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There are lessons to be learned from all sources. In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna uses the humble tortoise to illustrate sense control: “One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.”

Here are some other lessons we can learn from a tortoise:

1. Slow and steady

Yesterday is gone and we yet don’t have tomorrow. We only have today and really only this moment. I like to call this “everyday eternal.”

Today marks the festival of Dipavali. Dipavali [Diwali} Sunday, October 30, 2016 [Mayapura, West Bengal, India time]. The Dīpāvalī festival takes place on the dark-moon night in the month of Kārttika (October-November).

Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in southern hemisphere) is one of the major festivals of Hinduism. It spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over i

“Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding.” (Bhagavad-gita

The entire TOVP Team wishes to publicly take this opportunity to recognize and thank the managers and devotees of the worldwide BBT/BBTI for their cooperation and service to the TOVP project since its beginnings in 2009. To date over $1.7 million has been given by the BBT/BBTI to the project, a most significant amount.

Many devotees are unaware of the financial commitment made by the BBT/BBTI to fund the construction of the TOVP. This is in accordance with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions that t

Very few souls take to the path of pure unmotivated loving devotional service to God. This is because the gross or subtle egoistic disposition of the typical soul of this world prevents him/her from whole heartedly serving someone whom he/she considers "someone else". The typical soul wants to serve himself or those closely related to him materially.

This false ego is the fundamental reason for souls being averse to God. Once one understands that God is actually his most intimate relation, the

I ran across this interesting compilation of quotes this morning on the Prabhupada News website, by Vidura Prabhu. This is a nice reminder that Krsna is present today, through His spoken words on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, and by chanting his holy names. And that Srila Prabhupada is also present today, through his words and instructions. I have done some slight editing (highlighting), and have included the full text and purports to SB 1.15.27-31 at bottom of post. -Vyasasan das

Arjuna Teach

This is the month of Kartik and I was asked to speak on the month of Damodar but although Damodar is so much on my mind, even more than that is the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada actually.

We will have arati in Srila Prabhupada’s room, by his bed. At the end of the arati, Srila Prabhupada’s chadar goes around, the big grey woollen chadar and it is heavy. When I felt that heavy chadar, I felt the weight of responsibility – now we have to do something; we have to do something to take up this m

Indradyumna Swami: Vrinda Devi helps Purnamasi plan and orchestrate Radha and Krsna’s daily pastimes in Vrindavan. Our parikrama party had the good fortune to visit her kunda ( pond ) and discuss her glories and chant her holy names in that beautiful and sanctified abode.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/cpeMdb

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32950

The annual Bandung Light festival to commemorate the anniversary of Bandung city this year was celebrated on October 09, 2016. The grand festival was attended by most people in Bandung. This public festival was a chance for the devotees to introduce the Hare Krishna movement in Bandung. As Srila Prabhupada mention in his letter that “The time is fast approaching when we will have to perform such public kirtana in all the important cities of the world. Here also, in the Expo, they have perform

For 10 days devotees from different parts of the world attended the pilot course on “Vaisnava Life Counseling: A practical framework to support individuals and communities in ISKCON”.

An assorted group of devotees, interested in developing further their counseling skills and gaining a deeper understanding on how to help devotees, gathered in Sridhama Mayapur for a “hands-on” training in counseling.

For over a year the CDM, in partnership with the Mayapur Institute (Atul Krsna Prabhu), has bee

These videos, most probably never seen before, are from the time when the media firstly became aware of the Hare Krishna movement and started covering several Krishna conscious events like the arrival of Srila Prabhupada in Geneva, Switzerland, the devotees in France and one of the first Harinamas in Tompkins Square Park, lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. You may recognize many well known devotees in their youth and see how the movement was in its beginning. Don’t mind about the lang

New Talavan’s tenth annual Cow Fest on Oct. 1 was definitely its most successful and exciting yet!!! Why? Because for once we weren’t preaching to the choir! All agreed that for the first time in years there were more festival new comers then devotees!

Over 100 guests were greeted with the beauty of New Talavan—its well-manicured grounds, lovely ponds, soaring hardwoods, varieties of flowers, and dozens of fruit bearing trees. Several guests, fantasizing aloud, were even inspired to ask, “How c

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami speaks on Vedic Knowledge and his book - “Ocean of Mercy” at the House of Lords on the occasion of 50 years of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32983

Vrajendranandan Das: Recently we met Shri Najeeb Jung, Honorable Lt Governer of NCT Delhi. H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja presented Bhagavad Gita As it Is in English language and briefed him about ISKCON’s Golden Jubilee celebrations around the world.

H.H. Gopal Krishna Maharaja appraised him about ISKCON’s spreading Vedic culture for benefit of humanity, through ISKCON’s 650 centers around the world. Maharaja invited Lt. Governor for Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Delhi on 05/Nov/2016.

Hono

The first aspect of the Krishna consciousness movement is that one hears about Krishna in the association of devotees and chants Krishna’s Names and within that process, of hearing and chanting, one will taste something extraordinary.
In fact by hearing and chanting about Krishna if one can taste even one drop of the happiness of the spiritual internal potency, one has enough to distribute to the whole world. if you get one just one drop, just one time. One should try for this. So we spend our

Karma marks upon my skin

like a story growing old

Like the rings to count on a felled tree

I am lined and scarred

Memories from the cuts and bruises

on the outside me

The one that hits against the earth

and wind and fire and others.

Karma marks upon my heart

of things I want but don’t get

and things I get but don’t desire

The  marks on a heart broken by pain

stretched by sadness, lost in loneliness.

The marks on a bursting heart of happiness

that has everything and

yet still feels dissatisfied.

Sri Garga Samhita,
Canto Three, Chapter One

The Worship of Sri Giriraj
(Sri Giriraj-puja-vidhi)

Text 1 Sri Bahulasva asked Narada: Why did Lord Krishna lift Govardhan
Hill as a child playfully lifts a mushroom.

Text 2 O best of sages, please tell that wonderful and glorious transcendental pastime of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Text 3 Sri Narada said: As citizens pay an annual tax to their king, so the gopas, farmers all, at the end of each monsoon season offered a tribut

Origin of Govardhan:

In the western coast of India, in the island of Salmali, lived Dronachala, the king of the mountains. Once a sage by the name of Pulastya Muni, came to him to take his son Giriraja with him to Kashi (Varanasi). After offering some initial resistance, Giriraja, somehow agreed to go with him only on condition that he should not put him down on the earth in between. If he does so, he would stay there forever.

When they were flying over the Vraja bhumi, Giriraja increased his w

I am Kruti Beesam. I work as a proofreader for a reputed software firm company in Hyderabad. I have Cerebral Palsy, which confines me to a wheelchair and makes me dependent on physical assistance even for my basic day-to-day needs. At the age of 13 years my disability gave me an opportunity to meet Dr. Laxma Reddy, a physio at a clinic in Hyderabad. Later, due to my condition, he agreed to pay home visits.
Dr Laxma was a simple person who knew his job well and was very friendly with his patient

ISKCON Melbourne, as well as other Hindu Temples and organizations, had exhibitions displayed in Queens Hall for three days . Chaitanya Lila is seen here with our local member and a good friend to the Temple Minister Martin Foley. 

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32899