Sanatana Gosvami makes an interesting statement about austerity for the devotees of Krsna which is: tapas or austerity does not refer so much to the troublesome austerity of the body as much as to one-pointed concentration of the mind. That is really nice – that our austerity is one pointed concentration of the mind. When I read that, it sort of struck a chord with me because we often speak about how difficult it is to fix the mind during chanting; we struggle with inattentive chanting. But I think it is not just inattentive chanting – it is inattentive living; we are guilty of inattentive living. Everything we do, we just do it automatically, inattentively. We do not remember Krsna in every situation. If simply in every situation we try to focus on Krsna, that would make a great difference. 

Source:https://www.kksblog.com/2016/04/refocus-2/

The U.S. TOVP Team announces the Grand Opening of their new 

Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu is always free from politics and institutional bashing or promotion. Just simply nectarean Krishna Katha! 

View ebook

Gaura Purnima Festival at Bhaktivedanta Academy, the Hare Krishna School in Alachua, Florida.
Jaya Sri Radhe devi dasi: The students of the Krishna Sharanam classroom (7th-9th grade) at the Bhaktivedanta Academy recently put on a project to celebrate Gaura Purnima with their classroom Panca Tattva deities. Putting on a festival like Gaura Purnima helps the students build leadership and practical life skills. Each area of the project –decorations, jewelry, backdrops, and abisheka – had a student leader. The leader organized and prepared the necessary materials and engaged other students. They all collaborate together on the theme for the festival. This year’s theme was from the prayers by Queen Kunti, “As the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.” The students also wanted to portray Mayapur Dhama village as well as the Ganges flowing to the sea. They had only a small budget so everything was made by hand. This year’s feature was handmade banana trees, and a miniature replica of Navadwip featuring Srivas Unga, Yoga Pitha, and Narasimha Palli. The day before the Festival, there was an abisheka where the school was invited to view the Deities. On the day of the Festival, the class finishes up their Holy Name marathon, and the school and parents and guests are invited to chant with them and take darshan.
Krishna Sharanam
This yearly celebration is a time when whole class gets together and works on a project centered around Krishna. The excitement builds as the students see to all the details involved in making the festival a success. Madhuri Fitch was the leader of creating the village scene, Ksina Valdez was in charge of the altar decorations, Janvi Shah was in charge of classroom decorations that included the Ganges design, Anasuya Rico painted the backdrops which featured tropical foliage and flowers, Nishtha Kowlessar designed and coordinated the jewelry making, Haridas Leslie was in charge of the abisheka, and many other students assisted such as hunting and gathering in the woods to get the raw materials to make the Navadwipa village, making garlands, etc. Everyone had a hand in it. For many students, it is the highlight of the year…they develop sincere closeness to Panca-tattva, and realize the rewards of becoming part of something bigger than themselves.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20313 ;

By Urmila Devi Dasi

“No school!”

My student’s excitement ripples through his arms, which boast the muscles of early youth.

“I can sleep late!”

He smiles.

I sigh.

School for my students means not just academic study but also rising before sunrise to worship Krsna. Why doesn’t this student love the pre-dawn hours?

I look back on my life as a small child. Each morning my father would rise by 5:00 A.M. and wake me soon afterwards. Or did I wake spontaneously just to be with him? I would play in his office in our home while he showered. When I was very young we would play together, each of us with a doll. His doll told me stories of his life and taught me lessons of ethics and morality. As I got older, the play became a time to talk of the important things in our lives. My father squeezed fresh orange juice, made our breakfast, and forged our friendship. He made the early morning a time of peace, beauty, love, friendship, and understanding.

Mentally traveling forward, I remember sitting in a temple president’s office so many years later.

“I’d like to live here and dedicate myself to serving Krsna.”

“We wake up early in the morning,” he says. “Very early. Can you do that?”

I smile. “I’ve done that all my life.”

How easy now to spend the early mornings with my ultimate father, the Supreme Lord, Krsna! I sing His glories, dance to please Him, and study His philosophy. When chanting His names, I am personally with Him.

All day my father worked for our family, but the time we spent together, sometimes simply enjoying each other’s company, was often the most significant and satisfying. Now my sweetest time is spent in the morning just being with Krsna in His name, in His deity form on the altar, in the descriptions of His activities and philosophy. On days when I miss that time, I feel incomplete, even though I chant Krsna’s names and read His stories and instructions later in the day.

Rising early for prayer and study may become a chore, an obligation, as my student felt, and I wonder if I can give him the sense of wonder that my father gave me. I have read of medieval monks who woke each night at midnight for prayers and then slept a bit more until the next prayers before sunrise. They struggled sometimes, in those cold stone monasteries, to drag their sleep-heavy bodies and minds to the chapel. Some of them write of these practices as austerities or penance. We might similarly describe our Vaisnava devotions, yet are they not really rather a joy?

The ancient study of Ayurveda teaches us why the early morning so helps one’s spiritual advancement toward pure love of God. The controlling forces of the creation the three modes of nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance affect our consciousness, activities, and even the time of day or year. In early morning we more easily achieve goodness and, beyond that, transcendence. Passion increases with the day, as we consume our time with occupations and making money. At night, ignorance prevails, inciting inclinations toward degradation and crime.

Even if we don’t understand the workings of nature’s modes, most of us find focusing the mind difficult when pressed with the day’s demands. The early-morning hours can clear our consciousness, mellow our actions.

The challenge of focusing on spiritual practices at other times of the day is like trying to travel during a traffic jam, when arriving at our destination is a protracted business at best. When everyone else is on the road, we don’t want to be there. But during the off times, the same journey is fast and easy. Similarly, while we can spend time with Lord Krsna at any time and place, the early morning is an open highway. Our devotional thoughts can move freely, unimpeded. While nothing material, including time, can hinder spiritual life, if we’re sincere about spiritual progress we’ll aim to build our day and life around the favorable circumstances.

Logic and knowledge alone may not be enough to sustain us through a lifetime of daily practice. We’re part of the Lord, the reservoir of pleasure, so we also seek pleasure. To throw off the bedcovers each morning and embrace the day, our early-morning chanting and study must be a source of pleasure.

One can say, dogmatically, that the early-morning devotions are pleasure, and that one who practices regularly will surely come to feel the pleasure. The great spiritual teacher Rupa Gosvami tells us that even if devotion to Krsna tastes bitter, by practice it will turn to sweetness. But while waiting to feel that joy, we may become discouraged, like the shopper at the end of a long line who decides to shop elsewhere. Therefore, we cannot hope to achieve perfection simply by following a formula because it is the formula. We must feel a real connection with Krsna, which is joyful even in the stage of practice.

Is the practice hard? As I look at the young student who thinks it is, I’m not sure. I pray that Krsna will awaken him to the feeling that he is truly and completely with the Lord.

We can come to love worshiping Krsna early in the morning as naturally and easily as I loved being with my father. After all, Krsna is the most lovable person. All good qualities reside unlimitedly in Him, His love for each of us is unbounded, and we know enough about Him from the Vedas to saturate our minds and hearts with love for Him and with thoughts of His greatness. If we just look at Him fully, and hear Him fully, with focus and dedication, will we not find joy in His presence?

Urmila Devi Dasi and her family run a school in North Carolina. She is the major author and compiler of Vaikuntha Children, a guide to Krsna conscious education for children.

The Early Morning Practice of Devotion

This is the general program Srila Prabhupada gave us, in line with the traditional practices of saintly, pure devotees of Lord Krsna.

• Rise before sunrise, preferably by 4:00 A.M.

• Bathe and dress in clean clothes.

• Gather with others, if possible, and spend half an hour in responsive singing of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and other glorification of the Lord. Generally, devotees gather in a special room in their home where there are pictures or deity forms of Krsna, Lord Caitanya, and Srila Prabhupada. (Many devotees travel daily to a temple outside their home.)

• If possible, worship the sacred Tulasi plant.

• Chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra quietly to oneself. Devotees usually count the number of mantras they chant on a string of 108 beads. Initiated devotees in ISKCON chant at least sixteen times around the beads daily.

• Read the scriptures and discuss their meaning and application according to the teachings of great devotees. Our main scripture for morning study is the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20321

In Sastra class, the Upper Elementary students have been relishing Krishna’s appearance and childhood feats through their study of the book Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Students take turns reading aloud daily, summarizing, sharing reflections, posing thoughtful questions, and answering philosophical inquiries. We have just completed our study of chapter thirty-five, and students are eagerly anticipating the beginning of Krishna’s pastimes in Mathura. We look forward to continuing our study in the months to come! 

Source:http://www.tkgacademy.com/news-updates/in-the-classrooms/krsna-the-supreme-personality-of-godhead/

Many years ago, H. H. Tamal Krsna Goswami asked me to accompany him to China, where he had been pioneering Krsna consciousness for some years. I was unable to go at the time so he said, “Promise me you’ll make it there one day.” I agreed. Goswami, this evening I am flying to mainland China for the first time with a team of devotees to fulfill my promise to you. Please bless us to be successful in helping the many devotees who now, in your absence, are carrying on your great work there. 

Source:http://www.travelingmonk.com/35457/my-promise-to-you

Veda Course. 
The residential Veda Course is designed for those wishing to gain a foundational understanding of bhakti-yoga. Over a period of three months, the following modules are covered: Theology and Philosophy, Devotional Practice and Vaishnava Culture.
You will experience the early-morning devotional programme, practical temple services and the variety of festivals that make Bhaktivedanta Manor famous. Living in a spiritual community will help you to deepen your knowledge, strengthen your faith and build friendships that will last a lifetime.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/D52EDw

Pilgrimage to India and Bhakti Shastri (Sabbatical Course)
For those who are proficient in their understanding of Krishna Consciousness, the 6 month sabbatical course is an ideal opportunity to explore it further.
The first half of the Sabbatical takes place in India, where we discover the roots of the Vedic culture. There are seminars, practical workshops and training courses at ISKCON Chowpatty, a world-famous flagship centre of training and education. Living amongst 150 resident monks is certainly enlivening! There are also pilgrimages to holy places like Vrindavana, Mayapur and Jagannatha Puri. These unique trips offer us a glimpse into the spiritual world.
The second half of the course is based at Bhaktivedanta Manor focusing around completion of the Bhakti Shastri degree. Quality time is spent in studying the Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction, Sri Isopanisad and Bhagavad-gita. You will also gain an exposure to the variety of outreach activities at the Manor, and learn practical skills like public speaking, team leadership and project management.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/Qs2lFE 

At Easter, many people go on holidays and our temples are usually quite busy receiving guests from all walks of life.

New Gokula, even though in a little remote area of the country, welcomed 100-200 visitors every day at the Easter Holidays.

Source: http://www.ramaiswami.com/easter-crowds/ ;

The Sacred Sound Kirtan retreat was held at the beautiful New Govardhana farm in Murwillumbah during the Easter long weekend.

It was a huge gathering with more than 500 people registered. The atmosphere was incredibly vibrant, thanks to the line-up of world class kirtaneers such as Madhava, Bada Hari and our own Sri Prahlada.

Each festival day started with inspirational classes by HH Indradyumna Swami Maharaj, who also lead some incredible kirtans!

The organizer and volunteers huge efforts also helped making this retreat an unforgettable experience. The retreat has now be promoted to an annual event and everyone who was there has already booked for next year! Sacred Sound Kirtan retreat 2017 cannot come soon enough!

Check out the beautiful video below to get a glimpse of this incredible event! 

Source: http://www.sriprahlada.com/latest-news/sacred-sound-kirtan-retreat-2016-impressions ;

St. Augustine Festival of Chariots April 9. 
11th Annual Festival of the Chariots
and Ratha Yatra Parade
Saint Augustine, FL Saturday, April 9, 2016
MEDIA RELEASE
Contacts: Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com, 
WHAT: An Indian multi-cultural parade and festival will be celebrated with entertainment for the whole family. There will be live music, theatre, classical dance, books, and lots of free delicious vegetarian food. The Ratha Yatra Parade is the oldest known parade in the world.
WHEN: Saturday, April 9, 2016. Mayor Nancy Shaver inaugurates the procession at 10:15 AM. The Parade begins at 10:30 AM. at the Plaza and returns there by noon. At 1 PM there will be an hour long procession down St. George Street without the Chariot. Then at 2 PM cultural program begins. The free food will be served out all day from 11 AM onwards. The festival continues until 3 PM
WHERE: The Plaza de la Constitucion at St. George Street and Cathedral Place.
WHO: All are welcome. Free admission. Wholesome fun for the entire family.
SPECIAL: VERY VISUAL event with colorful traditional costumes and flower decorations. Photography is permitted. 
If you’ve ever dreamt of visiting colorful, exotic India, we have a treat for you. Get a taste of India without leaving Florida.. Saturday, April 9, 2016. The 11thAnnual Festival of the Chariots & Ratha Yatra Parade, an Indian multi-cultural extravaganza, will take place at the main plaza in St. Augustine from 10:30 AM to 3 PM. This year St. Augustine Mayor, Nancy Shaver, will inaugurate the procession at 10:15 AM
There will be lots of family-friendly activities and entertainment: live music, a play, classical Indian dance, books. But the big draw is the delicious vegetarian food. There will be a sumptuous feast served free of charge to all, starting at 11 AM.
The procession route is about 2 miles long and can be easily walked by all age groups. It begins at 10:30 AM at the Plaza and returns to the same location. The parade will move in a leisurely fashion, stopping here and there along the route, giving way to song and dance. The procession’s unique feature is a huge chariot with a blue, red and yellow canopy decorated with swans, lotus flowers, flags, Hanuman and a brass chakra on top. This chariot has two very thick ropes attached to it that are over one hundred feet long. These ropes are pulled by the parade-goers, propelling the chariot along the parade route. Riding on the Chariot are the beautiful Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, decorated with stunning silk outfits & real flowers. It’s a vision from another world. Accompanying the procession is lively Indian music and dancing, backed by double-headed mrdanga drums & karatala hand cymbals. It’s an ecstatic, exciting event.
The festival is sponsored by ISKCON Alachua, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness whose Founder/Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to America from India 50 years ago and introduced the timeless tradition of the Festival of the Chariot (called Ratha Yatra in India). Since the 60’s this festival has been held yearly in over 50 major cities in the United States, Canada, and all over the world. Eight Ratha Yatras are held yearly in the state of Florida: Clearwater, Jacksonville Beach, Tallahassee, UCF Orlando, Tampa, UF Gainesville, Daytona Beach & St. Augustine.
All are warmly invited to attend this joyous, colorful festival, free of charge. Take advantage of a rare chance to experience the vibrancy of India, right here in Florida. Questions? Call: Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com.
Please check out our website and our facebook page:
http://festivalofchariots.org
http://facebook.com/rathayatras 

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20283

Dear Devotees, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! With Devahuti attaining Vaikuntha, we conclude the third canto with this issue. We thank our readers for their overwhelming response to the previous issues covering the appearance, life and teachings of Lord Kapila. The next issues will commence with topics from Fourth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. We pray that this issue brings some pleasure to the devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. NBS # 34 Features: 1) Further Instructions To Mother Devahuti Lord Kapila 2) Devahuti attains the Supreme Perfection Sri Maitreya Rishi 3) Devahuti attains Kapila Vaikuntha His Divine Grace A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 4) The Glories of Vaikuntha Loka Srila Sanatana Goswami 5) Spiritual World Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura 6) How Can We Go Back to Godhead? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarawati Thakura This issue can be viewed through these links: ISSUU:http://issuu.com/nbsmag/docs/nbs_34 Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/doc/306877905/NBS-34 

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20289

Around 10,000 college students from all over U.P., India’s largest state, are expected for the mega youth event Xpression: The Festival of Gratitude on April 9th in Kanpur.

As its name suggests, the festival, held in celebration of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary, will be to express gratitude for Srila Prabhupada and all ISKCON devotees. It will also aim to educate youth about Srila Prabhupada’s contribution to society and inform them about ISKCON’s current activities.

It will be held inside Kanpur’s majestic Sri Sri Radha Madhav Mandir, which at 160,000 square feet is the second-largest ISKCON temple in the world after the society’s headquarters in Mayapur.

Youth new to Krishna consciousness will be attending from major U.P. cities such as Allahabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, and of course Kanpur. Most will have been invited through presentations by devotees at their colleges.

“We are holding the festival inside the temple so that they can all come and take darshan of Sri Sri Radha Madhav and Srila Prabhupada,” says co-organizer Priya Govinda Das.

At the event, Krishna conscious philosophy will be presented through several performances and talks.

Students from IIT BHU, a college in Varanasi, will perform a musical drama on how Srila Prabhupada established ISKCON in the Western World, helping many people to transform their lives for the positive and leave their destructive habits behind.

Meanwhile, devotee students from IIT Kharagpur will enact a shadow dance on the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. There will be a video presentation about Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON’s contributions to the world. An international group will perform Mantra Rock, getting the audience to chant along. And there will be a talk by zonal secretary Devakinandana Das  about the Westernization of India.

“The youth of India are very much looking forward to Westernization, but when it comes they are getting frustrated,” Priya Govinda says. “So we are saying that the youth of India should take up their own culture, based on the Bhagavad-gita. And that will make them happy and satisfied, rather than going towards Westernization too much.”

There will also be competitions related to spiritual topics, followed by kirtan, and prasadam (sanctified vegetarian food) for everyone.

Upon leaving, every youth will be gifted with a small booklet biography of Srila Prabhupada. They’ll also fill out a questionnaire to let devotees know which of ISKCON Kanpur’s ongoing courses on the Bhagavad-gita and personal development they would like to take in the future.

“We hope that the unique ambience they experience at the temple, and our down-to-earth presentation of spirituality, will inspire them to chant Hare Krishna and read Prabhupada’s books along with their studies,” says Priya Govinda.

While Xpression is the first festival of its kind, Kanpur devotees hope to hold it annually from now on, with increasingly large numbers of youth attending. 

Source: http://iskconnews.org/10000-kanpur-youth-expected-for-gratitude-festival,5490/

The Krishna Institute (KI) launches its service to the Vaishnava Community on May 21, 2016, at ISKCON of Alachua with Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Dasa facilitating the two-day interactive Dharma Workshop: Discover Your Mission in Life.

Recognizing the significant contribution the KI will make to Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the USA, the International Coordinating Committee for ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations has scheduled KI’s inauguration as a National Event.

Offered in a newly developed retreat facility surrounded by nature’s beauty in a secluded area of the temple property, the Dharma Workshop will benefit attendees of all ages regardless of how many years they have been ISKCON members. Even a senior devotee can “get a new lease on life” or a renewed and revitalized outlook, as well as potentially discover a deeply satisfying “second career (service to Krishna)” by participating in this workshop and accessing the wealth of knowledge and realization coming in our Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. This workshop is the ripened fruit of Sacinandana Swami’s fourteen years of research into the best way to discover one’s mission in life.

After the Dharma Workshop the KI will offer many other workshops, along with retreats, seminars, and courses, that will systematically equip each participant with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to fulfill their unique mission. On May 23 Madhava Dasa and Radhika-devi Dasi will offer The Qualities and Mood of a Kirtaniya: Realizations from Six Years of Kirtan with Aindra Prabhu, and from May 24 to 26 Sacinandana Swami and Madhava Dasa will lead The Holy Name Retreat.

Both events will offer deeply satisfying experiences, and they are included in Kirtan – From Your Heart to the World(May 23 to June 27), a traveling kirtan experience that will go from Alachua via the Youth Ministry bus to the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, NY Ratha-yatra, and New Vrindavan’s Kulimela and 24-hour Kirtan.

Based upon the association and facilitation of devotees such as Amala Harinama Dasa, Bada Haridas Dasa, BB Govinda Swami, Bhakti Charu Swami, Gauravani Dasa, Giriraja Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Madhava Dasa, Manorama Dasa, Nadia Mani-devi Dasi, Radhanatha Swami, Sacinandana Swami, and Vaisesika Dasa, Kirtan – From Your Heart to the World will inspire chanting from the heart and provide the skills and mood to share the pure name with the world.

Here’s the KI’s schedule subsequent to these initial offerings:

July 2 – 4 | Temple Worship Workshop, with Jayananda Dasa and Raghunatha Dasa

Jayananda Dasa and Caturatma Dasa worshipping Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara in Alachua.

September 18 | Start of a two-year Bhakti-sastri Course. Workshops (English & Spanish) will be held just before the Sunday program. Part-time English-medium facilitators include Dhruva Maharaja Dasa, Hari Parayana Dasa, Janmastami Dasa, Nagaraja Dasa, Nanda-devi Dasi, Nitai-lila-devi Dasi, Prana Govinda Dasa, Rucira-devi Dasi, Sukhada-devi Dasi, and Svaha-devi Dasi. Part-time Spanish-medium facilitators include Bhakti Prabhupada-vrata Damodara Swami, Nanda-devi Dasi, and Krisodari-devi Dasi.

November 4 – 6 | ISKCON Leadership and Management Workshop, with Anuttama Dasa and Tamohara Dasa

November 20 | Start of the Grihastha Training Workshops(twelve 3-hour sessions one Sunday a month for a year), with Tamohara Dasa and Mantrini-devi Dasi

KI’s educational offerings evoke the mood of Srila Prabhupada’s Seven Purposes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (please review these purposes at the end of the article) when he incorporated ISKCON fifty years ago. ISKCON temples that have imbibed Prabhupada’s mood of education and training, such as ISKCON of Chowpatty and ISKCON of Pune, have become vibrant success stories, with many full-time devotees and enthusiastic congregations to inspire Vaishnavas for generations to come. With this vision the GBC asked the KI team to start the Krishna Institute. 

* 

Please go to the KI’s website http://krishnainstitute.org/ for more information, or write info@krishnainstitute.org. 

* *

Seven Purposes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness:

1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

2. To propagate a consciousness of Krsna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krsna, the prime entity, and thus to develop the idea within the members and humanity at large that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krsna).

4. To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

5. To erect for the members and for society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the Personality of Krsna.

6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.

7. With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books, and other writings. 

Source: http://iskconnews.org/the-krishna-institutes-launch-in-alachua-florida,5491/

By Parampara Vani Das

Artha Forum (the non-profit initiative for bringing ancient wisdom to modern business) held its third event in Bangalore on Friday 18th March 2016 at the Taj Vivanta Hotel, M.G. Road. The event was attended by over 100 invited guests, including many members of the event partner, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce – Karnataka Chapter.

The keynote speaker was His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, a Gaudiya Vaishnava sannyasi and renowned Vedic scholar and spiritual master.

The evening’s proceedings began with an introduction by Sanjiv Maheshwari, Co-Founder and Director, Artha Forum. Sanjiv spoke about the increasing inequality in the world today, and the necessity for creating awareness amongst entrepreneurs to do business in a more socially and spiritually responsible way. Sanjiv further mentioned that Vedic philosophy, which is a guide to humanity for purposeful living, instructs that one should earn with integrity and spend with compassion. Sanjiv added that Artha Forum has held dozens of events at key global locations, and the impact is being seen in entrepreneurs and corporate leaders successfully incorporating this philosophy into their business practices.

The panel discussion included Madan Padaki, Co-Founder and CEO, Head Held High; Sanjay Dhawan, Partner, PwC; Srinivasan PV, former Senior Vice President, Corporate Taxation, Wipro; and Vishal Gupta, Managing Director, Bessemer Venture Partners. The panel was moderated by Artha Forum’s Bangalore coordinator Sanjay Sharma, Director – Asia Operations, Microsoft. Mr Padaki explained that a business enterprise with good consciousness or intent is generally successful, whereas one whose only agenda is to make money will eventually fail. Mr Dhawan explained that the soul of a business is not profit but rather purpose and every entrepreneur and employee should consider how to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots and how to society can be improved. Mr Srinivasan explained that conscious entrepreneurship must exert responsible capital, instil responsible consumerism and spread spiritual thoughts. Mr Gupta explained that most high quality businesses start with an intent to solve a particular problem or social issue, and a conscious entrepreneur will continue to take care of all stakeholders; the real challenge for businesses is not about whether their intent is proper but rather about how to spend money responsibly.

Then followed the keynote speech by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami. Maharaj gave an intriguing explanation of the Vedic injunction for entrepreneurship and business, explaining that entrepreneurs should work for the benefit of others, and focus on deriving happiness and satisfaction – then money will naturally follow. Vedic wisdom offers specific instructions on how to achieve that by gradually elevating one’s consciousness through the stages of philosophy until one reaches the perfection of yoga: bhakti, or developing a loving relationship with the Supreme. Maharaj further explained that by adjusting one’s consciousness in this way one will achieve superior results in material life – if we act properly, we get the right results.

A lively questions and answers session witnessed Maharaj and the panellists respond to challenging questions on the topic.

The speakers were each presented with gifts of The Journey Home, the intriguing autobiography of His Holiness Radhanath Swami (the inspiration behind Artha Forum, and spiritual god-brother of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami) and stunning Odissi-style paintings of Radha-Krishna and the Gopis on silk scrolls.

Finally, Mahatma Das, Brajamohan Das and Atma Krishna, who are professional executive coaches and also Artha Forum volunteers, introduced their seminar on enlightened leadership and entrepreneurship. The seminar will help business leaders and employees to do business in a more conscious way and provide practical tools and strategies to dramatically improve performance.

The evening’s programme ended with a delicious vegetarian banquet dinner, and each attendee departed with a gift of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is.

Picture Gallery - http://www.arthaforum.com/project/artha-forum-holds-third-bangalore-event-on-conscious-entrepreneurship/

Source - http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20245

Topic: Earn with Integrity, 

On 19th March, Artha Forum (a Not for Profit initiative dedicated to bringing relevance of Ancient Wisdom in Modern business) organized its 6th and largest ever event in Singapore at RELC International Hotel on the heels of successful event in January of this year. The event titled “Earn with Integrity, Spend with Compassion” was very well attended with over 400 attendees from all walks of life joining the event, which was partnered with TiE Singapore and IIMPACT. The attendees, many of whom have attended multiple Artha events in past, included entrepreneurs, industrialists, corporate leaders and professionals. World renowned spiritual teacher, author and motivational speaker His Holiness Radhanath Swami was invited to be the keynote speaker for the event. Esteem panelist Rajiv Vij – Life and Executive Coach, Author and Speaker; Srinivasan Venkita Padmanabhan – President & Global Head Finance at Olam Group, Madhabi Buch – Director at Agora Advisory and Sanjiv Aiyar – President of PAN IIM Alumni and a longtime supporter of Artha Forum shared the dais.

The panel discussion brought out very practical and important points. Answering the question on how to define “Earning with Integrity”, Venkat said that earning goes beyond just earning money. It includes the relationships that we build, the lives we meaningfully change and long term impact that we create. Rajiv brought out an important point that compassion is a very high order need and does not just mean empathy. Compassion in his own words “is not just the empathy in seeing the suffering and difficulty of someone else but what it brings within us. What arises out of it? The deep desire to do something about it”

Madhabi gave her practical perspective on giving to charity saying that “At different stages of our life we are in different gears and at that different stages of life we have different bandwidth in terms of money, emotion that we are willing and able to allocate to different roles that we perform. And while it will be really wonderful if underpinning principle of all that is compassion, but if on day to day basis – if it’s hard or difficult, I personally see very little harm in saying that at this stage of my life that part of compassion find its manifestation in just writing a cheque for charity“

Radhanath Swami started his keynote by mentioning a famous quote “If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy.” Reflecting on the current state of the society he said that earlier people used to love people and use things to express it. But now people are loving things and using people to get them and keep them. He said that “Things can give some flickering pleasure to the body, senses and to the mind but the things can never give fulfillment to the heart” He recalled his discussion with Mother Teresa where she mentioned that the true hunger of today’s world is not the hunger of stomach but it’s the hunger of heart.

Making reference to a particular verse from Bhagvad Gita, which describes that true wisdom is to see everyone with equal vision, Radhanath Swami said “once we understand the sacredness of our own life, we can appreciate the sacredness of life of everyone, everywhere. And we understand the sacredness of environment, which is the divine gift, and that we are all responsible to share with one another”

Radhanath Swami cited the example of New York Yankees baseball Manager Joe Torre who lead one of the most successful baseball team and went on to become top five manager in the history of baseball in US. Having gone through a very difficult childhood filled of abuse and violence, after he retired Joe started working with ghettos school to give counselling, guidance and therapy to the children from abusive families. In his own words Joe said that the true happiness was not from the awards, money and fame that he has earned but rather the smile which he sees in the faces of these children.

Radhanath Swami narrated the story Easy Eddie who worked as a lawyer for Al Capone, an American gangster who attained fame during the Prohibition era. Easy Eddie had all the opulence and wealth but he realized that it had not brought any happiness to his son. Coming to the realization that he had failed to give his son true values – and all the wealth he had was stained with exploitation and murder, he decided to go against Al Capone. He was able to convict Al Capone for tax evasion – for which he paid a heavy price of being shot to death in his car. Inspired by Easy Eddie’s sacrifice, his son Butch O’ Hare went on to became the first naval recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II who single-handedly attacked a formation of nine heavy Japanese bombers approaching his aircraft carrier and saved it and later on went on to give up his life fighting for his nation during the war.

The event ended with thoughtful and intriguing lineup of questions which were posted in real-time during the sessions via newly launched mobile site. Both Radhanath Swami and panelists fielded the questions and gave very practical responses on how to take back topic of the event to one’s day to day life.

Picture Gallery - http://www.arthaforum.com/project/artha-forum-organizes-historical-event-in-singapore-on-19-march-2016/

Source - http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20243

Hare Krishna Festivals UK - Colchester Festival - 31st March 2016 (Album with photos) 
Srila Prabhupada: O my Lord! Persons who chant the holy names of your Lordship are far, far advanced in spiritual life, even if born in families of dog-eaters. Such chanters have undoubtedly performed all kinds of austerities and sacrifices, bathed in all sacred places, and finished all scriptural studies. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.33.7)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mVnj0N

Source - http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20241

Nyastadanda Jayanti 2016 - videos of our recent Annual Festival at Dandabhanga.
Srila Prabhupada: We should take any lila of Krishna as Supreme. The Vrindavan lila, Krishna’s lila with the gopis, is the most confidential lila. We should not entertain this confidential lila unless we are liberated. It is very difficult subject. And because they cannot understand what is Krishna’s lila, they imitate, they fall down. Vrindavan, August 11, 1974.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/sPbHDv 

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=20216 ;