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Finding for pearls in the ocean

Finding for pearls in the ocean

It was a wonderful day on sankirtan as HG Vaisesika Prabhu returned from the dham after 6 weeks. Just the presence of Prabhu felt so purifying in the most passionate place, Market and Powell street in San Francisco. As Prabhu mentioned it felt like an milk ocean of people and there were some valuable pearls here and there. Everyone was going somewhere and no one was interested in spirituality. But ISV devotees, almost 35 of them including kids were determined to churn the ocean to find those pearls. It was really austere as most of them would say, "No, Thank you". Then, once in a while Lord Chaitanya sent some sincere souls who were looking for spirituality. Devotees would get surcharged again! 
 
Some devotees met a few people who were not looking for spirituality, but were looking for some answers, so they prayed. By mercy of Lord Chaitanya, they met devotees at the Harinaam and got a Gita. It was a great yagna!
 
ISV kids were very enthusiastic to distribute books and they stayed almost till the end. 
 
All glories to Symalangi mataji and her team who organized this huge Harinaam with massive prasadam distribution. Many homeless got prasadam and the word got out and one homeless called another and all the soup, corn bread and brownies were gone. Unlike every year Harisankirtan Prabhu had to stay late to distribute, this year it was fast and he was happy. 
 
Same with the books, we finished all the books we had by 6:30 pm which is unusual. All glories to the enthusiastic devotees who distributed books with one pointed attention.
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Our agenda to control and enjoy matter is not an innocent one. It has consequences. It robs us of peace. It contributes to strife, both individually and collectively. Through yoga knowledge and practice, we can relinquish this agenda, and revive our genuine blissful mission in life.

Source:http://devamritaswami.com/the-agenda-behind-the-mask-the-agenda-that-destroys-peace/

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Rasa Purnima, 2015

Written by Rukmini dd

An earthquake hit Sri Dhama Mayapur on Wednesday, November 25th, lasting approximately 90 minutes with tremors for at least half an hour before. Some call it kirtan, but I beg to differ. It was an earthquake! After navigating through the Damodarastakam on the last day of Kartika in front Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Kadamba Kanana Swami launched into kirtan that shook the layers of our conditioning, split through the modes of nature and revealed a core of beauty found in the holy name. Fortunately, on a material level, the only thing that cracked was some of our voices, including Maharaj’s. Between cups of tea and lozenges, he kept the vibrations escalating. Devotees were flying across the temple room floor in spontaneous dance. Maharaj kept his fingers on the harmonium whilst fiercely pushing the mrdanga players beyond their limits with his eyes and maintaining the beat of the whompers with the nod of his head. After always hearing of him endlessly trying to escape management, I realized he manages the kirtan too. The devotion in each mantra was tangible. Many could not go to sleep that night.

Despite the late night, Maharaj strode to mangal arati like clockwork the next day, as he always does in the Holy Dhama. It was Rasa Purnima and Maharaj was due to speak from the Bhagavatam. He approached the subject with much reservation. In the action of taking that step first in our spiritual life, both our feet are in the material world. Then we lift one leg and try to place it on the spiritual platform but all our weight rests in the material world. Slowly we shift the weight onto the “spiritual leg” and finally when there is no weight on the “material leg” it rises above the material platform. He emphasized that one with two feet planted in the material world may only hear of the pastimes of the gopis and intellectually try to accept them but how would we ever truly understand them? He spoke of the purity of the gopis actions and how their incredible beauty was a reflection of their internal consciousness.

Later that day, we all gathered at the Vaishnava Academy to prepare for the Rasa Purima luncheon which was held in honour of all disciples of Srila Prabhupada on behalf of Srila Jayadvaita Swami. With his incredibly hectic schedule of meetings for the Mayapur Master Plan and simultaneously teaching the Nectar of Devotion course, Kadamba Kanana Swami left the organisation of the program in the capable hands of Ter Kadamba Prabhu, Tulasi Prabhu and Saci devi Mataji. It was a blissful flurry of activity transforming the rooftop into something out of the Caitanya Caritamrta. As each vaishnava entered, they were garlanded, offered sandalwood and coaxed to allow us to bathe their feet. It was heart-warming to see them appreciating and remembering Srila Prabhupada in each other’s company.  Over clay cups of tea and freshly clipped coconuts, many bonds were deepened.

Straight out of Bhakti Sastri class, Maharaj rushed to the luncheon. It was humbling to see him immediately accept a junior role in front of the guests and he focused on every detail in order to serve them properly. Banana leaves were laid out on the veranda in traditional style and soon prep after prep followed according to the Vedic science. As each guest, left Maharaj personally offered then a decorative clay plate of goodies and a donation. At the end, we rejoiced over all the maha-prasadam.

It was a rare, purifying and instructive festival. How long will these servants of Prabhupada walk the earth?  What’s more purifying that the water that has bathed of the feet of the vaisnavas? How important is it that we serve and maintain strong relationships of friendship between one another?

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Book Distribution from the Comfort of your own Home

This type of book distribution is especially for the devotees having reservation for street/door-to-door distribution, but WANT to participate. This method uses the *C*ircle *o*f *I*nfluence (*CoI*) contact of each devotee. CoI contacts can be Friends, Relatives, Previous or Present Colleagues, Neighbors, Shopkeepers or anyone whom one can approach.
 
*Phase 1:*
 
Make a list of 10-15 very close people from your CoI contact, with whom you can freely talk.. Call 3-5 people from that list daily. The list will be exhausted in 3-4 days.
 
*Phase 2:*
 
. By now, you would have gained some confidence.
. Now increase the CoI list to be as exhaustive as possible. Do NOT discriminate or speculate if the person would be interested or not. Just list people whom you know.
 
. Call a fixed number of people every day in the descending order of your comfort level.
 
. If some are not interested you may ask for references whom you can contact. This can create good leads.
 
*Phase 3:*
 
. Identify the leaders in CoI contacts: Like chairman/secretary/president of any business, philanthropic, religious organizations, housing society, clubs, etc.
. Seek their guidance to increase Gita distribution within their circle of influence.
. They can give referrals, table space or stage time in their events, etc.
 
*Phase 4: *
. Use the collected phone/mobile numbers in your congregation preaching programs and in the temple.
.  Use the telephone directory to make blind calls. You'll need to figure out the success rate for this mode.
 
*Follow-up:*
 
.         Follow-up with those who pledged to buy, till the book reaches
them. If need be, post it to them OR connect them to local devotee/temple
to arrange Gita for them.
 
*Testimonies - Experiences of THIS mode of book distribution:*
 
.  I Called a devotee friend. He offered to distribute Gita's to all of the students in his son’s school. His budget was 200 Gitas. He then got 200 Gita sponsorship from another source. So total of 400 Gita distribution pledged.
. A friend tapped his 20 CoI contacts and distributed 2,000 Gitas.
. I Called a cousin. He bought 50 Gitas to distribute in his circle.
 
 .I Called a school friend. He decided to distribute 40 Gitas to guests on his parent’s 50th wedding anniversary.
 
. Called college friends. He decided to gift Gita in his building and society. One distributed 15 another 20.
 
. A school friend bought Gita for himself although he thought it would be difficult to understand. We assured discussion whenever needed. This way, we can also create a *Gita Study Circle* with book distribution.
 
*We shall be happy to assist in designing step-by-step program suiting your nature & circumstance. *E.g. If you are hesitant, your CoI contacts can be phoned by other family member or devotee, giving your reference.
 
*Messaging Instead of Phone/Mobile:*
 
.  You may also use Messaging (SMS, Whatsapp, Viber, FB, etc.) to inform your CoI contacts. But address the person with name. General message without specific name of the person is not effective.
 
*What to Say to them?*
 
. This is a Gita Jayanti month when the Gita was spoken.
 
. To celebrate, ISKCON/we are distributing Bhagavad Gita.
 
. If you may please support this noble cause:
 
 
- Buy Gita for yourself
- Sponsor Gitas to give to your friends, family, colleagues, business, children's school, enemies :-), etc.
- Sponsor Gitas and we can distribute them for you.
 
*Advantages of this mode of book distribution:*
 
. Rapport is already there with known people. So easy to approach. Most are ready, requiring gentle push.
 
. Less probability to allow mind to overpower us.
 
. Instead of head-on face-off with our false ego, this is the moderate way around.
 
. Creates momentum to inspire street or door-to-door distribution for further purification.
 
. We may be able to distribute bigger quantity of books.
 
*Good to have:*
 
.  Please be detached to book count. If easier, let people buy from local temple. Even if the count goes to that temple. Your work is done as long as the Gita gets in your contact’s hand.
 
.  Apply for unlimited phone/mobile calling scheme so that you do not incur excessive cost for these phone calls. E.g. Airtel-India landline  charges Rs. 99/- per month for unlimited calls to landline/mobile within India.
 
*Mood:*
 
. Please see this as a service of engaging the Jiva and for our own purification.
 
. Do not focus to get the money or high book score. Focus on Giving. How much more we can do when no one cares who gets the glory.
 
. Please ignore and don't feel dejected if someone says NO. Our service is to try to distribute books. Not that what is my score or what is my collection. BG 2.47: “Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phalesu kadacana.....”. Krsna told Arjun to fight the battle and not to win the battle.
 
*Other Optional Points for the script:*
 
- This is SHASTRA DAAN - Greatest kind of Charity of Divine Knowledge
- This BHAGAVAD GITA is a Manual of Mankind
- If any festival is round the corner: “Wonderful Time to offer Wonderful Gift (Bhagavad Gita) to Wonderful People in your life.”
- As said, "There is no better gift than Gita to be given to or to be received from."
- Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita (BG 18.68-70) that one who distributes this message of Bhagavad Gita is Most Dear to Him and recipient of His Blessings.
- Some may say their contacts not interested: Story:- Bhagavad Gita was given to an uninterested person. He disposed it to an old book shop. A student picked it up and became a devotee with his 3 brothers. Preached to his teacher and he also became a devotee with his family. And the network continued.
- Few Celebrity Readers of Bhagavad Gita: Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Spiritual teachers of India.
 
Please share your experiences and feedback with us. If you may have any questions then we shall be happy to answer.
 
Thank you very much.
your servant,
Sanjay Krsnacandra das KCS
 
Email: sanjay.karanji@gmail.com
Phone/Whatsapp/Viber: +91-7874499982 (India)
Skype: sanjay.karanji
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Pujari Course

For the pleasure of their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Pancatattva, Prahlad Nrisimha Dev, Srila Prabhupada and for all the readers Mayapur Bhakti Vriksha happily informs that, for the first time there was a Training class arranged by Mayapur Bhakti Vriksha on‘Bhoga offering and Aroti performance’ for one day (2 times class) on 6th December, 2015 to facilate those upcoming Bhakti Vriksha members in order to help them regarding daily Bhoga offering and Aroti performance in their home.

It took place in Mayapur Pancatattva extension hall and 130 bhakti Vriksha members participated with great enthusiasm. The class divided into two sessions. The first session from 10:00am-12:00pm (theoretical) and second session 3pm-5pm (Practical). After first session a delicious lunch Prasadam were served to all. The class ended with auspicious Harinam Sankirtan and they returned home with joy. Horibol!

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Source:http://www.mayapur.com/2015/pujari-course/

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Book distribution sankirtan in UK - Encounter of the day.
Visvambhara das: I met with the famous comedian/magician, John Archer. He took a Bhagavad-gita and gave a £10 donation. I said, “If you give me another £10, I’ll show you some Italian magic.” John gave it and then wanted to see the magic. I replied, “The magic is that I made £20 disappear from your pocket!” John replied, “You cheeky fellow!” Lol

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17613

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Shiva, The Auspicious One

Shiva, The Auspicious One

SHIVA is among the most widely worshiped deities in India. With names such as Mahadeva ("the great god") and Nataraja ("the king of dancers"), he is venerated in ancient holy cities like Benares, where Shaivites (as his worshipers are called) devote their lives to him, viewing him as the Supreme Lord.

The fact is, he is supreme. As the scriptures say, "Srimad-Bhagavatam is supreme among Puranas just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta [Vishnu] the best among deities, and Lord Sambhu [Shiva] the greatest among devotees of Lord Vishnu [vaisnavanam yatha sambhu]." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.13.16) According to this and similar statements, Shiva may correctly be considered the greatest—at least among devotees—but among gods the supreme is Vishnu. This is made clear as far back as the Rg Veda (1.22.20): "The lotus feet of Vishnu are the supreme objective of all the demigods. Those lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky."

Shaivites, however, tend to see Shiva not just as the greatest devotee but as God Himself. There is some basis for this in scripture. In the Bhagavatam (4.7.50) Lord Vishnu Himself says, "Brahma, Lord Shiva, and I are the supreme cause of the material manifestation. I am the Supersoul, the self-sufficient witness. But impersonally there is no difference between Brahma, Lord Shiva, and Me."

In other words, all three divinities are one because they are all avataras, or descents of the Supreme, for the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the material world. In this context, they are known as guna-avataras, and they preside over the modes of passion (embodied by Brahma, the creator), goodness (embodied by Vishnu, the maintainer), and ignorance (embodied by Shiva, the destroyer). All three of these avataras are considered aspects of the same principle of Godhead.

The Mahabharata too (Anusasana-parva 135) says that Vishnu and Shiva are nondifferent and even counts the names Shiva, Sarva, Sthanu, Isana, and Rudra—names traditionally identified with Shiva—among the thousand names of Vishnu. Such identification between Shiva and the Supreme Lord seemingly gives weight to the idea of contemporary Hinduism that all the gods mentioned in the Vedic literature are one.

But a close study of scripture shows that while there is reason to see Shiva as nondifferent from Vishnu, there is also reason to distinguish strongly between them. According to Bhagavad-gita, which is accepted by nearly all classes of transcendentalists in India—including Vaisnavas and Shaivites—Vishnu (Krishna) is the ultimate Godhead, to whom even Shiva must bow down. This is not a matter of opinion or sectarian prejudice. Krishna identifies Himself as the source of all material and spiritual worlds ( Bg. 10.8), and Arjuna confirms that Krishna is indeed supreme (Bg. 10.12). Krishna is "the God of all the gods" (devesa, Bg. 11.37).

In countless incidents from the Puranas, Shiva is clearly seen to be Vishnu's devotee. For example, there is the story of Vrkasura, a demon who practiced severe austerities and then asked Shiva for a boon—the power to kill at once any living being whose head Vrkasura would merely touch. Shiva granted the boon, but was soon to regret his decision, for Vrka came after him to try out the newfound power. Lord Shiva ran to all parts of the universe to escape this power-mad devotee and finally ended up at the door of the kingdom of Vishnu.

Hearing the words of a frightened Shiva, Vishnu devised a plan to help him. Vishnu appeared directly before Vrkasura and told him Shiva was not to be trusted. "Shiva is fond of joking and even lying," said Vishnu. "I am sure he is not telling you the truth. He was just teasing you. Touch your own head, and you will see that nothing will happen."

Vrka, of course, touched his own head and died. But the point of this story, in the present context, is Vishnu's superiority over Shiva, who could not resolve the problem on his own. After racing through the entire material cosmos to escape Vrkasura, Shiva sought refuge in Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

To counter this, Shiva devotees cite traditions in which Rama, for example, is seen as a devotee of Shiva. This would make an avatara of Vishnu subservient to Shiva, and thus support the tenets of Shaivism. But upon closer study Rama's worship of Shiva turns out to be a later tradition, not supported in Valmiki's Ramayana. Moreover, even these later traditions explain that Rama became a devotee of Shiva only out of etiquette: Rama wanted to become a greater devotee of Shiva than the evil Ravana was, and then ask Shiva for permission to defeat Ravana.

The Ramayana offers many stories about the glories of Shiva—his destruction of Daksa's sacrifice, his marriage with Uma (Parvati), his drinking of the ocean of poison, his killing of the demon Andhaka, his cursing of Kandarpa—but ultimately the Ramayana makes the supremacy of Rama quite clear. Rama (as an incarnation of Vishnu) is supreme.

The differences between Shiva and Vishnu should be further underlined. As Srila Prabhupada says (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.16, purport),

"Of the three principal agents controlling the three modes of material nature, Vishnu is the Almighty; even though He is within material nature for the purpose of maintenance, He is not controlled by the laws of material nature. The other two, Brahma and Shiva, although almost as greatly powerful as Vishnu, are within the control of the material energy of the Supreme Lord."

Shiva is superior to Brahma, who is an empowered soul (jiva), but Shiva is not quite on the same level as Vishnu. It is therefore said that Shiva is a unique living being who merits his own category, known as Shiva-tattva.

To clarify Lord Shiva's position, the Brahma-samhita (5.45) offers an analogy: "When milk is transformed by acids into yogurt, the yogurt is neither the same as nor different from the milk. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda [Krishna, Vishnu], of whom Lord Shiva is a transformation for performing the work of destruction."

Though milk and yogurt are essentially nondifferent, yogurt is a product of milk. One can use milk to make ghee, cheese, ice cream, or yogurt, but one cannot turn yogurt into milk. Clearly, then, Shiva's divinity is intimately connected with, even dependent upon, his relationship to Vishnu.

This is made clearer still in the Bhagavatam (3.28.22): "The blessed Lord Shiva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, which has its source in the water that washed the Lord's lotus feet."

Srila Prabhupada comments, "Lord Shiva is important because he is holding on his head the holy Ganges water, which has its origin in the footwash of Lord Vishnu.

"In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, by Sanatana Gosvami, it is said that anyone who puts the Supreme Lord and the demigods, including Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma, on the same level at once becomes a pasandi, or atheist. We should never consider the Supreme Lord Vishnu and the demigods to be on an equal footing."

So, theologically, Shiva is both God and yet different from God as well. Because of Shiva's intimate contact with the quality of ignorance and with matter (which is innately ignorant), the living beings in this world cannot receive the same spiritual restoration by worshiping him as by worshiping Vishnu.

And yet they try. As mentioned earlier, the worshipers of Shiva are second in number only to the worshipers of Vishnu. Shaiva Siddhanta, a form of Shiva worship found mainly in South India, is a force to be reckoned with, and Vira Shaivism (or Lingayatism), another form of the religion, is popular in the South Indian state of Karnataka.

There are other forms of Shiva worship as well, but the only authorized form comes down in the Rudra Sampradaya, also known as the Vishnusvami Sampradaya, an authorized Vaisnava lineage in which Shiva is worshiped as the greatest devotee of Vishnu. Its adherents say that ultimate liberation comes from devotion to Vishnu. And Shiva, they say, showed how to be the perfect devotee. Even Shiva himself confirms that one can achieve the supreme destination only by the mercy of Vishnu. Lord Shiva says, mukti-pradata sarvesam Vishnur eva na samsayah: "There is no doubt that Vishnu is the deliverer of liberation for everyone."

by Satyaraja Dasa

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Pusta Krishna das: I have started a new Facebook website entitled BhaktivedantaPerspectives. You all are invited to visit and contribute. I will instantly Friend you.
This new facebook website is intended to tap into the teachings of Srila Prabhupad and the realizations of his disciples and well-wishers regarding the solution to the world’s challenges. Different topics will be presented and I shall try to help keep the discussions on the point of that issue.
After we have thoroughly analyzed the issues of the day (political, social, economic, exploitation of the earth’s resources, religious strife, family cohesion, successful transformation into a God centered consciousness individually and collectively, and others) then we shall try to publish a book entitled “Bhaktivedanta Perspectives” that will collect succinctly the ideas placed forward by Srila Prabhupada and his mature followers. It is hoped that this will stand as a strong alternative to Godless and otherwise misdirected solutions that are strangulating individuals and human society.
Again, when a topic for discussion is chosen, I will modulate the entries to keep to the point of the issue at hand. Once we have resolved the issues to our collective satisfaction then we can go on to another topic. I personally consider that this compilation or the ideas of Srila Prabhupada and you will bring us a step closer to helping to fulfill the mission of Srila Prabhupad.
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga!! Hare Krishna.
Pusta Krishna das

The first topic is listed there, regarding Religious sectarianism, problems and solutions. I shall try to keep the comments pertinent to the question of the topic. Other topics will later be raised to promote your thoughts and Srila Prabhupad’s solutions to these challenging issues of the day.

Pusta Krishna das Dec. 14, 2015

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17616

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Should religion be protected?

By Kripamoya das

Although I have been travelling around England recently, I’ve been following the ongoing dispute about the Church of England’s attempt to promote prayer by commissioning a 54-second film – a cinema advertisement, so to speak, for The Lord’s Prayer. The ad was designed to be shown before the new Star Wars film. At the last minute the cinema chain stopped the film from being shown – even though it had been approved by the relevant advertising body. It gave as a reason that it ‘might be offensive to some people.’

I despair at the state my country has got itself into. Just coming up to Christmas, who on earth would find a short piece about Christian prayer ‘offensive?’ It might be better to show the ad and then let those who are so offended reveal themselves.

Yesterday I was in Leicester, and right opposite the back door of our temple is the Town Hall. The imposing brick building has the very largest, flashing, green neon **Merry Christmas** sign I have ever seen. Leicester has, as many will know, the largest population of Hindus in the country, outside London. As far as I know, not one Hindu has ever begrudged this overt celebration of Christmas. Hinduism is a broad and diverse collection of religious strands, and is inclusive, appreciating all attempts to serve and know God.

Those who recognise that the same God is being worshipped, despite the differences in names used by the worshippers, will acknowledge  and appreciate the paths of everyone, giving them freedom to express their deepest feelings of faith. And those who recognise the importance of religion, generally, in preserving morality and order in society, will welcome the range of human emotions that comes along with worship, particular the celebration of festivals. It is very sad that we seem to have taken the wrong turn in our understanding of freedom of religion and expression.

To make these cinematic religious matters slightly more complex, the short film Sanjay’s Superteam, by Toy Storymakers Pixar, is now being shown in some cinemas just before their new film The Good Dinosaur. The short film features, in cartoon forms, Lord Vishnu, Hanuman and Durga. While I’m delighted that the names and forms of the deities are being broadcast, I am troubled that we seem to be relentlessly diminishing the religion that has been the foundation of much good in this country. The problem is that intolerance toward Christianity in the name of preserving the peace will be followed by more intolerant behaviour in the future.

It is understandable that people look for new forms of religious expression as they tire of old forms. The path of Bhakti seems to be attracting the attention of seekers everywhere. Krishna is mentioned by the bad character in the trailer for another superhero movie: X-Men Apocalypse. The anti-hero introduces himself by saying: “I have been called many things over many lifetimes, Rama, Krishna, Yahweh…”

There may be many more occasions where Bhakti makes an appearance in popular culture. Certainly, there is a great variety of rich culture to be mined in the search for new forms of spiritual expression. I do feel, however, that religion itself must be protected, so that even the concepts preserved by those faiths do not disappear from our conversations. That would be a sad world. Merry Christmas.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17626

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Temple President Srutidharma das was one of those selected to personally greet Narendra Modi and David Cameron at the much publicised Wembley Stadium event, where 60,000 people welcomed the Indian Prime Minister to the UK.
The Indian Prime Minister told Srutidharma das that he fondly recalled his visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Janmashtami festival in 2005 and congratulated ISKCON on its 50thAnniversary.
During the Wembley event, children of the Krishna Avanti School and other schools recited the national anthems of both India and the UK, and also got to meet both Prime Ministers.
Later, at a function organized by the Indian High Commissioner, Srutidharma das, Gauri das and Vinay Tanna were amongst the special guests. There Gauri das presented Modi with a box of Mangala-aratisweets.

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13th Annual - Vrinda Kunda Festival

February marks the auspicious 13th Anniversary of Vrinda Kunda Temple opening! To celebrate we are organizing special parikramas to the Holy Places of Braja. The culmination will be our famous Kalash Yatra, an ecstatic Sankirtan procession with the ladies carrying water pots with coconuts on their heads. Parikramas will be going out from 19 Feb - 4 Feb with the main festival day on Saturday 27 Feb. Even after that there will still be some parikramas.

Gaura Purnima will be late next year, so better to come to Vrindavan first, and then go on to Mayapur Festival and leave after Gaura Purnima when it starts to get hot! February is the best weather of the year in Vrindavan. Everyone who has come before told me they never knew such nice weather existed in the Dhama! And our festival ends with plenty of time to reach for Kirtan Mela on 6 Mar, and Navadvipa Mandal Parikrama and Mayapur Festival after that!

We will leave almost every morning from Krishna Balaram Mandir by bus going on parikrama to different pastime places of Braja. There will be lively narrations of the different pastimes that happened in each place. Then we will return in time for lunch prasadam in the temple. And on all bus parikramas, Sannyasis and Prabhupada Disciples and their families will go free of charge.

Then on Saturday 27 Feb., we will be having the super ecstatic Kalash Yatra and sankirtan procession around Nandagrama. Kalash means water pot. All the ladies will carry water pots of water from the sacred Pavana Sarovara with colorful cloth and coconuts on top. We'll have 108 pots and the Brijbasi ladies will train our foreign lady devotees how to carry them. Even some of our own ladies who go every year will train you! The Brijbasinis even dance with no hands with their pots on their heads! All the ladies who have participated told me it was the highlight of their Vrindavan experience.

After reaching at Vrinda Kunda, there will be Krishna Katha, butter churning festival, artika, and then feast for one and all. Then everyone can help feed all the Nandagram Brijbasis. That day all transportation and prasad will be free for all who come.

So start planning now to come relish wonderful Vaisnava association in the Holy Dhama. The majority of our parikramas will take place after Nityananda Trayodasi. We'll publish the schedule soon, so watch for it.

For those who want to make arrangements to go from Vrindavan to Mayapur, these days you can book your train reservations on line at Otherwise you can contact our Welcome Center at <wc.vrindavan@gmail.com>for your travel needs as well as assistance for booking accommodation in outside guesthouses. They can also arrange a taxi to pick you up from the airport or train station. For booking in the Krishna Balaram Guesthouse, you can contact <ganapati.gkg@pamho.net>or +91 565 2540021. For MVT <mvt@pamho.net>or +91 565 3207578. For pictures of last year's festival on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1033921759967894.1073741994.570240966 335978&type=3 

In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi, 
Deena Bandhu dasa


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Guru Das and the Hells Angels

Guru Das and the Hells Angels…

“Swamiji called out "Gaura prem-ananda hari hari bol!” In a voice that was simultaneously sweet and grave, he recited paeans glorifying the past preceptors in our spiritual lineage. We collapsed on the floor, bowing down. We all alighted and sat upright silently, as the Swami was now going to speak. The Swami settled into his raised seat. “Thank you very much - all of you nice young boys and girls - for coming and…” We heard pounding on the wall - a loud thump from next door. Framed pictures shook. Again there was a thump. “…chanting this Hare Krishna mantra with us.”
The Swami didn’t miss a beat. He stopped talking, called me over, beckoned me closer. My ear was right near his mouth. I felt privileged. “What is that sound?” he asked. “I don’t know, ” I answered. “It is coming from next door.” Next door war the God’s Eye Ice Cream parlor, which was the hangout/hideout of the Hells Angels as well as headquarters for the Diggers, an anarchistic organization run by Emmett Grogan and Peter Coyote that believed all goods and services should be free. The banging continued.
“Go see what is making that noise,” Swamiji requested. “Ask them to stop.” “Yes Swamiji.” I said. Why me? I thought. I’m wearing a robe, I’m high from the kirtan, and now I have to face the Hells Angels. Cloth versus leather, finger cymbals versus knives, japa beads versus brass knuckles, “born to lose” instead of Hare Krishna, and chariots instead of Harleys.
The Swami again addressed the congregation. “I see you, so many bright-faced people chanting and feeling blissful by chanting these holy names…” Excusing myself, I went out into the cool night air and started to breath more easily. I heard loud laughter from inside the God’s Eye. “Yes,” I thought, “inside God’s eyes, certainly Krishna would protect me.” But my throat was dry as I knocked on the door.
A scar-faced, yet handsome, Hells Angel opened the door. He wore swastikas and lots of black leather. He stared at me. I held his eyes and stared back. Six more Angels encircled me. Then a tattooed BORN TO LOSE arm waved me inside. Resolutely, but quietly, I said, as humbly and non-confrontational as I could, “The Swami is about to speak. We were wondering if you could party less heartily.”
They didn’t say anything. I persevered. “The thumping on the wall interrupted him. Many folks would like to hear him speak, and you can come too if you like.” One of the Angels stared at me a while longer. Then he smiled and said, “It was your singing that made us dance, but the wall got in the way! Hey, if the Swami wants to speak, that’s okay with us. Your Guru is heavy, man!” His gap-toothed smile embraced me. I thanked them all.
As neighbors, we would eventually come to know each other and get along well. They came over for free feasts, a stick of incense, or a cup of sugar. After my meeting with them, they always quieted down when they heard the kirtan stop, because they knew the Swami was speaking.“
- Guru Das "By His Example”


Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17592

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Who ate the kachoris??

Daivishakti: When Prabhupada’s house was first built and we first started using his kitchen, there were no windows or doors, it was just some pieces of wood covering up the holes.
At night the animals used to come in, so we’d have to have everything very carefully covered. Even then they would get to the things. But one night Prabhupada had sent down some kachoris that he wanted saved.
He wanted them kept for 24 hours because he wanted to try them the next night to see if they were still good. They were training up how the restaurant cooks should prepare the things. He wanted to see if these kachoris would last for selling purposes.
So Navayogendra brought down the kachoris and I was busy making Prabhupada’s night meal and he said, “Prabhupada wants you to save these and feed them to him tomorrow night.” I said, “Just put them there on the shelf,” and I immediately forgot about them.
So the next night it was 8:30 and just at 8:30 I remembered, “Oh, the kachoris, they were on the shelf.” So I went to get the kachoris and, sure enough, the only thing that was there were a few crumbs.
Right then Navayogendra comes down and said, “Prabhupada wants to try the kachoris.” I said, “Prabhu, the cat must have eaten them, they’re not here.” So he got scared, and he ran up and he told Prabhupada. He came running back down with his face all red.
He said, “Prabhupada says that whoever says the cat has eaten them, they have eaten them.” So I knew I hadn’t eaten the kachoris, but Prabhupada was saying that I had eaten the kachoris.
So I was in a real fix because my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada was accusing me of something that I knew I hadn’t done. So it was a big test in my spiritual life. I knew I hadn’t done it and Prabhupada said I was doing it, so I realized with all the years of sankirtan, you had to just continue and not give up in your service even if there’s some setback.
Prabhupada said I took those kachoris. Well, I just as well might have eaten them because he wants to eat them and they’re not here and it’s my fault. So I realized, “Now, what is the real issue here? That Prabhupada wants some kachoris.”
So I had twenty minutes, it was twenty minutes until 9:00, and I remembered that in the restaurant as I was running by, they were grinding up some urad dahl. So I quickly ran over to the restaurant and I got their urad dahl and I whipped up some kachoris.
At exactly 9:00, I brought up those kachoris to Prabhupada with his milk. And he ate those kachoris. He ate five in a row and he said, “These kachoris are better than the other ones, and I want you to cook them for me every night.”
So that was a big test of my Krishna consciousness, that even when there are setbacks, especially in the personal service of Prabhupada when you’re so closely connected with him, you have to just continue in that service and there’s always some way that Prabhupada gives you to rectify even if there’s a mistake that you’ve committed

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Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17586

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The Big Quetions About Life

Usually I worry about achieving things in the future. That is rajoguna. At other times I regret that I haven’t yet managed to achieve many things. This is tamoguna. Sometimesrajoguna and tamoguna temporarily subside and I can feel the fact that I actually exist. This is sattvaguna. In these moments life becomes naturally joyful and carefree.

Then rajas and tamas return and I wonder why it is impossible to exist inSATTVA forever. I realize it is because I NEED things to survive and have to work at getting them.

Then I wonder why I need things to survive. I realize that it is not so much that I exist in a body. After all the world naturally produces most of the things my body needs. Rather I realize it is because I am selfish and exist in a world full of other selfish people. Therefore we compete over resources and we each have to work hard to take what the other people want.

I then ask why… Why do I exist in a selfish state, in a world full other other selfish beings? This is a big question.

Does it have no reason, is it just chance? It doesn’t seem so. When I am insattvaguna I can experience that reality has nothing to do with chance. It exists effortlessly on its own nature – consciousness.

Then maybe it is meaningless? Maybe there is no meaning to my existence in this imperfect state? Also that doesn’t seem correct. In sattvaguna I can experience that reality/consciousness is inherently meaningful.

Then maybe this is all there is – there is no other existence except this imperfect, difficult, selfish one? No, that too seems wrong based on what I experience in sattvaguna. I experience directly that there is a potential to live without needs, without selfishness, without effort. So there must be a way to attain that more fully and, eventually, permanently.

But why am I not already in that state? Clearly my consciousness has the potential for an effortless, peaceful existence, so why and how did I wind up in my current condition: either in anxiety from rajoguna trying to figure out how to achieve what I need, or else in depression from tamoguna lamenting about how I haven’t yet achieved the things I need? My consciousness seems inherently perfect, so why does it exist in this imperfect state?

Is it God’s joke, his sadism? I don’t think so. God must be at least like I am when I am in sattvaguna: effortlessly perfect and without needs. So he must have no impulse to sadism, anger, etc.

Is it meaningless? Chance? Again, no, for the same reasons as above.

Then I suppose it must be some flaw in me? I guess the perfection in me that I can experience in sattvaguna is not something that I have yet fully realized, for there is no flaw in perfection, by definition. So this current state I am in must be the state I started in and have always been in.

Why? And will it ever end?

That I can experience the potential for perfection within my very consciousness gives me hope that the potential can be realized. The greatsādhus also encourage me to this conclusion. The śāstra also encourages the idea too and some few living beings seem to display the attainment of this state. So I think it is possible.

And why do I have an inherent flaw?

And what is that flaw? I think the flaw is self-centeredness, selfishness. The result of this flaw is that consciousness generates/accepts an alternate reality (maya) which can accommodate the imperfect notion of me being the center of reality, at the same time that countless other motes of consciousness think exactly the same thing about themselves.

Why do I have this flaw? This may be the most difficult of all the questions I’ve asked so far.

In a sense, the flaw is not a flaw because it’s a byproduct of something perfect, and it can be accommodated (via maya) or corrected (via moksha).

Regarding the flaw being a “byproduct” of perfections: My current state of existence is simply an inescapable byproduct of the fact that individual motes of consciousness exist in the first place. Whenever you have individuals you have the potential for discord. But if you don’t have individuals you have almost nothing at all – no relationships, no love, thus no bliss (ānanda). So individuals are required for existence to have meaning (ānanda), but this also means that there will be some individuals who are discordant with the primary reality. They are accommodated by an alternate reality and gradually corrected by having to cooperate with other individuals in that alternate reality.

Regarding the “accommodation” of the flaw: Reality handles our flaw so nicely that we hardly notice it. It keeps us almost fully distracted from the limitations and problems imposed by our flaw. It is only when we refuse to cooperate with the system, and instead try to take more than we warrant, thatkarma tries to reform us by allowing us to experience pain.

Regarding the “correction” of the flaw: If the flaw is selfishness, how can I correct it? By anti-selfishness. Aka love. Aka Bhakti.

And finally, why bother correcting it? Because my experience of consciousness in sattvaguna brings a sense of joy and peace and happiness so much superior to the same things available by accommodating selfishness viamaya. So I believe that correcting the selfishness of my consciousness would grant me the ability to experience happiness on a far, far deeper and broader scale than the happiness I could get by trying to accommodate my selfishness in an orderly, superficially cooperative way (dharma) or by trying to indulge the selfishness fully (adharma).

Vraja Kishor Das

Www.vrajakishor.com

Ps. This was a stream of consciousness thing typed into my phone during a train ride home after teaching English. I hope you won’t mind whatever typos or lack of editing is in it.

Source:https://vicd108.wordpress.com/2015/12/14/the-big-questions-about-life/

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Continuing The Legacy

Continuing The Legacy (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: During our recent Kartika parikrama in Vrindavan, we held an initiation ceremony at Gokula, where Krsna performed many of His childhood pastimes. In the auspicious atmosphere of that holy place we officially welcomed the initiates into our Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, thus ensuring the legacy of this great movement, ISKCON, continues down the line.

Source: https://goo.gl/KkpEqK

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Yoga guru Iyengar honored by Google

Search giant Google honored yoga guru B K S Iyengar’s 97th birth anniversary by posting a yoga posture doodle on its homepage..

Iyengar was born on December 14, 1918 in Bellur in Karnataka state of India. Although the Yoga system is well described in India’s Vedic scriptures, Iyenger, after a thorough study of yoga went on to become the founder of his own yoga style known as ‘Iyengar Yoga’.

Having a reputation of being one of the best yoga gurus in the world he authored several books on yoga such as Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life. Recognizing his contribution, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri award in 1991, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2014.

Mr Iyenger left his body on 20 August 2014m when he was 95-year-old.

According to Bhagavad Gita, the perfection of Yoga goes much beyond bodily health.

Yoga, which was part of people’s lifestyle before a few thousands or even few hundred years ago, is again becoming a buzzword in the world these days.  The difference, however, is that modern people hardly know that Yoga is not only meant for healthy gross body but also for healthy subtle body which includes mind, intelligence and ego.
Take one step further and one will know how there are different types of yoga described in ancient Indian scriptures called Vedas. Bhagavad Gita elaborately speaks about the highest goal a human being can achieve by practicing yoga. (http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/is-that-all-yoga-has-to-offer/)

if practiced in strict adherence to Vedic instructions, Yoga helps one go beyond the vicious cycle of birth and death. In fact, the topmost yoga, known as bhakti yoga, can enable one to enter into the abode of the Supreme Lord and engage with Him in one of the rasas, or transcendental mellows as explained in the Srimad Bhagavatam and other Vedic scriptures.

Source:http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/yoga-guru-iyengar-honored-google/

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Become Buddha first!

Many eastern traditions of the world talk about enlightenment as the goal of human life. They call it in different names - moksha, nirvana, mukti, kaivalya, budhah etc. Of course, the Judeo-christian traditions do not focus on enlightenment but only on salvation. Unfortunately without enlightenment one cannot get salvation. Hence today there is so much fighting in the name of religion (all religions) because people sidestep enlightenment to salvation and each religion claims their way is the “only” way to salvation. This attitude of monopoly of self-righteous salvation through their own professed faith is a symptom of non-enlightenment, in the words, the very opposite of enlightenment. To put it differently, non-enlightenment is ignorance or avidya.

When we stop seeking knowledge from this world, saintly people, and scriptures of the world and fail to traverse the path of enlightenment, then all our religious, social, philanthropical, political etc activities will be tainted with avidya which will be the cause of our misery. When one reaches the platform of enlightenment (Budhah), then one will see the universality of beings and creation. This is the first step towards understanding anything transcendental. But to get there, one must first come to the deep realization, “I thought I knew, but actually I do not know anything that is beneficial for me, please enlighten me”. Once this realization deeply dawns within the horizon of our heart, we must approach someone who is enlightened and enquire submissively.

Personally, having been exposed to many of the eastern traditions that focus on enlightenment, I find this common criteria towards enlightenment among all traditions – to come to the realization of our own avidya, humbling ourselves before an enlightened soul, inquiring from him and serving him thus paving our way for becoming a Budhah or enlightened soul. 


Hare Krishna

Source:http://servantoftheservant-ananda.blogspot.in/2015/12/become-budhah-first.html

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