"Planet ISKCON" - 44 new articles
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 205 Every Day, Just Write: Welcome Home to the One Big Book of Your Life11:12 A.M. From Every Day, Just Write, Volume I:
“I’m reading a book, Nourishing Wisdom, about food and attitudes towards food. It is very helpful and teaches that one should not be a slave to any one diet or regimen or to a person trying to insist that you follow one. Find out what is best for you at the different times of your changing life. But I cannot apply this in the same way for my spiritual life. I follow a regimen and a person who is my spiritual master (describing the way to eat also is in spiritual life—we will not eat the cow flesh or food that is not offered to Krishna. You may say, ‘Why not break that rule sometimes? Don’t just do it out of fear.’) “The ‘suspect authority’ attitude is helpful even in spiritual life. But when you find the actual authority, then you can surrender. But I also have to find out that I am serving not out of fear or duty merely. How to find out the actual level of my love? Admit it, admit your worst. But one way to do it is not open to me–the breaking of rules and promises I made to Prabhupada in order to ‘liberate’ myself from taboos. No. The author of the food book tells a story of how he was forbidden to eat bacon by his Jewish upbringing. But one day, while suffering in many ways in material life, he almost unconsciously went into a cafeteria and ordered a lettuce and bacon and tomato sandwich. He said it was a very happy experience, liberating, and that there was no bad aftertaste from it. He says ‘no bad aftertaste’ but doesn’t know about karma. “11:45 A.M.
“Then outside, see last rich autumn trees, walk to quay. Water in bottom of rowboat, and for the second time I unconsciously dip my dhoti in it. Two ladies walked us down to the quay. I thought of turning and smiling to them and showing them that the bottom of my dhoti was wringing-wet. But I didn’t. Sat with my back to them. Arjuna pushed off the rowboat, and we went. “It may get rough some mornings in the strait. I tense up when the boat rocks. “The shed is ready, they say, for my use. M. went to a local doctor who said he has a right hernia and ought to get operated on. But no one is willing to do it soon. Maybe he’ll go to Italy. “Looked again at Robert Lax interviewed by Peter France on hermit life. Lax says he’s not a hermit but sought solitude so he could write. His idea of writing is, I think, journal and poems. Wants to straighten out his own thoughts and then he can help others. “Peter France asked him, ‘Do you write to discover what you have in mind?’ “Lax replied, ‘More to keep it from getting away. I think that, from moment to moment, I usually know what I have in mind, and I also seem to know that five minutes from now I won’t be able to rediscover it unless I’ve written it down . . . I look back through my notebooks and remember the different things that have happened and read what I said about it at the time, and you won’t be surprised to hear that I usually agree with it.’ “France asked him if there was an element of helping people in his poems and writings. “Lax replied, ‘Yes, I think first of all I have this confidence that if I can ever manage to clear things up for myself, I’ll be helping clear them up for some other people, and if I put it in a language that I can really understand and find simple enough to communicate to myself in, then some other people too will be able to pick up on it.’ “Lax says he listens to the BBC news broadcasts. France asked him if hearing the news gave him a problem in the sense of moral duty—‘to be informed of all the disasters you can do nothing about.’ “Lax replied, ‘I just don’t think we’re ever in a position to be able to do nothing. Take an analogy from science—if a man is working on the discovery of penicillin, I think he’s right to keep on with his work even if all the cities in the world are falling. He should keep to that work. We’ll need some penicillin. I don’t think you can rush off with a gun on your shoulder every time there’s an alarm. I think if there’s destruction and turmoil in the world, people need penicillin. They need any good thing you can produce.’ (Hermits: The Insights of Solitude, edited by Peter France, p. 200-205.) “In preparing for this morning’s lecture, I found a nice section in Prabhupada Lilamrta describing Prabhupada’s quiet kirtanas in his room. “‘Srila Prabhupada would ask that the kirtanas be continued, and he would become silent, as the devotees sang softly hour after hour: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. A very small pair of karatalas, the only instrument, produced a soft, pleasant ringing. The voices of the chanters were subdued, but their minds were firmly fixed in devotion to Srila Prabhupada and the holy name, concerned that Prabhupada could hear the maha-mantra without interruption.’ I said that Prabhupada was teaching us the importance of chanting Hare Krishna and reading from his books without speculation and that Prabhupada would always be with us in the future by this method. Then I described, without actually naming myself as a subject, an experience which I actually felt while chanting in Prabhupada’s presence. I said that sometimes during this chanting Prabhupada communicated unspoken feelings with his disciples: ‘He might simply glance at one of the devotees, but that devotee would feel a surge of loving emotion and realization. Suddenly he would understand better how pure and compassionate Srila Prabhupada was. And the devotee might recall how Srila Prabhupada had come and saved him, bringing him to Krishna consciousness.’ (Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta: Uniting Two Worlds, p. 321-22) “Good to remember that again. That’s what I’m looking for here in this Geaglum retreat and writing. Trying to recover fresh love for Prabhupada, but I realize I have to cut through a lot of falsity in myself and also a kind of resistance which is perhaps not always my fault but created by circumstances. More on that later—but nice to see and recall how just being near Prabhupada I felt my indebtedness to him and loving exchange.” END  • Email to a friend •  •H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Saturday 29 January 2011--When Stumbling Blocks Become Stepping Stones--and--Purity Required for Chanting?A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(tm) Saturday 29 January 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: When Stumbling Blocks Become Stepping Stones Uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram--Austin, Texas USA As long as we are in this material world we are going to be besieged by so many obstacles or stumbling blocks, because this material world by its very nature is problematic. Therefore in order to successfully navigate the path of bhakti we have to tolerantly persevere through so many difficulties. We will never be overwhelmed or psychologically devastated by these obstacles if we always take shelter of Krishna, remembering that He will never give us an obstacle which is greater than what we can handle. Therefore we should always see the stumbling blocks or obstacles as Krishna's special blessings to help us advance nicely and rapidly along the path of bhakti. In this way, if in the face of so many obstacles we always remain Krishna conscious, the stumbling blocks will all be transformed into stepping stones for our conveniently attaining the ultimate goal of pure devotion, pure Krishna bhakti. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Purity Required for Chanting? I have been reading the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. I have now finished Chapter 6 and came to Text 44 where in the purport it reads: Unless therefore one is purified, one cannot take to the principles of Krishna consciousness or become engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krishna. I had come to understand that anyone could take chanting. So this was a bit contradictory. Can you please clarify my doubt? Regards, Akhilesh Answer: Chanting Gives Purity If somehow or other one takes to the chanting of the Lord's holy name, he will become purified and thus qualified to advance further and further along the path of pure bhakti. Generally if one takes to chanting it means that is reaping the benefit of purification from his previous lifetime. But even if one has no previous pious activities, the holy name is so powerful that if one seriously takes up the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, he will quickly and easily attain the supreme perfection of going back to home, back to Godhead. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address: • Email to a friend • •
Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Lecture - Prahladananda Swami - Book Distribution - Value Awareness Prahladananda Swami speaking at a Book Distribution discussion regarding "Value Awareness." Dallas, TX
Download: 2010-12-11b - Prahladananda Swami - Book Distribution Talk - Value Awareness.mp3 • Email to a friend • •ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
• Email to a friend • •Kurma dasa, AU: Stay High Forever: Forty-four Years On
From today's Wikipedia Main Page Entry: "The Mantra-Rock Dance musical event took place on January 29, 1967, at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco and came to be dubbed as the "ultimate high" and the "major spiritual event" of the hippie era. It was organized by the early followers of the Hare Krishna movement as a promotional and fundraising effort for their first temple on the West Coast. One of them, Harvey W. Cohen, created the Stanley Mouse-inspired promotional poster (pictured). The Mantra-Rock Dance featured the Hare Krishna founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the countercultural ideologues Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary, and leading rock groups the Grateful Dead, Moby Grape, and Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company. The event caused the Hare Krishna Mantra to be adopted by all levels of the counterculture as a "loose commonality" and a viable alternative to drugs."
• Email to a friend • •Bhakta Chuck, CT, USA: Friday Night Oxen #41Hello Everyone,
Gestures and body language are very interesting and I understand can indicate different things in different circumstances. When working with Jigger & Jolly, I have gotten so that I can tell their mood and energy level somewhat just by looking at them. In this series of pictures, the ability to turn the neck so that the head is parallel with the body, but in the reverse direction, is quite remarkable. Although the gesture appears similar, the mood of our CT Zebu displays alert status, the middle picture, one of contentment and, lastly, Jolly is deep repose. This inspired me to post a short slideshow of some pictures on the blog of Jigger over a period of time. I always like these positions they take, they display a more delicate side than people sometimes realize when they think of Oxen. Have a nice weekend, in service to the Oxen, ys, Chuck Chant
        • Email to a friend • •Australian News: Australia Ignites Kulimela Fuse………….BOOOOM
The Kulimela was hosted by New Govardhana Dham, a farm at Eungella near Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales. The festival ran over two weeks from the 27th of December 2010 to the 9th of January, 2011. The first week of the celebration was designed to allow participants to recover from jet lag, get to know each other and experience the Australian environment. Bus tours took everyone to refreshing rockpools and waterfalls for swimming and to explore the region’s beautiful rainforests and walking tracks. On new year’s eve devotees travelled to the Gold Coast, a popular tourist destination, for Harinam and prasadam distribution. The afternoons and evenings rang to the sounds of bhajans and kirtan in the temple and bhajan kutir. Week two was also filled with kirtan, prasadam and the added ingredients of seminars and concerts. The second week was capped by the Kulifest, a festival of photography, art, fashion, martial arts and yoga presented by second generation devotees. The final event was a Ratha Yatra from the bridge near the farm entrance up to the temple. Devotees and well wishers at the Kulimela were treated to seminars on business planning, forgiveness, yoga, reframing, healing, ayurveda, self defence, cow protection and more. Seminars were presented by Asesha Devi Dasi, Gitanjali Devi Dasi, Taraka Devi Dasi, Vaiyasaki Dasa, Damodara Dasa, Lila Kirtan Devi Dasi, Shabaz and other talented devotees. “The idea of a Kulimela in Australia was initially floated by Kalindi Bindi,” said Advaita Myler, one of the Australian Kulimela organizers. “She knew that we needed something like this for our youth.” “I was fortunate enough to attend the Kulimela in Radhadesh a few years ago,” Advaita said. “That event inspired me so much that I signed up straight away to help Kalindi pull it off over here.” “Initially it was Kalindi and myself trying to plan the whole thing,” Advaita says. “Once we had settled on New Govardhana as the venue it was a challenge as neither of us lived there on the farm. Shyamasundari stepped up wanting to get involved and she got a bunch of the local youth enthused by the idea and from that Nitai Christian Durr signed up to be the local co-ordinator. By the time it kicked off we had about seven main organizers. Advice and assistance was available from the Kulimela Association which gave valuable support behind the scenes in the lead up to the event. The association is comprised of people who have organized previous Melas, with a core group from the States who have a lot of experience having organized a few of these festivals. The festival was host to many wonderful musicians such as Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits, Azitiz and the Ghost Brothers from the USA and Canada. Local acts inspired and uplifted everyone including Sri Prahlada, Gitanjali Devi Dasi, Dovetales, Haribhakti Dey, the Bhajan Babas and Cupids Bullet. “The main message of the festival was for everyone, especially the youth, to unite, reconnect and to inspire one another both materially and spiritually,” said Nitai. “Everyone should strive to move forward in life regardless of what level of Krishna Conciousness they are at,” he says. “People I meet are still commenting on the Kulimela,” Nitai says. “Some are saying it was the best devotional festival they have been to, some say they will remember it for life and they are looking forward to the next one.” During the Kulimela the rain poured almost every evening which, after the festival, led to flooding in the region. Even this could not take away from the immense benefit of associating with so many devotees of Lord Krishna. The Australian Kulimela organizers are planning smaller scale gatherings all over Australia throughout the year and are hoping to arrange another big event on an annual basis. Rumour also has it that New Zealand devotees may be planning a Kulimela of their own. Click here to read more stories like this at the ISKCON News web site Share this story your way:          
• Email to a friend • •Bhakti Lata, Alachua, USA: River of Prayer  I sit in the corridor of a thousand pillars in the Ramanatha temple in Rameshvaram. I overlook a great pond which is filled with delicate pink lotuses. A cement platform extends out over the pond, and high up on the ledge, men toss down metal buckets into the water over and over again, reeling them up expertly. The men splash that holy water onto the heads of swarms of eager pilgrims who flow out onto the platform.
This is only one stop in the maze of 22 holy wells within the temple complex. I feel like one of the columns here, watching and watching, very, very still. I have begun to see the moods of the variety of pilgrims who come - most people are rushed and a little frantic in their quest to visit all 22 holy wells; some arrive with creased eyebrows, some demand more water. But every so often a group of Vaishnava devotees will come. They smile from ear to ear and chant Hare Krishna, sometimes with arms upraised or palms folded. Ha! A crowd of devotees just arrived, grinning and jumping, chanting "Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!" They are so happy, so in bliss! They receive the water on their heads and dash off with the cry, “JAI!!!" Every day, day in and day out, people come to receive the holy water. The people change, but the lake remains, the columns remain. Upon closer inspection, I see that the columns are pockmarked with graffiti. I see names, numbers, dates... actually, the pillar in front of me has a faded heart with two names inside scrawled in Telugu. Amazing. No matter the country or language or culture, people will graffiti monuments, buildings, trees, or even bathroom stalls and picnic tables. People want to leave a mark that will live on long after they're gone. Isn't that the nature of the soul, to be eternal? It is so painful to die. We all want to live on forever. But the truth is, we are all like someone in this river of pilgrims who come to receive their splash of water. Our time in this world is just for one fleeting minute. And some of us arrive with arms upraised or palms folded, smiling, chanting the Lord's name… and maybe that's all I can ask of this life.  Subscribe  • Email to a friend • •3D Temple Project, Cyberspace: Playable Demo Released!So it was promised after the end of the year, there will be a playable demo! But don’t get too excited, this is nothing to show off. The process from transferring content from 3D Studio Max to Unity is still being resolved, perhaps 90% done. In the meantime I thought I’d post just the basics [...] • Email to a friend • •Kurma dasa, AU: Death on Toast
Are you the type of vegetarian that has given up 'red meat' but still eats eggs? Watch this hidden camera video footage (if you can get through it) exposing shocking animal abuse at a southern California egg factory farm."
• Email to a friend • •H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Guru Maharaja In BahreinFor more pictures please look here • Email to a friend • •H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Corrected Version--Friday 28 January 2011--Don't Lose Your Cool--and--How to Measure One's Purity?A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(TM) Friday 28 January 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: Don't Lose Your Cool Uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram--Austin, Texas USA A Krishna conscious person always remains cool-headed or equipoised in all circumstances. He is not carried away by victory or defeat, or by gain and loss. In this way his mind is always peaceful, and he is always able to take shelter of Krishna and therefore experience the ultimate happiness, no matter what may be going on around him here in this material world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: How to Measure One's Purity? I have been practicing Krishna consciousness for two years now, chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on japa beads every day and following the four regulative principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating, and no gambling. I see a huge change in myself. Most of the time I am not distracted by material desires. My query is how to check to one's purity? And how to find out how more pure we have become? What are the symptoms of 100% purity? Vikram Answer: Detachment from Sense Gratification One's purity can be seen by how much he is detached from all forms of material sense gratification including the desire to be recognized. You mention that most of time you are not distracted by material desires. This means that you have made nice progress. But it also means that you are sometimes distracted by material desires, which means that you still have a way to go yet before you are 100% pure, completely free from all material desires. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed:http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address: • Email to a friend • •Dandavats.com: Reflections on “the Transcendental Proofreader”
One of my main services is to write, and writing involves much editing and proofreading. Through writing I hope to share my knowledge and realization of Srila Prabhupada, my teacher, and of Sri Krishna, my Lord, and please them. One of my main inspirations in this endeavor has been the description of Srila Prabhupada's teacher, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, as "the transcendental proofreader": • Email to a friend • •ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Toronto Hare Krishna Radio to be Officially Launched on February 16, 2011!
Stay tuned for more details as we get ready to launch Toronto's first Hare Krishna online radio station! Hare Krishna!  • Email to a friend • •Caitanya Mangala, CA, USA: Australians Ignite Kulimela Fuse
Australians Ignite Kulimela Fuse Written by Antony Brennan and originally posted at ISKCON News on January, 28, 2011. The recent Australian Kulimela was a great success. Attended by up to 300 devotees and well wishers from around Australia and across the world, many are still swooning over their memories of the association, the kirtan and the prasadam. The Kulimela was hosted by New Govardhana Dham, a farm at Eungella near Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales. The festival ran over two weeks from the 27th of December 2010 to the 9th of January, 2011.
The first week of the celebration was designed to allow participants to recover from jet lag, get to know each other and experience the Australian environment. Bus tours took everyone to refreshing rockpools and waterfalls for swimming and to explore the region’s beautiful rainforests and walking tracks. On new year’s eve devotees travelled to the Gold Coast, a popular tourist destination, for Harinam and prasadam distribution. The afternoons and evenings rang to the sounds of bhajans and kirtan in the temple and bhajan kutir. Week two was also filled with kirtan, prasadam and the added ingredients of seminars and concerts. The second week was capped by the Kuli Fest, a festival of photography, art, fashion, martial arts and yoga presented by second generation devotees. The final event was a Ratha Yatra from the bridge near the farm entrance up to the temple. Devotees and well wishers at the Kulimela were treated to seminars on business planning, forgiveness, yoga, reframing, healing, ayurveda, self defence, cow protection and more. Seminars were presented by Asesha devi Dasi, Gitanjali Devi Dasi, Taraka Devi Dasi, Vaiyasaki Dasa, Damodara Dasa, Lila Kirtan Devi Dasi, Shabaz and other talented devotees. “The idea of a Kulimela in Australia was initially floated by Kalindi Bindi,” said Advaita Mayler, one of the Australian Kulimela organizers. “She knew that we needed something like this for our youth.” “I was fortunate enough to attend the Kulimela in Radhadesh a few years ago,” Advaita said. “That event inspired me so much that I signed up straight away to help Kalindi pull it off over here.” “Initially it was Kalindi and myself trying to plan the whole thing,” Advaita says. “Once we had settled on New Govardhana as the venue it was a challenge as neither of us lived there on the farm. Shyamasundari stepped up wanting to get involved and she got a bunch of the local youth enthused by the idea and from that Nitai Christian Durr signed up to be the local co-ordinator. By the time it kicked off we had about seven main organizers. Advice and assistance was available from the Kulimela Association which gave valuable support behind the scenes in the lead up to the event. The association is comprised of people who have organized previous Melas, with a core group from the States who have a lot of experience having organized a few of these festivals. The festival was host to many wonderful musicians such as Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits, Azitiz and The Ghost Brothers from the USA and Canada. Local acts inspired and uplifted everyone including Sri Prahlada, Gitanjali Devi Dasi, Dovetales, Haribhakti Dey and Cupids Bullet. “The main message of the festival was for everyone, especially the youth, to unite, reconnect and to inspire one another both materially and spiritually,” said Nitai. “Everyone should strive to move forward in life regardless of what level of Krishna Conciousness they are at,” he says. “People I meet are still commenting on the Kulimela,” Nitai says. “Some are saying it was the best devotional festival they have been to, some say they will remember it for life and they are looking forward to the next one.” During the Kulimela the rain poured almost every evening which, after the festival, led to flooding in the region. Even this could not take away from the immense benefit of associating with so many devotees of Lord Krishna. The Australian Kulimela organizers are planning smaller scale gatherings all over Australia throughout the year and are hoping to arrange another big event on an annual basis. Rumor also has it that New Zealand devotees may be planning a Kulimela of their own.         • Email to a friend • •New Vrndavan, USA: Winter Scenes From New Vrindaban
Click here for a slide show with more photos from Jaya Murari. • Email to a friend • •Akrura das, Gita Coaching: THE BEST USEIn the material world, in any form of life, there is some so-called happiness and so-called distress. No one invites distress in order to suffer, but still it comes.
 • Email to a friend • •ISKCON News.com: Intellectual Simplicity
• Email to a friend • •Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: My Sweet LordI can still remember the first time I ever heard the George Harrison recording of “My Sweet Lord”. I was hanging out in Amsterdam for a couple of months. As memory serves me, it was in a kracked house (squatters taking over an abandoned building). Going out from the Dam Square it was after crossing the first canal and then a left and about half way down the block. Somebody had visited London and came back with a copy before it hit the local stores and we sat in a room and listened to it and it hit me like a wall of ecstatic bricks. Later at the end of the block and take a right the devotees opened up the first temple in Amsterdam. Before that they had been having Sunday programs in a school building out in the suburbs somewhere. I had first met them at the Cosmos about which enough said and been invited to the program at the school which I had attended. Decades later I heard a remix version by Nina Hagen and it was almost like hearing it for the first time again.
Here is a laid back cool version of My Sweet Lord:
There are a lot of versions out there. Here is one from the 1950s:
And from the serendipity side of My Sweet Lord:
Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever         • Email to a friend • •Japa Group: Please Join The Japa Group
 • Email to a friend • •ISKCON News.com: Spiritual Economics
• Email to a friend • •ISKCON News.com: Hare Krishna Festival In Norwich, UK
• Email to a friend • •Mukunda Charan das, SA: More Vegetarian CurriesBroccoli, Cauliflower and Potato I learnt this one from one of my Hare Krishna gurus, Jyotir Mayi, who is currently the Temple President of ISKCON Cape Town, South Africa. 1. Wash broccoli and cauliflower in warm water. Cut into flowerets. Deep fry in boiling oil/ghee until a tender (but not too soft). Deep fry the potatoes so that they are still a little hard (not fully fried). Drain in a colander. 2. Chaunce: Mix equal parts of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg (‘sweet spices’) and add a little garam masala. Make a spice paste. Place a few tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and add the paste to the oil when it is hot. 3. Add the vegetables to the chaunce and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.         • Email to a friend • •ISKCON News.com: Australians Ignite Kulimela Fuse
• Email to a friend • •H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Sri Advaitacarya Appearance Day Lecture By His Holiness Bhakti Caru SwamiTHE FOLLOWING LECTURE ON THE APPEARANCE OF SRI ADVAITA ACARYA WAS GIVEN BY HIS HOLINESS BHAKTI CARU SWAMI IN ISKCON UJJAIN ON 25/01/2007. Audio-version : Srila Advaita Acarya App.(25 Jan 07,Ujjain) in http://www.bcswami.com/zina Transcription : Her Grace Ranga Radhika Dasi Editing : Her Grace Hemavati Radhika Dasi Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya [...] • Email to a friend • •ISKCON News.com: Brian Lara receives Bhagavad Gita As It Is
• Email to a friend • •H.H. Jayadvaita Swami: Invitation to the open Vyasa-puja book, 2011From Pradyumna Dasa, the book’s project manager
Deadline: April 15, 2011
Dear Srila Prabhupada disciple, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Last year we launched the Open Vyasa-puja book — “Srila Prabhupada Tributes” — a book in which all of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples are welcome to be included. The success of the book lay in its wonderful offerings — more than 250, from devotees all over the world. Many devotees expressed how they relished the opportunity to write and share their realisations. Based on this success, we plan to publish another Tributes book this year for Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja. • Email to a friend • •H.H. Sivarama Swami: A shortened life-span may well be the result of others’ expectations of service and my increasing disability to fulfill such expectations of love • Email to a friend • •Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Tomorrow is the auspicious day of Sat-tila Ekadasi Ekadasi days are especially important in our traditon and each Ekadasi has a different scriptural reference, vedic story and meaning. The universal concept of an Ekadasi day is for us to increase our service to Krishna and with sincerity to try to increase our devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We usually post the story of the particular Ekadasi on the actual date of Ekadasi, however today it is being posted one day early to make room for another Ekadasi blog tomorrow....
Sri Daalbhya Rishi said to Palastya Muni, "When the spirit soul comes in contact with the material energy, he immediately begins to perform sinful activities, such as stealing, killing, and illicit sex. He may even perform many other terrible deeds, such as killing a brahmin. Oh purest of personalities, please tell me how these unfortunate souls may escape the punishment of being sent to hellish regions of creation. Kindly inform me how, by giving even a little in charity, one may be easily released from the reactions of his sins." Pulastya Muni replied, "Oh fortunate one, you have asked me an important and confidential question, which not even Brahmaa, Vishnu, Shiva or Indra has ever asked. Please listen very carefully to my answer. "With the arrival of the month of Magh (January - February), one should bathe, carefully control his senses by giving up lust, anger, pride, jealousy, faultfinding, and greed, and meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. One should then gather up some cow dung before it touches the ground and, after mixing it with sesame seeds and cotton, form 108 balls. This should be done on the day when the constellation of Purva-ashadha nakshatra arrives. then one should follow the rules and regulations of Sri Ekaadasii, which I shall now explain to you. "After bathing, the person who intends to observe Ekaadasii should worship the Supreme Lord. While praying to Lord Sri Krishna by chanting His holy name, he should promise to observe the Ekaadasii fast. He should remain awake overnight and perform a homa (fire sacrifice). Then the devotee should perform an Arati ceremony for the pleasure of the Lord - Who holds a conch, disk, club, and so on in His hands - offering Him sandalwood paste to his feet, incense, camphor, a bright ghee lamp, and delicious food preparations. Next the devotee should offer the 108 balls of cow dung, sesame seeds, and cotton wool into the sacred fire whilst chanting such holy names of the Lord as Purusha sukta, and other names. Throughout the whole day and night he should also observe the standard Ekaadasii vrata (fast, which in this case is a fast from all kinds of grains and beans). On this occasion one should offer the Lord pumpkin, coconut, and guava. If these items are unavailable, betel nut may be substituted. "The devotee should pray to Lord Sri Janardana, the benefactor of all living beings, in this way; 'Oh Lord Sri Krishna, You are the most merciful Personality of Godhead and the giver of liberation to all fallen souls. Oh Lord, we have fallen into the ocean of material existence. Please be kind to us. Oh lotus-eyed divinity, please accept our most humble, affectionate and respectful obeisances. Oh protector of the entire world, we offer You our humble respects again and again. Oh Supreme Spirit, Oh Supreme One, Oh source of all our forefathers, may You and Your eternal consort, Srimati Laxmi-devi, please accept these humble offerings.' "The devotee should then try to please a qualified brahmin with a warm welcome, a pot full of water (purna kumbha), an umbrella, a pair of shoes, and clothes (cloth - dhoti, and anga vaastra), requesting him at the same time to bestow his blessings, by which one may develop unalloyed love for Lord Sri Krishna. According to one's ability, one may also donate a black cow to such a brahmin, particularly to one who is very well versed in all the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures. One should also offer him a pot full of sesame seeds. "Oh exalted Daalbhya Muni, black sesame seeds are especially suitable for formal worship and fire sacrifices while white or brown ones are meant to be eaten by a qualified brahmin. One who can arrange to give both kinds of sesame seeds (black and white or brown) especially on this Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii day will be promoted to at least the heavenly planets after leaving this present body, for as many thousands of years as the number of seeds that would be produced if the seeds he donated were sown in the ground and grew into mature, seed bearing plants. "On this Ekaadasii a faithful person should (1) bathe in the water mixed with sesame seeds, (2) rub sesame seed paste on his body, (3) offer sesame seeds into the fire in sacrifice, (4) eat sesame seeds, (5) give sesame seeds away in charity, (6) accept charitable gifts of sesame seeds. These are the six (sat) ways in which sesame seeds (tilaa) are utilised for spiritual purification on this Ekaadasii. Therefore it is called Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii. "The great Devarishi Naarad Muni once asked the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, 'Oh mighty armed Lord, Oh You who are so affectionate to Your loving devotees, please accept my most humble obeisances. Oh Yaadava, kindly tell me the result one obtains by observing Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.' "Lord Sri Krishna replied, 'Oh best of the twice born brahmins, I shall narrate to you an account of an incident I personally witnessed. Long ago on earth there lived an old female brahmini who worshipped Me every day with controlled senses. She very faithfully observed many a fast, especially on special days honouring Me (My various appearance days Janmaasthami, Rama-navami, Vaman Dwadasi, Nrisimha Chaturdasi, Varaha Dwadasi, Gaura Purnima, etc. - Calendar) and served Me with full devotion, devoid of any personal motive. Her rigorous fasting made her quite weak and thin. She gave charity to brahmanas and to young maidens (kanyas), and even planned to give away her house in charity. Oh best of the brahmanas although this spiritually minded woman gave charitable donations to worthy people, the odd feature of her austerity was that she never gave food to brahmanas or the devas (demigods). "'I began to reflect on this curious omission: "This fine woman has purified herself by fasting on all the auspicious occasions and by offering Me strict devotional worship. Therefore she certainly has become eligible to enter My personal abode, which is unattainable by ordinary persons." So I came down to this planet to examine her, disguising Myself as a follower of Lord Shiva's, complete with a garland of skulls draped around My neck and a begging pot (kumandalu) in My hand. "'As I approached her, she said toMe, "Oh respectful one, tell me truthfully why You have come before me." "'I replied, "Oh beautiful one, I have come to get some sacred alms from you" - whereupon she angrily threw a dense lump of mud into My begging pot! Oh Naarada Muni I simply turned around and went back to My personal abode, astonished at this fine brahmani's peculiar mixture of great magnanimity and stinginess. "'At last this austere lady reached the spiritual world in her self-same body, so great were her efforts at fasting and charity. And because she had indeed offered Me a lump of mud, I transformed that mud into a beautiful home. However, Oh Naradaji, this particular house was just like that mud completely devoid of any edible grains, as well as any furniture or ornamentation, and when she entered it she found only an empty structure. She therefore approached Me and said with great anger, "I have fasted repeatedly on so many auspicious occasions, making my body weak and thin. I have worshipped You and prayed to You in so many different ways for You are truly the master and protector of all the universes. Yet despite all this there is no food or wealth to be seen in my new home, Oh Janardana, please tell me. Why is this?" "'I replied, "Please return to your house. Sometime later the wives of the devas (demigods) will pay you a visit out of curiosity to see the new arrival, but do not open your door until they have described to you the glories and importance of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii." "'Hearing this, she returned to her house. Eventually the devas' wives arrived there and in unison said, "Oh beautiful one, we have come to have your darshan. Oh auspicious one, please open the doorto your house and let us see you. "'The lady replied, "Oh most dear ones, if you want me to open this door, you will have to describe to me the merit one obtains by observing the sacred fast of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii." But to this request, not even one of the wives responded. "'Later, however, they returned to the house, and one of the wives nicely explained the sublime nature of this sacred Ekaadasii. And when the lady at last opened her door, they saw that she was neither a demigoddess, a Gandharvi, a she-demon, nor even a Naga-patni. She was simply an ordinary human lady. "'From then on the lady observed Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, which awards ALL material enjoyment and liberation at the same time, as it has been described to her. And she finally received the beautiful furnishings and grains she had expected for her home. Moreover, her once ordinary material body was transformed into a beautiful spiritual form made of sac-cid-ananda (eternality, knowledge,and bliss), with a fine complexion. So, by the mercy and grace of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, both the lady and her new home in the spiritual world were at last radiantly splendid and lustrous with gold, silver, jewels, and diamonds. "'Oh Naradaji, a person should not ostentatiously observe Ekaadasii out of greed, with the hope of attaining wealth dishonestly. Selflessly, he should simply donate sesame seed, clothes, and food according to his capacity, for by doing so he will achieve good health and exalted spiritual consciousness, birth after birth. Ultimately, he will begiven release from the bonds of this world (liberation) and admittance into the Lord's supreme abode will be his to enjoy. That is my opinion, Oh best of the demigods deva-rishis).' "Oh Daalbhya Muni," Pulastya Rishi concluded, "one who properly observes this wonderful Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii with great faith become free from all kinds of poverty - spiritual, mental, physical, social, and intellectual - as well as all kinds of ill luck and evil omens (sakuna). Indeed, following this Ekaadasii fast by donating, sacrificing, or eating sesame seeds frees one of all past sin, without a doubt. One need not wonder how this happens. The rare soul who properly performs these acts of charity in the right devotional mood, following the Vedic injunctions, will become utterly free of all sinful reactions and go back to Godhead, back home to the spiritual world." Thus ends the narration of the glories of Magh-krishna Ekaadasii, or Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, from the sacred Bhavishya-uttara Purana of Srila Krishna Dwaipayana Vyaasa. These stories have been summarised from the celebrated book, "Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press. • Email to a friend • •ISKCON News.com: Redistribution of Wealth: Making Varnasrama Dharma Work
• Email to a friend • •H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Thursday, January 27th, 2011New Music Wave
 • Email to a friend • •Akrura das, Gita Coaching: NEVERNever let what you cannot do stop you from doing what you can do.  • Email to a friend • •ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Our Sad Little Twitter Account Has Only Eight Followers! :-(
However, we only have eight followers on our Twitter account! We know many of our readers might not necessarily be avid Twitter users but, for those who are, we hope you can start following us @TorontoKrishna. Of note, you can also follow our tweets and blog posts via your cell phone! Just send a text message saying "follow TorontoKrishna" to 21212 and you will get updates right to your phone! Happy tweeting and Hare Krishna!  • Email to a friend • •Akrura das, Gita Coaching: POSSIBLEBy the blessings of a Vaisnava, everything is possible.  • Email to a friend • •H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Wednesday, January 26th, 2011Keep On Trying!
 • Email to a friend • •Akrura das, Gita Coaching: IMPROVING OUR HABITSMake a list of the habits you want to improve. Read it every day. Choose one habit daily to work on.  • Email to a friend • •H.H. Sivarama SwamiNow you have got the United Nations. Now, if they are sane men, they should pass resolution, “The whole world belongs to God, and we are all God’s sons. So let us make now United States of the World.” That can be easily done. If they can make United States of America, why not United States of the whole world? - Srila Prabhupada • Email to a friend • •Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Little Krishna - The Darling Of Vrindavan
 • Email to a friend • •Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: ISCOWP Update January 2011
 • Email to a friend • •David Haslam, UK: Remembrance and Forgetfulness Why?The mind, and memory; remembering and forgetting what we can recall or not does it ever make us think why? The paramatma (super-soul) the witness to our actions but that we have never seen have we ever wondered if it really exists and remembers? During a state of coma, or other neurological states the one [...] • Email to a friend • •Gouranga TV: Initiation Ceremony – Radhanath Swami – Fire SacrificeInitiation Ceremony – Radhanath Swami – Fire Sacrifice • Email to a friend • •Japa Group: Regards From Sri Mayapur
1) If your mind is always absorbed in chanting the glories of Lord Krsna with great care, then by that process of Sri-krsna-kirtana you will attain transcendental qualification. http://kksongs.org/songs/s/srikrsnasankirtane.html Process is effective but it takes surrender, like the first verse says: by the mercy of the holy name we will attain the good qualities required for good chanting, but we need to chant constantly with great care. Chanting constantly doesn't necessarily mean chanting japa constantly, but we should constantly serve the holy name in one way or another. If we chant only a little bit with very little care, we don't get so much out from our chanting and the progress is likely to be slow. Srila Prabhupada and previous acaryas have given all that is needed, and for example these bhajans tell in very detailed way, how to do progress. Unfortunately under the material energy we don't have enough enthusiasm to really strat serious chanting. Muniraja dasa  • Email to a friend • •H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 204January 27 I’m thinking of writing the story of my life, beginning with events leading up to my meeting with Srila Prabhupada. I don’t think I can write it at the quick pace of my daily journal entries. So what I plan to do is post something else in my daily journal. I’d like to post something I have not published before. It’s the unedited volumes of a series of books called Every Day, Just Write. A series by that title was partly published but was heavily edited. This will be fresh, unedited reading, although I wrote it approximatly ten years ago. I wrote over seventy volumes of them. Many never went to print even in the heavily edited form. I feel confident that it will be interesting for those who like my writing. Occasionally I may write and post a new journal entry. And meanwhile, I will be quietly at work on the story of my life, as a servant of Prabhupada. And when I have accumulated enough, we will print it. Every Day, Just Write, Volume I: Welcome Home to the One Big Book of Your Life (Geaglum, Inis Rath, Ireland, November 14-30, 1996)
• Email to a friend • •Kurma dasa, AU: Swine Flu?
What swine flu?
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