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Dissolved Barriers

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I know that man, I thought, looking at an elderly man with short, gray hair. His history within the Hare Krishna movement is dark.

The 24 Hour Kirtan in New Vrindavan had commenced, and whorls of people surrounded the kirtan party. A bitter taste came to my mouth and my mind to see this man across the way. I looked around and noticed some other people I had some personal painful history with, or disconnection, and that "loneliness in the crowd" feeling descended over me like a cloud. 

Hour af

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Last week we were talking about preparing the GRC columns for the sandstone windows.
Today, we are able to give a first look at the column put in to place.

Under Savya Sachi prabhu and Prem Avatar Gourange s supervision the first 2 pieces were added to the window.

On top of this column we will add a capital, which we were looking to do next Monday.

These windows will have a mixture of work in sandstone, marble and GRC.

Best wishes for a Happy New Year from the TOVP Team

Source: https://goo.gl/

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Appeal by the 50th Anniversary Global Office to mark the official start of worldwide celebrations

The 50th anniversary year of ISKCON starts from 1st January 2016, with many historical events scheduled all over the world. The Global Office for the 50th Anniversary has requested temples all over the world to participate enthusiastically by holding local and national events that can accelerate the mission of Srila Prabhupada.

“The 50th Anniversary offers a once-in-a-life time opportunity that pro

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New Year Resolution – 2016

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What resolution to take?

If you are new to Krishna Consciousness and not yet started chanting then
you can take resolution like
I will everyday chant minimum one round (mala) of Hare Krishna Mahamantra
I will water tulasi everyday.
or Read Bhagavad Gita Everyday
If you are already chanting Hare Krishna you may increase chanting Hare Krishna
Or You may take any other resolution as you wish

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ISKCON 5oth Anniversary Celebration

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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the corner of New York’s 2nd Avenue shortly after he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966.

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ISKCON is gearing up for its 50th anniversary, with plans for celebratory events all over the world throughout 2016.

It all began, of course, in 1965, when A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was 69 years old.

Leaving his home in Vrindavana, India, he travelled to New York city aboard a cargo steamship to introduce “India’s messag

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Vaishnava Etiquette and Culture (4)

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By Bhaktividya Purna Swami

So we just ended yesterday with the discussion that we want to apply some aspects of the Vedic culture. Then we should actually look into what are the aspects surrounding it or the situation which it is applied and then all the various elements that are there that were included. So then you get a complete picture.That may mean we have to do some research or discussion on these side areas, just like yesterday’s discussion was about engagements.

So this means that you h

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Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra 2016

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International Society for Krishna Consciousness founded by Swami Prabhupada is celebrating Golden Jubilee this year. To commemorate this year, ISKCON is organizing its grandest Jagannath Rathyatra on 3rd January 2016.

Exquisite and state of art cart has been prepared for this event. The pinnacle of the cart moves with hydraulic pressure. Twenty engineers have toiled hard under Sri Laxmi Narayan Das to make this special cart.

This year special attraction of the procession would be many foreigner

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“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura adopted many practices that were very unusual at the time in order to attract people. He was especially interested in attracting westerners. At the time India was under the rule of the British and perhaps the British looked down on them as a subjugated people. But, although he was so austere and simple, he dressed in a way that an English gentleman would consider him as his equal.”

Disappearance Day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Source: http://www.girirajswam

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Faith - It is an active expression

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Service towards Krishna increases as our realization of Him increases. So service and realization are not mutually exclusive, they go hand-in-hand. Service and realization is a direct product of faith in Krishna.

The faith i am talking about is not the blind faith people profess in a superior being.
The faith i am talking about is an active expression of simple living and high thinking.
The faith i am talking about is an active expression of a life enriched with gratitude towards God with a de

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Prabhupada and ISKCON’s First Cow Kaliya

2515054144?profile=originalBy: Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on Dec. 31, 2015

Prabhupada New Vrindaban Kaliya Cow 1976

Archival Research by Chaitanya Mangala.

As ISKCON approaches its 50th anniversary in 2016, ISKCON News is increasing its coverage of both the latest plans for the 2016 celebrations, as well as looking back on the early years of ISKCON and how Srila Prabhupada's worldwide society developed. This article is part of a series connecting New Vrindaban, established in 1968 as ISKCON's first farm co

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Many people like to believe that all religious looking elements - individuals or organizations - cheat people; these are the cynics. And many people like to believe that all religious looking elements are worthy of deep respect; these are the sentimentalists. Both groups, as soon as they open their mouths to speak, reveal their lack of intellectual application to the subject matter.
A true spiritualist is one who studies authorized spiritual literature and practices authentic spiritual life u
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2515054380?profile=originalBy: Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on Dec. 31, 2015

London police officers receive Prabhupada's books

ISKCONoutreach.com, a new website that aggregates articles, toolkits and videos related to ISKCON’s outreach efforts in one place, launched on December 29th, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s Disappearance Day.

An initiative of the GBC strategic planning network committee for outreach, the site was put together by the ISKCON Desire Tree team at ISKCON of Mira Road, Mumbai.

“The idea is to

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Every Town and Village starts with You!

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I was interested but also saddened whilst sat in a class recently to hear the individual state that they were sorry to say but they thought that the second generation devotees were much better than the original Prabhupada disciples and had achieved much much more.

As always it’s a matter of perspective

In some way’s you could say it’s true, given the number of courses you can do, and the fact that the internet allows us to immediately check on. From a knowledge Krishna Conscious point of view

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2015 - Another year has passed by!

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Please accept our humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We started ISKCON Desire Tree in 2002. Another year has passed by. Our body has got older. Our service rendered to the mission has continued. Year 2015 has been better than previous year. We have tried our best to serve Srila Prabhupada's mission. Following are some of the highlights:

Website visitors for www.iskcondesiretree.com

Views- 11,480,102 (11 million)

Users- 1,783,255 (1.7 million)

Sessions- 3,312,286 (3.3 million)

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Gita Jayanti at Bhaktivedanta Manor

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By Zayani Bhatt

Hundreds of devotees from far and wide congregated at Bhativedanta Manor for a recitation of the Bhagavat Gita by the temple’s Managing Director HG Gauri Das and insightful commentary by His Holiness Sivarama Swami on Sunday 20th December.

The devotional and ardent recitation of the Holy Scripture and a Gita yagna was to celebrate Gita Jayanti; the day Lord Shri Krishna spoke the Bhagavat Gita 5154 years ago.

His holiness Sivarama Swami summarised each chapter in a beautiful, c

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By Prema Sindhu Gauranga dasa

AnchorFrom November 29 to December 4, around 200 devotees eagerly gathered in Govardhan for the 10th annual VIHE Holy Name Retreat–all the way from South and North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, Russia, Israel, India, and even China. Giriraj Govardhan, “Haridas varya,” the topmost among the devotees of Lord Krishna is the perfect spiritual abode to retreat from the relentless material anxieties and reconnect with our spiritual selves. His Holiness Sacinandana Swa

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Some people argue that Prabhupada misinterpreted Bhagavad Gita in the sense that the verses are translated to suit bhakti. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna speaks about karma, gnana, yoga and bhakti and hence all paths are as good as other paths. This is their argument. But such criticisms are indications that people read Bhagavad Gita for other purposes and not for surrendering to Krishna. 

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna speaks similar Gita to Uddhava entitled Uddhava Gita. There, Uddhava asks K

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Sahyadri Varnasrama College 2016

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The Sahayadri Varnasrama College (SVC) is now accepting applications from male candidates for its one-month course to be given from January 6 to 31, 2016 on the campus at Sahayadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK) located near the small town of Hebri in the district of Udupi, Karnataka.
On-going since 2009, the courses offered during this year will focus on land, cows and Krishna. Experienced faculty members will cover the courses as mentioned in the brochure attached.
In addition to practic

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