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Class notes from: Bhurijana prabhu and Giriraja Swami

We begin this study of Nectar of Devotion, summary study of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu of Srila Rupa Goswami, by offering our obeisances to Srila Rupa Goswami. (quotes from C.C.)

“In his book, ‘Caitanya Chandrodaya’, Kavikarna Purna, the son of Sivananda Sena, has elaborately described the meeting between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Rupa Goswami.”

“In the course of time, the transcendental news of Krsna’s pastimes in Vrndavana, was almost

The sharp growth in online video consumption suggests the people of the world are becoming more enraptured by visual content than anything else. But for teachers of the ancient Vedic tradition, sound is seen as capable of having a much deeper transformational effect on a human being.

Interestingly, this Vedic wisdom is supported by research work of Psychologist Katharine Le Mee. She writes in her book Chant:

The sense of hearing . . . connects experientially with the heart, and music and sound

I approached a middle-aged lady. She was favorable, and I offered her the Krishna book, but she didn’t want to accept it. She started to explain why.
“You know, when I was seventeen, I read the Bhagavad Gita, and while reading it, I was constantly crying, because it was what I was always looking for. I directly felt Krishna’s presence.
“When I was a little girl, I always felt that this world is not my home. I told my parents many times: ‘You are not my parents. I want to go home!’
The last fift

On Saturday, November 12, the Chariot Festival Ratha Yatra was held in Chile, with thousands of people pulling Lord Jagannath's car through the main avenue of the capital, followed by a cultural show in front of the Government Palace La Moneda. 

In an unprecedented event, Santiago's main street, Avenida Libertador Bernado O'Higgins, was used exclusively by the majestic chariot that carried the Lord of the Universe and the people who pulled its ropes, filling the streets of Santiago with joy and

Despite the chilling cold and rainy weather of Nairobi, a large group of more than 250 devotees assembled at the Sri Sri Radha Banke Bihari Mandir to commemorate the ISKCON’s golden jubilee. Amongst them were Bhakti Narasimha Swami (South Africa), Akhandadhi Das (UK), ISKCON Nairobi Vice President Rukuma Das, Manasi Ganga Dasi, and 90 jubilant students who celebrated attaining a Certificate of Ethics and Morality after a year-long course on Vaishnava philosophy. The program is run by the Hare K

In this purport, we read about the brahmanas and the kshatriyas, and Srila Prabhupada put the emphasis, especially for the brahminical class of men, on controlling the senses. He said, “For the intelligent men, controlling the senses is the essence,” and then he expands on that, “… sex indulgence even with the legitimate wife must also be controlled and therefore family control will automatically be followed.” So this is intelligence and it is a different definition than the modern definition o

Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 3: Chapter Twenty-nine, Text 34 TRANSLATION: Such a perfect devotee offers respects to every living entity because he is under the firm conviction that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered the body of every living entity as the Supersoul, or controller. PURPORT: A perfect devotee, as described above, does not make the mistake of thinking that because the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramatma has entered into the body of every living entity, every living e

Institute of International Social Development

2016 Annual Award Ceremony, 20th Anniversary and Book launching of ‘Ocean of Mercy’ by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami

On, 17th of November 2016, Institute of International Social Development – New York, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations awarded a special award to His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.

Over the years, Institute of International Social Development, has grown from a small organ

We can study the example of a topmost Vais.n.avi, Queen Kunti-, who prayed for calamity to remember her Lord again and again. Of course, she is the personified zenith of devotional dependence, but we can greatly benefit by trying to at least get a glimpse of her mood.

SB 1.8.25

vipadah. santu ta-h. s’as’vat tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato dars’anam. yat sya-d apunar bhava-dars’anam

I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing

MotelGita has distributed ten thousands of Bhagavad Gita’s in hundreds of motels and hotels across the United States of America in the last couple of months.
With the help of a call center, MotelGita is making sure that all the hotel/motel owners get new or replacement books in a timely manner so that Srila Prabhupada’s books are in the rooms.

Several ISKCON temples like Baltimore, Dallas, Austin, Boston etc…helped attend the regional conventions and participated in fulfilling orders.
Special t

Does transcendence mean we ignore current events? Does it mean ‘we are spiritual’ and ‘that is material’ and we don’t get involved? Does being detached mean we don’t care? 
Yes and no.

Yes because we are all caught in karmic cycles of events, and on many levels we cannot do much about it. We should remember we are souls inhabiting our bodies, and that all that is happening does not touch the soul…can not touch the soul. Spiritually we are not defined at all by the externals of the world. By our

2016 marks 50 years of ISKCON. 50 years of dedication, 50 years of sacrifice, 50 years of devotional service. This video is dedicated to all the volunteers who work tirelessly year after year to make Sri Krishna Janmashtami at Bhaktivedanta Manor the most amazing place to be on Lord Krishna’s Birthday. ‘Krishna will reward you in Goloka’ – Sruti Dharma das

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33502

A special birthday poem, for Guru das

An intricate mosaic is Guru das ji
Experiences life footloose and fancy free
But a closer look reveals a tender heart
Moved by compassion, caring as an art.

You have known the highs and lows of human life
Rejected inherited values despite poverty’s strife
Sought to give a picture of a divine example
For Prabhupada’s grace you’ve received ample.

You chose not to take much of this dreary world
And to share glimpses of divinity so others may be healed
May you

I was distributing door to door: I rang the bell, and a middle-aged woman opened the door. When she saw me she opened her mouth and eyes wide.
Slightly laughing, I said, “I’m a missionary, do not worry”.
In the meantime her husband came, saw the situation and invited me to enter the apartment.
After few moments the woman “woke up” and told me,“ Please excuse me if I did not let you in immediately but I was very shocked to see you here, it is the first time…. you are a Hare Krishna right?”
“Yes

A few Sundays ago, at the LA temple, I noticed that the BBT FEME books were
not on the main book table outside, which is active during the Sunday
program, being located right in front of the temple room. I asked the
devotee in charge of the table to please put them there, which he did.

About a half hour later, someone came to tell me that three brothers from
Palestine were looking at the Arabic books with a lot of interest. He
suggested that I should speak with them. I discovered their interest

On Saturday, November 12, the Chariot Festival Ratha Yatra was held in Chile, with thousands of people pulling Lord Jagannath’s car through the main avenue of the capital, followed by a cultural show in fron of the Government Palace La Moneda.

In an unprecedented event, Santiago’s main street, Avenida Libertador Bernado O’Higgins, was used exclusively by the majestic chariot that carried the Lord of the Universe and the people who pulled its ropes, filling the streets of Santiago with joy and c

Tivon and Cheyenne are an African American couple in their mid-twenties. She works in a steakhouse, and he’s in marketing. Cybil, in her fifties, is a real estate agent. Jorge is a student. Lauren is a professor of music at Towson University. Maria is retired from her government agency job. Ravi is doing his postdoc in medicine at John Hopkins. Kate is a nurse and a Buddhist. And Henna works on a horse farm.  

They’re as diverse a group as possible, but they all have one thing in common: they’r

During kartik last year, a very dear friend of mine, Padma visted Sri Vrindavan Dham, and a sincere devotee for many years. She arrived a day after the much celebrated Gopastami festival. As we made our way to the ISKCON goshala that afternoon, I described to her our Gopastami festival, where our Srimati Radharani is dressed as the cowherd boy Subal and at this time Her devotees relish the sweet darshan of Her lotus feet, the only time in the year except Radhastami. On this wonderful day also T