Bhakti Vijnana Goswami: Prayers requested for ailing Krishna devotee, Radha Damodara prabhu.
Kirtiraja das: For those of you who followed the Campaign of The Committee to Free Soviet Hare Krishnas many years ago, Radha Damodara prabhu was then known as Sucharu dasa (Sergei Zuev). Much emphasis was given to his case because he was imprisoned in a Soviet labor camp and endured very harsh treatment there. 
Radha Damodara prabhu has given almost forty years of his life in serving Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the Soviet Union and Russia as he was one of the original Moscow devotees. 
Radha Damodara prabhu is one of the most sober and serious devotees I’ve ever met AND at the same time he has a jolly streak. Whenever I would experience Radha Damodara prabhu making a joke or a funny comment, he would break into a smile and it made me smile. 
He is a wonderful devotee and has done so much extremely valuable service for ISKCON in Russia especially in the area of governmental affairs. Radha Damodara prabhu’s service laid the foundation so Krishna Consciousness in the former Soviet Union could be what it is today. 
The world, yes the world, owes a debt of gratitude to Radha Damodara prabhu for the service he’s done. 
I specifically say the world because Srila Prabhupada said that the inevitable war between the Soviet Union and America could be avoided if we distributed his books in the Soviet Union. Radha Damodara prabhu was instrumental in making that book distribution possible
Please pray to the Lord and Srila Prabhupada for his safe journey home. Radha Damodara prabhu ki jaya!

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30646

Los Angeles temple receives top awards!
Jaya Chaitanya Das and Svavasa Das share 2015 awards for #1 book distributor and temple in North America!

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30651

The fragrance of incense, variety of beautiful colourful flowers, illumination of glittering lights, melodious chanting of Hare Krishna Mahamantra and glow on the faces of shaved headed tilak borne devotees transformed the auditorium of Prabhupad Samadhi Mandir at ISKCON Mayapur into a transcendental heavenly planet. To mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations( 1996- 2016) of International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the devotees organised the programme- “Homage to Srila Prabhupad” to pay tribute to His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupad, founder Acharya of ISKCON. Fifty years back when a lone 70 year old saffron clad Swami with only three translated volumes of Srimad Bhagvatam left the shores of Kolkata and ventured into the crude materialistic world of the United States of America to spread the message of Sri Chaitanya MahaPrabhu and bhakti yoga, few would have envisaged the formation of a global Vaishnava cult know as Hare Krishna movement. Today ISKCON has more than 600 centres, 65 eco-farms and 110 vegetarian restaurants. Its affiliated Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is the world’s largest publisher of Vaishnava literature and has distributed 516 million books and magazines. In addition, ISKCON’s affiliated Annamrita Food Relief program feeds 1.2 million school children every day in India.

On the occasion of Golden Jubilee celebrations good wishes and rich tributes have poured in from all over the world in the form of messages from The Hon’able President of India Sri Pranab Mukherjee, The Prime Minsters of India and United Kingdom, singer Lata Mangeshkar to name a few. As a tribute to the movement, The President messaged “I pay my humble tribute to the contributions of HDG AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad who incorporated ISKCON in 1966 and whose teachings continue to resonate in the hearts of Krishna devotees all over the world even today”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated ISKCON and written “journey has been manifestation of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam integration core of philosophy”. Theresa May PM UK in her message mentioned “For fifty years since its foundation by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the men and women behind ISKCON have dedicated their lives to the words of Lord Krishna to achieve peace and unity.” Bharat Ratna and renowned singer Lata Mangeshkar in her words wrote “As an artist, I am most grateful for Srila Prabhupada’s efforts toward bringing about a religious cultural revival of Indian classical arts in all parts of the world. By the blessings of Lord Krishna, many talented disciples of Srila Prabhupada have virtually mastered the arts of bhajana and kirtana and classical dance”.

Srila Prabhupad considered Mayapur as very sacred land and called it his place of worship so the devotees left no stone unturned to make the it a programme which will be cherished for long. Eminent personalities from various walks of society – senior educationists , top administrative officials, columnists, scholars, performers, revered people from judiciary, and many direct disciples of Srila Prabhupad attended the programme. The programme started with “Sasti vachan” presented by the students of Gurukul and lighting of lamps by senior devotees. HG Sankarshan Nitai Das, MAC member welcomed the guests.Next the audience was left spellbound when renowned Bengali singer , Haimanti Shukla rendered bhajan and Hari nama in her captivating voice.

In the opening speech, HG Basu Ghosh Das, Vice Chairman of ISKCON Bureau India and also President of ISKCON Baroda temple shared his personal experience with Srila Prabhupad way back in 1974 when he met him for the first time. Although an American by birth, Das gave his speech in Sanskrit and recalled how he was deeply influenced by Srila Prabhupad’s simple way of explaining the highest spiritual knowledge. Further, he shared Srila Prabhupad’s vision of reviving the practice of Sanatana Dharma by spreading the message of pure love for Lord Krishna. Srila Prabhupad emphasised on living a simple lifestyle and instructed his disciples to practice sadhana bhakti, japa, listen to the glories of the Lord and distribute Krishna Parasad to every living entity of the world, informed Das. He said that moving forward ISKCON aims to spread the Sankirtan movement ( congregational chanting) to every household of the globe. Siraj ul Islam, prominent columnist discussed about the relevance of Bhagavat Geeta and the role of Srila Prabhupad in spreading it. He strongly expressed that the teachings of Lord Krishna in Bhagavat Geeta is not restricted to any one specific religion. He exhorted every one to study Bhagavat Geeta as it will result in uprooting all the dirt that exists in the mind of the people. Dr.Ashok Das, Principal, Assannagar Tarkalankar College, Nadia, eulogised the efforts of Srila Prabhupad in uniting the people of the world under the umbrella of ISKCON. He narrated the early life , treacherous journey of Srila Prabhupad to United States on the ship named Jaladuta and the giant achievements that followed. A documentary on the life of Srila Prabhupad was shown to the audience.

While paying his tributes, HG Jagadhatria Das, coordinator of the programme, felt that the globally stature of Srila Prabhupad surpasses of being merely a spiritual master. He said that Srila Prabhupad will stay in the hearts of the people of the world who dedicated his entire life in integrating the diversified masses by promoting the culture of universal brotherhood. Das said, under Srila Prabhupad’s direction ISKCON as a society has taught the world to break the barriers of caste, color, creed, nationality and unite together to please Lord Gour Hari as is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam that the only aim of a living entity should be “ Hari tosanam”- satisfying The Lord Hari. He thanked all the key speakers, volunteers and people for participating in the programme.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30659

 Many cultures today have a tradition for offering prayers while preparing a meal. A transformation takes place when seemingly ordinary ingredients are combined, prepared nicely, and then offered with love. The result is known as “prasadam” (Sanskrit) which means “The Lord’s mercy”.
God is very happy to receive offerings like this. It is said that the consciousness of the cook enters the food while s/he is cooking. References to the benefits of conscious food preparation are found in a variety of scriptures - both Eastern & Western - going back thousands of years.
I ran into a clear example of this at Govinda’s Cafe in west LA this afternoon. This small vegetarian cafe close to Culver City offers specialty dishes on Sunday (all maha Deity prasadam).
Today’s stellar dish: a cauliflower & squash curry in yogurt sauce with cumin, curry leaves, a touch of salt & turmeric. Words fail to even begin describing the aura & flavor of this curry. Let’s just say it was outstanding and mood of the chef was ‘spot on’…his heart was definitely in the right place. This dish seemed like it landed from another planet. Such is the power and benediction of sanctified cooking.
Anyone can do this. This is not rocket science. It is a science, but simple to do. The most important ingredient of all: the desire to do so. Benefits? better health, clearer skin, less burden onto the planet, a nice connection with the Lord … the list is long. Also: this approach to cooking does not COST ANY MORE than what most are spending on meal preparation now. Often your cost is less. The taste? You cannot even imagine the different things you can make and prepare consciously. Literally thousands upon thousands.
Now we return to this simple unassuming bowl of yellow curried vegetables. Dive in ….

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30675

ISKCON Leicester has welcomed Sri Sri Radha Madhava from ISKCON Belfast to accept worship in Leicester, UK.

A special welcome ceremony took place today (Sunday 21st August) to receive the beautiful brass Deities Who have been worshipped in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the last 35 years.

The community offered abhishek to the 2.5 feet tall Deities to welcome Them to Their new home in the heart of Leicester City Centre. Devotees travelled from all over the country to witness the special event, and celebrated the arrival with a yagya, and a full day of kirtana.

UK GBC Pragosa Dasa, and Shaunaka Rishi Dasa, Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies shared memories of Sri Sri Radha Madhava and blessed the congregation to serve Them wholeheartedly.

Praghosa Dasa, GBC for the UK said: “Having known Radha Madhava since 1983, I cannot remember a more auspicious and blissful event in Their association than today in Leicester”

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and Deputy Mayors Cllr Manjula Sood and Cllr Piara Singh Clair also attended the event, and shared their appreciation for ISKCON on its 50th anniversary.

In an exchange of love, ISKCON Leicester has given their Panca Tattva Deities to ISKCON Belfast, in a solid expression of gratitude.

KUALA LUMPUR -  On July 11, 1966, Srila Prabhupada officially registered his International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York. At that time, he had one small storefront on New York’s Lower East-Side, and a handful of students. Today, there are nearly four hundred ISKCON centers all over the world, and thousands of ISKCON devotees. ISKCON is now gearing up for its 50th anniversary, with plans for celebratory events all over the world throughout 2016.

To mark the significance of  His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada's maiden visit to USA in 1965, ISKCON Malaysia will be launching the ISKCON 50th anniversary 60 sen philately stamps by the Malaysian postal office, Pos Malaysia on the 29th August at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple opening in Seberang Prai, Penang.

Source : http://www.iskconmalaysia.com/profiles/blogs/iskcon-50th-aniversary-60sen-stamps-to-be-launched-during-temple-

It was a truly uplifting and festive time for ISKCON of Los Angeles from August 4th to 7th recently, with celebrations for both the 40th anniversary of the city’s Rathayatra festival, and the 50th anniversary of ISKCON in full swing.

The ISKCON of LA property looked fresh and beautiful for the festival, with temple president Svavasa Das and his brother Naikatma Das completing an ambitious renovation project just in time.

All the windows were replaced and the temple, Govinda’s buffet and kitchen buildings sandblasted and re-stuccoed. The temple entrance received a face lift, with new ornate wood decor, a beautiful stone tile entryway and a grand maroon canopy. The area in front was also re-designed with drought resistant landscaping and stone tile work to handle the increased flow of foot traffic for festivals and general increase in daily visitors.

To read the rest of the article click here: http://iskconnews.org/los-angeles-celebrates-40th-rathayatra-and-50th-of-iskcon,5758/

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On account of the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON, we, at ISKCON Ahmedabad, have been working together as team, for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. Under the kind guidance of HG JashomatinandanPrabhu (ACBSP) and by Krishna’s mercy, our core committee, while churning for the nectar, derived at an amazing and innovative idea of conducting an outreach program for the top-notchcorporate tycoons,based in and around Ahmedabad.We had two prime factors to validate this event. 1. ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary and 2. A new temple project at our Gaushala. Hence, we started working on this project and could manifest it in the following manner:

This event wasorganized strictly for the well-known businessmen only and hence, we selected‘Padmashri’ Dr. Karsanbhai Patel (Chairman &Managing Director of NIRMA) as our chief guest. Otherbusiness magnates who were selected as the guests of honour were ShriBipinbhai Patel (President – GCCI - Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry),ShriShankarbhai Patel (Chairman of the Green Society), ShriChimanlalAgrawal (Real-estate Expert) and Dr. Shri K. U. Mistry (Ex-Chairman of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board). In all we had invited about 300 industrialists, along with their families, for this program. 11th August 2016 was selected for materializing this event, between 6.30 PM to 9.30 PM. A designated team of 50 devotees with excellent communication skills, attractive personality, humble and aristocratic behavior, distinctivecourteousness and who are philosophically well-versed, were pre-trained to execute various services during this event.

As soon as the guests arrived, the volunteers of thededicated team for the vehicle parking management,led the drivers to their appropriate places and if the guests weren’t chauffeur driven, our drivers helped them park their vehicles. Two welcome teams and escort teams were formed (for two gates each), which welcomed the arrived guests with flowers, sprinkled rosewater, appliedchandan on their foreheads, appliedShriNrsimhadeva’s scent on their hands and led them towards the shoes stand.Then they were led towards the altars in the temple, with a decorated plate of aarati, once the formality of their registration was accomplished.After the performance of aarati, they were led to the Jhulan for swinging Their Lordships and thenthey were led towards Srila Prabhupada’s deity,where the chief male member of the family garlanded Srila Prabhupada and in turn, the principal couple in their family was garlanded back by the volunteer devotee couple, with Srila Prabhupada’s prasadam garlands. Finally, they were led towards their seats in the main temple hall, where the program was organized. A huge dais with Srila Prabhupada’s cutout in the center, sitting arrangement for the guests of honour and a podium for the speakers were arranged on the right hand side of the deities.A wooden prototype of the temple under construction at our Gaushalawas placed on the left of Srila Prabhupada’s deity, which was to be unveiled by the chief guest. A huge LED screen was installed on the left of the stage, for our presentation videos. The most remarkable of all was that the complete decoration of the event, from the beginning until the end, was done all in the combination of ‘BLUE & WHITE’ as that of ‘Krishna &Balarama’.So much so that the lamps which were lit all around the temple for decoration were floating in Blue & White colored water, most of the matajis woreSaris with bluish tone, the backdrop, the banner, deities’ attire, curtains, flower decorations, balloons, festoons, and everything else,wherever possible, were all in Blues& Whites.

The program commenced with a welcome note and an introductory speech by the anchor, specially invited for this event. The chief guest and the guests of honor were requested to come on to the stage and light the lamp, so as to inaugurate the event.  After welcoming the chief guest and the guests of honor sitting on the dais, by offering a shawl and a Maha-garland, a welcome speech was given by the president of ISKCON Ahmedabad, His Grace Jashomatinandan Das. What follows is a brief summary of the speech given by his grace:

“I am glad to invite our chief guests, Karsanbhai Patel, Bipinbhai Patel and all the invited guests, without whose cooperation, this temple (ISKCON Ahmedabad) would not have come to existence. In the same way the new temple project that is coming up at Kathwada village, is also not possible without you.

This organization (ISKCON) is based on the teachings of Bhagavad Gita. Krishna said twice in the Bhagavad Gita; once in Ch. 9 and then in Ch. 18, man manabhava mad bhakto….  Engage your mind in always thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisance to Me and worship Me.  The organization that is based on this principle is THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, ISKCON, which has completed 50years.

When Srila Prabhupada first met his guru in 1922, his guru told him “you are very educated young man, so please preach Bhagavad Gita in English language.” In 1937 just before his guru left his body, heagain instructed Srila Prabhupada to preach and to make western people devotees of Krishna. In 1965 Srila Prabhupada left in a cargo ship to America. After the struggle for one year, few Americans became devotees of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada gave lectures on Bhagavad Gita and taught Hare Krishna Mahamantra to them. In this way, by chanting this Mahamantra, the movement began through many lanes of the city and gradually he had many disciples and hence, this historic movement was formed.”

Thereafter His Grace spoke about Srila Prabhupada’s achievements and glories. Later he mentioned about the Gaushala and the ongoing temple project, so that the audience can aid in raising funds for the same. He also mentioned about the care of the cows and the organic farming, executed by us.

Our chief guest Dr. ShriKarsanbhai Patel, the next speaker after Prabhuji, astonished the audience with his marvelous explanation about the spiritual science. Here is a brief summary of his speech:

“Hare Krishna to everyone!

50 years ago Srila Prabhupada started ISKCON or Radha-Krishna worship or let’s say the preaching of Bhagavad Gita. The kind of preaching that Srila Prabhupada did, of Bhagavad Gita across the whole world,has never been done before. We should offer our obeisances to him and thank him and also thank all those who are spreading this movement across the world. We pray to him to give all success and that people continue this service of the Lord and also that he keeps enlightening us.

Actually speaking, if we desire to serve theLord, we should not ask anything from Him. Why should we ask?In reality, living beings and the nature are dependent on the supreme soul. Supreme soul is independent. We run after the happiness, prosperity and peace. Whatever we do, we do it merely for this. We try to find them outside. We may get these things externally for a few moments, but it is not permanent in nature. Those things that give you happiness and peace can be a cause of misery tomorrow. Whenever you go to the Lord, do not ask anything for yourself. Ask for others. If you selflessly pray for others, sincerely, then surely it will be answered.

We should assist JashomatinandanDas in building the new temple. Anywaythe templeis going to come up. There is no hindrance in the service of the Lord. But we all should take the maximum benefit in this service of the Lord.

With these few words, I thank you all.”

ShriBipinbhai Patel delivered a concise speech, mainly focusing on the aspect of contributing to the new temple project,by inviting the audience to step forward for the divine cause.After the speeches, we projected a slideshow pertaining to the new temple project, with the cows in the gaushala, the organic farming, ongoing construction, future plans and various devotional activities going on regularly at the project site. Thereafter, all the guests of honor, along with the chief guest, were requested to unveil the model of the new temple project. Subsequently, after the model was unveiled, many generous donors declared their amounts that they wished to donate to this new temple project. Consequently, some of the senior devotees of the committee offered a shawl and a garland to these generous donors. We concluded this event by projecting the ISKCON 50thAnniversary video, depicting the activities of ISKCON worldwide, downloaded from the official website of ISKCON50.

All the guests were finally requested to oblige us by honoring the Mahaprasadam love feast, organized by usaristocratically, apposite to their tastes,with various majestic cuisines. Not only that, before their departure, parting giftscontaining a lot of devotional paraphernalia and Srila Prabhupada’s books, were handed over to them respectfully and were requested to visit us during this Janmashtami andall other festivals that we celebrate. Most importantly, for our follow-up team to work on, we collected their details on separate data cards, so as to accomplish the real purpose of this mission, which was to cultivate them carefully and gradually inspire them to take up Krishna Consciousness.
 

Please visit our photo gallery: HERE

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the 50th anniversary of ISKCON!

On behalf of the ISKCON Ahmedabad 50th Anniversary Core Committee (IACC),

Your humble servant,

Daamodara Dhananjaya Das

ISKCON Ahmedabad

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30600

“Balarama is considered the original spiritual master because he performs the two functions of the spiritual master. One is that He serves Krishna, and the other is that He gives knowledge of Krishna. In His desire to serve Krishna He wants to serve Krishna in every possible way. In terms of rasa, or transcendental mellow, or relationship, sometimes Balarama is in the mood of servitude (dasya). He also serves Krishna in sakhya-rasa, in the mood of an equal. And because He is elder to Krishna, He serves in the mood of vatsalya-rasa, or parental affection. And finally, because one can enter madhurya-rasa with Krishna only in a female spiritual form, Lord Balarama manifests Himself as Ananga Manjari, the younger sister of Srimati Radharani, and serves Krishna in that relationship. He wants to serve Krishna in every possible way.” — Giriraj Swami

Source : http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=11301

Perhaps one of our gifts to Krishna on His birthday this year could be a promise to get to know Him better. There are many ways to do this, reading being one of the easiest and most enjoyable, yet often days, maybe weeks go by without a piece of sacred literature touching our hands.

That’s truly a loss, for sacred reading soothes the wild mind, sharpens the intelligence, and nurtures our true self, the soul. Reading about Krishna also helps ‘all that is troublesome to the heart’ to be ‘almost completely destroyed’. It’s a door to another world, an invitation to a better place, and all in all a tonic for a healthy and whole self.

Regular reading is the key and I recently came across and excellent reading guide to make our experience with books one that we will want to return to again and again. And it’s in that returning that the promise of bhakti, our relationship with Krishna, is to be found. The author of this reading guide is Krishna Ksetra Swami.

Making a Sacred “Scrapbook”

Whether you read the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad-gita or any other bhakti literature, apply the following method:

1. Procure a notebook for writing (or establish a file/subdirectory in your computer).
2. Make an ‘entry’ (at least one every week; at the end of one year, there should be at least 52 entries).
3. Entries can be whatever you want to remember, somehow or other related to what you read in the Bhāgavatam.
4. How to find inspiration for making entries? Listen to yourself for “ringing bells” (which will surely “ring” if you read attentively and thoughtfully). Different types of “bells”, with likely overlap among them, are:

(a) Connection bell – “This [verse/passage…] is like [or in contrast to], or reminds me of, another verse” [identify the verse, explain how related].

(b) Big picture bell – “This [verse/passage…] has an interesting/puzzling/important place in ‘the bigger picture’ of this [passage/chapter/canto/SB/śāstras].” How this verse/passage illuminates my understanding/appreciation/realization of Krishna/bhakti.

(c) Personal memory bell – “This rings a bell, about the time/occasion when/meeting such-and-such person …”

(d) Personal impact bell – “This [verse/passage/commentary] makes special sense to me, I can relate to this… / inspires me to improve, change… / gives me an idea what/how to do/say/explain [something]”.

(e) Movement to write bell – “I can use this idea as the seed for a blog / poem / letter / essay . . .”

(f) Challenge bell – “This [statement /verse /passage] bothers/unsettles me: let me articulate how it bothers/unsettles me, or makes me wonder, or makes me confused, or doubtful…”

(g) Action bell – “This makes me inspired to … create, elaborate, make my own commentary, stop doing something…”

(h) Research bell – “I want to find out more about this [concept/word/name/practice], from elsewhere in the SB, or from other sources/other persons.”

Source : http://iskconofdc.org/a-gift-for-krishna/

To start to tell the story of Vrajabhumi we must introduce Sergio, a typical playboy of the seventies. He worked with Law and was a partygoer in Rio nightlife. His penthouse in Copacabana, one of the richest neighborhoods of Rio, was a place for parties, where people swapped the day for the night. Almost suddenly, however, his life would change. After reading the book Beyond Birth and Death, written by Srila Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the clubber Sergio began to face life otherwise. His apartment then became a central meeting place for spiritualists. Once again, times have changed, but this time his day would begin early, at dawn, for meditations.

In 1976, Sergio went to the Hare Krishna Festival in New York, where he personally met Srila Prabhupada, getting his initiation and a new name: Shatrukotivinasana Dasa (Shatru, to his friends). Shatru now wanted to devote himself exclusively to spirituality and, with the master’s blessings, he traded his apartment and imported car for a land in Teresópolis, a city 2 hours from Rio de Janeiro, with the intention of turning it into, as he would say, “a piece of the spiritual sky.” With this idea in his heart, Shatru personally requested Srila Prabhupada to give a name to that place. Prabhupada closed his eyes for a moment and, still with his eyes closed, pronounced: “Vrajabhumi”. “New Vrajabhumi?” Sergio asked Srila Prabhupada, since many communities had names beginning with “new”. Srila Prabhupada said, “No. Just Vrajabhumi”. Since then, Shatru dedicated himself to the establishment and development of that community as the work of his life, his offering to God.

His main goal was to have a pioneering project that allied tourism, self-sufficiency and sophisticated preaching to reach the population that normally would not approach Krishna consciousness. From the beginning and even today, Vrajabhumi goers constitute mostly middle class people or high-class, college-educated and interested in wellness and health as well as rational spirituality, self-improvement and a wisdom free of fanaticism. “The intention is not any form of elitism,” says Nrsimhananda Dasa, current president of Vrajabhumi, “but as we know, the ‘Plan A’ of Srila Prabhupada in the West was to influence the leaders of society, opinion leaders, because, as Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita, what they do will be naturally followed by other classes of men. We try to fulfill that Prabhupada’s purpose.”

Shatru was a man ahead of his time. Even in the 70s, he was able to predict that the typical ISKCON economy of devotees selling books on the street could not be sustainable or produce resources in a long term. He wanted a temple that remained even without a congregation. The way found to implement it was to rely on the tourism potential of the region where Vrajabhumi is located. Just 100 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro, Teresopolis is a beloved destination for locals when they want to escape a little from the hustle and bustle of this great capital and gather in hotels with an atmosphere of farm and simplicity.

Vrajabhumi has a beautiful guest house and very nice cottages, as well as a framework for conducting retreats and receiving yoga groups. Those who come for the retreats offer donations, which are the main source of funds for Vrajabhumi, as originally planned by Shatru. Moreover, Vrajabhumi has a lacto-vegetarian and vegan restaurant and offers yoga classes, hikes through the beautiful landscapes of the region and different therapies, thus composing a range of attractions for the project.

Due to its strategic location, Vrajabhumi is an attractive place for retreats of yoga groups across the southeastern region of Brazil, precisely the largest holder of economic and cultural influence in the country. For some time, several of the main centers of yoga and holistic groups in Brazil have attended Vrajabhumi and had the opportunity to be introduced to Krishna consciousness in attractive, consistent and culturally justified way.

“Certainly settling so solid in a competitive environment such as yoga, while preserving its identity as a spiritual retreat, was the great historical challenge of Vrajabhumi,” said Nrsimhananda. “I think it is a very proper and wise decision to keep Vrajabhumi aligned equidistantly within yoga audience, because everybody ends up understanding that Vrajabhumi is not a rival, but a project that can add to everyone’s groups.”

Lilaraja Dasa, a Vrajabhumi resident since 1982 (years before its official opening with the installation of the Deities), adds: “We receive people and present Krishna consciousness to make friends – friends fromyoga, ecology, vegetarianism and other fields… If someone is naturally convinced that the knowledge of the three modes of nature is something objective and practical, that we cannot be happy in the material world, that Krishna is wonderful, it happens by itself. We need not be proselytizers.”

For more than 30 years in Vrajabhumi for “total identification”, Lilaraja Dasa talks about the main objective of Krishna consciousness there, “We try to facilitate access to the final goal of life. In general, people need to do asanas to get a healthy body and sit to think of the Supreme, and do pranayama for the mind to be quiet. Vrajabhumi already gives people the benefits of asanas and pranayama with its comfortable facilities, healthy and holy food and a paradisiacal environment. People need only to meditate on the Supreme with all this ease. This is our special feature.”

The beginning of Vrajabhumi was simpler, of course. Nowadays, the beautiful lake with the beautiful lounge/island and fully windowed octagonal shape was just a “marsh”, and the temple was a modest construction of bricks and bamboos. Lilaraja talks on the enthusiasm of the early devotees involved: “We were obtaining recourses by marathons of distribution of books, and marathons for practical work and construction too.” Lilaraja remembers how they brought thousands and thousands of stones from a river nearby for using in the constructions. “We used to sing japa [chanting of mantras counted on rosaries] at 2 o’clock in the morning, then we did mangala-arati adoration and, before the sun comes up, we were already working on the constructions we dreamed to offer to Prabhupada.”

In 2001, with Chandramukha Swami’s support and along with some other devotees, like Krishna Mahotsava (Lilaraja’s wife), Jaya Advaita Dasa and Jaya Devaki Devi Dasi, the project already had all the characteristics of Shatru original idea. At that time, the structure for receiving guests was revitalized and the ashram widely reported by Chandramukha Swami’s preaching, which was highlighted in the media because of his musical work with Nando Reis, one of the most influential artists in Brazil, who became interested in recording a song with mantras due to being a George Harrison fan.

In the history of Vrajabhumi, many big events had local, national and international impact. Throughout the 1990s, there were annually “ashram” retreats, lasting between 7 and 15 days, with intense teachings of bhakti-yoga, with different leaders of ISKCON presenting systematically varied content of Vaishnava philosophy and secondary sciences, such as ayurveda and astrology. In total, more than 1,000 people attended these events, which formed many new devotees of Krishna.

Although the meetings which took place there are too numerous to name them all, Vrajabhumi has already hosted meetings of trustees of BBT, meetings of the highest administrative organ of Brazil, marathons of sankirtana, 7 days recitation of Srimad-Bhagavatam, conferences with themes such as ”Devotees Care“, “The Vaishnava Thought”, full course of bhakti-shastri in 1 year, Vaishnava Vedanta Yoga (the first training course for yoga instructors based on vaishnavism), japa retreats, advanced study of The Nectar of Devotion and many others.

“Nights of Vraja”, a pleasant evenings in the temple of the capital of Rio, with concerts of famous artists in Brazil, as the band 14 Bis and saxophonist Leo Gandelman, accompanied by elegant dinner served by waiters, fire ceremonies and lectures, were another successful events promoted by Vrajabhumi, even though outside of its facilities.

Vrajabhumi thus friendly attracts supporters and spiritualists at the same that helps with advanced studies for devotees of Krishna and fills with pride the influential leaders of the Hare Krishna movement. Jayadvaita Swami, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and editor for The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, was impressed with Vrajabhumi and commented that “Vrajabhumi has a numerous and high qualified audience”. Madhusevita Prabhu, an Italian devotee also guru in ISKCON, found striking natural the integration between devotees and the general public in kirtanas and lectures. Harishauri, famous secretary and biographer of Srila Prabhupada, was keen to see each of the rooms and chalets of Vrajabhumi, know the great variety of trees, see the wild animals that eat from the hands of devotees and many other wonders of Vrajabhumi that filled his eyes.

In the center of it all, of course, there are Krishna-Balarama, the Deities installed at the altar in 1991, completing 25 years of installation this year, on August 20, 2016. When responsible for a rural project that began in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Chandramukha Swami acquired the Deities of Krishna-Balarama for its temple, but the Deities had other plans. Chandramukha Swami, shortly after acquiring Them, became president of ISKCON Rio de Janeiro and officially opened the Ashram Vrajabhumi, installing there the golden couple of Deities. In 2009, during Balarama Festival, the gorgeous black and white marble Krishna-Balarama Deities were installed, making the altar even more attractive.

With such a magnificent history, there is much to celebrate and the festivities will attend to its expectancies. The celebration of Vrajabhumi 25th anniversary will take place in 19-21 August, and the summit will be on the 20th, when there will be (in addition to the traditional programming of the temple) a parikrama (pilgrimage), the ritual of the bathing of the Deities, celebrations also for the 50th anniversary of ISKCON, a free party with 108 preparations and a variety of cultural attractions, culminating in Chandramukha Swami and Krishna Bandhu band show. Great leaders of the Hare Krishna Movement in Latin America will be present, such as Dhanvantari Swami, Chandramukha Swami, Keshava Dasa Swami, Purushatraya Swami and Yamunacharya Dasa Goswami. Famous yoga names will also be circulating through the event.

When we asked Nrsimhananda which moment of the festivities he believes will be the climax, he said, uncertain: “Hard to define one, but I believe that when the devotees who made Vrajabhumi a reality get together to tell its histories, I believe we are going to have a very special moment.”

Nrsimhananda talked a bit about the plans for the future: “We think of expanding the boundaries of Vrajabhumi to offer accommodation even when there are no retreats, provide Vedic philosophy courses full time and have a greater dialogue with the cultural activities in the region”.

Vrajabhumi also wants to offer, in innovative character, a complete kshatriya course, training devotees and people of good character for martial arts and leadership activities following the example of the saint kings described in the Vedic literature. In the same line, a program of “Scouts Vaishnava” for children and teens will be started.

Having past, present and future at Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet, Vrajabhumi is a beautiful, warm and rich in devotion, a project worthy of being known all over the world.

Translation by Bhaktin Martha Leiros.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30562

Question: Karma applies only in this realm – only in this material world, right? Or does it also apply to the soul in the non material world?

My reply:
Karma is cause and effect as a result of work.

We exist on one side of the kāraṇa ocean (the ocean of causality). Ours is the side where a lack in the soul motivates work (karma) which sets cause and effect in motion. The other side of the ocean of causality, the “non-material realm” or the “spiritual world” as we often call it, is “Vaikuṇṭha” – a place where there is no want whatsoever. On that side of existence it is not a lack in the soul but the fullness of the soul which motivates action. Thus the action is not “work” (karma) but “play” (līlā).

Play also has sequence to it, and thus follows a type of cause and effect – but the whole thing is effortless and free, so it is not called karma, it is called līlā.

Vraja Kishor das

Source : https://vicd108.wordpress.com/2016/08/18/karma-in-the-spiritual-realm/

One barrier to acceptance of interactionist models for mind/body dualism is a shortage of conceptual resources. Turning to the ancient Sanskrit writings of India, we find in the Bhagavata Purana of India the allegory of the City of Nine Gates, which provides a complex model from mind/body dualism. This model, rich in imagery, allows one to account for such varied phenomena as phantom limbs, out of body experiences, past life memories, traveling clairvoyance, and perception of qualia.

Is there a conscious self that is distinct from the physical mechanism of the body? Is there a mind that is distinct from the brain? Those who give positive answers to such questions are called dualists, but they are not numerous in contemporary science and philosophy. Dualistic solutions to the mind/body problem are perhaps hampered, among other things, by the impoverished analogical and allegorical resources of Western thought. Whether we turn to Plato’s cave, to the formulations of Descartes, or to the proverbial little green man in the brain, there is apparently not enough substance to inspire the modern consciousness researcher to seriously consider dualism.

But in chapters 25-29 of Canto Four in the Bhagavata Purana, a Sanskrit text from India, one finds the elaborate allegory of the City of Nine Gates. The sophistication of the allegory and the potential explanatory power of its elements challenge modern researchers to take a second look at dualism.

The account of the City of Nine Gates is specifically identified as allegorical in the Bhagavat Purana itself. It was spoken by the sage Narada Muni, who was questioned by King Prachinabarhishat about the nature of the self, and Narada Muni himself explains all the elements of the allegory in the original text. In other words, it is not that I myself have identified some passages from the Bhagavata Purana as allegorical, and myself interpreted the passage in terms of mind/body dualism. The allegorical nature of the passages and their application to a dualist explanation of consciousness are features of the text itself.

In this paper, I will give a summary of the City of Nine Gates, adapted from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust edition of the Bhagavata Purana (published as Srimad-Bhagavatam) along with some hints as to the utility of the allegory in resolving questions that arise in consciousness studies.

The central character in the allegory of the City of Nine Gates is a King named Puranjana. In Sanskrit, the word puran-jana means “one who enjoys in a body.” Soul/body dualism is thus hinted at in the King’s name. King Puranjana originally existed as a spirit soul in a purely spiritual realm in relationship with a supreme conscious being, God. Materialists may oppose the introduction of this transcendental realm, which exists outside the material universe knowable by science. But even the materialist cosmology of modern science incorporates a “transcendental” realm, that is to say, a realm that exists beyond the universe knowable by science, and from which that universe emerged at the time of the Big Bang. This transcendental reality, existing beyond time, space, and matter, is called the quantum mechanical vacuum, and is pictured as a pure energy field in which particles appear and instantly disappear. From this sea of virtual particles, some go through a process of expansion that keeps them in existence. According to many cosmologists, our universe is one such expansion.

So both the Bhagavata Purana and the Big Bang cosmology of modern science have an eternal transcendental existence from which our universe of matter, with its features of time and space, arises. Once this is admitted, we can then decide which version of ultimate reality has the most explanatory power, when applied to the variegated reality of our experience. Modern cosmologists and other theorists have a great deal of difficulty in coaxing a sufficient amount of variety from the rather smooth and featureless universe that, according to theory, expands from the quantum mechanical vacuum. The origin of consciousness also poses a difficult problem. In light of this, an ultimate reality that is itself variegated and conscious might offer a solution.

Having departed from the spiritual world, by misuse of independence, King Puranjana journeys through the material world, accompanied by Avijnata Sakha (“the unknown friend”). The Unknown Friend corresponds to the Supersoul expansion of God. When Puranjana leaves God and the spiritual world, his memory of them becomes covered. But unknown to Puranjana, God accompanies him on his journey through the material world. According to the Bhagavata Purana, God accompanies all spirit souls in the material world as their Unknown Friend, who observes and sanctions their activities.

In the Western world, mind/brain dualism is identified with French philosopher René Descartes, who posited the existence of (1) matter extended in space and (2) mind existing outside space. Cartesian dualism is characterized by an interaction between mind and matter, but explaining how this interaction takes place has proved problematic for advocates of the Cartesian model. How, for example, are impressions transmitted from the realm of matter to the completely different realm of mind? Descartes thought the connection between mind and matter occurred in the pineal gland in the brain, an answer most scientists today do not favor.

According to the Bhagavata Purana, both matter and the souls in the material world are energies of God, and as such both have a single spiritual source. The Bhagavata Purana philosophy is thus both dualist and monist, simultaneously. The interactions of matter and the soul in the material world are mediated by Supersoul, who exists inside each material atom and also accompanies each spirit soul. By the arrangement of Supersoul, impressions of material experience can be channeled to the soul. How this takes place is the subject of the allegory of Puranjana.

Having left the spiritual world, Puranjana, accompanied by Avijnata Sakha (his Unknown Friend, the Supersoul), wanders through the material world. He desires to find a suitable place to enjoy himself. In other words, he searches for a suitable kind of body to inhabit. He tries many kinds of bodies on many planets. Here we note that each species of life consists of a soul inhabiting a particular kind of body. In this respect, the Bhagavata Purana account differs from that of Descartes, who held that only humans have souls. For Descartes, animals were simply automatons. If one concedes that animals, with all their signs of life and consciousness, are simply automatons, then why not human beings as well? TheBhagavata Purana model avoids this particular weakness of Descartes’s system.

Eventually, Puranjana comes to a place called Nava Dvara Pura, the City of Nine Gates. He finds it quite attractive. The City of Nine Gates represents the human male body, with its nine openings–two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, mouth, anus, and the genital opening. As Puranjana wanders through the gardens of the city, he encounters an extremely beautiful woman. Puranjana is attracted to her, and she is attracted to him. She becomes his Mahisi (Queen).

Puranjana, as we have seen, represents the conscious self. The beautiful woman represents Buddhi, intelligence. According to the Bhagavata Purana philosophy, intelligence is a subtle material energy with discriminatory capabilities like those manifested by artificial intelligence machines. The attraction between King Puranjana and the Queen is the root of embodied consciousness. The King, it should be noted, has distinct conscious selfhood, with nonmaterial sensory capability, but this capability becomes dormant when he begins his relationship with the Queen.

The Queen (the subtle material element called intelligence) allows Puranjana (the conscious self) to enjoy the City of Nine Gates (the gross physical body). Employing a computer analogy, we might say Puranjana represents the user, the City of Nine Gates represents the computer hardware, and the Queen represents the software that allows the user to interface with the hardware and use it for practical purposes.

The Queen is not, however, alone but is accompanied by eleven Mahabhatas (body guards) and a serpent with five heads. The bodyguards comprise the mind and the ten senses. The ten senses are made up of five jnana-indriyas (knowledge acquiring senses) and five karma-indriyas (working senses). The five knowledge-acquring senses are the senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. The five working senses are those of walking, grasping, speaking, reproduction, and evacuation. All ten senses are grouped around the mind. The ten senses are considered servants of the mind. Each of these servants has hundreds of wives. The wives are desires for material experience, and the senses act under their pressure. According to this system, the senses are different from the physical sense organs. The senses are part of the invisible subtle material covering of the soul, along with mind and intelligence. The physical organs of sensation (the eyes, nose, tongue, ears, skin, legs, arms, mouth, genitals, and anus) are part of the gross physical body that is visible to the eyes.

The distinction between subtle senses and physical sense organs is important, and offers consciousness researchers a valuable conceptual tool. Let us consider, for example, the problem of phantom limbs. Persons whose legs or arms have been amputated often report that they are able to distinctly feel the missing limb, and even experience quite distinct sensations, such as twinges of pain or itching. The City of Nine Gates allegory provides an explanation for this mysterious phenomenon. Let’s take the case of someone whose arm has been amputated but who still feels the presence of the arm. The arm is one of the working senses. It is composed of two elements, the subtle grasping sense and the physical organ of the arm and hand. The process of amputation removes the physical organ through which the subtle sense operates. But the subtle sense itself remains, and therefore its presence may be mentally perceived.

Since the subtle sense is material, it may be able to act upon gross physical matter, without going through the related physical sense organ. This model may therefore explain some of the phenomena reported in connection with ghosts and apparitions, and in connection with mediums, particularly the mysterious movement of physical objects. For a good scientific introduction to these unusual phenomena, one might consult Thirty Years of Psychical Research, by Charles Richet, who in 1913 won the Nobel Prize for medicine and physiology.

This model may also explain how persons are able to experience sense data during near death experiences, during which the physical sense organs are incapacitated because of anasthesia or shock. For a good clinical study of near death experienices, I recommend Recollections of Death, by cardiologists Michael Sabom.

The senses are compared to attendants of the Queen. They serve her by bringing information and conducting activity. Together they comprise the array of material intelligence and sensory capabilities, all formed from subtle but nevertheless material energy.They combinedly manufacture a sense of self, with which the King becomes entranced and falsely identifies. The body itself, the City of Nine Gates, is made of gross material energy, of the kind that can be manipulated by ordinary physics and chemistry. It is powered by five subtle airs, listed in the Ayur Veda, the Vedic medical science, as prana, apana, vyana, samana, and udana. In the Puranjana allegory the five airs, comprising the vital force, are represented by a five-headed serpent.

In the allegory, Puranjana asks about the identity and origin of the Queen and her attendants. The Queen replies, “O best of human beings, I do not know who has begotten me. I cannot speak to you perfectly about this. Nor do I know the names or the origins of the associates with me. O great hero, we only know that we are existing in this place. We do not know what will come after. Indeed, we are so foolish that we do not care to understand who has created this beautiful place for our residence. My dear gentleman, all these men and women with me are known as my friends, and the snake, who always remains awake, protects this city even during my sleeping hours. So much I know. I do not know anything beyond this. You have somehow or other come here. This is certainly a great fortune for me. I wish all auspicious things for you. You have a great desire to satisfy your senses, and all my friends and I shall try out best in all respects to fulfill your desires. I have just arranged this city of nine gates for you so that you can have all kinds of sense gratification. You may live here for one hundred years, and everything for your sense gratification will be supplied.”

The King’s questioning the Queen represents the self’s interrogation of material intelligence for the answers to ultimate questions. The answers provided by the Queen, as well as her fundamental attitude, reflect those of modern science, which prides itself on avoidance of certain questions and the tentativeness of whatever answers it may provide. “I cannot speak to you perfectly about this. . . . We only know that we are existing in this place.” Essentially, the Queen provides a monist, materialist answer to the King’s questions about his situation.

The Bhagavata Purana then provides a more detailed description of the nine gates of the city inhabited by the King and Queen. Seven of the gates are on the surface (the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and mouth), and two of the gates are subterranean (the anus and genitals). Five of the gates faced east.

The first two gates on the eastern side are called Khadyota (glowworm) and Avirmukhi (torchlight). In order to see, the King would exit these two gates, and go to the city called Vibhrajita (clear vision). On this journey he would be accompanied by his friend Dyuman (the sun, the ruler of the subtle visual sense).

In other words, the King encounters qualia by sensory contact through the physical gates of the body. Qualia are secondary properties of objects, such as color. In consciousness studies, the question of how we perceive qualia is a much debated topic. Do they exist in their own right, in the objects with which they are identified, or, do they exist only in our own minds? According to the Bhagavata Purana system, qualia, such as colors, exist as subtle sense objects. They thus have a reality of their own, and are not simply produced within the mind.

That the King goes out through the gates of the eyes to contact subtle sense objects in a city of visual impressions is interesting. This suggests that the seeing process is not simply one of passive reception, but may involve an active process of image acquisition (as in sonar, or radar). This may explain such phenomena as traveling clairvoyance, whereby a subject can mentally journey to a particular location, beyond the range of the physical sense organs, and then accurately report visual impressions. Visual sensations reported during out of body experiences could also be explained by this model. The exact relationships between the physical sense organs, the subtle senses, and subtle sense objects are not easily understood, but could perhaps be clarified by experimental work based on the overall model of the City of Nine Gates.

In the eastern part of King Puranjana’s city there are, in addition to the eyes, two gates called Nalini and Naalini, representing the nostrils. The King would go through these two gates with a friend called Avadhuta (representing breathing airs) to the town of Saurabha (odor). The last gate on the eastern side is Mukhya (the mouth), through which the King would go with two friends to the towns of taste sensation and nourishment.

Through the two gates on the northern and southern sides (the ears), the King would go to places where different kinds of sound were heard. Through the gates on the western side of the city, the King would go to the towns where sensations of sexual pleasure and evacuation are experienced. During his journeys, the King would take help from two blind men, Nirvak and Peshakrit, who represent the arms and legs.

In all his activities, the King would follow the lead of the Queen. In other words, the conscious self in the material world becomes conditioned by material intelligence. The Bhagavata Purana says: “When the Queen drank liquor, King Puranjana also engaged in drinking. When the Queen dined, he used to dine with her, and when she chewed, King Puranjana used to chew along with her. When the Queen sang, he also sang, and when the Queen laughed, he also laughed. When the Queen talked loosely, he also talked loosely, and when the Queen walked, the King walked behind her. When the Queen would stand still, the King would also stand still, and when the Queen would lie down in bed, he would also follow and lie down with her. When the Queen sat, he would also sit, and when the Queen heard something, he would follow her to hear the same thing. When the Queen saw something, the King would also look at it, and when the Queen smelled something, the King would follow her to smell the same thing. When the Queen touched something, the King would also touch it, and when the dear Queen was lamenting, the poor King also had to follow her in lamentation. In the same way, when the Queen felt enjoyment, he also enjoyed, andwhenthe Queen was satisfied, the King also felt satisfaction.”

As noted above, an important question that arises concerning dualist solutions to the mind/body question is how a nonmaterial conscious mind interacts with material sense objects. In this model, there is an answer to this question. As seen above, the interaction is based on illusory identification.

To understand the nature of this illusory identification, we first need to readjust the familiar mind/body dualism to a triadic conception incorporating (1) a nonmaterial conscious self, (2) a subtle material body formed of mind and intelligence, and (3) a physical body composed of gross matter

In this model, the mind is a subtle material substance, associated with material intelligence. Mind is at the center of the subtle senses, which are in turn connected to the physical sense organs, which bring to the mind sense data in the form of subtle sense objects. Here yet another question arises.

In consciousness studies, one is faced with the problem of how the various kinds of sense data are presented in an integrated fashion. Even various elements of the visual sense, such as perception of color and movement and form are located in different parts of the brain. Sounds are processed in other parts of the brain. How are all these elements combined?

In the Bhagavata Purana model, the integrating function is performed by the subtle mind element, which receives sensory inputs from the subtle senses grouped around it. The mind is not, however, conscious. The mind, might therefore, be compared to multimedia computer software capable of integrating audio and visual materials into a single, integrated display, making use of a variety of inputs and source materials. The material intelligence, represented by the Queen, directs the consciousness of the actual living entity to the integrated display of sense data. Intelligence, as a subtle material energy, is not itself conscious, but it mimics the behavior of consciousness. It thus attracts the attention of the conscious self, causing the self to identify with it, just as we identify with the image of an actor on a movie screen. By identification with material intelligence, which is in turn connected to the mind’s integrated display of sense data, consciousness is connected with the sense data. This connection is not direct. The indirect connection of the conscious self with gross matter arises from the self’s false identification with the action of a subtle material energy, intelligence. The extremely subtle material element that connects the conscious self with material intelligence is called ahankara, or false ego. The whole system is set up and directed by the Supersoul

According to the Bhagavata Purana picture, the conscious self orginally experiences nonmaterial sense objects through nonmaterial senses. This takes place in the spiritual world, with God. But having turned from this original situation, the self is placed in a material body in the material world. Identifying with this artificial situation, the self forgets its own nature and that of God. But God remains with the self as Supersoul, the Unknown Friend. If the self tires of the artificial material reality and desires to return to its original position, the Unknown Friend will reawaken the original spiritual senses of the self and reconnect them with their spiritual sense objects.

The whole system therefore resembles a computer-generated virtual reality. In virtual reality systems, the user’s normal sensory inputs are replaced by computer-generated displays. But just as a person can turn off the virtual reality display and return to normal sensory experience, so the conscious self in the artificial sensory environment of the material world can return to its original spiritual sensory experience. The idea of comparing the position of a soul in the material world to a person experiencing a virtual reality generated by a computer first occurred to me in 1986, when I attended a conference on artificial life organized by the Sante Fe Institute. The idea was further developed in discussions with my Bhaktivedanta Institute colleague Richard Thompson, who also attended the conference, and was subsequently presented by us in a Bhaktivedanta Institute video titled “Simulated Worlds.”

In the Bhagavata Purana allegory, King Puranjana and his Queen enjoy life for some time in the City of Nine Gates. Eventually, however, the City of Nine Gates comes under attack by a king named Chandavega. Chandavega represents time, and his name literally means “very swiftly passing away.” Candavega commands an army of 360 male Gandharva soldiers and their 360 female companions. Together, these represent the days and nights of the year. When Candavega’s army attacks, the five-headed serpent (the vital force) tries to defend the City of Nine Gates. The serpent fought the attackers for one hundred years but eventually became weak, causing anxiety for the King and his associates. Finally, the attacking soldiers overwhelm the defenders and set the City of Nine Gates ablaze. As it becomes obvious that the battle is being lost, King Puranjana is overcome with anxious thoughts of his wife and other relatives and associates. Then the commander of the invading forces arrests the King and takes him away along with his followers, including the five-headed serpent. As soon as they are gone, the attackers destroy the City of Nine Gates, smashing it to dust. Even as he is being led away, the King can not remember his Unknown Friend, the Supersoul. Instead, he thinks only of his wife, the Queen. He then takes another birth, this time as a woman.

In this part of the allegory, we see how the conscious self leaves the gross physical body, accompanied by the intelligence, mind, and subtle senses. When they leave, the gross physical body distintegrates. The conscious self then receives another gross physical body. The kind of body received depends on the condition of the subtle material body, which is composed of intelligence, mind, and subtle senses. The subtle material body is the template upon which the gross physical body is constructed. This model allows one to account for reports of past life memories, such as those researched and verified by Dr. Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia in his book Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation. In theBhagavata Purana model, the mind is the storehouse of memory, memory of past lives.

In his next life, King Puranjana becomes Vaidarbhi, the daughter of King Vidarbha. When grown, Vaidarbhi becomes the Queen of King Malayadhvaja. At the end of his life, Malayadhvaja retires to the forest and takes up the process of mystic yoga. The Bhagavata Purana (4.28.40) informs us: “King Malayadhvaja attained perfect knowledge by being able to distinguish the Supersoul from the individual soul. The individual soul is localized, whereas the Supersoul is all-pervasive. He became perfect in knowledge that the material body is not the soul but that the soul is the witness of the material body.” In this state of higher awareness, Malayadhvaja, following the yoga process, deliberately leaves his material body and achieves liberation from material existence.

Queen Vaidarbhi (formerly King Puranjana) is overwhelmed with grief at her husband’s departure. At this point, King Puranjana’s Unknown Friend (the Supersoul), appears before Vaidarbhi as a brahmana sage. The brahmana says to Vaidarbhi: “My dear friend, even though you can not immediately recognize Me, can’t you remember that in the past you had a very intimate friend? Unfortunately, you gave up My company and accepted a postiion as enjoyer of this material world. . . . You were simply captivated in this body of nine gates.” The brahmana then instructs Vaidarbhi further about her original position as a purely spiritual self in the spiritual world.

In this paper, I have extracted only the principal elements of the City of Nine Gates allegory. The complete account is much more detailed, and allows one to make an even more subtle and refined model of self/mind/body interaction. This model does not fit easily into present categories of the mind/body debate. Although dualist, it partakes also of idealism and monism. It does, however, allow one to integrate many categories of evidence from normal and paranormal science, as well as evidence from humanity’s wisdom traditions, into a rich synthesis, providing fruitful lines of research confirming and refining a complex dualist model of mind/body interaction.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30577

Beauty of Nitai 
Sri Caitanya Mangala Madhya Khanda 
Chapter 4 “The Beauty of Nitai” 
Lord Gauranga met Nityananda Raya in the home of Nandanacarya. Nityananda’s beautiful golden-colored body had a slightly reddish hue. Glistening ornaments adorned His enchanting form. Bright yellow cloth carressed His hips. A yelloe turban the color of a golden campaka flower, decorated His head. As He walked, His anklebells chimed sweetly “Jhuni, Jhuni, Jhuni”. 
His eyes were wide and long like a deer. He removed the shyness of young girls with His brilliant, lightning-like smile. His roaring like a lion, louder than monsoon clouds, sumdued the mad elephants of Kaliyuga. Lord Nityananda walked with the gait of a maddened elephant. His peaceful lotus face was beautiful to behold when He cried tears of love. Absorbed in deep love of Krishna, His body would shiver, perspire, and erupt all over with ecstatic symptoms. 
Holding a golden stick in His hand, He smashed the pride of Kali. Golden necklaces hung on His chest. Marvelous gem-inlaid earrings dangled on His cheeks. His hands were reddish like a night-blooming lotus. Attractive bangles intensified the beauty of His strong, golden arms. In ecstasy, Nityananda Prabhu, almost falling on the ground, uttered “Where is My Kanai Gopala [Krsna]?” 
Adopting the sentiment of a cowherd boy, Nityananda cried, laughed, and begged Revati for some honey. At one moment, He jumped like a frog. The next moment He acted dumb and speechless, or said something unintelligible. Who can understand the Lord’s transcendental mellows? The sweet aroma of Nityananda’s body stole the housewives from their, and crushed to dust the pride of chaste girls. 
Sri Nitaichandra Ki Jaya!!!! All glories to Sri Avadhuta Raya the son of Rohini Devi, who is non-different of Lord Gaurahari.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30580

About 140 devotees from Spain, Portugal, Holland, the UK and Russia bonded in calling out to Lord Krishna during the third annual Holy Name Festival in Spain this summer.

The festival ran from August 11th 14th in Srila Prabhupada’s Gardens at the New Vrajamandala farm.

Devotees arrived on Thursday to a welcoming address and an evening kirtan in an elegant white tent in the Gardens, as the newly renovated elephant fountain trickled pleasantly in the background.

With Srila Prabhupada’s murti and a framed photo of the late champion of the Holy Names Aindra Das at one end, the tent was decorated with flower and leaf festoons, and handmade ISKCON 50th anniversary signs.  

On Friday, devotees immersed themselves in a 12-hour kirtan from 11:00am until 11:00pm.

“Well, actually it went on until two in the morning,” admits organizer Deva Sekharah Das, laughing.

Chanters included Kadamba Kanana Swami, Agnideva Das, and many younger devotees who travel to different events around Europe doing kirtan.

Among these were Ojasvi Das from Croatia, Tarana Chaitanya Das from Slovenia, Hari Kirtan Kaufmann from Germany, Ananda and Yogindra from Canada, and Ravi Pattni, Jaggi Suta Das, and Madhva Anderson from the UK.

Local second generation Spanish kirtaniyas like Sundari Riccio and Nitai Das also led the chanting, which was accompanied by both traditional Indian instruments and acoustic guitar.

“There was a very nice balance between meditative kirtans and ‘crazy’ or intense ones,” Deva Sekharah says. “Kadamba Kanana Swami is well know for his energetic kirtans, and Ojasvi Prabhu for his sweet melodies and traditional Indian style. Agnideva Prabhu, meanwhile, chanted classic Vaisnava bhajans with explanations between songs.”

Finally, on Saturday August 13th, there was a special ISKCON 50 celebration in the morning, followed by a Maha Harinama in Madrid, another core feature of the festival.

An impressive 130 devotees turned passerby’s heads as they poured through the streets with their mridangas, flags, colorful clothes and energetic dancing. Italian dancer Sanatani Rombola even burst into a Bharatanatyam performance in full traditional garb during the kirtan, as onlookers crowded around.

Throughout the festival, devotees were thoughtfully cared for, with a French family of chefs – Sankirtan, his sister Gopi, and their mother Kishori – whipping up delicious gourmet prasadam meals.

“We still have a lot to improve, but devotees were very happy with this event,” Deva Sekharah says. “They felt it had a very sweet, intimate and bonding atmosphere. There was wonderful association, with many devotees connecting again for the first time in many years. And that along with the tasty prasadam and uplifting kirtans brought the spiritual world right there into New Vrajamandala.”

Source : http://iskconnews.org/spanish-holy-name-festival-bonds-devotees,5755/

It was a truly uplifting and festive time for ISKCON of Los Angeles from August 4th to 7th recently, with celebrations for both the 40th anniversary of the city’s Rathayatra festival, and the 50th anniversary of ISKCON in full swing.

The ISKCON of LA property looked fresh and beautiful for the festival, with temple president Svavasa Das and his brother Naikatma Das completing an ambitious renovation project just in time.

All the windows were replaced and the temple, Govinda’s buffet and kitchen buildings sandblasted and re-stuccoed. The temple entrance received a face lift, with new ornate wood decor, a beautiful stone tile entryway and a grand maroon canopy. The area in front was also re-designed with drought resistant landscaping and stone tile work to handle the increased flow of foot traffic for festivals and general increase in daily visitors.  

It was a welcoming setting for the over 2,000 devotees from North America, Europe, and India who participated in the celebrations leading up to the Rathayatra itself.

A Kirtan Mela ran all day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am till nearly 11pm on a stage in front of the temple, with well-known kirtaniyas like Agnideva, Karnamrita, Amala Kirtan, Amala Harinama, and The Hanumen leading the chanting along with local LA kirtaniyas.

“Simultaneously, we had a series of seminars going on inside the temple,” says Divyadristi Dasi, who spearheaded the multi-day festival. “Devamrita Swami spoke about how to achieve transcendental bliss; Vaisesika Prabhu gave a lot of innovative book distribution techniques; Amala Bhakta Swami talked about the reasons for Lord Jagannath’s appearance; Badrinarayan Swami presented a slideshow on ISKCON’s successs all over the world, and Ranjit Prabhu made a presentation on the history of Back to Godhead magazine.”

“Divyadristi also gave a really sweet seminar called Attitude of Gratitude,” interjects her friend Karuna Dharini Dasi, who helped put the festival together. “She went around the room and had us all speak about how we came to ISKCON, what our feeling is about it, and how we want to express our gratitude to Srila Prabhupada by serving him and his mission. It was very inspiring.”

Two videos were also presented – one by ITV filmmaker Nrsimhananda Das, glorifying ISKCON’s accomplishments over the past fifty years; and one by Siddhanta Das, a new film in his “Memories” series with senior devotees remembering Srila Prabhupada.

Meanwhile on Saturday Hridayananda Das Goswami took devotees on a bus tour pilgrimage of the spots where Srila Prabhupada took his morning walks while in LA – Venice Beach, Cheviot Hills Park, and the Santa Monica Overlook. They also visited Srila Prabhupada’s garden and quarters at the LA temple.

“Venice Beach is where Prabhupada’s famous conversations with his scientist disciples like Bhakti Svarupa Damodara Swami, from the book Life Comes From Life, were recorded,” says Divyadristi. “So Hridayananda Maharaja talked a lot about how Prabhupada would have debates with devotees, as they played the role of scientists, and he ‘smashed’ them with spiritual knowledge.”

Hridayananda also told many stories. He recalled how Prabhupada called the Santa Monica Overlook “the nicest place in all of Los Angeles.”  And he told devotees how Prabhupada set him straight when as a fanatical new sannyasi, he questioned his guru, a celibate renunciant, about ‘touching a woman’ by shaking her hand.

“No, she’s not a woman, she’s a spirit soul,” Prabhupada said, educating him about how to see past identification with the body.

The pilgrimage tour was followed by 300 devotees doing a maha-Harinama up and down the Venice Beach boardwalk, and then continuing the chanting with an ecstatic one thousand devotee kirtan back at the Los Angeles temple. 

Finally on Sunday August 7th came the grand finale of the 40th annual Los Angeles Rathayatra itself.

The festival is always an attempt to share Krishna consciousness with the general public, and an incredible 50,000 people watched the parade as Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra’s three thirty-foot-high chariots made their way from Santa Monica to Venice Beach

“There were a lot more devotees than ever before this year too, and so in front of each chariot there was a big crowd,” says Karuna Dharini. “It was a beautiful parade. We had a sixteen-person military marching band playing Prabhupada’s simple Hare Krishna melody with brass and percussion. And in front of them, about a dozen girls dressed in red, yellow, green and blue gopi skirts – the primary colors of the Rathayatra carts – danced in unison. It looked spectacular!”

Both before and after the parade people bustled about the festival site on Venice Beach, which featured not only the regular traveling Festival of India tents but also a whole host of booths unique to LA Rathayatra and set up by Ratnabhushana Das.

The centerpiece this year was a giant chariot wheel from this year’s Rathayatra in Jagannath Puri, India, the first time such a wheel had left India according to Divyadristi. An entire fascinating exhibit about Jagannath Puri Rathayatra surrounded it.

There was also an Indian history museum exhibit featuring different kinds of ancient weapons, crowns, and musical instruments; a vegetarianism exhibit with panels explaining the horrors of the slaughter industry and the benefits of eating vegetarian; and a ‘changing bodies’ exhibit.

Other exhibits included “Hare Krishna Around the World,” which showed pictures of many international ISKCON temples and Deities; as well as “Who is Prabhupada?” describing the ISKCON founders writings and achievements.

There was also a yoga tent with free hatha yoga lessons all day, and a Questions and Answers tent where Devamrita Swami, Bhakti Sundar Goswami and Navayogendra Swami answered queries about spiritual life. Meanwhile children were kept busy with a tent full of activities for them throughout the day.

As they browsed, festivalgoers got to sample sanctified vegetarian food firsthand. The Free Feast booth served a high quality five course prasadam meal to 20,000 people, and elsewhere they could snack on pizza, curd steaks, lassi and more.

There was first class entertainment, too. At two separate stages, people could watch a whole host of talented and devotional kirtan artists like The Hanumen and LA’s own Temple Bhajan Band, along with Bharatanatyam by the famous Viji Prakash and her Shakti Dance Company

And when festivalgoers left, many took books home with them so that they could learn more – an impressive $4,000 worth of Srila Prabhupada’s books were sold.

“This whole festival helped me realize that if you put your mind to something and are determined, you can do whatever Krishna empowers you to do,” says Divyadristi. “If just one devotee went home feeling inspired to put on something similar for Srila Prabhupada at their temple, that would be the cherry on top for me.”

“None of this would have been possible without our temple president Svavasa Prabhu and the other senior devotees and leaders that run such an organized temple and provide us with the framework we need,” adds Karuna Dharini. “I’ve always noticed how selfless Prabhupada’s disciples are in their service to him, just as he was in his service to his own guru, and I hope that we can emulate them in that selfless mood to provide all the devotees with programs like this.”

Source : http://iskconnews.org/los-angeles-celebrates-40th-rathayatra-and-50th-of-iskcon,5758/

The Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta is unique like no other in the sense it highlights the aspect of divine love that is experienced in separation from the beloved. Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is Krishna in the mood of Radha exhibited this specific aspect of prema or love. In India worship of Krishna or Vishnu is a universal concept. In fact, it is said that once the entire planet earth worshipped Krishna or Vishnu. So worship of Vishnu or Krishna is not anything new. However, Mahaprabhu introduced this confidential aspect of prema or divine love in separation through His own mood when He was present on earth 500 years ago. Ever since, Mahaprabhu’s followers consider this specific aspect of love as summum bonum of religion or dharma.

Mahaprabhu externally speaking, took up this mood at a specific time in His earthly pastimes in line with Madhavendra Puri. In other words, it was Madhavendra Puri who first displayed this aspect of love in separation. Madhavendra Puri took initiation from Lakshmipati Tirta in the line of Madhvacharya who preached dualism. Prema in madurya rasa was a foreign idea or one can say suppressed idea for Madhva followers or tattvadis. This can be proven by the fact that Mahaprabhu Himself introduced prema in this unique way to tattvadis when He went to Udipi.

So although Gaudiyas follow Madhvacharya line, the traditional tattvadis do not fully acknowledge or recognize this spontaneous love in separation as summum bonum. Strict Madhva followers still adhere to the aishwarya aspect of Godhead.

The verse that Madhavedra Puri prayed to externally show his mood of separation is this ;

ayi dīna-dayārdra nātha he 
mathurā-nātha kadāvalokyase 
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ 
dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham 

O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathurā! When shall I see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now? – CC Madhya Lila 4.197

One can say this verse is the foundational verse that the entire mood of Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta is set on. Mahaprabhu just by reciting this verse would fall to the ground in ecstasy and thus began His display of fantastic emotions of love of Krishna in separation from Krishna.

This verse unlocks one’s own feelings of separation from Krishna. While one must follow in the footsteps of great souls, meditating on this verse will give insights into the mood of Vraja. Sripad Madhvendra puri was the first person to express this pure feeling of love and Lord Chaitanya who is Krishna Himself by getting initiated in Madhvendra Puri’s line sanctions this prayer for all time to come.

Hare Krishna

Source : http://servantoftheservant-ananda.blogspot.in/2016/08/the-verse-that-opened-flood-gates-of.html

Dear Devotees,

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

On the auspicious occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami and the appearance
day of Srila Prabhupada, we wish to humbly offer this special edition
"Deliverance of Putana" at Their lotus feet.

We pray that this issue brings some pleasure to the devotees of Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

NBS # 43 Features:-

1) Deliverance Of Putana
Srila Sukadeva Goswami

2)Understanding The Deliverance Of Putana
Sri Sanatana Goswami

3)Did Putana Really Attain Goloka Vrindavan?
Srila Jiva Goswami

4) Two Types Of Gurus
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

5)Why Then Should One Go To Any Demigod ?
His Divine Grace A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

This issue can also be viewed through these links:
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Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/document/321120065/NBS-43
Previous issues are available on:

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q=f&f=%2Fpdf%2FNityam_Bhagavata_Sevaya

For subscriptions please visit our website: www.nbsmag.com

Bhagavata Vidyalaya
With the intention of serving the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada,
we have compiled a certified course exclusively based on Srimad-
Bhagavatam. This course is essentially for congregational devotees. It
can be conducted anywhere, in temples, farm communities, places of
congregational gathering or at houses of congregational devotees.
(Only)Congregational leaders who are willing to start Bhagavata
Vidyalaya Program for their congregation can register with us on the
following link: http://www.nbsmag.com/vidyalaya

Your servant,

Brajsunder das