Tamil Nadu Devotees Hold 50 “Gita Yajnas” for 50th

ISKCON devotees in Kanyakumari, the southernmost district in Tamil Nadu state and in mainland India, are in the process of holding fifty Gita Yajnas for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary.

“In this program, our aim is to distribute 5,000 copies of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and to have recipients take an oath during a fire ceremony to read at least one page daily,” says organizer Vikrama Govinda Das.

“We also plan to distribute prasadam – sanctified vegetarian food — to 10,000 people, and to reach out to a minimum of 20,000 people through Harinama Sankirtana, chanting on the streets.”

Devotees started the program in December 2015 on the occasion of Gita Jayanti – the day when Lord Krishna spoke the sacred text Bhagavad-gita to the warrior Arjuna. So far, they have conducted eleven yajna programs.

Local townspeople attend a Gita Yajna in Pattariar St

These took place in the towns or neighbhorhoods of Chetty Street, Pallivizhai, Myladi, Manakkarai, Nesalavar Colony, Theroor, Kottaram, Pattariar Street, Mandaikkad, Vadiveeswaram, and Boothapandi.

During the programs, devotees distributed 1,143 Bhagavad-gitas, and nearly 1,720 people took an oath to read a minimum of one page daily. Around 3,220 people snapped up plates of prasadam, 4,650 got the chance to hear Harinama kirtan, and many also received japa beads to chant the Hare Krishna mantra on.

View Krishna store

New Krishna Hip-Hop Album Tracks the Soul’s Journey

Milan Parmar, a member of ISKCON youth group Pandava Sena in the UK, has released an introspective hip-hop album that tracks the soul’s spiritual journey throughout one lifetime in the material world.

Out on January 29th on Pandava Sena’s own label, “When a Soul Acknowledges” features smooth production by Deva Deva Das, uplifting melodic hooks by female vocalist Sobia Khan, and Parmar’s mesmerizing unbroken flow. It’s a professional effort that clearly has its finger on the pulse of current UK rap styles.

At the same time, with tracks like “Pleasures of the World (Illusion),” “Wise Words From A Wise Man (Gurudeva),” and “Return to Godhead,” it’s clearly no ordinary hip-hop album.

“I first started to read Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is at the age of 15,” says Milan. “I found in it the deeper substance that I was subconsciously searching for. Everything, from Krishna’s words, to Arjuna’s questions, to Prabhupada’s purports made the utmost sense and gave me a new perspective on life.”

Milan began practicing Krishna consciousness, and in 2014 became more involved in the Pandava Sena. The group encourages youth to express their spiritual realizations through all mediums, and Milan soon began thinking about what he could do with the poetry and lyrics that had long been his passion.

View Krishna store

Puzzle of Life

Progress on the spiritual journey is like putting a puzzle together.

We pick up different pieces from different places. The people we contact, namely family, friends, colleagues, critics, mentors, managers, and others, are not simply there by chance. These individuals are strategically placed by providence to make a unique contribution to our development. They craft different aspects of our personality to evolve, educate, edify and enlighten us.

The pieces don’t always come in the ‘right’ order. We often get confused and play victim, since the experiences and events of life can seem haphazard, meaningless and even unfair. Even if it ‘doesn’t fit,’ a wise person registers each one with a genuine sense of value and appreciation. The bigger picture is revealed to the patient and tolerant; somewhere along the line all the pieces of the master plan fall into place.

View Krishna  store

Understanding God Through the Faith of Another – by Rukmini Walker

Prayers can bind us not only to a higher power but to one another as well. Rukmini Walker points out powerful prayers from the Bhagavad-Gita reinforcing acts of humanity and loving-kindness. The video has been produced by Karuna Produsction (www.karunaproductions.com) and broadcast by Odyssey Networks (www.odysseynetworks.org)

 

View Krishna store

ISKCON 50 Meditations: March 5, 2016

Prabhupada gave us – and is giving us – the great opportunity to be pioneers in the spreading of kirtana.  Often the word “pioneer” conjures up the image of leaving our home country and going to open a centre in a different part of the world, or join a world tour of kirtanas.  However, Prabhupada also encouraged us to perform kirtana among our own people.  Therefore, he made those of us who were pioneering among the student population in Boston as much a part of the pioneering movement as those who went to Germany and London, or later, Japan and Africa.  We always felt that Prabhupada was with us and that we were trying to accomplish what he asked of us.  We could only pray to be successful.  No one could sit down and relax.  We were so caught up in immediate preaching that we had no time to reflect on our relative position to other temples, or what the non-devotees would think of as later.  To serve Prabhupada, we were forced to live in the present.  We hardly had time to think.  Such a life thoroughly engaged our minds and senses in Prabhupada’s service and we left it to him to define whether it was pleasing or not, and to encourage us. View Krishna store 

A Day At the Kitchen in ISKCON Mayapur, India

our latest photo-journalism piece blogger Manoj, an Indian living in Australia, shares a highlight of his recent trip to ISKCON’s headquarters in holy Mayapur, India. There, he caught a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how the hard-working temple cooks prepare food for thousands of devotees.

Here devotee women chop vegetables, their bright saris blending with blood-red tomatoes, yellow melons, and green leaves to create a vividly colorful scene. “As they worked, they chattered away in Bengali, immersed in their service and completely oblvious to my presence,” Manoj says. “Obviously, they had no time to waste. In fact, for the half-day I spent in the kitchen, I didn’t once see them pause, look tired or complain.”

The result of the chopping team’s hard work. “I feel I’ve put in so much work after chopping a few veggies and soaking frozen peas for a one-person dinner,” says Manoj. “But they did all this; and believe it or not, what you see here is only the first run!”

As the ladies chopped the vegetables, this devotee prepared the rice, mixing some spices into it and stirring it with all his might. “Stirring rice is my favourite kitchen activity,” Manoj says. “There’s nothing like that fresh steam hitting your face – it’s almost therapeutic.”

Meanwhile, one of the head cooks was stirring tomatoes in quite possibly the largest pot ever made. “This gentleman was fun,” Manoj comments. “Although I told him I couldn’t speak Bengali, he insisted on lecturing me about cooking in the language. He also seemed to have a strong opinon on photography – every time I took a photo, he would come running, his chef cap wobbling atop his head, to inspect it. He was a hard man to please, and I kept snapping away until I took this one, which he finally approved.”

Another devotee added melons and zucchini to the mix. “He was obviously a seasoned cook, moving quickly around his stove many times to ensure that the spices were well mixed,” Manoj says.

Here, fragrant spices are mixed in a typical woven basket.

“You won’t believe the number of chapatis these ladies had to roll out,” Manoj says of this hard-working group, who were quiet and focused. They rolled out the dough with efficient speed, handing the flat breads to their friends nearby for cooking.

These women didn’t seem remotely phased by the intense heat radiating from their chapati-making stove, and were amused by Manoj’s inability to bear it. “Like everyone else in the kitchen, they worked quickly,” Manoj says. “The chapatis they tossed up into the air resembled flying saucers for a few seconds, before making a smooth landing on the hot plate.”

View more Radha Krishna iskcon store India

Day 7of ILS: Connection with ISKCON

At the pre-launch of ISKCON Connection on the 7th day of the ILS, Praharana Devi Dasi explained that the new initiative will help connect every devotee to our worldwide community. ISKCON Connection, which will be formally launched on Gaura Purnima day this year, is a 50th anniversary initiative.

“Any ISKCON devotee can register on the website, and will be able to connect to other ISKCON devotees, become familiar with GBC activities, be nurtured in spiritual life, and access a secure database of ISKCON members,” said Praharana Devi Dasi in her introductory talk.

Devotees can fill a form on the prelaunch site at http://www.iskconconnection.org straight away, but they will get a welcome letter and be able to access the facilities on the site after its formal launch on 23rd March.

In the next presentation, Kaunteya Das presented ISKCON’s 3 ecosystems made of the guru-disciple relationship, ISKCON as an organisation, and society at large. He explained that these ecosystems were interconnected and interdependent, but not interchangeable.

“Srila Prabhupada has told us that human society means that which is making progress towards spiritual realisation,” commented Kaunteya. “There may be differences that may sometimes surface between the needs and priorities of the management and those of the spiritual master, but these can be resolved. An organisation without the spiritual mentorship of a Guru is dead, and a social ecosystem without spirituality is mundane.”

After the plenary sessions in the morning, ILS delegates had to walk through the Expo area surrounded by different booths hosted by various ISKCON projects. Booths included those set up by the Tribal Care Initiative Mayapur, Govardhan Eco Village, Mayapur Chandrodaya Temple, Congregation Development Ministry, BBT, Museum of the Sacred Art, Back to Godhead, Kirtan Academy, VOICE and many others.

Bhakta Ashwin from ISKCON Pune NVCC who was hosting the VOICE stall said, “VOICE has been training and educating youth since 1996 and over 10,000 students have participated in different courses. It also has over a dozen youth hostels across the country close to prestigious colleges. ILS delegates who came to our stall appreciated the wide variety of training and preaching material we have here for youth, corporates, congregation and children.”

At the Kirtan Academy booth nearby, Chaitanya Chintamani Dasi was upbeat about promoting a 3-month course on kirtans.

 

View more Radha Krishna iskcon store online India

Day 5 of ILS: Criteria for Success

The fifth day of the ILS was the Appearance Day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, the spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada. ILS delegates were given a break from seminars on this holy day so that they could spend a day in prayers, meditation, hearing and chanting.

After mangala-arati, Niranjana Swami and Radhanatha Swami delivered a special class to mark the occasion.

Niranjana Swami explained that one can learn Prabhupada’s mood of humility from his diary entry on board the Jaladuta on 10thSeptember 1965, where he says, ‘Today the ship is plying very smoothly. I feel today better. But I am feeling separation from Sri Vrindaban and my Lords Sri Govinda, Gopinath, Radha Damodar. The only solace is Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita in which I am tasting the nectarine of Lord Chaitanya’s Leela. I have left Bharat Bhumi just to execute the order of Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati in pursuance of Lord Chaitanya’s order. I have no qualification, but I have taken up the risk just to carry out the order of His Divine Grace. I depend fully on Their mercy so far away from Vrindaban.’

“The criteria of the devotees’ success is not that he thinks ‘I am authorised, therefore I am qualified’. One should think, ‘I am authorised, but I need to be aware of my lack of qualifications, and will always become dependent on the Lord’. Success is always guaranteed to those who are conscious of their subordinate position,” said Niranjana Swami to the delegates, many of whom had lined up 30 minutes before the lecture to hear the two speakers. “Srila Prabhupada always gave credit to his higher authorities, his spiritual master and Lord Chaitanya, and never took credit for himself.”

Niranjana Swami recollected how Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraaswati Thakura instructed Srila Prabhupada in 1936 to push the Krishna consciousness movement to the English speaking world.

“Srila Prabhupada told us that if we strictly try to serve the spiritual master seriously, Krishna will give us all facilities,” concluded Niranjana Swami. “Therefore he requested us to please take this movement seriously. Prabhupada told us, ‘I shall go away and you will live, but you should push this movement’. The rest is dependent on ourselves – in how we keep ourselves in this humble and subordinate position.”

In the next address, Radhanatha Swami recalled Srila Prabhupada’s instructions delivered on a previous appearance day of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.  “Srila Prabhupada told his followers that Lord Chaitanya had instructed all those born in India to accept this message and share it with the world. He explained that it was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thaura’s desire that people from the West and the East should accept this movement equally. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has asked: Oh, when will that day come when people from America, England, France, Germany and Russia will take up karatals and mridangas and chant Hare Krishna in their towns?”

Radhanatha Swami mentioned that Srila Prabhupada always felt the presence of his Guru Maharaja, and never felt alone. “After one year, Srila Prabhupada had only $200 left from the sale of his books. He invested everything he had in renting 26, Second Avenue. He had nothing more. In this way, Srila Prabhupada was always reminding us that our existence is fully reliant on how we humble ourselves, and how we depend on our spiritual master, and Lord Chaitanya.”

Radhanatha Swami read out a letter from Srila Prabhupada in which he ended the letter by saying, “I am trying a little bit and you are all helping me. So, I have to thank you more. You are actually the representatives of my Guru Maharaja… because you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Maharaja.”

Radhanatha Swami explained that in the recording, Prabhupada said his last words in a choked voice. He urged everyone to keep aside differences, since they were all insignificant and did not matter in light of the instructions from our spiritual masters.

View more Radha Krishna iskcon store online India

The News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness MENU HOME INSIDE ISKCON WORLD NEWS VIDEOS OPINION EVENTS CALENDAR OUR TEAM CONTACT US SUBMIT Feb 22, 2016 Feed: RSS | Atom ISKCON 50 Meditations: February 22, 2016

Prabhupada’s Versatility

Prabhupada was sometimes as strong as a thunderbolt, other times soft as a rose.  When, sometimes, persons would ask Prabhupada esoteric details about Vrindavana or the rasadance, he would cut them short.  Rather than answer their questions directly, he would address their mentalities.  Yet, at the same time, he would fully answer the questions of a sincere inquirer.

We should be proud to have such a guru, who adopted the chopping technique of his own spiritual master in trying to save the world from maya, but was fully capable of understanding Vrindavana bhajana-rasa.  After all, he lived in Vrindavana for years, wrote his books there, and lived alone at the Radha Damodara Temple.  He was very, very sensitive to the atmosphere in Vrindavana.  Even his silence on the subject of rasa-lila made us feel his potency, his power.  Krishna’s pastimes took place in Vraja, although, at present, They areaprakata, not manifest now, Prabhupada knew about Krishna’s pastimes.

View more Krishna store online

New Short Film Shows ISKCON’s Global Contribution