Dandavat pranams - All glories to Srila Prabhupada: 24 jul 2011

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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana

H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Monday 25 July 2011--Lesson from the Utøya Island Massacre--and--Who Causes More Damage to Humanity?

Australian News: The Swing Festival of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna – at Surfers Paradise

Madhavendra Puri, New Govardhana, AU: Won-Durr Boiz in Poland (Part 7) – Lucky Discoveries [Siemysl]

Australian News: Please grant us pure devotional service

Australian News: 108

Japa Group: The 10 Offenses Pt.4

Kurma dasa, AU: Chapati Party

Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Srila Prabhupada appreciates his disciples

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

Dandavats.com: Radhanatha Swami “blessed” by …Himalayan baby :-)

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

Srila Prabhupada's Letters

H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, July 22nd, 2011

H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Song Sparrow Nest in the Tomatoes

Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Jaya Srila Lokanath Goswami

Japa Group: The 10 Offenses Pt.3

H.H. Sivarama Swami: All glories to prasadam distribution

ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gopavrndesa Prabhu

Dandavats.com: Strategies to overhaul the “Slaugtherhouse Civilization”

Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: The Great Global Poisoning Experiment

Australian News: World Holy Name Week

Dandavats.com: 28 Apartments, One Minute from ISKCON Vrindavan

Gouranga TV: July 2011 Ecstatic Harinam in Tel Aviv beach!!! Lead by Murari Caitanya prabhu!!

ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana

Australian News: Lord Balarama Jayanti – 13th August (Saturday) Canberra

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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana

"May that Srimati Radhika, whose bodily complexion snatches away the pride of a golden lotus flower tinged with kunkuma, whose bodily fragrance reproaches the fame of a fragrant lotus sprinkled with saffron powder, and who fulfills all the desires of the prince of Vraja, Sri Krishna, always bestow upon me the service of Her lotus feet."
(Sri Radhikastakam by Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami)
May Srimati Radhika, whose beauty is beyond compare, always grant us Her capturing darsana.

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H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Monday 25 July 2011--Lesson from the Utøya Island Massacre--and--Who Causes More Damage to Humanity?
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Monday 25 July 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger image.) Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: Lesson from the Utøya Island Massacre Uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram, Austin, Texas USA If we simply treat the symptoms of a disease but do not treat its cause, we will never cure the disease. Ignorance of this principle is the deficiency of the world's modern day leaders. Even though they see so many symptoms of the ever-increasing global crisis, such as crime, terrorism, drought, hunger, and disease, they are in complete ignorance regarding the root cause of the global crisis and are therefore not able to save the planet from disaster. They do not have scientific knowledge of the Supreme Person who is the source of our existence, and thus they do not know how to live in a state of perfect harmony with Him. Indeed, many of them even deny His very existence. It's no wonder then that this planet is become more and more of hell every day as evidenced by the recent shootings in Norway on Utøya island. We are therefore urgently appealing to the world's leaders that they now take advantage of the sublime Vedic science for bringing a new age of peace and prosperity for all. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Mass Murder Chaos on Utøya Island Symptomizes Our Lack of Krishna Consciousness http://www.backtohome.com/images/Utoya_Massacre.jpg Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Who Causes More Damage to Humanity? Esteemed Guru, I hope you will forgive my daring in addressing you through this medium. Since I was surfing on the computer and I found myself with you and thinking that you are the proper person, I would like to ask you two questions to which I have not been able to find the answers. My questions are: Who do you think will cause more damage to humanity, a scientist or an illiterate person? How do you feel better, wasting a moment of your life helping someone or dedicating all your time to Krishna? Thank you for your attention. Humberto A. Answer: The Person Who is Not Krishna Conscious If a scientist or an illiterate person is Krishna conscious, by his life's activities he will render the greatest service to humanity. And if they are not Krishna conscious, their life's activities will simply be a disturbance to the human society. Helping someone means to give them Krishna consciousness. Otherwise, how are we helping them? Therefore helping someone is the greatest service to Lord Krishna as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita when Krishna states that there is no one more dear to Him than the one who spreads His glories all over the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Sankarshan Das Adhikari on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SDASITE Thought for the Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ultimate.Self.Realization Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address:

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Australian News: The Swing Festival of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna – at Surfers Paradise
Wednesday August 10th 2011 @ The Bhakti Centre Gold Coast at Surfers Paradise 6pm to 9pm
Dancing, Music and Cultural Performances
Special Vegetarian Dinner – All welcome
Bhakti Centre Gold Coast Suit 1c, 3070 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, 4217.
Click here to check out the web site
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Madhavendra Puri, New Govardhana, AU: Won-Durr Boiz in Poland (Part 7) – Lucky Discoveries [Siemysl]
[The Won-Durr Boiz diary series is based on four ex-gurukuli brothers (surname: Durr) coming together for the first time to share Krsna consciousness with the outside world. Madhavendra Puri (the author and middle elder) has been waiting in Radhadesh (Belgium) for his brothers to arrive. Nitai Canda (the eldest) and Rupa Gosvami (the youngest) arrive first, and Bhisma Deva (the middle younger) is scheduled to come half way through. Their adventure takes them through Belgium, Germany and Poland, for rathayatras, festival tours and kirtana events. These diaries aim to bring inspiration and joy to the readers, and hopefully encourage others to entangle themselves in Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtana movement – whether for the spiritual benefits or simply for the fun.]

Monday 11^th, July 2011.

Monday was marked with another awesome feast, keeping us alive in the fray of things. It was otherwise a simple day. I went outside to start a japa walk but noticed something intriguing at my ankle. It looked like a four leaf clover but then I realized it was simply two clovers tangled together. I stayed there for a moment and then found something rather amazing. Half a meter away was a five leaf clover. This was my first discovery of such a rare specimen so I took it back to the room for photo and preservation.

I quickly escaped into the wilderness again, hoping to find some more luck with my japa. I slotted off a few decent rounds before stopping for a break. I looked down at my feet and spotted yet another four leaf clover. I was confused and thought perhaps it was another illusion. All of a sudden, I found myself in a patch of seemingly endless four leaf clovers. I picked sixteen of them and several five leaf clovers. It seemed to be my lucky day.

In the evening, I sat with Nanda Kumara (in charge of the yoga tent) and a Russian devotee, who was a reporter, and they interviewed me on Sri Prahlada’s relationship with HH Indradyumna Swami. It was a nice opportunity to speak about some devotees who I considered a combination of both great friends and advanced Vaisnavas. It was also a great chance to reflect on episodes from Australian tour, something I hadn’t reflected on for a while, which I relished with renewed enthusiasm. It was good to look back over the years and take a seed of appreciation for all that had been given to me in my devotional pursuits.

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Australian News: Please grant us pure devotional service
SB 12.13.22: O Lord of lords, O master, please grant us pure devotional service at Your lotus feet, life after life.
Vandanam, Vaisnava Prayers
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Australian News: 108
The Significance of the number 108
The Indian Subcontinent rosary or set of mantra counting has 108 beads. 108 has been a sacred number in the Indian Subcontinent for a very long time. This number is explained in many different ways.
The ancient Indians were excellent mathematicians and 108 may be the product of a precise mathematical operation (e.g. 1 power 1 x 2 power 2 x 3 power 3 = 108) which was thought to have special numerological significance.
Powers of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2×2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108
Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 x 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.
9 times 12: Both of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9. That 9 times 12 equals 108.
Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
Marmas: Marmas or marmastanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.
Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.
Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.
Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.
1, 0, and 8: 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
Sun and Earth: The diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth.
Numerical scale: The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108, when added together equals 9, which is the number of the numerical scale, i.e. 1, 2, 3 … 10, etc., where 0 is not a number.
Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.
Islam: The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God.
Jain: In the Jain religion, 108 are the combined virtues of five categories of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues respectively.
Sikh: The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied in a string of wool, rather than beads.
Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each.
Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.
Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.
Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.
Pythagorean: The nine is the limit of all numbers, all others existing and coming from the same. ie: 0 to 9 is all one needs to make up an infinite amount of numbers.
We have listed below 108 Upanishads as per the list contained in the Muktikopanishad . We have arranged them in four categories according to the particular Veda to which each of them belong.
Rigveda(10): Aitareya , Atmabodha, Kaushitaki, Mudgala, Nirvana, Nadabindu, Akshamaya, Tripura, Bahvruka, Saubhagyalakshmi.
Yajurveda(50): Katha, Taittiriya , Isavasya , Brihadaranyaka, Akshi, Ekakshara, Garbha, Prnagnihotra, Svetasvatara, Sariraka, Sukarahasya, Skanda, Sarvasara, Adhyatma, Niralamba, Paingala, Mantrika, Muktika, Subala, Avadhuta, Katharudra, Brahma, Jabala, Turiyatita, Paramahamsa, Bhikshuka, Yajnavalkya, Satyayani, Amrtanada, Amrtabindu, Kshurika, Tejobindu, Dhyanabindu, Brahmavidya, YogakundalinI, Yogatattva, Yogasikha, Varaha, Advayataraka, Trisikhibrahmana, mandalabrahmana, Hamsa, Kalisantaraaa, Narayana, Tarasara, Kalagnirudra, Dakshinamurti, Pancabrahma, Rudrahrdaya, SarasvatIrahasya.
SamaVeda(16): Kena, Chandogya, Mahat, Maitrayani, Vajrasuci, Savitri, Aruneya, Kundika, Maitreyi, Samnyasa, Jabaladarsana, Yogacudaman, Avyakta, Vasudevai, Jabali, Rudrakshajabala.
Atharvaveda(32): Prasna , Mandukya, Mundaka, Atma, Surya, Narada-Parivrajakas, Parabrahma, Paramahamsa-Parivrajakas, Pasupatha-Brahma, Mahavakya, Sandilya, Krishna, Garuda, Gopalatapani, Tripadavibhuti-mahnarayana, Dattatreya, Kaivalya, NrsimhatapanI, Ramatapani, Ramarahasya, HayagrIva, Atharvasikha, Atharvasira, Ganapati, Brhajjabala, Bhasmajabala, Sarabha, Annapurna, TripuratapanI, Devi, Bhavana, SIta.
The Significance of the number 108
We must agree that all measuring systems are merely reference frames. They give us a starting point. It doesn’t really matter if you call them farenheits or cycles. All science is based on fundamental assumptions of the mechanics of this universe. Yet, these assumptions, if correct, connect like building blocks.
Much in the same way, the number ‘108’ is just a reference frame. It is symbolic of a bigger picture: that of humility. When devotees recite 108 Hanuman Chalisas, in their minds they believe, they are proving their love for God, and that there is in fact a need to prove their love. When devotees assign a 108 names to Shri Ganesh, they are once again gauging their devotion through numbers. This, of course, may be considered unreasonable, since it suggests that 108 chants are more effective than 109 chants. How do they know this? Have they proved it? Is 108 the magic number of the universe? No, it is not! It is a reference frame. What is important is that a system is imposed to guide us through the fundamental struggles encountered in any evolutional process. Otherwise, chaos and anarchy follow and nothing gets done.
Having said that, I will show you justifications from a few subcultures in India. Obviously, I consider the Vedic rationale to be the most consistent with the fundamental laws of this universe. The others have borrowed and built, but it still smells of Vedic beginnings.
In present times, we can find many rationales for the proliferation of ‘108’ throughout our scriptures. In fact, this number seems to garner its unfair share of attention from myriad cults and faith systems around the world. I will give you a few justifications that have been brought to my attention.
JYOTISH SHASTRA {VEDIC SYSTEM}
This universe was created by the five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. From these elements came the three attributes: Raj {birth}, Sat {protection} and Tam {destruction or death.}
The mathematical or geographical evidence proves that one circle has 360 degrees in space. Why is this circle or wheel of life considered to be of 360 degrees only? If we take a circle and start dividing it using the four elements and three attributes, all the logic can be observed.
The circle itself, is considered the first element of space, since we must consume space in drawing a circle. In this space {or circle}, the four remaining elements and three attributes create the idea of time. The circle is divisible by the product of four elements multiplied by three attributes. This involves the belief that the three attributes exist in the circle. By moving three times, each element completes its revolution.
So now we have the number 12 {3 x 4}. This division gave birth to our 12 months, and also to the 12 horas {1/2 of the day or Ahoratri}. We now have 360 degrees as well as 12 divisions. We can now further divide the wheel of time: there are 27 fixed stars (nakshatras) along with three attributes that divide the time in smaller portions. So this 27 + 3 = 30 is interpreted as 30 degrees or days of one part of the wheel (circle) or month. All of this is only half of a day. The night is yet unaccounted for. Therefore, we multiply these 30 degrees by 2. This gives us our reference of 60 seconds in a minute.
Thus the 360º x 30º = 10,800. Zero {0} is considered ‘Purna’ or complete. So we take out the last zeros and are left with 108. The idea of our total universe is represented by this number of 108. Offering 108, devotees believe that they are showing ultimate or complete respect to the Supreme.
There are many other justifications but all can be traced back to this system. A few are explained below:
SHOSHU BUDDHIST
Followers use 108 beads in their malas. They implement the following formula:
6 x 3 x 2 x3 = 108
6 senses [sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought]
3 aspects of time [past, present, future]
2 condition of heart [pure or impure]
3 possibilties of sentiment [like, dislike, indifference]
BUDDHA’S FOOTPRINT
All Buddhists accept the Buddha Footprint with its 108 Auspicious Illustrations. These areas are considered to have been marked on the Buddha’s left foot when his body was discovered.
BUDDHISM
108 beads on the Hindu maalaa {rosary}
108 Arhats or Holy Ones
HINDUISM
108 Gopis {consorts} of Lord Krishna
108 Holy places for Vaishnavas
108 beads on the Japa maalaa {rosary}
108 Upanishads
108 Divyadeshes – Divine or Sacred Tirtha throughout India and Nepal
108 sacred water taps in Muktinath – Nepal
TANTRA SHASTRA
108 Pitha {Sacred Places}
The story goes that Lord Shiva was in deep and incessant meditation. His asceticism was creating great heat in the universe. All existence was in peril and Lord Brahma was deeply concerned. Lord Brahma asked the Mother of the Universe, Maa Shakti, to use Her strength and wile to seduce Lord Shiva. Maa Shakti agreed and was born as Sati, daughter of Shri Daksha. Lord Shiva was so entranced by Sati’s asceticism and extraordinary beauty that he took human form and they were married. Years later, at a feast, Sati’s father insulted Lord Shiva. Sati was so humiliated that she began a deep meditation which led to her immolation. Lord Shiva was completely heart broken. He reached into the sacrificial fire and pulled out as much of His beloved’s body as he could grab. As He ascended to heaven, bits of Sati’s body fell to earth. 108 bits to be precise! In time, these places were acknowledged and worshipped.
SANATANA DHARMA
In a book by Khurana, the explanation closely mirrors the original Vedic justifications:
A circle has 360 degrees, which when multiplied by 60 gives us 21,600 minutes in a circle. 60 comes from the 60 ‘ghatis’ which Sanatana Dharmiks believe in. One ghati is equal to 24 minutes and 60 ghatis come to 24 hours.
One ghati is divided into 60 parts or ‘palas’.
So the 60 ghatis multiplied by 60 palasa comes to 3,600.
This is further multiplied by 60 (becase a pala contains 60 vipalas) which gives us 21,600.
Half of this is for the day, and the other half for the night. So, 21,600
divided by 2 gives us 10,800. For practical purposes, we use 108. Using the
number 108 helps us coordinate the rhythm of time and space & we remain in harmony with the spiritual powers of nature.
Click here to visit the New Zealand Hare Krishna Spiritual Resource Network where a Facebook friend pointed out the above text.
Here is the blog where I documented by association with the number 108
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Japa Group: The 10 Offenses Pt.4

To blaspheme the Vedic literatures or literatures in pursuance of the Vedic version.

To disbelieve the Vedic statements.

A devotee should accept that his disbelief may be due to his own limited perception. Even if he doesn't understand, he should still have faith in the Vedas.

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Kurma dasa, AU: Chapati Party

I've been craving hot buttered chapatis lately. Here's some chapati images from my files, plus a recipe.
Tender Griddle-baked Wholewheat Flatbreads (Chapatis)
Chapatis are one of India's most popular breads. They are enjoyed especially in the northern and central regions of India. They are partially cooked on a hot griddle and finished over an open-heat source. Chapatis are made from special wholemeal flour called atta, available from Indian grocers. If unavailable, substitute sifted wholemeal flour. You can spread melted butter or ghee on the chapatis after they are cooked.

Chapatis are usually served at lunch or dinner and are great whether served with a 5-course dinner or just with a simple dal and salad. Makes 12 chapatis.

2 cups sifted atta flour, ½ teaspoon salt, (optional) water, extra flour for dusting, melted butter or ghee for serving.

Combine the chapati flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add up to 2/3 cup of water, slowly pouring in just enough to form a soft, kneadable dough. Turn the dough onto a clean working surface and knead for about 8 minutes or until silky-smooth. Cover with an overturned bowl and leave for ½ - 3 hours.

Knead the dough again for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 1 dozen portions. Roll them into smooth balls and cover with a damp cloth.
Preheat a griddle or non-stick heavy frying pan over moderately low heat for 3 - 4 minutes. Flatten a ball of dough, dredge it in flour, and carefully roll out the ball into a thin, perfectly even, smooth disk of dough about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter.
Pick up the chapati and slap it between your hands to remove the excess flour. Slip it onto the hot plate, avoiding any wrinkles. Cook for about 1 minute on the first side. The top of the chapati should start to show small bubbles. Turn the chapati over with tongs. Cook it until small brown spots appear on the underside (about minute).

Turn on a gas jet, pick up the chapati with your tongs, and hold it about 5 cm (2 inches) over the flame. It will swell into a puffy balloon. Continue to cook the chapati until it is speckled with black flecks. Place the cooked chapati in a bowl or basket, cover with a clean tea towel or cloth, and continue cooking the rest of the chapatis.
Serve: when they're all cooked and stacked, you might like to butter them. Serve chapatis hot for best results or cover and keep warm in a preheated warm oven for up to ½ hour.

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Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Srila Prabhupada appreciates his disciples
We left only three or four children; now we have got hundreds of children, without any botheration of wife. (laughter) And they are so obedient and so beautiful, so nice, that I could not expect even the children which I begot at home.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1969 July 24: "Whatever Krishna gives us, that never becomes ours. It is always Krishna's. The more we receive from Krishna, the more we engage all of it in the service of Krishna. That is the duty of a bonafide brahmana. A brahmana remains a beggar even if he receives $100,000."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1967 July 24: "I am always thinking of your separation feelings. Please do your duty nicely and Krishna will help you in all respects. It may be that as soon as I feel some strength I shall be coming back."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1958 July 24: "My Spiritual Master was kind enough to order me and in obedience to His order I am trying to do my bit. But I am practically struggling very hard for this job without any tangible success till I was told that you are the right person to co-operate with me in this noble task."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1947-64

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Dandavats.com: Radhanatha Swami “blessed” by …Himalayan baby :-)
Jayo das: An incredible yet humorous story illustrated by Radhanath Swami in one of the regular Sunday discourses

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1969 July 24: "We received report from New York that they have collected last week $1,000, and they are selling at a rate of 200 copies of BTG daily. I have received report also that they are selling 60-70 copies daily in Boston and collecting $50 or $60 on average."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1970 July 24: "The Handbook is very nice, although one blunder has been done on page 98. I do not think there is any possibility of rectifying now, but in future please take special care for this. There are also some discrepancies on the front cover of BTG #34."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1971 July 24: "I am so glad to receive your letter and it has encouraged me so much that I am now confident that my missionary activities will go on even in my absence. Please keep up the spirit of preaching work and you will be victorious wherever you go."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1975 July 24: "I am going to San Diego via Laguna Beach. Then I shall go to Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, New York, and then West Virginia. From there I shall go to London and Paris, and then I shall return to Bombay via Africa by October."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

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Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1975 July 24: "My Dear Bon Maharaja: If we fully cooperate on this Institution plan, I can attract students from all over the world. Library books may be kept for comparative study by scholars, but our main purpose will only be to accelerate the grandeur of Caitanya philosophy."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

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H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, July 22nd, 2011
Whatever the Condition

Alachua, Florida

There is a great advantage behind being in the countryside. You can see stars dotting the sky at night. You can see Chandra (the moon), now resembling a quarter piece of lemon. There's the Polestar. It reminds me of the Puranic story to do with Dhruva, the young warrior boy whose inspiration took him to great levels.

In Florida, weather is hot and sticky. At mid-day any trekking is a sluggish stride, as preparation for a month long youth trip necessitates going from building to building. It is here, in this rural area, that you have a temple, a school, numerous devotee residences, and the home or headquarters of the Krishna movements' bi-monthly magazine, "Back to Godhead". Most buildings are tight-shut and are air-conditioned to death. It is with a certain kind of bravado that you dare move car-less from any one place to another.

Nevetheless it would be a condition that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, would take very kindly to. Born in India, these natural conditions of the land of Bharat (India) are conducive to people who hail from there. It's all rather relative. Whatever the weather, the truly evolved souls are absorbed in other concerns.

A sample: One soul, Bhaktivinode Thakur expressed his pre-occupation like this:

"Please tell me, when will that day be mine...when my offenses will end and the power of grace will infuse my heart with a taste for the pure mantra? Thinking myself lower than a blade of grass, bringing forbearance into my heart, respecting all, and freed of false pride...when will I taste the essence of the pure mantra?" (from Saranagati)

10 KM

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H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Thursday, July 21st, 2011
By the Fence

Alachua, Florida

This community is called, New Raman Reti, named after the sandy soils where Krishna and Balaram used to play in India. My japa walking trail is approximately a mile long, so I trek up and down this route avoiding pavement all together. This country rode is covered with a natural white sand that once reflected by the moon’s luminescence, allows you to see what might be slithering across it. You know where you’re stepping even in the dark. It’s a great trail, uneven in areas, allowing the soles to stretch and flex a bit. Along the trail, bulls and cows tend to line up at the edge of a fence where local devotees love to feed them. If that kind of generous offer doesn’t come, then grass is in abundance. Egrets, small heron like birds, stay near these bovine friends. When the animal starts to pull and tear at the grass, bugs leap out who catch the surprise of their life as they are gulped up by those birds.

My conjecture is that these bovine cows are in their retired mode of life. They are slow and easy going , and love their leisure time under the shade.

This is not where I spend my hours – by the fence along the trail. At the edge of the fence line I maximize my time at the local A/C’d chartered school’s cafeteria for practices on our devotional road show called “Bharata”. The challenge for Laghu Hari, Godruma Goura, and myself, is that the kids are inexperienced at drama, although they are eager to learn. It means we work hard, but it’s all devotional service to Krishna and that’s what makes it all enjoyable for body, mind and spirit.

8 KM

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Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Song Sparrow Nest in the Tomatoes
The goal each year is to have ripe tomatoes by the Fourth of July. We missed this year, not getting our first ripe one until about the 11th. We were then getting some to eat each day. It was another week before I could say we had more than we could eat but we are well into that now.
As I was out picking tomatoes I found the nest of a song sparrow in the Red Fig tomatoes.
You can’t really see the fig shape of the tomatoes in this photo but that wasn’t what I was going for, it was the baby birds. Here two had hatched and two more to go and as of today all 4 are hatched out.
Because we have electric fence up which keeps out feral cats and raccoons, these little babies have a much better than average chance to grow up instead of becoming a tasty mouthful for a predator. FYI, a feral cat can kill 100-200 songbirds a year, so the next time you hear of someone wanting to dump a cat out in the country side, please convince them to take it to the pound.
When I approach the nest the mother slips off though the tomato foliage and hides in the asparagus ferns. On occasion the male does land on the nearby pea trellis and make some tentative warning sounds but lacks the aggressiveness of a mockingbird and lets things unfold without interference. Which makes picking tomatoes more pleasant.

Filed under: Cows and Environment

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Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Jaya Srila Lokanath Goswami

The small deities are Sri Sri Radha-Vinoda which were manifest to and worshipped by Srila Lokanth Goswami

[Due to blog site having intermittent issues, this is being posted 1 day late and Friday's post will be reposted]

We have compiled some glorifications of Srila Lokanath Goswami a personal associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in honour of his disappearance day.

In glorification of Srila Lokanath Goswami, Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura writes,
srimad-radha-vinodaikaseva-sampat-samanvitam
padmanabhatmajam shrimal lokanatha prabhum bhaje
I worship the lotus feet of Srila Lokanatha Prabhu, the son of Sri Padmanabha. He is a storehouse of single minded service to the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha Vinoda.

Typically when writing about exalted vaishnavas who associated with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, such as Srila Lokanath Goswami we consult the Caitanya Caritamrta, however it is said that when Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami went to Srila Lokanatha Goswami and asked his blessings to compile the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Lokanatha Goswami gave his blessings, but out of humility asked Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami to not use name in the Caitanya Caritamrita. Thus Srila Lokanath Goswami is only briefly mentioned in the Chaitanya Charitamrita.

Srila Prabhupada confirms this in the purport of Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila 18.49. In the verse Sri Lokanatha Goswami is just mentioned in association of others, however Srila Prabhupada expands his glorifications as follows:

Sri Lokanatha Gosvami was a personal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Talakhadi in the district of Yasohara (Jessore), in Bengal. Previously he lived in Kacnapada. His father's name was Padmanabha, and his only sibling was a younger brother named Pragalbha. Following the orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Lokanatha went to Vrindavana to live. He established a temple named Gokulananda. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura selected Lokanatha dasa Gosvami to be his spiritual master, and Narottama dasa Thakura was his only disciple. Because Lokanatha dasa Gosvami did not want his name mentioned in the Caitanya-caritamrita, we do not often see it in this celebrated book....
[excerpt from Srila Prabhupada's purport of CC Madhya-lila 18.49]

As indicated in the purport above Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Sril Lokanatha Goswami to go to Vrindavan where he performed ecstatic kirtan feeling great separation from Mahaprabhu.

One quick story...
Sri Lokanatha Goswami wandered throughout all twelve forests of Vrindavan in great ecstasy.
In one of the forests there is a village named Umarao. There he stayed for some time on the banks of Kishori-kunda.
He had a great desire to establish the worship of the deity and render service to Krishna in that way.
Understanding Lokanath's aspiration to serve, Krishna Himself appeared before him and offered Lokanatha a vigraha, saying, "Worship this Deity here".This deity's name is Radha-vinoda.

Even in old age Srila Lokanatha Goswami continued performing ecstatic bhajan kirtan is separation of Mahaprabhu in Khadiravan in Khayara Gram. There is a kunda called Yugula and on the banks of this kunda, while performing bhajan, Srila Lokanatha Goswami entered samadhi.

Jaya Srila Lokanatha Goswami!

Gauranga!

Samadhi of Srila Lokanath Goswami

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Japa Group: The 10 Offenses Pt.3

To disobey the orders of the spiritual master or to consider him an ordinary person.

Explicit instructions must be followed.

Under certain circumstances the spiritual master may deliver advice or suggestions but leave it up to the disciple to choose what to do.

This offence includes having a material conception of the guru or envying him

How to counter-act the offence: Humbly approach the guru, offer obeisances, and ask forgiveness.

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H.H. Sivarama Swami: All glories to prasadam distribution

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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gopavrndesa Prabhu
Srimad Bhagavatam 12.13.19 - Only by devotional service unto Krishna one can understand the philosophy of Krishna consciousness.

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Dandavats.com: Strategies to overhaul the “Slaugtherhouse Civilization”
By Bharat Chandra das
The present civilization is clearly a "Slaughterhouse Civilization"! There is an act of murder in every fibre of it's construction. Ever increasing greed for economic gains is the goal. We all know, this experiment has been disastrous

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Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: The Great Global Poisoning Experiment

From John DeCock, environmental activist and writer, on the Huffington Post

If you are alive in 2011, no matter what your age, you have been part of one of the largest and worst experiments in history. No matter how carefully you eat or drink or watch your exposure to toxins, your body has chemicals in it that do not belong there and have the potential to make you ill, even fatally ill.
You didn't give anyone permission to experiment on you, it just happened to you. Chemicals have been spewing from smokestacks, sprayed on crops, dumped in your water, incorporated into your food, clothing and shelter. You've been exposed to large amounts mercury if you eat fish, you've breathed in asbestos from fabrics and building materials. You've ingested lead from paint. You have consumedBisphenol-a since the 1950's or since you were a baby if you were born later. You probably havePCB's in the tissues of your body. If you eat meat, you are eating antibiotics meant for livestock. This is a particularly shoddy experiment since there is no control group, no hypothesis and the experimenters ignore the outcomes.
In spite of the fact that we have many laws on the books to protect us and federal and state regulators to enforce the laws, the sheer scale of pollution has overwhelmed us. We all pay the price for this with our health and our very lives.
For generations, environmentalists, health advocates and people with common sense have been fighting corporate interests to keep toxins out of our environment. Have we been successful? Well, we have managed to ban and regulate some of the worst poisons. In some cases we have only shifted the manufacturing and distribution channels off shore so that we primarily poison other people with those particular toxins. However, it's difficult to demonstrate any real big picture success against the tsunami of chemicals that we swim in every day.
Toxic pollution has no international boundaries. In China, a group of students shocked by the headlines about " toxic milk, tainted pork and beef and reused gutter oil" undertook a project to map toxic hot spots for food production. In Canada, environmentalists fight pollution in Lake Ontario and the massive threat of tar sands extraction fouling ecosystems. In Japan, radioactive particles from the massive failure of the Fukushima nuclear plants are being found in food and water. All over the United States, we transport out kids to school in diesel buses that spew carcinogens out of their tailpipes.
While we have seen this rapid acceleration of ever more toxic substances into our environment, we have experienced a corresponding increase in disease. Cancer rates continue to increase, although treatments have reduced the number of deaths. According to the World Health Organization's2008 Cancer Report:
The rapid increase in the cancer burden represents a real crisis for public health and health systems worldwide. A major issue for many countries, even among high-resource countries, will be how to find sufficient funds to treat all cancer patients effectively and provide palliative, supportive and terminal care for the large numbers of patients, and their relatives, who will be diagnosed in the coming years.
The WHO warns of a possible 50% increase in cases of Cancer by 2020.
The Scientific American suggests that soaring rates of autism are linked to our constant exposure to toxics. Again, we pay an enormous emotional, practical and financial price to deal with the increase in this disease.
Links correlating many other illnesses with toxic and radioactive exposure are many and powerful. Yet we continue to operate in a manner that all but ignores this fact. It is not from stupidity. We are smart enough as a species to understand the connection. It is more likely from a combination of greed, laziness and apathy that we continue to allow this to happen.
This is not a problem that can be solved in a year. No governmental body can pass a regulation or set of regulations that will fix this quickly. The hard work of reducing exposure to toxins from our environment will occur over decades and centuries. It will take a massive shift in our thinking about the rights and responsibilities of corporations and the role of our governments, local, national and global, in protecting the commons and prioritizing human health over things like the cost of production.
The fact that this problem is so massive is no excuse to give up. It is a reason to get active. Progress in reigning in the power of corporations to poison the entire population of the world will bring with it many collateral benefits. It's an enormous cultural shift and requires dis-empowering the most powerful entities in the world. But if we don't wish our descendants to live in a world riddled by disease, genetic damage and drastically shortened life spans, we need to begin now. As we fight the important battle against climate change, we must not lose sight of the urgent need to support organizations that fight the battles against toxic exposure and unbridled corporate power.
Follow John DeCock on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jdecock

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Australian News: World Holy Name Week
The five initiatives for this year’s World Holy Names Festival are:
1. Japathon
2. Harinam
3. Sankirtan-Yajna
4. Global Prayer
5. Sunday Kirtan
There are currently 67 temples across India and hundreds more around the world participating in this year’s World Holy Names Festival. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that His Names would be chanted in “every town and village,” and Srila Prabhupada fulfilled Mahaprabhu’s prediction by starting ISKCON and carrying the Holy Names around the world (as the Ambassador of the Holy Names). World Holy Names Festival takes place on the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the United States in 1966 — which, this year, falls on September 30th. That was The Ambassador’s first destination outside of Sri Vrndavan-dham. He would travel around the world 14 times and establish 108 temples before going back to the spiritual abode in 1977.
World Holy Names Festival is organized globally but implemented locally, so readers are encouraged to contact their local temples or write to kirtan@krishna.com.
Check out the web site here
Check out the facebook page here
Dear Maharajas, Matas and Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, the ambassador of the holy name.
These are the new ISKCON World Holy Name Day Posters designed by the World Holy Name Day International team deputed by the GBC.
Monday, September 17, 2007 (Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival in the USA) World Holy Name Day Poster (Global)
Saturday, September 22, 2007 World Holy Name Week Poster (For North America and others who prefer this day)
Please Note: The posters are now in A3 size. In case devotees want to print on A4 size, they can do so easily. If devotees want, they can open the jpg file in Photoshop and type the time & place, before they print for themselves.
Potential events include:
. Massive Harinama sankirtan parties on the streets
. Twenty four hour kirtans in the temples
. Public Festivals and Stage Programs
. Seminars, lectures, dramas, and skits glorifying the holy name.
. Interfaith gatherings to glorify the holy name.
. Special chanting events for groups within ISKCON like youth, women, and children.
. This world holy name day event is an opportunity to glorify Srila Prabhupada, who is delivering the world by giving the gift of the holy name.
. Don’t forget prasadam!
This year September 11 falls on FridayCenters can also have events and festivals on the weekends before or after WHN Day in order to maximize participation. The North American devotees have decided to hold their main celebration on Saturday Sept. 22nd this year, and we have made a special poster to accommodate them.
If you choose to celebrate WHN Day on additional days, we encourage you to also do something to observe World Holy Name Day on September 17, as this is the date that Srila Prabhupada arrived in the USA. Even encouraging the Bhagavatam Class speaker to address the subject of the holy name and Srila Prabhupada’s contributions to spreading the holy name would be helpful for promoting a cohesive unified global consciousness.
We want to take this opportunity, each year, to glorify Srila Prabhupada as the divinely empowered ambassador of the holy name.
Please send us reports of both your preparations and your successful WHN Day festivities. We need to make a report to the GBC and devotee community and would love to include your written reports, photos, audio and even video files. Send us your ideas, planning and strategies so that we can share them with others. Any other words of inspiration you can provide would also be greatly appreciated.
Hare Krishna!
Your servants in the service of the holy name and Srila Prabhupada,
Global World Holy Name Day Co-ordination team:
H.H. Janananda Goswami: Janananda.goswami@pamho.net
H.G. Eklavya Prabhu: Ekalavya.lok@pamho.net
The Global Coordination Team for World Holy Name Day shall be Lokanath Swami, Janananda Das, and Ekalavya Das.
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Dandavats.com: 28 Apartments, One Minute from ISKCON Vrindavan
Samik Rsi dasa: Conveniently located a minute walk from ISKCON Krishna Balaram Mandir, 28 newly constructed apartments (adjacent to the MVT complex) offer a spiritual retreat in Vrindavan, the transcendental home of Lord Krishna

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Gouranga TV: July 2011 Ecstatic Harinam in Tel Aviv beach!!! Lead by Murari Caitanya prabhu!!
July 2011 Ecstatic Harinam in Tel Aviv beach!!! Lead by Murari Caitanya prabhu!!

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ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana

"O Tulasi, beloved of Krsna, I bow before you again and again. My desire is to obtain the service of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.
Whoever takes shelter of you has his wishes fulfilled. Bestowing your mercy on him, you make him a resident of Vrndavana..."
(Sri Tulasi-puja-kirtana)
O Tulasi Devi, our desire is behold the darsana of Sri Sri Radha Krsna for ever more.

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Australian News: Lord Balarama Jayanti – 13th August (Saturday) Canberra
Program
5.00 pm – 7.30 pm
Abhisekam, Arati,
Kirtan, Bhajans
Glories of Lord Balaram
Opening of Gifts
Feast Prasadam
Special Guest:
HG Viraj Krsna das
Check out the web site for more details
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