On Thursday, April 22nd we visited the home of Chaitanya Hari, one of the temple managers, for prasadam.
In the evening he had arranged for a second fundraiser for the TOVP at the temple, and after Radha Jivana prabhu’s and Jananivas prabhu’s talks another $150,000 was pledged by the attending devotees bringing the Vancouver pledge total to $415,000.
Our advancement in Krishna Consciousness is made possible in two ways, by Knowledge and renunciation, jnana and tyaga or tapasya. The more we become renounced from this material world, the more we advance in Krishna Consciousness. But we are only able to make such sacrifices and perform tapasya if we have got knowledge. So first thing is to become knowledgeable in Krishna Consciousness, then the tapasya or voluntary life of austerity will result automatically. So I am requesting all of my students to read my books very seriously every day without fail. In this way, if your mind becomes absorbed at least one or two hours daily in the transcendental subject matter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and other books then very easily you will make your advancement in Krishna Consciousness.
(From Srila Prabhupada's letter to Bhargava - Los Angeles 13 June, 1972)
Over the weekend of May 1st to the 3rd, ISKCON Chicago hosted a wonderful seminar on
“Reaching the Hearts and the Minds of the Western Public” (Effective Models of Western Outreach)
It was an enlivening seminar with many illustrious devotees conducting the seminar, such as HH Romapada Swami, Radhanath Swami, Badrinarayan Swami, Devamrta Swami, Vraj Vihari Prabhu, Gopal Bhatta Prabhu, Kalakantha Prabhu and many more.
The outline of the seminar with the topics presented are listed below and more importantly, the recordings of such are on the Kishore Kishori channel on Youtube.
To access them please go to:
https://www.youtube.com/user/kishorekishori/videos
I can’t express how relevant and inspiring this seminar was for anyone who wants to see ISKCON progress in leaps and bounds in the coming years. With ISKCON’s 50th anniversary celebrations coming up, it is imperative we all know where we are as an organization, what steps we need to take collectively and individually to progress to the next level, and educate ourselves on our shortcomings. This seminar did that for many and I hope the greater devotee community has the opportunity to access the videos and do the same.
Friday, May 1
Vraj Vihari Prabhu as a Facilitator will invite thought-provoking discussion regarding key questions which naturally arise when drilling down on this topic
Saturday, May 2
Morning SB Class by Devamrta Swami: Combined Lecture on Nrsimha Caturdasi plus express something on the topic of “Why this Seminar is important”
Gopal Bhatta Prabhu: “Core Spiritual Marketing” (universal principles to be observed whenever considering “How” to market Srila Prabhupada’s and Lord Caitanya’s gift to any chosen target audience)
Devamrita Swami – “The Contemporary Vedic Ashram” [non-temple, supervised residencies for beginners to find their feet and then consciously choose what comes next][/non-temple,];
Canada Leadership: Bhakti Lounge
Radha Krishna das (BBGM): Contact Sankirtan (Following Up those who receive a book &/or explicitly indicate willingness to learn more: step-by-step method used successfully in Hungary; tools; one of the ISKCON50 Petals)
Kalakantha Prabhu: Importance of Ashram Development
Badrinarayan Swami: Presentations of Effective Western Outreach presently going on within his GBC Zone: Maha-tattva Prabhu and Tukaram Prabhu; plus Full Dome Presentation
Kalakantha Prabhu and Romapada Swami: Glories of Lord Nrsimhadev (evening Nrsimhadevb appearance day lecture)
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Radhanath Swami: SB 6.5.18 ~ Srila Prabhupada’s global strategy of focusing on reaching the Westerner audience
Gopal Bhatta Prabhu: Internet Outreach
Radhanath Swami: Effective Models of Western Outreach for North America Today
Kalakantha Prabhu: “Introducing: Starting a Krishna House” [Note: this topic will be previewed/introduced only briefly; during the 4:45-6:45pm Break-Out Session more details will be shared][/Note:] Plus / RasikaManjaridd: “Krishna Lunch in Your City!”
Sunday Feast Program @ the Temple “Krishna Fest” including Badrinaryan Swami’s lecture on “ISKCON World Today”
- By Sachin Mittal
My dear Maharaj ji's, Prabhu ji's and Mataji's
Please accept my most humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
On 13th August 2015 ISKCON Kolkata is kick-starting the yearlong celebration of Jaladuta Yatra and Golden Jubilee celebration of ISKCON.
On that occasion we want to present a 21 to 25 minutes chanting of Mahamantra by devotees from 7 different continents of the world namely: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America. While they will be singing, their respective continent map and country map will be displayed on the big LED Screen's.
We are looking for devotee's bhajan singer representing each continent to sing the same Hare Krishna tune one after another. It will be one Mahamantra tune which will be sung by each devotees representing all 7 continents one after other. We will start with devotees singing from Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America and ending with Antarctica (Even if a devotee who had been to Antarctica although he may be a national of some other country is o.k). So please let us know or recommend the best bhajan singers from each continent. We are looking for one devotee singer (at least) from every country of each continent.
Since Srila Prabhupada United the whole world through Harinaama, we are also planning that one devotee each from each country will participate in a special Harinam procession with his country flag. Till now we have got confirmation from devotees of around 70 countries (They will be dancing with the flag of their country while devotees will sing). But still over 100 countries are left out where as per our information Srila Prabhupad's mercy has reached. Please find attached a list of countries from where we have not got devotees for Harinaam procession (This is the list for only those who will dance in the harinaam procession and not the list for singers). We request since we have very less time kindly respond to this email with any recommendation for singer from each continents.
Will you not come down to Kolkata to thank Srila Prabhupada, who 50 years back took tremendous hardship to board the Jaladuta?
Please let us know if you are converging at Kolkata to thank Srila Prabhupada on this historic event on 13th August 2015.
Always at your mercy
Yours Radharaman Das
(On behalf of ISKCON Kolkata devotees)
Click here - check list here
Dear devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
We are happy to announce that MESSAGE OF GODHEAD, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is now in ebook form and available at bbtmedia.com.
Srila Prabhupada wrote Message of Godhead in the 1950s, while still living at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavan, India. It was one of his first book-length manuscripts, yet wasn't discovered until years after he had come to the West. It was first published in 1991. Through vivid examples Prabhupada makes the case that there's much more to reality than what our senses can perceive. Message of Godhead is one of Srila Prabhupada's slimmest written volumes, yet it stands as a compelling, comprehensive introduction to all the major points of Krishna conscious philosophy, which he explains in much greater detail in his Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
An excellent book for preaching.
Learn more: http://bbtmedia.com/en/ebook/en-mog
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/BBTmedia/765537146807795
Hare Krishna,
BBTmedia.com
Lecture on Could Krishna Consciousness make you Crazy by HG Mahatma Prabhu
(HG Mahatma Prabhu joined ISKCON in 1969 and was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1970. He travels widely facilitating workshops and retreats on such important practices as japa, forgiveness, humility, vows and sexual purity.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture on Disappearance Day of Ramananda Raya by Lokanath Swami at Vrindavan on 09 MAy 2015
(Born in Aravade, a small village Maharashtra, Indian, he went to Mumbai for studying. In the year 1971, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was touring India with his foreign disciples and had organized a pandal program in Mumbai.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture On Narsimha Lila by Prabodhananda Sarasvati Swami
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture on Having Past Spiritual Impressions reinforced in a present life is extremely fortunate by HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu
(HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu is a celibate spiritual teacher (brahmachari) at ISKCON, Pune. He has done his Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering from the Govt College of Engg, Pune. He is a member of ISKCON's topmost intellectual body, the Shastric Advisory Council, which offers scriptural advise to the GBC)
To Listen and Download - click here
On the morning of Wednesday, April 21st, before departing from Saranagati, we stopped at their Govardhana Academy where Jananivas prabhu spoke about how he became a devotee and what he likes about being a devotee.
Upon returning to Vancouver we went for lunch prasadam to the home of Tulsi das and Chaitanya Priya dasi. Chaitanya Priya is the granddaughter of Saktimata dasi, a well-known disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Tulsi das pledged a Silver Gratitude Coin ($11,000) and then their son and daughter, Parameswara and Vrnda, fourth generation ISKCON devotees (see the video on the TOVP website) each made a pledge to the TOVP. The Padukas were bathed and worshiped and prasadam served.
The evening program was at the home of Vishuddha Sattva Das and Shuddha Bhakti Devi Dasi. Their son is 17 years old and pledged a $2500 Radha Madhava Brick even though he doesn’t have a job or a dollar. He has promised to work hard in the next few years to fulfill his pledge. As usual, the Padukas were respectfully worshiped and prasadam served.
View Gallery - click here
On Tuesday, April 21st we made a one-day excursion to Saranagati Dhama, a devotee farm community in Ashcroft, British Columbia (Canada) and Lord Nityananda arranged for us to meet a special disciple of Srila Prabhupada along the way.
Adi Yajna owns and operates a Tour Bus company called Chaitanya Coachways out of Calgary, Canada. Due to his driving schedule he missed us in both Calgary and Vancouver, but Lord Nityananda had plans to fulfill the desire of Srila Prabhupada’s servant.
While stopping for gas on the way to Saranagati, Adi Yajna also arrived at the same gas station with an empty bus. A great exchange took place between him, the Padukas and the devotees when we discovered each other. It was most definitely a transcendental arrangement by the Lord. Adi Yajna happily and immediately pledged towards a Silver Gratitude Coin ($11,000) and promised to pay it off by the end of the year and then pledge more.
We arrived in Saranagati and were greeted by a large group of devotees, many of them Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and their next generation. We were invited to the home of Ghosh Thakur das and Giriraja dasi fo prasadam. In the evening there was a potluck dinner at Mother Yamuna’s (ACBSP) old residence which now serves as a temple for the community. About 60 devotees attended and Radha Jivan and Jananivas spoke. All the devotees generously pledged or the TOVP, including the teenagers who donated for Square Feet. $31,000 was pledged that evening.
View Gallery - Click here
On Monday, April 20th the TOVP Team and the Lord’s Padukas visited the home of Kalarupini dasi who, along with Bhaktin Katelin, prepared and served us prasadam.
In the evening we were invited to the home of Virendra Sharma where many devotees came to hear Jananivas speak. The Padukas were worshiped along with kirtan and prasadam was served.
View Gallery - click here
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09 May 2015 - Disappearance Day of Sri Ramananda Raya
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Lecture on Bhagavad Gita (04.14.21)by HH Bhakti Dhira Damodar Swami at ISKCON Vrindavan
(His Holiness Bhakti Dhira Damodar Swami is from West Africa. He is the first Sannyas disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami. He is known for his years of dedicated services to ISKCON. He is very dear to devotees from Africa.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture on Death No Mercy by HH Indradyumna Swami on 08 Nov 2013
(Indradyumna Swami is a disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Sannyasi traveling preacher, and a guru or spiritual teacher in the Chaitanya Vaishnava tradition. Each year Indradyumna Swami circles the globe teaching the message of the Bhagavad Gita and introducing people to kirtan chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture on Narsimha Chaturdashi by Charu Prabhu
(Charu Das was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1970. He has been President, variously, of the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Berkeley (USA) temples.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture on Marriage in Spiritual Culture by HG Devaki Mataji on 26 Jan 2015
(Mother Devaki has served in various capacities for over 20 years and has in later years engaged in creating festivals and various meetings for devotees to listen about and glorify Krsna. She started pioneer preaching in former Soviet Union.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Hare Krishna,
Pamho. AgtSP.
To establish Sridhama Mayapur, the audharya dhama, as the World Headquarters of the Hare Krishna Movement and bring it to the forefront and attention of the entire world, as well as to show our love and gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for this most rare benediction and gift he has given us in the form of the ISKCON society, we all need to work together to make our acharyas’ vision become manifest. Srila Prabhupada said that the temple was already built, but we must take this opportunity if we want to be the instruments and receive the transcendental credit, or someone else will.
http://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/
Your servant,
Sunanda das
Lecture on Six work habits that destroy peace and sanity by HH Romapada Swami in 23 Mar 2015 at Detroit
(Romapada Swami‘s first encounter with Krishna consciousness came in Buffalo, in the shape of a lecture at the State University of New York in 1969. The lecturer was His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The following year, Romapada Swami joined the movement in Boston and was initiated in 1971.)
To Listen and Download - click here
