Today we are celebrating the most auspicious appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He was a government magistrate and despite this, he managed to chant sixty-four rounds daily, wrote many books and songs, actively preached and worked on establishing the entire Nama-hatta movement.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s revolutionary and practical vision for worldwide preaching is revealed in his newsletter the Godruma Kalpatavi. For members of ISKCON today, when almost all of us live and work outside of the temples, the Godruma Kalpatavi presents a refreshing perspective, wherein everyone is encouraged to assume an essential role in propagating Lord Caitanya’s movement.

On this most glorious day of his appearance, please follow up on his instructions and help to carry out his teachings.

By His Holiness Romapada Swami

 When incorporating his worldwide mission dedicated to spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world, Srila Prabhupada outlined seven purposes which capsulized the essence of his mission. By analyzing these seven purposes, one can see how congregation development is aimed at fulfilling all of these seven purposes, when the congregation is properly organized and directed.

1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

• In general, persons very involved in the worldly aspects of modern society can identify more readily with grihastha devotees who are showing by example how one can follow Krishna consciousness seriously while simultaneously fulfilling their family and career duties and responsibilities. Outreach programs like Bhakti-vriksha, Nama-hatta and other study programs give the members of society at large an opportunity to associate openly and closely with such grihastha devotees. Thus, it becomes easy for them to practice Krishna consciousness in their lives, too. This is both a natural and a very effective way to systematically educate society at large in the techniques of spiritual life.

2. To propagate a consciousness of Krishna (God), as it is revealed in the great scriptures of India, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

• In these congregation outreach programs, the philosophy of Bhagavadgita is discussed systematically from the very basic level, and gradually elevated studies of Srimad-Bhagavatam and other scriptures.

3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).

• Through Congregational Development programs, participants establish a close bond of friendship via rendering service together, either at the temple or at the local preaching center. During various festivals, members of these groups offer their services whole-heartedly in cooperation with the local authorities. There are many centers which are successfully managed by the congregation. Congregation development is not complete without grooming the children of the congregation devotees, who are the future of our movement. Initiatives like Sunday School and youth clubs are very much integral to the congregational development programs. Through the medium of service to Krishna only can Krishna's identity be known. Through devotional service to Krishna, our eternal relationship will be revealed.

4. To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

• By encouraging congregation development, the members are not only encouraged to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra regularly themselves, but also to share this knowledge within their circle of influence. Thus, from the very beginning the members are engaged in the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya.

5. To erect for the members and for society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the personality of Krishna.

• The congregation members help in various projects of ISKCON by contributing and organizing fund-raising for temple construction etc.

6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.

• Once the congregation members become close friends and develop spiritual bonding, they naturally try to create a community amongst themselves to fulfill each other’s spiritual and material needs based on Srila Prabhupada’s teachings of simple living and high thinking. Simplicity of life-style follows naturally from strong connections to Krishna and His service, established over time.

7. With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.

• Congregation members, once trained and properly guided, both directly and indirectly in many ways, enthusiastically distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books and other Krishna conscious literatures.

The Third Partner is none other than the most lovable, the best friend and well- wisher Krishna, who is love personified! Can your marriage lack in love, warmth, happiness, excitement, stability, and purpose if you and your spouse both keep Him in your minds all the time?

This book hopes to address various questions such as:

• How can we select the most suitable spouse for a lifetime?
• Is it Maya for devotees to be happy in married life?
• Can we enjoy the happiness of married life and at the same time keep advancing in Krishna consciousness?
• What is the standard to be followed in conjugal relations?
• How can we ensure a lifelong happy marriage?
• How much time do we give for taking care of children?
• What do we do if our spouse is not a devotee?

Many live situations will also be discussed; the understanding of the male and female psychology and their needs, as well as how to settle differences with your partner. 

Available for only $3.00 (USA)

For more information, please contact us at cdm@pamho.net

H.H. Jayapataka Swami has launched a new campaign called “Happy to be a Bhakti Yogi”. The design was chosen by him and he is humbly asking all of us to promote it. Please help make this a successful campaign. Join us and accept the challenge!

We have t-shirts in two colors: black and white.

White t-shirts are in three sizes: small, medium and large

Black t-shirts are in two sizes: medium and large

For more information contact us at cdm@pamho.net

One of our aims is to promote the activities of the youth in ISKCON. Thus, we are happy to share an interview we had with Caitanya Cintamani devi dasi, co-ordinator of Mayapur- Youth Entertainment Seva.

ISKCON CDM: How do you feel being a youth in ISKCON?

Caitanya Cintamani devi dasi: I feel very privileged to have been born into ISKCON and raised in a Krishna conscious atmosphere. I thank Srila Prabhupada often for the chance to have joined this movement from an “inside source” and for the fact that I have been under his shelter my whole life. I truly don’t know where I would be otherwise.

ISKCON CDM: What do you suppose or suggest ISKCON can learn or copy from other organizations to improve the youth involvement?

Caitanya Cintamani devi dasi: For the youth, education is very, very important. When I was younger, for a brief period during my school years, my sister and I attended a Catholic school. Not only did we learn the values of Christianity, but we also learned about the other main world religions, and we still managed to stay up to speed with our academic studies as well. The environment was very professional. But when I attended Gurukula in later years, I experienced two extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. In one Gurukula, you may experience a totally spiritual learning atmosphere, and in another you may experience a very academic environment. There is not much of a balance. Though I understand we are still in the process of perfecting this, ISKCON’s education system has a lot of improvement to go through before they find a clean balance between the spiritual training that we need and the necessary academic learning we require to survive in the material world. ISKCON still needs to make a worldwide standardised educational system that will cover both these needs in a sensitive and professional way, with qualified and balanced, spiritually and mentally grounded teachers. 

ISKCON CDM: What challenges do you face being a youth from ISKCON in the secular world?

Caitanya Cintamani devi dasi: I think that times are changing for ISKCON. People are a lot more accepting of things which are new or alternative to what they consider to be “normal” than they used to be. Growing up and going to school as a child, I found it very hard to relate to non-devotee children and in turn they found it hard to relate to me and at times I was faced with hostility or bullying. But now I find that children, adults, old people, are very inquisitive and curious about our lifestyle, they want to know why we do what we do. I would say that it helps to be open and answer questions patiently rather than try to hide. When they find out that you are hiding your beliefs they perceive it as something to be ashamed of. 

From the age of 11 I have lived in Mayapur, so for me, secular and spiritual differences don’t really come up that much. It is a blessing to be able to openly practice Krishna consciousness openly with like- minded devotees, but it is a terrible experience if you have to leave it behind. Any time I am outside of a devotional environment I feel intensely uncomfortable!

You often hear this expression “carry the Holy Dham in your heart” so wherever you go should become Vrndavana or Mayapur Dham. It is a lesson you only truly learn in separation from devotee association, but sometimes when you catch a glimpse of it, there is no secular world- everywhere is spiritual. That’s when the differences definitely become more manageable.

ISKCON CDM: Do you think youths are given a fair hearing in situations that need to be addressed, if no what suggestions do you have?

Caitanya Cintamani devi dasi: I have just one suggestion: We need to let the youth grow up. I have found that in devotee communities, because everyone knows you since you were a child, they can’t see you in any other way. They hesitate to allow youth to manage because they still see their little baby vaisnavas! But when they do that, they really lose out on a great resource; a young and fresh look at how to spread Krishna consciousness and management. It all comes down to the law of expectation- the older devotees of nowadays were opening temples at the age of 17, 18…Look at your 17 year old- do you think they could go out into the middle of nowhere and run a temple? No? Well, the reason for that is because you never expected them to! You could be surprised at how much more children can absorb and understand if you let them. We can’t render the youth incapable by never expecting more from them than to finish school, learn mrdanga and go to the temple regularly. Think of someone you had met who was in the movement for 20 years and never got initiated. Did you think it was strange? Yet your son/daughter, was born into this movement, and now fully grown with a family and still hasn’t formally joined Prabhupada’s mission under a guru? Why are we exempt from the expectations that you have of devotees who have joined ISKCON later on in life? We are not that different. At some point we all have to decide that we want to join Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan Mission. Stop babying us! I think it will really help.

ISKCON CDM: What is your involvement as a youth in the preaching program of ISKCON?

Caitanya Cintamani devi dasi: I am the co-ordinator of the newly Mayapur Youth Entertainment Seva (M-YES!). We are committed to engaging Mayapur’s youth by entertaining the community with performances in the Samadhi Auditorium, teaching them new artistic skills such as acting, dancing, music, painting, martial arts, and sewing etc in the process. We are very privileged to have maybe 15-20 very talented devotee children working with us to put on regular performances.

We would like to share an article related to marriage life. For more information, advice etc please visithttp://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/

The Supreme Lord Himself established the Varnashram system so as to maintain a balance in the human society and enable us to cultivate higher consciousness, irrespective of which social and/or spiritual order we find ourselves. Amongst the four ashrams most of us would readily agree that the Grihastha Ashram (house holder) has a lot of responsibilities attached and thus taking up this ashram must be a well-planned, organized and spiritually guided action. The Grihastha Ashram is meant to support all other 3 thus it has a responsibility to the “ashram order’. The individuals have responsibilities towards each other thus having ‘internal responsibilities’, and also responsibilities to the social system in which the individuals find themselves.

Needless to say, we need to be prepared before taking up this service and responsibility. In this regard we, the Congregational Development Ministry, would like to assist youths and intending Grihasthas by providing them with useful information from experts in this field. This edition will cover “Identifying a potential spouse” (from www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org ) . 

A Potential Spouse: 7 Important Qualities to Look For

Physically, psychologically and spiritually we will go through many changes in the natural course of our lives and our marital relationship may need to adapt accordingly. Yet some basic, vital qualities are present throughout all healthy marriages. Let’s look at seven of them in relation to our potential spouse and ourselves.

Balanced

If you have been to a circus you may have seen a tightrope walker constantly adjusting his long pole to keep it horizontal. Without these readjustments, the performer may lose his balance and fall.  Similarly, by avoiding extreme views or behaviors that will throw us off our chosen life path, we can remain mentally, physically and spiritually balanced. And we can choose to marry a similarly balanced person.

Respectful

Respect is crucial to any relationship.  A person who respects others will not neglect to respect you, while one who is harsh and critical will, sooner or later, most likely exhibit that same behavior toward you.

A good listener

Most relationship problems stem from poor listening habits. There is a saying: “Seek first to understand before trying to be understood.” Our tendency in conversation is to be thinking about what to say next rather than attentively hearing what is being said. If your potential partner and you are either good listeners or committed to practicing the skills necessary to become good listeners, your marriage is more likely to succeed. Good listeners are usually also respectful and balanced individuals.

Humble

Look for a person who can admit his or her mistakes, apologize, and make amends for hurtful actions. If we marry Mr. or Ms. Right (they always think they are right), it is difficult to have a satisfying relationship. Humility is good for a relationship and is also a key factor in spiritual progress.

Faithful to the Supreme Lord

Faith, the foundation of all spiritual practices, increases individual self-fulfillment and happiness and brings peace and harmony to a marriage, family and community. Research shows that marriages are stronger and more rewarding when both spouses are committed to their personal spiritual development.

Free from Addictions

Avoid persons who have excessive attachment to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, computer games or television. Such addictions often overshadow relationships with family members, friends and the Lord. Although counseling and spiritual practice can help addicts, it is risky to start a relationship with the hope of changing another person’s behavior.

Compatible

Although no two people are 100% compatible, the more compatible you and your future spouse are the easier it will be to understand each other’s thoughts and feelings and the greater the chances that your marriage will be lasting, fulfilling and harmonious. Compatible people have similar natures and share many of the same interests, values and intellectual and philosophical aptitudes. By spending time together you can get an idea of how well the two of you get along, but before attachment sets in, consult people who know the other person well and consult a qualified astrologer.