I have been thinking off and on about the use of “clicker”, and the mild debate that surrounds those who click. After careful consideration and meditation I think I may have a nice solution for everyone.

Let me first start by offering my humble obeisances to all. All glories to Sri Guru! It is simply by the mercy of Guru and Krishna that I am able to speak on such subjects.

Personally, I don’t use a clicker, never have, never will.

Ideally we should all be able to rise early in the hours of Brahma muhurta to do our rounds. I have an 8-month-old daughter, a wife, a full time job, and more responsibilities that I can keep up with, but I always make time for my daily Japa. Japa should not make time for us. We should have a set time when we sit down to chant our rounds, and have that personal one on one connection with the Lord. This is the Lord’s mercy, and more often then not we take it for granted. I could go on and on about this – but the purpose is to discuss the ‘clicker’ alternative.

So, for those of us that need more time here and there what can we do? It’s my understanding that people are using clicker so they can do their rounds in public and not be distracting or stand out. This way they can make sure to get their 16 rounds done. One must remember that when you do a round here, and a round there, then run an errand here, and errand there it is very hard to really absorb those rounds, and taste the Lord’s sweet mercy. Again, inattentive chanting is another subject altogether…

Prabhupada says in his books, “on the beads”. So if you cannot take your full set of japa beads wherever then may I offer a suggestion?

I recently purchased a very nice bracelet that has 27 small tulsi beads on it, and one Krishna bead. This is a very nice bracelet, and looks wonderful, but 27 multiplied 4 equals…1-0-8. So, one with such a bracelet can simply use the sacred tulsi beads to chant on… For all those ‘on-the-go chanters’ out there I think this may be the best solution, and you can remain clicker-free!

I use the bracelet to do extra rounds if I am out and about. Maybe waiting to get your drivers license renewed, or in a long line at the grocery store, you can simply take off your bracelet and use them like a mini strand of your japa! So in this way, no matter where you are you can rise above the material platform of anxiety and just surrender to your japa right then and there…

Again, I am not offering this as a permanent solution. The long-term goal for all of us should be to rise early in the morning, take our bath, and chant our rounds. In doing this you get FULLY CHARGED to take on your day, and you have nothing but Bhakti in the heart and on the mind!

I purchased my japa bracelet at Krishna Culture in Houston, TX
http://www.vedicresource.com/

Bhakta Scott
Houston, TX

Hare Krishna,

We are thinking of dedicating a major portion of the next "ISKCON Congretational Development Journal" to the topic of cultivating new contacts with the aim of developing a relation with them and inspiring them to join the devotee community.

We are asking anyone who has experiences in the field—or knows someone who does—to please contact us and share anecdotes, insights, and principles observed in action.

Thank you very much,
Your servant, Kaunteya Das

[Please write to cdministry@namahatta.org,
or post a comment to this article.
This post ends here.]

read more

By Visnu Murti das

The Prabhupada Vani Reseach Academy is establishing a new website named "Vanipedia" (vanipedia. org). It will be launched at Gaura Purnima 2008. Vanipedia will not only feature all Srila Prabhupada's teachings but also compilations on various subjects that he discussed in his books, lectures, letters, and conversations.

By Radha Gopinath staff

As a nation, Indians are very much besotted with the game of cricket. The whole of India comes forward to give its players a rousing welcome when they win a game while the same players nd themselves heavily criticized, if they lose one.

Haribol!

In the late 70’s and early 80s, ISKCON released a 20 tape series of kirtans and bhajans. As far as I know, none of these were released on any of the classic ISKCON records. Neither have they been released to CD.

I’ll be posting one each Saturday. And this week’s is Delhi Aratika!

Delhi Aratika claims to be produced by “Golden Avatar Productions.” I have no idea who Golden Avatar Productions was, but their name was on some vinyl as well. Also I believe there was a Golden Avatar cassette series, but I can’t remember. This is the only “Krishna Tapes” series that is associated with Golden Avatar Productions.

I think I’ll post a Golden Avatar Productions LP next Ekadasi. Hey, why not?

There are no credits on any of the tapes. And often, the title of the tape reflects only what’s on one side. For example, this is called Delhi Aratika, but some of the songs may have been produced somewhere else. Who knows.

Anyway, here it is…

KT-02 Delhi Aratika

01 - Golden Avatar Productions - Jaya Radha
02 - Golden Avatar Productions - Baja Jure Mana
03 - Golden Avatar Productions - Jaya Radha Madhava
04 - Golden Avatar Productions - Sri Nam Kirtana
05 - Golden Avatar Productions - Kirtana
06 - Golden Avatar Productions - Delhi Aratika

Some caveats: The sound quality isn’t great. These are from old tapes recorded by devotees. Quality wasn’t a priority. Also, they’re MP3s encoded at 128kbs - not the highest quality. But listenable.

Haribol everyone,

Last week Sunday school started and this Sunday for all those who come bring an empty shoe box for our Govardhana Puja project.

Hope to see y’all there!

Your servant,

Rama Lila dd

by mrupa

I’m not sure of the time sequence exactly. It must have been very early ‘70’s though and Big Lord Jagannatha was staying in one of the old (not the present log cabins) shacks along the little road out from the Vrindaban temple building. These were small one room uninsulated wooden board buildings, some slightly raised off the ground. [There were also two A-frame buildings, one larger for Hayagriva, and a smaller one closest to the temple building. Two geodesic domes were also further down the hillside from the old pig barn. Both of these accidentally burnt down rather early on.]

Anyway, Lord Jagannatha stayed in the third cabin along the road from the temple. It had been the first school house here for a while. And of course, Hladini was also taking care of Lord Balaram, Lady Subadhra, and Lord Jagannatha then as well.

When Bahulavan was acquired, and Kirtanananda was recalled to direct New Vrindavana from the Road Show, Radha Vrindavana Chandra was to be moved to the Bahulavana Farm as soon as the temple room could be constructed on the back of the farm house there. And Lord Jagannatha was to be installed at the Madhuvana farm.

Lord Jagannatha was moved into His new temple on Gaura Purnima . Big Lord Jagannatha, Lady Subadhra, and Lord Balaram were originally carved from logs taken from along the old dirt track to Vrindavana Farm from the main road. I believe Bhagavat Ananda helped carve Them with Bharadwaj. At first They lived in the old Pittsburgh temple. Pittsburgh was sort of an annex of New Vrindavana at the time, sometimes called the gateway to New Vrindavana. When Srila Prabhupada came in ’72, He arrived first at the Pittsburgh temple and stayed there for a little bit before going on to New Vrindavana.

Big Lord Jagannatha rode up the steep hillside to the pavilion set up for the Bhagavat Dharma/Janmastami/Vyas Puja festival in a hay cart pulled by horses. He and Radha Damodara presided there on the stage for the entire festival.

For that visit, Srila Prabhupad and His staff and servant lived at the farmhouse temple at Madhuvana. That original near century old farmhouse and its outbuildings were the only structures there at the time. Madhuvana also included several large fields; one row in the corn field became the place where Prabhupad would respond to nature each morning while He was here.

Hayagriva Prabhu went to India to be with Prabhupada for awhile in Vrndavana in ’73. While there he acquired all the little Deities: three sets of small brass Gaura Nitai, and two small sets of Radha Krsna Deities to be installed at each of the farm-temples. The smaller of the Radha Krsna murtis was to be installed at Madhuvan and were eventually named Radha Madhava. The larger named Radha Vrindavanatha were to be installed at Vrindavana Farm.

Only one of the small brass sets of Gaura Nitai still live on the altar with Radha Vrindavana Chandra. One set of Them is served by Mahati in Talavan here in New Vrindavana, and I have forgotten who is taking care of the third set. The tiny little Laksmi Nrsingha were originally the presiding Dieties of the home/department of Dharmatma and the Sankirtana mothers at the house, now much improved by Lajavati and Sudhanu up the road from old Bahulavan. If I recall correctly, They did not arrive on the mail altar until or just before Radha Vrindavana Chandra moved into Their present temple.

By Kurma Rupa dasa

Our November 2007 Care for Cows Newsletter has been posted. Please review it at your earliest convenience.

Our Kartik Nectar Series continues with a kirtan from HH Radhanath Swami titled “Damodarastakam Prayers”, spoken during the Vrindavana Yatra of 2004 at Krsna Balarama Mandir.

Download Damodarastakam Prayers-HH Radhanath Swami
Our Kartik Nectar Series continues with a kirtan from HH Radhanath Swami titled “Damodarastakam Prayers", spoken during the Vrindavana Yatra of 2004 at Krsna Balarama Mandir.Download Damodarastakam Prayers-HH Radhanath Swami

The demoniac want to make a show of religion and advancement in spiritual science, although they do not follow the principles. They are always arrogant or proud in possessing some type of education or so much wealth. They desire to be worshiped by others, and demand respectability, although they do not command respect. Over trifles they become very angry and speak harshly, not gently. They do not know what should be done and what should not be done. They do everything whimsically, according to their own desire, and they do not recognize any authority. These demoniac qualities are taken on by them from the beginning of their bodies in the wombs of their mothers, and as they grow they manifest all these inauspicious qualities.
(Gita, Bhaktivedanta purport to 16.4

Here's a interesting and fairly disturbing article on a new piece of legislation straight from the U.S House of Representatives, which may signal a further descent of our surrounding society into a well-detailed dystopian sci-fi novel. Fun to read, but pretty tough to live in. Link is right below.

http://www.roguegovernment.com/news.php?id=4682

By B.V. Madhava Maharaja and Hari-sauri dasa

After so many sincere years of preaching Lord Caitanya's message for Srila Prabhupada's pleasure, Lord Gauranga and the members of the Panca Tattva have given Nirguna Krsna Dasa His just reward and liberation in the wonderful transcendental land of sri Dhama Mayapura.

By Bhakti Purusottama Swami

ISKCON Mayapur invites world wide devotees to celebrate Gaura Purnima 2008 festival, commemorating 522nd birth anniversary of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu at Sri Mayapur dhama and be a part of this great event.

Having to live in this age of quarrel, hypocrisy, and convenience, we often find ourselves spending time in the great Western institution of the supermarket. The responsible bhoga-buyer for Krsna is sure to always carefully scan the ingredients of any possible purchase to confirm bonafide status or not, and in this process you may come across four very common words strung together to make one very common ingredient found in everything from bread to juice to breakfast bars: high-fructose corn syrup.

What may seem like a innocent, economically convenient additive to your morning cereal or glass of 7-Up is actually at the center of a controversy over possible negative side effects to your health (especially for those people struggling with diabetes). In our ongoing effort here at Club 108 to keep our audience better informed about the personal environment of their body in relation to our larger environment as a whole, we present to you a few short articles about the HFCS controversy. Check the links out below.

http://ruddsoundbites.typepad.com/rudd_sound_bites/2007/08/whats-the-deal-.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/79969.php
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thecheckout/2006/05/bitter_words_over_a_sweet_ingr.html

By Sita-pati das

Brisbane's Hare Krishna Community is doing their part for the city's ongoing water shortage, taking to the streets of the city's suburbs to chant and dance to bring rain. Australia is currently in the most severe drought in recorded history, with various levels of water restrictions in major cities and a deepening crisis in rural areas.

I created a new category for my climate change posts on my previous blog Urban Missionary so you can refer to previous posts over the past three years. It's not a flavour of the moment thing - this is a serious, ongoing issue that needs to be addressed, and we are overdue in doing our part.

By Cintamani-dhama dasi

In 1996, Srila Prabhupada’s centennial, I made a promise that has saved me from spiraling into a most wretched condition of life. I committed myself to daily trying to study Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Prior to that time, I’d been having quite a bit of difficulty in my spiritual life. I’d given birth to my third child in 1995. My husband was running a small center in Manchester where we rarely received any good association. He was so busy trying to fulfill his obligations as a spiritual team leader to bhaktas and brahmacaris in the center that he was not able to spend a lot of time helping me keep on top of my sadhana as I struggled with three children. The upshot of all this was that by 1996 I had practically lost my faith, and was wondering what my options were.

But I remembered that once upon a time, especially one Kartika in Vrndavana, I’d definitely had a taste, such a strong taste that I had wanted to commit my whole life to sharing the messages of Krsna consciousness with others. And I also remembered that Srila Prabhupada had said that if we don’t study his books we would fall down. So with what little intelligence I had left, I put two and two together, and realized that possibly this is what had happened to me. I could surrender to my loss of faith, and end up disrupting the family and my life, or I could give myself one more chance to develop faith by studying Srila Prabhupada’s books. I opted to start studying his books, and I made it my centennial offering to Srila Prabhupada to do so.

For two years, I’d sit an hour a day, and work scrutinizingly through the Bhagavad Gita. I’d read a purport and then go back and analyze the purport sentence by sentence. I’d try to write in my own words what I felt was Srila Prabhupada’s intended meaning, and after doing that I’d explore my understanding; all of this in writing.

This was quite arduous, and finally after two years of sympathetically watching me struggle, my husband committed to making time in his busy schedule to discuss the Gita with me daily. Since then we have discovered so many instructions from Srila Prabhupada that have encouraged us in our commitment and guided us how to proceed. These instructions from Srila Prabhupada have given me so much help and encouragement to persevere that I am always enthusiastic to share them with others in the hope that they may give as much solace to others as they have to me.

“unless and until one is trained in the culture of good association, one cannot become good.” SB 3.3.6 purport

Isn’t this exciting! Unless and until we are trained in the culture of good association we cannot become good. No wonder I was struggling so much in the first years of my endeavours in devotional service. I don’t remember ever being trained in the culture of good association. This is something that requires training. And if we search carefully through Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, he will train us. Good association is referred to as sadhu sanga or sometimes as sat sanga. We may know the famous verse:

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya
tato ‘nartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas
tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah
“In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service.” Bg 4. 10 purport

If we have sraddha, or a sincere desire to become self realized, we will prioritise sadhu sanga, ie. Associating with persons who are spiritually elevated.

What actually counts as sadhu sanga? If we circulate in the society of ISKCON, are we automatically engaging in sadhu sanga? Here are some insights from Srila Prabhupada:

“A sadhu, the first qualification is he must be a staunch devotee of Krsna…That is sadhu. That is the basic definition…Therefore sadhu-sanga…means to associate with devotees, those who are devotees of Krsna. That is sadhu-sanga…Sadhu sanga is very important. If we can associate with real sadhu, means real devotee, unadulterated devotee, anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana karmady-anavrtam, then the recommendation is that simply by associating with sadhu all perfection will come.” Lecture 1972

So we need to associate with a completely pure unadulterated devotee! One could object, it’s hard, sometimes seemingly impossible to get such a devotee’s association. The great generals in ISKCON are very busy, they have thousands of aspiring devotees taking shelter of them, and it’s difficult to get any on-going association with them. To such objections, I made some incredible discoveries as I’ve been listening to Srila Prabhupada more. Listen to what he has to say:

“So in my absence you read the books. What I talk, I have written in the books… you can associate with me by reading my books.” Morning walk, 1975.
“Paramahasa: Srila Prabhupuda, when you are not present with us, how is it possible to receive instructions, for example, on questions that may arise? Prabhupāda: Well, the questions… Answers are there in my books.” Morning walk 1973

“Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue your endeavour. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn’t matter.” Arrival speech, 1977

“Reporter (2): What will happen to the movement in the United States when you die?Prabhupada: I will never die. I shall live forever in my books, and you will utilize.” Press conference, 1975

“Regarding your question about instruction, spiritual life is different from material life. The instruction given in my books is supposed to be personal instruction. When we read the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, it is understood that we are receiving personal instructions of Krsna. No physical barrier is there in the case of spiritual affairs.” Letter to: Dhrstaketu: 14 October, 1973
“So the best thing is nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. If you hear Bhagavata… This Bhagavata is written for hearing, for hearing, discussing. Otherwise, why we are taking so much time?” Lecture 1972

Srila Prabhupada took so much time and trouble to write his purports for all of us, not just his initiated disciples. Through his purports he as made his personal association available to any aspirant. We have only to take his association and we will feel the benefits! And how are we meant to associate with him?

“The narration of the Personality of Godhead and His devotees is absolute in itself, and thus to hear it with a devotional attitude is to associate with the Lord and constant companions of the Lord.” SB 1.15.51 purport

“Hearing or associating with devotees is the most important function for self-realization.” SB 3.25.29 purport

“Lord Caitanya therefore recommended five main principles for attaining perfection in the devotional service of the Lord. The first is association with devotees (hearing)” SB 2.9.31 purport

In so many ways, Srila Prabhupada explains that associating with a sadhu (sadhu-sanga) means to hear from them..He also gives directions about how best to hear from the sadhu.

“Nor by independent study of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life.” Bg 4.34 purport

The message I get from this is that reading Srila Prabhupada’s books by myself, though good, is not sufficient for accessing his association.

So these are the transactions between devotee and God. Generally, people cannot understand. But if one understands, he becomes liberated. If some way or other… It is not very difficult; simply we have to associate with devotees and discuss this literature. Then we’ll understand Krsna very easily. And Krsna is explaining in the Bhagavad-gita about Himself.” Lecture 1976.

Here he gives me the clue that it’s better to discuss his purports with other devotees.

“Discussion of Krsna is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization.” Bg 9.1 purport

Here he tells me that it’s not only a better way of associating with him, but it will guarantee our advancement. Now you can see why I’m so excited by this discovery! Guaranteed advancement in spiritual life!

So many times, he instructs us to discuss his books. Listen to this:

“And what is the devotional way? …. The first is that you have kindly come here; you are trying to hear. This is very good. This is the beginning of process. Then kirtanam, sravana kirtanam. Whatever you hear, you discuss amongst yourselves. That is called kirtana. Sravana kIrtanam visnu smaranam. Remember about the topics of God.” Lecture 1975“hearing is our main business. .. We should be prepared to hear about Him. Srotavyah kirtitavyas ca. And we should discuss about Him, kirtitavyas ca. Smartavya. And if we hear and discuss, then, if we are really serious, then we shall remember also.” Lecture 1968

“Those who are devotees, they assemble together. Bodhayanta parasparam. In the Bg it is said, “They discuss about the glories of the Lord.” Bodhayantah parasparam. That is sadhu sanga” Lecture 1974

“Sat sanga. Sat sanga means assembly, discussion. .. If you are not interested in association, discussion, then you are finished. .. You have no time for sat-sanga, for association. You cannot make any progress by this sort of karmi’s life. We have to work for organization, but not that whole day and night engaged and no sat-sanga.” Room conversation 1973

“We are making the association to take lessons from these Vedic literatures. This is called sadhu-sanga” Lecture 1976

By now, the message is screaming at me: THE BEST WAY TO ASSOCIATE WITH SRILA PRABHUPADA IS TO DISCUSS HIS PURPORTS.

And Srila Prabhupada gives us so much guidance and direction as to how to discuss his purports. Listen to this:

“Your first job should be to make sure that every one of the devotees in you zone of management is reading regularly our literatures and discussing the subject matter seriously from different angles of seeing, and that they are somehow or other absorbing the knowledge of KC philosophy. … then very easily they will perform tapasya or renunciation and that will be their advancement in KC.” Letter to Satsvarupa Maharaja, 1972.

“So this process can be practiced even at home. There is no necessity that you have to change your place, you have to give up your business, … No. You remain in your… But practice this sravanam. Just like you are hearing here in this hall, you can do it at home. These books are there. I am speaking from the book. You can speak also from the book, and sit down amongst your family members and chant Hare Krsna.” Lecture 1975

“If one is in full Krsna consciousness, he can make his home very happy, because this process of Krsna consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Krsna, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things will make one happy. One should train the members of his family in this way. The family members can sit down morning and evening and chant together Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If one can mold his family life in this way to develop Krsna consciousness, following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life.” Bg 13.8-12 purport

“Actually Vedic scripture is krsna-kathä, topics about Krsna, and krsna-kathä is not a subject matter for a debate club.” Teachings of Lord Kapila, chp 15

“Now we have received this news, very pleasing. Now next duty? Taj-josanat. Now, if you little try to assimilate it. And what is that assimilation? Smaranam. Simply by thinking, “Oh, this has been spoken.” Try to argue whether it is true or not. So you have to think over. Satam prasangan, taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani. And if you do that…Suppose you hear something of the Bg, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: “What Bg says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?” Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don’t take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense…Apply it and try to understand it. Neither it is bogus. It is scientific. Then you will feel… Taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati. You will gradually develop your atachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then gradually, you will make progress.” Lecture 1966

Isn’t there a wealth of instructions here to guide our discussions? Here are some salient points I picked up on:
· Discuss regularly
· Discuss the books seriously
· Discuss from different angles of seeing
· Discuss even at home
· Train your family members to do this, and do it with them.
· Don’t turn the discussions into a debate wherein one person’s understanding has to be right, and another’s is de facto wrong.
· Don’t accept something you read blindly.
· Apply your arguments.
· Try to understand what you are reading.

Here are some more instructions Srila Prabhupada gives:

“Simple hearing is not all; one must realize the text with proper attention. The word nivista means that Suta Gosvami drank the juice of Bhagavatam through his ears. That is the real process of receiving Bhagavatam. One should hear with rapt attention from the real person, and then he can at once realize the presence of Lord Krsna in every page. The secret of knowing Bhagavatam is mentioned here. No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Sri Krsna in person in the pages of Bhagavatam.” SB 1.3.44 purport

I thought this was very interesting. Since I’m not pure I can take it for granted I will not be able to properly understand the Srimad Bhagavatam. This point is further expounded in Lord Kapila’s instructions to Devahuti wherein he tells her it is possible to do all the angas of bhakti in each of the three modes. That is to say, it is possible to hear in the mode of ignorance and passion, which is useless! But in the above quote Srila Prabhupada says that if despite all our impurities we do somehow or other manage to hear with rapt attention, then we are certain to make progress. And in so many ways he is telling us that the secret is to discuss his purports; that will help us to hear with rapt attention.

You know the most exciting thing about these revelations Srila Prabhupada is making, is the wonderful benefits. For so little effort, we have so much to gain. Look at what he says about just some of the benefits:

“Such exchanges of thoughts in regard to Krsna give pleasure to the Lord, who therefore favors such devotees with all enlightenment.” CC Adi lila 1.50 purport
“Try to always study our books and see our philosophy from different lights of directions, become convinced yourself of this knowledge and without a doubt all of your difficulties of mind will disappear forever and you will see Krishna face-to-face.” Letter 1972“Simply by chanting and hearing of the transcendental name, form, etc., of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one can achieve the cessation of unlimited miserable conditions.” SB 3.7.14 verse

“…spontaneous love of God, is the basis of an intimate relationship with the Lord. This highest stage of relationship with the Lord can be attained simply by hearing about Him (His name, form, quality, etc.) from authentic sources like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, recited by pure, unalloyed devotees of the Lord.” SB 3.9.5 purport“Sadhus are always interested in hearing about the activities of the Lord or His devotees. .. since the devotees always engage in the topics of the Lord, they are forgetful of the miseries of material existence.” SB 3.25.23 purport

“…. These transcendental activities of the Lord are so arranged in writing by the great sages that simply by hearing of those narrations one becomes perfectly self-realized, and the proper use of the ear and the tongue is also achieved. Srimad-Bhagavatam is one of such great literatures, and the highest perfectional state of life is attained simply by hearing and reciting its contents.”
“Persons who hear Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna manifested in their hearts within a short time.” SB 2.8.5 verse

“This process of hearing about and glorifying the Lord is applicable for everyone, whoever he may be, and it will lead one to the ultimate success in everything in which one may be engaged by providence. … Everyone wants to be free from all kinds of fear, and everyone wants the fullest extent of happiness in life. The perfect process for achieving this, here and now, is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam…By hearing about and glorifying the Lord, all a person’s activities become molded into spiritual activities, and thus all conceptions of material miseries become completely vanquished.” SB.2.1.5 purport

“If one meekly and submissively hears about the activities of the Lord from a realized soul, he will be able to conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unconquerable by any other process.” SB 3.25.27 purport “The word jivanti indicates that a devotee who always hears about Lord Krsna will go back home, back to Godhead, even if he can do nothing except maintain his existence and hear topics concerning the Lord.SB 10.14.3 purport

“So our only request is that if you want happiness, if you want to prosper, make your life successful, you must read Bhagavad-gita thoroughly, as it is, as Krsna says. Don’t try to misinterpret.” Lecture 1974

There are innumerable quotes like this wherein Srila Prabhupada assures us of the unimaginable benefits of hearing and discussing his purports regularly. Because of unbearable victimization at the hands of the modes of ignorance and passion, I have to very carefully seek shelter of the process. And I can, hand on heart, testify that it does remove the suffering. Unfortunately, I’ve not yet seen Krishna face to face, but if Srila Prabhupada says that will also one day happen as a result of this practice, then I for one believe him.

Cintamani-dhama dasi

1968 November 3 : "You have tried your best in the service of Lord Caitanya. This is sufficient. We do not calculate the so-called success or failure we are simply to discharge our duties and chant HARE KRISHNA loudly."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1968 November 3 : "Yesterday's report of the Sankirtana party is that they sold 175 copies of Back To Godhead, and collected $130 in donations."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1968 November 3 : "It is my personal opinion that at the present moment except for a few persons, practically there is no man in the world who is strictly religionist, either Hindu, Moslem, Christian, or Buddhist."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1970 November 3 : "Gaudiya Vaisnavism is very much proud of having such a great acarya as Jiva Goswami. One learned Sanskrit scholar said of Jiva Goswami that there was no comparison to any other philosophers in the world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1972 November 3 : "If you want to keep the money you collect for future use, that's alright, but my Guru Maharaja used to say, 'Trust no future, however pleasant.'"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 November 3 : "Now stick to the principles of the original agreement. Unless the conveyance is made, don't make any settlement. If there are any incidents, the men responsible should be taken to the police."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 November 3 : "Your centre is progressing nicely under your expert supervision. Now go on distributing books profusely and preaching and making devotees, and that activity will be the perfection of your life."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 November 3 : " Yes, print many many books in African language and distribute widely, that is the highest perfection of activity, and do not worry for anything."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

I am often asked about religion in Japan. It is difficult question. Most will say they are “Buddha” but when it comes to practice few would qualify. And since Buddhism denies the vedas, the soul and God, it cannot be said to be a “religion”. They often claim not to be a religion.

We do find some mention of GOD, as the following photos show. I have no idea what they mean by GOD. Maybe they have herd that GOD is great.

It says “amusement bar”

This is coffee from one of the unlimited vending machines.

I once asked some international Japanese businessmen what Japanese think about GOD. The answer was, “it is very sad, Japanese never think about GOD.

For further understanding read teh 5th Canto, Subterranean Heavenly Planets.

Find GOD on the second floor.

This is coffee from one of the unlimited vending machines.

Saturday October 20th 2007

Location: West End
Devotees in attendance: 6
Flyers distributed: 0

I made the flyers (with the help of Bhakti Candrika dd for the graphic design), but couldn't get them printed out! So we went out without them and chanted for 45 minutes down either side of Boundary Rd.

Saturday October 27th 2007

Location: Fortitude Valley
Devotees in attendance: 5
Flyers distributed: 120

This week we had flyers. People were sooo glad to see us. The look on the face of some people was exactly as Yadavendra Prabhu wrote to me: "Often people ask me where is the Hare Krishna chanting party? We do not see them any more."

People were coming out of their shops and clapping and dancing and literally saying: "Oh my god, the Hare Krishnas! Where have you been?"

Saturday November 3rd 2007

Location: Annerley, Stones Corner
Devotees in attendance: 10
Flyers distributed: 105

This week we did two suburbs. In Annerley we travelled through residential streets. Harinam does not have to be restricted to commercial spaces. In fact, we should travel everywhere to share the Holy Name with people.

Can you remember in your childhood the sound of the Mr Whipee ice cream truck travelling through your neighbourhood? We should give people the childhood memory of a Hare Krishna chanting party in their neighbourhood. Why not? It's a beautiful thing.

In Stones Corner there was a concentration of people. The people who appeared the most happy to see us were the shopkeepers. The shoppers were in anxiety about purchasing, and the shopkeepers were bored and happy for the diversion I think.

Again I saw people thinking and saying: "Oh my god, it's the Hare Krishnas!"

Here are a couple of videos. I'll have a word with the camera operator and we'll try to get more representative ones in future. This week the only ones with complete mantras were taken at the end of the strip, where you don't get to see any people interacting with the chanting party.

Param vijayate sri krishna sankirtanam!

Eating disorders and obesity are reaching epidemic levels in today’s society. In the US some 11 million have anorexia or bulimia, while 25 million suffer from binge eating. Here in the UK obesity causes 30,000 deaths a year and is estimated to cost as much as seven and a half billion pounds each year.

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Recitations from ancient Sanskrit scriptures will reverberate in a Christian church in Nevada on the occasion of coming Thanksgiving eve service.

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Three weeks ago we launched a series of 108 Harinams for Climate Change. In addition to our weekly harinam downtown we are visiting each suburb of Brisbane in turn, until we have gone to every one by the end of 2008.

We've been to four suburbs so far, and I'll post the reports from those harinams separately. I've created a new category entitled "Climate Change Harinams".

Here is the flyer that we are distributing on these harinams:

• You Can Make the Climate Change! flyer

I also made a press release to let people know what we are doing. Originally I planned to make everything generic, but I ended up making the flyer Oz-specific. Anyway, anyone can see what we are doing and emulate / improve it.

Here's the press release:

Brisbane Hare Krishnas Chant and Dance for Rain

Brisbane's Hare Krishna Community is doing their part for the city's ongoing water shortage, taking to the streets of the city's suburbs to chant and dance to bring rain.

Australia is currently in the most severe drought in recorded history, with various levels of water restrictions in major cities and a deepening crisis in rural areas.

Hare Krishnas belong to ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. ISKCON was incorporated in the West in 1966 by an elderly Indian monk, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He had been ordered by his spiritual teacher to share India's 5000-year old teachings of devotion to God, known as Krishna, with the modern world. Today the organization has hundreds of centers around the world and tens of thousands of members.

Brisbane's Hare Krishna community have been chanting on the streets of downtown Brisbane for the past 25 years on Friday evenings, and since October they have expanded this program to visit different suburbs in Brisbane each week. Their goal is to visit each suburb of the city by the end of 2008. So far they have visited West End, Fortitude Valley, Annerley, and Stones Corner. As they chant they distribute their pamphlet: "You Can Make the Climate Change" (see attached) where they explain what they are doing and invite Brisbane residents to get involved.

According to Brisbane Hare Krishna spokesperson Sita-pati das, rain and other natural resources are ultimately controlled by Krishna:

"In Bhagavad-gita Krishna explains that He controls the material nature. He also explains that our food grows because of rain, and He sends rain when people are engaged in proper activities, which includes spiritual activities, which are the unique activity that separates humans beings from animals."

"Because we have turned away from spiritual practices, today we have a fever that drives us to need more and more. A person from 100, or even 20 years ago would be shocked at what we now consider 'necessities' of life. Instead of spiritual activity we try to fill our life with material objects, and like a person who eats junk food we need more and more and yet never feel satisfied."

"This misuse of our life leads to overuse of resources, and so the planet has a fever as a result. To bring the fever of the planet down, we need to bring our own fever down. The cure for the fever is given in the scriptures as the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord"

"Not only our scriptures, but the scriptures of all the major religions of the world recommend the congregational chanting and glorification of the Holy Names of the Lord as the best spiritual activity. We encourage adherents of all faiths to come together to glorify the Holy Names of the Lord to provoke a change in consciousness, which will lead to a change in the climate."

"We personally chant the maha-mantra, which is especially recommended as the cure for this age:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare"

"The state of the external environment is a reflection of our internal state of consciousness. We cannot expect a change to occur in the world around us while we remain the same, because we are the cause of our circumstances. So as we purify and rectify ourselves, the climate situation will also rectify."

"We've found a very positive response so far. Many people have come up to us to say: 'Where have you guys been?' People who don't have a reason to come downtown on Friday night have really missed us and are glad to see us again. We're definitely part of the city's culture, and we have a positive spiritual message to share too."

Sita-pati das is covering the ongoing visits to the suburbs at his website: www.atmayogi.com.

They are also holding a music concert at Yoga on Parker in Newmarket entitled "Climate Change - Consciousness Change" to raise awareness of the role that our consciousness plays in climate change and what we can do about it.

In this undated photo Brisbane Hare Krishna community members chant outside King George Square, in Brisbane's CBD.

ISKCON Mayapur invites devotees worldwide to celebrate the Gaura Purnima 2008 festival, commemorating 522nd birth anniversary of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu at Sri Mayapur, India.

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I've been reading about thermodynamics again and there is a real connection there with the Vedic cosmology. In particular, the first and second laws strike me.

First law of thermodynamics: The increase in the internal energy of a system is equal to the amount of energy added by heating the system, minus the amount lost as a result of the work done by the system on its surroundings.

The implication is that a energy cannot be created or destroyed inside a system. Ultimately a single, encapsulated universe is a system in itself. On a universal scale, then, energy can neither be created nor destroyed: it can only transmute and dissipate spatially and temporally. The question then arises: if the universe contains a finite quanta of energy, but as a closed physical system it cannot be the source of its own energy, where did this energy come from? At some point a static amount of energy has been invested into the universe, but it cannot come from a physical source, as that would be considered part of the system by definition. Hmmm!

Second law of thermodynamics: The entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value at equilibrium.

This means that over time the energy in a system becomes unavailable for work. That is not to say it is destroyed, but the spatial differences in physical state becoming gradually evened out, approaching an asymptote at zero. This means that the universe comes into being in a condition facilitating a lot of useful work to be done and that it's condition becomes degraded over time until no useful work can be done. Double hmm!

The Vedic version is that the universe is a temporary manifestation of the Supreme Person's energy. He is outside the system, permitting the creation of energy, but not of the same energetic nature of the system, meaning He does not become part of the system when that transfer of energy takes place. The cycle of yugas depict the gradual decline in ultimately useful qualities in the universe over a long period of time. It seems to me these two observable fundamental principles of the universe are very nicely explained by this philosophical proposition.

IPM Freedom Newsletter
November - December 2007

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness

Under the guidance of His Holiness Candramauli Swami

bhakti te mukti - Devotion is real freedom!

In this online-version you find selected articles only; download the original pdf-version here, and see all online-newsletters published at namahatta.org here.

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I just read a news report… It’s messed up. Big time.

Apparently a mother of an 8 year old met a “devotee” named Jamuna at an ISKCON (?) center in Boulder, CO. She would then meet this guy in a public place so that she could give her daughter to him so they (Jamuna and her daughter) could have sleep overs.

He sexually assaulted her and drank her urine, molested her and slept naked with her. Oh, and he told her not to tell.

But she told her mother anyway. However, the mother “didn’t think it was a problem as long as it was touching and not sex, the warrant said. The mother said she’s a nudist and knows other people who drink urine.”

The the hell?

Link to article and another. (careful, it’s a little graphic)

It doesn’t look like this Jamuna guy even claims to be a devotee. Probably just someone who comes for the free food and to meet people (VERY unfortunately).

I was talking to Balaramachandra Prabhu and chastised me for not putting up any pictures of the school and the devotees. I have been hesistating just out of lazziness, the internet connection is not so great and I always somehow seem to be short on time but anyhow here are a few pictures to give you some idea of what it is like here. Hopefully in the next couple of days I will upload some more pictures.

Shri Shri Nimai Nitai Ki Jaya! They are the presiding deities of the ashram here. One year after the Ganga flooded they were found in a box in the mud in the middle of a field. They are special dieties.


View from the roof, you can see the top of the Dhan Ghati temple.

View from the roof of the residential area behind the school.

Gopi Paranadhana Prabhu teaching.



Raghava and Kishore Prabhu, Raghava is our spoken sanskrit, I am quite amazed that after only a few weeks we are now speaking some basic sentences. He is a very good teacher.


My Portable Bhajan kutir, it is a life saver, I spend more time in there than in my room.


My room, it is fairly simple but adequate, a small desk for studying and a locker to keep all my stuff in. I impressed myself by figuring out that I could just collapse the tent and hang it on the wall instead of taking it apart and setting it up everyday.

Bhakta Rehm, my inspiration, he also joined the school this year, he is really smart and works really hard, he spent twelve hours on the first test, and he got the best grade, I got an 85, which was pretty good, the tests are hard 50 is a passing grade, I wish I could study like him, coming here has made me realize how lazy I am.

Bharata Rama Prabhu, one the transcendental avadhutas of the school, look at that pile of books!.

Uddhava Prabhu, looking very stylish with his chaturmasya beard in full swing. He is a first year student along with me.

One of the great beauties of Krishna consciousness is that it reconnects you with your eternal youthful nature. On the material plane our death begins from the very moment of our birth. Death is like a time bomb ticking away until finally the appointed time is reached and we are kicked out of this body. But when one comes to the platform of Krishna...

His Holiness Niranjana Swami sings Damodarasataka in NewVraja Dhama.

A tegnap esti Radha-kunda megjelenésére megemlékező UVD-i ünnepségen elhangzott lecke.

A talk today at the Bhaktivedanta College in Budapest.

Don’t miss this chance,

Music, feasting, drama and dance,

we’ve got a hill made of sweets,

sacread chants to funky beats,

a higher taste you’ll achieve,

with folks so nice you’ll never want to leave!!!

The sweet hill festival. Sunday 11th Nov 5pm start. Koha.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.70.6 - The duties in the varna-asrama culture.

one of the craziest weeks in school. four major projects. pinnacle world religions project.

relieved.

not writing in complete sentences.

I must share with you my wr project on the Siksastakam Prayers... i believe my experience of krishna consciousness just took a deeper notch.

i swear, school in service to Krishna.

anyone who know me knows education is everything to me.

for life, man.

A heartfelt prayer

Raj, from Pandav Sena in UK, is on sabbatical in Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath Temple, Chowpatty. He recalls an interesting incident . . .

Your servant, Murari Gupta das

One day I went to Sri Sri Radha-Rasbihari temple with my friends. There some devotees bought books to distribute on their way back in the train. I also bought some Tamil books to give to my parents in Sri Lanka. While returning, my friends started distributing books to their co-passengers.

"Why didn't you buy some books to distribute?" a friend chastised me.

I felt bad and began to pray to Sri Sri Radha-Rasbihariji: "Oh Lord! I really want to distribute your books. Help me to distribute at least one of them."

I started helping my friends with the distribution. When we reached Grant Road station we realized that we had boarded the fast train, which doesn't halt at our station. So we had to get down at the next stop and take the return train. During the return journey my friend had just one last book, which he showed to two men in front of us. They seemed interested and one of them took the book.

Then casually I asked the other, "Where do you stay?"

"Tamil Nadu," he replied.

"Hey, I have Tamil books;" I said, "would you like to see them?"

"Why not?" he said and took one "Science of Self-Realization" because he already had a "Bhagawad Gita" at home.

I learnt that book distribution is mostly about desire. If you have desire to distribute books and remain humble and prayerful, Lord Krishna helps you. (Text PAMHO:14392987) --------------------------------------

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

Rasananda das: The combination of an authentic rath and authentic kirtan along with distribution of Prabhupada's books and prasadam is the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of the war against maya. Temples, congregations or any Krishna conscious group can stage a rathyatra.

The last time I was flying, I came across a quote in the book Follow the Angels by Sridhara Maharaja. It really blew my mind and it’s difficult for me to suss it out.

By nature, Krishna is eager to supply everything to His devotees. But the higher devotees do not like Him to supply them with anything, or for Him to render service to them. Such is the purity of their devotion. Through their faith, they think, “He is my Lord. I don’t want to have His darsana merely to satisfy my lower faculty of perceiving that He exists.” It is a very low standard of faith to consider that only if we can see Him, then we shall be satisfied that He exists. We have no capacity to see Him. To make Him our object, keeping ourselves the subject, is a low standard of faith. But higher, intense faith fully proves that He is that wonder cause of everything. He is present.

Throughout much of the book, he is discussing faith, sraddha. Growing up Baptist, we focused upon faith quite a lot. Faith is nothing new to me. Having been raised with a very strong respect for it, I find that it almost comes naturally for me.

To have faith that God exists, I don’t feel, is that great of an accomplishment. If it was, how could I do it? But the last line in this quote is so simple and so complex all at once, it has me questioning what my faith even is.

Even to believe that Krishna is God isn’t probably all that spectacular when compared to deeper faith. Krishna is God is one thing. Krishna is present, is another.

Dear Maharajas, Prabhus and Matajis,

Hare Krsna. Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prbhupada.

ISKCON Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, launched the Damodara Month Festival at the Kuala Lumpur "Deepavali Carnival" at Central Station on 26 October, 2007.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Kayveas, and HH Bhanu Maharaj launched the festival in front of some 1,500 people.

ISKCON Kuala Lumpur reported that already more than 6,000 guests have offered ghee lamps at our Damodara lamp booth, set up at the carnival. All other centres in Malaysia also take advantage of the auspicious Damodara month by increasing the number of home programs.

For a short video please follow this link:

• videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=573

Your servant, Simhesvara dasa

[You can see last years festival report here.
This article ends here.]

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This is the first part of a class given on 8 October 2007 in Ujjain, India. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.7.32 - Chapter 7: Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions

Doctor Harthorn first felt Nanda's back for crucial spots to insert acupuncture needles.

The needles were then connected to a current.


Nanda got impatient and Balabhadra had to hold him.


A chiropractic tool was used on Nanda's spine



Nanda was very relaxed after the treatment.

One of our oxen Nanda, who is 13 year old , has had nerve problems in his back legs for almost his whole life due to an accident at the temple’s big barn. We rescued him from there and have been nursing him ever since. We were told by 3 previous vets over a 10 year span that there was nothing that could be done for him.

We found Dr. Harthorn who does acupuncture treatments on horses and he agreed to come and treat Nanda. He had never treated a cow or ox before and was a little unsure if he wanted to start treating one now. My Dad (Balabhadra das) explained to him that Nanda was not any ox but a member of our family and we were trying to make his life easier in his golden years.

On the day of the appointment we were going though the halters and seeing if we had one that could fit Nanda. Normally none of our cows or oxen wear a halter, but when the vet visits then they have to. So we were looking and we took out the largest one we have, it is for say a Clydesdale horse. When I went to put it on him it was 3 inches short. So I just put a lead rope around his neck. Nanda is a huge boy, when I stand at his shoulder there is still a foot to go before you get to the top of him.

This is the first time we have tried this treatment for spinal and nerve problems for one of our cows. Immediately after the treatment, we could see Nanda was standing differently, not so stretched and more like a normal cow. Since the treatment, we have only seen him freeze up once. But in that situation he was facing down a very steep hill. Once we (Rudra and I) got him turned around, he just walked off as fine as can be. We have not seen him freeze up since that time.

After the acupuncture treatment Dr. Harthorn gave Nanda shots of Vitamin B 12 and Hypericum. This was injected into the same spots the needles were taken out of. We had told Dr. Harthorn that we have been giving Nanda the homeopathic medicines Ruta and Hypericum. These medicines have helped but they did not made the crucial difference needed for Nanda.

We will have to just wait and see how Nanda does, maybe he will need more treatments, maybe he will improve enough with one treatment. Dr. Harthorn said he was not sure how much he could do for him since he has had this condition for a long time.

We have also been giving him Chinese herbs which were prescribed by the Doctor. It has been about two weeks now and he is really acting better. We are thinking about having Dr. Harthorn come out again and do another session on Nanda.

Dr. Harthorn practices a school of medicine called Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TVM) that includes a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs. You can read more about this cutting edge treatment at http://www.tcvm.com/.

Submitted by Lakshmi Devi

Our Kartik Nectar Series continues with a lecture from HH Radhanath Swami titled “Keshi’s Pride and Yamuna’s Mercy”, spoken during the Vrindavana Yatra of 2004 at Keshi Ghata.

Download Keshi's Pride and Yamuna's Mercy-HH Radhanath Swami
Our Kartik Nectar Series continues with a lecture from HH Radhanath Swami titled “Keshi's Pride and Yamuna's Mercy", spoken during the Vrindavana Yatra of 2004 at Keshi Ghata.Download Keshiamp;#039;s Pride and Yamunaamp;#039;s Mercy-HH Radhanath Swami

Here’s a blast from the past (1991), as HH Radhanath Swami sits with HG Soma Prabhu on the right (sporting quite a beard) and HG Raghunath Prabhu on the left in the little white house down the road apiece currently occupied by HG Lalita Gopi and Family.

By Basu Ghosh das

One of ISKCON Baroda's congregational devotees and a disciple of HH Bhakti Vikas Maharaj, Sriman Krishnamrit Prabhu, an elderly retired gentleman who was "shaved up" and attending the temple in dhoti/kurta daily, left his body on Wednesday, after suffering through cancer for the past 6 months.

By Samapriya dd Parvati dd Subhangi dd

All of us are in Sri Vrindavan Dhama by Srila Prabhupada's mercy. For this reason, we need to keep conscious of preserving the sacred atmosphere of the temple. We all yearn for shelter and want to feel the togetherness in an undisturbed atmosphere filled with ecstatic kirtanas, japa and nectarean Harikatha-lectures.

An important part of developing our love for Krishna as He appears in the form of the Holy Name is commitment. Even in material love, if one professes their love for another it only has meaning if that person is committed to the other.

So we need commitment in order to develop love for the Holy Name. I think two ingredients of genuine commitment to something are: to give our time to that thing; to give our attention to that thing. If a person wants to be committed to their career, family, nation, or whatever; it would be expressed as actively giving their time to that thing; and to give their attention to that thing.

For example if a man tells his wife..."I am so committed to you." She may say, "But you never spend any time with me."

Or a man may say to his wife..."I am so committed to you...I spend hours everyday with you." But the wife may say, "You are with me in body...but your mind is elsewhere. You are always thinking of other things while you are with me...checking your emails, reading, planning etc."

So the man, to prove his love, needs to give attention and time. In order to become committed we need to give attentive time.

For the Holy Name, Prabhupada has ordered his students to give at least 2 hours a day of time....and this should be attentive time.

Been in New Remuna Dham (Toronto) for the past 3 years, I have grown and indescribable attachment to Radha Kschira Chora Gopinath :-) ! He is really my Homeboy ;-) !

The following video is a 2-part presentation couple of us devotees put up for Janmashtami to showcase the activities happening at the Radha KschiraChora Gopinath Temple at ISKCON Toronto. Hope you all find the videos enlightening.

Its our humble offering to HDG Srila Prabhupad, who gave our dieties that wonderful name, HH Bhakti Marg Maharaj, our "cool" GBC who has always encouraged us in every endevour, Mother Subuddhi, our temple President who is more of our mother/grand mother taking care of our every single need, whims and fancies.

This is also our offering and dedication to all the fantastic devotees of ISKCON Toronto who have put in hours and hours into conducting all the events that take place here. Its because of their selfless and humble attitude, was this presentation able to be made.

Please enjoy this presentation/s and feel free to drop a line!

Part 1:


Part 2:


Hare Krishna !!

Yesterday was the long-awaited day to bid a loving, final goodbye to my mother, Sarah Esther Gordon (18 June 1927 - 24 May 2007). It was a pre-arranged plan that her ashes be sprinkled in the Ganges, a fitting and highly auspicious destination.

Why? In a nutshell: There is life beyond the demise of this body, and according to the ancient Sanskrit scripture, if the remains of the body come in contact with the Ganges water (which had previously washed the feet of God) the next destination of the departed soul is guaranteed a highly placed one.

It started raining quite heavily Wednesday night, and by Thursday morning much of the temple property was starting to get pretty waterlogged. Since some serious local monsoon flooding had only subsided weeks before, the water table was saturated. So it didn't take much for lakes to appear where there were neatly manicured lawns the day before. There was even some talk that perhaps it would be 'rain, stop play'. Here's a view from my room.

Nevertheless, the rains had stopped by noon and the sky, although still cloudy, showed a more friendly demeanour. Horizon-to-horizon grey turned to white clouds with the occasional glimmer of sun.

I had invited a small core of old friends from Australia, most of whom had met my mother, to accompany her on her final journey. We met in the temple courtyard and waited for Jananivasa, the presiding pujari (priest), to arrive from the goshalla (cow shelter). He had picked up some auspicious items like ghee, yogurt milk etc to be used in the ceremony.

Our little entourage set out through the sprawling temple grounds, past the huge samadhi (memorial tomb) for our spiritual preceptor Srila Prabhupada, towards the Ganges, which is flowing nearby.

Prabhupada's Samadhi, completed in 1995, receives about 1.5 million visitors a year, and is a stunning architectural wonder.

We turned left at the Samadhi and headed down to the Ganges banks.

The course of the Ganges changes yearly with each monsoon and flood. It is now a convenient few minutes walk from the temple compound.

I pour my mother's ashes into a bamboo tray covered with silt from the Ganges, and Jananivasa sprinkles it with yogurt, ghee, other cow's products, flowers, scented water, and sesame seeds.

Jananivasa fills a pure copper pot with Ganges water, mixes it with camphor and rosewater scented sandalwood paste, auspicious grasses such as Kusa, more sesame seeds and flowers. He invokes many mantras and prayers for my mother's auspicious journey ahead.

I wade out into the river and deposit the final package into the cool sweet waters and the shelter of Mother Ganges. The package sinks and gently melts away into the meandering currents.

Finally: an offering of Ganges water to Mother Ganges in the name of my mother, flowers are sprinkled, and the auspicious ceremony is over. Ganga Mayi ki Jaya!

"Why is Radha-kunda so exalted? The lake is so exalted because it belongs to Srimati Radharani, who is the most beloved object of Sri Krishna. Among all the gopis, She is the most beloved. Similarly, Her lake, Sri Radha-kunda, is also described by great sages as the lake that is as dear to Krishna as Radha Herself. Indeed, Krishna's love for Radha-kunda and Srimati Radharani is the same in all respects. Radha-kunda is very rarely attained, even by great personalities fully engaged in devotional service, not to speak of ordinary devotees who are only engaged in the practice of vaidhi bhakti.

It is stated that a devotee will at once develop pure love of Krishna in the wake of the gopis if he once takes a bath in Radha-kunda. Srila Rupa Goswami recommends that even if one cannot live permanently on the banks of Radha-kunda, he should at least take a bath in the lake as many times as possible. This is a most important item in the execution of devotional service. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in this connection that Sri Radha-kunda is the most select place for those interested in advancing their devotional service in the wake of the lady friends (sakhis) and confidential serving maids (manjaris) of Srimati Radharani. Living entities who are eager to return home to the transcendental kingdom of God, Goloka Vrndavana, by means of attaining their spiritual bodies (siddha-deha) should live at Radha-kunda, take shelter of the confidential serving maids of Sr Radha and under their direction engage constantly in Her service. This is the most exalted method for those engaged in devotional service under the protection of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this connection Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes that even great sages and great devotees like Narada and Sanaka do not get an opportunity to come to Radha-kunda to take their baths. What, then, to speak of ordinary devotees? If, by great fortune, one gets an opportunity to come to Radha-kunda and bathe even once, he can develop his transcendental love for Krishna, exactly as the gopis did. It is also recommended that one should live on the banks of Radha-kunda and should be absorbed in the loving service of the Lord. One should bathe there regularly and give up all material conceptions, taking shelter of Sri Radha and Her assistant gopis. If one is thus constantly engaged during his lifetime, after giving up the body he will return back to Godhead to serve Sri Radha in the same way as he contemplated during his life on the banks of Radha-kunda. The conclusion is that to live on the banks of the Radha-kunda and to bathe there daily constitute the highest perfection of devotional service. It is a difficult position to attain, even for great sages and devotees like Narada. Thus there is no limit to the glory of Sri Radha-kunda. By serving Radha-kunda, one can get an opportunity to become an assistant of Srimati Radharani under the eternal guidance of the gopis."

-Srila Prabhupada (Upadeshamrita Verse 11, Purport)

Today is Bahulastami, the divine appearance day of Sri Radha-kunda in this world. Today is a good day to contemplate the glories of Radha-kunda and of pure devotional service following in the footsteps of the maidservants of Srimati Radharani. We may not be ready for these instructions now but we should know that they are here waiting for us whenever we are ready.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.70.4-5