ISKCON of Soho St, London and Bhaktivedanta Manor have been setting the standard and celebrating ISKCON 50 in style this July – the month when in 1966 Srila Prabhupada incorporated his society.

On Saturday July 2nd, performing arts group “Something Spiritual” put on “Departing for the West,” a spectacular production depicting the life and struggles of Srila Prabhupada with a cast and crew of sixty-five young people at Harrow Arts Centre.

The performance told an epic story, showing Srila Prabhupada’s entire life starting as a child in Calcutta, then a young man meeting his spiritual master, braving the Jaladuta steamship to the USA, and establishing ISKCON in New York; all the way through the rapid expansion of his movement and even his glorious passing from this world.

An audience of 400 was moved to tears by Milan Parmar’s performance as Srila Prabhupada and those of the cast around him. “The response was extremely encouraging,” says director Abhisekh Joshi. “This is just the beginning of an era which will help conquer Britain through drama as Srila Prabhupada said. This is just the beginning of Something Spiritual.”

Jahnavi Harrison leads the chanting at Soho St temple's London Mellows

Next from July 9th through 10th, the Radha Krishna Temple on London’s Soho St held its first ever Kirtan Mela, “London Mellows.” Devotees from all over the country as well as interested members of the public, making up a total of about 500 participants, chanted the Holy Names from 10am until 10pm each day.

The unique offering saw 50 Hare Krishna melodies for ISKCON 50 being recorded professionally for Radha Krishna Records, which will release it as a double album for Radha Londonisvara’s 47th anniversary in November.

Chanters included Jayadeva Das, who used his famous technique to turn the audience into a “Mantra Choir;” Radha Krishna temple president Jaya Nitai Das, who led a group of devotees he is mentoring in a classic Srila Prabhupada melody from the 1970s; recording artist Ananda Monet; Kirtan London’s Jahnavi Harrison; and local favorite Radha Londonisvara Das. Many children also performed, singing their hearts out individually or with their families.

Electronic drum loops, bass guitar, Spanish guitar and saxophone added some spice to the proceedings, especially in the evening when things got groovy and everyone danced until they were exhausted but ecstatic.

“This is an offering to Srila Prabhupada for the 50th anniversary of his movement,” temple president Jaya Nitai told the crowd. Organizer Gopibhava Dasi adds, “It was beautiful, to offer continuous kirtan to Radha Londonisvara and Srila Prabhupada for twelve hours a day. We plan to do it every year from now on.”

 5,000 ISKCON 50 cupcakes were distributed to say 'Thank you London!' on Incorporation Day

Meanwhile on July 13th, the actual day of ISKCON’s incorporation back in 1966, devotees distributed 5,000 cupcakes decorated with the ISKCON 50 logo and the words ‘Hare Krishna’ to commuters. Recipients included the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the effort was covered on BBC News.

On the same day at Bhaktivedanta Manor, Yogesvara Das, author of the new authorized Prabhupada biography “Swami in a Strange Land,” spoke on the importance of the day and the depth of Prabhupada’s sacrifice. He emphasized the timelessness of Prabhupada’s message and its relevance today on issues such as global warming, the peace process, and genetically modifying nature.

Srila Prabhupada's disciples gather around a commemorative plaque in the new guru-disciple garden at Bhaktivedanta Manor

Incorporation Day celebrations also included a beautiful performance on Prabhupada’s life by gurukula students, heartfelt speeches of gratitude from senior devotees, and offering gurupuja and 108 dishes to Srila Prabhupada in his personal quarters at the Manor.

On July 16th, the murti of Srila Prabhupada was carried out onto the grounds of Bhaktivedanta Manor to view the opening of a gorgeous new garden dedicated to the ISKCON founder and his disciples. The garden includes an elegant fountain and arches, as well as rocks engraved with the defining qualities of the guru-disciple relationship such as enquiry, homage, service, shelter and realization.

 Rathayatra, Srila Prabhupada's favorite festival as a child, comes to London

In their speeches, Manor president Srutidharma Das and Prabhupada disciples Kripamoya Das and Yogesvara Das all spoke about how apt it was for a garden to commemorate the guru-disciple relationship. They compared traits of good gardners, like attentiveness, patience and hard work, to those of good disciples, and likened ISKCON to a sequoia tree in the garden, whose seed had been planted by Prabhupada and whose disciples were the branches that spread the philosophy around the world.

Then, as Jahnavi Harrison sang verses from Guru Vandana, a black and gold plaque was revealed, reading: “Celebrating 50 years of ISKCON: This garden is dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his disciples, who spread the teachings of Lord Krishna throughout the world.”

Finally, on July 17th, a huge and highly successful Rathayatra festival was held in London, with about 4,000 people participating in Lord Jagannath’s parade from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, 12,000 plates of prasadam distributed, multiple lively kirtans, and entertaining stage performances.

Each of the three chariots carrying Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra carried the ISKCON 50 logo, there were ISKCON 50 booths with literature to raise awareness of ISKCON amongst the public, and ISKCON 50 was also the main theme onstage. The festival was another ideal offering to Srila Prabhupada on this occasion, as he famously grew up celebrating Rathayatra as a child and it was one of his favorite festivals that he brought to the West.

Even after all this, the UK’s ISKCON 50 celebrations are not over yet. There will be a 50th anniversary book distribution marathon from July 18th to 29th, an Open Day to encourage the public to find out more about Krishna consciousness on July 30th, and a grand finale Kirtan on the Thames on July 31st. 

Source:http://iskconnews.org/london-celebrates-iskcon-50,5699/#

Throughout our lives, we benefit from the selfless gifts of our spiritual master. He teaches us things so essential that we forget that there was a time when we did not know them. He shapes us in ways so fundamental that we could not be called human without them. He gives us gifts so profound—protection, wisdom, love, and life itself—that there is no way to measure their value. He cleans up our mistakes, looks after us even when we want to avoid him, and speaks the truth even when we would rather not hear it.
Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29694

Srila Prabhupada: “Write a letter to the Coca-Cola company and propose that they change the name of their drink to ‘Enjoy Hare Krishna’ 
Danavir Goswami: Prabhupada spoke to guests at the Sunday night programs. At the end of his lecture he asked if there were any questions, and one old lady cried out, "Why have you come so late?”
She was practically in tears that she had missed the opportunity to take to Krishna consciousness when she was younger. Prabhupada said, “Because you are so late.”
On another occasion, another old person asked the same question, and Prabhupada answered in a different way; He said, “Better late than never.”
Krishna sends the pure devotee when someone’s ready. If you’re not ready then Krishna won’t send.
Two ladies in their fifties asked if they could see Srila Prabhupada. I was the temple president, so I brought them to see him.
They were very respectful but didn’t know what to say. There was silence. Finally one of them said, “Swamiji, we have been meditating for the last twenty years.”
They thought that Prabhupada would be impressed, but he said, “What have you achieved by your meditation?”
The lady thought for a moment and said, “We have learned to become silent.” Prabhupada said, “Stones are silent for millions of years. To become silent is not a very great accomplishment.” That set the mood for that discussion.
There was a young Indian gentleman who had been staying in one of the temples and who said to Srila Prabhupada, “I’ve noticed that some of your disciples nod out in the morning when they are chanting japa. I would like to teach them yoga exercises so they won’t fall asleep.”
Prabhupada politely said, “Yes, yes. Sometimes they fall asleep, but they will learn and improve.”
He sidestepped the question, but the man insisted, “If you just give me your permission, I will teach them yoga.”
Prabhupada said, “No, it’s not required. Bhakti-yoga is—” The man became adamant. He said, “They are deficient. I must teach them.”
Prabhupada became a little upset and said, “They may have some deficiencies, but they are still better than anyone else.”
Prabhupada would not agree to have this man teach yoga in the temple. The man began to argue more, and we asked him to leave.
Pusta Krishna, Nanda Kumar, and I were sitting in the back seat of the car. I was in the middle. Shyamasundar was driving, and Prabhupada was sitting in the right front seat.
There was no talking, and it seemed that Prabhupada was nodding off a little. I thought I would ask a very intelligent question.
I said, “Srila Prabhupada?” He said, “Hmmm.” I said, “How much association did your Guru Maharaj have with Srila Gaurakishor das Babaji?”
There was silence. It became a long silence. The other devotees in the back seat began to silently chastise me for asking a foolish, inappropriate question. They said, “Oh, no! Why have you …?”
Even Shyamasundar turned around to give me a dirty look, although I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the question.
After a silence that appeared to be practically forever, Prabhupada said, “Why do you ask?” Then I realized that it wasn’t an appropriate question.
I said, “I’m sorry, Srila Prabhupada. It was just a question out of curiosity, and it wasn’t important,” and Prabhupada didn’t say anything more.
I learned that, “Don’t try to make small talk. Don’t ask questions that are not appropriate to your level of understanding or that are not important. And don’t ask questions out of curiosity.”
I told Srila Prabhupada that some people claim there is nothing wrong with eating eggs because the eggs aren’t fertilized.
Srila Prabhupada answered that if they allowed the male and female to mix, then there would be fertilization, and the eggs would become chickens. That was the main reason he gave.
We were driving to an engagement in Portland, when we stopped at an intersection. Prabhupada looked around and saw signs that said,“Enjoy Coca-Cola,” “Things Go Better With Coke,” and “Drink Coca-Cola.”
It was a coincidence that there were all these different Coca-Cola signs at this particular intersection.
Prabhupada light-heartedly said, “Write a letter to the Coca-Cola company and propose that they change the name of their drink to 'Hare Krishna.’
They can keep the same drink, but the signs will say, 'Enjoy Hare Krishna,’ 'Things Go Better With Hare Krishna.’”
From that we learned that we should try to promote Krishna consciousness on a broad scale.
Somehow or other we should get the Holy Name to the public, even by using the media. We can use all kinds of methods, whatever we have to use.
—Danavir Goswami
Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint” 
by Siddhanta das
www.prabhupadamemories.com 

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29703

Deena Bandhu Das: Please join us in prayers for our very dear Godbrother Krishna Das Swami who just left this world a few minutes ago. He was on his way to Vrindavan, and after entering Vraja Bhumi, fully conscious and with devotees chanting in the vehicle, he peacefully departed.
He was born in Punjab and took diksa from Madhva Sampradaya. He was lamenting when he met Srila Prabhupada and knew his glories, that he couldn’t take diksa from him. So Prabhupada gave him sannyasa! Krishna Das Swami was very instrumental in preaching in UK, South Africa, and Mauritius. He even convinced the municipality in Mauritius to name the neighborhood of our Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir as Vrindavan!

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29705

There are two Hare Krishna festivals set to take place in Edinburgh this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the spiritual movement’s arrival in the West from India.

The movement, characterised by the bright and colourful dress, shaven heads and Hare Krishna chanting worn by those who are a part of it, defines itself as “a universal, non-sectarian message of love, simple living, service and above all – connecting the self with the original spiritual source, Krishna.”

The events will be organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a world-wide organisation set up in the 1960s which today boasts 700 temples and centres around the globe.

The first of the festivals will take place on Saturday 23 July 2016 at 2pm. Beginning in The Meadows, there will be a large procession moving through towards the High Street down to Holyrood Park where there will be a free vegan feast beginning at 4pm.

Aditya Devi Dasi, the main organiser behind the event said: “This event commemorates the story of Lord Jagannath being paraded through the streets of Puri, east India. The huge processions accompanying the chariots play music, instruments, and devotional songs, including the infamous Hare Krishna mantra. 

Dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

One day in late January, or perhaps early February, in 1973, a devotee named Caranaravindam das came into the main brahmacari room in the ISKCON temple at 7 Bury Place, London, and told us how he had just met an amazing devotee while he was preaching in East London, I think in an area named Forest Gate. The devotee was named Krishna das, and he was from India, and he did not know about the existence of ISKCON or Srila Prabhupada, but as soon as he saw our brahmacari he became extremely excited and inspired, and wanted to know where in London he could find our devotees and temple.

Shortly after that Krishna das visited Bury Place and took part in the programmes. George Harrison had recently donated Bhaktivedanta Manor, and Srila Prabhupada spent some time there during that year. While Srila Prabhupada was staying in the Manor Krishna das met him and was deeply impressed by him. Prabhupada asked him about his background and if he was initiated, and Krishna das told him he was already initiated in the Brahma sampradaya, and Srila Prabhupada told him that he should join the temple, and that after some time he would give him sannyasa. Krishna das was deeply affected by the meeting, and would sometimes tell us about it. It was a life changing experience for him.

Not long after that, I think around July or August 1973, he left his family and his school teaching and moved into the temple. He was considerably older than the brahmacaris, being around 40 years of age, whereas the other asrama residents were from their late teens to about 25 or so at the oldest, but everyone was very impressed with his sincerity and dedication from the outset, and he was greatly respected by all. We had a queuing system for the shower in the brahmacari asrama, and there were about fifty of us, but he patiently waited his turn with the other, much younger men.

He became close to the Temple President, Vicitravirya das, and they would regularly go out and do programmes with Indian families around London. Vicitravirya would sometimes tell us how Krishna das would preach very strongly to these people, and insist they become life members and donors. I saw him in action during festivals at Bhaktivedanta Manor. He was literally like a transcendental lion, roaring at the people and powerfully arousing their sense of responsibility as people from Indian backgrounds. He glorified Srila Prabhupada very nicely, sometimes referring to him as the thirteenth Mahajana, and would tell the people that Prabhupada was the real representative of their culture and tradition.

In 1979 he went to the Mayapur festival with a group of us, led by Vicitravirya prabhu. Part of the mission was that he was going to visit his older family members in Punjab, where he had been born and spent his early life. They were deeply disturbed that he had left this family and joined ISKCON full time, and Krishna das was to meet them and try to make amends and pacify them. Vicitravirya went with him, and later told us that it had been a hair raising experience. The family had tried to force Krishna das to go back to his wife and children in London, but Krishna das would not hear of it at all. They then wanted to attack Krishna das, but somehow he and Vicitrivirya managed to escape.

This greatly impressed all of us. We were all from hippy type backgrounds, and leaving our families had been no problem for us, but here we saw someone from a completely different social environment, a cultured person who had been brought up as a devotee. And when he had been put under severe pressure to give up his dedication to Lord Krishna he had adamantly refused. He resolve in Krishna consciousness struck us deeply.

Time then separated us for some years, but in around 1986 or 1987 he started visiting South Africa, on the invitation of Giriraja Maharaja. The yatra there had just lost their GBC and zonal acarya guru, Bhagavan das, and it was a trying time. By now Krishna das was Krishna das Swami, having been formally given sannyasa by Sivarama Maharaja in the interim period. He preached in his characteristic powerful way, sometimes giving classes to Indian audiences until late at night. His influence helped stabilize the yatra after Bhagavan’s departure.

I remember one time he told a small group of us (it may have just been Giriraja Maharaja and me) how as a boy of about eleven, he had gone with a group of pilgrims to Sri Vrndavana-dhama. While walking through the town he saw Krishna appear to him, and became stunned, and remained in the same place for hours, becoming separated from his pilgrimage party. Later the party came looking for him, and found him, still anchored to the same place, unmoving.

He often lamented the degradation of modern day India, always fondly referring to it as “Bharat” which of course is the traditional name for the country. In the late 80’s, when a gentleman named V.P. Singh was Prime Minister of India, and was trying to update the country to become some sort of modern Westernized state, Krishna das Maharaja would sometimes rail against him in his public programmes, calling him “Chandal Singh”. In his heart, Maharaja wanted India to really become the Bharat of its ancient tradition, and knew that Krishna consciousness was the only thing that could help achieve that.

In the last few years I did not see Maharaja often, and I regret that very much. But he always continued preaching powerfully, and glorifying Srila Prabhupada as the savior of humanity. His contribution to Srila Prabhupada’s movement was outstanding, and I’m sure he is at his lotus feet right now. I pray I can join him there in due course.

Your servant,

Bhakti Caitanya Swami

Source:http://bcais.com/writings/in-memory-of-his-holiness-krishna-das-maharaja/

ISKCON of Central New Jersey Deity Installation and Kirtan Mela 2016. 
July 29 @ 6:30 pm - July 31 @ 9:00 pm
Join us for the most awaited event of 2016!
Sri Sri Jagannath Baladev and Subhadra Devi and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deity Installation (Murti Sthapana) and Kirtan and Cultural Festival
Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON movement, With the Installation of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and Jagannath Baladev & Subhadra!
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON movement, the temple ISKCON of Central New Jersey is pleased and very excited to announce that the installation of the deities – Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai & Jagannath Baladev & Subhadra and Kirtan Mela 2016! – will take place on Ekadasi Day– Saturday, July 30, 2016! The festivities will begin the day before – on Friday, July 29 – and will continue until 7pm on Sunday , July 31 Evening.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/2Kvopx

Source:http://iskconnj.com/temple2016/event/deity-installation-kirtan-cultural-festival/

Studying and seeking to understand sastra (spiritual literature) can sometimes be a challenge – especially for the science minded. We may come across things that are hard to grasp or full of paradox. Join us as we explore this topic in search of spiritual truths.
Listen to it here: https://goo.gl/0rg9Ni 

Source:https://soundcloud.com/iskconofdc/paradox-bramha-tirtha-das?in=iskconofdc%2Fsets%2Fsunday-open-house-talks

A short compilation of devotional Kirtan, Sanskrit chants of the Bhakti tradition, to uplift the spirit and create a blissful atmosphere.
Details:
Lead Vocals & Harmonium: Niranjana Swami (Purification & Ocean Of Bliss), Ananta Govinda (Awakening)
Background Vocals: Acyuta Gopi, Ananta Govinda, Akincana Krishna Dasa, Rati Manjari, Krishna Kishora (Kish)
Bass: Purusartha Dasa
Percussion: Ananta Govinda
Flute: Krishna Kishora (Kish)
Kartals: Acyuta Gopi
Recorded at: Butler Recording, Brooklyn, NY
Recording Engineer: Chris Butler
Mix Engineers: Chris Butler & Devananda Sadkin
Produced by: Niranjana Swami & Hrsikesa dasa (Harish Vaswani)
A very special thanks to Bada Haridas for his expert guidance.
Previews and details: https://goo.gl/Gbb810 

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29668

The Yamadūtas had considered only the external situation of Ajāmila. Since he was extremely sinful throughout his life, they thought he should be taken to Yamarāja and did not know that he had become free from the reactions of all his sins. The Viṣṇudūtas therefore instructed that because he had chanted the four syllables of the name Nārāyaṇa at the time of his death, he was freed from all sinful reactions. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes the following verses from the smṛti-śāstra:

nāmno hi yāvatī śaktiḥ
 pāpa-nirharaṇe hareḥ
tāvat kartuṁ na śaknoti
 pātakaṁ pātakī naraḥ

“Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions to more sins than he is able to commit.” (Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa)

avaśenāpi yan-nāmni
 kīrtite sarva-pātakaiḥ
pumān vimucyate sadyaḥ
 siṁha-trastair mṛgair iva

“If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless condition or without desiring to do so, all the reactions of his sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars, all the small animals flee in fear.” (Garuḍa Purāṇa)

sakṛd uccāritaṁ yena
 harir ity akṣara-dvayam
baddha-parikaras tena
 mokṣāya gamanaṁ prati

“By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the two syllables ha-ri, one guarantees his path to liberation.” (Skanda Purāṇa)

These are some of the reasons why the Viṣṇudūtas objected to the Yamadūtas’ taking Ajāmila to the court of Yamarāja.

- Purport by Srila Prabhupada, SB 6.2.7

Source:http://servantoftheservant-ananda.blogspot.in/2016/07/the-power-of-holy-name-of-hari.html

As a continuation of the celebration of Incorporation Day – the day Srila Prabhupada received the certificate stating that ISKCON was officially incorporated – and the 50th year anniversary of ISKCON, Bhaktivedanta Manor held the grand opening ceremony of the Srila Prabhupada garden to honour the spiritual leader and founder of ISKCON along with his disciples.

Devotees from across the country and many of Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples from around the world, gathered on the 16th of July 2016, for a day dedicated to expressing gratitude to Prabhupada, for making the perilous journey to the west, and changing the lives of people for generations to come.

The celebration began with the abhishek of Srila Prabhupada in the temple room, in which all the assembled devotees could partake. Srila Prabhupada was then carried out and around the temple to the sounds of cymbals, drums and joyous devotees chanting. He was brought into the gardens and placed in his altar, to view the opening.

The temple president Sruti Dharma Das commenced the opening ceremony by welcoming the chief guest, Yogesvara das. He spoke of the garden being an offering to Srila Prabhupada and his disciple. Referring to the traits of good gardeners as being attentive, forward-looking, dependent on the weather, hardworking and patient he compared these to Srila Prabhupada and his disciples who too possessed these qualities, although, they are dependent on Krishna.

Kripamoya Das too spoke about the aptness of a garden offering, by likening ISKCON to a sequoia tree in the garden, whose seed had been planted by Prabhupada and whose disciples were the branches that spread the philosophy around the world. Gauri Das shared a conversation he’d had with George Harrison’s wife, Olivia Harrison, who thought he would have loved the garden because it would have made people come to the temple and thereby learn.

One of the most important things to learn is the nature of the relationship between guru and disciple because that can raise us above this material world and bring us back to Godhead. Because of that relationship between Srila Prabhupada and his disciples, Krishna consciousness spread throughout the world. Hence, the defining qualities of this unique, spiritual relationship were engraved on stones around the garden and some of Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples stood on these stones and elaborated on each quality, with extracts from the Holy Scriptures and stories of their time with Prabhupada. These qualities are enquiry, homage, service, shelter and realisation.

Jahnavi Harrison interspersed devotees’ speeches on each of these qualities by singing a verse from the Guru Vandana. A plague, stating the dedication of the garden to Srila Prabhupada and his disciples was then unveiled. A verse from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta that encapsulates the deep and ever-lasting bond between guru and disciple is inscribed, like a necklace around the central fountain in the garden.

The garden opening was followed by the launch of the book Swami in a Strange Land, written by Prabhupada’s disciple Yogesvara Das. The book is a biography on Prabhupada, written to not just be enjoyed by devotees but also teach non-devotees about the life of Srila Prabhupada. The book was therefore also an offering to Srila Prabhupada on the 50th year anniversary as a means to further Prabhupada’s desire to propagate Krishna Consciousness around the world.

Devotees praised the book and its ability to sufficiently highlight the depth of struggles Prabhupada faced in his mission in this world, without diminishing the fact that he was a truly extraordinary being. Assembled guests were able to collect signed copies of the book and were then served a grand prasadam after which Yogeshwara Das gave a PowerPoint presentation on his book.

As Srila Prabhupada once said; “When the sun shines, there no place better than the Manor” and indeed, in the blissful summer weather and amongst the beautiful flowers of the garden, there really was no better place to celebrate his divine grace and his followers. 

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29638

It takes an incredible effort to cook for 16,000. Parasuram prabhu and a stellar crew have been doing this faithfully for over 12 years. Titiksu prabhu expertly procures the required donations and Parasuram goes about assembling the massive amounts of ingredients.

Vonunteers beging cutting up, frying, steaming and roasting on Saturday and the heavy duty cooking done by Para, Acintya Rupa and Arjuna prabhus begins at midnight. Ony the best for Lord Jagannath’s Feast; Ghee, cream, Panir, and first class fruits and vegetables. Over one ton of Prasadam offered to Their Lordships.They were served, Rice, Halavah, Curd/Chickpea Subji, Srikand and Fruit Juice. Quite remarkable down to the loading, transporting and serving the huge crowd. It was a pleasure serving with these dedicated devotees. There were many other devotees working equally as hard taking care of so many other aspects of this wonderful Festival. All glories to them all….

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29641

With over ten thousand people taking part, this year was the biggest ever Ratha Yatra held aa Netrakona, Bangladesh. Jagannath Vallabh Temple, ISKCON Netrakona celebrated its 6th Jagannath Ratha Yatra festival from the 6th till 14th of July with grand success. Around 8 years back this centre started with only three brahmacharis- Jayram Das, Tulasi Das and Anantadev Das, simply distributing Srila Prabhupada books. No facilities for accommodation, practically going hungry at times having nothing to eat or surviving for days on puffed rice and boiled potatoes. By their hard work and beacse of their firm faith in Srila Prabhupada words and strict adherence to the instructions of their Spiritual Master Srila Subhag Swami, today the Jagannath Vallabha temple has over 35 enthusiastic brahmacharis serving full time, a moderate temple hall with a sitting capacity of 100 or more, a kitchen that can serve more than ten thousand plates of maha prasadam at a time last but not the least, a contingent of sincere and simple hearted devotees which keeps the very temple bubbling with life.

‘All activities, words, everything should be offered as a service to the Deities, and this offering wit remembering will gradually increase as you practice it.’ (SPL to Prajapati das, 16th May, 1976)

Just few back there was a terrorist attack at Gulshan, Dhaka…a blast that claimed the lives of 20 foreign nationals and injured many more. There was an air of uncertainty as to how such a grave incident would affect any festivities, especially Ratha Yatra. This would be one day after eid. Devotees could not help but pray to the Lord of the Universe, Jagannatha. Preparations continued, invitations went out and by Jagannatha’s mercy response was favourable: the police agreed to give full security, state ministers gave their approval to go ahead with the festival, even local government authorities agree to participate in the festival. This was certainly a source of great enthusiasm for all the devotees.

July 6th, 2016- The pandal was ready, chariot was decorated, prasadam prepared and ready for distribution and now the final wait…would there enough people? A fire sacrifice was arranged to invoke auspiciousness for the festival. People started to arrive. After a short while the pandal was packed up. The Deputy Commissioner of Netrakona arrived along with the Superintendent of Police and both of them released the first Ratha Yatra magazine and also gave a speech about Ratha Yatra. The Mayor and local minister also joined the festival and praised the devotees for organising such a wonderful festival which is bringing together not only the Hindus but also people of diverse faiths and giving a ray of hope in time of great calamity in the country.

‘Just like the other day we held the festival, Ratha Yatra. Chant and take prasadam. That’s all. Organize this all over the world. They will be saved. They will understand Krishna.’

(SP lecture on BG 1.10, London, July 12, 1973)

His Grace Maathuresh Das from Mayapur gave inspiring lectures on Jagannatha’s pastimes and led wonderful kirtan. With an ecstatic kirtan the deities, nicely decorated, were brought to the chariot. All the local authorities and distinguished guests were invited to offer arati to Their Lordships Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi. The whole area was full of people, from where they came nobody knew. After the arati, devotees started to pull the chariot.

rathe ca vamanam drstva punar janma na vidyate…anybody who sees the lord on the chariot does not take birth again in the material world.

The security was well arranged and even though most security personnels were from other faiths they happily took part in the festival. Chanting and dancing, everyone was in ecstasy. Reaching the Gundicha near main market the deities were taken to their resting place where a feast was organised. Back in the temple more than ten thousand visitors took Jagannatha Maha Prasadam. Vedic dramas and cultural dance added the finishing touch making the festival complete. For the next seven days the festivities continued, replete with kirtan, dramas, discourses and vedic dance..and of course prasadam. There was a competition as to who could eat the maximum amount of Jackfruit at a time. Everybody loved it and the winner was given a prize. Daily a total of one or two thousand visitors took Prasad. The team of sankirtan devotees distributed more than 200 books. On the 14th July the return ratha festival was held with almost equal enthusiasm and ecstasy. Now the devotees at the Gundicha area took lead in pulling the chariot. It was a huge festival when the deities came back to the temple after seven days. By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and previous acaryas the Ratha Yatra festival was held very nicely, without any mishap or unwanted events…and all the festivities were welcomed by all in great happiness.

We thank all the devotees who gave all sorts of assistance to make the festival successful, either it may be just sweeping the temple floor or supplying rice, vegetables and other commodities required for the festival, or preparing the garlands, arranging security or distributing prasadam….to all the wonderful devotees we offer our humble obeisances. We pray to Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra that may They shower Their immense blessings upon you and your family that you may be able to render more loving service and that your life become sublime and full of joy.

Srila Prabhupada ki jay! Jai Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra!

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29644

During its ISKCON 50 festivities this month, Indonesia added some rich local culture to proceedings as its over 5,000 devotees focused on uniting together to serve Srila Prabhupada.

Celebrations included a brahmachari sankirtan party touring with a Prabhupada murti through the thirty-two ISKCON temples, centers and Namahattas on the island nation; and a youth camp bringing together youth from across the island of Bali.

The highlight, however, was the International Leadership Sanga (ILS) and the Bhakti Festival and Rathayatra from July 5th through 10th.

Both events were held in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali. As a predominantly Hindu Island – with its own regional brand of Hinduism – in an 86% Muslim country, Bali is the natural headquarters of ISKCON Indonesia.

Guards in ceremonial Balinese attire protect Lord Jagannath

Around forty temple presidents, leaders and senior devotees attended the International Leadership Sanga from July 5th to 8th at a local Denpasar hotel, for the first ILS ever held outside of Mayapur, West Bengal (where the idea originated).

Leaders hailed from the Indonesian islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and even far away Papua, marking the first such gathering in the history of ISKCON Indonesia.

Each day of the ILS was packed with seminars from the morning program through to dinner, given by experts in their subjects.

Each spoke on multiple topics. Kaunteya Das from Mayapur, a key member of the GBC Strategic Planning Team, talked about organizational development and strategic planning; how to improve Sunday programs; and why the growth and stability of our movement depends on unity in diversity.

Lord Jagannath's ceremonial guards

Kaunteya’s wife Sri Radha Govinda Dasi, Director of Bhakti Marriages online premarital courses, spoke about how to build relations among devotees through appreciation, listening and speaking skills.

Another husband-and-wife team, Bhakta Das and Bhakti Dasi of ISKCON Communications Australia, taught participants practical communications skills to deal with the media, VIPs and other external audiences.

Separately, Bhakti spoke about how to practically add Krishna to our daily lives; while Bhakta talked about how to make a better community by applying compassion in our personal dealings with devotees, and how to effectively communicate with people of different religions. He also gave Srila Prabhupada: The Greatest Communication, a seminar on how Prabhupada applied communication skills in his dealings with multiple key audiences.

Meanwhile Melbourne temple president Aniruddha Das explained what the ISKCON Disciple Course is all about, discussed what Srila Prabhupada wanted for ISKCON’s management, and talked about how to raise money for temple programs through prasadam distribution – something he has lots of successful personal experience in.

High school children recite Bhagavad-gita verses

The ILS was a very bonding experience, with devotees also taking three prasadam meals a day together, residing together in the hotel (half of which had been booked for the event), and doing kirtan together.

On July 8th, the leaders, along with GBCs Ramai Swami and Kavicandra Swami, also held the first ever Annual General Meeting of ISKCON Indonesia’s National Council, just created in October 2015.

“With this event we really focused on building unity in diversity within our own community,” says Indonesian communications director Ravinjay. “When you have devotees in the same country trying to achieve the same goal, but remaining disconnected from one another, it’s pretty difficult. So we throught ISKCON’s 50th was a perfect time to make sure that we go forward for the next fifty years as family, together, with the same mindset. It was the first time we had ever had all the Indonesian temples represented, talking about how we can actually work together as one unit to serve Srila Prabhupada.”

Following the ILS on July 9th and 10th was the Bhakti Festival, which shared its theme, “Celebrating the Joy of Devotion,” with ISKCON 50, and was the first attempt at opening up ISKCON Bali’s Rathayatra to the general public.

Kirtan, Indonesian style

Held at the Bajrasandhi Monument park in Denpasar, the festival drew about 3,000 devotees and 1,000 members of the public.

A gala prasadam dinner on the 9th welcomed representatives from the provincial government of Bali and the Indonesian Hindu Dharma Council, along with a representative who read a statement by the Director General of Hindu Dharma from the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs.

“Seeing this movement of Bhakti, now presented as a festival, I would like to say how important this event is in accommodating the Hindu community to positively contribute [to the society],” the statement by Director General I Ketut Widnya read.

Widnya also said that the Bhakti Festival displayed “the harmony, unity and boundless fraternity of the ISKCON members in Indonesia.”

After the dinner there was a showing of the 20-minute ISKCON 50 film “Fifty Years of Joy and Service,” and several performances that showcased the wonderful devotional Balinese culture. The Gopi-Bhakti Dance mixed Bharatanatyam with Balinese dance, the Pancha Tattva Bhakti Dance saw devotees portraying Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates but dressed in Balinese costumes, and the hour-long Ramayana musical utilized both full Balinese outfits and music.

Performing another stunning Balinese musical for Lord Jagannath

“Ramayana and Mahabharata are very intrinsic to the entire Indonesian culture, especially in Java and in Bali, where still to the present day every single person, even if they’re Muslim, knows the characters,” says Ravinjay.

The next day, there was a morning program on site at the park, as well as yoga and a seminar on the glories of cow protection. These were followed by a reading of Bhagavad-gita verses by local high school children, and a Balinese-style kirtan utilizing traditional instruments such as the gamelan, an Indonesian xylophone.

Huge two-meter tall Jagannath Deities, carved in Indonesia, were then taken out on a five-kilometer Rathayatra parade past the governor’s office, government buildings, and through the main streets of Denpasar.

Performances afterwards included a “mantra jazz” acoustic set of Jaya Radha Madhava, Nrsimha prayers and other chants, and a Balinese musical version with full traditional outfits of Krishna defeating Kamsa.

Meanwhile a full prasadam meal blending Indonesian, Balinese and Indian cuisines was served out to 4,000 people.

Next up for ISKCON 50, ISKCON of Indonesia is holding an appreciation night to thank devotees for services they’ve rendered.

“ISKCON 50 for us is definitely more about strengthening our community from the inside,” says Ravinjay. “Historically, we’ve had a lot of splinter groups and miscommunication. And so ISKCON 50 is really an opportunity to bring the country back together, reunite all the devotees, and figure out how in the future we can make better and happier devotees.”

Source:http://iskconnews.org/indonesia-adds-local-flavor-to-iskcon-50-festivities,5688/

What does it really mean to advance in Krishna consciousness? According to Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami, advancement is measured by the amount of love and attachment one has for Krishna. (Madhya-lila 22.71) Advancing, therefore, means developing one’s personal loving relationship with Krishna.

The Krishna Institute of Alachua, Florida will soon offer two workshops that will enable devotees to do just this by heightening their practice of two of bhakti’s most potent angas: worshipping the deity with devotion and chanting the holy names.

Jayananda Prabhu, the North American Minister of the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry, and Raghunath Prabhu, an exceptionally enthusiastic and expert younger generation purjari of New Raman Reti, will facilitate the Temple Worship Workshop at Alachua’s Bhaktivedanta Academy (August 20 – 21, 10 am – 1 pm and 3 – 6:30 pm each day).

In this workshop devotees will learn the proper mood of worship, and then the procedures for waking and putting the deities to rest, dressing them, and offering them bhoga and aratis. Through this meditation and service, a pujari gradually enters into a personal relationship with the Lord. Sometimes he dreams of the deity, and the deity makes particular requests.

Srila Prabhupada writes in Teachings of Queen Kunti,

“When we associate with the deity, we associate with Krishna personally. Because Krishna is invisible, He very kindly takes a form that is visible to us. . . Even in the form of stone or metal, Krishna can act as Krishna, and one who worships the deity will perceive that.Svayam eva sphuraty adah. The deity, although apparently stone, may speak with a devotee.”

The deity may not speak to every pujari, but every pujari will enter more and more into a loving personal relationship with the deity by sincerely and properly executing this service. Such a devotee will more and more meditate on his relationship with the Lord and how he can best please Him. This pathway ahead will become clear to participants in this dynamic workshop.

On Labor Day Weekend (September 3 – 5, 10 am – 12:30 pm, 3 – 5:30pm daily) Chaitanya Charan Prabhu, well-known for his prolific and relevant writing, as well as for his engaging workshops, will facilitate Relishing Siksastakam: Meditations for Connecting with Krishna and His Holy Name at Alachua’s Bhaktivedanta Academy.

Before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu speaks the first verse ofSiksastakam in Antya-lila, Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami quotes Him as saying:

“Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna, one can be freed from all undesirable habits. This is the means of awakening all good fortune and initiating the flow of waves of love for Krishna.”

In this workshop Chaitanya Charan Prabhu will facilitate clear access to Mahaprabhu’s eight-verse roadmap that will lead sadhakas to this love for Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the preface to the Nectar of Instruction, “Advancement in Krishna consciousness depends on the attitude of the follower.”  By attending this workshop devotees will be able to fine-tune their attitudes according to Mahaprabhu’s and our acaryas’ guidance, making deeper connection with Krishna and His holy name viable.

To strengthen your spiritual life and your relationship with Krishna, please go to Krishnainstitute.org to register or for more information, or write to us at info@krishnainstitute.org 

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29596

Question: Spiritual wisdom-traditions often glorify forgiveness as a virtue, but isn’t it impractical and foolish to forgive someone who repeatedly hurts us?

Answer:

When someone hurts us, forgiving that person is our best response. But often our indignant emotions make us overlook the subtle but vital line that differentiates forgiving a person from trusting a person: forgiveness is for the past; trust is for the future. We are urged to immediately forgive, but not immediately trust, the wrongdoer. Let’s explore this difference.

Whatever wrongs a person has done in the past can’t be changed; as long as we resent the past, we stay stuck in it. Consequently, our thoughts, words, actions and even lives may become resentment-driven, causing us to either clam up or blow up. When we clam up, we drive our anger deep within, thereby unnecessarily inflicting ugly scars on our psyches that may distort our personality. When we blow up, we drive our anger outward not just to the wrongdoer, but to whoever crosses our way at the time of blowing up, thereby creating an undesirable public image of being irritable. Thus both the resentment-driven responses – clamming up or blowing up – are unproductive, nay counter-productive.

Therefore, the best response is that which frees us from resentment – and forgiveness alone can do that. When we forgive a person, we accept the ground reality that the other person being a fallible human is imperfect – as are we. We too may err tomorrow and be in need of forgiveness. In fact, the logic of karma suggests that we may have hurt someone in the past, just as someone has hurt us now. We then see the wrongdoer not as the cause, but as the vehicle, of our suffering, which originated in our own past insensitivity. Underscoring this philosophically informed vision, Srila Prabhupada would recommend that we eschew becoming angry with “the instruments of our karma.” Even if our indignant feelings make the logic of karma difficult to digest, still forgiveness retains its potential to free us from resentment.

So, we needn’t make our forgiveness conditional to the other person’s seeking it, but we should certainly make our trust conditional to that person’s earning it by sustained improved behavior. Conveying our forgiveness helps that person avoid the pitfall of self-justification, and holding back our trust avoids the pitfall of that person remaining oblivious to the past wrongdoing. Forgiving a person certainly doesn’t mean that we let the other person continue the hurting behavior; that would be masochism and there’s nothing laudable or spiritual about masochism. At the same time, it needs to be stressed that there’s nothing intrinsically laudable or spiritual about cultivating and actualizing revenge fantasies. So, we need to find that balanced course of action which allows both us and the other person to grow spiritually. This balance can be better grasped through historical and practical examples.

1. A good scriptural example of offering forgiveness-but-not-trust comes in the tenth canto of Shrimad Bhagavatam in the dealings of king Vasudeva, the father of Lord Krishna, with the demoniac tyrant Kamsa. When due to an unexpected turn of events, the tyrant had an apparent change of heart and sought forgiveness from Vasudeva for the past atrocities. Vasudeva promptly forgave Kamsa, but didn’t naively trust him and divulge Krishna’s whereabouts; in fact, Vasudeva cautiously and tactfully did all that was possible for him to keep Krishna’s whereabouts hidden from Kamsa. It soon became evident that Kamsa’s change of heart had been only momentary; he relapsed into his past malevolence by re-imprisoning Vasudeva and by repeatedly sending deadly demons to kill Krishna. Thereupon Lord Krishna, taking cognizance of the demonstrated incorrigibility of Kamsa and the need to protect the innocent from his viciousness, chose the necessary punitive measure of freeing Kamsa’s soul from the vengeful mentality inherent in his material body, thereby enabling the thus-purified soul to progress on the onward spiritual journey. In this incident, we see that when Kamsa did not use the forgiveness graciously offered to him to mend his ways and re-earn the lost trust, then eventually he was administered the required purificatory punishment commensurate to his misdeeds.

2. Another example of giving forgiveness-without-trust, wherein the wrongdoer reformed himself, comes in the Mahabharata in the dealings of Vidura with his elder brother and the reigning monarch, Dhritarashtra. The saintly Vidura, who is also the speaker of the celebrated Vidura-niti (the moral codes of Vidura), repeatedly counseled the blind monarch, Dhritarashtra to choose morality over nepotism. Unfortunately, the kind, due to his attachment to his son, Duryodhana, continued tacitly sanctioning the latter’s nefarious schemes to harm the Pandavas, who were the rightful heirs to the throne. At one time after the Pandavas had been dispossessed and exiled in a rigged gambling match, Vidura’s beneficial but unpalatable pronouncements about the vicious nature of Duryodhana and its dire consequences became intolerable to the attached Dhritarashtra, who censured and banished his well-wishing younger brother. However, the king soon came back to his senses and sent his secretary, Sanjaya, to seek forgiveness from Vidura and to call him back. Vidura returned and forgave Dhritarashtra, but didn’t trust him; by withholding his trust, he was able to keep track of further recurrences of nepotism. But by not withholding his forgiveness, he was able to maintain a congenial relationship with Dhritarashtra, thereby eventually helping the king see the futility and folly of his attachment and to finally take up the path to wisdom and enlightenment.

3. Returning to our contemporary scenario, if the hurting behavior continues, we may need to create a safe, healthy distance between the person and the facility or the power or the position used to perpetrate the hurting behavior, so as to provide that person the room necessary to reform. If a spouse becomes overly dominant, we may have to do the needful to prevent abuse, but if we refuse to forgive our partner, who thereby feels branded as an abuser, we may soon find ourselves at the receiving end of a spate of counter-brandings, thereby taking the relationship on a doomed downward spiral.

4. If a child repeatedly neglects studies due to being infatuated with video games, we may have to restrict access to those games, but we needn’t restrict access to our love. A child who feels unloved, un-forgiven and labeled as irresponsible may get mentally caught up in trying to justify the video games, maybe as an ‘aid to learning’, instead of focusing on actual learning through studies. But a child who feels reassured of the parents’ love and forgiveness, and inspired by the opportunity to re-earn their trust by studying wholeheartedly, may secure good marks, get a taste for studies and thereby naturally give up the video-game infatuation.

5. On the spiritual path, if a practitioner misappropriates a resource meant for outreach for one’s personal benefit, we may have to withhold that resource till the errant tendency is reformed, but we needn’t withhold our forgiveness, for that forgiveness may well be the impetus necessary to inspire the desired reformation.

To summarize, forgiveness involves our cultivating virtue independent of the other person, whereas trust is our reciprocation conditional to that person’s cultivating virtue. By carefully understanding the difference between the two, we can transform unfortunate episodes in our relationships into spiritual growth opportunities at least for ourselves – and possibly even for the other person.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=12404

VRINDAVAN: If you thought designer dresses and clothes are for mortals only, you are mistaken, as there are designers who toil throughout the year to make our revered gods look their very best.

In the holy city of Vrindavan, at the Chandrodaya Temple, a group of six people, led by 35-year-old Sangini Indulekha, a management graduate who did a course in fashion designing only to pursue her passion to "serve the lord", design clothes for the idols of Kirshna and Radha. These clothes and dresses are sent to temples under the Hare Krishna movement, which are part of Iskcon, across the world and sometimes a single dress can cost as much Rs one lakh.

Attires of the deities have also undergone a sea change over the years - from usage of simple colours and attractive beads to stylish cuts with applique work (needlework technique in which patterns are created by the attaching smaller pieces of fabric to a larger piece of contrasting colour or texture) with Zardosi Aari embroidery. The clothes are now designed to make the "gods" stand out and look more appealing to the devotees at first sight.

Talking to TOI, Sangini said many decades ago, the styles were very simple and in "braj shaili" (style) where only simple silk with some pearls, thread work and flowery embroidery were used. She said later the Mughal concept took over where the use of velvet fabric, with thread work depicting domes and monuments became common.

In the 70s, the styles took a slight western turn, and the traditional braj shaili was experimented with the use of Kora and dapka embroidery. Sangini said the present day trend is to use of large varieties of bright coloured fabrics - pure silk, satin, tissue and shimmer- with applique work and stylish cuts.

Sangini said presently two styles of embroidery, Zardosi and Aari, are in vogue and various styles of stitches, including chall zamki, zigzag, fashavuda and pipalgray, are used to make the clothes attractive.

She said while the deities have a set of 50 dresses, which are changed every day, five special occasion dresses are designed every year for festivals. She said a normal dress for a three and a half feet deity idol takes about three weeks and special occasion ones, which have heavy work, can take over a month to design and stitch.

She said these dresses cost anything between Rs 45,000-75,000 and are sold to other temples, after including costs of material, design and labour.

Sangini said dresses for the deities were made earlier too but those who did the work had no formal design knowledge and picked up styles from here and there. However, things have changed now and the work is done more professionally by use of select colours, material and jewellery while keeping the occasions and people's expectations in mind.

Sangini admitted that there is a "competition" in temples and everyone wants their deity idol to look the best and attractive.

Anant Veer Das of Chandrodaya Temple Trust dresses designed here are are sent to temples across the world and only recently they had received orders from Dallas ISKCON temple in USA. He said recently, this centre is also making a dress for Tirupati Radha Krishna temple for Janmashtmi.

Girdhari, a worker at the design centre, said that he has been working here for the last few years and this job had provided him the satisfaction like none else. The team also has Ashit and Rambhir who have over 12 years experience in stitching and related work. Shyam Mistry, who has an experience of 28 years, is the man responsible for sketching the concepts created by Sangini on paper and then explaining them to the workers.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/Gods-too-wear-designer-clothing/articleshow/53202587.cms

1 book distributor in North America hits a record!
Jaya Chaitanya Das distributes over 9,000 pieces of literature last month (June 2016) with a 72% increase! Here are the final scores and figures:
book points: 6399.00* +72%
maha-big:1258*
big:1976*
medium: 1440*
small: 4664*
magazines: 210
All glories to Srila Prabhupada’s mission to distribute these books to the masses and awaken Spiritual consciousness throughout the world! All glories to the Sankirtan army!

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29602

From the News Tribune an article appeared, authored by Ben Hohenstatt in the city of La Salle, Illinois.
He’s a Trip Monk
If you saw a man with a shaved head in orange robes in the Illinois Valley Thursday that wasn’t an oddly dressed flagger.
A walking journey from New York to San Francisco took Bhaktimarga Swami “The Walking Monk”, a Hare Krishna monk originally from Canada, through Ottawa, Peru and La Salle Friday.
“I’ve been to Chicago, but I’ve never been here,” he said. “We’ve met a lot of nice people…There’s a lot of sweet people…People in the Midwest carry some good values”
In the past, he has crossed Canada four times and walked across Guyana, Ireland, Israel, the Fiji islands and Trinidad and featured in documentaries.
Swami said this walk was to promote physical and spiritual health as well as to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada incorporating the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
“The walk is to encourage people to have a workout and a work-in,” the 63-year-old monk said.
Around 11 a.m. Thursday, he stopped to eat mangoes and cherries in Pulaski Park in La Salle. Swami said his day’s walk began in Ottawa around 5 a.m.
Despite covering dozens of miles a day in weather that is “almost never perfect”, encountering bears and schlepping through the Appalachians and downtown Gary, Ind., Swami said sometimes it can be tough to pause his journey.
“It gets to the point sometimes where it’s hard to stop,” he said.
Swami said he would follow U.S. 6 toward Peru before continuing west toward Davenport, Iowa, and he will be excited to continue westward and cross the Mississippi River.
“I might swim it,” he said. “We’ll see if I can swim it.”
He said he thinks he will be able to make it to the middle of Nebraska before other commitments will cause him to put his walk on hold before being resumed next year.
“Next year, I’m hoping to finish walking to San Francisco
Swami said during his cross-country trek he expects to wear out about four pairs of shoes and several robes, which become faded from sunlight.
While marathon walking, he said he encounters people, wildlife and all manner of weather and tries to engage with his surroundings.
However, the rhythm and repetition of walking also makes it easy to get lost in thought.
“It’s an everyday experience,” he said. “You are very much present, but you’re also someplace else; it’s a great time to dream. Your feet are on the ground, and you’re head definitely isn’t in the clouds.”
Thanks Ben!
May the Source be with you!

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29604

Swarup das (ACBSP): This story is from my memoirs (that I’ve been trying to consolidate into a book for the past few years).
I met Usika at the Henry Street, Brooklyn temple in ‘71. At the time his name was Ezekiel. He was initiated and given the name Usika in July of that year when Srila Prabhupada came to Brooklyn. Unlike just about all of us who were in our 20’s .. Usika was either just south or north of 50. He was crotchety, moody, cynical and impatient when it came to his dealings with “you young people” as he called us. He had strong convictions in the philosophy and had a deep and sincere reverence for Srila Prabhupada.
One day I found a pair of reading glasses with the name “Jack Stonebrook” glued to the inside of the frame. They looked like Usika’s eyeglasses but I remembered his name was Ezekiel and not Jack. I asked him if the glasses were his and he confirmed that they were. Next obvious question was “Who then is Jack Stonebrook?” “Oh, that’s me. That’s my real name. Ezekiel is the name my spirit guide gave me.” His answer certainly got my attention. I had to hear the story and he was more than happy to tell it.
Usika was the father of a devotee girl named Susan who was eventually initiated with the name Shasti. Shasti’s mother died at a young age and Usika raised her by himself. Shasti was the wife of Mohanananda who helped begin and run the Dallas gurukula for awhile. He left ISKCON in the late 70’s and tried to become a Hollywood Producer. He (Michael Walker was his legal name) was Associate Producer of one movie that I know of .. an animated film called “The Last Unicorn.” Anyway… Shasti, Usika’s daughter, was clairvoyant .. a medium. She channeled various spirits and sometimes using ouija boards or tarot cards made contact with beings from other dimensions. The first of several “spirit guides” gave them the names Ezekiel and Alice. They would ask all sorts of questions of these guides and as their questions got deeper and their thirst for knowledge of higher truths increased they were handed over to higher beings for the answers they were seeking.
The last of their guides was named “Kismet.” He told them that the knowledge they were looking for was in a book but he didn’t tell them the name of the book … just to go to a bookstore and begin looking. They did. They roamed around for over an hour and Alice wasn’t getting any signals nor clues. Finally they gave up and just grabbed some book about Zen and went to the counter to pay for it. While the owner rang up their purchase suddenly a book fell from a shelf behind the cash register. It was the first abridged Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. They bought it, read it … and the rest, as they say … is history.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29620