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The Importance of Friendship and Association

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By Karnamrita dasa

I have been thinking today of friendship and its power of influence over us which indicates the secret meaning of association. What drives us to seek friends and close relationships and what will be the effect on us?

Our heart is compared in the scriptures to be like a clear crystal that reflects what is before it. We become like who we associate with closely or intimately. That means that when we open our heart to someone, and they open their heart to us there is an exchange

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 13.4

TEXT 4
tat ksetram yac ca yadrk ca
yad-vikari yatas ca yat
sa ca yo yat-prabhavas ca
tat samasena me srnu
SYNONYMS
tat—that; ksetram—field of activities; yat—as; ca—also; yadrk—as it is; ca—also; yat—what is; vikari—changes; yatah—from which; ca—also; yat—one; sah—he; ca—also; yah—one; yat—which; prabhavah ca—influence also; tat—that; samasena—in detail; me—from Me; srnu—understand.
TRANSLATION
Now please hear My brief description of this field of activity and how it is constituted, what its changes are
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An Infallible Justice! Why me!

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An Infallible Justice!
Chaitanya Caran das: Why me! What did I do to deserve this?“ The outraged cry that comes from a person who feels he has been unfairly singled out for suffering by cruel providence.
"Why do bad things happen to good people?” The perplexing question that haunts the minds of many when they see pious people victimized by painful reverses in life.
THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
“The problem of evil” has been the bane of Western theologians and thinkers for centuries together. In simple t

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Last year there was an incident where I received a major chastisement because of not having properly understood the unique position of Srila Prabhupada. Well, I thought I understood his position but unknowingly and subtly I got led in way that would have meant exactly the opposite! The repercussion for me was polite but very grave, something I had never experienced in my spiritual or even in my material life. It was something I would carry whole life as it taught me a little what is meant by Gu

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Radhanath Swami: Yoga is often misunderstood as merely breath control, asanas or exercises; for some it is about practising some rules and regulations based on morality and for others it is cultivation of scriputral knowledge. But the real purpose of Yoga is to fix our mind on the Supreme.

According to Bhagavad-gita, yoga can not be practiced unless we practice mind control. An uncontrolled mind restricts the soul from reaching its natural blissful state, which a practioner is trying to acheive

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A simple definition of meditation is to ‘think deeply about something’. A broader definition includes ‘to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.’ Other good words for meditation are – to ponder, reflect, contemplate, muse, ruminate, or lost in thought.

I love this idea of getting ‘lost in thought’ as a description of meditation in the Krishna Bhakti tradition. Our practice

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From Back to Godhead

Lord Krishna’s main message in the Bhagavad-gita is clear: He wants us to fully surrender to Him. The most vital part of the Bhagavad-gita deals with the advice Lord Sri Krishna gives to Arjuna on the surrendering process. One of the dictionary meanings of surrender is “to give (something) up voluntarily to another.” Lord Krishna’s simple words of advice on surrendering are easy to understand. So why do most people, including those of us practicing Krishna consciousness, no

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 13.2

TEXT 3
ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi
sarva-ksetresu bharata
ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam
yat taj jnanam matam mama
SYNONYMS
ksetrajnam—the knower; ca—also; api—certainly; mam—Me; viddhi—know; sarva—all; ksetresu—in bodily fields; bharata—O son of Bharata; ksetra—field of activities (the body); ksetrajnayoh—the knower of the field; jnanam—knowledge; yat—that which is taught; tat—that; jnanam—knowledge; matam—opinion; mama—that.
TRANSLATION
O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower i
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Learning to be tolerant

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By Kadamba Kanana Swami

Tolerance is a quality of the mode of goodness, which is the mode of detachment. This is in contrast with the mode of passion which is one of attachment. In this mode of passion, we want things to go our way and our way only. We have the story of Dhurva Maharaj for example. When Dhruva Maharaj found out that a Yaksha had killed his brother, he entered into the mode of passion where out of anger, he started killing all the Yakshas. This was until the two elderly personali

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Current preaching mission

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By Kadamba Kanana Swami

Since you accepted the sanyas order, you have been travelling around the world. Can you tell us a bit about your current preaching activities.

For the last 20 or so years, I have been travelling a lot. I started off as a sanyasi in 1997 and then in 2001 I became a spiritual master. Once I started to have disciples, I had ongoing personal relationships with people across the world. So naturally, my travels related to these relationships, so I could stay in contact with my

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Asiatoday got an opportunity to meet a young travelling monk, Chaitanya Charan Das, from ISKCON aka Hare Krishna group. Chaitanya Charan Das is an acclaimed author, scholar, mentor, life coach, and monk. He has been an invited speaker at several international conferences on the interface of science and spirituality, including the World Peace Conference 2006 and World Peace Congress 2008 organized by UNESCO.  Based in India, he has given talks at colleges and companies all over the world from Au

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Sweet words by Mahatma das

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Mahatma das: “Sweet words cannot lift someone more than the best medicine whereas no weapon can destroy someone as much as harsh words”

AnchorIn the Srimad Bhagavatam there’s a story in the Daksha yajna Lord Shiva appeared and Lord Shiva was a meditation when Daksha came and he didn’t stand up and Daksha was very upset that he was disrespected and he began criticizing very heavily, criticizing Lord Shiva and of course Shiva’s wife there, Sati and she became so disturbed that the Bhagavatam explains t

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Hare Krishna

Please accept my humble dandavats.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

All Glories to Vaishnavas

Devotional Service - Exemplary Act of Exalted Thought

Devotional Service is very Sweet, Relishable when done in Right Attitude. Vaishavas are Blessed to Serve everyone by Mercy of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON, Vaishnava Communities, Association...

By Srila Prabhupada's mercy anyone can take part, participate, serve and get Mercy. This helps to get meaning in life.

Devotional Service helps to be Lively

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By Giriraj Swami

Today is Visvarupa-mahotsava, the date on which Lord Caitanya’s older brother, Visvarupa, took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. And on the same date some four hundred and fifty years later, our own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, also accepted sannyasa.

According to Vedic scripture, Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, come in the present age in the role of a devotee. In the previous age, Lord Krsna came in His original feature and spoke

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 13.1-2

TEXTS 1-2
arjuna uvaca
prakrtim purusam caiva
ksetram ksetra-jnam eva ca
etad veditum icchami
jnanam jneyam ca kesava
sri-bhagavan uvaca
idam sariram kaunteya
ksetram ity abhidhiyate
etad yo vetti tam prahuh
ksetra-jna iti tad-vidah
SYNONYMS
arjunah uvaca—Arjuna said; prakrtim—nature; purusam—the enjoyer; ca—also; eva—certainly; ksetram—body; ksetrajnam—knower of the body; eva—certainly; ca—also; etat—all this; veditum—to understand; icchami—I wish; jnanam—knowledge; jneyam—the object of knowledge; ca—also;
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Bhaktivinode Thakur

By Karnamrita Das

[reposted from 9-21-2010] We have had back to back to back holy days commemorating the appearance or disappearance of great saints in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. These include the appearance day of Shrila Jiva Gosvami (sort of hidden by Lord Vamanadeva’s appearance on the same day), the appearance of Bhaktivinoda Thakur, and today, the disappearance day of the “namacharya” (great teacher of the glories of the holy name) Shrila Haridas Thakur.

Though I can’t do them justice especially

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Reflections on Crows at Butterfly Beach

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By Giriraj Swami

While I was chanting japa at Butterfly Beach, about forty crows converged on the sand nearby, and I told Jivan-mukta, “Look: a place of pilgrimage for crows (vayasam tirtham),” referring Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.1:

na yad vacas citra-padam harer yaso
  jagat-pavitram pragrnita karhicit
tad vayasam tirtham usanti manasa
  na yatra hamsa niramanty usik-ksayah

“Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are

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All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

As a Part of 'Sri Krishna Janmastami Celebrations' on the final day September 7th, ISKCON Guntur has conducted a Youth Awareness Rally on the theme 'Say No To Bad Habits-Save The Youth' organised on behalf of ISKCON Youth Forum Guntur.

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Around 1500 students from various colleges & schools has participated in the rally.
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Rally was started from ISKCON Temple, Guntur after a lecture by His Grace Satya Gopinath Das, Temple President ISK
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