation we cannot change the laws of Nature. Accept or not, the four varnas, or the four fundamental classes of people; brahmanas (intelligent class), kshatriya (administrative class), vaishya (mercantile class), and shudra (working class) always exist regardless of what we name it. Similarly the four ashramas: brahmachari (students), grihastha, (householders), vanaprastha (retired), and sannyasa (renunciants) always exist.

Moreover, Bhagavad Gita clearly names the qualities with which each of the four classes of people operate:

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness—these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work. Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the ksatriyas. Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaishyas, and for the shudras there is labor and service to others.” (B.G. 14.42-44)

Just as modern science is slowly getting closer to Vedic science and realizing that, apart from ours, there are other civilizations in the universe, researchers in other faculties have also begun to understand that human psychology, astrology, medical science and even military arts explained in Vedic scriptures is not only authentic but far more superior to what we have today. It is only the good fortune of mankind that the original teachings of Vedic scriptures is still available to us. The fact that many researchers and psychologists are lately talking about four types of personalities is a step forward in understanding Vedic concept of four classes of human beings.

Source:http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/researchers-get-closer-understanding-varnashrama-dharma/

One of the highlights for me at the recent Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat was an instruction on mantra meditation. It was spoken by Sacinandana Swami in reference to the Gayatri Mantras that are chanted when one receives advanced initiation in the practice of Bhakti Yoga, but it’s a guide that can be applied to any mantra meditation practice: “Don’t starve your mantras”
Our devotional yoga involves the chanting of many mantras, the main one being the Hare Krishna mantra. A successful chanting practice needs both regulation and attention. When we neglect either of those, the mantra becomes weak and has little or no impact in our efforts for transcendence.
When we skip days in our practice, sometimes chanting, sometimes not, we are starving our mantras. When we chant mindlessly, just getting the prescribed number of mantras done, without attention or emotion, we are starving our mantras.
When we starve the mantras they leave us.
They will also come back to us, to our life, when we give them time and attention. The mantras themselves don’t need anything, they are transcendental sound vibrations, but will not work without our participation. If we chant with committed regulation, and chant with deliberate attention, they have the potency to shift our lives to higher ways of thinking and being. The sound purifies, frees our mind from misery and reawakens our original love for Krishna. This is their magic, the gift they give to us.
So don’t starve your mantras. Give them the time and attention then need, which is really the time and attention you need.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31579

Sacinandana Swami: As practitioners that chant the holy name we all know how difficult it is to connect the mind with the holy name because by definition, the mind is only able to grasp material things. The mind can think of holidays at the beach or any other material subject. It is especially attracted to think about how to increase one’s wealth and how to engage in sexual activities. These are things we can easily think about because the mind is shaped like this. It wraps itself around money and the opposite sex very easily; it’s made like this, it’s a perfect material match. but the mind has great difficulty to stay with Krishna. Since we have come to the world, this is our problem: we have turned our back to Kåñëa, and this bahir-mukha, being outwardly faced, especially manifests when we try to chant the holy names. In other words, our basic envy of god, our feeling ill at ease with the lord manifests to a very obvious degree when we chant the holy name.
As long as you turn away from Krishna, you cannot chant his holy name. You can try to concentrate, but after some time you can’t stay with it any longer. The mind will go back to the material subjects it is made for. Chanting the holy name is therefore only possible if you turn back to Krishna, in other words, if you chant with a sense of a relationship. Therefore we say during kirtana, when you chant – call out for Krishna! Without overcoming this tendency to turn away from Krishna there is no way that you will learn to chant Hare Krishna There is no way if you remain a bahir-mukha, an outward looking person. You can make kirtana which has a nice melody or rhythm or which is sung by a nice voice, but after some time you will give it up. You will switch it off like you switch off music that you have heard for too long. Only if you learn to get away from these external distractions, only if you learn to chant with your heart for Krishna, you will chant throughout the evening and the night. It’s that serious. You have to become a god-lover in order to love the holy name, or you have to love the holy name in order to love Krishna When we talk of the holy name, we talk of a love affair with god. Just as a lover will always think of the beloved, the devotee who engages with the holy name will always think of Krishna and therefore he will repeat the names of the Lord again and again. It will not be mindless repetition; it will be a loving journey. So this one offence, turning away from Krishna, is the root cause of all other obstacles. It is the primeval disease. Haridasa Thakura says about this, “Even if one successfully overcomes all the other offences in chanting and even if one chants the name continuously, prema or love may still not appear. The reason for this is that if one commits the offence known as pramada or inattention the progress to prema will be blocked.” (Hari-nama-cintamani, ch. 12) You may respect the devotees, you may respect lord Vishnu, you may respect your guru, you may respect the sastra, you may do all the other things, but as long as you have still turned your back to Krishna and are not thinking of Krishna while you do all the other things, you are still in the material world. Therefore, you must turn to Krishna, you must correct this one primeval, original problem of turning away from Krishna

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31579

Q: You mentioned in your video, diksha refers to getting the mantra and shiksa refers to getting instructions on how to chant it…

Dīkṣā means acceptance into the educational process (aka “sādhana”) of a given school. This acceptance is accomplished by giving the student the school’s study materials (mantra and śāstra)

Q: We already got the mantra from some devotee, we may not even remember whom. Would a formal initiation ceremony benefit us?

Hearing a mantra from someone on the sidewalk is a haphazard dīkṣā at best. Real dīkṣā should be intentional. The person giving it should be recognized by the school as worthy of evaluating whether a candidate is worthy of being inducted into the school. And the induction should be done deliberately.

Just hearing a mantra doesn’t mean I am inducted into the school that uses the mantra. Induction into a school involves being given their mantras, but simply hearing their mantras doesn’t mean you have been inducted into their school.

Q: Siksha guru plays more significant role than diksha guru?

Dīkṣā is the beginning of śīkṣā. The aren’t two different things, and generally its best if the dīkṣā guru is also the primary śīkṣā guru.

But if for some reason the primary śikṣā guru is different from the dīkṣā guru, then yes, the śīkṣā guru is practically more important – for dīkṣā is the beginning of śīkṣā, śīkṣā is the main process, dīkṣā is the beginning (“initiation”) of it.

Q: In the current scenario, the siksha gurus who guide us daily are mostly not authorized by the ISKCON institution to give diksha. In this case, should one aspire to receive dīkṣā initiation from the diksha guru of one’s siksha guru, based on the assumption that since his siksha guru is so great, the diksha guru must be great as well – because a deer cannot give birth to a lion?

If you feel that a person represents a school very authentically and deeply, and want to be joined to the school via that person – but that school (or a branch of it in this case)  does not agree that the person is worthy – you will have to figure out who is wrong: you or the branch of the school. Either your opinion of that person is wrong, or your opinion of the value of that school-branch is wrong. If you decide that the branch is wrong, then leave the branch. If you decide the person is wrong, leave the person. If the person will not induct / “initiate” you, then ask that person what to do (after all, you are their student).

Q: The diksha gurus authorized by ISKCON are often too busy having thousands of disciples, and may not have time to talk to his disciples directly. Most of the instruction comes through others, the councillors or siksha gurus. In such a situation, how will the formalities of initiation help a practicing devotee?

If the dīkṣā guru is authorized by an empowered branch of the school to accept you as a member of the school, then you are accepted. If that dīkṣā guru is too busy to instruct you carefully he or she would assign you to an appropriate śīkṣā guru, and would not interfere with the instruction you receive there, knowing his practical limitations. If he or she does not entrust you into the care of a śikṣā guru then the dīkṣā guru is not sincere, for they do not truly desire to benefit the disciple.

Such people should be corrected, and if that is impossible, they should be renounced.

Q: Can one person have more than one guru?

An individual should accept one school, or at least one at a time. It generally difficult to attend two schools simultaneously. Therefore there should be need for only one successful dīkṣā (per school, at least) So, basically, there should only be one dīkṣā guru per disciple. But everyone in the universe and everything should become our śikṣā guru. We should have multiple śīkṣā gurus, infinite śikṣā gurus, but there should be order and priority amongst them. The dīkṣā guru would ideally be the śīkṣā guru of highest order and priority. Others further along in our own school are other high-priority śīkṣā gurus. Others from other schools, or just random people and animals are also śīkṣā gurus, but their teachings are understood in context of the teachings of the higher-priority śikṣā gurus.

Śrī Krishna Dās Kavirāja therefore says, “vande ‘haṁ śrī guroḥ, śrī guruṁ vaiṣṇavamś ca” which means “Obeisance to my guru (singular, dīkṣā guru), and also to my gurus (plural, śikṣā gurus), especially the Vaiṣṇavas (the highest-priority śikṣā gurus).

Source:https://vicd108.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/important-questions-about-gurus/

More than 2,000 people gathered for the Rath Yatra festival Sept. 17 at the Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago as part of the national kickoff celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna Movement.

Prior to the advent of ISKCON movement Jagannath and the “Ratha Yatra” were relatively unknown in the West. However, after its founding, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, founder of ISKCON popularized the festival when he selected Jagannath as one of the chosen forms of Krishna, installing an idol of Jagannath in ISKCON temples around the world. Today the “Ratha Yatra” festival is celebrated by ISKCON in many cities in the West where they are popular attractions.

The yatra, or the parade, which started from Clark and Adams streets, featured a colorful 40-foot chariot decorated with thousands of flowers, with “Lord Jagannath” the presiding deity of the festival placed in the center.

Hundreds of devotees, pulled the chariot by hand across large city blocks, dancing, playing drums and cymbals and euphorically chanting the mantra “Hare Krishna Hare Rama.” It was an eye-catching spectacle as many Chicagoans watched the procession and took to their phones to capture pictures.

The yatra concluded in Daley Plaza where religious ceremonies were performed by Romapada Swami and included arti, and food offering of 56 items to Lord Jagannath prior to the commencement of a free fun-filled afternoon for families which included a spectacular kirtan, devotional singing performance by Gauravani Buchwald; classical Odisi by Sigma, and performances by Natya Dance Theater depicting the stories of Sri Krishna.

Romapada Swami, member of governing body commission of ISKCON and Chicago area dignitaries – Clerk of Cook County, Dorothy Brown, Chicago 49th District Alderman Joe Moore, and Chicago philanthropist and trustee of FIA Chicago Iftekar Shareef, spoke about the impact of the “Hare Krishna” movement in the their state, district and personal lives.

Romapada Swami talked to Desi Talk Chicago in an interview about ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary and the organization’s vast growth and goals for the next 50 years.
“Two things are very important to highlight, when an organization endures for 50 years, at least here in America, it is taken as We are here to stay because often times after a great personality establishes an organization and passes away, things change. Here in ISKCON there is still a continuation and growth. For us the 50th anniversary is a time for celebration and communication.

The communication part is the “Rath Yatra” which is a message of the mercy of Lord Jagannath for everybody. Just like in celebrations in Puri, our founder very much wanted this Rath Yatra all over the world so that people can experience his mercy and so here we are; we need to celebrate the mercy of Lord Jagannath being given to millions across the world, ” said Romapada.

“There are areas of the world where ISKCON is expanding explosively and when an organization expands so vastly, my personal concern as a leader is making sure we are maintaining the purity of the principles and teachings through the Bhagavad Gita and teachings of Prabhupada and then surely everything will be fine” commented Romapada.

The Daley center was surrounded by booths providing information on topics such as Sri Krishna, ISCKON vegetarianism, reincarnation, meditation, yoga, handicrafts, idols of worship, and henna application. There was also an activity center, especially for children where they could make arts and crafts related to Sri Krishna.
“ Although I am not a member of ISKCON I wanted to bring my children to see and learn all about our culture, and it was great fun for them, I hope that this will make them more inclined to learn about our culture and religion ” shared one of the attendees.

The 50th anniversary celebrations will continue later this year with Rath Yatra parades in cities worldwide, including San Francisco, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, London, and Paris, and gala events at the Sydney Opera House, European Parliament, and other major venues.

Source:http://www.newsindiatimes.com/iskcons-50th-anniversary-rath-yatra-attracts-thousands-in-chicago

"A natural human sentiment, compassion finds its highest expression in the works of devotees of the Lord.
The tenderness of the heart experienced toward Krishna is known as bhakti. All other jivas are servants of Krishna. When one experiences tenderness of heart toward them, it is known as daya, compassion. Therefore, compassion is included within bhakti."

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Jaiva Dharma, p. 179

I was aware of the concept of compassion before I met Srila Prabhupada. While studying at Brooklyn College, I took a philosophy course in which we studied the writings of Bertrand Russell. In particular, I remember how he presented Nietzsche in comparison to Buddha. He gave a synopsis of Buddha's philosophy, compared it to Nietzsche's approach to humankind, and said in effect, "Which do you think is better?" Russell was obviously taken with Buddha's compassion for living beings, and considered a Buddha superior to a philosopher who worked with humanity as an idea. That was my introduction to how compassion was meant to be a heartfelt sentiment.

Just before I entered the Navy, I went to Confession at a Staten Island church. I told the priest I had begun to doubt the sacrament of Confession. When he invited me to meet him at the rectory, I poured out my concerns - the injustice whites were perpetrating against blacks, the senseless Korean War, and the complete materialism of standard American values.

The priest said simply, "I see you have a lot of love in you."

I was flattered, but I knew what I was really saying: How could a loving God allow so many injustices in the world? I was losing faith. The world seemed cold-hearted, competition- based, and loveless. Most of my friends agreed with this analysis. Thinking back, I see now that the priest was acknowledging my sentiment but recognizing that I had no idea how to express my love properly.

Being in the Navy did not help develop such sentiments. Upon discharge, I accepted a job in the Welfare Department. This is usually considered a compassionate field. I didn't take the position because I felt any particular sentiment for the poor, however; rather, I took it because it was an easy job for a college graduate to get.

There were people working in the Welfare Department who actually cared about their clients, but I saw right away that such concern was difficult to maintain. So many of these clients were simply trying to beat the system; few of them were interested in improving their lives. Many used the money to buy alcohol or drugs or engage in activities that degraded them. I felt my heart grow hard while working with those people. I think what really affected me was that there was no way out for them. The welfare system provided only a subsistence lifestyle, and many of these people were genuinely needy. It was going to take more than a new refrigerator or a few dollars to lift them out of both their poverty and the mentality that prevented them from being able to do more with their lives.

I could see that the Welfare Department was bailing a boat with a leaky bucket. My experience is probably common in the professionally compassionate fields. Later, I would hear Prabhupada quote Vidyapati in another context: When you are dying of thirst in a desert, what good is one drop of water? I realized early that I could make no real impact on my clients' lives, and that material welfare work could not lift these people above their suffering.

Diminishing Compassion

Later, in 1966, I broke my heels in a fall and was confined to bed for six weeks. I used the time to read books on Eastern philosophy and religion, including the Upanishads and other Vedic books, and books on Buddhism. I still remember one book in particular - The Compassionate Buddha - because I liked the idea of being compassionate. Although selfishness is a natural characteristic of conditioned souls in Kali-yuga, few of us are born without a natural sense of compassion. Still, Srila Prabhupada states that that natural compassion is becoming more and more covered in this age:

But in this age - it is called Kali-yuga - we are reducing our bodily strength, our memory, power of memorizing, our feelings of sympathy for others, compassion, age, duration of life, religious propensities. ...Formerly if somebody is attacked by another man, many persons will come to help him: "Why is this man attacked?" But at the present moment if one man is attacked, the passersby will not care for it because they have lost their sympathy or mercifulness for others. Our neighbor may starve, but we don't care for it. This is Kali-yuga." New Vrindaban, September 2, 1972

Even those who manage to retain their compassionate sentiments into adulthood are deluged by the media with images of suffering. Gradually, we become jaded, our sentiments dulled. It is normal to hear that fifty thousand were killed here, twenty thousand there, two million in such-and-such earthquake, ten thousand homeless from such-and-such flood - again and again and again - and all of it is horrible. We are helpless in the light of so much suffering. Over time, we back away from the world's pain to experience or sidestep the suffering we can find in our own backyards. It just seems too much to try for more.

When I met Srila Prabhupada, I came to understand real compassion. I also came to understand how truly rare a compassionate person is. Compassion is not a material quality but an extension of our spiritual consciousness. The dictionary defines it as "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune, accompanied by a desire to alleviate the pain or remove its cause." Synonyms: commiseration, tenderness, heart, clemency. Antonyms: mercilessness, indifference.

Sympathy: "Harmony of or agreement in feeling, as between persons or on the part of one person with respect to another; a quality of mutual relations between people or things whereby whatever affects one also affects the other; the ability to share the feelings of another, esp. in sorrow or trouble; compassion or commiseration; sympathies: feelings or impulses of compassion."

Here is a list of Sanskrit terms that further divide the sentiments of compassion:

Anukampana: sympathy, compassion

Anugraha: favor, kindness, conferring benefits upon, promoting the good objective of, gracious toward

Karuna: compassion; the pathetic sentiment in poetry

Kripa: compassion accompanied by tenderness, pity (kripalu); specifically refers to compassion expressed toward those whom one knows

Daya: widespread or generalized feelings of mercy or sympathy. (In the Bhagavatam, Daya is the daughter of Daksha (Expertise) and the mother of Abhaya (Fearlessness).)

The Compassion Of Great Souls

Compassion means we think beyond our own troubles and feel sympathy and heartfelt sorrow for the troubles of others. There are those who are compassionate toward those they know - their friends, relatives, countrymen, or fellow religionists; and there are those great souls who are compassionate toward all spirit souls. Prabhupada was such a great soul. Prabhupada's heart bled to see our suffering, and he dedicated his life to helping us overcome it. What makes him rarer still is that not only was he willing to dedicate his life to alleviating our pain; he actually knew the panacea.

And he asked us to repay him by helping those whom we met.

But what if we don't share the depth of his compassion? What if we don't feel any compassion at all? We can still enlist in his mission. By working for someone compassionate, we can develop compassion. By serving others, and by serving Srila Prabhupada's compassionate heart, we can give up selfishness and become big-hearted.

Some devotees may hear this and wonder how this could be true. If Srila Prabhupada began a compassionate movement, and if we have been working for him all these years, why didn't we become compassionate? Or perhaps it can be argued that we did become compassionate, but only toward those who had not yet contacted Krishna consciousness. But why didn't our compassion spill over in our relationships with other devotees?

I won't pretend to have the single answer to that question, but I think it is healthy to ask it. There was a time in ISKCON when we presumed we were the most compassionate people in the world; after all, we were distributing the Hare Krishna mantra, the greatest benediction ever to be given to humankind. The scriptures define Krishna consciousness as the best welfare work for humanity. It is supposed to be better than the Peace Corps, better than the Cancer Research Society - better than any other idea anyone else has ever had about how to free people from suffering. Krishna consciousness is also universal, and there is nothing to bar anyone from taking part. It is sarvatra sarvada, suitable to be practiced in all times, all places, and under all circumstances. Srila Prabhupada writes:

Men do not know that the ultimate goal of life is Vishnu … due to being bewildered by the glaring reflection in the darkness, and as such everyone is entering into the darkest region of material existence, driven by the uncontrolled senses. The whole material existence has sprung up because of sense gratification … principally … sex desire, and the result is that in spite of all advancement of knowledge, the final goal of all the activities of the living entities is sense gratification… . Universal consciousness is factually achieved by coordinated service of all concerned to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that alone can insure total perfection. Therefore even the great scientists, the great philosophers, the great mental speculators, the great politicians, the great industrialists, the great social reformers, etc., cannot give any relief to the restless society of the material world because they do not know the secret of success … namely, that one must know the mystery of bhakti- yoga… . The Srimad-Bhagavatam therefore says again and again that without attainment of the status of bhakti-yoga, all the activities of human society are to be considered absolute failures only.

—Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.36, Purport

That we have such a great, compassionate gift to offer others, however, does not mean that we are ourselves the most compassionate of workers. It also does not mean that those who are working in less glorious ways but who are giving more selflessly of themselves are not expressing compassion. In fact, they may be expressing more compassion toward others than we are. Many grassroots workers in this world sacrifice their lives for their chosen causes, even though those causes may offer only temporary relief to those whom they are trying to help. What could be motivating them except a sense of compassion? Still, we devotees tend to think we are better simply because we have access to the highest welfare.

Real compassion is not achieved automatically upon joining the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Compassion is not a line of work but an expansion of heart. Srila Prabhupada genuinely understood the suffering of material life and the pain of rebirth. He knew and taught his followers that only by awakening the people’s dormant Krishna consciousness could they be freed from the cycle of birth and death. It is not enough, he said, to alleviate people’s material hunger and thirst. It is not enough to alleviate their suffering for this lifetime only. He wanted his followers to save not only the drowning man’s coat but the drowning man himself.

Source:http://www.krishna.com/vaishnava-compassion

Bhakta Priya Devi Dasi: Dear devotees and friends, I urgently need your prayers! My husband, Jagajivan Das is in intensive care, in a critical condition. His heart is giving up. The doctor said that he can leave his body any moment. But we all know how powerful Vaisnava prayers could be. Miracles can happened and he still can pull through. There is still a chance for him to recover. I beg you at your feet to pray for him. Your humble servant, Bhakta Priya dd

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31589

More than 2,000 people gathered for the Rath Yatra festival Sept. 17 at the Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago as part of the national kickoff celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna Movement.

Prior to the advent of ISKCON movement Jagannath and the “Ratha Yatra” were relatively unknown in the West. However, after its founding, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, founder of ISKCON popularized the festival when he selected Jagannath as one of the chosen forms of Krishna, installing an idol of Jagannath in ISKCON temples around the world. Today the “Ratha Yatra” festival is celebrated by ISKCON in many cities in the West where they are popular attractions.

The yatra, or the parade, which started from Clark and Adams streets, featured a colorful 40-foot chariot decorated with thousands of flowers, with “Lord Jagannath” the presiding deity of the festival placed in the center.

Hundreds of devotees, pulled the chariot by hand across large city blocks, dancing, playing drums and cymbals and euphorically chanting the mantra “Hare Krishna Hare Rama.” It was an eye-catching spectacle as many Chicagoans watched the procession and took to their phones to capture pictures.

The yatra concluded in Daley Plaza where religious ceremonies were performed by Romapada Swami and included arti, and food offering of 56 items to Lord Jagannath prior to the commencement of a free fun-filled afternoon for families which included a spectacular kirtan, devotional singing performance by Gauravani Buchwald; classical Odisi by Sigma, and performances by Natya Dance Theater depicting the stories of Sri Krishna.

Romapada Swami, member of governing body commission of ISKCON and Chicago area dignitaries – Clerk of Cook County, Dorothy Brown, Chicago 49th District Alderman Joe Moore, and Chicago philanthropist and trustee of FIA Chicago Iftekar Shareef, spoke about the impact of the “Hare Krishna” movement in the their state, district and personal lives.

Romapada Swami talked to Desi Talk Chicago in an interview about ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary and the organization’s vast growth and goals for the next 50 years.
“Two things are very important to highlight, when an organization endures for 50 years, at least here in America, it is taken as We are here to stay because often times after a great personality establishes an organization and passes away, things change. Here in ISKCON there is still a continuation and growth. For us the 50th anniversary is a time for celebration and communication.

The communication part is the “Rath Yatra” which is a message of the mercy of Lord Jagannath for everybody. Just like in celebrations in Puri, our founder very much wanted this Rath Yatra all over the world so that people can experience his mercy and so here we are; we need to celebrate the mercy of Lord Jagannath being given to millions across the world, ” said Romapada.

“There are areas of the world where ISKCON is expanding explosively and when an organization expands so vastly, my personal concern as a leader is making sure we are maintaining the purity of the principles and teachings through the Bhagavad Gita and teachings of Prabhupada and then surely everything will be fine” commented Romapada.

The Daley center was surrounded by booths providing information on topics such as Sri Krishna, ISCKON vegetarianism, reincarnation, meditation, yoga, handicrafts, idols of worship, and henna application. There was also an activity center, especially for children where they could make arts and crafts related to Sri Krishna.
“ Although I am not a member of ISKCON I wanted to bring my children to see and learn all about our culture, and it was great fun for them, I hope that this will make them more inclined to learn about our culture and religion ” shared one of the attendees.

The 50th anniversary celebrations will continue later this year with Rath Yatra parades in cities worldwide, including San Francisco, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, London, and Paris, and gala events at the Sydney Opera House, European Parliament, and other major venues.

I found today’s blog in a shop window. ‘Give Presence’, the sign said. How clever I thought. In the gifting season of the year, the greatest gift of all is the gift of our presence, on all levels. Whether it is being present in a conversation, being present with our meditation, being present while driving – what does ‘being present’ or ‘giving presence’ mean?

It’s simply ‘being with’. Not half being with, not almost being with, but fully being with. We can’t do this all the time, but we surely must have good doses of it throughout the day.

In our spiritual practice presence is essential. In Bhakti the goal is to be fully present in our relationship with Krishna. Fully present especially when we are directly serving Him – chanting on beads, singing in kirtan, studying the teachings, serving the Deity. It seems so easy but it’s often not. And here’s why.

We are spiritual in origin but we are covered by layers of material nature. First by the outer body and then by the subtle body (mind, intelligence, and false ego). This material nature, called maya or ‘that which is not’, is such a powerful illusion that it takes all our energy to remove ourselves from it. It’s like swimming upstream. It’s difficult to distinguish the body from the soul.

So when we come to our chanting or offering prayers we need to consciously work at being present. First we still our body and call it to be quiet. It could be how we sit, or where we chant, or how we breath. Then we face the mind and that’s where the real work begins. We basically live in our mind and it’s restless. Arjuna in the Gita calls the mind “restless, turbulent, and more difficult to control than the wind.”

Those of us who meditate every day know this. The mind can visit the world while we sit in one place. The mind can be totally thinking of other things while we chant Krishna’s name. We will travel down the labyrinthine ways of our mind endlessly, being more present in our mind than the spiritual practice at hand.

So when we talk of presence we speak of mindfulness, or bringing the mind to the present moment. For a devotee of Krishna, mindfulness means bringing the mind to Krishna. It means leaving this world behind and placing ourselves in Krishna’s world. It means filling our mind with the beauty and truth of that sweet Lord. It means controlling the mind by filling the mind with Krishna, leaving no space for anything else.

To be fully present, to give presence in Krishna consciousness, is to love. It is to love and be loved and to be absorbed in that exchange with Krishna. To be so fully caught in it that nothing can distract us from drawing our mind o the object of our love, like rivers moving to the sea. We can experience this to some extent in this world – a mother to her child, or new young lovers to one another. Bhakti invites us to enter that feeling with Krishna. To get there we have to practice first, while in the end it will be spontaneous – a love that cannot be stopped. A mind full of love.

Give presence this season. Give presence every day. Give presence to the most important person in your life, Krishna. It is the best gift you can give yourself and others.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/give-presence/

Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has received the Green Apple Awards for Built Environment and Architectural Heritage Award 2016 in UK.

The award, instituted by the Green Organisation, UK, was received by Radha Mohan Prabhu on behalf of GEV for its green building initiatives at a function held recently at London in UK, a release said here today. Spread across 100 acres, GEV is a sustainable farming community and retreat centre located near Mumbai. 

ISKCON Spiritual Leader Radhanath Swami Maharaj said, "ISKCON's GEV is one such initiative where 100 per cent recycling is demonstrated. Everything that is produced is consumed and recycled into bio-reusable material." 

On the occasion, GEV was also honoured as the International Green World Ambassador, the release said.

Set up in 1994, the Green Organisation is an independent, non-profit, non-political, environment group, dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting best environmental practice around the world.