Indian Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi has congratulated ISKCON on its 50th anniversary, praising its accomplishments in a way that shows a strong understanding of ISKCON's  core message and efforts. We hope its Founder-Acarya Srila Prabhupada, who always tried to reach the leaders of society, is pleased.

The Prime Minister's letter, released on August 8th, reads in full:

"I am delighted to learn that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

"Over the last five decades, the journey of ISKCON has been one of selfless service to society.

"The ISKCON family has emerged at the forefront of the quest to create a more peaceful, harmonious and compassionate society. ISKCON's journey has been a manifestation of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.' Integration has been at the core of your philosophy.

"ISKCON's story has been the story of the determination and devotion of lakhs of devotees spread across the world. Inspired by the teachings of Lord Krishna, they spread His message far and wide. The efforts of the ISKCON family in sectors like education, publishing and disaster-relief are commendable.

"On this occasion, I convey my best wishes to the ISKCON family and hope they continue to serve humanity with the same enthusiasm and diligence as they have been doing for the last five decades. May this family of devotees be agents of change in creating a better tomorrow.

"Jai Shri Krishna!

"Signed, Narendra Modi

"New Delhi

"08 August, 2016"

The Prime Minister's letter

Source:http://iskconnews.org/indian-prime-minister-commends-iskcon-on-its-50th-anniversary,5748/

Here is another fine article compiled by Vidura Mahatma Prabhu, which appeared in my mailbox some time back. Some very nice quotes.

The Cause of Confusion and Dissension in the Krishna Consciousness Movement
by Vidura Mahatma Das

“When disciples do not stick to the principle of accepting the order of their spiritual master, immediately there are two opinions. Any opinion different from the opinion of the spiritual master is useless. One cannot infiltrate materially concocted ideas into spiritual advancement. That is deviation. There is no scope for adjusting spiritual advancement to material ideas.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 12.9 purport)

“All the devotees connected with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must read all the books that have been translated (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure.”
(Chaitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 25.278 : Purport by Srila Prabhupada)

“The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in spiritual life. Anyone who disobeys the order of the spiritual master immediately becomes useless.” (CC Adi 12.10)

1. Not following Srila Prabhupada’s orders/discipline

“When disciples do not stick to the principle of accepting the order of their spiritual master, immediately there are two opinions. Any opinion different from the opinion of the spiritual master is useless. One cannot infiltrate materially concocted ideas into spiritual advancement. That is deviation. There is no scope for adjusting spiritual advancement to material ideas.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 12.9 purport)

“The Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to become one. “One” means you agree to the Supreme. That is oneness. Just like we are conducting this international society. We have got many workers, many disciples, but we are one. “One” means they are carrying their spiritual master’s order. Therefore they are one.” (Lecture on SB 3.26.25 — Bombay, January 2, 1975)

“Unless one is firmly fixed in the regulative principles, one may perform mischievous acts, even if one is a member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We therefore advise our disciples to strictly follow the regulative principles; otherwise the most important movement for the upliftment of humanity will be hampered due to dissension among its members. Those who are serious about pushing forward this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should remember this and strictly follow the regulative principles so that their minds will not be disturbed.” (SB 5.14.35 : PURPORT)

“Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, at the time of his passing away, ordered all his disciples to work conjointly to preach the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over the world. Later, however, some self-interested, foolish disciples disobeyed his orders. Each one of them wanted to become head of the mission, and they fought in the courts, neglecting the order of the spiritual master, and the entire mission was defeated.” (CC Adi 7.95-96, Purport)

“Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, at the time of his departure, requested all his disciples to form a governing body and conduct missionary activities cooperatively. He did not instruct a particular man to become the next ācārya. But just after his passing away, his leading secretaries made plans, without authority, to occupy the post of ācārya, and they split into two factions over who the next ācārya would be. Consequently, both factions were asāra, or useless, because they had no authority, having disobeyed the order of the spiritual master. Despite the spiritual master’s order to form a governing body and execute the missionary activities of the Gauḍīya Maṭha, the two unauthorized factions began litigation that is still going on after forty years with no decision.” (CC Adi 12.8, Purport)

CC Adi 12.10, Translation and Purport: The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in spiritual life. Anyone who disobeys the order of the spiritual master immediately becomes useless.
Here is the opinion of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī. Persons who strictly follow the orders of the spiritual master are useful in executing the will of the Supreme, whereas persons who deviate from the strict order of the spiritual master are useless.

“We have got practical experience how a great institution was lost by whimsical ways. Without carrying out the order of the spiritual master, they manufactured something and the whole thing was lost.” (Lecture on SB 1.2.11 — Vrndavana, October 22, 1972)

“The central point is the order of the Spiritual Master, and I am very glad that you are trying to give importance to this aspect of management. The difficulty is sometimes things are interpreted in a manner dovetailing one’s own sense gratification. I have got this personal experience in my Guru Maharaja’s institution. Different Godbrothers took the words of Guru Maharaja in different interpretations for sense gratification and the whole mission disrupted. This is still going on for the last 40 years without any proper settlement.” (Letter to disciple — Tittenhurst 18 October, 1969)

“There may be different orders for different disciples, but a disciple should take the order of the spiritual master as his life: “Here it is, the order. So let me execute it without any deviation.” That will make him perfect. Just see, the Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s, this is His instruction. He says, ei ājñā pāñā nāma la-i anukṣaṇa. He did not think, “Oh, My spiritual master thought Me a fool, rascal (CC Adi 7.71). Oh, why I am rascal? Let Me see Vedānta-sūtra. Why shall I not see?” Oh, that is rascaldom again. That is rascaldom again. You cannot deviate the order of the spiritual master by an inch if you really want success.” (Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.76-81 — San Francisco, February 2, 1967)

2. Not reading Srila Prabhupada’s books / Hearing from Srila Prabhupada

“All the devotees connected with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must read all the books that have been translated (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure.”
(Chaitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 25.278 : Purport by Srila Prabhupada)

“I think that the best thing for you is to study our books very carefully and then try to write something. Do not try to concoct your own theories. This is not the process. You must write just as you have heard from your Guru and nothing else. Otherwise, your writing is useless.” (Letter to: Bhakta Dennis — Mayapur 8 April, 1975)

“First thing is that one must understand Srimad-Bhagavatam fully. The first verse, if you simply explain, will take volumes and volumes. So, please study my books intensely and do not fail to chant 16 rounds daily following the four regulative principles strictly. This will make everything perfect.” (Letter to: Aticandra — Bombay 4 January, 1975)

“The service of the spiritual master is essential. If there is no chance to serve the spiritual master directly, a devotee should serve him by remembering his instructions. There is no difference between the spiritual master’s instructions and the spiritual master himself. In his absence, therefore, his words of direction should be the pride of the disciple.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 1.35 Purport)

“If one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions and the regulative principles governing chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one’s mental concoctions, one falls down. By associating with nondevotees, one breaks the regulative principles and is thereby lost.” (Cc Madhya-lila 19.157)

3. On the whole: Not serious about Krishna Consciousness

Bhagavad-gita As It Is
Chapter 2 Tex 41

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo ‘vyavasāyinām

vyavasāyātmikā—resolute Kṛṣṇa consciousness; buddhiḥ—intelligence; ekā—only one; iha—in this world; kuru-nandana—O beloved child of the Kurus; bahu-śākhāḥ—various branches; hi—indeed; anantāḥ—unlimited; ca—also; buddhayaḥ—intelligence; avyavasāyinām—of those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

TRANSLATION

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

PURPORT
A strong faith in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that one should be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasāyātmikā intelligence. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta states:

‘śraddhā’-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one’s reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The resolute purpose of a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is based on knowledge (“Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ”) by which one comes to know perfectly that Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, is the root of all manifested causes. As water on the root of a tree is automatically distributed to the leaves and branches, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can render the highest service to everyone—namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone will be satisfied.

Service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As such, to be well-versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one’s mission in life. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākur instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows:

yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādānna gatiḥ kuto ‘pi
dhyāyaṁ stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam.

“By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.”

The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body—not theoretically but practically, when there is no longer chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts.

Also:

“After receiving the spiritual master’s mercy, one must repeat his instructions, and this is called śravaṇa-kīrtana-hearing and chanting. One who has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative principles is not fit for chanting (kīrtana). This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā (2.41): vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. One who has not listened carefully to the instructions of the spiritual master is unfit to chant or preach the cult of devotional service. One has to water the bhakti-latā-bīja after receiving instructions from the spiritual master.” (CC Madhya 19.152)

The quotes used in this compilation have been taken from Srila Prabhupada’s original, unrevised books and teachings.

By Kripamoya das

Two weeks ago at Bhaktivedanta Manor, a new garden was dedicated to Srila Prabhupada and his disciples. Since it was the week in which we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formal establishment of ISKCON, I gave the following speech:

If you would please look up and cast your eyes behind me towards this sequoia tree. It’s at least 100 feet high. It was planted here in the 1880s by a gardener who never got to see it the way we can see it today. This tree is one of 183 trees here at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. I’d like to think it has its own personality. Certainly it has heard more kirtan than most sequoias.

At sometimes 200 – 300 feet high, the sequoia tree is one of the largest living things in the world and can live for more than three thousand years. A tree like this can produce 250 seeds from every cone. And a mature tree can produce thousands of cones.

Now, the seed of the sequoia is tiny – only 5 millimetres long. Yet inside a tiny seed is everything needed to grow an entire tree. Think of that for a while. An entire tree inside a tiny seed. Something that will live for three thousand years, inside a tiny seed. Inside the cone is a special chemical which only allows the seeds to fall when the moisture level is just right. Inside the seeds there are so many working parts with wonderful names: vacuoles, ribosomes, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. And inside them there is intricate coding – every single detail of the future tree is there.

So within the seed is both the essence of the sequoia tree – the essence that will make it different from all other trees – as well as the specific coding that will form the trunk, branches, twigs and cones, coding that will help the tree to grow, stand tall, and endure for centuries. The essence and the structure – both are needed.

In any area of human life, when someone begins an endeavour – especially one they hope will endure for a long time, they are, in effect, planting a seed. By their aspirations, their vision of the final result, and by their determination, they plant a seed. And, provided the conditions are right, it will grow.

The growth of a spiritual movement, such as ours, depends on the flow of grace from the divine source and the aspirations and channelled energy of the spiritual seeker. It is said that God reaches down to the soul and the soul reaches upwards to God. And where they meet is called the guru.

The interplay between guru and disciple allows for the transmission of intricate spiritual coding. By sincere enquiry and service, by following the compassionate guidance of the guru and making himself a vessel for the guru’s wisdom and grace, the disciple can begin to grow upwards. But through the disciples the guru also grows. His ability to help the world grows as his disciples reach out to others. They multiply his ability to give Krishna. Guru and disciple together make a spiritual movement.

In the case of a tree, in the beginning there is but a small stirring in the soil. But as the years pass the small sapling grows into a magnificent, tall tree with many branches and hundreds of twigs on every branch. In the case of a spiritual movement, inspired followers attract more followers and a small band of disciples grows into a movement. It takes time, and the growth may not always be apparent, but it grows.

From this small seed comes a tree that can grow to three hundred feet and last for thousands of years. With the establishment of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada planted a seed for centuries to come.

50 years ago, our founder and acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada planted a seed. He brought into existence a society whose specific name he chose and whose specific shape he carefully formed. The original group of early followers might have been bemused to learn the name of the organisation typed up on the deeds of incorporation: the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – ISKCON. There were no assets to speak of and with only one room in a back street of New York there was no way it could be described as even the New York State Society for Krishna Consciousness, what to speak of the American Society for Krishna Consciousness. And international? What a preposterous and utopian idea!

Yet with the signing of that document – the planting of the seed for his future organisation – Srila Prabhupada gave all the natural coding for the growth that was to come. The love and gratitude of his disciples, their enthusiasm to do his bidding, and his daily teaching and careful guidance, all formed the perfect setting for growth to take place.

There is an old Irish story of a farmer who looks up from his field towards the nearby road and sees a saintly man walking. “Where are you going, sir?” he asks. “Oh, I’m going to start a religious movement,” replies the saint. Then the farmer sees the devil walking some yards behind and asks him: “Why are you following the saint?” “Oh, I’m going to help him organise his religious movement,” he replies with a grin.

We don’t trust organisations. They can be very tricky things. It’s not always easy for human beings to work together as an organisation – we are all independent and we are needy in so many ways. Yet an organisation is, in effect, nothing more than a living organism- like this tree – but made up of humans. An organism is something alive that contains organs – parts that perform certain functions for the welfare of the whole body. An organisation is an organism where those organs are made up of teams of humans working together.

Now, it is true that sequoia trees, or anthills, or beehives, function much better as living systems than humans do when they try to work together. We just don’t get along like ants or bees, or like the living organism of the tree. A survey conducted by Yale University found that in the 20th century the lifespan of the average S&P Index listed American company fell from 67 years to just 15. So at 50 years old, ISKCON is already bucking the odds by a factor of three.

Our company, ISKCON, is by ordinary calculation a company that should either be struggling or have gone out of business already. Consider the fragility of an organisation that promotes education in spiritual values, pays its members no dividends and depends mainly on voluntary contributions; that extols virtues that most of the world considers vices, and that runs counter to many of the intellectual notions held sacred by the world. Surely such an organisation should have collapsed by now.

Yet against all the odds, and despite some irregularities, Srila Prabhupada’s movement has endured, grown and prospered – and has reached its half century. This is something to be applauded. The secret of ISKCON’s success so far is an open secret: Srila Prabhupada planted the seed and the information content of that seed was very high. Not only the Sanskrit texts and teachings of ancient wisdom, but the careful guidance of how the structure was to grow, flourish and expand. How the members of his movement should work together, and how the resulting movement would spread and sweep up many more people in its embrace.

At the heart of it is the relationship of those early disciples with their master; a special friendship grounded in the sincere exchange of enquiry and revelation. From the master came wisdom so encouraging that it changed their young lives, and they offered grateful service to a person who they knew loved them. It was the oldest of all relationships, the guru-sisya sambandha.

Disciples gave their entire youth to Srila Prabhupada. The years normally spent in learning and making a home were sacrificed so that the seed of his divine tree, ISKCON, could be planted. We who enjoy membership of ISKCON today know that without those early disciples and their love for their spiritual master, we would not be here. So today we salute them and we thank them for their life of service. Some of them are gathered here today. We thank you and applaud your gift to us. This garden, thisguru-sisya udyana, is dedicated to you and your relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Let this garden always remind us of how you served him, of the divine exchange between guru and disciple, and of the efforts you took to bring us all to Srila Prabhupada, and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Source: https://deshika.wordpress.com/2016/08/11/learning-from-a-tree/

By Hari Narayana das

In the 11th century AD, emperor Majapahit, ruling from Java, spread his kingdom upto Madagascar Island. During his rule, Kediri, in East Java, was famed as the centre of vedic culture, from where all the great sages appeared who are revered till the present day all over Indonesia. Archaeological findings in 2007 revealed a rich vedic cultural heritage of the region. Detailed stone images of Lord Narasimha deva, the half-man, half-lion incarnation of Vishnu; Lord Visnu Himself seated on His bird-carrier Garuda; Ganesha, Harihara and many other similar specimens takes one on a time travel into the past….giving a vivid picture of what Indonesia was like back then. All these images and statues are now kept in the local Majapahit Museum.

After a span of roughly 10 centuries or one thousand years, in early 2016, devotees visited Kediri with an intention to meet the local Hindus and try to distribute Srila Prabhupada books. What they found in Kediri left them overwhelmed. Inspired by the encouragement of His Holiness Subhag Swami- a team of enthusiastic devotees: Srigarbha das, Saciputra das and Gadadhar das,-went to Kediri for the first time in their lives. The local people including members of the Hindu parishad were so happy to see them. For the first time they heard the purports to the verses of Bhagavad-gita by Srila Prabhupada and all of them expressed that never before had they heard such clear explanation of the Gita. And when they saw the books everyone just practically ran to grab the books.

Kediri is a city in East Java province, Indonesia, located 130 km southwest of Surabaya and the third largest city in East Java after Surabaya and Malang by population. Its location in the slope of Merapi and Wilis mountains make the city very fertile.

The carnival of Kediri celebrated as ‘Week of Culture and Tourism- Kediri Year 2016’, on the theme, “Panji Going Home “. In the Cultural Week this time the theme was “Panji to return home”, because the Panji itself is a form of honor noble culture in the archipelago. It was a sign of reestablishment of vedic culture as it used to be in the age of Kediri Kingdom in the 11th century. Lord Jagannath personally brought back the vaisnava culture back to Kediri with the Ratha Yatra festival.

“These public festivals have proven very effective in spreading knowledge about Krsna consciousness to all the citizens”. SPL to Galim dasa, November 20th, 1971

No devotees live in Kediri. Only devotees from Kediri were Bhakta I Gusti Nyoman Ambara and his wife Bhaktin Isti, who live in Surabaya, about three hours from Kediri. They requested the devotees to use their house in Kediri as preaching centre. Prabhu Gusti and his wife frequently participated in Rathayatra in other parts of Indonesia and were requested by devotees to have rathayatra in Kediri. Then they went to Kediri and met the head of tourism department, Mr. Yuli Marwantoko. They also brought pictures of the rathayatra in other parts of Indonesia. They inquired about the event and festivals that have already been done in Kediri. By the Lord’s mercy Mr. Yuli observed the pictures and surprisingly he felt really happy and he said that “ this festival should be done in Kediri first, not other places because Kediri was the center of Hindu civilization in Indonesia!” Then he entered the office and brought some VCD and gave it to prabhu Gusti and his wife. He added “this is the festival that has already been done in Kediri, please do rathayatra in Kediri. We will facilitate what you need for the festival.” Prabhu Gusti and his wife were shocked and still didn’t believe that Lord Jagannath gave the baton in their hands. Srila Prabhupa mention in his letter that “To implement this transcendental bliss to the people of your country there is immense work to be done ahead and this Ratha-yatra festival is only a bit of sample. If we get opportunity we shall be able to overflood your country with the waves of transcendental bliss, by the grace of Krsna (SPL to Aniruddha, 7th July, 1968).

Announcements were made about Rathayatra in Kediri. Invitations were sent out to the devotees all over Indonesia, collecting donation and preparing for the chariot. The devotees from Jember brought the chariot and Lord Jaganath, Balarama, and Subadradevi deities to Kediri and the Chariot team from Banyuwangi and Jember came to Kediri for preparing the Chariot. Adi prana prabhu organized the bus for the devotees from Bali. He prepared one bus, then by the time the enthusiasm of the devotees increased and he ordered another bus, but still not enough then he called for the third bus. Three buses full of devotees drove to Kediri.

“….but if we try to satisfy Him in so many ways as directed by acaryas and scriptures, indirectly we become benefitted by such activities. So try to nicely observe this Ratha-yatra festival…”(SPL to Yamuna, 27th May, 1969).They came just to satisfy the Lord. They helped the committee in all ways that they could. It was as if Lord Jagannath prepared everything. The government prepared SMKN 1 Ngasem- a vocational school as the base camp of the devotees to stay and prepare the chariot. Prabhu Gusti used his house as the cooking center. Other devotees prepared flowers Garlands, decorating the chariot and car that was used to carry one ton of oranges that donated by Dina Dharini mataji. In the evening after Gaura arati, a class was given by his grace Ramanuja das brahmacari. Ramanuja prabhu said that we were making history. He also emphasized that the devotees who participated rathayatra should remember that whatever they do should be to satisfy Lord Jagannath.

“This purification can be done only by engaging the senses for Krsna. Krsna is called Hrsikesa, or the master of the senses. His senses are omnipotent; therefore, when our senses will be engaged to satisfy the senses of Krsna, at that time we will have perfect sense gratification, and be free of all distressed condition”.(SPL to Mr. Taber, 9th June, 1967)

On the day of festival, the devotees woke up early in the morning, finished their rounds and followed by mangal arati. A recorded class from His Holiness Subhag Swami Maharaj was played and translated by Gadhadar prabhu. Maharaj said that Lord Jagannath was so merciful that He personally came to give blessing to the people of kali yuga. Maharaj also said that simply by serving Him, pulling the rope of the chariot, glorifying Him and chanting his name, it will qualify us to become free from tension and make us blissful and happy. Maharaj further explained that by the mercy of the Lord and His pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada the rathayatra festivals in Indonesia increased in number every year. Everyone who participated in the rathayatra rendering whatever service he can do for the Lord would get the Lord’s blessing.

“For serving the Lord we require to sacrifice our life, our wealth, our intelligence and our words. One can serve the Lord with these four possessions. If not, with three, if not then with two or even one, and that is sufficient to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead…..One has to make the best use of his talent for the service of Krsna. That is wanted. Best example is Arjuna, that he utilized his talents, military science, in the service of Krsna.” (SPL to Gargamuni, 7th June, 1968)

At 09.00 am a phone called came from the tourism department saying that the devotees should be ready on the spot at 10.00 pm because the Lord chariot would be the first group to lead the carnival. The devotees then prepared and the Lordships were brought to the chariot, after the Lord sat on the chariot, the pujari offered bhoga and arati was performed. After arati coconuts were offered to the Lord and broken to invoke auspiciousness. Then the devotees pulled the lord to the starting point. The devotees did kirtan while waiting for the parade. As SrilaPrabhupada wrote in his letter that “if there is chanting of Hare Krsna, even the soul is there for a short time, Oh!he will hear and become advanced. This sound vibration is not material, it is spiritual and powerful beyond our conception. So it cannot be hindered in any way by something material; it surpasses all these material barriers”. SPL to Mukunda and Janaki, 28th February, 1968

The sankirtan team distributed SrilaPrabhupada books to the people around the area. They distributed about 162 books. After opening ceremony by the committee the Lord’s chariot was pulled up to the main stage where all the dignitaries were present. The street was crowded by visitors on both sides. The first line was car decorated with a big Jagannath mask and carrying sound system to support the Kirtan. The fired up Kirtan led by Sridar das prabu made all the devotees and the visitors dance in ecstasy from start point until finish. A ton of oranges were distributed to the visitor. A flower garland that was already offered to the Lord and a copy of Bhagavad Gita were presented to the mayor of Kediri. The parade finished at the mayor office. Then the devotees took rest before returning to the base camp. Arriving in the base came, the devotees honored the prasadam. Blissful as after all ratha yatra festivals, carrying fond memories, the devotees returned to their respective homes.

We would like thank each and every one who helped to make this ratha yatra manifest within such a short period of time. Prabhu Raghava, Bhakta Edy and team who took care to prepare the chariot, the team of cooks, Kirtan party, Sankirtan team, the organizers and all well-wishers…we extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all the wonderful devotees. As always…we remain ever indebted to His Holiness Kavichandra Swami, His Holiness Ramai Swami- the GBC’s of Indonesia; His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami, His Holiness Subhag Swami for their ever encouraging support to continue these festivals. And all senior vaisnavas who have always been inspirational…a warm thank you. We pray that Srila Prabhupada is pleased with our small efforts and ask for blessings we be able to continue in this service to his lotus feet.

 As we approach Janmastami, Krishna’s birthday, we’ll be thinking of what to give. It’s a birthday celebration after all and everyone’s invited. The guest list is unlimited and when it’s a birthday we think of expressing our love with a gift.

Each of us has a unique and personal relationship with Krishna. Our world is not just me, myself and I. It’s me, the world, and Krishna. And still, this is our story as we are the main player. Everyone else is a supporting cast member. Even Krishna stands back. He’s there with us as Supersoul in our hearts, but he remains an observer until we interact with Him.

So, what do we as an individual want to give to Krishna, who owns everything, who has everything, and who is not in want of anything? I suggest we give ourselves.

There is a right and wrong way of such giving. Wrong is thinking Krishna has everything, so why bother giving Him anything. I’ll just show up with a smile on my face and give myself.

Right is knowing Krishna has everything, giving as much as we can in gratitude for the privilege to able to do so, and also knowing that what really makes Krishna happy is the giving of ourselves in humility. Who am I? Someone very small, who sometimes thinks I am very big and important. Please accept me as your insignificant servant. Please engage me in your service.

That is the gift of you.

As the lead player in our own life story we can write the script. What do we want to be thinking, feeling, and doing in relationship to Krishna? Where do we want our energy to be focused on Janmastami? What do we want to be thinking?

The radical process of bhakti is all about changing our mindset. We exist as individuals…eternally. That’s our true ego which is defined as the “I” or soul. The false ego is the “I” that’s connected to the body and our identity in the world. Bhakti recovers our other ego, our original true ego, which is hidden behind the false one. And the process is radical because just by rethinking the way we think we can get past the false ego.

We can’t outsource ourselves and our conversations with Krishna. No one can do them for us. This is our life, our personal relationship. Plan, pray, prepare. Use your head to follow your heart and make it special. It’s His day. Add to it.

An updated report of the amazing achievements of Srila Prabhupada’s Iskcon up today. His movement has expanded into a multitude of projects worldwide all with the unique purpose of spreading the chanting of the Holy Name of Lord Krishna and giving to all a chance for delivery from the material world and Kali Yuga. You will be pleasantly surprised to hear this summary of all the activities the disciples and grand disciples of His Divine Grace are performing daily for the service of his mission and the pleasure of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30442

After celebrating the anniversary of Iskcon’s 50th year, what are the next steps needed to expand the movement further and refine its functions in order to be able to take proper care of those taking shelter in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Improving the taking care of the devotees and the educational system for the younger generations are some of the priorities which need to be focused upon and this will happen only with the involvement of the congregation. The gigantic expansion of the movement requires the service of qualified devotees who will be able to do full time service only if the movement will take care of all their needs, including their families. An economic system has to be in place to provide for all of that so that there is investment not only for temple buildings but also for the devotees who run it.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30445

Purnacandra Maharaja joined Srila Prabhupada’s movement when he was 17 years old. For more than 38 years he served ISKCON with great dedication. His knowledge of the Vedic scriptures was vast and profound. For many years he was teaching Bhakti Sastri course and many other courses to the devotees.
He had very deep attachment to Sri Vrindavana-dhama. He divided his preaching time between Russia and Balkans, but Karttik he would always spend in Vrindavan. Over the last few years he was writing a book dedicated to Lord Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana. He was always deeply absorbed in the holy names. The concentration and intensity with which he would chant the holy name every day was incomparable.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30367

The farm conferences are bringing together empowered citizens and communities to celebrate 50 years of spreading sustainable Krishna conscious community life. You are warmly invited to join us and honor the knowledge acquired by many unseen heroes along these pioneering years and to build a bridge with the vibrant youth which is so connected to sustainable solutions for the planet. At these conferences, we are offering you a connection of friendship to enable sharing our experiences and solutions.
Together, we will share realistic glimpses of possibility and hope for a thriving future. 

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30390

A verse from the Mahabharat points out that logic alone remains inconclusive. One philosopher has one interpretation while another philosopher has another interpretation and sometimes there is no end to an argument. It just goes on and on and on, if one tries to establish the truth on basis of argument.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, tarka-śāstre jaḍa āmi, yaiche lauha-piṇḍa (CC Madhya 6.214) that, “As a result of preoccupying myself with the study of these arguments of logic from various scriptures, my heart became hard like an iron bar.” So this is the result, when everything is based on logic there is no room for the heart.

Later when Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya became a vaisnava, he is quoted in the Padyavali, in the book which is compiled by Srila Rupa Goswami, “We are not logicians. We are not great philosphers who have crossed the ocean of Vedanta. We are not expert debaters. We are simply the servants of a rascal cowherd boy.” 

So the whole spirit had changed. It is not that the vaisnavas are NOT expert in philosophy but their main interest is not only tattva (philosophy) but there is also rasa (relationship). Without the combination of tattva and rasa, how can transcendental knowledge ever be complete!? If there is only tattva, only philosophy, then where is the heart? Just like it says in the Caitanya Caritamrta, “What is the use of the words of a poet? What is the use of the arrow of a hunter, if it does not pierce the heart and make the head spin?”

So in this way, what is the use of the truth if ultimately the heart is not involved…

Practicing Love.
When we ask ourselves the question ‘Why do we exist?’ we begin the search for meaning in our lives. If we accept that we exist not just in this life span, but beyond, that question brings us to face the very core of ourselves.
The answer that the teachings of Bhakti give us is that we exist to be in relationship with the source of our existence. That is, we are part of Krishna eternally, exist eternally and the deepest and most satisfying part of our being is to exchange pure love with Him. This is called prema bhakti – the sweetest and most complete type of love.
To love anyone you have to know them, and so the practice of bhakti is the path of reawakening our knowledge of, and love for, Krishna. It’s a combination of the science of the soul, the universe and divinity, as well as the practical application of love in action – literally doing things to express and nurture spiritual love.
In other words, we practice love. Everyday.
But why? Why do we need to practice love if it is part of our inherent nature? Because we have forgotten. Maya, the energy of Krishna’s that creates the material world, covers our true self and we get so involved in this life and this world that we only have a faint sense that we are missing something.
To practice loving Krishna we use head, heart, and hand. We can read and study about His nature and personality, we can express our heartfelt feelings to Him in prayer and contemplation, and we can make beautiful things to offer Him or assist others in their service to Him.
Krishna, who is attractive to all, is drawn to love as bees are drawn to flowers. If we give time everyday to the practice of bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion, the yoga of love – we will feel our love for Krishna blossom. It will happen, because love, by nature, is expansive. And Krishna’s love is more expansive and more unlimited than any other love. It is known as ‘anandambuddhi vardhanam’ – an ever increasing ocean of joy.
Love can never be forced but it’s always there if we want it – both to give and to receive. The choice is always ours.

We walk or drive, travel the world, on our phone, with a book

always moving, asking questions, seeking answers

we walk the labyrinthine ways of our own mind, often in circles

finding little rest from the endless journeys that lurk there

We move with others, or alone, with new or old, at different times

we come together like seaweed, tossed by the waves of time,

and again separated, thrown again, more waves

We move with the seasons, the animals, the stars above and earth deep within

we move with the day and the night, the dusk and the dawn, awake and asleep

And we are moved to tears, joy, anger and some, by sights or sounds unseen

as we journey somewhere, for some good reason, for some right end

we move with the markets, the madness, and the mayhem in a world

overflowing with individual desires for being the first, the best, the greatest

we move and one wonders how there is room for us all

We turn and start another journey – another direction, an opposite way

the janmastami journey, recognising Krishna’s presence in our lives

by walking it we lose all we have gathered in this world

which we will lose anyway, when that moment comes, or has come

and taken us, limb by limb, bit by bit, until we are journeyed out,

journeyed over the hill into the next life, next body or next world

But, oh, we will gain on this journey that which we cannot ever imagine

an identity we have long forgotten, that shadows us as we move about the world

and emerges more clearly as we walk with Krishna in our lives

walk with sunshine, and sweetness, and relationships of love

a journey with full moons of rasa dances, and new moons of hidden stories

a journey with consciousness, intention, care and kindness

a journey of grace, gratitude, and goodness

This janmastami journey is a beginning and an end, a spiritual journey

it’s the answer to a call from the heart, a response to Thoreau’s sense that

‘most men live lives of quiet desperation’, or some other kind of suffering

that pushes us past our comfortable numbness and causes us to sit up

pack our bags and head out the door on this journey within.

It is both hard and easy. Stay with it, and let it bring us home.

(Pancha-Tattva by Saradiya devi dasi)

Practicing Krishna Consciousness @ Home
The Simple Method

“The process is very simple. Just keep a picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates. Lord Caitanya is in the middle, accompanied by His principal associates — Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, and Srivasa. One simply has to keep this picture. One can keep it anywhere. It is not that one has to come to us to see this picture. Anyone can have this picture in his home, chant this Hare Krishna mantra, and thus worship Lord Caitanya. That is the simple method. But who will capture this simple method? Those who have good brains. Without much bother, if one simply keeps a picture of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at home and chants Hare Krishna, then one will realize God. Anyone can adopt this simple method. There is no expenditure, there is no tax, nor is there any need to build a very big church or temple. Anyone, anywhere, can sit down on the road or beneath a tree and chant the Hare Krishna mantra and worship God. Therefore it is a great opportunity.” (Srila Prabhupada lecture, London’s Conway Hall, Nov. 1969)

more on Saradiya devi dasi

Bhaktivedanta Manor Pancha-Tattva Painting
by Saradiya devi dasi

BUTTERWORTH - Sanskrit is Greek to most people but for Bhanu Swami Maharaj (pic) the ancient language is a cinch to master.

The Canadian of Japanese descent said the sacred language of Hinduism may seem complicated but it was easier than most languages because it was phonetic-based.

“There are vowels and consonants but you only have to memorise 60. Reading it is easy. It is unlike the character-based Chinese or Japanese languages where you have to remember 6,000 to 10,000 characters,” said the scholar, 67.

However, he said that while Sanskrit words were pronounced exactly as they were written, “it can also be difficult as there are many conjugation and declension of nouns and verbs”.

He has translated 29 books from Sanskrit into English. His significant works involve the Brahma Sutras, Bhaktirasanrta Sindu, Brahma Samhita and the Srimad Bhagavatam from Volume One to 12.

Bhanu Swami, a scholar in Sanskrit and Bengali, spoke of the difficulties in translating the books due to the meaning of certain words.

“One word can have the opposite meaning sometimes. And there is scripture like Brahma Sutras which is particularly difficult because the words are in a condensed form,” he explained.

He said he was deeply influenced by the teachings of Srila A.C. Bhaktidedanta Swami Prahhupad, who came from a long line of spiritual masters in India.

Bhanu Swami, who joined the Hare Krishna movement in India in 1970, has travelled extensively in Europe, Russia, Australia, Malaysia and Japan.

He was a speaker at the Hindu Civilisation and Heritage Exhibition at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Kanhaiya Temple of Devotion and Under­standing in Seberang Jaya yesterday.

Talks and the exhibition will go on at the temple until Aug 14.

The exhibition highlights historical records of the Bujang Valley, Kedah Tua, Gangga Negara and Langkasuka; the Hindu history of Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Prambanan (Indonesia), and places in China, Korea, Japan, Australia, North America, South America, Russia, the Vatican and Egypt.

It is organised by the Bhaktivedanta Science Unit of International Society for Krishna Consciousness Malaysia.

The public is welcome to view the exhibition from 9am to 9.30pm on weekdays and from 8.30am to 11pm on weekends. Admission is free.

PETALING JAYA - A “Hindu Civilisation & Heritage Exhibition” organised by the Bhaktivedanta Science Unit of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness will showcase the history of Hinduism in Malaysia and around the world.

The exhibition aims to promote an appreciation for Hindu scientific contributions in various fields of study including archaeology besides putting the spotlight on Hindu culture.

Among the attractions at the exhibition will be historical Hindu records of the Bujang Valley, Kedah Tua, Gangga Nagara and Langkasuka in Malaysia as well as that of the world famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Prambanan in Indonesia. There will also be exhibits from China, Korea, Japan and Australia as well as those further away in North America, South America, Russia, the Vatican and Egypt. 

Also on display will be exhibits of the various religious teachings that Hindus have professed and practiced through the ages.

A rather enlightening part of the exhibition centres around the many contributions and discoveries of Hindu sages as well as their scriptures in the fields of mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, metallurgy, astronomy, linguistics, architecture and culture.

Part and parcel of the “Hindu Civilisation & Heritage Exhibition” will be a series of talks by experts in various fields, held on the weekends of August 6-7 and 13-14.

Among the speakers will be Japanese Monk and Sanskrit scholar His Holiness Srila Bhanu Swami, who will talk about ‘Science & Vedas’ (Unlocking Secrets of Left Brain-Right Brain); ‘Discovering Soul – The Last Frontier of Science’; and ‘Soul – The Last Frontier of Science.’

Meanwhile Malaysia-born author, V Nadarajan will talk about the Bujang Valley.

Others speakers include Professor Dr Surabala (USM); Dr Sridevi Sriniwass (UM); Dr Suhanya Parthasarathy (UM); Dr Ranjev Hari (UM); His Grace Simheswara Prabhu (ISKCON Regional Secretary); JK Wicky (Cinematographer & Motivator).

The exhibition will be held from 6 to 14 Aug at the Janaky Ramamirtham Hall of Sri Radha Krishna Kanhaiya Temple of Devotion and Understanding, Lorong Jelawat 4, at Bandar Seberang Jaya. Admission is free.
Those wishing for more information can contact Kalesa @ Lim Kok Chye (019 – 4411 008) or Dr Surash Ramanathan (013 – 435 7649).

Comment: You were saying how the altar is actually the spiritual world. However, I experience how personal worship of the deity can become mechanical, like a routine ten minute puja.

It can be but if every day, you try to do something special then it does not become mechanical. That is the trick. See, if you just do the standard way every day, then it becomes mechanical but if you go a little bit beyond and try to do something extra – that is what keeps the freshness. We should get on the platform of trying to do something extraordinary and that is the way to get out of any mechanical relationship, not only with the deity but also any other relationship.

In a marriage as well, it becomes mechanical after a while, 'Here is your brekky!'  and then, one day you go out of your way and prepare a special breakfast and he goes like, 'Whoa! What's that!? Mmmmm! May I have more of that, please!'  Then there is some magic and it comes from making a special endeavor. That is the nature of relationships and deity worship is all about relationship – to do something special for our deity. It is then that the relationship comes to life.

We have to be careful also because the deity may go away. What if Krsna comes in your dreams and says that he now wants to go away somewhere else? Therefore we must be very careful not to become mechanic

Let us dedicate our whole life to Krsna. Let us gradually get rid of interruptions. It is said that pure devotional service is that which is uninterrupted. But what we do is a little service and then we think we deserve some sense gratification, "Okay, I did some service at the temple, so now I can watch TV." In this way we are interrupting our service but gradually, we have to un-interrupt it. There should be no more time in between. Everything should be service. Every place should be a holy place. Your home should be a temple, your car should be a temple and even at work something sacred should be there. Somehow or the other, every place should be dedicated to Krsna, every action should be dedicated to Krsna. In this way, we can improve our spiritual life.

'Sixteen rounds done! It's over! The happiest moment of the day!' Is this our spiritual life? Is this how we are practicing every day? Was there any attentive round? Can you remember one moment today when chanting was attentive? Can you then remember any moment, while chanting was attentive, that you actually felt something for Krsna?

Rupa Goswami said, 'Give me millions of ears and millions of tongues while chanting Hare Krsna!'  This is when everything becomes magic; when Krsna consciousness becomes magic. Things become magic when we love it. Everything you do out of duty is not magic; it is only when we love it that it is magic. And the more we love it, the more magic there is!

When we encounter the limit of our love for Krsna, then what do we do? Sooner or later, no matter who we are, we all will encounter the limit of our love for Krsna then what do we do?

Then we turn to Lord Caitanya and take up his magic, the magic of touching other people, the magic of giving people Krsna consciousness. And when we see that they are transformed, then it is amazing. When you actually change someone's life and they start to take to Krsna as a result, something happens in your heart! There is something that really goes deep and touches the heart. You get so excited and you feel like you never felt before and you just carry on in your own Krsna consciousness. So this is the magic that Srila Prabhupada gave us because when it comes to love for Krsna during our chanting, it is not too much!

Therefore if we can see the magic in giving out this mercy then a change of heart will come. When we are busy serving Krsna, when we are busy giving out mercy of Krsna then naturally we cut the tree of samsara (material existence). In this way everything happens automatically. In this way the ancient example of the Upanisads, example of the banyan tree, the asvathama, meaning 'the tree of no tomorrow' is easily cut down by the devotees of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by the followers of Srila Prabhupada. This is the amazing grace that rests upon this Krsna consciousness movement!

Your mind is wondering all over the universe when you chant. Chant anyway!
Your mind is wondering to the past and future when you chant. Chant anyway!
You are not able to concentrate on Krsna's names while you chant. Chant anyway!
You have no taste for chanting. Chant anyway!
You have lusty desires. Chant anyway!
You are making offences in chanting. Chant anyway!
You are not praying to Krsna to help you chant better. Chant anyway!
You often chant late at night. Chant anyway!

Why should you chant despite all the above obstacles? 

This is why: There is no vow like chanting the holy name, no knowledge superior to it, no meditation which comes anywhere near it, and it gives the highest result.

No penance is equal to it, and nothing is as potent or powerful as the holy name.

Chanting is the greatest act of piety and the supreme refuge.

Even the words of the Vedas do not possess sufficient power to describe its magnitude.

Chanting is the highest path to liberation, peace and eternal life.

It's the pinnacle of devotion, the heart's joyous proclivity and attraction and the best form of remembrance of the Supreme Lord.

The holy name has appeared solely for the benefit of the living entities as their lord and master, their supreme worshipful object and their spiritual guide and mentor.

Whoever continuously chants Lord Krishna's holy name, even in his sleep, can easily realize that the name is a direct manifestation of Krishna Himself, in spite of the influences of Kali-yuga. -

- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati (quoted from Adi-purana)