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"Planet ISKCON" - 34 new articles
- H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Saturday 25 June 2011--Always Connect with the Essence of Existence--and--Which is Better: 16 Rounds or 64 Rounds?
- New Vrindavan, USA: Palace Rose Garden is in Full Bloom
- Japa Group: Soft And Peaceful
- Japa Group: Japa Room Launching July 1st
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Nandamandira Prabhu
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Circus Smoothie
- Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Your GPS Is Wrong
- Kurma dasa, AU: Kurma's Kuppa Soup
- Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: the opinion of an ass
- Jahnavi, UK: Encouragement.
- Dandavats.com: San Francisco Ratha Yatra 2011
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: PERU
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Summer Inspiration : Home Canning Album
- New Vrndavan, USA: Request For Flowers For Puspha Abhisheka Festival on July 30, 2011
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Vraja Kishor, JP: Side Effects of Spiritual Development
- H.H. Devamrita Swami: The Flesh Must Fail? Pt. 1
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
- Manoj, Melbourne, AU: 207. Srila Prabhupad lecture : Get out !
- Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: When Food Kills
- Dandavats.com: Bhagavad Gita 2.58..Lord Kurma has incarnated in this sloka
- Dandavats.com: 25th Anniversary of Govindadwipa
- Dandavats.com: 39th Annual Ratha-Yatra (Festival of India) - Toronto - July 16-17, 2011
- Gouranga TV: Rohita’s Kirtan at New Varsana, Auckland, NZ
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Upcoming Visitors
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Svarupa Sakti Mataji
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H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Saturday 25 June 2011--Always Connect with the Essence of Existence--and--Which is Better: 16 Rounds or 64 Rounds?
bb A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Saturday 25 June 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: Always Connect with the Essence of Existence Uploaded from Sydney, Australia Always connect with the essence of existence. Otherwise you will be carried away by the externals and remain subjected to the miseries of this material world. The essence of existence is loving service to the original source of everything, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Once you are fully connected with Him, the seed-giving father of all, who reveals Himself in the Bhagavad-gita as Krishna, you will never be touched by the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease ever again. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Which is Better: 16 Rounds or 64 Rounds? Dear Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet, Recently I was discussing with a devotee who said that chanting 64 rounds of japa mala every day is the highest service, even if it means compromising one's facility to perform devotional service. But, Gurudeva, isn't it better to do 16 rounds of chanting and utilize the remaining time for some sort of service such as preaching or book distribution? Which is better chanting 16 rounds or chanting 64 rounds per day? Thank you, Amith Answer: Serving Guru's Order is the Best Krishna states that the highest duty is to surrender unto Him and that we should surrender unto Him by surrendering to his representative, the bona fide spiritual master. Therefore the highest principle is not how many rounds you chant. The highest principle is to follow the orders of your spiritual master. Since ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, orders his followers to chant at least sixteen rounds of japa daily and to fully absorb themselves in activities for the salvation of the suffering human society--for ISKCON devotees a combination of chanting at least 16 rounds daily and working for the salvation of the human society is the highest principle. 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:
•New Vrindavan, USA: Palace Rose Garden is in Full Bloom
Right now is the perfect time to visit the Palace Rose Garden, whether you are a home gardener or simply a lover of roses. The garden is in its first bloom until the end of June.
While most rose gardens have only one or two blooms each year, this year the Palace Rose Garden will have four blooms. This is a testament to both the exceptional quality of the rose varieties and to the expertise of Betty Hickey, the Palace rosarian since 1985.
This current first bloom will last until the end of June. The second bloom will be from mid-July until the end of July. The third bloom will be from mid-August until mid-September. The fourth bloom will be from mid-October until the first frost.
The Palace Rose Garden boasts over 100 different varieties of roses and over 850 plants. The Palace of Gold Rose Garden has been accredited by the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) since 1987. The standards for AARS accreditation are very high. There is a two-year probationary period before being accepted, and annual surprise inspections after acceptance. There are only around 130 accredited gardens in North America. 
“The AARS requires that I maintain the overall appearance of the rose garden, so I usually do not pick flowers from the garden,” said Hickey. “But I make exceptions for special occasions. I pick flowers for Janmastami and I pick flowers for Prabhupada’s Appearance Day.”
Sunday, August 21, is Janmastami, or the day on which Lord Krishna descended from the spiritual world to this planet. New Vrindaban will host a special midnight darshan and feast to celebrate Janmastami. Janmastami celebrations will also be held on three other days as well, for those who are unable to visit the holy dham of New Vrindaban on the actual day of Janmastami. The four Janmastami celebrations will be on the following dates:
- Saturday, August 20
- Sunday, August 21
- Saturday, September 3
- Sunday, September 4
On Monday, August 22, there will be a special celebration at the Palace of Gold to commemorate the Appearance Day of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of New Vrindaban. The Palace of Gold was originally intended to be a home for Prabhupada, who left this world in November 1977, just a few months before the completion of the Palace. The Palace was then converted into Prabhupada’s mausoleum.
Even if you have visited the Palace of Gold before, please come back and visit the Palace Rose Garden. “These are colors that only God can create,” said Hickey with awe.
•Japa Group: Soft And Peaceful
•Japa Group: Japa Room Launching July 1st
The Japa Room will be finally launching on July 1st.
Mayapur.tv has given the Japa Room a channel to broadcast to devotees from all around the world. Mayapur.tv is the hub of devotional livestreams, presenting many amazing and wonderful events from many countries.
Here is the information about the Japa Room channel including times and content.
The Japa Room is a friendly and constructive way to improve your JapaHere's how you can join us - visit http://www.mayapur.tv/ - scroll down and you will see the channel "TheJapaRoom" (blue when it's offline) - when offline you can visit and chant along with a Srila Prabhupada Japa slideshow - when live (in red left hand column) you can join us for a live broadcast.
In the session we will cover a number of interesting and relevant topics including direct Japa quotes from Srila Prabhupada - real life experiences and personal realisations. Wwe will also include video footage and audio from various senior devotees.
You are most welcome to ask questions when the floor is opened up and we will endeavour to answer them all.
We will also be inviting special guest devotees to speak about their realisations on the Holy names
1st session = Every Fri. 11.30pm GMT / 6.00pm EST - Time in your city
2nd session = Every Sat. 1.30pm GMT / 8.30am EST - Time in your city
Don't miss out....please come along and join us for some nice association and enlivening discussion.
•ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Nandamandira Prabhu
Sriamd Bhagavatam 12.11.17- The importance of spiritual initiation.
•Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Circus Smoothie
Circus Smoothie: cotton candy, cracker jacks, hot dogs + blend. Do you think I’m kidding?
strawberry banana yogurt coconut honey ice
stick blender yum yum
Tricked you! No real recipe here. Just the ingredients listed below the pic. Do you really need a recipe for a smoothie? Folks, I hope not.
Just wanted to wish everyone a sweet Friday night! This pic is so cute, it reminds me of something I would see on this blog of adorable coziness.
My kids are out with The Babu non-violently hunting manatees. So tonite, it’s just me and my stick blender. What are you cooking up in your little life of loveliness?
•Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Your GPS Is Wrong
Every week people coming to New Vrindaban rely solely on GPS for directions and get lost.
Friday before the 24 Hour Kirtan ambulances came onto the ridge and turned around at the temple and left. They had gotten a call from some pilgrims on their way to New Vrindaban who told them they were near NV after having some heart issues and driving off the road.
Turns out they were near Dallas, West Virgina instead and had gotten there following the instructions on the GPS.
Please tell anyone who asks for directions to NV to NOT rely on their GPS — it will be wrong. Even if it gets you here it can send you down back roads instead of the main roads because it looks shorter to the GPS. Shorter isn’t necessarily quicker in West Virginia.
Tell them to follow the directions on the website.
http://newvrindaban.com/directions.html
Those will get them here the best way.
This is a generic problem in areas like West Virginia that aren’t laid out on a grid. Vidya brought me the attached picture. It was taken at a private lane near Oglebay Park, a large tourist destination on the north side of Wheeling.
So it isn’t only NV. :-)
Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever
•Kurma dasa, AU: Kurma's Kuppa Soup
My Dad likes to have soup some days for lunch, so I make big batches and fill single-serve containers for him to warm up when he wants them.
Today I found myself with a glut of vine-ripened tomatoes, so I decided to make tomato soup, the Kurma Cookbook way.
First step was to blanche the tomatoes - I cut out the cores and made a cross with a knife on the other end of each tomato. This ensures that the skins will lift right off in one piece when they are blanched in water. But you knew that.
The recipe calls for dried basil, but I still have a few leaves on my basil plants outside, so why not use them, I thought.
I melted a little butter, added cracked black pepper, a smidge of asafetida and the blanched, peeled and chopped tomatoes and basil leaves, along with a slurp of water.
A long slow stewing broke them down to a nice sloppy, soupy consistency. After cooking I inserted a bamix and pureed the whole mixture, added salt and a sprinkle of raw sugar, and returned it to a full boil.
I melted a tad more butter in another pan, sprinkled in a little flour, and made a tiny roux. I added the roux to the soup and again returned to a simmer, stirring all the while. Finally I poured the whole soup trough a seive and removed the seeds, peppercorn pieces and other debris.
I know it looks like pumpkin soup in this photo - just a peculiarity of the light. But I can assure you it's tomato - soupe de tomate de la journée!
•Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: the opinion of an ass
What is the value of opinion when the people are like dogs and asses? What is the use of taking the opinion of an ass? This vox populi -- taking the opinion of the public -- is degrading modern society. If the public is composed of drunkards, smokers, meat eaters, gamblers, and woman hunters, then what is the value of their opinion? Why take the opinion of fourth-class men? What Krsna says -- that is the standard. Krsna is the supreme, and His version is final. No other opinion is allowed. When I introduced the principle "No illicit sex life," I didn't ask for opinions -- "It must be done." ... Our program is not vox populi. We are saying only what the authoritative scriptures say. If you actually want to do social welfare, then you must take to the standard formula as given in the scriptures.
Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne
•Jahnavi, UK: Encouragement.
If a man wishes to be sure
Of the road he
Travels on
He must close his eyes
And walk in the dark
–St John of the Cross
I found this quote and this sculpture of St John within days of each other. I call those ‘tap on the shoulder’ moments – little signs of encouragement along the twisting path.
•Dandavats.com: San Francisco Ratha Yatra 2011
ISKCON Berkeley: You are all invited to the San Francisco Ratha Yatra festival this coming August 7th. Please bring flags, Hare Krishna signs, and your family and friends. If you are from out of the Bay Area, an unusual amount of devotees are expected this year so please make your travel arraignments early
