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"Planet ISKCON" - 52 new articles
- Spiritual Scientist: Why rituals?
- 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
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Quality Control : Waiter, There’s A Dead Scorpion In My Apple Cider
- Jahnavi, UK: Live in Love.
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Damodarastakam for Kindle, updated
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - His Grace Kadamba Kanana Swami
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, October 10th, 2011
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Sunday, October 9th, 2011
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Saturday, October 8th, 2011
- ISKCON News.com: A Revolution In Consciousness?
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, October 7th, 2011
- ISKCON News.com: Bhaktivedanta Care Centre Opens in Durban
- H.H. Sivarama Swami
- Kurma dasa, AU: Dinner with Kurma
- Japa Group: Please Join The Japa Group
- Karnamrita das, NC, USA: Month of Kartika—Pure Devotion on Sale for Less
- ISKCON News.com: ISKCON of Washington DC Presents “Krishna Talks” on TV
- Sastra Dana, San Diego, USA: 16 Rounds Magazine Promo
- Dandavats.com: Vraj Mandala Padayatra 2011
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Make plans for Krishna - Urja Vrta
- Japa Group: Both The Means And The End
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Eternal rest or eternal engagement
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Damodarastakam instructional videos - guitar, harmonium, mrdanga, cartals
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Vraja-kumara asks
- Sita-pati dasa, AU: Damodarastakam - Sanskrit and English
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: IKEA : Disposable Design For All
- Nityananda Chandra Das, Dallas TX: TEXAS FAITH 51: Why does a strong belief in heaven and hell motivate people?
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Poem for October 11
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Selected Writings
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Poem for October 10
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Selected Writings
- ISKCON Desire Tree: Vaishnava Calender - Fourth month of caturmasya begins(Fast from urad dahl for one month)
- Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: With Deaths of Forests, A Loss of Key Climate Protectors
- Dandavats.com: Vidyadan enters into Student Lives of South India
- Dandavats.com: Purnachandra ACBSP leaves this world
- Dandavats.com: Bhaktivedanta Care Centre Opens In Durban
- Dandavats.com: Bhaktivedanta Manor Janmastami festival 2011
- Dandavats.com: OPEN LETTER TO Bhakti Vikasa Swami
- Dandavats.com: Krishna katha
- Dandavats.com: Resurrection of Phoenix
- Dandavats.com: A wonderful opportunity to serve in the Radhadesh Publication Service
- Dandavats.com: Sri Godruma Kalpatavi (”The Desire-tree Grove of Godruma”)
- Gouranga TV: Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Appearance Day, HH Prabhavishnu Swami 2011.09.10.
- H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Wednesday 12 October 2011--Take Shelter of Krishna's Holy Name--and--Should I Give Up Material Studies?
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Spiritual Scientist: Why rituals?
Question: What is the need of rituals? Is it not enough to just think of God in the mind?
Answer: Rituals are the essential external means to think of God internally.
Rituals are not restricted to religion; they pervade all fields of life. Let's consider two worldly examples:
1. When we meet a stranger, the ritual of extending our hand and saying “I'm pleased to meet you” gives tangible, recognizable and appreciable form to our desire to express cordiality and warmth.
2. On a birthday, the ritual of blowing a candle and cutting a cake brings structure and verve to the celebration.
Many people would still find a birthday celebration jarringly incomplete without candle-blowing, although candle-blowing has no intrinsic connection with a birthday. If the ritual were intrinsically connected with the essence of an occasion, then how much more would it be necessary on that occasion? For example, bowing down or kneeling down in a holy place is a ritual to express our humility in the presence of the divine. Could we experience the same profound humility if we were to sit cross-legged, leaning backwards on an easy-chair with the head resting on the palms of the hand? Arguably not.
Let's analyze: what is the precise connection of the outer ritual with the inner essence? There's a dual connection: rituals are the means to both expressing the essence and experiencing the essence. The handshake helps express the essence of cordiality, the candle-blowing helps experience the essence of happiness, and the bowing down helps both express and experience the essence of humility.
Let's now consider another ritual: the repeated chanting of the names of God. The theistic wisdom-traditions of the world declare that God extends his presence to us through his holy names. For those with devotion for God, chanting his names is the ritual to express their devotion for him. And for those who don't yet have that devotion, chanting is the ritual to experience that devotion. Those who do away with the external ritual of chanting run the risk of making their attempts to internally think of God self-congratulatory and hallucinatory.
Why do some people want to do away with rituals altogether? Often they are disillusioned with rituals due to seeing them enacted heartlessly and perfunctorily. However, their blanket rejection of rituals generally backfires on them; it minimizes their access to the essence to a merely conceptual or superficial level.
How then can we reach the essence? By education about:
1. What the essence exactly is,
2. What the connection between the ritual and the essence is and
3. What the principles and techniques for connecting the ritual with the essence are.
By such systematic education, we will soon experience that the ritual of chanting is synonymous and synchronous with the essence of heartfelt devotion.
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1971 October 12: "I am so much pleased you have got a nice place. I shall try to visit at my first opportunity. All these yogis are mostly bluffers. They have no substance, you can openly declare. Distribute my books very widely and these bogus yogis and swamis will vanish."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1971 October 12: "I have also apprehended a scandalous situation; so do things nicely and in consultation with others rectify the situation. All new matters should be consulted with all the members and a vote taken."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1973 October 12: "Wherever there are Deities there must be first class care, arati, bhoga, cleanliness, dressing, regular classes. If this is not possible, then better to travel. Just like I am an old man, but I am always traveling."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1973 October 12: "I am very satisfied on you and your good wife, so go on serving Krishna with greater enthusiasm. That will make me happy. Actually everyone one of you my disciples are good, and my task is to find out the fault in you."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1973 October 12: "The German devotees have impressed me by their enthusiasm so train them nicely. The Germans are very intelligent, and they will be the future preachers. So give them nice translations of my books and you will have tremendous success."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1973 October 12: "I am glad to hear of the success of Tripurari. Some say dhoti is an impediment. So if he can distribute 105 Gitas and 105 Sri Isopanisad in one day in dhoti, why not try for this in other places as well?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1974 October 12: "Although Krishna consciousness is a simple process, the application may sometimes be difficult. Now you are one of my older disciples, so please try to follow the devotional practices I have given you. This is the simple formula for victory in our struggle against maya."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1974 October 12: "Before saving others we must first see that we ourselves are safe. Therefore associate with my disciples in one of our Krishna Consciousness centers. Krishna will give you the proper idea of how to spread Krishna consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
•Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Quality Control : Waiter, There’s A Dead Scorpion In My Apple Cider
Tonight my husband came home from work and went to pour himself a refreshing glass of Ziegler's Old Fashioned Apple Cider. Apparently "old fashioned" means "with a dead scorpion floating in it."
•Jahnavi, UK: Live in Love.
Sometimes I feel like such a classic preacher’s daughter. I saw this ad in the street and instantly started pontificating in my mind. ‘Be quiet!,’ the other, humbler side of me hissed. ‘You don’t have to give a running commentary on everything.’ But – it’s too hard to resist. So forgive me.
This reminded me of how much we all want love. We want it so much that we drive ourselves crazy, filling life with things that like a bad boyfriend, promise so much and deliver so little. Whether the sugar that we crave in search of real sweetness, or the the things we buy to attract more love, more beauty, more security. I know I’m not saying anything new. When the Beatles sang ‘Money can’t buy me love,’ the whole world nodded (and sang) along. I know it, so why does real love still seem so elusive?
The missing piece is service. In almost every spiritual tradition this conclusion is defined – to love another truly is to serve, expecting nothing in return.
It’s been a powerful realisation for me lately. I have been blessed to receive appreciation and admiration from so many, but it doesn’t satisfy my heart unless I feel that I am sincerely trying to serve others. Easy to say, hard to remember.
•Sita-pati dasa, AU: Damodarastakam for Kindle, updated
If you downloaded Damodarastakam for Kindle yesterday, try it again today. After using it a couple of times, I've reformatted it to force one verse per page, so there is no cutting of verses half-way through.
View it in Landscape orientation. On the Kindle 3 the following settings work well: second to smallest size font, regular typeface, large line spacing, default words per line.
You can get your Kindle to sing along by turning on "Text-to-Speech". His Sanskrit pronunciation isn't so pukka, but hey - he's a robot! (I'll make another one later with only English, so that you can get him to chant out loud to you).
•ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - His Grace Kadamba Kanana Swami
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.17-19 Active for Krsnas mercy
•H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Get Out!
Toronto, Ontario
We have a very sweet and staunch brahmachari monk from Bengal who agreed, with very little persuasion, to go for an eight km walk. For the most part, he's staying in the ashram building and doesn't get out to see the world too much. I thought to do him the favour to go down the "David Balfour Park" trail to get the out of door experience, the fresh air, and all of that. His services or daily chores keep him indoors mostly but I'm bent on imposing a little change. I also thought of the 'bad outside' world is something to confront. Not to shy away from it would be helpful. After all, we were just down a nature trail.
Sure enough, although he's been in the west for a few months, cultural conditioning is deep I found. Some amount of culture shock still did exist.
He laughed at the pampering of dogs. A number of dog sitters came down the trail. To my defense I would have said that in India, dogs are so neglected, they are let to stray and are pathetically diseased. He was amused to see some of the iron sculptures as we passed by the Brickworks. With a background in fine arts, I found the rustic renderings to be rather creative. I didn't say much about it.
I pointed out the rich colours of the trees, being autumn, but our dear monk devotee made a comment, "They are all yellow." It sounded as if it looked bleak to him.
In reality, the stroll and all he saw was somewhat a fascination to him. Here's the one thing that really got to me and where I had to respond. When he saw a man pick up his pet dog's stool (responsibly), he remarked, "In India, if you touch a dogs stool you will take bath immediately." I said, "If this were India (meaning this trail) you and I would be sliding on dog feces all the way along because no one cleans up after."
To say something redeeming about impressions, he did pick up on the kindness of co-walkers on the trail. I was glad to have him as my walking companion over any one else. He was chanting and started to see the good in the things around him. I think the walk did him good and I'm going to invite another young brahmachari the next day down the trail. His duties also keep him in the ashram for too long.
When I think about it I spend considerable time encouraging our ashram dwellers and community members to get out the door, meet people, perform sankirtan (public chanting), distribute books on spirituality, take care of your health. The message is, "Let's get out, get out, get out!"
10 KM
•H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, October 10th, 2011
Calgary, Alberta
Stole the Show
If you are an outdoor kirtan enthusiast, you really must try the following, given the circumstances apply:
Find an urban river or a creek with a bridge structured over it, and if there’s a good trickle of pedestrians taking advantage of its walkway, plant your kirtan party at the base of one end of the bridge, and chant away. At the Jaipur bridge from Calgary’s downtown that connects to Prince’s Park, our colourful chanting group positioned ourselves, where bridge walkers could clearly see us below in musical array.
One person was pumping the harmonium. Two were on mrdanga drums. One took to playing karatalas (hand cymbals), one struck repeatedly a tambourine, while all of us used our voices to chant the popular mantra Hare Krishna. It was a powerful presentation and a perfect venue with rocks, water, autumn bushes and trees as a natural setting. Ducks and geese came swimming towards us to hear us, and humans promenading were halted by what they saw and heard. Leaning at the edge of the bridges rail was our spontaneous audience. But the most astounding aspect of our devotional show was when Lyle came into the picture. Who is Lyle? Well, he introduced himself to us and said, “I’m Native, eh?” I stay at the home shelter. I’ve had it rough all my life, eh?” He looked a bit weathered, and had a deep scar on his left cheek. He abruptly left the rock where he sat to speak to us, and came back 10 minutes later with a gift. The gift was a tiny bouquet of wild flowers, hand picked, held together with a weed twine. He casually placed it in front of Gaura Chandra, our harmonium player, stepped forward to sip water from the Bow River in front of us, and then raised his arms in the beautiful ritual style. He returned to his rock, pulled out his harmonica and played with us, or tried.
If you ask me, Lyle stole the show. He demonstrated real bhakti, devotion, without having read anything about it. Bhakti is of course an innate thing, and after we took a break playing, and let him play solo, he terminated by saying, “You know we’re all connected, there’s no separation between us.” We couldn’t argue with him on that.
This touching encounter happened at the base of the bridge, the bridge called Jaipur Bridge, in Calgary. Somehow, Lyle showed us how to enhance our Thanksgiving.
6 KM
•H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Sunday, October 9th, 2011
Three Sisters
Canmore, Alberta
Three Sisters are a tri-peaked mountain set east of Canmore. A local person describes them as guardians of the valley. To me they appear like three nuns standing at the threshold of a convent.
We are at the edge of the Rocky Mountains, you can’t find a more heavenly place to talk about lofty things. Even though our Inn where our meetings are held are within a valley, our true purpose for coming together is to attain sangha (each other’s company). Like minded, our group is. We are all not only from the same country, Canada, but we all have the same spiritual passion. This passion goes twofold. Each and everyone of our attendees carry a concern for his or her own destiny. We seek love for Krishna and liberation from this world. Our second passion is generated towards the world. We wish to share what we know about Vedic knowledge, which in truth, is meant for everyone. To share that wealth of information requires planning. On the second day of our gathering, our group representing fourteen official centres, big and small, are speaking on how to improve the guardianship of both our own individual souls and those of others who are seekers of the truth.
For those who come to this touristic area of mountains and wildlife, it is advised to be wild smart regarding elk, bear, coyote and cougar, to learn how to avoid encounters, and how to handle attacks. Similarly, we have our souls to protect from self serving agendas that come from within.
It seems the Three Sisters are there watching over us during our break period to remind us of how important guardianship is.
12 KM
•H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Canmore, Alberta
Meals and Walks
It was a long day yesterday and it included a great meal at the end, a grainless one. Traditionally every fortnight, we honour a fast from grains and also accept a turkeyless meal (it’s Canada’s Thanksgiving Day weekend, yet we are staunch vegetarians). The evening also included a talk I gave from the Gita, 9.26, at the Radha Madhava Cultural Centre. We acknowledge in this verse the type of food items acceptable to our Lord Krishna. Food of a sattvic (mode of goodness nature) is what is preferable. Veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, and lacto foods. The emphasis for offering food is on the intent, bhakti is a word that appears twice in the verse. What is bhakti? It is intense love, devotion.
For walking, my host, Gaura Chandra, an Italian born Krishna devotee, took me on a trail in the Monterey neighbourhood of Calgary’s east end. Prairie breezes were low, but were there. A second trek was held in Canmore, a small city nestled in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of the Bow Valley. Meaningful meetings of the Canadian ISKCON AGM were conducted at the Ramada Inn. We discussed great topics, both fun and sensitive, such as working in the cohesive spirit, to education of sexual misconduct on the pastoral level. Another great meal was provided, reaching our tummies, and it had a definite thank you status. It was sattvic and flavourfully good. In the room next to us at a banquet wedding meat was served, offering a different kind of odour. Interesting juxtaposition!
Generally at this time of year, it does come to mind that thanksgiving needs to be redefined somehow.
8 Km
•ISKCON News.com: A Revolution In Consciousness?
 | The Wall Street Protest: In the past few weeks, I have been doing a dance in my mind and heart over how I feel towards this unlikely and unprecedented turn of events. I have gone from being quite eager to go down there and join them in their strange and colorful carnival, and I have also felt an equally strong desire to keep my distance. |
•H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, October 7th, 2011
Looking At Me At The Zoo
Calgary, Alberta
Seeing the various life forms at the Calgary zoo, we had a chance to see where we were at at one time. Further more, as we left from one continental pavilion to the next, anywhere from Africa to South America, Asia and elsewhere, we also saw all the places we likely resided at in previous lives.
For instance, at the gorilla section, our small contingent of devotees made connections with those hairy boys and girls, despite the pane of glass between us. One ape with powerful arms rapped his knuckles against our barrier which gave me the opportunity to mirror his move and leaving a half an inch of glass between us smacking our knuckles together. And as I chanted to him, I looked into those mischievous and restless eyes and I imagined myself being in that body. I was there before. Moving on to the North American wildlife section, we leisurely made it to the cougars, when one came rather close with a narrow double fence distancing us. He was agitated. Maybe hungry. I felt that same hunger before.
When we came upon the three Mongolian camels, my ticket donour, Gaura Chandra, noted how those three guys with their two humps were instantaneously drawn to the saffron colour of my robe. They ran towards me, no one else. Were they projecting into their future perhaps? Will they become confirmed monks wearing such garb? Who’s to say?
There’s something adorable about each of the creatures we viewed, and I guess that’s the reason for the attraction. We had visited something familiar, we were looking at me, a mirror.
The Bhagavad Gita states that we (our souls) channel through different bodies. The text endorses that our future senses will be grouped around the mind and our state of consciousness. And what we admire today could be our preoccupation when we die, which could determine our next life. The same Bhagavat philosophy makes it clear that someone was a human and then became an animal because of his state of mind at death, as in the case of King Bharat, who became a deer. Our goal should be to end this vicious cycle of repeated birth and death. The message is that we attempt to steer our consciousnesses toward thoughts of the Divine.
6 Km
•ISKCON News.com: Bhaktivedanta Care Centre Opens in Durban
 | “Devotee Care, South Africa” opened its new Bhaktivedanta Care Centre, a Hospice-styled Care facility for the ISKCON community. This valuable service, inspired by and based on the model of the Vrindavan Hospice, is a multi-level building designed for assisting devotees in their final days, preparing them for their journey back to Godhead. |
•H.H. Sivarama Swami
When one’s mind and senses are attracted to sense objects for enjoyment, the mind becomes agitated. As a result of continually thinking of sense objects, one’s real consciousness almost becomes lost, like the water in a lake that is gradually sucked up by the big grass straws on its bank.
- Kumaras
•Kurma dasa, AU: Dinner with Kurma
Last night's dinner, immortalised in 'print'...
Steamed potatoes with fresh garden mint (spearmint and 'chocolate' mint) and sour cream, Southern-style Jambalaya rice with red cabbage, cauliflower, toasted cashews, roasted red peppers, freshly picked garden greens (radicchio, spinach and oak lettuce) green chilies and Spanish smoked paprika, alongside cumin-scented carrots, zucchini and sweet potatoes.
Hearty, simple fare.
•Japa Group: Please Join The Japa Group
Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:
rasa108@gmail.com
ys
Rasa Rasika dasa
•Karnamrita das, NC, USA: Month of Kartika—Pure Devotion on Sale for Less
One of the recommendations for advancing in devotional service is the observance of Kartika Vrata (special devotional practices) especially in Vrindavana, India, or at some holy place, but anywhere that we worship Krishna during the Vedic month of Kartika, or Damodara, which corresponds to October-November. It began yesterday on the full moon and continues to the following full moon. As the next month of Margashirsha represents Krishna, [Bg 10.35] this month represents Shri Radha, who is the feminine compassionate aspect of Krishna. Shri Radha is considered the best devotee of Krishna, and she is both Deity and ideal of devotion for Gaudiya Vaishnavas. We try to please Radha, and our gurus who represent her, to obtain the favor of Krishna, which means engaging in His devotional service eternally. Our aim is not so much to obtain Krishna, but love of Krishna, or prema, because wherever prema exists, Krishna lives! Thus by the grace of the Divine Couple, Shri Radha and Krishna, Radha’s month is considered like a special sale, where the ordinarily very difficult ideal of pure devotion, becomes easily available for a small price. Ours is truly a path of mercy, though as much as possible we also follow the recommendations in the scriptures for our daily spiritual practices.
•ISKCON News.com: ISKCON of Washington DC Presents “Krishna Talks” on TV
 | Devotees from ISKCON Washington DC are using the “idiot box” intelligently; to spread the words of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna. Global TV Network hosts a weekly show titled “Facets of Religions in India,” with approximate 1.5 million viewers. |
•Sastra Dana, San Diego, USA: 16 Rounds Magazine Promo
Jack, a political science PhD from San Diego, is an avid reader of our magazine, 16 Rounds To Samadhi. To read the magazine go to www.16rounds.com. To subscribe, go to www.16rounds.com/subscribe. Your subscriptions help print and distribute this free publication.
•Dandavats.com: Vraj Mandala Padayatra 2011
Parasuram das: On the 12th of October the Padayatra cart will travel out form Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir on itÕs 25th silver jubilee journey the plan is to distribute 50 000 small books over the month of Kartik and tonnes and tonnes of Prasad to the Vraja basis. The books have already arrived in Vrindavan from Bombay
