Having pictures of deities in the car comes with many responsibilities, generally they are greeted in a very respectful manor, many are curious and many interesting conversations have arisen, Some have brought flowers, food and drink for them. The plus side for me also means that when away from home I can still offer my food [...]

Krsna Ksetra prabhu, Anuttama prabhu, Saunaka Rsi prabhu, Ranchor prabhu, Radha Krishna prabhu and Krishnasharan prabhu, Merudevi dasi, Villa Vrindavan and plenty of Italian prasadam

The biggest event on most ISKCON devotees’ calendars – the Gaura Purnima festival at Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir in Bengal, India – kicked off this February 24. Traditionally, Gaura Purnima honors the birth in 1482 of Sri Chaitanya, the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Kolkata-On Sunday February 15th, more than six thousand people participated in the "Prema and Bhakti Sammelen," an all-day forum in honor of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, India's 16th Century saint and avatara.

At its recent annual general meetings in Mayapur, India, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission approved Yadunandana Dasa as a candidate for sannyasa, the renounced order of life. Yadunandana is the principal of Bhaktivedanta College, a Vaishnava school accredited by the University of Wales, Lampeter, and located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium.

1966 February 28: "Engagement with the First Secretary of Permanent Commission of Nepal State to the United Nations at 2 pm. Saw the First Secretary Mr. Kedar P. Kairala and it is hopeful. He will let me know very soon. Expenditure: Bus fare .30"
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1970 February 28: "If we finish 15 tapes in a month, it comes to about 300 pages per month. Therefore, we can calculate that every two months we produce one book or, in every year we produce six books."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1972 February 28: "The future preachers of the Krishna Consciousness Movement must learn to be suci, absolutely pure in all respects. Your country will become so much degraded that they will appreciate if we are revolutionary clean."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1969 February 28: "There is no possibility of receiving perfect knowledge without approaching a self-realized Spiritual Master coming down in disciplic succession. The mental speculator cannot deliver the right knowledge."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 February 28: "We wish to print at least sixty books, so it will take ten years. Under this process, the time allowed is quite reasonable. Anyway try to process the work in the above way and let me know how far it is feasible."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 February 28: "By the by, I may inform you that we require many pairs of Deities, but the Vrindaban manufacturer is very slow. Will you kindly take the trouble to find out someone in Jaipur who can supply us such Murtis regularly."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1972 February 28: "We have to daily sharpen our intelligence by reading and discussing and preaching to others. You cannot expect that even the great saintly persons are free from thoughts coming and going."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

P.L. Sethi, a building contractor who assisted Srila Prabhupada in acquiring and building ISKCON’s Juhu temple, passed away on February 16 in Mumbai, India. He was 88. Although he was never officially initiated into ISKCON, Sethi always regarded Prabhupada as his guru. From the moment the two first met in 1971, Sethi became a life member and a staunch, loyal follower of Srila Prabhupada.

1972 February 28: "The best remedy is to discuss amongst yourselves regularly all our books in classes, then these doubts will be killed. Without reading books it becomes hackneyed and such obnoxious ideas trouble us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Four months after suffering a life-threatening brain hemorrhage, ISKCON guru and leader Jayapataka Swami has made a triumphant return home to Mayapur, India. Flying in from ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai on February 20, the Swami was greeted at Kolkatta airport by hundreds of devotees. After thanking them with a short speech, he left for Mayapur, where he arrived at around 6pm.

The holy names are Krsna Himself and there is no other way than falling in love with this process of hearing...it's like nectar - and little by little our hearts are becoming cleansed and Krsna starts to reveal Himself to us in a way that we can understand.
Today I was chanting with the boys - Kesava who is 10 and Advaita who is 8. Kesava is chanting 6 rounds daily now...he increased - that's very nice. Advaita is chanting 4, but once in a while he chants 6 because we try to inspire him everyday. I can say that association in chanting is nice - we can at the same time give association and get. In my case I try to give them association and also learn from it. They are getting better - in the past they were very distracted and used to talk while chanting and doing other things but I am always telling them it's not good to do that and also it's a big offense.
I explained that Krsna is there for them and He really wants to get their full attention and not just come and they are doing something else. Nowadays they are better chanters...they focus more on their rounds and seems they enjoy it more and it's not something hard for them to do - not just a duty but they naturally like taking their beads and chanting.
I noticed that Advaita is becoming more devotional, offering flowers to Srila Prabhupada and helping in the preparations while we are cooking prasadam and also enjoys to watch the Ramayana everyday. Kesava likes looking after his brother...seeing if he is doing everything properly and also likes to give him association while chanting and he became more affectionate.
Well I can say that it's an example of what japa has been doing with these devotees kids, they are feeling the purifying effects of chanting - learning to avoid offenses and also seeing the importance of the holy names since childhood. For me, I try to see everything as an inspiration to improve my own chanting, Krsna is always teaching us through many different aspects in our everyday life, all we have to do is trying to see these small signs of how we can become better in our service to the Lord.
I got a very nice email from H.H. Sacinandana Swami today and his last sentence is very beautiful I would like to share with you:

ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission have added a new member to their ranks. Dina Sarana Dasi joined the GBC by unanimous vote on February 21 -- day 10 of the ISKCON management entity’s Annual General Meetings in Mayapur, India.

E. Burke Rochford Jr., a professor of sociology at Middlebury College, has studied the Hare Krishna movement for over thirty years, and as a well-wisher and friend of the movement, has written numerous articles addressing its development. In January of this year, he came to Bhaktivedanta College to give a course on ISKCON and Society, and has been an inspiration for the many students who attended.

On February 19th, 2009 the assistant Hakim of Almaty province, S. Mukanov, has demanded the farm property occupied by the Krishna Society be vacated by March 1, 2009. Mukanov emphasized that failure to vacate will result in new court cases against the Krishna Society.

Battlefield Bhajans Vol. 37

Written in Sri Mayapura Dhama

Dedicated to Srila Prabhupada

Bhaktivedanta Ashram, NYC

I arrived in NYC via Seattle. My planed landed late and no one was there to pick me up. I thought oh well, no big deal, I’ll just catch a train. Just when I was settled on that, a man said Hare Krsna and asked me if I wanted to catch a ride for free to 2nd Ave and 19th street.  I got out on 19th st and ran to Matchless Gifts; where I was giving class. The class was very nice. It more like a small gathering of friends and I shared some realizations and the need to take up the spreading of this message very urgently.  After some wonderful prasadam, I took the devotees out on a small harinama to the ashram. The next morning I lead the singing in the morning program. The mood was sweet and I was trying to reflect on my relationship with my spiritual master. The devotees requested me to give Srimad Bhagavatam class. I tried to focus the class on the spreading of the Holy Names and the distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books.  HG Ramesvara Prabhu made many wonderful points and realizations about Srila Prabhupada desire to have his books distributed.  After class I made my pilgrimage to the Donut Plant to take darshan of Sri Sri Jagannatha Baladeva and Subadra and partake in the transcedental doughnuts that are served there.
I went to the airport  and met a nice boy there, he was also tarveling to India and asked many questions about the culture there. I explained about Lord Caitanya and how Srila Prabhupada came to the west and gave us the highest form of culture and teachings. The boy asked if there was a place he could get a book and smiling I pulled a few small books out of my bag. He was very happy to receive them. During the flight he would come to my seat and talk about Krsna and about spiritual life.  After about three hours in the air, I was awaken by the flight attendent. She asked me if I was a doctor, I said no, but I can give you something to cure the disease of old age, birth and death. She looked at me and walked off.  I was curious as to her need for a doctor and I asked the women across from me. Seems a women had a heart attack and left her body two rows away from me. I was happy in one sense because she was two seats from a suitcase with all The Lordships in it. The flight attendent asked me to consoul the family. I gave them some comforting words about the nature of the soul and asked them to chant the Maha mantra. When I went back to my seat, one women thanked me and expressed that it was God’s arrangment that a Hare Krsna monk was on this flight. I agreed, and was amazed at the mercy of Krsna.  I explained how this women left in a very auspicious way. That the Salagram Sila was only a few feet from her when she passed. The women asked many questions about spiritual life. I explained that death is everywhere and can happen at any minute, therefore we need to take to the path of spiritual life seriously and immediatly. She agreed and promised me she would visit one of our ISKCON temples in India. The event made me think about the truth to the statment “live every day like its your last.”. Such a true statement and we should live everyday fully engaged on Krsna’s service, because it may  very well be our last.

Although Väsudeva Vipra was a leper and had suffered greatly, still, after Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu cured him He instructed him to preach Kåñëa consciousness. Indeed, the only return the Lord wanted was that Väsudeva preach the instructions of Kåñëa and liberate all human beings. That is the process of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Each and every member of this Society was rescued from a very abominable condition, but now they are engaged in preaching the cult of Kåñëa consciousness. They are not only cured of the disease called materialism but are also living a very happy life. Everyone accepts them as great devotees of Kåñëa, and their qualities are manifest in their very faces. If one wants to be recognized as a devotee by Kåñëa, he should take to preaching work, following the advice of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Then one will undoubtedly attain the lotus feet of Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, Lord Kåñëa Himself, without delay.(Purport Cc, Madhya 7: 148 )

Sadhana:

Chanting: I am trying to chant as much as possible. Srila Prabhupada wanted devotees to come to India and gather strength for preaching. This is what I am desiring.  I have been trying to really dive into my sadhana to really strengthen my preaching.
Reading: Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, one chapter a day. It is very nice and I am finding many new points that Srila Prabhupada brings up in his purports.
Sankritana: Because I left for India, my scores are very low this month:
Maha Big: 3
Small: 10

We are on a new path, it is very exciting and scary also. We are falling at the feet of all the vaisnava’s and begging for blessings that we will make this life successful.

Yours in Srila Prabhupada’s service,
Partha-sarathi Dasa

Monks and farmers celebrate arrival of cow destined for life at new Hare Krishna eco-farm. The birth of a calf on a farm near Watford would not normally cause tears of joy among onlookers. But Gangotri, a female calf, might have been in danger of drowning in the celebratory deluge from farmers and monks when she was born on Friday after a two-hour labor.

Have you ever thought it would be impossible to visit all of the prominent temples in India? Think again. ‘Kunda Satyanarayana Kala Dhamam’ a Vedic museum on a sprawling 18 acres of land was inaugurated by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, India a fortnight ago.

The ISKCON Studies Institute will hold its second conference at Villa Vrindavana, near Florence, Italy, from 3–6 July. The theme of this year's conference is "The Guru: Person, Position, Possibilities."

Doubt is the motor of the modern mentality, the indefatigable engine that drives the spirit of our age. Such doubt was honored with an early recognition in the essays of the Renaissance courtier Michel de Montaigne: “We are, I know not how, double within ourselves, with the result that we do not believe what we believe, and we cannot rid ourselves of what we condemn.”

We made the national news recently as our new calf - whom we’ve named Gangotri - was born. We are all very happy to see her into the world and pray that she will never have to struggle like her namesake. The Guardian supplement did a nice piece with a colour picture.

Recently I was doing some research on the qualities of Kali Yuga for the temples vyasa-puja offering to Srila Prabhupada.
Sukadeva Goswami, in the 12th Canto, lists the qualities that this age of Kali will be rife with.
Not only is it amazing that such specific predictions were made so many thousands of years ago, but it is also frightening that so many have already come to pass and are easily recognisable in our own personal lives and in the world around us.

Sukadeva Gosvami said: Then, O King, religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, duration of life, physical strength and memory will all diminish day by day because of the powerful influence of the age of Kali.

In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man's good birth, proper behavior and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one's power.

Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attraction, and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and manliness will be judged according to one's expertise in sex, and a man will be known as a brahmana just by his wearing a thread.

A person's spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one spiritual order to the next. A person's propriety will be seriously questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar.

A person will be judged unholy if he does not have money, and hypocrisy will be accepted as virtue. Marriage will be arranged simply by verbal agreement, and a person will think he is fit to appear in public if he has merely taken a bath.

A sacred place will be taken to consist of no more than a reservoir of water located at a distance, and beauty will be thought to depend on one's hairstyle. Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is audacious will be accepted as truthful. He who can maintain a family will be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be observed only for the sake of reputation.

As the earth thus becomes crowded with a corrupt population, whoever among any of the social classes shows himself to be the strongest will gain political power.

Losing their wives and properties to such avaricious and merciless rulers, who will behave no better than ordinary thieves, the citizens will flee to the mountains and forests.

Harassed by famine and excessive taxes, people will resort to eating leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by drought, they will become completely ruined.

The citizens will suffer greatly from cold, wind, heat, rain and snow. They will be further tormented by quarrels, hunger, thirst, disease and severe anxiety.

The maximum duration of life for human beings in Kali-yuga will become fifty years.

By the time the age of Kali ends, the bodies of all creatures will be greatly reduced in size, and the religious principles of followers of varnasrama will be ruined. The path of the Vedas will be completely forgotten in human society, and so-called religion will be mostly atheistic. The kings will mostly be thieves, the occupations of men will be stealing, lying and needless violence, and all the social classes will be reduced to the lowest level of sudras. Cows will be like goats, spiritual hermitages will be no different from mundane houses, and family ties will extend no further than the immediate bonds of marriage. Most plants and herbs will be tiny, and all trees will appear like dwarf sami trees. Clouds will be full of lightning, homes will be devoid of piety, and all human beings will have become like asses. At that time, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear on the earth. Acting with the power of pure spiritual goodness, He will rescue eternal religion.
Srimad Bhagavatam 12.2 1 - 16

Doesn't it make you grateful to be alive in a time when, yes, things are bad, but also really, really good because we have the Sankirtan movement and Srila Prbhupada who are offering us a path out of this material world and the potential suffering it holds?

We have a chance to get out of this material world and go back to Godhead - so lets grab onto Lord Caitanya's lotus feet with both hands and make our way out.

Toronto, Ontario

"HANKERING FOR MAYAPURA"

Under normal circumstances I would be in Mayapura, India, at this time assisting Pragosh, host of my evenings of devotional presentations. I would be a director of plays to a receptive audience under a pandal where pilgrims come from all over the world, soaking-in the moon and sun-like rays of two kindly souls, Nityananda and Chaitanya. The process of indiscriminant delivery of mantra power to the world started with these two saintly personalities of West Bengal.

Mayapura is Chaitanya's birthplace and his companion, Nityananda, eleven years his senior, is also from Bengal.

When Europe was undergoing a Renaissance of sorts, India had its own version - a spiritual revivalism with Chaitanya as one of the great luminaries of the time.

This year I'm grounded but it's a small victory day. I got discharged of the I.V. unit and can now taste a small dose of liberation. I managed to trek for 3 kilometres - another victory.

My mind gravitates to India, however. The show (play) must go-on without me and I know that I have the understudies, proteges to see that this year's drama, "Vamana". The story of the walking avatar, will be a success in my very absence because of the sincerity behind the project.

That word sincerity is a striking word which alters the quality of my performance, off-stage or on. It is sincerity behind anything that is the heart's extension.

3 Km

Toronto, Ontario

"GET-UP, PICK-UP AND MOVE-ON"

It was a little above freezing at 3 pm. The sun shone beckoning me, so how could I resist? I forced myself to walk and covered a whopping kilometre. A great triumph, I would say, once again.

What really lifted me out of bed was the zealousness of one of the monks, Gaurachandra, who was telling me about the outstanding response from people whom he approaches about Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. This is not the first time that this rather quiet and reserved monk would burst in and express his utter joy.

"Business is not that great," he says, "but people are looking for some shelter in these hard times."

"This is a trend," I thought. Just after the occurrence of 9/11 divorce rates dropped and people were taking refuge in churches. Soon thereafter people slipped into the regular mode and so the teeter-totter of mundane life continues. It can be said that September 11th was a mini time-bomb. The current financial turn-around could drag on for some time before things get better.

It's times like this that compells people towards introspection, except for the weak-hearted. I pray for those who cannot adjust easily and give-in to self-indulgence so abruptly in hard times.

Truly if we could see opportunity in every adversity then the opportunity encourages us to turn to God.

Toronto, Ontario

My Nice Nurse

Lorna is my daily nurse. She does the house calls. She comes to see me daily to change my I.V. bag, adjusts its needle and changes the batteries for the device. She also takes my blood pressure. After checking she said, "You're as fit as a teenager." When poking into a vein she noted the blood runs profusely and was having a hard time catching its trail as it took her by surprise.
"It's for pilgrimage sake - meeting people, encouraging each other and growing internally." I said,
"Is it like that Santiago walk in Spain where people go, they walk and come back a different person?" asked Lorna.
"Yes," I said, "the same idea. These long pilgrimages impact your life to the point of transformation."
With job done today, Lorna left the building, the temple where I stay, carrying a colourful garland of fresh flowers from the deity of Krishna. Each day Lorna leaves the temple with her curiosity satisfied in a small new dose. She rather likes the vibes of the temple . When she pulls off the adhesive tape that fixates the intravenous tube to the arm she expects a scream of agony. Not once has she heard the four letter swear word like from many of her patients. I mentioned to her, "I'm a monk. Here we learn to control our tongue." She was relieved.

Take Back NYU

Following up our previous post on the NYU student occupation that made national and international news headlines, we gave a little bit of shelter to some of the suspended students at our regular Starving Students dinner program at 26 Second Avenue.

Knowing a lot of these kids from our cooking program on the campus of NYU, and knowing that they were in a delicate situation with the university (suspended with a chance of being expelled, kicked out of their dorms, etc), we simply wanted to show them a little good ol-fashioned Vaisnava compassion and at least give them a place to come and get warm, and meet together over subji and halava.

While it's very easy and painfully obvious to make fun of these students as being naive, childish, and ill-informed in their activites and aspirations (and there is some justification to some of these observations) we have a duty as their friends and even spiritual guides to give them refuge and comfort.

In our own preaching aspirations, in the mood of Prabhupada, it's the least we can do so that some of these students might take the opportunity, through our programs, to go a little deeper into what is real revolution in today's world, a revolution of the soul.

These kids are frustrated and bewildered that those behind their process of education alienate them and practically treat them as terrorists, hostage-takers, and no-good rabblerousers. They don't want to be part of a culture that treats them as nothing but numbers and commodities designed to consume and obey.

Of course, we agree with them, knowing the various vagaries of the realities of the material nature, and in due time, as friendships and relationships continue to develop, their questioning and activist mindset could help lead them to the real solutions that Prabhupada gave us. I know as much because this is my own history in coming to be a devotee.

On Thursday evening, the students all learned, while at our dinner program, that the University was lifting their suspension, and that they could get back to work in thei student and activist lives. We hope that the warmth we shared with them will help to bear some fruits of bhakti in the near-future.

Lover of the Lord - words and music by Mangalananda Dasa (Michael Cassidy) ©2000 Mangalananda Publishing

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

In this film you can see historical footage of how the Pancha-tattva of ISKCON Mayapur were brought to the altar (Chaitanya, Nityananda and Advaita are shown) - each one weighs more than 3 tonnes.

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

My son Nitai and I are in Melbourne for a cookery class this Sunday at the famous Gopals Restaurant.

Today, partly as a way of empowerment for my task ahead, and partly because it's fun, I attended the awesome sunrise chanting session in the gloriously beautiful onyx and marble-clad inner sanctum of the Hare Krishna Temple.

I grabbed the (albeit dodgy, flat) drum and the microphone, as one does, and sang my heart out. The boys were there with their recording devices, so I thought I'd invite you to sing-along with Kurma..

(ps click on the microphone icon - it may take a minute).
(pps slip on your dancing socks).

Felraktam egy szavazást az oldalra. Kíváncsi vagyok, hogy a látogatók közül milyen arányban hisznek a lélekvándorlásban. Persze lehet, hogy ez sokaknak ez természetes, de vannak olyanok is, akik először látogatnak az oldalra. Nekik is szól ez a kérdés.

A szavazást az oldal jobb oldalán találhatjátok.

Human beings want to be able to fly. Airplanes, helicopters and other noisy modern contraptions get us as close to flying as possible. Swimming with snorkels and aqualungs or floating on one's back in salt water almost replicates the sensation. But we can never fly or float as accurately and effortlessly as a bird or a fish. The ability for some living entities to fly is for us acintya sakti or inconceivable power. Similarly Lord Maha Visnu lies down in the causal ocean effortlessly generating trillions of universes while relaxing in yoga nidra or mystic slumber.

read more

People's health could be harmed by social networking sites because they reduce levels of face-to-face contact, an expert claims. Dr. Aric Sigman says websites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end up keeping people apart.

Bhaktivedanta Manor

Divorce adds to the impact of global warming as couples switch to wasteful single lifestyles, Australian senator Steve Fielding says. He told a Senate hearing on today that divorce led to a "resource-inefficient lifestyle" and it would be better for the planet if couples stayed married.

Sympathizing with Hollywood celebrity Mike Myers over his “Love Guru” being declared the “worst movie” of the year, protesting Hindus have offered forgiveness if he pays his obeisance in a Hindu temple. US-based Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who led the protests against “The Love Guru” for lampooning Hinduism starting March last, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that ksama (forgiveness) was one of the main virtues of Hindu ethics.

Date: February 25, 2009
Verse: Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.24.13
Speaker: Sivarama Swami

etavaty eva susrusa karya pitari putrakaih
badham ity anumanyeta gauravena guror vacah

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Are you tired of being a slave of samsara, the wheel of birth, death, old age, and disease? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get out of this wheel? If so, you are in the right place at the right time. My spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has blessed me with the sublime formula by which every living being...

For most people, when they are told that they should fast on a certain day or give up certain foods as a sacrifice to God, they think of it as a burden and spend the entire day thinking of all of the good foods that they are missing and they think about the ways that they have inconvenienced themselves for God. Strange isn’t it? Fasting means that a person has a level of commitment to God and to their worship and still something as minimal as giving up a few choice dishes counts as an inconvenience? What to speak of the things that we as people as God for everyday. (more…)

What a pleasant surprise. For those who like their films visually appealing and literate, intelligent and delightful, this will be a most satisfying entertainment. It is G-rated though it is not a children's film. The screenplay is an imaginative expansion by Alan Sharp (Rob Roy) of a small novel written in 1936. The book is principally conversations between the narrator of the novel and the Anglican dean who comes to dinner to discuss reincarnation.

1969 February 27: "In my childhood I was very naughty boy, and I used to catch my father in so many ways demanding unreasonable things, and my father used to satisfy me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 February 27: "You say you are my disobedient son, but I think I am your disturbing father. I am putting more and more burden upon you but you have no hesitation to accept my demands."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 February 27: "Regarding your kirtana success, it is so much pleasing to me. This is the way of our preaching work. Infuse this Krishna Consciousness idea amongst the student community."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 February 27: "When you send news of successful kirtana performance so I experience personally and I am overwhelmed with spiritual joy. Kindly send at least two letters in a week as I am always anxious to hear from you."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1972 February 27: "Actually, if you simply serve in a surrendered attitude, and go on chanting regularly, the answers to everything will come out automatically."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 27: "I am an old man. If you help relieve me from this administrative work, that will free me to give you so many more books. So kindly assist me in this way."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 27: "So-called transcendentalists who have no real knowledge they are fond of these miracles. Krishna Consciousness is not a miracle, it is science, practically we can understand. We do not see anything miracle."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1966 February 27: "Whole day remained at Ananda Ashram, Monroe, NY. Kirtan demonstration in the morning. Recording was made by Mr. Bill but it was not successful. In the evening returned. No income. No expenditure."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. (One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

- Acts 19:13-16

As you may be aware, for the last month or so, in between shifting atma and my usual day job, I've been working an apologetic pamphlet to distribute on Harinam, tentatively titled: "What do Hare Krishnas think about...?"

An "apologetic" text is one designed to present a point of view to people outside the tradition. The target audience has a different value structure that must be taken into account, and that's what makes an apologetic presentation different from "preaching to the choir".

In the course of preparing this I've been thinking about a lot of things, and discussing things with people.

Something I've come to notice is what I call "Prabhupadism". Prabhupadism can become a philosophical deviation - one that changes the epistemology (valid means of knowing, or sources of knowledge) of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. Whereas Srila Prabhupada taught, in the line of Madhavacarya and Jiva Goswami that our epistemology relies on guru, sadhu, sastra, anumana, and pratyaksa, Prabhupadism asserts that the epistemology is "Prabhupada uvaca" and nothing else.

The problem with this is two-fold:

First of all, without the complete epistemology it is impossible to distinguish between different things that Srila Prabhupada said for different reasons. In Prabhupadism, a thing is true because Srila Prabhupada said it. Prabhupada uvaca is the ultimate and independent pramana (evidence). This makes it impossible to distinguish between essential and unchangeable points, and details of presentation.

Secondly, it makes it very difficult to present Krishna Consciousness to people who do not accept Srila Prabhupada as pramana. If your ultimate statement is: "Srila Prabhupada said it, and I believe it! then you are going to have a hard time convincing others on that basis.

Rather than things being true because Srila Prabhupada said it, Srila Prabhupada said some things because they are true, and said other things because they were the most appropriate thing to say given the time, place, audience he was speaking to, and effect he wished to achieve. Distinguishing between these two requires analysing Srila Prabhupada's statements in light of the other pramanas - something which he himself taught.

I can use an analogy to make this clearer.

An analogy

My son, Prahlad, will sometimes say something like: "Because my father said so!"

That is good for him, because it works. However, it will be ineffective in convincing others. While for him "my father said so" is a valid pramana, for others it is not. As an apologetic it is ineffective.

In the same way, if we say: "because Prabhuapada said so", it may be useful in fixing our own understanding, but it does nothing to convince others. If it is true because Srila Prabhupada said it, then to say: "because Srila Prabhupada said so" is the ultimate and independent pramana, and there is nothing more that can be said about it.

However, as my son grows up my hope is that he will understand that the things that I have said to him I have said for a reason. For example, if my son asks me: "Why?", will I reply with: "because my father said so!"

No. I will explain to him the underlying reasoning. As he grows older he will no longer say: "Because my father said so", and he will begin to understand and own the conclusions himself, and to be able to present and rationally defend them.

Things are not true because I have said them - I have said them because they are true, and I can demonstrate that.

That kind of presentation will be effective.

Prabhupada and Prabhupadism

Srila Prabhupada himself did not practice Prabhupadism. Neither did he say: "It is true because I say so!", nor did he say: "because (my) Srila Prabhupada said so!".

He spoke on the strength of the standard pramanas of our philosophy and his personal realization of it.

To hark back to the biblical passage at the beginning of this post - if all you have is "Prabhupada said" then that may be good enough for you, but if you can't *say it yourself* and defend it with multiple pramanas and an apologetic, forget about being able to communicate and convince.

In other words: Prabhupada might have said that, but you are not Prabhupada. What do you have to say for yourself?

Without being able to present it and defend it without resorting to "Prabhupada said", then you will be incapable of presenting and defending the tradition in an apologetic setting, outside the tradition, and will instead get a beating.

Kanistha-adhikari means one who is convinced, but cannot convince others because he lacks the background knowledge. Madhyama-adhikari has the background justifications and can examine and present different perspectives, and demonstrate why the one he is advocating is the superior solution.

To have only "Prabhupada said" is a natural stage of growth, just like at a certain stage a child has only "my father said so" as his pramana. However, to extend this to be the ultimate and independent pramana is to turn it into a deviant doctrine.

I'll be giving more examples of this as I present some of the things that I've been thinking about over the next while.

WASHINGTON - Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration will move today to rescind a controversial rule that allows health care workers to deny abortion counseling or other family planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials.

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.6.44-45 - The three phases to get qualified for Lord's association.

Guru Vandana & Kirtan.

This Wednesday March 4th, urban mystic and world travelling monk Devamrita Swami is arriving at the Loft.  He’ll be sharing some insights on stress relief and lifestyle management.

An evening not to be missed!

$8 includes a vegan feast!

Starts at 6 sharp!

In an article in the NY Times i came across a couple of quotes written by the recently deceased Pulitzer prize winning author, John Updike.

Updike describes the facts of life as “unbearably heavy, weighted as they are with our personal death. Writing, in making the world light — in codifying, distorting, prettifying, verbalizing it — approaches blasphemy.”

In other words, Updike says that our mortality makes every other thing in the world-- whatever its apparent beauty, value or power-- seem superficial and facile, like trivial chatter. Think of this chatter as a kind of blasphemy against reality! Certainly to glorify this chatter is a kind of blasphemy!

How true, but how difficult to avoid it. Authors like Updike made his name and fame from it, and the rest of the world feed each other with it. It is practically the bread of life. To be indifferent to all of it (including the blah blahing most devotees enjoy) is a great achievment.

Greater yet than tolerating and being indifferent to this chatter, is to be attentive and active on a platform beyond it, on the plane of seva. To be jolly and cheerfully situated on that higher plane of divine service, of hearing and chanting, is possible only for a sadhu. I don't care what anyone's dress is or how articulate they may be. I am not impressed with scholarship or renunciation.

I bow down only to those who are steadily situated on the plane of seva to sravanam and kirtanam. And i offer my respects to those whose hopes and prayers are to one day reach that plane. To all others, let me do my best to endure their petty blasphemy in a myriad of forms and appearances.

Here is another golden quote from Mr. Updike:

“Nature dangles sex to keep us walking toward the cliff.”

We are sexual puppets moving towards a cliff which happens to be our own death. Sex and death are intimate relations with each other. (For those who cannot see the connection, think of it another way: sex is the cause of birth, and birth is the cause of both sex and death.)

Our imaginations are the background score to this puppet play, filled with undelivered yet vivid promises of sex, drugs and rock and roll (choose your particular variation). Nature is the puppet master who moves us on the strings of the impressions in our minds. The false ego is the puppet master's faithful assistant who spins a personal web for each of us that blinds us and keeps us from seeing our soul and from seeing what lies just ahead.

As we finally approach the cliff in our forgetful play, fear appears and grasps us by the neck. We sense a bleak outcome and experience the anxiety of another impending death. 'Oh shit,' we say, 'I'm not ready to die.'

The rare ones who yell out to us in the puppet theatre before we walk off the cliff, shout: 'the house is on fire!' At their own risk, they warn us and try to awaken us. But these great souls are either marginalized as "freeloaders" or madmen, or are co-opted into plastic prophets by the chela priests of religion. Some of the best atheists are the clergymen and commissioners of the churches and temples of this world.

Unbearably heavy, this conspiracy of illusion, this play of puppets. To all who are sincerely trying to get off the stage and to help others too, i say: Sadhu, sadhu! Bravo! Well done! Jai to you! Send me your blessings!

Due to the apparent imminent departure of the mahant at the ashram at Malsar (on the bank of the Narmada) which we were planning to visit on 8 March, our visit there has been cancelled. We are planning to instead go to Dakor. More details later.

Pure devotees are so absorbed in thought of Krsna that they have no other engagement; although they may seem to think or act otherwise, they are always thinking of Krsna. The smile of such a Krsna conscious person is so attractive that simply by smiling he wins so many admirers, disciples and followers.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 3.22.21

March is Women's History Month. A new analysis of data from the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, finds that women are more religious than men on a variety of measures.

The Youth Bus Tour came through Houston and performed for the devotees.  This is the first presentation, a Bharatnatyam Dance.

 Houston, TX
2009-01-03

Now that I am living only four miles from the temple I sometimes walk home. It is a pleasant walk, mostly avoiding the main highways and taking a particularly nice country road surrounded by forest, farms and cows. You can hear the birds singing and see hawks flying overhead. You have time to think and appreciate the Lord’s amazing creation. When I am walking I imagine going back to a much simpler time where walking was the primary means of transport. How I wish I were back in that time again. Everything you need you can get to by foot. If you want to visit a friend or the doctor you just walk a few minutes. Or if you have to go to another town you walk for a couple of days, maybe a week, sleeping along the roadside or in a friendly person’s barn. I love being able to just get somewhere not depending on anything except my own two feet. No car and all of its hassles. No rides from others.

But these days it is practically impossible not to own a car. Maybe if you live in a big city like New York, but you are still dependent on public transport. I always wanted to travel around the country by foot. I felt that this would allow me to more fully understand my dependence on the Lord alone; how He is actually maintaining and supplying everything we need. Driving in a car I felt too much safety. Safety from the elements and from strangers. Ironically in so many ways driving is by far more dangerous. So it is simply a false sense of security, allowing us to hide away from our external fears and in doing so hide away from the basic activities of nature and living interaction.

Maybe one day we will run out of oil and be forced to go back to walking. Of course our towns will have to become localized again and then so will our community. In fact, this could allow for real community to form again, not the artificial or virtual one we experience today. I do long for that day.

Just for a little mindless entertainment I did the blog personality test, I wasn't expecting anything too profound but to my surprise it actually came up with my "real" personality type.

The test uses the typology of the Myers-Briggs Type Index (MBTI) which was based on Carl Jung's work.

I took the MBTI when I was in studying at Santa Fe Community College and was extremely surprised at how accurate it was.

Here's a description of the INTJ personality type from wikipedia here, here, here, and here are some more descriptions of the INTJ personality type.

If you're interested you can take the test online here.

Although I wouldn't say it encompasses all of a persons characteristics, in my experience it is pretty good way of understanding oneself and others. Another way of conceptualizing personality that I found to be really useful is Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.


A person could be a genius in one type of intelligence and be seriously challenged in another area. I understood this when I started trying to learn how to play the harmonium. What was very natural for most people I could do only with great endeavor, and even then I wasn't even as good most people of average musical intelligence. My experience in music helped me to understand my experience in academics, I could with very little effort do better than most people could do with alot of effort.

Combining the theories gives more insight than either one by itself. Using myself as an example, one of the INTJ's biggest weaknesses is interpersonal relationships, but from the multiple intelligence theory perspective one of my biggest strengths is interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. I have a friend who is also an INTJ and a very talented musician, so although we share a lot in common he lives in a universe that I don't have much access to, being as tone deaf as I am. That gives you some idea of the possibilities.

When you combine personality theories with developmental theories of psychology you uncover another level of level of understanding personality. These would include most prominently Erikson Psychosocial Stages of Development, along with Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development.

But most important is the less well known theory of Faith development by James Fowler, faith being the essence of personality. Fowler gives a really powerful account of faith development which synthesizes all the previous work in developmental psychology and adds to it faith, which he defines not just belief in some d0gma but as the way in which we construct our perspectives on ultimate reality, which then determines how interpret the world and everything in it.

This perspective on faith is really interesting and powerful. It is really important in the discussion on Krishna consciousness and religious pluralism, and the fight against relativism and impersonalism.

Our tradition has a lot to say about stages of faith development and it is nice to be able to compare them to an empirical model. Very useful for presenting Krishna consciousness in the context of world religion, but I guess that is the topic for another post.

rasa108@gmail.com

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Rasa Rasika das

1966 February 27: "Whole day remained at Ananda Ashram, Monroe, NY. Kirtan demonstration in the morning. Recording was made by Mr. Bill but it was not successful. In the evening returned. No income. No expenditure."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1969 February 27: "In my childhood I was very naughty boy, and I used to catch my father in so many ways demanding unreasonable things, and my father used to satisfy me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 February 27: "You say you are my disobedient son, but I think I am your disturbing father. I am putting more and more burden upon you but you have no hesitation to accept my demands."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 February 27: "Regarding your kirtana success, it is so much pleasing to me. This is the way of our preaching work. Infuse this Krishna Consciousness idea amongst the student community."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 February 27: "When you send news of successful kirtana performance so I experience personally and I am overwhelmed with spiritual joy. Kindly send at least two letters in a week as I am always anxious to hear from you."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1972 February 27: "So-called transcendentalists who have no real knowledge they are fond of these miracles. Krishna Consciousness is not a miracle, it is science, practically we can understand. We do not see anything miracle."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 27: "I am an old man. If you help relieve me from this administrative work, that will free me to give you so many more books. So kindly assist me in this way."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 27: "Actually, if you simply serve in a surrendered attitude, and go on chanting regularly, the answers to everything will come out automatically."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Pandava vijaya dasa : Today 2/25/2009 is the disappearance day of his Divine Grace Tamal Krishna Goswami. For me as his disciple it is a special day. Gurudeva as his disciples called him , had stepped on many toes and had a fair share of people who watched his every step to see if he deviated in any way from the sanyasi boundaries.

Jnanagamya das: This is project is being done in the name of Jaya Nrsimha Productions, LLC. and all investors will be have investors rights to the profits of the film. I am not seeking donors, nor gifts to fiance the project. It is my hope and aim to establish a Krishna conscious studio to produce many Krishna themed films.

Madan Mohan das: The Thaipusam festival is an annual event held in honour of Lord Karthikeya, where devotees carry structures made of peacock feathers (Kavadi) and milk pots to fulfill their vows to Lord Karthikeya, chief commander of the demigod army.

February 26, 2009

The compassion of Jayapataka Maharaja and the way he extends himself to devotees is amazing. You can call it a marathon day for Maharaja on 26th Feb. Right from the morning, he was busy giving out mercy to the devotees. After the morning darshan and guru puja, he gave a class to Russian devotees. Shortly after the breakfast, Maharaja went to the community hall to offer glorification and flowers to Tamal Krsna Maharaja. He was back in the Conch Building, waiting to be received by the initiation candidates.

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By Gopijan ballab das

Even if you are not physically present in Mayapur, watch our Gaura Purnima festival videos and join with the devotees assembled in Mayapur. Devotees interviews, Gaura Purnima Festival inauguration, Jala Yatra (procession to Ganga for fetching water for Maha abhisheka) are added now to the festival videos collection.

By Matsyavatara das

Throughout time it feels as if two people exist within us. One is the historic self, the so-called “false ego”: suspicious, arrogant, proud, irritable, egocentric, substantially fearful and vile. The other one is the spiritual Self, often unseen, the atman, whose clear voice of wisdom is seldom heard and even more rarely listened to.

HH Lokanatha Swami sang the “je anilo” prayers remembering Srila Tamal Krsna goswami Maharaja after Mangala arthi. In the morning Srimad Bhagavatam class, Radhanath Swami spoke on how great personalities like Tamal Krsna Maharaja, Jayapataka Maharaja, Gour Govinda Maharaja and Bhakti Tirtha Swami took the instructions of their spiritual master as their heart and soul and showed unlimited compassion towards all.

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February 17 was the final day of the strategic planning portion of the AGM.After the opening kirtan, Srimad-Bhagavatam reading and quorum check, the subcommittees met and then reported back to the meeting hall at 12:30 pm. There are nine strategic planning subcommittees, seven of which made Presentations:

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A korábbi postomban írtam, hogy most készül a legújabb magazinunk. Beadtuk a nyomdába és jövő héten már kapható lesz.

Gondoltam, hogy kíváncsiak lehettek, hogy milyen lesz belülről, ezért a 52 oldalból most feltöltök 7 oldalt.

Innen letölthetik.

By Tusti Mohan Krishna das

The GBC meetings ended yesterday, I am posting also a historical pic of all the GBC members including HH Jayapataka Swami sitting on his wheel chair in the middle. The Chairman elected of this year is His Holiness Romapada Swami.

Inspired by my reading of "Vaisnava Compassion" by HH Satsvarupa Maharaja

In his article "Prayer As The Groundwork of Preaching", Maharaja writes:

"Prayer is a mysterious practice...Every serious preacher knows just how dependent he or she is on Krsna. Each serious preacher knows his or her own inability to change anything or anyone in this world. Therefore, the groundwork of preaching is prayer."

Or as HG Gadadhara Pandit (The NYC Pandit) put it recently, to successfully preach means to rely on the 2P's: prayer and prep. Recently I spoke at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey at the intro of their Bhakti-Yoga club, where I conveniently forgot these two P's and stumbled my way through an indirect and rambling treatise on the most sublime processes of self-realization.

It wasn't a total disaster. The prasad was great, the students were sharp enough to catch on to the few coherent and inspiring points I was able to give out, and the program goes on, strong and growing.

My problem was that my prep was not in the right mood and not thorough enough, but more importantly was that I didn't pray enough to have the ability to speak nicely and in the right mood. I was distinctly over-confident, thinking I could joke and sloke my way through it all.

Now I realize more that I'm not much of a realized speaker, and I certainly can't fall back on my own limited merits. To pray, to beg and plead for the mercy of our beloved acaryas to flow through us, is something that can't be ignored or neglected, or stumbling and rambling will result.

Deep, focused, sincere prayer allows us to receive the realizations we need to preach effectively, and his prayer also allows us to become competent enough, to rise above our own limitations, to deliver this message to our widespread, diverse audience. Maharaja writes:

"Compassionate prayer is a broad concept, and it means more than the recitation of standard prayers. Vaisnava prayer is the begging for the heart of bhakti and then the willingness to let that flow move out towards others in some form or other. The Goswamis exemplified this mood. We cannot imitate them, of course, but we should not exclude their example from the example or instructions Srila Prabhupada gave. Prayer and the development of ones internal Krsna conscious realization-even up to the ultimate understanding-is part of the groundwork of the preacher's life."

As many of you probably know, I spent much of last year at Audarya, Tripurari Maharaja's ashram in California, and at Madhuvan, his ashram in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. One of the things I worked on while there was an essay bringing together the external evidence we have about Srila Prabhupada's internal life. It turned into a rather long piece, and it was great fun to write.

This essay gives us access to the diverse indications given by Srila Prabhupada by which we may understand his love for Krishna.

• Intimate stories from disciples
• The realizations of sadhus
• Signs from Srila Prabhupada's life
• Srila Prabhupada's own statements.

We are offering this chance to follow the trail of Srila Prabhupada's spiritual passion and glimpse his innermost desire free online in two versions, one you can read online and one you can download as a pdf. If you find it interesting, feel free to share it with anyone you think might also find it interesting.

You may find this essay at http://cowdust.us/, where you'll be given the choice to either read it online or download it. Have fun, and feel free to leave comments.

I hope you’ll find it enlivening and thought provoking. And fun!

It is explained that in the Madhurya or conjugal rasa, the elements of vatsalya (parental or protective) rasa, sakhya (friendship or equality) rasa, dasya (service) rasa and santa (neutrality and peace) rasa are all contained. Also vatsalya contains sakhya, dasya, and santa; sakhya contains dasya and santa; dasya contains santa.

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Gurupuja to Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON Mayapur …

Some people argue that there is no Supreme Person. But their argument is baseless and illogical. To understand how there must be a Supreme Person kindly consider these points: Does everyone have the same amount of wealth? No. Everyone has a different amount of wealth. I may have $10. You may have $100. Someone may have $1,000,000. Somewhere within the...