Hare Krishna, 

Dear devotees,

For the pleasure of Sri guru and Sri Gauranga, Srila Prabhupada and all the assembled devotees, we are pleased to announce the publication of a new book untitled:

"REVELATIONS ---A comparative religious study between ----JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM and the VEDAS " by Rasamandala das. 

As you all know: 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's departure to the West. 

This book is dedicated to his divine grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, in July of 1966.

The following scholar has praised the book: 

"It is rare to find a work which seeks to integrate Hindu and Jewish thought. The book is a rich interfaith exploration." 

Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok 

Dan Cohn-Sherbok is a rabbi of Reform Judaism, a Jewish theologian and a prolific religious author who has written and edited over 80 books which have been translated into Russian, Greek, Bulgarian, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Swedish, Japanese, Turkish, Persian and German. He is Professor Emeritus of Judaism at the University of Wales, Honorary Professor at Aberystwyth University and a Research Fellow at Heythrop College, University of London and the Centre of Religions for Peace and Reconciliation, University of Winchester. 

"In this thought-provoking book the author shows how the concept of demigods was once integral to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He demonstrates how the existence of demigods can be compatible with the existence of a Supreme God, giving the Vedic religion as an example of this." 

Michael A. Cremo Author of Forbidden Archaeology, Human Devolution, etc.

Michael A. Cremo is a researcher associate of the Bhaktivedanta Institute specializing in the history and philosophy of science. He is a member of the World Archaeological Congress and the European Association of Archaeologists and is an expert on archaeological evidence for extreme human antiquity. 

I hope that this offering will be pleasing to his divine grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and that the devotees will derive great satisfaction by reading this book. 

The printing is done in Vrindavan. You can get a copy from ISKCON Vrindavan,ISKCON Mayapur,ISKCON Juhu,ISKCON New Delhi and ISKCON Pandharpur.

Your servant 
Rasamandala das

As an offering to Srila Prabhupada during ISKCON’s 50th anniversary year, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is set to publish some of his books in two languages – Catalan and Quechua – for the first time ever.

Catalan is spoken by around 9 million people in Catalonia, a region of Northeastern Spain and adjoining parts of France; as well as in Valencia, the Balearic Isles, and Andorra.

Hanuman Das, trustee for the Spanish and Latin American BBT, grew up speaking Catalan.

He explains that because Castilian – the language most of us know as Spanish – was declared Spain’s only official language while the country was under a dictatorship until 1975, speakers of other languages such as Catalan have a strong patriotism about their region and language.

“Because of that strong feeling, when we do book distribution in the streets, many people won’t even look at the books, because they’re in Spanish,” he says.

The BBT has been trying for years to get Prabhupada’s books published particularly in Catalan, because Catalonia’s capital is Barcelona, Spain’s second biggest city.

When the temple president of ISKCON Barcelona, Gundica Das, recently pushed to make it happen for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary, the dream finally became a reality.

Gundica enlisted Carmen Roca, a dedicated and experienced translator, who has been hard at work. She has already translated Sri Isopanisad, considered the distilled essence of all Vedic knowledge, and Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Rupa Goswami’s Upadeshamrita.

“We’re planning to print both of those books around summer of 2016,” Hanuman says. “And Carmen is currently working on the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, which will be published at a later date.”

He expects the books to be well-received by Catalonians because they’ll be in their own language; as well as because Catalonian people are known for being intellectual and interested in yoga.

Quechua, meanwhile, is a language of the Inca empire spoken by over ten million people from parts of Ecuador, throughout much of Peru and Bolivia, and down to Northern Chile and Argentina.

Distributing books in South America

Publishing Prabhupada’s books in Quechua has also been a long time coming, with BBT staff waiting to first make sure that the native language was not just spoken but also read.

“Now, with governments making sure native languages are promoted and taught in schools, children and young people are starting to read and write Quechua again,” says Hanuman.

The Latin American BBT will be testing the waters in 2016 with a very small book of no more than 30 pages entitled “The Hunter and the Sage,” aimed at youth.

Based on a book distributed by the BBT in Spain in the early 1980s, it tells the story of Mrgari the hunter, and how his life changed when he met the sage Narada Muni. The story contains powerful messages of non-violence, depending on God, and how surrender to the guru and the Lord can transform one’s character.

The book will be bilingual, with the text in both Spanish and Quechua. The original 1980s publication has been summarized in Spanish by senior leader Mathuresh Das in Bolivia, and translated into Quechua by a professional translator. Mathuresh’s wife Nayana Manjari Dasi, who also speaks Quechua, is checking the translation’s fidelity to Srila Prabhupada’s writings.

The Hunter and the Sage will also feature beautiful paintings in a traditional South American native style by Nayana Manjari, who, although originally from South Africa, has steeped herself in the local culture and studied the native art with local Bolivian artists.

“Depending on how that book goes, we may then try something a little bigger,” says Hanuman.

Catalan and Quechua aren’t the only unique new languages in which Prabhupada’s books will be published in 2016. The first Esperanto BBT book is reportedly set to appear next year too.

“Srila Prabhupada wanted the BBT to print in as many languages as possible – that was something very dear to him,” Hanuman says. “So we wanted to offer him this on the 50thanniversary of his movement.”

“What’s more,” he concludes, “The message goes that much deeper into people’s hearts when it comes in their own language.”

Source:  http://iskconnews.org/bbt-to-release-books-in-native-american-and-catalonian-languages,5291/

Lasting Impression…
Today was a beautiful day in Bournemouth, UK. At one point Nandan stopped someone who had received a “Science of Self Realisation” some time ago. The man was so amazed by the pictures that he decided to get one of them tattooed on his back!
Prabhupada’s books leave a lasting impression in more ways than we can imagine!

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17816

Bhakti Raghava Swami: As part of the on-going efforts to establish Varnasrama Colleges in different parts of India, IDVM-India will be inaugurating the ISKCON Varnasrama College (IVC) on Monday, January 4th, 2016 at the recently established Rural Community called “Sahyadri Goloka Dham” located near the Town of Hebri, in the District of Udupi, South Karnataka.

IVC will offer Weekend Retreat Courses to a limited number of interested devotionally inclined individuals during the entire month of January and invites anyone interested to contact its Coordinators, Sriman Kisora das at kisorakrsna@yahoo.com and Sriman Sri Rama das at +91 96 42 330011.

Sahyadri Goloka Dham rests at the foothills of the Western Ghats also known as Sahyadri Mountain adjoining a flowing river that feeds into the Sita River. The location can easily be accessed from Udupi Town itself or from Karkala Town, both approximately 30 KM away.

Visiting Faculty members will include the following: HH RP Bhakti Raghava Swami (Dharma Shastri), Sriman Kisora das (Carving, Agriculture), Sriman Prananatha das (Yoga and Health), Sriman Krsna Balarama das (Bee Keeping, Nature Study), Sriman Vivek Devarajan (Panchagavya Products), Sriman Raghu Mishra (Organic Farming), Dr Sreekumar.S (Cow Care and Grazing) and Sriman Venu Gopal das (Spoken Sanskrit).

The Sahyadri Goloka Dham project is overseen by Sriman Srinivas Pejathaya who hails from Mangalore itself and who can be contacted at +919019404030.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=1782

Introduction

Bhagavad Gita is fundamentally built on the platform that the soul is eternal and the body is temporary and that both are unique and distinct but co-existing. The entire theme the reader will encounter in the later chapters are founded on this fundamental idea. If we miss this point, Bhagavad Gita will seem incompatible with practical life. If we assimilate this point, Bhagavad Gita is the most practical book in life. So it is a matter of consciousness, are we reading the book as a spiritual being or a material being?

A world-class show celebrating ISKCON’s 50th anniversary entitled “Transcendental Journey: Krishna 50 Years On” is set to play at the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia on Saturday August 20th, 2016.

Transcendental Journey will repeat twice, with a matinee performance at 2pm and an evening one at 7:30pm in one of the Sydney Opera House’s state-of-the art theaters, “The Studio.” With sophisticated sound and lighting systems, its comfortable crimson-red tiered seats will sit 350 each time for a total of 700.

Organizers hope that about thirty per cent of the audience will be members of the general public attracted by a high-quality show, while ISKCON devotees and the wider Indian congregation will make up the rest.

VIPs such as the Prime Minister of Australia Mr. Michael Turnbull and High Commissioner of India in Australia Mr. Navdeep Suri are being invited, along with other senior politicians and famous actors and musicians.

One of Srila Prabhupada’s seniormost disciples and most renowned ISKCON pioneers, Mukunda Goswami, is expected to attend, health permitting. Australian kirtan singer Sri Prahlad Das has confirmed. And ISKCON gurus Radhanath Swami and Bhaktimarga Swami, as well as GBCs for Australia Ramai Swami and Devamrita Swami, are also being invited.

Like the Academy Awards, the 90-minute show will use video on a large screen to link live music, dance, and drama performances, all combining to tell the story of Srila Prabhupada’s life and the development of the Hare Krishna Movement -- from its cultural roots 5,000 years ago up to the diversity and unity that is ISKCON today.

“One of the opening scenes will feature an actor as Srila Prabhupada, walking up the gangway onto the steamship Jaladuta to travel from India to the U.S.,” says producer Damodara Pandit Das. “Video explaining that Srila Prabhupada was an emissary in the Gaudiya Vaishnava line, going back to Sri Chaitanya, will then connect to a Bengali kirtan performance.”

Next, the story will follow Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Orissa, presenting a traditional Odissi dance by the Naktya Shakti Dance troupe from the New Govardhana Farm in New South Wales.

After a Rasa-Lila dance in Lord Krishna’s hometown of Vrindavana, India, the story will return to Srila Prabhupada as he arrives in America. Highlights there, such as the beginning of ISKCON at 26 2nd Avenue in New York City, and the kirtan Prabhupada led on San Francisco’s Hippie Hill in 1966, will be portrayed by actors and musicians.

“We’ll also have scenes looking at ISKCON’s achievements and where it is today, as well as ISKCON’s younger generations and its future,” says Damodara Pandit. “The show will end with a grand finale kirtan, which we hope to get everyone up and dancing for!”

After the performance, audience members will be able to browse Srila Prabhupada’s books in the foyer. There will also be a commemorative program for the event.

Transcendental Journey is being produced by Mukunda Goswami, Damodara Pandit – who is the co-chair of the Vande Arts group -- Temple of the Vedic Planetarium acoustics designer Deva Gaura Hari Das, and husband-and-wife Pratapana Das and Jaya Sri Dasi, senior devotees who run Sydney’s uber-successful Govinda’s restaurant.

The team also plans to livestream Transcendental Journey: Krishna 50 Years On, and to make a CD and DVD of the event.

The show will be part of a weekend retreat at Govinda Valley, an ISKCON yoga center just south of Sydney. The retreat will include ecstatic kirtans, classes, feasting, Srila Prabhupada remembrances by his disciples, and a mega Harinama in downtown Sydney.

“Our goal in holding this event is to increase the appreciation and profile of Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON movement,” says Damodara Pandit.

* * * 

Artists who are interested in being a part of the Transcendental Journey show are invited to contact Damodara Pandit Das at yakdas@hotmail.com

Source: http://iskconnews.org/sydney-opera-house-to-host-iskcon-50th-celebration,5292/

“When I first went to the temple as a guest the devotees from Canada would always ask me, ‘When are you going to surrender?’ I would say, ‘I am an American. We don’t surrender. Surrender is for weak people. When people are strong they don’t surrender.’ The temple president said, ‘You are a fool. You are surrendered to so many things. You are surrendered to your family, your job, your friends your country.’ Even those of us that were part of the counter-culture had to surrender to the call of nature. We had to surrender to the urge to speak the urges of the mind, the urge of anger, the urge of the tongue, belly and genitals. And when any of those six knock on the door we must surrender. So, the devotees told me, ‘You are already surrendered. Now you just have to decide to whom you are going to surrender. Who has true value for you to surrender to?’ And they explained to me that it was Krishna.” —Rtadvaja Swami

Giriraj Swami Kirtan, Houston
Giriraj Swami Talk, Houston
Rtadvaja Swami Talk, Houston

Source: http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=10473

I woke up at 5am and checked my email and Facebook. I know, lovely way to start the day, right? Well in fact, it was lovely! I read an email that offered personal growth wisdom. Facebook was brimming with beautiful news and pictures - awards for my friends, gatherings of communities to celebrate the lives of special people, the smiling and effulgent faces of people with so much love etched in their eyes. Announcements and exciting travel plans and worldwide experiences of kirtan, sharing Krishna with the world...

When I placed my phone on a table and readied myself to begin my morning mantra meditation, I felt a little squeeze of sadness in my heart: I have nothing to share with the world that's that special. 

I leaned against the wall and began to murmur the holy name, fingering my beads. Tiredness fell over me like a soft sheet. So I gently laid my body down. I slipped under the soft waves of tiredness, half-conscious. Nevertheless, my murmurs continued on, the holy name kept spiraling onward, my fingers kept moving across my wooden meditation beads. 

Something interesting happened. I seemed to float out of my body and have this vision of seeing myself from above, lying there chanting japa, the predawn light slowly filtering into the room. Suddenly I was surrounded by the words: I am here, and I am chanting the holy name. 

The feeling behind those words was:

How glorious! How triumphant! I am complete. I am enough. I am here, I chanting the holy name. 

I am here.

I am chanting the holy name.

How glorious. 

For half an hour, the holy name encircled me, encircled me, and those words kept surrounding me, surrounding me. I kept coming back into my space on the floor, then zooming out to look at myself from the ceiling, the words reverberating: I am here, I am chanting the holy name.

I am enough. 

Dude, I was lying down, half-awake. Not exactly an accomplishment to trumpet on Facebook. And yet the holy name was so loving and so kind. Even though I was lying down and half-asleep, none of that mattered. I felt that the Lord saw my sincerity, my desire to chant, and that tiny little spark - no matter how hidden under sheets of sleepiness - was as pure and brilliant as the sun.

At last when I rose from the floor, I went to wash my face. I felt washed with gratitude and wonder. I didn't feel sticky or groggy or embarrassed. I just felt grateful. Grateful for another day to spend with the holy name, and that is enough, I am enough, He is enough. 

Source: http://seedofdevotion.blogspot.in/2015/12/i-am-here.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+SeedOfDevotion+(Seed+of+Devotion)

Last Push for the UK Sankirtan devotees who try to reach the goal of 100.000 books distributed during the December marathon

Last Push for the UK Sankirtan devotees who try to reach the goal of 100.000 books distributed during the December marathon. 
Sutapa Das: The finish line is in sight - now the marathon runners close their eyes, shut out all other thoughts, and draw on every last bit of energy - all the hard work culminates here! 88,000 reached - we need 12,000 books distributed in 2 days! Its the last push…
Special thanks for the “100k Effort” goes to Tanmay prabhu. For the last month, he has been offloading pallets, giving out books, updating the thermometer, and running around all day facilitating the book distributors. Over 40,000 books must have passed through his trusty hands! Always smiling, no complaints. Tanmay prabhu - you’re the best!
And for that matter, we would like to thank all the devotees doing ‘background services’ (driving, cooking, covering services) to facilitate the devotees distributing books. Without you, the marathon doesn’t happen. Thank you, thank you, thank you

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17790

As research continues, we always try to find the best materials for the TOVP construction work. Sometimes they come from Europe, South America and other faraway places. But other times we find them locally, right here in West Bengal.

Sadbhuja prabhu recently visited an iron factory in Kolkata. The factory has been operating for over 100 years and they have more than 600 workers! They also export to many other countries. In the photos we can see samples of cast iron work that the factory has produced.

Source: http://tovp.org/news/art-architecture-design/cast-iron-factory-located-in-kolkata/

Finland has been one of the most successful countries in the world in education, - and perhaps because - the universities and educational institutions are open to different educational concepts. Among other high-quality educational programs, Finland is exporting the concepts of creative education to different countries - to India, too. Tattvavada Das has been part of the Finnish Council for Creative Education  (CEE) team since 2014 tour in Pune and Mumbai, traveling and lecturing. Their group was very warmly welcomed everywhere. 

Tattvavada is a pioneer of interpreting Krishna-conscious concepts of culture and education in Finnish schools, universities and teacher training in colleges where he has been visiting for more than two decades, at the beginning with Suhotra Swami and later on with Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami.

"This autumn I realized that many Finnish universities showed their increased interest towards the concepts and strengths of the traditional Indian education", Tattvavada says. He has just recently returned from the University of Eastern Finland where he lectured about the concepts of the Indian traditional educational system. His lecture was part of the course called “a teacher as a profession.” The response in the educational faculty has been enthusiastic.

“I’ve never thought how practical and deep this old science of education is “, says Heidi who is completing her further studies to become a headmaster of a medical college. Before she was heading one department in a big hospital in Helsinki. She and a number of other students and their teachers were very interested and asked good questions. At the end of the lecture, the university teacher of history gave Tattvavada a nice present, a book he had written together with his colleagues.

The Archbishop of Finnish Protestant (Lutheran) Church Kari Mäkinen, Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami and Tattvavada Das 

”Nowadays we can only afford to invite two special visitors yearly. Timo (Tattvavada) is surely one other of them”, says Vesa Hirvonen, Phd, who always introduces Tattvavada as the “number one pundit” of the Veda culture and philosophy in Finland.

In the university of Tampere, teacher Mrs Tuovi Pääkkönen has developed a course called Eastern Philosophies. It has been going on there in their teacher-training college already over 15 years. Tattvavada has been a permanent visiting lecturer in that course from the beginning. This autumn the interest among the students has been wide and the course has been nicely participated and gathered a full classroom of students.

 ”Similar types of courses are starting in other parts of Finland, too – for instance around Turku region,” Tattvavada continues.

It is worth noting that the course material is partly based on Srila Prabhupada's and Swami's books.

”Mrs Pääkkönen has created a nice course and the students seem to be very inspired to study this vast topic,” Tattvavada says.

In the university of Oulu there is a course called Global Education in the educational faculty. It is a part of the international MA program. Early December Tattvavada lectured there about the principles of Vedic education. These lectures and discussions took one full study day because of the enthusiasm of the students and their teachers.

”Timo’s (Tattvavada’s) mind-expanding lectures are strengthening the quality of our teachers education. No doubt that these lectures assured us that universal pedagogy and ethics surely  exist", Johanna and Markku said respectfully. They are working as teachers of this program. 

Tattvavada’s next Oulu University lectures will take place in February 2016. He is also invited to lecture in the university of Tampere soon after. Besides of the main universities he is also lecturing in the main colleges.

Like in Oulu he lectured in four other colleges. Those were successful as well. It was full house in everywhere. “Our lectures fit well to different courses. Like in IB college we lectured in the courses called foundations of the civilizations ( history) and in the theory of knowledge course (philosophy). Last autumn, I got more invitations and opportunities to lecture than there are the days in my calendar, “ Tattvavada says. 

Source: http://iskconnews.org/interest-in-vedic-pedagogy-increases-in-finland,5286/

Whoever imposes severe punishment becomes repulsive to the people; while he who awards mild punishment becomes contemptible. But whoever imposes punishment as deserved becomes respectable.

Source: http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/chanakya-on-administration/

Hare Krishna! 

Please accept our humble obeisances! 
All glories to Srila Prabhupada! 
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! 

On Monday- December 21st 2015 two auspicious events took place: 
- Advent of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita(Gita Jayanti) 
- Moksada Ekadasi 

ISKCON Scarborough devotees chanted the English and Tamil translations of the 700 verses in two groups on this glorious day. 

A sumptuous Ekadasi feast was served after the event. 

A group of ISKCON Scarborough devotees then went to Richmond temple and chanted the Hare Krsna Mahamantra along with some newcomers. 

Source:http://iskconscarborough.blogspot.in/2015/12/gita-jayanti-at-iskcon-scarborough_23.html

I always tell devotees that we should understand that Vrindavan or Mayapur is our home! This is where we live and now at one point, when we go from here to some foreign country, then we are like tourists – we are only visitors there whether it is New Zealand, Spain, Denmark or UK and so on.

Today on sankirtana, on three occasions, students came to my table and looked at the Bhagavad-Gita and flatly interrupted me while I was trying to show it to someone else, saying, "I want this. How much is it?" This has happened before, but three times in one day is a charm. The kids I talk to nowadays are concerned about global warming and terrorism. They do not have the same assurance of the somewhat predictable world that we grew up in. College hatha-yoga classes are offered, always with a strong emphasis on relief from stress. I feel confident in saying that there should be a devotee at a book table on every campus in America. Today, one determined student rode his skateboard all the way home to get $6 in quarters from his grandmother's coin jar and bring it back to take a Gita.

One girl came to the table and took a book and gave a small donation. Then she asked, "Could you explain to me what meditation is?" I said that we do mantra meditation. I showed her my japa beads. She had impersonal notions, so I told her that it is recommended in these books to meditate on the Lord's lotus feet; out of respect and humility we keep the Lord's feet in our hearts. She was a simple girl. She said, "O my God, I am getting goose bumps hearing this!"

One boy showed me all of his nine dollars in his wallet in order to buy a Gita, but then he kept four to buy a hamburger.

I warned him, "You know, eating meat is not good for yoga practice. You don't have to be a vegetarian to read this book, but we are vegetarians." His response was, "You have got to be kidding me!" He ran off to get the hamburger. About twenty minutes later he came back and said, "You have got to explain this to me! Why are you vegetarian?" It was as if he had never heard of such a thing. We talked for ten minutes or so.

By meeting young people and giving them their first glimpse of spiritual life, we are doing the best service for them, for every living being, for the future of the planet, and especially for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to the generous preaching management of New Dwaraka Dhama!

Your servant,
Karuna Dharini dd

Hare Krsna 

The ISKCON Congregation Development Ministry is currently researching successful methods for running children programs in our ISKCON centres. We humbly request you to provide us with some valuable information to determine the most important aspects of these programs so that we can assist other yatras in establishing such programs for our little ones :)

Lecture on Disobedience-The sign of envy  by Bhakti Vinoda Swami on 26 Aug 2015 at ISKCON Coimbatore

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