sábado, 9 de julio de 2011

H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – BG 16.1 Austerities Of The Mind And Body 5-23-2011








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"Planet ISKCON" - 51 new articles

  1. ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
  2. ISKCON News.com: Toronto Ratha Yatra’s Creative Campaign to go “Mainstream”
  3. H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – SB 1.3.1 Plastic Chapati Cook 6-16-2011 – Video
  4. Japa Group: This Is The Great Blessing
  5. H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – BG 3.40 Get Your Deluxe Carrot 6-16-2011 – Video
  6. ISKCON News.com: Photographic Bhagavad-gita Wins Independent Publishing Award
  7. ISKCON News.com: ISKCON Poland to Teach Spiritual Curriculum in Schools
  8. Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: Zanzibar
  9. Bhakti Lata, Alachua, USA: A Long-Awaited Photo Essay
  10. H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – BG 16.1 Austerities Of The Mind And Body 5-23-2011
  11. Book Distribution News: Zanzibar
  12. ISKCON News.com: New Building of Budapest`s Bhaktivedanta College Inaugurated
  13. Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: having hundreds of children
  14. ISKCON News.com: Can of Worms
  15. Dandavats.com: Cooking for London Rathayatra
  16. Dandavats.com: Glastonbury Festival 2011
  17. Dandavats.com: Croyden Rathayatra 3rd July 2011
  18. H.H. Sivarama Swami
  19. Dandavats.com: Free Scripts + Audio samples
  20. H.H. Sivarama Swami
  21. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  22. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  23. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  24. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  25. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  26. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  27. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  28. Srila Prabhupada's Letters
  29. ISKCON News.com: The Plight of Women in South Asia - A New Poll Indicts Several Countries
  30. ISKCON News.com: Bhagavad-gita: A Photographic Essay Wins Prestigious Book Award
  31. ISKCON News.com: Is Your Medication Causing You To Suffer From Malnutrition?
  32. ISKCON News.com: Radhanath Swami at Harvard University
  33. ISKCON News.com: Nairobi Hotel Wins Over Clients With Subsidized Menu
  34. David Haslam, UK: Thought on discovered insertion for Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
  35. Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Bhajan - Vatsal Prabhu - Parama Karuna
  36. Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Spare a Day, or Two or Three to Immerse Yourself in Kirtan!
  37. Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Review : Sourdough Bread
  38. Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Sourdough Pretzels
  39. Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: How to attain peace?
  40. Japa Group: Talking About Chanting
  41. Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Quick Sourdough Focaccia
  42. Mukunda Charan das, SA: Mayapuri Puffed Rice, Gour And Date Sweets
  43. ISKCON News.com: Four New Books From Torchlight Publishing
  44. H.H. Sivarama Swami: Sasvata dasa asks
  45. Gouranga TV: Bhajan – Nitai Pran & Vraja Kishor – Nrsimhadev Prayers @ Singhania’s House
  46. Sri Prahlad, AU: The Power of Kirtan – More Than Mere Stress Relief
  47. Vraja Kishor, JP: Matter, Spirit… What’s the Difference?
  48. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: THE INQUIRING LEADER
  49. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL CONFIDENCE
  50. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: FEELING GOOD
  51. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: FORMING NEW HABITS TAKES TIME
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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana

09/07/2011

Sri Radha Ballabha is adorned with a majestic tulasi garland today, especially brought for Him from Brisbane by Niti and Radha Kanta Matajis.

It thus takes us straight to Sri Vrindavana Dhama on a festival day where Krishna is offered this most fragrant and intoxicating mala for His pleasure and that of the bumble bees hovering around Tulasi Devi.

Here's the darsana of Lord Krishna proudly wearing this gift of love from His devotees.

 
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ISKCON News.com: Toronto Ratha Yatra’s Creative Campaign to go “Mainstream”

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 9 Jul 2011

The predominantly second-generation team behind the Toronto Ratha-Yatra festival is ambitious and creative in its promotion, and unswervingly dedicated to reaching beyond the devotee world into the mainstream.


 
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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – SB 1.3.1 Plastic Chapati Cook 6-16-2011 – Video

Lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 3 verse 1 titled “Plastic Chapati Cook” given in Timisoara – Romania on the morning of June 16, 2011. The subject of the lecture is related to Lord Krishna’s incarnations, specifically the Purusa Avataras – (external pastimes)

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.1

suta uvaca

jagrihe paurusham rupam

bhagavan mahad-adibhih

sambhutam shodasa-kalam

adau loka-sisrikshaya

TRANSLATION

Suta said: In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal form of the purusha incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe.

PURPORT

The Bhagavad-gita states that the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna maintains these material universes by extending His plenary expansions. So thispurusha form is the confirmation of the same principle. The original Personality of Godhead Vasudeva, or Lord Krishna, who is famous as the son of KingVasudeva or King Nanda, is full with all opulences, all potencies, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. Part of His opulences are manifested as impersonal Brahman, and part of His opulences are manifested as Paramatma. This purusha feature of the same Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna is the original Paramatma manifestation of the Lord. There are three purusha features in the material creation, and this form, who is known as the KaranodakasayiVishnu, is the first of the three. The others are known as the Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and the Kshirodakasayi Vishnu, which we shall know one after another. The innumerable universes are generated from the skin holes of this Karanodakasayi Vishnu, and in each one of the universes the Lord enters as GarbhodakasayiVishnu.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is also mentioned that the material world is created at certain intervals and then again destroyed. This creation and destruction is done by the supreme will because of the conditioned souls, or the nitya-baddha living beings. The nitya-baddha, or the eternally conditioned souls, have the sense of individuality or ahankara, which dictates them sense enjoyment, which they are unable to have constitutionally. The Lord is the only enjoyer, and all others are enjoyed. The living beings are predominated enjoyers. But the eternally conditioned souls, forgetful of this constitutional position, have strong aspirations to enjoy. The chance to enjoy matter is given to the conditioned souls in the material world, and side by side they are given the chance to understand their real constitutional position. Those fortunate living entities who catch the truth and surrender unto the lotus feet of Vasudeva after many, many births in the material world join the eternally liberated souls and thus are allowed to enter into the kingdom of Godhead. After this, such fortunate living entities need not come again within the occasional material creation. But those who cannot catch the constitutional truth are again merged into the mahat-tattva at the time of the annihilation of the material creation. When the creation is again set up, this mahat-tattva is again let loose. This mahat-tattva contains all the ingredients of the material manifestations, including the conditioned souls. Primarily this mahat-tattva is divided into sixteen parts, namely the five gross material elements and the eleven working instruments or senses. It is like the cloud in the clear sky. In the spiritual sky, the effulgence of Brahman is spread all around, and the whole system is dazzling in spiritual light. The mahat-tattva is assembled in some corner of the vast, unlimited spiritual sky, and the part which is thus covered by the mahat-tattva is called the material sky. This part of the spiritual sky, called the mahat-tattva, is only an insignificant portion of the whole spiritual sky, and within this mahat-tattva there are innumerable universes. All these universes are collectively produced by the Karanodakasayi Vishnu, called also the Maha-Vishnu, who simply throws His glance to impregnate the material sky.

SB 01.03.01 Plastic Chapati Cook 2011-06-16

http://vimeo.com/25190396 Lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 3 verse 1 titled “Plastic Chapati Cook” given in Timisoara - Romania on the morning of June 16, 2011. The subject of the lecture is related to Lord Krishna's incarnations, sp...
 
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Japa Group: This Is The Great Blessing


A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment. This is the great blessing of the Krsna conscious process of chanting the maha-mantra Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

BG 8.14 Purport
 
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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – BG 3.40 Get Your Deluxe Carrot 6-16-2011 – Video

This is a lecture given on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 verse 40 on the evening of June 16, 2011 in Timisoara, Romania.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 3.40

indriyani mano buddhir

asyadhishthanam ucyate

etair vimohayaty esha

jnanam avritya dehinam

TRANSLATION

The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.

PURPORT

The enemy has captured different strategic positions in the body of the conditioned soul, and therefore Lord Krishna is giving hints of those places, so that one who wants to conquer the enemy may know where he can be found. Mind is the center of all the activities of the senses, and thus when we hear about sense objects the mind generally becomes a reservoir of all ideas of sense gratification; and, as a result, the mind and the senses become the repositories of lust. Next, the intelligence department becomes the capital of such lustful propensities. Intelligence is the immediate next-door neighbor of the spirit soul. Lusty intelligence influences the spirit soul to acquire the false ego and identify itself with matter, and thus with the mind and senses. The spirit soul becomes addicted to enjoying the material senses and mistakes this as true happiness. This false identification of the spirit soul is very nicely explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam(10.84.13):

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke

sva-dhih kalatradishu bhauma ijya-dhih

yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij

janeshv abhijneshu sa eva go-kharah

“A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of birth worshipable, and who goes to the place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like an ass or a cow.

BG 03.40 Get Your Deluxe Carrot 2011-06-16

http://vimeo.com/25222691 This is a lecture given on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 verse 40 on the evening of June 16, 2011 in Timisoara, Romania. Bhagavad-gita As It Is 3.40 indriyani mano buddhir asyadhishthanam ucyate etair vimohayaty esha jnanam avritya dehinam TRANSLATION The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him. PURPORT The enemy has captured different strategic positions in the body of the conditioned soul, and therefore Lord Krishna is giving hints of those places, so that one who wants to conquer the enemy may know where he can be found. Mind is the center of all the activities of the senses, and thus when we hear about sense objects the mind generally becomes a reservoir of all ideas of sense gratification; and, as a result, the mind and the senses become the repositories of lust. Next, the intelligence department becomes the capital of such lustful propensities. Intelligence is the immediate next-door neighbor of the spirit soul. Lusty intelligence influences the spirit soul to acquire the false ego and identify itself with matter, and thus with the mind and senses. The spirit soul becomes addicted to enjoying the material senses and mistakes this as true happiness. This false identification of the spirit soul is very nicely explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam(10.84.13): yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradishu bhauma ijya-dhih yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janeshv abhijneshu sa eva go-kharah "A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of birth worshipable, and who goes to the place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like an ass or a cow. BG 03.40 Get Your Deluxe Carrot 2011-06-16
 
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ISKCON News.com: Photographic Bhagavad-gita Wins Independent Publishing Award

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 9 Jul 2011

Bhagavad-gita: A Photographic Essay, written by Srila Prabhupada disciple Visakha Dasi, and published by Torchlight, has won a bronze medal at this year’s Independent Publisher Book Awards.


 
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ISKCON News.com: ISKCON Poland to Teach Spiritual Curriculum in Schools

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 9 Jul 2011

ISKCON devotees in Poland have just finished writing an educational program that aims to provide primary and secondary school children with the cultural, social and philosophical basis for Krishna consciousness.


 
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Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: Zanzibar

We had come to attend the Nairobi Ratha Yatra in East Africa and after that thought of doing some book distribution in neighbouring Dar es salaam and Zanzibar by Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy. In Dar es salaam there are some devotees and there is some preaching going on. In Zanzibar, however the population is at least about ninety five percent muslims and, they are practicing muslims. Therefore there hasn't really been much done there. It is actually the birth place of the Swahili language and culture which is now quite widespread in Africa. Zanzibar island just off the Tanzania mainland is an autonomous province of Tanzania and also formerly part of Oman. In fact it was at one time the capital of Oman and the Sultans would reside there. Therefore there was a heavy Arab and Islamic influence.

So we planned to spend a day there distributing the Swahili SSR and Swahili BG. We took the 2 hour speed boat from Dar es salaam and crossed into the island and arrived at around 9am with a member of the local Hindu community greeting us on arrival after having been informed by a well-wisher in Dar about our plans for the day. He guided us to the local Hindu temple which was about a 7 minute walk from the harbour. Where we took some prasadam which we had carried with us.

Just after finishing our packed prasadam the person who guided us to the temple came to meet us along with the temple pujari and another person who was a prominent member of the small Hindu community. To our surprise they started telling us that it would be dangerous to distribute books here since the people, muslims, don't like it. They explained how once a Swaminarayan had come and they followed him all around the town asking him why he had come here to spread his religion in their land. They suggested that they guide us to the book shops where we can ask them to take some books and also meet some prominent Hindus who could take some books to hand out to their muslim friends.

I was really against this idea as I was wondering how many books would really go out like that. Besides that I had been meditating on serving Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission by distributing books in Zanzibar for quite some time and thought if I didn't do it now then I would feel I had failed in my service to the Gurus and Sri Gauranga.

So I told them that there is no problem and that we had done this many times and we will be careful and not pushy. They remained fixed in their determination to convince us not to go out on sankirtan telling us that in the past there were problems and even attacks on Hindus and that if we go out it may create a problem for all the Hindus on the island (we were in full vaishnava dress with Tilak). Finally I told them that we will go out without their help and find our way around and make it clear to everyone that we were not part of the Hindu community (which of course we are not anyway). They then still looked a little nervous and upset but then reluctantly agreed as they couldn't really stop us from going to preach.

Sankirtan Report

---------------------------

I exited the temple and started softly singing Nrsimha prayers. I left out a few shops and then started entering the shops. Almost all shops had pictures of Quranic verses on display and taped recitations from the Quran playing. Most people were serious though respectful, and asked some questions but found the philosophy new and seemed to be confused where to 'place it'. Surprisingly there were a few people who had heard of the Bhagavad-gita and a few having visited Dar es salaam had heard of the Hare Krishna movement. As I was going from shop to shop people looked at me curiously, but no one stopped me or bothered me. I presented the books as the Science of the Soul and universal knowledge applicable to everyone.

The only tense situation I encountered was when I entered a pharmacy where I saw an Arab person looking at me with a frown on his face. I avoided him and spoke to the other two who were there and he interrupted that these books are from a background different from what they were and so they don't want the books. I just turned to him and said politely that the goal of these books is to simply add-on to the knowledge they already gained about God and not to challenge them. He was still getting quite emotional about why I came in the shop to present these books and so I just left politely. In all, over 4 hours (We had to catch the last return boat to Dar and so had 4 hours only) I managed to distribute 4 SSR's by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as follows:

1) One small shop I entered had many books on shelves in Arabic and Swahili. The shop owner looked elderly but quite effulgent. He wore glasses and had a beard and a muslim cap and said he was a writer and these books for sale were his. He looked scholarly and knew about the Bhagavad-gita though opted to take the SSR instead. He gave me his contact and said I should visit him when I next come as he would then take a Bhagavad-gita.

2) The next fortunate soul was a woman who looked like a manager in a travel company. She was from the minority Christian community and she took the book and even wanted a BG but didn't have enough money. I took down her contact and she was looking at the contents and the comments at the back of the SSR intently. She thanked me and asked me to visit when I returned next to Zanzibar so she could take a BG.

3) I entered a shop where another person owned a shop selling electronics and kitchen items. He looked quite young and when I presented the books he began to question me thoroughly and animatedly about the short introduction I gave about the books. He asked me why we are not happy in this world, what is the goal of life? Where are these teachings from? What is the position of the prophet Mohamed in these teachings? In between customers kept coming and his mobile kept ringing. Finally he took an SSR. Hari bol!!

4) The last recipient of Srila Prabhupada's mercy was in a shop where I entered and saw two people speaking to each other. One was an Indian expatriate and looked surprised to see a person in dhoti, kurta and tilak. He started talking to me but I politely tried to instead engage the muslim Zanzibari person behind the desk who looked like the owner of the computer shop. As I was presenting the books the other person kept trying to ask about where ISKCON is here and is there a centre. I still tried to focus on the person behind the desk thinking to speak to the other person after I try to distribute a book to the one behind the desk. In the end they both refused to take a book. I then asked the man if there was anyone in the workshop behind who would perhaps take a book. He called out loudly in Swahili addressing someone in the workshop behind that someone's coming there who is selling books in case he wants one. I entered the workshop and saw a youngish looking person working on assembling a computer. He was smiling at me and as I started trying to explain the philosophy he interrupted me and said he will take a book. Apparently he had been hearing the conversation of his boss and me and was felt inclined to take a book.

All Glories to the Sri Krishna Sankirtan Movement ! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada ! All Glories to the Translator of the Swahili edition of the Science of Self-Realization !

Murari Das (Text D:5094848) -------------------------------------------

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

 
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Bhakti Lata, Alachua, USA: A Long-Awaited Photo Essay



My friend Balaram has been begging me to post my pictures from South India for the past seven months. I'm not kidding - 7 months. As a running joke, he has tried every trick in the book: random text messages, bribes, philosophical arguments, and just plain old-fashioned begging. 

Finally, this morning I just buckled down to edit and post them!  

Amazing how photos can transport us to another world, another time, another place. So I was quite stunned to find myself in India this morning. 

What pulled me there was the people; I experience the people in India as so unguarded. To lock eyes with total strangers is normal; laughter is full and rich; devotion is expressed openly. 

If you haven't noticed yet, my joy in photography is to capture the Incandescent Moment - the soft and unexpected moment of poetry. Just by being aware and observant, I get to distill the beauty and essence of life into an image. With photography, I get to view every moment of life as a work of art.  (You can view my Incandescent Moment photo essay here)

So thank you, Balaram, for encouraging me to revisit my surreal experience on the South India Yatra.

To conclude our joke, after I had posted this album, I asked him: "Okay, so where's my bribe money?"

He replied: "How can I pay you for something that is priceless?"

Bravo. Point taken.   


 






























Radhanath Swami with the leaders of the Ramujacharya line

one of my favorite places in South India, the Corridor of a Thousand Pillars


Related Posts:
Countdown of Fate - "This is a screenshot of the countdown gadget on my Google homepage. I put it there about 120 days ago..."
River of Prayer - "I sit in the corridor of a thousand pillars in the Ramanatha temple in Rameshvaram..."
 
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H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – BG 16.1 Austerities Of The Mind And Body 5-23-2011

BG 16.01 Austerities Of The Mind And Body 2011-05-23

Lecture – Bhagavad Gita 16.1 Austerities Of The Mind And Body 2011-05-23 Radhadesh

BG 16.01 Austerities Of The Mind And Body 2011-05-23 Lecture - Bhagavad Gita 16.1 Austerities Of The Mind And Body 2011-05-23 Radhadesh
 
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Book Distribution News: Zanzibar

We had come to attend the Nairobi Ratha Yatra in East Africa and after that thought of doing some book distribution in neighbouring Dar es salaam and Zanzibar by Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy. In Dar es salaam there are some devotees and there is some preaching going on. In Zanzibar, however the population is at least about ninety five percent muslims and, they are practicing muslims. Therefore there hasn't really been much done there. It is actually the birth place of the Swahili language and culture which is now quite widespread in Africa. Zanzibar island just off the Tanzania mainland is an autonomous province of Tanzania and also formerly part of Oman. In fact it was at one time the capital of Oman and the Sultans would reside there. Therefore there was a heavy Arab and Islamic influence.

So we planned to spend a day there distributing the Swahili SSR and Swahili BG. We took the 2 hour speed boat from Dar es salaam and crossed into the island and arrived at around 9am with a member of the local Hindu community greeting us on arrival after having been informed by a well-wisher in Dar about our plans for the day. He guided us to the local Hindu temple which was about a 7 minute walk from the harbour. Where we took some prasadam which we had carried with us.

Just after finishing our packed prasadam the person who guided us to the temple came to meet us along with the temple pujari and another person who was a prominent member of the small Hindu community. To our surprise they started telling us that it would be dangerous to distribute books here since the people, muslims, don't like it. They explained how once a Swaminarayan had come and they followed him all around the town asking him why he had come here to spread his religion in their land. They suggested that they guide us to the book shops where we can ask them to take some books and also meet some prominent Hindus who could take some books to hand out to their muslim friends.

I was really against this idea as I was wondering how many books would really go out like that. Besides that I had been meditating on serving Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission by distributing books in Zanzibar for quite some time and thought if I didn't do it now then I would feel I had failed in my service to the Gurus and Sri Gauranga.

So I told them that there is no problem and that we had done this many times and we will be careful and not pushy. They remained fixed in their determination to convince us not to go out on sankirtan telling us that in the past there were problems and even attacks on Hindus and that if we go out it may create a problem for all the Hindus on the island (we were in full vaishnava dress with Tilak). Finally I told them that we will go out without their help and find our way around and make it clear to everyone that we were not part of the Hindu community (which of course we are not anyway). They then still looked a little nervous and upset but then reluctantly agreed as they couldn't really stop us from going to preach.

Sankirtan Report

---------------------------

I exited the temple and started softly singing Nrsimha prayers. I left out a few shops and then started entering the shops. Almost all shops had pictures of Quranic verses on display and taped recitations from the Quran playing. Most people were serious though respectful, and asked some questions but found the philosophy new and seemed to be confused where to 'place it'. Surprisingly there were a few people who had heard of the Bhagavad-gita and a few having visited Dar es salaam had heard of the Hare Krishna movement. As I was going from shop to shop people looked at me curiously, but no one stopped me or bothered me. I presented the books as the Science of the Soul and universal knowledge applicable to everyone.

The only tense situation I encountered was when I entered a pharmacy where I saw an Arab person looking at me with a frown on his face. I avoided him and spoke to the other two who were there and he interrupted that these books are from a background different from what they were and so they don't want the books. I just turned to him and said politely that the goal of these books is to simply add-on to the knowledge they already gained about God and not to challenge them. He was still getting quite emotional about why I came in the shop to present these books and so I just left politely. In all, over 4 hours (We had to catch the last return boat to Dar and so had 4 hours only) I managed to distribute 4 SSR's by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as follows:

1) One small shop I entered had many books on shelves in Arabic and Swahili. The shop owner looked elderly but quite effulgent. He wore glasses and had a beard and a muslim cap and said he was a writer and these books for sale were his. He looked scholarly and knew about the Bhagavad-gita though opted to take the SSR instead. He gave me his contact and said I should visit him when I next come as he would then take a Bhagavad-gita.

2) The next fortunate soul was a woman who looked like a manager in a travel company. She was from the minority Christian community and she took the book and even wanted a BG but didn't have enough money. I took down her contact and she was looking at the contents and the comments at the back of the SSR intently. She thanked me and asked me to visit when I returned next to Zanzibar so she could take a BG.

3) I entered a shop where another person owned a shop selling electronics and kitchen items. He looked quite young and when I presented the books he began to question me thoroughly and animatedly about the short introduction I gave about the books. He asked me why we are not happy in this world, what is the goal of life? Where are these teachings from? What is the position of the prophet Mohamed in these teachings? In between customers kept coming and his mobile kept ringing. Finally he took an SSR. Hari bol!!

4) The last recipient of Srila Prabhupada's mercy was in a shop where I entered and saw two people speaking to each other. One was an Indian expatriate and looked surprised to see a person in dhoti, kurta and tilak. He started talking to me but I politely tried to instead engage the muslim Zanzibari person behind the desk who looked like the owner of the computer shop. As I was presenting the books the other person kept trying to ask about where ISKCON is here and is there a centre. I still tried to focus on the person behind the desk thinking to speak to the other person after I try to distribute a book to the one behind the desk. In the end they both refused to take a book. I then asked the man if there was anyone in the workshop behind who would perhaps take a book. He called out loudly in Swahili addressing someone in the workshop behind that someone's coming there who is selling books in case he wants one. I entered the workshop and saw a youngish looking person working on assembling a computer. He was smiling at me and as I started trying to explain the philosophy he interrupted me and said he will take a book. Apparently he had been hearing the conversation of his boss and me and was felt inclined to take a book.

All Glories to the Sri Krishna Sankirtan Movement ! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada ! All Glories to the Translator of the Swahili edition of the Science of Self-Realization !

Murari Das (Text D:5094848) -------------------------------------------

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

 
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ISKCON News.com: New Building of Budapest`s Bhaktivedanta College Inaugurated

By Govardhana Das for ISKCON News on 8 Jul 2011

In June, 2011, the new building of the Bhaktivedanta College of Budapest got inaugurated. As part of the opening ceremony, a conference was held entiltled The India and Europe: Cooperation & Common Values. A new temporary exhibition has opened featuring Hungarian indologist Sir Aurél Stein's unique archaeological work.


 
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Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: having hundreds of children

Raising children is a great responsibility, and a prospective parent should be convinced that he can deliver his child from the clutches of birth, death, disease and old age. If that conviction is there, then there is no objection to having hundreds of children and raising them to be pure devotees of Krishna.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Koumadaki -- Australia March 27, 1972

 
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ISKCON News.com: Can of Worms

By Sutapa Das for sutapamonk.blogspot.com on 8 Jul 2011

The external reorganization of our life and the internal cleansing of our consciousness need not be mutually exclusive activities. Like train tracks, they can coexist side-by-side. As we progressively reengineer our lifestyle, we can simultaneously intensify our spirituality.


 
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Dandavats.com: Cooking for London Rathayatra

By Parasuram das

The mission this year was to cook a feast for 15,000 people. Titiksu Prabhu is the organiser of the London Rathayatra. An amazing event with 3 carts. It was ekadasi so all the preps were cooked without grains. This years menu was subji, mash potato, halava, srikand, and juice

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