Virtual Istagosthi: Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: 2011 tour Malaysia

PLANET ISKCON

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"Planet ISKCON" - 41 new articles

H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 12 May 2011--An Unexpected Exceptional Evening--and--Devotion Only to Krishna?

Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Big Over Small : Chunky Cabinet Jewelry

ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darshana

ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gangesvara Prabhu

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 5 – BG2.26

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 3 – BG1.44–BG2.6

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 2- BG1.9–BG1.43

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 1 – Introduction–BG 1.8

ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Queen's Birthday Weekend Retreat

Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Badrinarayan Prabhu - Lecture - Lean to Krishna - Sunday Feast

New Vrindavan, USA: 48-Day Nrisimha Yajna at New Vrindaban

Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Before & After : Brooke’s DIY Sunny Patchwork Laundry Room

Dandavats.com: Queen’s Day in Amsterdam 30 April 2011

Dandavats.com: Child Protection Seminar Offered at Almiks Gard Sweden and Bhaktivedanta College Radhadesh Belgium

New Vrndavan, USA: 48-Day Nrsimha Yajna in New Vrindaban

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Darshans – Mrdanga Bring You Back To Godhead?

Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Humility

H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 5

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 4

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 3 second half

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 2 first half

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 1

Bhakti Lata, Alachua, USA: Thank God I'm Not Perfect

Australian News: Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha’s 40th Anniversary: Sydney, Australia

Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SERVANT LEADER

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Commenting on SlutWalks

Kripamoya dasa, UK: Nrsimha Meditations

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Nandagopa, Bh. Visal and Shaurya Dasa ask

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Sype conference with Russian disciples on why we don’t take vows to do sankirtan at initiation, can devotees have abortions and other topics

Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Spring Garden Party

Kirtans in Oxford, UK: Manu in Maytime.

Akrura das, Gita Coaching: INTERESTED

Kirtans in Oxford, UK: March Kirtan (Catching Up!)

Mayapur Online: Sri Nrisimha Caturdasi- 5 days to go!

Japa Group: Good Association Is King

Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: Environmental Pollution Is A Spiritual Problem

Gouranga TV: Bhajan – 24hr Kirtan – Ram Pandit

Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: 2011 tour Malaysia – Telok Intan

H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 306—Poem for May 10

H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS

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H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 12 May 2011--An Unexpected Exceptional Evening--and--Devotion Only to Krishna?

A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(tm) Thursday 12 May 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. (Click on photo to see a larger image.) 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: An Unexpected Exceptional Evening Uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram--Austin, Texas USA I was desperately searching to find a way that I could transcend the sufferings of material existence and enter into a state of unadulterated, uninterrupted spiritual bliss. I had tried so many ways to achieve this enlightened state, but I had always failed. Still I did not give up because I had hope against hope that if I persevered, somehow or other I would sooner or later be successful. It was finally one unexpected evening in the fall of 1968 in Denver, Colorado, USA that I got the breakthrough I had so long been seeking. My good friend, Patrick Dolan, dropped by my apartment at 1271 Lafayette Street along with a few friends and starting chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra. He expressed his faith in its power and asked us to chant with him. I will remain forever grateful to Patrick for this act of extraordinary kindness. And I will always marvel in remembering that exceptional evening when the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna so magnanimously revealed Himself to me in His most merciful manifestation of His inconceivably sweet holy names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Sankarshan Das Adhikari 1271 Lafayette Street--Denver, Colorado, USA http://www.backtohome.com/images/1271_Lafayette_Street.JPG Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Devotion Only to Krishna? Please accept my humble obeisances All glories to Srila Prabhupada! In regards to the emphasis on having a spiritual master, in the recent Thought for the Day questions and answers: In Chapter 9, Text 34 of the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says, Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become my devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me. In Chapter 12, text 8 Krishna says, Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt. There is no mention of a spiritual master in these texts. Your comments will be much appreciated. Feel free to share with all your readers. S.D. Answer: If You Love Me, Love My Dog In the verses you have quoted Krishna says that if we become His devotee, we will come to Him. So it is a fact that all we have to do to go to Krishna is to become His devotee. When it comes to learning how to become Krishna's devotee, who can be a better authority to teach us how to become His devotee than Krishna Himself? So let us learn from Him how to become His devotee. tad viddhi praniptena paripranena sevay upadeksyanti te jñnam jñninas tattva-darinah Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.--Bhagavad-gita 4.34 Krishna is clearly instructing us to take lessons from and render service to the spiritual master. Therefore if we want to become Krishna's devotee, we are obliged to obey this instruction to accept a spiritual master. Plus Lord Krishna directly tells us in the Adi Purana how to become His devotee. He say to do this we must become a devotee of His devotee. ye me bhakta-janh prtha na me bhakt ca te janh mad-bhaktnm ca ye bhakts te me bhakta-tam math My dear Arjuna, those who are My direct devotees are actually not My devotees, but those who are the devotees of My devotee are factually My devotees. If we tell Krishna that we do not want to be the devotee of His devotee, that we only want to be His devotee, He will say that we are not His devotee. In this connection Srila Prabhupada often quotes the English saying, if you love me, love my dog. He explains that the spiritual master is the dog of God, that if you want to love God you must also love His dog, the spiritual master. The final conclusion is that we have to accept Krishna's teachings in full. It is not that we can accept the verses we like and reject the verses we don't like. If we do that, we are guilty of the fallacy known as half-hen logic. There was a farmer who had a hen who laid very nice eggs that commanded a good price in the market. The only problem was that the hen ate a lot of chicken feed. The foolish farmer came up with a bright solution. He decided to keep the end of the hen that lays eggs and cut off the end of the hen that eats. The result was he killed the hen and there were no more eggs. So if in the same way we think that we will accept the verses we like and reject the verses we don't like, the result will be that we will not become Krishna conscious, and we will not go back to Godhead. Therefore we should accept Krishna's teachings in full by becoming the devotee both of Krishna Himself and His pure devotee, the bona fide spiritual master. In this way we will become qualified to return to His kingdom at the end of this lifetime. There are many, many more verses throughout the Vedic literatures stating the necessity of accepting a spiritual master. For the sake of brevity I have mentioned only two. 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 Sankarshan Das Adhikari on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SDASITE Thought for the Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ultimate.Self.Realization 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:

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Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Big Over Small : Chunky Cabinet Jewelry

Designing one kitchen requires many, many choices. From appliances to cabinets, from lighting to faucets–every decision has an impact on your kitchen’s look…and on your budget. Why not go simple when it comes to door style? With less fuss, you get a timeless look for a lower cost. Make your kitchen sparkle with stand-out hardware. The expense is less and the impact is huge. Keep reading…
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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darshana

"O Tulasi, beloved of Krishna, I bow before you again and again. My desire is to obtain the service of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna."
(Sri Tulasi-kirtana in Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas)

When we take darshan of Srimati Tulasi Devi, we should realize that without the help and mercy of the pure devotees, we will certainly not be able to revive and relish our eternal loving relationship with Krishna.

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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gangesvara Prabhu

Srimad Bhagavatam 12.6.57-60 - It is essential that every human being hear about and preach the message of Srimad Bhagavatam (...srotavyah kirtitavyas ca smartavyo bhagavan nrnam).

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Bhajan before Book Distribution Seminar, July 4, 2011

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 5 – BG2.26

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 5 – BG2.26

BG 2.26: If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed.
BG 2.26: Et même si tu crois l'âme sans fin reprise par la naissance et la mort, tu n'as nulle raison de t'affliger, ô Arjuna aux-bras-puissants.
BG 2.26: Sin embargo, si crees que el alma [o el conjunto de las señales de vida] nace siempre y muere para siempre, aun así no tienes por qué lamentarte, ¡oh, tú, el de los poderosos brazos!
Bhagavad Gita Overview 5 - BG2.26 1996-07-06
Seminar - Bhagavad Gita Overview 5 - BG2.26 1996-07-06 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 5 – BG2.26

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SAI ROOP MEIN SABKA -Anup Jalota Bhajans

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 3 – BG1.44–BG2.6

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 3 – BG1.44–BG2.6

BG 1.44: Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.
BG 1.45: Better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield.
BG 1.46: Sañjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.
BG 1.44: ¡Ay de mí!, ¡cuán extraño es que nos estemos disponiendo a cometer grandes actos pecaminosos! Llevados por el deseo de disfrutar de felicidad imperial, estamos decididos a matar a nuestros propios parientes.
BG 1.45: Para mí sería mejor que los hijos de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, armas en mano, me mataran en el campo de batalla, desarmado y sin ofrecer resistencia.
BG 1.46: Sañjaya dijo: Arjuna, habiendo hablado así en el campo de batalla, echó a un lado su arco y sus flechas, y, con la mente presa de dolor, se sentó en la cuadriga.
BG 1.44: Hélas, par soif des plaisirs de la royauté, n'est-il pas étrange que nous nous apprêtions maintenant à commettre de si grands crimes?
BG 1.45: Mieux vaut mourir de la main des fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, sans armes et sans faire de résistance, que de lutter contre eux.
BG 1.46: Sanjaya dit: Ayant ainsi parlé sur le champ de bataille, Arjuna laisse choir son arc et ses flèches; il s'assoit sur son char, accablé de douleur.
Bhagavad Gita Overview 3 - BG1.44--BG2.6 1996-07-06
Seminar - Bhagavad Gita Overview 3 - BG1.44--BG2.6 1996-07-06 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 3 – BG1.44–BG2.6

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 2- BG1.9–BG1.43

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 2- BG1.9–BG1.43

BG 1.9: There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.
BG 1.10: Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited.
BG 1.11: All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhīṣma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.
BG 1.12: Then Bhīṣma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.
BG 1.9: Hay muchos otros héroes que están dispuestos a dar la vida por mí. Todos ellos están bien equipados con diversas clases de armas, y todos tienen experiencia en la ciencia militar.
BG 1.10: Nuestro poderío es inconmensurable y estamos perfectamente protegidos por el abuelo Bhīṣma, mientras que la fuerza de los Pāṇḍavas, cuidadosamente protegida por Bhīma, es limitada.
BG 1.11: Todos ustedes, desde sus respectivos puntos estratégicos de entrada a la falange del ejército, deben ahora darle todo su apoyo al abuelo Bhīṣma.
BG 1.12: Entonces, Bhīṣma, el magno y valiente patriarca de la dinastía Kuru, el abuelo de los guerreros, hizo sonar su caracola muy estruendosamente, produciendo un sonido como el del rugido de un león y causándole placer a Duryodhana.
BG 1.9: "Et nombre d'autres héros encore sont prêts à sacrifier leur vie pour moi, tous bien armés, tous maîtres dans l'art de la guerre.
BG 1.10: "On ne peut mesurer nos forces, que protège parfaitement Bhīṣma, l'ancien, tandis que les forces des Pāṇḍavas sont limitées, puisqu'elles n'ont pour les défendre que les soins de Bhīma.
BG 1.11: "Maintenant, vous tous, de vos positions respectives, apportez toute votre aide au vieux maître Bhīṣma."
BG 1.12: A cet instant, Bhīṣma, le grand et vaillant aïeul de la dynastie des Kurus, père des combattants, souffle très fort dans sa conque, qui résonne comme le rugissement d'un lion, réjouissant le coeur de Duryodhana.
Bhagavad Gita Overview 2- BG1.9--BG1.43 1996-07-06
Seminar - Bhagavad Gita Overview 2- BG1.9--BG1.43 1996-07-06 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 2- BG1.9–BG1.43

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 1 – Introduction–BG 1.8

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 1 – Introduction–BG 1.8

BG 1.8: There are personalities like you, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa and the son of Somadatta called Bhūriśravā, who are always victorious in battle.
BG 1.8: "Ce sont des hommes de guerre renommés pour avoir, comme toi, obtenu la victoire dans tous leurs combats: Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa et Bhūriśravā, le fils de Somadatta.
BG 1.8: Hay personalidades tales como tú, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa y el hijo de Somadatta llamado Bhūriśravā, todos los cuales triunfan siempre en la batalla.
Bhagavad Gita Overview 1 - Introduction--BG 1.8 1996-07-06
Seminar - Bhagavad Gita Overview 1 - Introduction--BG 1.8 1996-07-06 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Bhagavad Gita Overview 1 – Introduction–BG 1.8

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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Queen's Birthday Weekend Retreat

Celebrate your Queen's Birthday holiday weekend by joining us at Hare Krishna Valley.
Bhurijan Prabhu and Mother Jagattarini will facilitate a congregational retreat beginning 6pm. Friday June the 10th. and concluding 12 noon Monday June the 13th.
Retreat fees are $265 per couple, $165 per adult, $125 concession, $35 per child & $25 per day-visitor per day.
To register please contact Keshava das on 0405-577-453. Registrations close on Thursday June the 2nd. (including participants staying off-farm). No late registrations will be accepted.
Hope to see you there!

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Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Badrinarayan Prabhu - Lecture - Lean to Krishna - Sunday Feast

Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Badrinarayan Prabhu - Lecture - Lean to Krishna - Sunday Feast

Sunday Feast Lecture titled "Lean to Krishna" given by Badrinarayan Prabhu.
This series of lectures was given during the 2011 TP/GBC Meetings held here in Dallas.
Dallas, TX
2011-01-30

Download: 2011-01-30 - Badrinarayan Prabhu - Lecture - Lean to Krishna - Sunday Feast.mp3

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New Vrindavan, USA: 48-Day Nrisimha Yajna at New Vrindaban

On Sunday, May 1, over 40 people attended the inauguration of a 48-day Nrsimha Yajna by a fire sacrifice conducted by Ananda Tirtha Prabhu “The sankalpa or intent of this yajna is to beseech Lord Nrsimhadeva to facilitate opening the full potential of New Vrindaban Dham,” said Jaya Krsna dasa, Community President of New Vrindaban. “We are ask Lord Nrsimhadev’s mercy in clearing away the residue remaining in the dham from the past, assisting the devotees in healing from the past, and creating an atmosphere of protection and auspiciousness in the dham.”

For the next 48 days, a prayer (see below) will be read before the Nrsimha arati both in the morning and evening. Furthermore, the Nrsimha Kavacha Mantra will be played 24 hours daily at the Yajna Shala (between the temple and Govinda’s Snack Bar).   Finally, Jaya Krsna is asking all community members to pray for five minutes daily during this yajna for opening the full potential of New Vrindaban Dham. The 48-day yajna will conclude with a fire sacrifice during the 24-hour kirtan on Saturday, June 18.

“I am also arranging for a physical cleaning of the dham as part of the yajna,” said Jaya Krsna. “I have asked Arya-siddhanta dasa, the Vice President for Temple Services, to organize a maha-cleaning of the temple room this coming week.” Later in the month, Arya-siddhanta will organize a maha-cleaning of the entire temple building. In addition, devotees will be responsible for cleaning their rooms and offices in the temple.

After the temple building is clean, Jaya Krsna will focus on the grounds. “The first area is the back of the temple behind the kitchen and the woods between the school to the creek,” explained Jaya Krsna. “There are, of course, other outdoor areas to be cleaned up. I will make a list of those areas in due course of time.”

Please participate in this 48-day yajna and help create an atmosphere of auspiciousness in New Vrindaban. You can participate by attending Nrsimha arati, praying privately, attending the closing fire sacrifice, helping with the maha-clean ups, and/or by cleaning away clutter in your own personal space.

Prayer Offered to Lord Nrsimahadev Before Morning and Evening Nrsimha arati

We offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, the source of all power. O Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly cleanse ourselves and the atmosphere in the Holy Dham, help us to let go of all the past influences so that we are able to render pleasing service to You, the devotees and pilgrims.

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Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Before & After : Brooke’s DIY Sunny Patchwork Laundry Room

What better room to decorate in calico and gingham than the laundry room? Doing laundry is such a drag, but given the right environment, I could change my mind. Check out this vivid example of a white paint makeover on builder’s grade oak cabinets. It may, however, surprise you to learn that when Brooke first took on her Boulder laundry room, the inspiration was at the tip of her toes…

Before she even considered painting her ugly but solid oak cabinets white, Brooke fell in love with these colorful cement Cuban tiles. Instead of picking just one design, she went patchwork crazy for the whole lot. Although the flooring has the appearance of a random effect, the tile layout was carefully selected with the help of a designer. That, however, is where the professional help ended. Brooke DIY’ed the entire job, soaking the tiles in water, as per installation instructions, before applying two coats of sealant. After grouting, Brooke applied a final coat of sealer and then waxed and buffed the entire floor.
Once her dreamed tile was installed, she says:
“I wasn’t as delighted as I’d thought I’d be, and it was that seriously sad builder’s grade oak cabs which were bringing me down. So I lightly sanded them, primed and painted. And painted. And painted — three coats! I was ticked — I mean, three coats for a laundry room? But I did it. They’re in BM’s Calming Cream, high gloss, which is the color and finish used on trim throughout (most of) the house.”
After putting so much effort into the laundry room flooring and cabinetry, Brooke was inspired by an old yet memorable episode of  BBC America’s “Changing Rooms.” She remembers that episode clearly:
“It’s the Peckham episode where Linda Barker did a nursery and painted a huge gingham effect on the wall. I LOVED it. So that’s what I wanted to do in the laundry. Do you know how much work that is? I didn’t! Going around, measuring every five inches horizontally and vertically, and then using that farchadat chalk line. Hate it! It’s messy and you have to really, really wipe it up before painting. If you look closely as the first section I did it doesn’t look great but live and learn.”

With so much effort expended on the floor, cabinets and walls, Brooke took her design to the top and tackled the ceiling. She switched out the large fluorescent fixture that was efficient but an eyesore. Her partner hung up an old white floral chandelier that the couple brought with them from their former house in California. Obviously not one to shy from bold design statements, Brooke painted the ceiling a beautiful and happy golden tangerine (BM Oxford Gold in semi-gloss and the walls in the same Calming Cream but in an eggshell finish). Not everyone is courageous enough to go non-white on the ceiling. Brooke wins the Braonze Star for bravery by not only painting her ceiling a vibrant color, but choosing a semi-gloss finish.

Here’s a final shot of what inspired this massive laundry room overhaul. Brooke says:
“I also bought plain 13″ square cheapo tiles at Lowe’s to go under the washer and dryer. If anyone’s interested, the [Cuban] tiles are from Villa Lagoon Tiles. The owner, Lundy, is my new best friend — she is helpful and fun.”
After checking out the tile shop online, I was surprised to see the price of these beautiful handmade tiles. While not cheap, their price is not necessarily a deal-breaker.
Thank you so much, Brooke, for sharing your unique laundry space–the perfect place to show off your brights!
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Dandavats.com: Queen’s Day in Amsterdam 30 April 2011

Parasuram das: HH Sacinananda Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami were there on Harinam with hundreds of devotees chanting in ecstasy, and you know I didn't film any of that :)

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Dandavats.com: Child Protection Seminar Offered at Almiks Gard Sweden and Bhaktivedanta College Radhadesh Belgium

By Yadunandana Swami
In order to facilitate this training, Campakalata Devi Dasi, the Director of ISKCON Child Protection Office, is scheduled to provide training in Sweden (25 to 28 June) and at Bhaktivedanta College, Radhadesh (30 June to 2 of July). Please take the opportunity to send as many concerned representatives of your yatras as possible to one of these training seminars. Particularly, child protection team members, children and parents educators, community leaders, and some leading parents should be encouraged to attend, in order to get the most of Campakalata DD´s visit

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New Vrndavan, USA: 48-Day Nrsimha Yajna in New Vrindaban

On Sunday, May 1, over 40 people attended the inauguration of a 48-day Nrsimha Yajna by a fire sacrifice conducted by Ananda Tirtha dasa. “The sankalpa or intent of
this yajna is to beseech Lord Nrsimhadeva to facilitate opening the full potential of New Vrindaban Dham,” said Jaya Krsna dasa, Community President of New Vrindaban. “We are ask Lord Nrsimhadev’s mercy in clearing away the residue remaining in the dham from the past, assisting the devotees in healing from the past, and creating an atmosphere of protection and auspiciousness in the dham.”
For the next 48 days, a prayer (see below) will be read before the Nrsimha arati both in the morning and evening. Furthermore, the Nrsimha Kavacha Mantra will be played 24 hours daily at the Yajna Shala (between the temple and Govinda’s Snack Bar).   Finally, Jaya Krsna is asking all community members to pray for five minutes daily during this yajna for opening the full potential of New Vrindaban Dham. The 48-day yajna will conclude with a fire sacrifice during the 24-hour kirtan on Saturday, June 18.
“I am also arranging for a physical cleaning of the dham as part of the yajna,” said Jaya Krsna. “I have asked Arya-siddhanta dasa, the Vice President for Temple Services, to organize a maha-cleaning of the temple room this coming week.” Later in the month, Arya-siddhanta will organize a maha-cleaning of the entire temple building. In addition, devotees will be responsible for cleaning their rooms and offices in the temple.
After the temple building is clean, Jaya Krsna will focus on the grounds. “The first area is the back of the temple behind the kitchen and the woods between the school to the creek,” explained Jaya Krsna. “There are, of course, other outdoor areas to be cleaned up. I will make a list of those areas in due course of time.”
Please participate in this 48-day yajna and help create an atmosphere of auspiciousness in New Vrindaban. You can participate by attending Nrsimha arati, praying privately, attending the closing fire sacrifice, helping with the maha-clean ups, and/or by cleaning away clutter in your own personal space.

Prayer to Lord Nrsimahadev to be read before Nrsimha arati
We offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, the source of all power. O Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly cleanse ourselves and the atmosphere in the Holy Dham, help us to let go of all the past influences so that we are able to render pleasing service to You, the devotees and pilgrims.

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Darshans – Mrdanga Bring You Back To Godhead?

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Darshans – Mrdanga Bring You Back To Godhead?

Mrdanga Bring You Back To Godhead? 2006-11-08
Darshans - Mrdanga Bring You Back To Godhead? 2006-11-08 (1:49) Houston

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Darshans – Mrdanga Bring You Back To Godhead?

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Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Humility

True humility means to meditate upon and glorify God even in adverse life conditions.

Hare Krishna

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H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS

www.sdgonline.org.
From Niti-Sastras: Sayings of Canakya and Hitopadesa as quoted by Srila Prabhupada
“Translation: As the fragrance of the flowers of one good tree fill the forest with their scent, so does a good son bring fame to all his family.
“Commentary: This sloka is reminiscent of another sloka that by one moon the whole sky is illuminated. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, when Lord Visnu was pleased with the Prajetas’ austerities, He blessed them to have a nice son ‘who will be no way inferior to Lord Brahma.’ In his purport, Prabhupada explains, ‘The great politician Canyaka says that if there is a good tree within a garden or forest, its flowers will fill the forest with their fragrance. Similarly, a good son within the family makes the whole family famous all over the world. Krishna took birth in the family of the Yadus, and consequently the Yadu dynasty is famous all over the world.
“The reverse is also true. Fire in one tree can burn down a whole forest. The effects of fame and infamy are easily spread. One rotten apple can ruin the whole bushel. On the other hand, a pure devotee can liberate fourteen generations of his family.
“Of course, we should not seek fame for our families in a materialistic way. Prabhupada has pointed out the futility of trying to make contributions to posterity by this mentality. Even if our family benefits after we leave, that does not answer the question as to where they will go next or where we will go next. If we become Krishna conscious, however, then our families will become famous for right reason. A devotee’s family will be known as the source of benediction for the whole world. When Lord Caitanya quizzed Ramananda Raya and asked about real fame, Ramananda Raya replied that true fame occurs when one becomes Krishna conscious. Everything else passing as fame is either flickering or is really infamy.
“What constitutes a good son is not stereotyped in devotional service. We read in the Bhagavatam how one family might produce both ksatriyas and brahmanas. Both of them are good. By psycho-physical nature, by karma, one son may be strong and protective, and another son may be more brahminical. For example, Lord Brahma had many sons. Svayambhuva Manu was the progenitor of mankind and produced population. He was a good son. The Kumaras refused to have children. They were also good sons. Narada left home to travel about the universe, broadcasting Krishna consciousness. He was a good son. There is no one nature that constitutes a good son.
“Similarly in ISKCON, Prabhupada has many good sons. He has brahmacari book distributors, good grhasthas, and quiet, efficient, clean pujaris. He has managers and simple servants. Because they are all faithful to Prabhupada, they are good sons.
“A bad son takes vows and falls away or becomes insincere, breaks the principles and disappoints his spiritual father. Following the verse, since ISKCON is a spiritual family, if one devotee in ISKCON becomes a pure devotee we will all become liberated? No. Prabhupada made fun of that idea. He said it implied impersonalism. If there is only one self, if we are all brahman, then if one jiva got out of the illusion that he is an individual, why doesn’t everyone merge into his liberation with him? But we are all individuals. Realization has to come to us one by one. We each have to surrender to Krishna as individuals.
“On the other hand, if one devotee becomes advanced, he will help the other devotees make progress. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada both said they would consider their work worthwhile if they could make one pure devotee. The implication is that one pure devotee would do tremendous good for everyone.”
From A Poor Man Reads the Bhagavatam, Volume I
“Translation: As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effect of nature’s modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering disappear from the heart. Then a devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.
“Comment: This verse and the preceding two were quoted by Prabhupada in his poem ‘Markine Bhagavata-dharma,’ which he wrote at the Boston pier in September 1965. Prabhupada expressed himself humbly to Krishna: ‘Why have you sent me to this terrible place?’ He didn’t see how he would be able to convince the people of Krishna’s message since they were so materialistic. But Prabhupada took courage from these verses, and then he felt confident that hearing the Bhagavatam would cleanse the dirt from their hearts and attract them to Utthama-sloka.
“Verse 1.2.19 specifically mentions how this will happen: the modes of rajas and tamas (so prominent in Boston) would be broken up or would disappear from someone’s life when he or she heard the transcendental vibration of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Hare Krishna mantra. The devotee could then comprehend the mode of goodness (sattva) and become happy.
“And it’s true. We’ve seen it happen, even to Americans. Spiritual bliss is the innate nature of the living being. It is expressed as activity in Krishna consciousness. Therefore Prabhupada engaged us in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, and in cooking, typing, and so many other activities. Spiritual life—brahma-bhuta, or atmanandi—would manifest and be channeled through the senses, mind and words.
“Thank you, Prabhupada, for thinking of these verses, and for persistently trying to give us your Lord’s message. I am personally thankful because I was lost, purposeless, without you. I was swirling around like trash in water about to be swept down the gutter of a city street and into the sewer.
“’When the conditioned soul mixes with matter, his activities become diseased, and they are expressed as lust, foolishness, sleep and so on. Devotional service eliminates this disease and brings us above even material goodness to suddha-sattva. ‘Only in this suddha-sattva state can one always see Krishna eye-to-eye by dint of pure affection for the Lord.’
“To be a devotee requires a thorough change. We can’t claim to be devotees of Krishna and still be fools and rascals, cruel or passionate. A devotee develops good qualities if he is a genuine devotee and he actually engages in the practices of bhakti. All this starts and is maintained by ‘regular attendance in the Bhagawat class.’
“Even as I’m trying to write, Madhu is vomiting in the next room. Between wretching, his breath comes in pants. My own stomach is calm, but I feel for him. This is life. I worry that his health is so delicate. If he eats the wrong thing, he gets ill like this—diarrhea or vomiting that lasts all night. He was sick all last night. I heard it because he echoed through the latrine’s walls into this room. I turned on my light at 10:30 P.M. (earplugs don’t stop the sound of wretching or even clearing the throat) and made some notes and a picture, ‘Ship Ahoy!’ Since my ship was capsized yesterday and is again all right, the best thing for me to do is to keep writing. I can’t help him now in another way. But he is a dear friend. I wish he could find a more regular, practical way to attain normal health. I hope he finds it. Health is certainly a part of Krishna consciousness. We see how without it, our service is immediately diminished.
“In this purport Prabhupada says the soul is not inactive; brahma-bhuta is the stage of real, unalloyed spiritual activity, not lax meditation without duties, not idle chanting with the mind in the lower modes. We need to act. Madhu has tons of service to do. Lately, he’s been arranging for a new van to be outfitted in America and many other matters. How can he do any of it, if he can’t keep food in his stomach long enough to digest it?
“Prabhupada says the soul is active, not dead stone as the Mayavadis say. When we become free of the lower modes, we can feel the power of goodness, which includes cleanliness and calmness. For us, becoming free of the modes means giving up drugs, sex, and becoming free of obscene thoughts and whatever vices are typical of a New Yorker. How he transformed us!
“Thank you, Swami. What’s next? Suddha-sattva? What’s that? Will we attain it next week? Oh, it’s not so easy. But we are on the road to that. We get a glimpse when we chant or when he talks about Krishna in Vrndavana as a cowherd boy. Suddha-sattva. Sounds good. It was sure sweet going through all those changes with you. You wore a turtleneck jersey, just like the ones we wore.
“The purport that he wrote in 1960 in Vrndavana says that the soul is eternally free of the modes, but it gets covered over. It is difficult to uncover again. But vasudeva-kathah can do it.
“We cannot accept someone as a devotee unleass he has signs of becoming cleansed. He may have material taints about him, but he cannot remain heavily influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance. A devotee doesn’t remain a fool or a rascal. Certainly Prabhupada expected his disciples to change. He wouldn’t initiate them unless they did. They became bright-faced, cut their long hair and beards, and gave up illicit sex. Don’t remain a fool.
“Earlier this morning I read Caitanya caritamrta and want to mention it here. This isn’t the place for it? Why not? I can’t hide my life from you. It doesn’t seem right. If someone says it’s not right to include other readings in with the Bhagavatam comments, I say just the opposite—it’s not right to hide it. It’s not something extraneous.
“I read in the first chapter of Madhya-lila that Lord Caitanya spent the last twelve years of His life at Jagannatha Puri, tasting the mood of Radha’s separation from Krishna. This is briefly mentioned in this extraordinary chapter, which Krishnadasa Kaviraja wrote in case he didn’t live long enough to complete the whole book. How’s that for following the writing advice, ‘Spend it all. Don’t keep it to yourself. If you have a good idea, don’t save it for later. More and better will come if you give all-generously and not keep it for yourself’?
“In this context Prabhupada describes the gopis’ simple love for Krishna. It is appealing to hear it from him. He says they were not attracted to the opulence of Krishna in Dvaraka. They wanted Him in the calm atmosphere of Vrndavana. The gopis are already enlightened and they simply engage their purified senses in the service in the Lord in the remote village of Vrndavana. The gopis are not interested in dry speculation, in the arts, in music or other conditions of material life.’ (C.c. Mahdya 1.82, purport)
The mention of art made me wonder what I am trying to do. I was just about to tell you about some poetry and then try my hand at writing some myself. The gopis were not interested in any arts except the art of loving Krishna. Prabhupada goes on to say that Krishna loves the gopis not for their opulence or personal beauty but for their pure devotional service.

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 5

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 5

Fate, free will, astrology 5 1998-06-30 Radhadesh
Seminar - Fate, free will, astrology 5 1998-06-30 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 5

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 4

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 4

Fate, free will, astrology 4 1998-06-30 Radhadesh
Seminar - Fate, free will, astrology 4 1998-06-30 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 4

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 3 second half

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 3 second half

Fate, free will, astrology 3 1998-06-30 Radhadesh
Seminar - Fate, free will, astrology 3 second half 1998-06-30 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 3 second half

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 2 first half

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 2 first half

Fate, free will, astrology 2 1998-06-30 Radhadesh
Seminar - Fate, free will, astrology 2 first half 1998-06-30 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 2 first half

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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 1

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 1

Fate, free will, astrology 1 1998-06-30 Radhadesh
Seminar - Fate, free will, astrology 1 1998-06-30 Radhadesh

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Seminar – Fate, free will, astrology 1

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Bhakti Lata, Alachua, USA: Thank God I'm Not Perfect

My entire college career I have earned straight A's. I find it almost mind-numbing to look at my transcript because the A's line up so perfectly.

I believe that grades in school are a symptom of effort - when I put in the effort, I get an A. That simple. Sometimes that effort means camping out in the Math Tutoring Lab for days on end, or spending over 20 hours to write one English paper. But effort is effort, and I have always taken pride in my education as well as my grades.

Then, this semester blew all those notions out of the water. I devoted endless hours upon endless hours into two classes especially, and I would consistently get C's and even D's. Getting a "D" - after so many hours and hours of study and effort - just did not make sense. One day I walked into one of the professor's offices and I even cried in frustration.

I kicked and I screamed for many long weeks.

But by the end of this school semester, I surrendered. I realized that I cannot do more than my best. I know that I poured myself into school, and maybe it doesn't show up as another A in the long line, but I learned something even greater:

Do your best, Bhakti lata, do your best.

My best is the real perfection.

I must admit, I feel relieved now that the 4.0 has cracked. Of course, I will always strive for an A, because that is my best, but the real perfection is in the striving, not the letter.

Isn't that how it is in spiritual life? We pour our life and soul into loving the Lord, loving His devotees, following the principles, etc. etc. etc. and it seems as though we're always getting C's and D's.

And yet we must take solace in the truth of devotion: The real perfection is in the striving, not the letter.

Below is a snapshot of only a portion of my transcript. You gotta admit, in contrast of all those angular A's, those last couple grades are kinda spicy.

Subscribe

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Australian News: Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha’s 40th Anniversary: Sydney, Australia

On the weekend of May 21st and 22nd we are celebrating the most auspicious occaision of Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha’s 40th Anniversary. There will be many special guests who were around at the time Srila Prabhupada personally spread Krishna consciousness and taught how to serve Their beautiful Lordships. Join over 100 initiated disciples of Srila Prabhupada in churning the nectarean glories of Radha Gopinatha, Srila Prabhupada and the pioneering days of Krishna Consciousness in Australia. The festival will span 2 days:
On Saturday 21 May the program will include Srila Prabhupada Maha Guru-puja, special darshan of Radha Gopinatha plus kirtan, Maha Harinama Sankirtana with Madhudvisa dasa, Kurma dasa and other sankirtana stalwarts from11.00am, and from 5.00pm – 10.00pm the 40th Anniversary Evening Festival in Temple Room with special bhajans & presentations, recollections, Gaura-arati, films, Srila Prabhupada and Radha Gopinatha-katha, and more….
On Sunday 22 May the program will consist of ‘The Boat That Rocked part 2′ – a Sydney Harbour Picnic Cruise from 10:00am – 2:00pm. Join 100 Srila Prabhupada Disciples for 4 hours of kirtan, recollections and feasting. Very limited seating available. Plus from 4.30pm – 9.30pm a special 40th Anniversary Sunday Feast, including sweet bhajans & kirtans, recollections, presentation by Caru dasa, feast and Maha-abhisekha of Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha.
Also a special souvenir magazine is being printed for the event with many never seen before photos and rare stories of Radha Gopinatha’s arrival and pastimes in Sydney. Do not miss out on this very special and rare occassion.
See more at the Sydney Temple Newsletter
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Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SERVANT LEADER

In our Bhakti-vrksa system, we say that the group leader is the “servant-leader.” We want everyone to cultivate this attitude of being a servant. Being in a so-called leadership position means to serve the other devotees.

We should have that attitude of being a servant of Krsna, a servant of the Vaisnavas, and thus our service will be very satisfying. But if the attitude is “I am the boss,” and if when others do not comply we think, “They don’t give me respect,” then we will feel dissatisfaction. That is the mood in the material world; everyone expects some respect.

But Lord Caitanya tells us trnad api sunicena…: we should be most humble, we should offer respect, we should not expect to receive respect. We must be the servant of the servant. And if we do get respect, we should consider it the mercy of guru and Krsna. That is totally different.

Although in the marketplace of the holy name Bhaktivinoda Thakura uses worldly titles like “salesmen,” “brokers,” and so on, the attitude of all those transcendental employees is totally different from their mundane counterparts.

Jayapataka Swami

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H.H. Sivarama Swami: Commenting on SlutWalks

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Commenting on SlutWalks

And the concept of how “It’s to bring awareness to the shame and degradation women still face for expressing their sexuality… essentially for behaving in a healthy and sexual way.”

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Commenting on SlutWalks

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Kripamoya dasa, UK: Nrsimha Meditations

Kripamoya dasa, UK: Nrsimha Meditations

Here are some meditations on Nrsimha for you, before the day of His appearance in five days time. This brought back memories for me of climbing these hills in Ahobilam to have darshan of the nine different forms of the Lord. The perspiration; the anticipation; the exultation – and the howler monkeys and refreshing waterfalls. Thank you to Isvaracandra who put them up.

Kripamoya dasa, UK: Nrsimha Meditations

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H.H. Sivarama Swami: Nandagopa, Bh. Visal and Shaurya Dasa ask

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Nandagopa, Bh. Visal and Shaurya Dasa ask

“Why is the soul unchangeable and immovable; what is the connection between astanga yoga and mystic powers and what are the differencec between sadhana and nitya siddhas?”

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Nandagopa, Bh. Visal and Shaurya Dasa ask

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H.H. Sivarama Swami: Sype conference with Russian disciples on why we don’t take vows to do sankirtan at initiation, can devotees have abortions and other topics

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Sype conference with Russian disciples on why we don’t take vows to do sankirtan at initiation, can devotees have abortions and other topics

(English/Russian)

H.H. Sivarama Swami: Sype conference with Russian disciples on why we don’t take vows to do sankirtan at initiation, can devotees have abortions and other topics

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Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Spring Garden Party

edible salad bowl
Casual outdoor dining is a hallmark of warm weather. This simple garden party was thrown together in a couple of hours without breaking a sweat–until I hit the outdoors. It is Florida, after all. Recipes + such coming in the next week so check back for valuable how to’s.
garden party table

tiny tarts

homemade pickles

simple decor

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Kirtans in Oxford, UK: Manu in Maytime.

Young Manu Magnin from Belgium and his merry band of kirtaniyas will visit us this Sunday, to lead us in kirtan. Manu is the founder and organiser of the Radhadesh Mellows annual weekend of kirtan at the Chateau de Petit Somme, in Belgian and a 'deep lover of kirtan'. You can see his website here, with recordings of some of the kirtans from this January, at which both Gopal Hari and Chakrini, who have recently sung here, performed.

I like Manu's description of Kirtan there:

What is Kirtan?

Kirtan is an experience like no other. It combines sacred mantra, or spiritual words with vibrant, joyous music that lifts the soul and energizes the body. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. One leader sings the mantra, accompanied by a few instruments. After each line, the group – however large or small, respond with the same line. This call and response continues as the kirtan slowly unfolds.
Though the kirtan tradition originated in ancient India, it is no less relevant to our modern times. With the increasing demands of the average working life, kirtan is perhaps even more beneficial than ever.
In kirtan, there are no rules – you can sit or stand, or better yet, dance! You can clap or play instruments, and sing to your heart’s content. The only thing necessary is an open heart, open mind, and open ears.
--^--

Join us and sample it for yourself!

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Akrura das, Gita Coaching: INTERESTED

In summer 2005 Srila Radhahath Swami Maharaja was visiting Prabhupadadesh in Italy.

Together with a group of Slovenian devotees we had a meeting with Maharaja. At that time we were very much into strategic planning, management, leadership, etc., so we wanted to show Maharaja what projects we were working on or planning to do. We wanted to get his blessings and guidance.

He was patiently looking at our powerpoint presentation while hearing our enthusiastic explanations. At the end he smiled, lovingly looked at us and said, "I am more interested in people than in projects".

Bhakta Marko

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Kirtans in Oxford, UK: March Kirtan (Catching Up!)

Jahnavi Harrison and her father Kripamoya kindly came to lead our March kirtan. (You can see them sharing a joke above!). They had spent the previous day at a celebration of the anniversary of Sri Chaitanya the well-known promoter of kirtan, in medieval India. In fact, as Kripamoya explained, we can trace our present knowledge and practise of kirtan directly back to his influence. In between the very sweet and heartfelt kirtans, Jahnavi and Kripamoya talked of Chaitanya's writings and life which explained some of the deeper understanding of the art of kirtan; it's purpose and effects. It was interesting and pleasing to listen to, in fact as soon as it is edited, we'll post a podcast of it here.

And below is a YouTube clip of Jahnavi singing and playing violin at a kirtan in Australia, a few months ago. Her father quipped that her Jewish ancestry shows in her spirited violin improvisations!

March kirtan catching up

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Mayapur Online: Sri Nrisimha Caturdasi- 5 days to go!

Mayapur is getting busier with grand preparations to celebrate the appearance of Lord Nrsimhadeva. With just 5 days to go, devotees have started arriving at Mayapur to celebrate Chandan Yatra ,Boat Festival and also to take part in Sri Nrsimha Caturdasi festival.
read more

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Japa Group: Good Association Is King

Today I was speaking with an old devotee friend....recently he is struggling with Japa but after talking with him for awhile, wants to change that situation.

I was telling him that I get inspiration from hearing about Japa and told him about some Japa retreats I listened to recently - he immediately wanted the links.

By the Lord's mercy we can associate with each other in spiritual life....talk about the Lord, about our struggles and help to inspire one another to make progress - this is real association and very very precious in this world.

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Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: Environmental Pollution Is A Spiritual Problem

By Mukunda Goswami for ISKCON News on 22 Apr 2011
The claim is that all our environmental problems can be solved by listening to the compelling call of our timeless culture. What message – buried within the Indian culture – is so simple yet so profound that it can “fix” the unfixable?
In its very first mantra, Isha Upanisad, a frequently read Vedic text, reminds us that everything animate and inanimate within this universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. Therefore, one should only accept those things which are set aside as one`s quota, and not accept other things.
Pollution, as stated in the scriptures, is a direct result of “over-consumption”, which in turn is a product of greed, and greed is generated by materialism combined with secularism.
There is something deep within each of us that seems to baffle our hopes for more livable world. At the root of the problem is relentless, almost unconscious drive to have and enjoy more than we really need.
Environmental pollution is a spiritual problem, and it demands a spiritual solution. The greatest barrier to an ecologically balanced environment is a materialistic world-view that defines the individual as a biochemical machine operating in a godless, soul-less universe. Unfortunately, this widespread theory forms the basis of most modern scientific thought. It is known as “reductionism”.
Reductionism has given rise to a civilization driven to exploit the earth`s resources and creatures without restriction.
Indian culture teaches that we live in a world designed by God. Individuals who are aware of God, don`t want to possess, control, or enjoy more than they actually require.
Vedic wisdom instructs that God is the ultimate proprietor of everything , and that each living being on earth, according to its needs, has inherent rights to his or her share of this planet`s God-given resources. These principles are part of nature`s system of inviolable higher-order laws, including the law of karma.
A practical outline for an ecologically sound way of life may be found in the Hare Krishna movement`s books of Vedic knowledge, which recommend the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra for transforming consciousness from material to spiritual.
With the right formula, we can transform our environment. If awareness of our position in the world and the message of the Bhagavad-gita and Isha Upanishad are rightly understood, the consciousness changes, everything else changes for the better.
This article was originally published in the Hindustan Times, on October 1, 2001.

Related Stories:
Is It The Arctic Circle? No, It Is The Yamuna River!

Call For International Protest to Save the Yamuna River

New Vraja Dhama Plants Forests for Carbon-Neutral Heating

Padayatra To Save Yamuna From Pollution

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Read more: http://news.iskcon.com/node/3585/2011-04-22/environmental_pollution_is_a_spiritual_problem#ixzz1KXTjjgFJ

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Gouranga TV: Bhajan – 24hr Kirtan – Ram Pandit

Bhajan - 24hr Kirtan - Ram Pandit

Bhajan – 24hr Kirtan – Ram Pandit

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Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: 2011 tour Malaysia – Telok Intan

May 3rd saw us drive down to a place of historical significance. Teluk Intan, formerly Tk. Anson, was blessed by the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada in May 1971. I won’t narrate the history here, you can read the details in HH Janananda Swami’s book “Srila Prabhupada in Malaysia.”
Prabhupada came here with one of the leading preachers of the time, and the first devotee to bring Krsna consciousness to Australia, Sriman Bali Mardan prabhu.
Also traveling with Prabhupada was Sriman Vegavan prabhu (seen here on the right)
What was additionally interesting was that the two disciples were carrying Sri Sri Radha Gopinath on the onward journey to Sydney, to become the first Deities to be installed in Australia.
On May 20-22 2011 we will be celebrating Their Lordships 40th anniversary of Their appearance with a big festival and reunion of over 80 Prabhupada disciples who were initiated in Australia and about 100 more devotees in attendance (more about that in future postings).
We saw the house where Prabhupada stayed,
and the Tamil temple and meeting hall where he spoke

The Tamil temple has just been renovated and some additional structures installed since the time of Srila Prabhupada. One that caught my eye was this

The deity on the top is Surya, the Sun god, mounting his chariot on the wheel of time, and the deities underneath are the nava-grahas, the nine major planets. If one of them is giving a problem, the afflicted come here to placate the demigod in charge with some offerings.
What they apparently don’t know is that Krsna says “Kalo’smi” “I am time“. Instead of wasting their time they could be coming to our centers to spend their time in eternality.
Pilgrimage done, we moved on to our ISKCON temple, an impressive 2 story building constructed about 10 yrs. ago
and named
It stands on several acres of land in an open plain fringed with palms. A very pleasant spot for practicing Krsna consciousness

Inside the front entrance is a vestibule leading into a large, marble floored temple with an altar replete with Sri Sri Panca-tattva and Sri Gaura Nitai

And just to make me feel at home, and to emphasize the Mayapur connection I was delighted to see that various sections of the building were named after the main buildings in Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir

I stayed for two days, still talking to a good crowd of about 80 devotees on the topic of Chanting, and I also showed the BRC powerpoint slides

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H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 306—Poem for May 10

www.sdgonline.org.
4:20 A.M.

A Writer of Pieces
New format—I will begin with a poem written on the day of its printing. Then I will print random excerpts of books I have printed over the last 35 years. I hope this variety will be pleasing.
Poem for May 10
No pain this morning,
my japa went smooth,
starting at 1:16 and finishing
in less than two hours.
I looked at Radha-Govinda and
was interested in going to Goloka
Vrndavana in any capacity, but
do I have the pure greed?
Maharaja Pariksit was preparing to
go there, and I want to too.
But Prabhupada will have to
guide me to where I deserve.
When Sukadeva arrived all the
sages except Vyasa and Narada
stood to honor him. He was not
dressed and was surrounded by
frivolous women and children.
But when they saw the grave
reception he received they dispersed,
and all was calm. He sat upon
an elevated seat and was prepared
to answer any question from
the king. Pariksit began, ‘What
is the duty of a human being
and specifically one who
is about to die?’
Yesterday I wrote of Sri Krishna
in my autobiog. I recalled
the two volumes of prayers,
My Dear Lord Krishna, and how
He allowed me to open my heart and
address Him and ask Him to
let me come close. I prayed for
His protection and never to
disobey Him again. I prayed
for inspiration to praise
Him.
Yesterday I spoke to Ricard,
and we talked of
jazz. We both like the
music, and he plays and
teaches drums. He saw
Elvin Jones play, and he
drummed so hard he broke
his drums in only one set.
Ricard is my friend,
and he and his wife
are raising three children.
He keeps up the good
struggle to chant his
rounds, and I wish him
well. It is good
to have friends
in Krishna consciousness,
and I have many.
I signed my books
for the devotees
who are going to Mayapur,
and they asked me to
bless them to live
there successfully.
All these exchanges
satisfy the soul.

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H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS

www.sdgonline.org.
From Life with the Perfect Master
“We had planned to stay in Tokyo for only twenty-four hours. Gopala Swami took us to the house and showed Prabhupada his room, which was very tiny, like most places in Japan. It was the master bedroom, the largest room in the house, but it was maybe one-fifth as big as Prabhupada’s room in Hawaii, and there were no windows. There were four devotees living in the house, and they greeted Prabhupada, although not with a kirtana. Gopala said there was one boy, an initiated devotee of Srila Prabhupada, who was not living at the temple but who was anxiously pressing to meet with Prabhupada and ask him questions. Prabhupada agreed to see him, and within a few minutes of our arrival, while I was still unpacking Prabhupada’s briefcases, a young American man dressed in Western clothes entered Prabhupada’s room, offered obeisances, and sat before Prabhupada with a troubled look on his face.
“Prabhupada was wearing a sweater with a chadar wrapped around him in the chilly room.
“‘Why don’t you live with us?’ Prabhupada asked.
“I got a good inside-glimpse of Prabhupada, both as a world-traveling sannyasi ready to go everywhere, and as the supreme troubleshooter and maintainer of devotees in ISKCON.
“‘I am not able to be free living within this movement,’ the discontented disciple replied.
“‘Where are you living?’ Prabhupada asked?
“There were just a few of us in the room, but it was crowded. I was suffering somewhat from culture shock and from the discomfort of traveling, and it all made me take shelter in Srila Prabhupada more than usual. But I couldn’t understand why Prabhupada had to immediately deal with this unsubmissive boy.
“‘I am living in the train station,’ he said.
“‘The train station?’ asked Prabhupada. ‘What is that like?’
“The young man began describing his difficult life in the train station. The policemen would often wake him up and throw him out by force.
“‘So you have left us in order to have more freedom,’ said Prabhupada, ‘but now you are living under force.’
‘Yes.’
“‘If you do not like living with devotees,’ Prabhupada continued, ‘you will find it even more difficult living under the strict control of the material nature. So give this up and live with us.’
“But the boy remained reluctant, expressing a vague grudge and a misguided philosophy.
“Prabhupada was encountering some of the same independent spirit he had met in Hawaii, where many persons claimed to be his disciples, but lived apart, espousing various philosophies under the influence of Anandaji and others who spoke against ISKCON. I had hardly ever encountered this influence in the U.S., but I began to realize how things were different in other places around the world, even in ISKCON, and how Srila Prabhupada had to confront many different mentalities and problems as he traveled.
“About an hour after our arrival, Prabhupada went into the tiny temple room. A few Japanese boys and girls were there waiting, and they received Prabhupada respectfully. He sat on the vyasasana in a particularly relaxed way, leaning back while lecturing to the devotees and guests. At one point he spoke directly about the specific issue he had again encountered.
‘If one serves the spiritual master and inquires from him,’ said Prabhupada, ‘then the spiritual master is very liberal and generous and glad to answer. But in Kali-yuga many disagree even with their spiritual master. One cannot abandon the spiritual master and still claim to understand his instructions. If I say I love Krishna, but I kick his devotee, what kind of love is that? If I want to be Krishna conscious, I should live with the devotees and the Deities. Not that, “I love Krishna,” and go live in a train station.’
“Since we were staying so briefly, I didn’t bother to unpack or set up my typewriter. We all stayed up rather late, and then I lay in my sleeping bag on the floor right outside Srila Prabhupada’s room. I felt good about my purpose in life, to be a watchdog at the door of my beloved spiritual master, and in that mentality the total strangeness of the mundane surroundings did not affect me. I was not really lying down in a dark hallway in Tokyo; I was outside Prabhupada’s room.
“Early the next morning, Prabhupada went on a walk through the streets near our house. It was very cold, and snow covered the ground. Prabhupada wore his long hooded coat, which one of the devotees had made for him and which I was now glad I had been lugging around with us since Los Angeles. Hardly anyone was up yet, but when we met one elderly woman dressed in a traditional Japanese sari, she bowed at the waist and seemed to respect Srila Prabhupada as a saintly person. We entered a small park that would have covered an area no bigger than an empty street corner lot in the West. It was very intricately designed, and for me it was a fascinating mystical adventure to follow Srila Prabhupada down the narrow paths, ducking branches and exploring. Srila Prabhupada quoted a verse by Sukadeva Gosvami: ‘Do the trees not give fruit? Do people not reject clothes in the street? Are there not caves in the mountains?’ Prabhupada thus described the life of a true renunciant.
“‘The Japanese people,’ he said, ‘work so hard to live in nice houses, but Sukadeva Gosvami said there is no need to flatter materialists in order to get food, clothing and shelter. If one is renounced, then nature, under God’s direction, can provide these necessities, and one can be freed to pursue self realization.’
Walking closely behind Srila Prabhupada, I questioned, ‘But the hippies in Hawaii might say that they follow these verses of Sukadeva Gosvami, eating only fruit and wearing discarded clothes.’
‘Therefore, vairagya is useless without Krishna consciousness,’ Prabhupada replied. ‘Monkeys also live in the forest and eat fruits, but they have many girlfriends and much sex life. If a human being lives like a monkey, then in his next life he will be an animal. Just as in this industrialized city of Tokyo, people are working hard for sense gratification, but in their next life they will be animals. Do you want to live as animals or go back to Godhead?’
“Prabhupada spent the rest of the day in his little room, and again spoke about devotees straying away from the association of Vaisnavas. ‘The deviators,’ Prabhupada said, ‘claim they are above the rules and regulations of devotional service. But we never are. Follow these rules or you have to follow others. We must follow the traffic rules, the rules of birth, the rules of death, disease and old age. These rascals claim that they are higher devotees, but in Hawaii they didn’t come to see me or pay obeisances.’ In this way Prabhupada stressed that an advanced devotee was one who was faithful to the spiritual master and followed his program strictly. Anyone could be judged on that basis.”
From Here Is Srila Prabhupada
“I saw headlines about misery in a magazine. I am leading such a sheltered life in the West. But even Mother Theresa of Calcutta says that spiritual poverty is worse than material poverty. Devotees write for the spiritually impoverished.
“My dear Lord Krishna, the Vedas proclaim Your glories. Devotees who receive even a drop of Your mercy also proclaim Your glories. They speak from their hearts what they have experienced. They chant and dance in ecstasy and tell others, although they sometimes think they should not. There is no end to the glories of great Krishna conscious persons, and therefore one may be confident to write on and on of their influence in the world. “The pastimes of Lord Caitanya are unlimited and endless. Even sahasra-vadana Lord Sesa, cannot reach the limits of His pastimes.’ Krishnadasa Kaviraja encourages us that even one who is not qualified may praise the Vaisnavas, provided he is faithful to the parampara. He describes himself humbly and also says that the authorized compiler of the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura, ‘the incarnation of Vyasadeva.’ Still, Vrndavana dasa Thakura did not describe all the incidents of Lord Caitanya’s life. Therefore, Krishnadasa Kaviraja writes, ‘Only upon his orders am I trying to chew the remnants of food that he has left’ (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 1.13).
“Similarly, Srila Prabhupada encourages his followers who have a writing propensity to use their energy in the service of the Lord. We should not be silenced by our sense of modesty and the estimation of our imperfectness when compared to the material and spiritual writing masters.
“‘Although we are unable to offer prayers to the Lord in an adequate fashion, our duty is to make the attempt in order to purify ourselves. It is not that we should stop our glorification because demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva cannot adequately glorify the Lord. Rather, as stated by Prahlada Maharaja, everyone should glorify the Lord according to his own ability. If we are serious and sincere devotees, the Lord will give us the intelligence to offer prayers properly.’ —Bhag. 4.16.2, purport
“The concept of guru-disciple is not foreign anywhere in the world. Credit is given to teachers and spiritual directors, but not with the emphasis found in the Vaisnava sampradaya. People think that too much dependence or praise of the guru is cultish, a kind of deification of an ordinary man. They look for feet of clay in all heroes and signs of exaggerated and sentimental dependency in the followers. So we strive to exemplify the real relationship. The spiritual master is praiseworthy, and although we may be foolish, he is still able to lead us out of the material world to shelter in eternity, bliss, and knowledge. If the world leaders are not praising Srila Prabhupada and the authorized parampara, then ‘stand-ins’ like me will have to do it until the world discovers that this is the real responsibility of writers and readers.
“Dear Srila Prabhupada,
“You are a reservoir of Krishna consciousness. You pump fresh water into the parched population. You replenish your own resources in the cloudbank of Krishna’s mercy. His blessings flow down to us from the mountains of the previous acaryas. The rain of Krishna’s mercy runs down the mountainsides and deposits the rich loam of the acaryas’ realization directly into your own reservoir.
“As we drink that water, our lives are sustained by it. Please don’t let us continue taking it for granted. Please let us always remember that we are living only by your kindness. You are providing for us all the nourishment we need to advance in spiritual life. You are giving us the water of immortality. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.
“The ground is always being cut out from under my feet. I have no laurels to rest on, no stock of praises to create complacency. Whatever encouragement I receive is immediately consumed by the hungry, temporary ego-self. He knows that he cannot live on praise—it gets him through today, but what about tomorrow? I am perpetually impoverished. Let me live the life of a brahmana. Whatever he gets in one day, he must give away in charity by nighttime. In that way, he starts each day fresh. His pockets are empty, but his heart is clean. He knows Krishna is maintaining him.
“A proud person who lives in the world without personally recognizing God’s will and his desires for us wastes the human form of life. Regardless of what our past karma has given us in this life, the material energy continues to deceive us and delivers us cruel blows of Fate. In the end, we are discarded, just like a plastic cup thrown onto the garbage heap by the consumer. Material nature is merciless.
“No one knows how to end this decay and accumulation of garbage and waste known as human history. No one even knows what it is, although there is so much speculation. The Vedic directions inform us how the destruction works, why it so happens that we live and dream a brief while and then are chucked aside. Vedic directions also inform us how to become free of bitterness, cruelty, and greed so that we stop torturing each other during our brief life in these bodies. Although the Vedic social model was recognized successfully in history for thousands of years, modern historians deny its authenticity and relegate the Vedas to the world of mythology. Without knowledge of the Vedic instructions, how can anyone become free from the cycle of birth, death, disease, and old age?
“Srila Prabhupada is the representative of Lord Caitanya. He specifically came to the West to teach us how to live properly and happily and in God consciousness. Therefore, he wrote many books to act as guides for social and spiritual order. He pushed his disciples to distribute his books widely so that as many people as possible would have an opportunity to hear the reality of Krishna consciousness. Again, we can only be grateful to Prabhupada in the face of such an achievement. And we patiently serve and wait for the day when his books will become the law books for mankind.”

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